Players, Please Board the Train

”It seems like...” Qian Xuwen wanted to say something, but he immediately stopped himself as he opened his mouth. Pulling out his phone, he found the signal had been cut off, so he had to type a message to show Xu Huo.

”The people across from us aren’t the same two groups that left just now.”

”Let’s go in and take a look first,” Xu Huo said calmly.

Separated by the lake, players on both sides entered the resort building through different doors. Although they didn’t speak to each other, they could see one another. However, after taking the elevator up to the eighth floor, the dozens of people on the opposite side vanished without a trace.

”Everyone, please take some time to learn about the history of Double Snake,” the black-cloaked person said. ”We always hold a prayer session before the large gathering. It won’t take long, about ten minutes. Double Snake provides convenience for everyone, and in return, everyone must respect Double Snake’s rules.”

”Do you plan to recruit members?” a player asked. ”Can’t we attend the trading gathering without joining Double Snake?”

”Of course you can,” the black-cloaked person replied. ”The large gathering is primarily meant to provide a platform for our fellow players. Besides, our standards for selecting members at Double Snake are extremely strict. Not just any player can get in. You must share the same beliefs as all of Double Snake’s members to even be considered for acceptance.”

”Oh, is that so?” another player sneered. ”So what benefits come with being a Double Snake member?”

”How can faith in Double Snake be measured entirely by benefits?” the black-cloaked person said with a pretentious air. ”Shared faith is Double Snake’s greatest treasure.”

”You’d think this was some ancient, long-standing religion,” someone muttered in a low voice. ”Double Snake only showed up after evolution started, right?””So what? The fact that they’ve grown to this scale in just a few months is impressive. And with all those potions, they’ve either got some talented people or deep pockets. Joining wouldn’t be a loss,” another person said. ”It’s not like you’re actually giving your life to Double Snake. Take some perks, and if things go south, just bolt. Got a train ticket, so who’s afraid of dying here?”

That sentiment reflected the mindset of most players present. Since they were already here, they might as well see what Double Snake was really selling.

Double Snake had done thorough preparation. The front of the eighth floor was a wide corridor. One side of the hallway was lined with large floor-to-ceiling windows, while the other featured a dozen or so small rooms without doors. Each room housed plaster statues—from the intertwined twin snakes symbolizing the organization, to four faceless founders, to several spiritual emblems representing the organization’s creed, along with detailed written records. All of it was meant to showcase Double Snake’s depth and heritage.

With so many players, the black-cloaked person couldn’t personally guide everyone, so they let the group explore freely. They also handed out wristbands, explaining that after the gathering ended, players could exchange their wristbands for another potion.

Xu Huo walked forward a few rooms and studied the statues inside. ”Doesn’t this look familiar?”

Yan Jiayu was right beside him. ”That enforcer-guardian looks just like a Wrathful Vajra—just without a face. Dignified, compassionate, transcendent, and detached. They’re cobbling together other people’s stuff to fool us. They’re definitely up to no good.”

Xu Huo glanced at the other players in the room. With a flick of his finger, the Sound-Muffling Figurine was in his hand. ”Some of the players here tonight are Double Snake operatives. The ones who came over from across the lake were partially swapped out. It looks like everyone’s together, but we’ve actually been split up twice already. If I’m not mistaken, there’ll be a third time soon.”

The first split was during the invitation verification. Though it was hard to tell what had been tampered with on the invitations, it was clear someone was remotely grouping the players. The black-cloaked person just served as the mouthpiece. The players were divided into four groups, though it wasn’t clear if this was based on player type.

After they arrived by car, the players they saw were no longer the same ones who’d set out from the factory. That was the first dilution.

The second split happened after entering this building. On the surface, it looked like other players were gathering and coming and going, but in that brief moment, the players who’d ridden in with Xu Huo had been diluted and replaced again.

Whether it was the invitations or the masks, they were all markers Double Snake used to identify and redirect the players.

The wristbands just handed out were another new marker. There’d be another, more fine-grained split later.

”What are they splitting us by?” Yan Jiayu asked, a bit puzzled. ”And there are way too many Double Snake people here.”

With players not showing their true faces and the crowd so large, it was hard to confirm everyone’s identity. So, by constantly splitting the players apart, they might be filtering out those who didn’t meet their criteria. It was like what happened with the Special Defense Department players earlier—they attended a boring gathering and then left.

”They’re probably selecting their real targets, but I’m not sure what their standards are,” Xu Huo said.

”Whatever the standard, they’re most likely rigging things through the stuff they’re giving us,” Yan Jiayu said, stepping closer. ”I’ve got elevated shoes.”

Their eyes met, and they understood each other perfectly. Xu Huo put away the figurine, and Yan Jiayu’s voice echoed through the room at a moderate volume. ”Whoosh—really made my eyes pop!”

As soon as she spoke, the lights in the room suddenly flared with intense brightness before returning to normal after two seconds.

”What’s going on!” Guan Sheng, who was standing protectively behind Xu Huo, looked warily at the other players.

”Probably a power glitch. Why are you so jumpy?” a player who’d been dawdling by the door snapped. ”Making a mountain out of a molehill!”

Guan Sheng and Qian Xuwen exchanged a glance and simultaneously moved closer to Xu Huo. ”Let’s head out first,” the former said.

Xu Huo nodded, and the three of them left the room. On the other side, Brother Liang’s two companions called Yan Jiayu over to find the black-cloaked person. These exhibits really weren’t worth seeing.

One by one, the players regrouped near the black-cloaked person. There were still about twenty-some people, and they took the elevator down to the third floor.

The third floor was the gathering venue. As the elevator doors opened, the first thing they saw was a crowded mass of people. Everyone was wearing black cloaks. When they turned to look, only six faces were visible.

”Damn, there must be at least a hundred people,” Guan Sheng said.

The players who got off the elevator quickly melted into the crowd. In the blink of an eye, no one could recognize anyone anymore.

The three black-cloaked guides stepped to the front and clapped their hands to signal for quiet. ”There are too many players here today, so one prayer hall won’t be enough. The wristbands we gave everyone have a lottery function. Based on the number that appears on your wristband, go to the corresponding prayer hall. A few esteemed elder members will lead everyone in prayer today.”

”After the prayer ends, everyone is free to trade.”

On Guan Sheng and Qian Xuwen’s wristbands, the number ”three” appeared, but Xu Huo’s showed ”two.”

”Should we split up?” Qian Xuwen asked Xu Huo.

Xu Huo shook his head and walked toward door number two. Guan Sheng and Qian Xuwen exchanged a look and followed.

Quite a few others were doing the same thing. The three black-cloaked guides in front watched with smiles but didn’t stop them.