Chapter 2 Gemstone Appraisal - Death Threat

"What kind of damn game is this? I'm not participating. What right do you have to lock people up here? This is kidnapping, don't you know? We live in a society governed by law. I want out! Let me out!"

The repeated provocations seemed to shatter the Man in a Suit's psychological defenses. He angrily and fearfully tapped at thin air. Although Bai Xiao couldn't see the light screen in front of him, based on what she saw on her own, she knew the spot the man was tapping corresponded to the 'No' option.

After making his choice, the man gave an eerie smile, as if he had seen something else.

But his smile didn't last long. The next second, an icy steel fork violently pierced through the middle of his neck, followed by an explosion of flesh and blood.

The sudden change happened too fast, catching everyone completely off guard. No one even saw which direction the steel fork came from.

Impaled by the flying fork, the Man in a Suit was thrown forward, slamming onto the ground with a heavy *thud*. The force was so great that it pierced through his neck and embedded itself deep into the earth.

His body convulsed twice from physiological reflex, bloody bubbles foaming at his mouth as he emitted only two gurgling sounds before falling completely silent.

Such a bloody scene, occurring so suddenly and with such brutal violence, seemed to pause the entire world, freezing everyone's movements in an instant.

Everyone was petrified on the spot by the horrific sight.

For a moment, the only sound in the air was the high-frequency vibration of the steel fork, its residual momentum not yet spent.

The blood didn't flow—it sprayed out.

"Ahhhh!"

The delayed screams echoed throughout the space half a beat later.

The middle-aged woman closest to the Man in a Suit, who had just heard his frenzied shouting and was about to turn and say something, was met head-on with a spray of blood. She witnessed his violent death up close!

Bai Xiao's heart nearly stopped from the shock of the scene before her. Warm liquid splashed onto the corner of her eye. Realizing it was blood, her hand, raised instinctively, froze mid-air.

As if the screams had pierced through their paralysis, everyone regained their ability to move, covering their mouths in horror, screaming, and scrambling backward.

"Someone's dead! Someone's dead!"

"What kind of hellish place is this? Murder! Murder! I don't want to die!"

"I won't play this game! What kind of damn game is this? I won't play! I want out! Let me out now!"

"..."

No matter how much the crowd screamed, begged, or even cursed, the entire space remained devoid of any response.

When the countdown reached 10 seconds, the mechanical female voice, like a death warrant, sounded once more.

【10, 9, 8...】

The voice, similar to an announcement heard on a train, wasn't monotonous but instead conveyed a sense of precision.

It ignored all the chaos, offering a seemingly well-intentioned reminder like a detached observer. Yet, in this situation, even the most pleasant voice sounded no different from a demon's whisper to everyone.

So, choosing 'No' meant being eliminated from the game—and elimination meant death!

What kind of existence was this space? What exactly was this so-called game? How could it harvest lives in such a surreal manner?

No one knew.

But the only thing certain was that everyone present was now a lamb to the slaughter. Any retreat would result in cruel eradication.

This was a place that offered two choices, but in reality, only one led to survival.

There was no more time to hesitate. The will to survive made her hand move faster than her mind. Gritting her teeth, Bai Xiao selected 'Yes' before the countdown ended.

She clearly wasn't the only one who thought this way. Summoning their shattered courage, the others also chose 'Yes' before the deadline.

【Welcome, players, to the 'Gem Appraisal' themed game. This session consists of three rounds.】

【Game Objective: Players who successfully obtain a genuine gem and have it verified as authentic will survive until the end.】

【Game Hint: Gems are precious. Only eyes skilled at discovery are qualified to appraise them.】

【Please note: This is a treasure vault. Maintain quiet to avoid angering the guardian spirits.】

【Game loading... Randomly assigning temporary identification numbers... Temporary numbers have been issued.】

【The first round begins now. Please vote to select the first player to enter the treasure vault. Voting countdown: three minutes.】

As the announcement ended, a red circular light suddenly lit up in the upper left corner of each cell. Bai Xiao saw the number '3' on the light in her room, which she guessed was the temporary number mentioned by the mechanical voice.

She glanced at the numbers in the surrounding rooms. The row she was in, from front to back, read: 7, 3, 4, 6.

The lights were two-way, so she could also see the numbers on the opposite side: 1, 5, 2, from front to back.

The deceased person had no number.

"What kind of existence is this? Are we all going to die here?"

As someone spoke up, the crisis seemed to temporarily push aside their fear, and everyone began to discuss.

"Don't be so pessimistic. At least we're still alive for now."

"The announcement said we need to obtain a genuine gem to survive. But what is a 'genuine gem'? How do we get it? There are no specific instructions. I think this so-called damn game just wants everyone to die here."

"The game mentioned a treasure vault, so we won't be locked up here forever."

"Even so, it didn't tell us how to get out. There's nothing in this place. We can't possibly search for it here."

"The hint also said to keep quiet. Is it okay for us to talk like this? What are these 'guardian spirits'? Could they be the thing that shot the steel fork just now?"

"Talking here should be fine. We were talking non-stop before the game rules were announced, and that man didn't die because he was talking."

"Let's not discuss that for now. Shouldn't we first figure out how to vote?"

Amidst the clamor of discussion, the topic eventually settled on voting.

Bai Xiao looked at the three-minute countdown on the game panel before her. Now, less than two minutes remained.

Any game ultimately tests intelligence, strength, agility, or luck.

Luck is elusive. Everyone here is of normal intelligence, making it hard to judge superiority quickly. Only strength and agility—a person's physical fitness—can be roughly assessed with the naked eye.

The male college student in cell 4 next to her, though not burly, had a balanced build. Next to cell 4 was cell 6, whose occupant she couldn't see clearly, but he looked robust, like a trained fighter.

Opposite her, the delivery worker in cell 1, perhaps from years of exposure to the elements, had a darker complexion and appeared lean and strong. Farthest from her was the man in Hanfu in cell 2. His loose clothing hid his physique, but he was at least tall.

Most importantly, they were all male, possessing natural advantages and a tendency to band together.

Thinking this, Bai Xiao couldn't help but sigh. She glanced at the woman in yoga wear in cell 7 beside her and the woman in a blue dress diagonally across in cell 5. Number 7 had a healthy, somewhat athletic Western figure, clearly someone who exercised regularly. Number 5 was about her height but slightly heavier.

Having assessed the others, Bai Xiao looked down at her own slender arms and legs. Visually, her physical fitness offered no advantage whatsoever. This was practically the worst possible starting point.

As she pondered, the ongoing conversation had indeed shifted into a showcase of individual advantages.