Volume One: Entering the City Chapter Six: Forming an Alliance

"Heh." Jia Jun laughed dryly, clearly unwilling to make any guarantees. He glanced at Fang Hao. "This man makes a good point; I truly didn't anticipate this. I need to discuss it with my friends first."

"Keh." Mad Blade scoffed, making Jia Jun's face twitch ever so slightly.

As for Emperor Ao, he didn't even look their way, simply responding with a cool "Mm," as if granting permission.

Jia Jun beckoned, gathering Lu Ningyu and the other five girls aside.

"Fang Hao, I think highly of you. With your abilities, your future will surely be extraordinary." Emperor Ao walked over to Fang Hao, giving his shoulder a few friendly pats.

Then he pulled out an old flip-phone. "Here, take this. In this world of trials, you can use it to contact us directly."

Emperor Ao made no attempt to conceal his actions; everyone, whether loners or members of small groups, witnessed this scene, their minds whirling with thoughts.

Without doubt, Fang Hao had earned the recognition of Emperor Ao's team. In this world of trials, his standing in the eyes of veteran trial-goers was far heavier than the others.

After all, "Final Destination" was a series of films where everyone could die, with even three surviving protagonists killed by a truck at the end. If, later in this trial, a crisis arose that could wipe out everyone, would the veterans selectively protect certain people—like Fang Hao?

Jia Jun and his group, gathering for a small meeting, fell into silence. The other lone newcomers looked even more conflicted, weighing their options: should they keep waiting for the protagonist, turn to curry favor with the veterans, or...?

Lu Yi recalled Fang Hao's words: "It's impossible to encounter the protagonist in Shanel Town. There are many reasons, including the interests of the veterans." As this thought crossed Lu Yi's mind, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Wasn't Emperor Ao's action precisely a temptation for the newcomers to follow the veterans away from Shanel Town?

It was undeniable that Emperor Ao's move was masterful. Whether or not people suspected him of ulterior motives, his open preference and appreciation would prompt them to suppress their doubts in hopes of winning his favor.

Given the task type and difficulty, the clever would vie for priority protection from the veterans; the less clever, seeing the crowd's drift, would follow suit out of herd mentality. Regardless, the veterans' goal—to prevent newcomers from contacting the protagonist—would be achieved.

Lu Yi watched Emperor Ao and Fang Hao chatting and laughing, and suddenly shivered involuntarily. It felt as though he was witnessing two demons grinning and murmuring in the shadows, and the thought of being led by such people made his heart tremble with fear for the future.

What would become of them? A fate worse than death? Lu Yi shook his head, remembering the saying: "Only those who live long enough can laugh last."

At this moment, Lu Yi felt that if he truly followed Fang Hao and the veterans, even surviving to the end would leave him unable to laugh.

"Hey, brother." Suddenly, a hand clapped Lu Yi's shoulder, startling him and interrupting his train of thought.

"Y-yes? Do you need something?" He looked at the newcomer, Xu Yuanbin, his heart still pounding.

"I'd like to form an alliance with you," Xu Yuanbin said with a smile.

"An alliance?" Lu Yi frowned, not entirely clear what this entailed.

"Hey, little brother, don't listen to him. If you're going to ally, do it with me." Another person squeezed next to Lu Yi, flexing his muscles with confidence. "If you're going to form an alliance, pick someone with real strength. Am I right?"

"Wait, what exactly do you mean by 'alliance'?" Lu Yi quickly interjected.

Muscleman Deng Zhi gave a challenging glance at the others. "In a place like this, relying only on your own information is far from enough. For example, right now, you and I both want to get in good with the veterans, but neither wants to completely break with the protagonist."

"But neither of us can split ourselves in two, so we need to form an alliance." Deng Zhi finished, looking expectantly at Lu Yi.

Lu Yi nodded. "Go on. How would it work?"

Seeing Lu Yi's open attitude, Deng Zhi's eyes brightened, and his tone became warmer. "If we ally, we can use our numbers to our advantage, covering both sides."

Deng Zhi clenched his right fist. "You handle the protagonist, I stick with the veterans. That way, we each get critical intel, and when we share it, everyone’s happy."

"Oh?" Lu Yi raised an eyebrow, considering silently, then let a cold smile slip onto his lips. An alliance? Ridiculous! This was just a way to keep someone in Shanel Town, reducing competition in front of the veterans.

Is the protagonist important? Yes, but their importance wanes as things progress. Imagine: would the veterans avoid the protagonist for the sake of the mission's success?

As long as they could get firsthand information from the protagonist, the newcomers favored by them would have that too.

Besides, the veterans' priority protection list wasn't easily changed. Once they decided on someone, it wasn't enough to match their performance—you’d have to surpass them, be better than them.

The protagonist, on the other hand, would grow more proactive in sharing intel as the situation worsened, out of self-preservation and passion.

Clearly, this alliance was designed to benefit Deng Zhi, while Lu Yi would be at a disadvantage. But Lu Yi had already decided: following Fang Hao and the veterans wouldn’t win this mission.

Still, even if he went against the grain, he couldn't afford to be ignorant of the veterans' intel—he needed an informant, and Deng Zhi wasn’t fit for that role.

Lu Yi smiled. "The big brother here makes sense. We should indeed cover both sides."

"Ah, I knew you were smart, brother!" Deng Zhi slapped his hand down with a hearty laugh. "So, shall we work together?"

Lu Yi smiled, ignoring Deng Zhi's outstretched hand. "Hold on. Covering both sides is right, but our division of labor deserves discussion. I think I should follow the veterans, and you follow the protagonist."

Deng Zhi's expression froze, and he laughed awkwardly. "Heh, little brother, you’re about the same age as the protagonist—no one could do it better than you."

"Ah," Lu Yi quickly interrupted, "age aside, you know I don't understand the protagonist at all. My only dialogue is from the script, and if I try to connect with him now, I'd risk giving myself away."

He looked seriously at Deng Zhi. "On the other hand, you, big brother, are clearly a bold, straightforward person. If you approach the protagonist under the guise of gratitude, you'll get twice the results with half the effort." His expression was as if he truly wanted to entrust Deng Zhi with an important task.

"You!" Deng Zhi's eyes flashed with menace, glaring at Lu Yi. He realized Lu Yi also wanted a place with the veterans. Deng Zhi nodded fiercely. "Fine, in that case, we'll rely on our own abilities."

Lu Yi and Deng Zhi hadn't bothered to lower their voices, so everyone knew Lu Yi was a competitor now. No one approached him anymore. Just then, a heated argument broke out nearby; Lu Yi glanced over, a smile appearing on his face. He felt the right opportunity had finally arrived.