Chapter Eight: All Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing

It was deeply humiliating for the director to be outplayed by a guest, and he knew he would have no easy explanation for Mr. Pei.

There was only one way left: to covertly hack into Shen Li’s system, override the shark’s parameters, and turn it into a weapon to attack her. This way, Shen Li would surely reap what she sowed, and he would finally have his revenge.

The technical director, whose eyes had been glazed over, suddenly had an epiphany. "I'll change it right now!" he said, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. Even if Shen Li had some technical prowess, what did it matter? His skills were rare globally, and he had even cracked the world’s top 16 rankings this year. There was no way Shen Li could be ranked ahead of him; he had checked the list thoroughly, and there wasn’t a single female technician ranked above him.

He began to manipulate the controls with confidence, his fingers dancing across the virtual keyboard in a blur of motion. But when he hit enter, the result was a complete failure. A large red "X" appeared on the screen, shattering his confidence. "Impossible!"

He tried a different approach, only to meet the same result. After several failed attempts, Shen Li had already led her two teammates to the other side of the island and reached the shore, yet he still couldn’t override the parameters.

The director’s face turned ashen. He roared, "What use are you? Stop trying!"

"It’s impossible..." The technical director leaned in until his face was almost touching the screen, refusing to accept defeat. The director was livid. "You can't even hack into a simple system—what a waste! So much for being on the world ranking list; it’s completely useless!"

The technical director, having exhausted every bit of his knowledge, tilted his head, his expression devoid of life. "She set up a defensive firewall. I can’t break through. I’ve tried every method, and none of them work. Even if you brought in one of the top ten technicians, they might not be able to crack it."

It was an incredibly complex firewall. He was desperate to know how Shen Li had managed to build it. No, that wasn’t right—he should be wondering who exactly Shen Li was. Why did she possess such advanced skills? She wasn't on the rankings, and yet... It seemed he would have to investigate her properly.

After listening to the director, the director felt a chill of foreboding. He stepped outside to call Mr. Pei and reported the situation in full. There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

The director kept taking deep breaths, his legs trembling so badly he had to lean against the wall to stay upright. After an indeterminate amount of time, a voice devoid of emotion finally replied, "I understand. Prepare yourself; I am coming over personally."

The director felt as if he had found a savior. "I’ll go prepare the boat immediately!"

...

The recent turn of events had caused the viewership of the "Scandal Team's" livestream to surpass that of the "Top-Tier Team" multiple times. The Top-Tier Team, who should have been the protagonists of the show, had been relegated to the background. Jiang Fuya bit her lip, her heavily made-up face twisted with rage.

She took out a functional card, a flash of secret delight in her heart. *Shen Li, you can’t defeat me. I have people behind me who want you dead.*

In an instant, she smoothed her expression, replacing it with a fragile, innocent look meant to elicit pity. She bowed ninety degrees to the camera. "I’m sorry, Scandal Team. I just didn't want my teammates to lose. I'm so sorry."

With a hesitant, labored motion, she raised the functional card. "I want to use a functional card."

—*Oh my, my Ya-ya is so kind-hearted. Even when facing such morally bankrupt people, she still thinks of them. I’m so lucky to have become a fan of our Ya-ya.*

—*It’s just a game, don't blame yourself, Ya-ya.*

—*I’m crying (crying x3). Don't blame yourself, Ya-ya, you did the right thing!*

—*Go, Ya-ya! Defeat that wicked woman!*

...

Jiang Fuya used three functional cards in succession: an Elimination Card, a Transfer Card, and a Time-Extension Card. The Elimination Card allowed the user to nominate any member of the opposing team for immediate elimination. The Transfer Card allowed the user to relocate a chimpanzee to any position, and the Time-Extension Card increased the pursuit time of a designated chimpanzee.

The Celestial Voice asked: [Elimination Card, who would you like to target for elimination?]

Jiang Fuya pretended to deliberate, her eyes turning red as she closed them. "I'm sorry, Shen Li. I choose Shen Li for elimination." Shen Li was the backbone of their team; she had to go!

The Celestial Voice continued: [Transfer Card, which chimpanzee would you like to move?]

Because Shen Li had used the shark to escape to the other side of the island, the chimpanzees could not teleport directly. The four chimpanzees currently chasing them were still on the far shore, and given the time limit, it would be difficult for them to catch the three of them before the game ended. She decided to lend a hand: "Transfer Bai Qiuya's chimpanzee, and increase the duration." Bai Qiuya was the weakest member of their team, so she was the easiest target. Bai Qiuya’s chimpanzee was instantly teleported, and its pursuit time was doubled to sixty seconds.

Shen Li was taken away by the men in black, and the advantage the Scandal Team had just built vanished into thin air.

"Hurry, Qiao Le!" Bai Qiuya knew she couldn't outrun the sixty-second pursuit, but Qiao Le could. "Go find Ji Beishu. He must have found some functional cards. You have to survive!"

Qiao Le gritted her teeth. "Good luck." With that, she turned and sprinted away with all her might. Bai Qiuya didn't stand still, either, and took off running.

Three. The chimpanzee’s massive eyes locked onto Bai Qiuya.

Two.

One.

The chimpanzee's timer ended, and the sixty-second extreme pursuit began. Fearful screams echoed through the forest. Bai Qiuya tried her best to stifle them, but how could she not be terrified with such a behemoth chasing her?

—*Yes! Yes! Catch her!*

—*Mistresses deserve to be punished. Bai Qiuya deserves this for being a homewrecker!*

—*Hahaha, this is so satisfying! Jiang Fuya, well done!*

—*Let Shen Li be arrogant—she killed her own teammate. Serves her right!*

—*Jiang Fuya is amazing! This is the perfect punishment for a murderer! She truly is my goddess!*

...

Bai Qiuya gasped for breath, her forehead slick with sweat. She couldn't run anymore; the snarling of the chimpanzee behind her filled her with terror, and her legs refused to obey her.

The chimpanzee’s massive, black-furred hand reached out, clamped over Bai Qiuya’s head, and lifted her off the ground.

The director slapped his thigh and laughed. "Hahaha, good!" The Scandal Team was finished!

Just then, the Celestial Voice rang out: [Scandal Team member Ji Beishu has used the "Transfer Card" to move Bai Qiuya’s chimpanzee to the maximum distance.]

In an instant, the chimpanzee was teleported to the furthest possible point from Bai Qiuya. The Celestial Voice continued: [Scandal Team member Ji Beishu has used the "Transfer Card" to move Jiang Fuya’s chimpanzee behind her.]

One of the two chimpanzees guarding Shen Li was teleported behind Jiang Fuya. Before she could even react, it began its pursuit, and within a single second, the Celestial Voice announced: [Top-Tier Team member Jiang Fuya is eliminated.]

Ji Beishu let out a heavy sigh of relief. He looked at Jiang Nian, who was standing nearby, and asked, confused, "Why did you let me have the treasure chest?"

He tried to read the emotions in Jiang Nian’s narrow, cold eyes, but found nothing. A moment later, Jiang Nian shoved his hands into his pockets and walked past Ji Beishu, leaving behind only one sentence: "I didn't let you have it. You were just faster than me."

But Ji Beishu had seen it clearly; Jiang Nian had been staying in this area the whole time. If he wasn't mistaken, this was Jiang Nian’s spawn point. He didn't understand why Jiang Nian hadn't taken the chest.

"Do you not want to win?" he called out to Jiang Nian’s retreating back.

Jiang Nian stopped, not turning around. "I just don't like unfair victories. It's meaningless." With that, he walked away.