Forty-Nine Doomsday Chapter 33: Xu Xiaotian in Danger

Day 11 of the third Doomsday Rule taking effect, with 4 days remaining until its conclusion.

In an arcade in Yunhua City, Xu Xiaotian stared dejectedly at the screen where his controlled character had fallen dead.

"Damn it, died again!"

He had been playing this ga continuously for several days but still couldn't clear the final level.

"This difficulty is absolutely insane, I've tried dozens of tis and can't get past it," Xu Xiaotian muttered. "If I'd played this before the Doomsday Rules appeared, imagine how many ga coins I would have wasted trying to beat it."

"Buddy, you're not getting past this level."

A voice ca from beside him. Xu Xiaotian turned to see a long-haired young man in a jacket who had spoken to him.

The long-haired youth looked at the screen and said, "The final level of this ga is designed to be unsolvable. They never intended for players to beat it—it's purely ant to drain your coins."

"Really?" Xu Xiaotian said in surprise. "That's so scammy!"

"Yeah, exactly that scammy."

Seeing the long-haired youth appeared a few years older than him, Xu Xiaotian asked, "Brother, how do you know that? Did you get scamd out of a lot of coins before?"

The long-haired youth grinned: "I used to work here, so that's how I know."

"Oh, I see!"

"But you're pretty persistent, buddy," the long-haired youth said. "Playing so many tis without getting through and still going at it."

Xu Xiaotian smiled: "Well, I've got nothing better to do. Besides, I loved playing arcade gas since I was a kid, but never had money for ga coins. Now we can play without inserting coins whenever we want—how aweso is that!"

The long-haired youth nodded: "Pretty aweso indeed."

He then examined Xu Xiaotian's expression and said with a smile, "Looking at you, buddy, I'd guess you've given up on the third rule challenge, right?"

"Huh?"

"Pretty much everyone who's out playing is like that," the long-haired youth explained. "Those who want to pass the rules are following official advice to minimize activity and reduce energy consumption, right? So I figure those out playing have basically given up."

"Oh, that makes sense!"

Xu Xiaotian hadn't really thought about this before. Because of his instant noodles item, he hadn't paid much attention to the official recomndations for the third rule, and naturally hadn't read the official challenge guides either.

Thinking about it now, it made sense—those trying to pass the rules would mostly stay ho to avoid unnecessary energy expenditure from moving around. Those out having fun were mostly people who had abandoned the challenge.

"What, don't tell

you haven't given up?" the long-haired youth asked imdiately upon seeing Xu Xiaotian's expression.

Xu Xiaotian nodded.

"Wow, impressive," the long-haired youth's eyes lit up. "So you bought food boxes then? If you can afford them with Ascension Coins, your Mind Power must be over 80, right?"

"Sothing like that, hehe," Xu Xiaotian responded with a laugh, wanting to continue playing, but the long-haired youth pressed down on his arm.

"Buddy, I know another arcade where they've got all new gas you've definitely never played before. Want to co check it out with ?"

"Really?!" Xu Xiaotian's eyes sparkled. For an arcade enthusiast like him, the appeal of never-before-played new gas was huge.

"Of course, would I lie to you? Let's go."

"Let's go, let's go!"

Xu Xiaotian followed the long-haired youth downstairs. On the way, the long-haired youth went to the restroom to make a phone call.

After leaving the arcade, they waited by the roadside for a while.

Xu Xiaotian asked, "Bro, aren't we going directly there?"

"Soone's coming to pick us up, just wait a bit," the long-haired youth said.

"Okay."

Soon, a black car pulled up.

Xu Xiaotian glanced inside and saw three people in the car—one in the driver's seat, one in the passenger seat, and another in the back.

Counting himself and the long-haired youth, that made five people filling the car.

"Why so many people?"

"Just so buddies I play with. Get in."

The long-haired youth opened the back door. Seeing the tattoo on the neck of the youth sitting in the back, Xu Xiaotian suddenly felt sothing was wrong.

He suddenly rembered what Guan Tong had told him before—that there were suspected criminal gangs in Yunhua kidnapping people with high Mind Power.

Recalling how the long-haired youth had probed about his Mind Power back in the arcade, he began to panic.

"Um, bro, I just rembered I have sothing to do. Maybe next ti!"

After saying this, Xu Xiaotian turned to leave, but before he could take two steps, soone grabbed his arm.

"Hey now, buddy," the long-haired youth pulled Xu Xiaotian back, a nacing glint appearing in his eyes. "Leaving now would be disrespectful to us."

"I..."

At that mont, the person from the passenger seat and the one from the back both got out of the car. Together with the long-haired youth, the three of them surrounded Xu Xiaotian.

The tattooed man said viciously, "Kid, get in the car now if you don't want to get beaten up!"

The tattooed man's complete lack of pretense made Xu Xiaotian turn pale, realizing he had truly encountered criminals.

Looking at the three fierce-looking n, he pretended to comply and shrank his neck: "O-okay, I'll go with you..."

Halfway through his sentence, Xu Xiaotian suddenly made his move!

He swung his right hand and summoned his Mind Power item from his Storage Box—instant noodles.

"Splash!"

Xu Xiaotian flung the noodles forcefully, sending scalding noodles and soup splashing into the three n's faces, making them cry out in pain.

Seizing the opportunity, Xu Xiaotian turned and ran, pulling out his phone as he fled and dialing the top number in his contacts.

When the call connected, it was Guan Tong's voice that answered.

"Hello, Xiaotian, what's up?"

Since they had only recently t and exchanged numbers, Guan Tong's number was at the top of his newly added contacts.

"Guan Tong!" Xu Xiaotian shouted in panic. "It's bad! I've run into kidnappers! Near the arcade! Contact the Police Departnt for , I—Ow!"

Before he could finish speaking, he felt a kick from behind, stumbling and falling to the ground.

Looking up, he saw it was the young man from the driver's seat who had caught up with him. Since he hadn't gotten out of the car, he had avoided the instant noodles attack.

Now this driver began punching and kicking the fallen Xu Xiaotian.

"You little bastard, daring to pull that sneaky trick! I'll beat you to death!"

"Ouch!"

The other three n caught up too, joining in with furious kicks.

"Where did this little shit get instant noodles from? That burned like hell, I'm going to beat him to death!"

"Stop hitting him for now, quickly stuff him in the car and take him back!"

"His phone, smash his phone!"

Crunch—

That was the last sound Guan Tong heard before the call cut off with a beep.

"Xu Xiaotian got kidnapped by criminals? I need to contact the Police Departnt imdiately!"

With lives at stake, Guan Tong didn't dare delay.

He had gotten along quite well with Xu Xiaotian these past few days, and since he himself had almost beco a victim in this serial kidnapping case, he certainly couldn't stand by and do nothing.

He imdiately dialed the Police Departnt and reported Xu Xiaotian's situation. The Police Departnt was already rigorously investigating the kidnapping cases, so they took this new lead very seriously. The operator even asked Guan Tong to co to the station when he had ti to give a report in person.

Guan Tong agreed. After hanging up, he headed to the Police Departnt, wanting to get the latest updates on the kidnapping case as soon as possible.