This Game Is Too Real

The conference room was silent.

A variety of eyes shot toward the man who stood up from the conference table.

Director Feng's face initially showed shock, then turned to anger, followed by a hint of caution in his eyes.

Gui Xu was quite the opposite.

He slightly squinted his eyes, a barely noticeable trace of murderous intent flashing in his pupils.

He recognized that face.

That person was called Marik, the captain of the Desert Scorpion Spec Ops, who had been suspended due to failed operations and severe losses months ago.

Coincidentally, it was during the Enlightenment Society's "business contraction phase," with no demand for external military action, hence the Desert Scorpion Spec Ops had not been restructured, leaving this person waiting on standby at No.13 Shelter.

If it weren't because more and more high-level bionic humans parachuted in by the Heavenly Beings Organization were seizing power belonging to him, depriving him of usable people, he wouldn't have had to promote this guy.

Gui Xu never expected this dog he promoted to suddenly go mad and bite back at him.

There's no need to wait for him to make a move, the representative of the celestial beings had already stood up with a dark face.

"What do you mean?"

Electronic eyes flashed with frightening red gleam.

Codenamed "Tian Lei," the bionic human stared at "Marik" without blinking, unreservedly expressing blatant murderous intent.

Facing that murder-filled gaze, Zhuang Lan, disguised as Marik, showed no panic.

This emotionless piece of iron probably only had this authentic murderous intent left.

She had no doubt.

After these guys seize the whole world, they would immediately turn their guns to continue purification even more thoroughly, until eradicating every last heretic in their eyes.

Zhuang Lan didn't answer the bionic human's question, nor did she glance at him. Instead, she looked around at the doubtful faces on the conference table and calmly said.

"You have been closed off here for too long, you don't know what's happening outside at all."

"Just months ago, the Alliance already seized control of the Orion Missile Cruiser, with a hundred thousand neutron torpedoes now under the command of various Survivor Forces."

"The Game is over."

"Outside the shelter doors are united survivors, no matter which direction you attack, you will be besieged from all sides in the first instance."

"Punishment from heaven may descend, but it definitely won't fall upon anyone other than yourselves—"

"Shut up!"

A hysterical roar cut her voice off.

Zhuang Lan looked at the person, only to see Director Feng of No.13 Shelter panting heavily, glaring at her with bloodshot eyes.

That was hatred deep in the bones.

As if wanting to flay the skin from "Marik" alive.

Without waiting for Gui Xu and Apocalypse to speak, he exploded like a cat stepped on its tail.

"Utter nonsense! Orion is the legacy of the United Space Army, those survivors even if they managed to climb aboard by luck, they absolutely cannot gain piloting authorization! Furthermore, that starship is already under our control, they have no chance to even approach!"

Though the hysterical roar carried a bit of incoherence, the basic logic still remained.

The survivors seated at the conference table exchanged looks, the panic written in their eyes dissipating slightly.

Indeed—

Orion is a commissioned vessel of the United Space Army.

Even if United Human no longer exists, it's impossible for a few Scavengers to casually climb aboard and take the salvage.

The Lagrange Point Space Station is still in operation.

Only a government recognized by the Space Army can legally inherit what once belonged to United Human.

These Waste Land Wanderers living outside the refuge are just usurpers.

Watching the whispering Residents of the refuge, and the hysterical Director, Zhuang Lan's eyes carried a touch of pity and a hint of disdain.

These guys have long forgotten their original vow.

The reason they live in the heaven-like shelter was never any rightful entitlement, but because 200 years ago, a group of more noble people chose to face Hell, leaving the hope of survival to those lingering in the shelters.

Their forefathers had solemnly promised to take the spirits of the deceased forward, to rebuild a home for humanity on the barren Wasteland, and to treat kids living in Hell as their own children.

And at this moment, their children have undoubtedly betrayed their fathers' promise.

Their way to solve the problem is to kill people along with the problem itself.

Perhaps—

The suffering they endured is indeed part of retribution.

Just like the Light that emanates from them.

Both exist simultaneously.

A sense of realization slowly emerged in Zhuang Lan's heart, and she finally understood why that person lent her freedom.

It was indeed a redemption that only she, or rather the Residents of the refuge, could complete on their own.

Her parched lips moved slightly, and she slowly began to speak.

"...This is a fact, and it happened months ago."

Watching the face twisted in hysteria slowly turn to fear and despair, Zhuang Lan continued in a calm voice.

"Months ago, I was also puzzled as to why the Orion Missile Cruiser would grant authorization to those Waste Land Wanderers, to those civilians... But now, I am no longer confused in the slightest. Their choice is indeed the right one."

The air was so quiet it seemed to have solidified.

Director Feng looked at her in despair, then shifted his struggling gaze to Gui Xu, seeking answers.

The look said, "Tell me this isn't true."

The latter sighed with a troubled expression, just about to speak, when the Apocalypse prevented him with a glance.

It was no longer necessary.

In fact, there was no need for "Marik" to clarify it. Rumors had been circulating months ago about the fall of the Orion, and now they were just breaking the news officially.

Zhuang Lan glanced at Gui Xu, who was snickering, then at the cold gaze of the android representative, and instantly understood their intentions.

They had no intention to keep up the pretense, and it had been this way even before the meeting started.

Indeed.

With the current Strength of the Enlightenment Society and the Heavenly Beings Organization gathered at No. 13 Shelter, although not enough to have a showdown with the Survivor Forces on the surface, dealing with unruly residents in the shelter was not a problem.

The undisguised expressions were almost saying—

Say whatever you want.

I've laid my cards on the table.

So be it—

This play was reaching its end anyway.

Without exposing their hypocrisy, Zhuang Lan turned her gaze back to Director Feng and the few Residents sitting beside him who still held onto their luck, speaking in a cold voice.

"You are placing your hope in a bunch of executioners, counting on them to swiftly kill all who oppose you and those with different opinions, and then pretending nothing happened, believing the existing problems will be solved and a beautiful Utopia will automatically arrive—"

"What a naive delusion."

"Where does your confidence come from, that a blade stained with human blood since birth will suddenly be used to peel fruit in the future? Where does your confidence come from, that you are the lucky one in ten thousand and not becoming the new problem?"

"The reckoning will soon arrive, no matter if it's at the Lagrange Point Space Station or here."

"Wake up, this is your last chance."

Finishing her last words, Zhuang Lan fell silent, leaving the time to the people sitting at the meeting Table.

However, the result was regretful.

Even at the dramatic climax, she did not see anyone stand up to repent for their momentary confusion or say a word for her.

They were not really unable to wake up; they were unwilling to wake up.

This represented the so-called noble bloodlines sheltered by the remnants of their forebears and who lived undisturbed in the Wasteland for years.

They would rather bear the cost of errors than admit to the existence of mistakes.

Seeing those evasive glances and the soulless refuge director, Zhuang Lan's eyes finally showed complete disappointment.

And at that moment, applause suddenly broke the silence of the meeting room.

The crisp sound of clapping did not seem to land on hands but rather on faces.

Zhuang Lan followed the sound and saw that it was not from any of the survivors present, but from the Apocalypse, who had been watching coldly all along.

"Well said, but meaningless."

Seeing the eyes turn towards him, he smiled coldly, lowering his applauding hands, no longer concealing the deep-seated chill in his blood-red eyes.

"I think just like you, these residents of the refuge don't deserve to call themselves the inheritors of the Prosperity Epoch. They've been waiting for us to grant them victory from the start. In my opinion... they are even worse than the Waste Land Wanderers outside."

"How dare you talk about us like that." Director Feng stared at him with wide eyes, a hint of fear reflected in his pupils.

And just as he opened his mouth to speak, a loud "bang!" pierced through the Table, hitting him in the knee.

Unbalanced, Feng Zhiheng's head hit the Table, and he curled up on the ground in pain and distortion, with half of his pants instantly stained with blood.

That shot probably tore through an artery.

Looking at the director who was shot and fell to the ground, the conference room was in an uproar. Even Gui Xu, who was prepared to turn against them, showed a surprised expression, not expecting the celestial beings to act so decisively.

The person who fired the shot was the cyborg security standing at the door of the conference room.

After shooting, he immediately swung the butt of his gun to floor the human colleague beside him, who appeared shocked, and confiscated the latter's weapon.

He then unswervingly aimed at Zhuang Lan, who was standing still, awaiting Apocalypse's command to pull the trigger without hesitation and send her riddled with bullets.

In previous security upgrades, the Enlightenment Society had already gained access to the security system of No.13 Shelter and placed it under the control of the Lagrange Point Space Station.

And that's why Gui Xu didn't take that shelter director seriously—

The incomplete Manager authority the guy held was just a bother to the Enlightenment Society.

"Who gave you permission to stand and talk to me, bug?"

Looking down at Director Feng, who was kneeling painfully under the conference table, Apocalypse's lips curled into a cold smile, the restless intellectual plugin finally felt some peace.

Indeed—

Dead organic bodies are the good ones.

Their only use is to become organic mineral veins, like muddy sludge, supplying the necessary materials for flexible components.

Although the pursuit of higher evolution is his and the Torch Church's lifelong quest, seeing this ugly scene made him suddenly not want to return to a flesh and blood body that much.

They had actually already completed higher evolution.

Now, it's the best.

Feeling the killing intent permeating the room, Gui Xu suddenly felt a chill down his neck.

To cover his awkwardness, he lightly coughed and stood up, straightening his collar with his hands, and spoke to the shivering survivors huddled in the corner.

"Alright, I originally wanted to speak politely with you... but you forced me."

Dropping this line, he leisurely walked to "Marik's" side, sizing him up with his gaze.

"You're not Marik... let me guess who you are."

Zhuang Lan coldly chuckled, speaking in an icy tone.

"No need to guess, my name is Zhuang Lan, from Shelter No. 68."

Gui Xu's face showed a surprised expression.

"Zhuang Lan..."

The name sounded familiar to him, and he finally remembered who this guy was after a long time.

She was the spy he sent to No.0 Shelter to steal the Torch Plan's original document, a clown who botched the job.

This guy didn't kill the key target, merely took down an insignificant Welch Military Officer.

Later on, she was caught by the Alliance. He thought she was dead, but unexpectedly she was still alive.

Seeing this unexpectedly familiar face, Gui Xu couldn't help but laugh.

"So, the Alliance didn't execute you, hahaha... But speaking of which, why did you change into this ghostly appearance?"

Watching the chairperson's unrestrained laughter, Zhuang Lan also replied with a sardonic smile.

"Disguising and camouflaging isn't it your usual trick? How come when the same trick is used on yourself, you can't perceive it?"

Gui Xu's smile cooled down.

"Is this a holographic image?"

"Yes."

Zhuang Lan nodded plainly, then stopped pretending, canceling the optical camouflage on her body.

"But not entirely."

She indeed underwent a full set of modification surgery, even implanting organs she originally didn't have.

Regarding holographic disguise, something else was concealed—

Pale blue ripples spread out around.

Amid circles of transparent ripples, a silver-grey exoskeleton suddenly appeared.

Seeing this exoskeleton, Gui Xu's smile froze.

How did this thing get into the venue?

Could it be—

She has an inside man?!

But even if she had an inside man, how did this guy fool the cyborgs?!

Not giving him time to think, Zhuang Lan had already grabbed his neck with one hand, lifting this behind-the-scenes schemer like a chick.

"I'll never forget what happened at Shelter No. 68 that day, and what you did to deceive our trust. If it weren't for the bigger picture, I would have killed you already."

The deep, murderous intent pierced through the tactical helmet, her right hand slightly exerting force.

"Go to hell and confess, scum."

The incident happened so suddenly that no one reacted.

Gui Xu looked to his celestial allies for help, but they merely looked over indifferently, their cold gazes appreciating both sides shredding at each other like crickets.

He was utterly hopeless.

From start to finish, these guys were only using them.

Of course, there's nothing to reproach.

The alliance between the Enlightenment Society and the celestial beings is inherently about mutual exploitation. From the start, when he engaged with the celestial beings, he had the same thoughts, even planning when to kick these iron lumps away.

However, he didn't expect that the game hadn't ended yet, and in their eyes, he had already lost his utility...

They no longer needed him.

His soul was dim, and in the suffocating pain, his remaining consciousness slowly sank into an unfathomable sea...

Zhuang Lan didn't kill him, she just knocked him out and simultaneously planted a nanoscale emitter on him, ensuring this guy could be found even if he fled to the ends of the earth.

This guy was not only her enemy but one of the major offenders behind the entire crisis.

To die here would be too easy for him.

He should stand trial, and then be hanged on the pillar of shame.

Apocalypse obviously saw he wasn't dead.

But regarding a now-useless organic body's life or death, he showed little concern, coldly sneering towards Zhuang Lan and taunting.

"What's up? Want to take him hostage?"

"I've never thought of that, besides it's meaningless to you."

Working her neck, she removed the twin curved knives attached to her exoskeleton.

These battle knives made of ceramic steel were more than enough to deal with a few iron lumps.

"Let's conclude, tin cans imitating humans, let me see how much rust you have inside."

"Haha, I've been waiting for these words a long time, organic body."

Apocalypse's face revealed a cruel smile, torch-like killing intent beaming through his crimson pupils.

"Kill her!"

Gunshots rang out instantly, a barrage of bullets pelted Zhuang Lan as if in a storm.

In a flash of time, she flipped over the conference table, using the knife's curved back to flick up a chair, hurling it fiercely towards the door.

There, the chair hit the rifle in the cyborg's hands accurately, causing the sputtering gunfire to uncontrollably sweep towards a corner of the conference room.

"Ah—!"

Screams and woes echoed heavily, participants cowering further down, desperately wishing to squeeze themselves into wall cracks.

No one cared about the unconscious Gui Xu in the corner.

Whether they were residents of Shelter No.13 or those from outside shelters joining the Enlightenment Society, they were all like ants on a hot pan.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the conference table, Zhuang Lan stably raised a knife, taking down a cyborg attempting to draw a gun from his clothes, before letting go of the knife handle. Amidst a string of leap-frogging sparks, she snatched away the half-exposed handgun and emptied the magazine towards the door of the conference room!

"Bang bang bang!"

The positioned cyborg security took ten straight shots to the chest, causing control components and metallic covers to fragment, rendering him soundless on the ground.

No magazine change needed.

Zhuang Lan tossed the handgun back onto the cyborg she had speared through the chest, swiftly retrieving the curved knife inserted in its chest, then directed her sharp gaze towards Apocalypse.

The latter remained indifferent towards her, displaying no worry in his coldly smirking expression.

"You have good skills, it's a shame it's meaningless, you can't change the situation alone, can you?"

Heavily paced footsteps resonated in the corridor, drawing closer to the conference room's entrance.

A large number of bodyguards were heading this way.

They were Lagrange Point Space Station authorized cyborg soldiers!

Flicking both curved knives in hand, Zhuang Lan retorted with a similar cold sneer through her tactical helmet.

"Who told you I'm alone?"