Chapter 2, Death Passed By.

A mercenary looked at the computer and said: "This is Restaurant B... the map says so"

What is this

Zhang Jie also smiled and said, "That is indeed correct. Yes, blowing this place up will yield thousands of reward points. However, I have two questions to ask you. First, will they give us time to place the plastic explosives?" He pointed towards the mercenaries.

Commander, we have found another route, but it is estimated that it will take more time to get there. Let us first return here, then pass through Restaurant B, and proceed directly to the destination from there. This route may take twice as long... the mercenary said

Matthew Edison shook his head and said, "We do not know this either. It could be influenced by external factors, such as a computer virus... It is also possible that an internal individual manipulated and sabotaged it. All of this is..."

He did not know, because everything that had just happened was indeed very, very dangerous. He had almost died in there, and that middle-aged man, Mou Gang, had nearly been killed because of him. Therefore, he did not dare to continue trying to change the plot. Perhaps Zhang Jie and the others would not allow him to change the plot any further, because with the next developments being unpredictable, it was very likely that everyone would die here... including them, including the characters, and even including the main character in the film.

Alice suddenly asked, "What is it? What is that?"

Behind the main entrance is a corridor over ten meters long, flanked on both sides by glass walls, in stark contrast to the steel walls outside the entrance

As the troops continued to advance, isolated research chambers gradually appeared on both sides of the corridor. These chambers were completely filled with water, and in addition to the water, many corpses of researchers floated within, their pale forms looking particularly horrifying. Zheng Zha and the others understood that they had already been infected by the T virus and had become zombies. Once the central computer was rebooted, they would break free from their restraints and begin to move, seeking to devour the living

Zhang Jie nodded and said: "Please continue, what else would you like to ask?"

Zheng Zha opened his eyes. He did not see the disappearance of the laser net, but he knew he had succeeded. The familiar plot once again propelled him forward by inertia, and he finally struggled to survive from death. In the past twenty years of his life, he had never been so close to death at this moment; the trajectory of death had just passed over his shoulder, so close!

The girl with glasses paused for a moment, then touched her forehead and said: "Strength? No, luck? Not that either, it's too unpredictable, sometimes good, sometimes bad... It should be familiarity with the plot, right?"

This is a horror film, where no one is absolutely safe; everyone could die. They are all merely struggling insects, all fighting for survival

Breakthrough of the mental threshold! Reward of 500 points, mental value increased by 20 points, and neural reaction speed increased by 30 points

Matthew Edison supported a mercenary whose finger had been severed by a laser beam, at which point another mercenary shouted, "Sir, another shot is coming!"

Wow

Zheng Zha and Mou Gang suddenly felt a chill in their limbs. Those who have seen this film know that this passage is a death trap; anyone who enters is guaranteed to die. Even the most skilled mercenary captain met his end under the lasers, and his death was particularly gruesome, as he was sliced into countless small pieces.

Zheng Zha felt a chill all over his body; even after just vomiting, he still felt discomfort in his stomach. Matthew Edison showed no courtesy at all, pulling him along with the other mercenaries as they moved inward.

Is it as if it has been filled with water from the inside

Zhang Jie smiled and said, "Bingo, you are correct. Being well-acquainted with the plot is our greatest reliance. Therefore, until I have absolute confidence, I will never change the storyline. If someone attempts to forcibly alter the plot to gain reward points, I would not hesitate to send them to hell.

Zhan Lan smiled and shook Zheng Zha's hand, saying: "My confidant, I actually think the same way."

Matthew Edison nodded and said, "Alright, J.D., Ryan, Zhang Jie, there may still be survivors hiding here. Search around, but don't go too far. You must keep an eye on the prisoners and the exit first, understand?"

They do not know what all of this is, nor do they understand the consequences of shutting down the main computer. If they casually witness us doing things they cannot comprehend, the most likely outcome is that they will shoot at us first. As a result, it is very possible that the Crawlers will be released prematurely. The 'Main God' will not allow you to change the plot so successfully; even if changes occur, it is likely to simultaneously increase the difficulty and intention. Do you understand?

Kaplan said without turning his head: "The Flame Empress is an intelligent computer, and its defense system is highly sophisticated. If it could be easily breached, it would not be used as the main computer in the laboratory..."

Matthew Edison struggled desperately, saying: "Let me go! We will be cut in half in this position! Let me go!"

You stay here

Zheng Zha could only manage a faint smile at her, and then he dragged Matthew Edison tightly against the large door at the entrance. Now, he could only pray that the plot would not change in the slightest. This laser would end near the door; there was no hope of evading it, as it would turn into a net that would tear apart anyone. The only thing he could do was cling to the door and plead with the heavens to bring this all to an end, just as the plot had shown.

Matthew Edison said: "Then let it continue to sleep!"

This is bad

Kaplan, who was closest to her, said: "This is the device that can shut down the Flame Empress. It can release a strong electric current, disrupt the mainframe, and cause it to reboot..."

Completion of B-level horror side story, reward points: 5000 points

Matthew Edison nodded and said: "Rein, J.D., you two go check if it is still possible to drain the water."

Perhaps it was the gods opening their eyes, or perhaps it was Zheng Zha's prayers that took effect. As the laser beam approached the two, it suddenly transformed into a net-like structure. Matthew Edison could only let out a frustrated exclamation, and in that moment of despair, the laser net gradually dimmed. Then, it vanished just a few centimeters in front of him, a faint sense of heat still rushing towards his face with the air. In that instant, he seemed unable to believe that he had survived.

At this moment, the mercenary holding the instrument was about to enter the passage, and Zheng Zha could no longer hold back, exclaiming loudly: "Wait, hold on a moment, don't you find this a bit strange? This computer is rather useless, and you are just going to restart it like this. I believe things are not that simple; there may be something peculiar in this passage.

The mercenaries immediately came to a halt, all of them looking at him with strange expressions. The girl with glasses sighed, released his hand, and moved away to stand beside the female lead, Alice

Matthew Edison reacted the fastest; he suddenly knocked the two people beside him to the ground. Zheng Zha, having been focused on that direction, had already dropped to the ground the moment the laser beam appeared, so the laser merely grazed his shoulder, the sharp and searing sensation seeming to pass closely by his shoulder. Aside from this, his mind had already gone blank.

At this moment, Zhang Jie appeared quite natural, trailing behind the main group. His demeanor suggested that he was constantly searching for something to his left and right. The mercenaries noticed this but said nothing. Only Zheng Zha and the others understood that this was because Zhang Jie could not stray more than one hundred meters away from Matthew Edison, hence he had to stay behind the main group

As soon as the crowd entered the passage, it was as if a scene from a movie had unfolded; the doors on both sides closed simultaneously. Matthew Addison could no longer concern himself with Zheng Zha. He and the other mercenaries cautiously observed with their firearms in hand, while he also spoke into the communicator, "Kaplan?"

Matthew Edison nodded and said, "Alright, let us take the second path. There is not much time left, everyone hurry up.

Several protagonists were bewildered. Alice bit her finger and said, "Why is it doing this? Isn't it an intelligent computer system?"

The most skilled computer expert among the mercenaries is named Kaplan. He directly opened three laptops. From Zheng Zha and the others' perspective, his computer skills are undoubtedly top-notch. His hands were rapidly tapping away on the three computers, yet several minutes passed, and the door leading to the central computer location remained tightly sealed.

Matthew Addison glanced at him without speaking, simply instructing the mercenaries beside him: "J.D., Ryan, Zhang Jie, you stay here to watch the prisoners and guard the exit

The girl with glasses, Zhan Lan, also approached and said: "This is what you deserve. I had been reminding you not to change the plot, but you refused to listen. What Zhang Jie said before was actually correct; our greatest reliance here is not luck, but our familiarity with the entire storyline. Your luck cannot always be with you. In the future, please do not be so impulsive. None of us want to die here.

This is a vast hall filled with countless small containers, each approximately several cubic meters in size. A chilling aura continuously emanates from these containers. Anyone who has seen Resident Evil knows that this is a storage facility for frozen crawlers. Once the main computer is shut down, these crawlers will transform into the most terrifying alien creatures, their terrifying power surpassing that of zombies by more than a hundred times.

Matthew Edison helplessly said to his subordinate: "Stay where you are and do not move"

After Matthew Edison finished speaking, he walked inward on his own, moving very cautiously. Each step he took was imbued with sufficient care. Even so, when he reached the middle of the corridor, he was still startled, as the glass walls around him suddenly lit up. This abrupt sensation was enough to make an ordinary person feel weak in the knees.

A rigid yet solemn voice passed by Zheng Zha's ear, but he could hear nothing anymore. He could only focus intently on the actions of the mercenary. Finally, at the moment he jumped, Zheng Zha suddenly dropped to the ground. The laser beam swept past him, its white light resembling the scythe of death. In that instant, Zheng Zha believed Zhang Jie’s words; they had indeed entered this so-called game with their physical bodies. This was a masterpiece of the gods, and it could also be a game of demons. They would die!

Upon hearing these words, Zheng Zha felt a chill run through his body. He knew that the plot had already begun to unfold, and he had become a part of it. Indeed, as expected, the light on the walls directly opposite him suddenly dimmed, and a thin laser line appeared between the glass walls. This laser line shot towards the mercenaries and Zheng Zha as it formed

Kaplan was already sweating profusely, his hands continuously pressing the keyboard as he replied, "I am doing my best!"

The middle-aged man chuckled and said: "Mu Gang, Mu as in the surname Mu, Gang as in the word for steel. Sigh, I can't compare to you cultured folks; it's just that name. My profession is a long-distance freight driver. Before coming here, I indeed complained about my wife being too stingy and my son not being promising. In short, I seemed very disappointed with reality. While playing games online with friends, I clicked that confirmation, and then I ended up here.

Zheng Zha smiled kindly and said: "Zheng Zha, Zheng as in Zheng Chenggong, Zha as in Nezha, my profession is a company supervisor. Uh, before coming here, I did indeed complain that the real world was too boring, as if people were decaying day by day. So I wanted to find some stimulation... However, the stimulation here is just a bit too intense.

The girl wearing glasses next to Zheng Zha suddenly walked over to Zhang Jie and whispered, "I want to know one thing here, can We Can Make It change the plot of the movie"

It is clearly the laser of the automatic defense system, what automatic sensing light? There is nothing to worry about...

The laser beam swiftly shot towards the four individuals, and the mercenary on the ground was unable to move and was quickly killed. The remaining two mercenaries kept retreating. Zheng Zha widened his eyes, fully focused on the movements of the mercenary. One second, two seconds. At this critical moment of life and death, Zheng Zha felt as if time had come to a standstill. He could no longer hear any sounds, and everything around him seemed to slow down.

He paused and then said: "When the company realized that something had gone wrong here, our small team was dispatched to shut it down; that is the purpose of our visit."

The mercenaries have now descended the stairs. Zhang Jie turned around and scoffed at the panting crowd. He shook his head and said, "Keep going; if you survive, you should thank the heavens. To be honest, your luck has been quite good. This horror film has a very low danger level. In fact, it is one of the few horror films where problems can be solved with bullets. Keep going; as long as you can survive this horror film, you will receive 1,000 reward points to improve your physical condition.

Matthew Edison glanced at her and said: "It is the best artificial intelligence system in the country, it controls the entire hive, and it is the central main computer here"

After posing a question to himself, Zhang Jie immediately asked, "The second question is, what do you think is the greatest reliance we have to survive in horror films?"

Mou Gang suddenly cried out, "No, I don't want to, I don't want to go in!" As he spoke, he actually shouted and ran back the way he came. Before Zheng Zha and the others could react, the mercenaries had already drawn their guns and shot him away. By the time he hit the ground, he had already become a corpse riddled with bullet holes.

Another female employee and the * picture * soldier couldn't help but ask, "Why does it take so much time?"

The young man Li Xiaoyi rushed to Zheng Zha's side and patted his shoulder vigorously, saying: "You are amazing! You actually survived in such a situation!"

The previously rigid yet solemn voice echoed once more, and only then did Zheng Zha recall that during the moment the laser beam passed, he seemed to have heard something. Upon careful reflection, it appeared that he had received a reward of 500 points and 20 points of mental strength, along with 30 points for neural reaction speed. Converted, this amounted to a total of 1,000 reward points. According to Zhang Jie, this was the reward one could obtain from experiencing a horror film.

She began to laugh, her laughter resembling that of a silver wind chime. She said, "So can we use plastic explosives here? As long as we eliminate all the crawlers in this room, wouldn't that earn us thousands of reward points?"

At this moment, Zheng Zha was also standing beside the two of them. He had been listening quietly, but he noticed that Zhang Jie was looking at him with a peculiar gaze, which made him very uncomfortable. That gaze was filled with pity and mockery, as if... as if he were looking at a dead person, which made him feel extremely uneasy

Zheng Zha finally understood why Zhang Jie had that kind of gaze. Yes, he couldn't help but want to change the plot, but the inertia of the plot itself was unchangeable. Even if it were to change because of this, the 'Main God' might increase the difficulty several times, just like it is now.

He has grown weary of the mundane, water-like reality of life. Beyond the routine of going to work and coming home, eating, excreting, sleeping, and waking, he craves sufficient stimulation—passion, one-night stands, fighting, and even using meth. Yet, all of this is merely reality. When you wake up after a sleep, it is still reality. He does not want such a world! He desires a more exhilarating life, but now everything seems to be at a standstill before him. All of this is merely reality. When you wake up after a sleep, it is still reality. He does not want such a world! He desires a more exhilarating life, but now everything seems to be at a standstill before him.

Medic! Medic!

Zheng Zha and a few others followed behind the main group in a state of panic, unsure of what to do. Having just come from the civilized world, they were suddenly confronted with this fantastical experience. At first, they truly believed it was merely a dream or an experience akin to a dream. To be honest, at the beginning, Zheng Zha felt a moment of secret delight.

At that moment, Zhang Jie and another mercenary returned. As he passed by Zhan Lan, he deliberately gave the girl a hard slap on the backside. Caught off guard, Zhan Lan could only let out a sharp scream, while Zhang Jie laughed heartily as he walked towards Matthew Edison

Matthew Edison has now set up the transmitter, which is a device resembling a mobile phone. It simply needs to be placed on the door's sensor. Kaplan immediately began pressing something on the keyboard, and before long, a soft sound was heard as the door leading to the central computer slowly began to open.

"Hello, I suggest we introduce ourselves to each other, how about that? After all, we are about to rely on each other..." the girl said with a smile.

Everyone was startled, even Zheng Zha and the others jumped in surprise. All eyes turned towards that direction, where a pale female corpse floated inside the glass wall.

Zheng Zha firmly grasped his collar and said: "Trust me! Trust me! This time we have no way to evade; we must press against the door. Only in this way can we hope for a stroke of luck! Please trust me!"

"No, no! I don't want to die!" Zheng Zha shouted frantically. For some reason, the more he shouted, the calmer he felt inside. He began to recall every segment of this scene from the movie Resident Evil.

As for the 5,000 reward points, it felt as if a large pie had fallen from the sky, leaving Zheng Zha trembling. He could not tell whether it was the joy of survival or the surprise of the reward. In any case, when the door opened and several people rushed towards him, he still stood there, lost in thought.

Zheng Zha was captured coming back to his senses; he smiled wryly and shook his head, yet he was unsure of what feelings were stirring within him. He didn't even know what to say at this moment, having just survived a life-and-death situation. For an ordinary person who had only recently emerged from a mundane world, such a shock was overwhelmingly immense.

Matthew Edison looked at him coldly and said: "I suspected you from the very beginning. Although your identities are registered in the company records, you do not resemble company security personnel at all. Are you now planning to stop us from restarting the Flame Empress? Alright, Zheng Zha, let us go in together."

At first, Zheng Zha indeed thought this way, but when the two explosions sounded, it was as if a hammer had shattered his illusions. There is no paradise, ... this is not a paradise at all; this is clearly hell. He is merely a tiny insect in the hands of the gods, and a person's life is worth no more than the sound of that explosion just now ...! ... He does not want to die! He does not want to die! This is not a paradise; this is clearly hell. He is merely a tiny insect in the hands of the gods, and a person's life is worth no more than the sound of that explosion just now ...! ... He does not want to die! He does not want to die!

The three men seemed to have no objections, and it was then that the girl with glasses spoke up: "My name is Zhan Lan, Zhan from Zhan Tianyou, and Lan from the mountain wind. Hehe, it sounds quite like a boy's name, doesn't it? My profession is a writer. Before coming here, I had been complaining about a lack of desire and inspiration for writing, but unexpectedly, I have arrived in this world of infinite inspiration. Hehe, I suppose this can be considered a form of retribution.

At this moment, the other two scouts had also returned. A long-haired mercenary named Rain said, "Sir, it is completely impassable over there; this floor has been completely flooded.

Although Matthew Edison and a few others appeared somewhat unnatural, they quickly regained their composure. Only Zheng Zha and his three companions were so frightened that their hands and feet turned cold. Perhaps they did not feel it while sitting down to watch the movie, but when truly immersed in the situation, especially knowing that the corpse had already turned into a zombie, the chilling horror was beyond the comprehension of outsiders.

The young man displayed a fierce expression on his face, and the other three exchanged glances, all aware that this young man was likely a target of bullying at school. His complaints must stem from a profound disappointment with the real world. It appears that everyone who comes here shares a commonality: a sense of grievance and disillusionment with reality

All three nodded, but only Zhang Jie let out a cold laugh as he took a cigarette from his pocket. Those who have seen the movie should know: survivors? No, there are no survivors, but there are plenty of zombies.

Matthew Edison looked at the water-filled research institute and said, "Kaplan, Zhang Jie, you go find another way to the Flame Empress.

At the beginning, he indeed felt a surge of delight, not only could he experience countless horror movie scenarios, but he could also use reward points to enhance himself. Since he had watched numerous horror films, as long as the first few horror movies were among those he had seen, he would grow stronger and would absolutely not die. Once he became strong enough, the characters in the horror films would be powerless against him. At that time, he could linger in any world at will, live freely, enjoy thrills at his leisure, and even continue to grow stronger. Even if he eventually grew tired of it all, he could return to reality. Yes! As long as the first few horror movies were among those he had seen, he would grow stronger and would absolutely not die. Once he became strong enough, the characters in the horror films would be powerless against him. At that time, he could linger in any world at will, live freely, enjoy thrills at his leisure, and even continue to grow stronger. Even if he eventually grew tired of it all, he could return to reality. Yes! This was simply paradise.

At this moment, another female mercenary suddenly said: "Sir, the gas levels here show zero; it is possible that no gas has been released here. Perhaps the defense system has malfunctioned."

Zheng Zha and Li Xiaoyi suddenly vomited, as a life was brutally turned into a corpse before their eyes. Zheng Zha felt particularly distressed, as this person essentially died due to his meddling.

The long-haired female mercenary was surprisingly named Rain, a name that is quite masculine. After hearing this, she and another mercenary, J.D., both gripped their guns and proceeded deeper into the corridor

The last unremarkable young man said: "Li Xiaoyi, a senior high school student, had complained about many things before coming here, but it’s actually quite good here. As long as I don’t die, I can become a superhuman. Moreover, from what Zhang Jie implied, as long as I can return, this enhanced ability seems to be able to be retained. I can no longer endure being bullied at school. If I can go back, I will definitely kill those bastards!"

In a state of helplessness, Zheng Zha and the others had no choice but to follow the main group back along the route. Fortunately, this time the mercenaries did not run. After an unknown distance, the group finally stopped in front of an iron gate. One of the mercenaries used a computer to unlock the gate, and then a few individuals in the front, armed with guns, cautiously entered inside

The laser indeed soared high as the mercenary jumped, completely dismembering the mercenary who leaped up. Once the laser beam passed, Zheng Zha jumped up from the ground again. He looked back, and at the glass opening of the steel door behind him, the girl with glasses stood outside, her eyes filled with tears.

Kaplan's voice came through the intercom: "Don't worry, it's just an automatic sensor light, there's nothing to be concerned about"

After passing through several steel gates, everyone arrived at a central computer control room. However, the central computer, known as the Flame Empress, is now out of control, and it is no longer possible to directly operate the entire laboratory from here

Matthew Edison exhaled and called out to the crowd outside the corridor: "Alright, bring the things over."

As they spoke, a soft sound was heard, and the tightly closed door finally began to open slowly. Matthew Addison nodded and said, "Pack it up!" After saying this, he turned around to look at Zheng Zha and the others.

As Matthew Edison was speaking, a figure gradually appeared on the glass wall that Matt was leaning against. Upon closer inspection, Matt realized it was a corpse floating in the water, and he screamed in terror as he jumped outside.

At this moment, the mercenary captain Matthew Addison said, "Alright, let's begin the operation. The rest of you come with me

Zheng Zha was staring at the corpse in a daze when suddenly a small hand patted his shoulder. At that moment, any sound was enough to scare someone to death. He was so startled that he jumped back several meters. Turning around, he saw the girl with glasses standing there giggling

Zheng Zha was secretly pondering when he suddenly felt the urge to say something. At that moment, a small hand grabbed him, and when he turned his head, he saw a girl wearing glasses standing beside him, gently shaking her head.

When the four of them had walked far away, one of the male protagonists, Ryan, suddenly asked: "What exactly happened here? Why do these research rooms look like ... ... "

The female protagonist, Alice, asked curiously, "Who is the Flame Empress?"

Matthew Edison shouted loudly, and this voice jolted Zheng Zha awake from his stupor. He turned his head to take a look, and the head of the female mercenary, who served as a medic, was slowly moving. Then, the head fell straight down in front of him, the pair of lifeless eyes seemed like a curse, and even more so, like a mockery.

One of the mercenaries said: "To reach the Flame Empress, these laboratories are the necessary passage. Now they are all flooded, and I do not believe we can still get in.

Matthew Edison walked over from the corridor, silently observing Zheng Zha. After a long pause, he finally spoke: "Alright, you, and you as well, come in with us..." He gestured towards Zheng Zha and the middle-aged man, Miao Gang.

Zheng Zha shook his head and remained silent. He did not know whether he should mention the matter of the reward. The B-level horror side story plot—what does this actually mean? Does it refer to a change in the direction of the plot? Or does it mean saving a character who was supposed to die in the story? Or perhaps it indicates having navigated through a particularly dangerous scene in the plot?

Matthew Edison looked at everyone and then said, "About five hours ago, the Flame Empress manipulated and sealed off the entire hive, then began killing using the internal defense system, releasing poison gas, cutting off the elevators, and shutting down the laboratories. Just like this, it exterminated all the people within this experimental area.

This time, the laser line was formed at leg height. Zheng Zha recalled the details of this segment in his mind. He remembered that the laser line would pass through the first mercenary and then, as the second mercenary jumped up, it would rise, subsequently dismembering the second mercenary. He had only one chance to choose; if he failed, he would be killed by the laser line. He did not know if the plot would change here, so he could only choose to trust the movie plot he remembered in his mind. Subsequently, it dismembered the second mercenary. He had only one chance to choose; if he failed, he would be killed by the laser line. He did not know if the plot would change here, so he could only choose to trust the movie plot he remembered in his mind.

The third laser beam had gradually formed, and as it took shape, it swiftly approached the two individuals. Judging by its indicated position, it would sever them in half. Matthew Addison desperately wanted to lie down on the ground, but Zheng Zha tightly held onto him, refusing to let go. Zheng Zha himself pressed his entire body against the door, even slowly closing his eyes.

Kaplan urgently said: "A certain dormant defense mechanism will activate once too many people pass through the gate after entering.

As Zheng Zha was lamenting his luck, he suddenly noticed a small orb of light appearing from the collar of Matthew Edison, whom he was pulling. Curiously, he picked up the orb, which was a few centimeters in size, and it then vanished between his fingers. A warm breath seemed to enter his body from his fingertips, creating an unusually pleasant and peculiar sensation.

To survive, to want to survive, even if it means struggling in such circumstances, I still want to live

Kaplan raised his gun towards the two following behind Rain, while Zhang Jie casually waved his hand to Zheng Zha and the others, as if he were walking over there with ease

Matthew Edison walked over to him and looked at the computer, but Matt beside him said, "Perhaps there are some secrets hidden here, secrets that the company does not want the outside world to know..."

The mercenaries and the male and female protagonists seemed not to have heard the two explosions, and they did not even notice that two of their number were missing. As they approached the end of the staircase, one mercenary suddenly exclaimed, "Commander, the Flame Empress has locked onto us; she knows we are here."