Gao Wu: I'll enjoy the benefits, but you'll bear the side effects.

However, in the end, Gao Jie was like an appraiser who repeatedly caressed a treasure, trying to decipher its hidden patterns. He pondered Xu Rourou's words over and over again in his heart.

After much back and forth, with a jumble of thoughts swirling in my mind, I finally managed to understand the deeper meaning hidden in her words.

That is the complex world. People and things are never simply revealed in the open. Just as there are turbulent undercurrents beneath a calm sea, one should never make a judgment based on first impressions and should never think of one's opponent as too simple and pure.

In this turbulent and confusing situation, even if it is only to protect oneself, one must be as experienced as a chess player, making the most thorough preparations and rehearsing all possible scenarios in one's mind. Only in this way can one avoid being caught off guard and falling into a desperate situation when a sudden event occurs.

While pondering this in his mind, Gao Jie dragged his slightly heavy steps, which felt as if they were filled with lead, slowly toward the dormitory.

As soon as I pushed the dormitory door open a crack, a warm, slightly chaotic air rushed in, a familiar mix of the sour aroma of instant noodles, the sweaty smell unique to male dormitories, and a lingering stench of feet.

He wrinkled his nose, walked straight to his bedside, and instantly collapsed onto the bed like a noodle whose tendons had been pulled out. The soft mattress sank slightly, bearing his utter exhaustion.

He stared intently at the slightly yellowed water stain on the ceiling, his mind still preoccupied with the thorny issue they had just discussed, as if trying to discern some clue from that mottled stain.

The current situation is a complete mess, leaving him at a loss as to where to begin.

What should be done? Should we emulate the brave explorers, take the initiative, and fearlessly uncover the hidden truths behind it, or should we be like the cautious night watchman, remaining inactive and silently waiting for more clues to emerge on their own like bubbles rising to the surface?

Or, judging from the current situation, which is both shrouded in mist and appears both real and illusory, the situation has already exceeded everyone's imagination and is completely out of control. They are nothing more than ants in a storm, powerless to reverse the situation.

The more Gao Jie thought about it, the more his head felt like it was about to explode. His temples throbbed as if countless tiny needles were pricking them, one after another, making him feel extremely agitated.

He was filled with helplessness and could only slowly shake his head. Although he had a vague idea of ​​the trouble that might follow, as if he had seen some faint shadows in the dark, when it came to actually taking action, he felt as if he was being held down by a pair of invisible but incredibly powerful hands, his limbs and bones were all restrained, and he was completely unable to intervene.

As he pondered this over and over, Gao Jie's tense nerves gradually relaxed, and he drifted off to sleep.

In my dream, I was enveloped in thick, impenetrable darkness, with no light able to penetrate, making it so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

His breathing became rapid involuntarily, his chest heaving violently, and an intense, almost tangible unease, like a cold python, slowly tightened around his heart.

Suddenly, a pair of rough and powerful hands reached out from the darkness without warning, like the claws of a demon from the abyss, and grabbed his neck like iron clamps. The force was so great that his mind went blank for a moment, and he didn't have time to make even the slightest sound.

Immediately afterward, before he could make any resistance or struggle, an overwhelming force swept him away, throwing him like a rag doll.

"what!"

Gao Jie was jolted awake from his nightmare. He sat up abruptly, instinctively covering his neck with his hands and gasping for breath. He felt his back was already soaked with cold sweat, and his clothes clung stickily to his back, making him extremely uncomfortable.

My heart was still pounding wildly in my chest, each beat more violent than the last, as if it were about to burst out of my throat and break free from the confines of this body.

"Hey buddy, what are you doing?"

Huang Xu was sitting at the table with a steaming bowl of instant noodles in front of him. He had a big mouthful of steaming noodles stuffed in his mouth, his cheeks bulging out, and he stared at Gao Jie with a few noodle strands still hanging from his mouth.

Gao Jie raised his hand to wipe the large beads of cold sweat from his forehead; his fingers were trembling slightly. He shook his head, and after a while, when his wildly beating heart had calmed down a bit, he said:

"Nothing, I just fell asleep and had a really weird nightmare. What are you doing here?"

Huang Xu swallowed the instant noodles in his mouth forcefully, his cheeks twitched a few times, and he opened his mouth, pointing towards the table:

"I've been soaking it for you, it's been quite a while now, so hurry up and eat it, otherwise the noodles will clump together like porridge. If the noodles soak for too long, they won't have that chewy texture, and they won't taste good."

As he spoke, he shoveled the remaining instant noodles into his mouth in a few bites, splashing soup all over the table. He stood up, casually wiping his mouth on his clothes while muttering something under his breath.

"I'm going to play games with my buddies this afternoon. If the principal asks me for help, could you cover for me? Thanks!"

After saying that, he threw the instant noodle box down and made a move to run out the door.

"Don't go!"

Seeing this, Gao Jie darted forward and swiftly blocked Huang Xu's path.

"I have something I'd like to say to you. Let's have a quick chat and talk things over."

His eyes showed a hint of urgency, and his hand was still tightly gripping Huang Xu's arm.

Huang Xu looked puzzled, tilting his head to look at Gao Jie with obvious reluctance, his eyebrows almost twisted into a knot:

"What's there to talk about? What do we have to talk about right now?"

He pursed his lips and added,

"You're not going to stop me from playing games, are you? I've already made plans with my buddies, I can't stand them up."

Gao Jie was really annoyed by the fact that he only had games on his mind. He couldn't help but roll his eyes and sighed inwardly at how heartless this kid was, still thinking about playing games even when things were urgent.

However, he couldn't afford to complain right now. He took a deep breath, thought carefully, leaned close to Huang Xu, and whispered the whole story in a low voice, almost in a breath:

"Xu Rourou and I feel that this competition is not simple, it is definitely not an ordinary competition. Think about it, this matter has been strange from the beginning, with all sorts of problems arising. The more we think about it, the more we feel that there is a big problem behind it. Maybe someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes. Although we don't know how you see this matter, we have already discussed it and plan to go and check out the competition venue."

At this point, Gao Jie paused, his eyes widening as he stared intently at Huang Xu, his expression as serious as a judge reading a verdict.

"Don't forget, the competition venue is a crucial factor in determining the outcome of this match. There might be some decisive clues hidden there. If we can find out about it beforehand, we'll have a better chance of winning. Don't you want to go and take a look?"

Hearing that Gao Jie had already said this much, Huang Xu's eyes lit up immediately, like two small light bulbs that had been suddenly turned on, clearly showing that he had been intrigued.

"That sounds interesting. So when are we going? I'm planning to play games with my friends, so I need to let them know so they don't think I'm canceling."

"Let me tell you..."

Gao Jie gave him a few words of advice, his hand still resting on Huang Xu's shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze.

"If you find anything wrong there, you must tell me in advance. Don't just rush in without saying a word. If something goes wrong, we'll be all alone and no one can help us. That would be the end of us."

After saying that, Gao Jie reached out and patted his shoulder, emphasizing his words.

"Don't worry, how could I not understand what you're saying? Anyway, let's find a time to set off as soon as possible, the sooner the better."

Huang Xu nodded emphatically in agreement, his face showing a hint of excitement.

Then, Gao Jie stopped dawdling and finished his noodles as quickly as possible. He threw the bowl into the trash can in a few quick movements, took out his phone, and dialed Xu Rourou's number.

The phone rang a few times before being answered, but to my surprise, it was Huang Muran's somewhat lazy voice that came through the receiver.

"Are you looking for Rou Rou? She seemed to have gone out earlier, saying she was going out with her sister and left her phone at home. I don't know what she was going to do, she left in a hurry."

Huang Muran yawned. "If there's nothing else, I'm going to get my beauty sleep. Be good."

"Don't go, I have something I'd like to talk to you about. Would you be willing to discuss it now?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Jie became anxious, his voice involuntarily rising several decibels, almost cracking, "What I mean is, the current situation is quite complicated. Should we find a place to meet beforehand and discuss it?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Muran instantly sobered up a bit. He quickly lowered his voice, slipped on his slippers, and walked slowly to his bedside, glancing back at the door every now and then, as if afraid someone would eavesdrop.

"Don't you know the rules of the competition here in Jinling? Find out in advance if it's a violation of the rules. If we get caught, we're all in big trouble. I don't think we should do this; the risk is too great."

"Besides, if we get caught, we could be banned for life, and that's no joke. What would we do then? Wouldn't all our hard work have been for nothing?"

As Huang Muran spoke, he frowned, his face full of worry.

Gao Jie pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and his eyes grew even more determined:

"But what if something goes wrong if we don't do that? Have you thought about that? We're like walking a tightrope blindfolded right now. Every step could be a misstep. If we don't prepare properly, we'll fall even harder."

He paused, his tone leaving no room for doubt, "Anyway, you can trust me, this matter is absolutely fine. No matter what happens next, we can definitely handle it. Are you going or not?"

Huang Xu, who had been listening nearby, was already impatient. He snatched the phone away and shouted into the receiver:

"Stop talking nonsense. You're so young, just say what you think. Are you going or not? We're not waiting for you. If you keep dawdling, it'll be too late."

Huang Muran hesitated for a moment on the other end of the phone, bit her lip, weighed the matter carefully, and finally compromised: "Okay, I promise you now. I'll grab the clothes and come downstairs right away. Wait for me downstairs, don't leave yet."

Soon, the three of them gathered together. Following the information given by Davida, they quietly found the venue for the upcoming match, which turned out to be a very dilapidated little restaurant.

Gao Jie stood before the venue, filled with doubt. Logically, a venue chosen for an important competition, even if not extravagantly luxurious, should at least have a grand and impressive appearance. But the venue before him had peeling paint on its exterior walls, revealing a dark, gray undercoat, like a frail, ragged old man, teetering on the brink of collapse. The windows and doors were covered in stains and cracks, resembling a broken, dusty spiderweb, exuding decay and desolation—far removed from his expectations.

As locals, Huang Xu and Huang Muran's expressions turned sour as soon as they stepped into this area, revealing an unsettling unease. Their appearance made Gao Jie, who was already somewhat uneasy, even more nervous.

"What are you two up to? Can you stop talking nonsense? What do you two mean?" Gao Jie couldn't help but complain, his brows furrowed.

Huang Xu swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing, and stammered, "First of all, I don't mean anything by it, but... I have a feeling something's off about this place." His eyes darted around, revealing a hint of fear. "I grew up in Jinling, and I'm very familiar with some of the legends about this place. In short, they're really creepy. Are you sure you want to hear them?"

Gao Jie was infuriated by his timid and hesitant manner, and snapped at him, "Speak up if you have something to say, stop playing tricks!"

Left with no other option, Huang Xu had to recount the entire story of the venue:

"Actually, this venue has a long history in Nanjing. It is one of the earliest sports arenas. Back then, it was a star-studded place, with countless sports stars gathering here to compete and become famous throughout the world with their wonderful matches."

He paused, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

"But who could have predicted that with so many people, accidents are bound to happen. Once, two sports stars got into a fight for some reason, and the fight got so heated that they smashed all the facilities in the stadium to pieces. Even worse, they also damaged several key pillars supporting the stadium in their frenzy. In an instant, it was as if the sky had fallen and the earth had collapsed. The entire stadium was in serious trouble, the stands collapsed, and many innocent spectators were killed."

"One of the celebrities was probably overwhelmed by guilt and committed suicide not long after the incident, ending his glamorous yet blood-stained life."

Huang Xu spoke until his mouth was dry, then swallowed hard before continuing, "And the other celebrity is even more extraordinary; he is the senior of the superstar Lu Mingwan."

Upon hearing this, Gao Jie was struck dumb, as if by a bolt from the blue. His eyes widened in shock, almost bursting out of their sockets, and his face was filled with disbelief.

His mouth opened uncontrollably into an "O" shape, so big that it could easily fit an egg inside. His mind was a jumbled mess, and he couldn't make sense of this sudden information.

He originally came just to check out the competition venue, but things took an unexpected turn and he ended up being involved with Lu Mingwan, a household name and superstar who is incredibly popular. This turn of events was too sudden for him to process.

"You mean that superstar Lu Mingwan who's incredibly famous?"

Gao Jie subconsciously checked again, his voice rising a few decibels involuntarily, filled with undisguised surprise.

Huang Muran, standing to the side, couldn't help but curl her lip, her face full of disgust, and lightly patted Huang Xu on the back of the head:

"Alright, stop listening to his nonsense. He calls himself Lu Mingwan? I'm Lu Ming the Grandfather!"

As she spoke, she rolled her eyes at Huang Xu before turning to Gao Jie and explaining rapidly:

"It was just that the two of them didn't control their strength during the match, and an accident occurred. They accidentally hit a spectator. It's not as mysterious as he made it out to be—suicide, evil spirits, that's all just hearsay. Nothing else is a big deal. However..."

Huang Muran paused, shrank back, and a hint of apprehension appeared on his face.

"This place has always been shrouded in an eeriness; we must be extremely careful if we go in later."

Despite saying that, Huang Muran didn't stop walking, leading the way as they slowly entered the venue. With each step forward, the old and decaying aura grew stronger, as if it would devour them.

They hadn't gone far when a chilling feeling crept up their spines, like a cold, slippery snake silently crawling up their backs.

It was as if a pair of eyes, hidden in the shadows, were staring at them menacingly. Their gaze was tangible, icy cold, and full of malice, sending chills down their spines.

In an instant, the three of them seemed to be pulled by the same invisible thread, and they all turned around to look.

With just one glance, a feeling of tension and excitement surged through my body like a raging electric current. My heart clenched and then began to beat wildly and uncontrollably, the "thump thump thump" sound booming in my chest like a drum.

Amidst this chilling terror, Gao Jie felt a strange sense of familiarity. His brows furrowed deeply, forming a deep "川" shape, and he muttered to himself:

"I feel like I've seen this feeling somewhere before. It's so strange, yet so familiar."

But at this moment, fear gripped his mind, and for a while, he couldn't recall when he had had a similar experience.