Infinite flow, but I submit myself

Tang Mo Bai’s heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to maintain an outward calm.

Of course, the expert team had anticipated this situation.

Since the country would issue reminders in the live stream and had still decided to implement a strategy of secretly transporting items, it was inevitable that there would be some exposure.

However, what could be exposed was not the existence of the country, but that someone was secretly assisting him.

According to intelligence gathered from staff members lurking in other live streams, it was entirely possible for viewers to assist specific streamers.

The difficult part was how to “guide” others to discover the false truth.

Lying was easy, but covering it up was difficult. The debate over what role the country should pretend to play in this situation had been an ongoing topic of discussion until Tang Mo Bai returned.

The bigger issue was that he simply could not lie.

After two weeks of speech training, his evaluation was still a C because his lying skills were so poor that even a primary school student wouldn’t fall for it.

When he was guilty, his eyes would unconsciously drop to the ground, and if he lied, his ears would turn red.

And this had nothing to do with thick skin—no matter how much he was forced to perform in front of the team, his ears would still go red when lying.

It could only be said that some people were simply not cut out for lying.

【Not speaking? Well, you don’t need to tell us everything, but how about this—you don’t have to give us all the details, just offer a hint. Of course, in exchange, I can tell you about another roommate in this house, and provide some intel for tonight. You’ve been glancing at the comments repeatedly, which means they haven’t told you everything, right?】

Tang Mo Bai’s heartbeat quickened, but this comment was right. It wasn’t that they hadn’t told him, it was that the expert team in the real world didn’t know either!

“You go first,” he replied.

【Alright, as a bonus, I’ll tell you this—earlier, 009, your slave master, didn’t protect you because tonight is a screening process. Half of you will be discarded, and the other half will become his property. He wouldn’t go against another slave master for your sake, and this doesn’t violate the rules.】

Half discarded?

Tang Mo Bai remembered the earlier mention of two people fighting and suddenly looked at the oil lamp by his side.

【That’s right, you must have seen the oil lamp. Its fuel is limited, and its light range is even more limited—it’s enough to last one person through the night.】

【The ones who make it out of this room tomorrow will become his property.】

“But why do it like this?” He couldn’t help but ask, “Population is a resource too, isn’t it?”

【Actors need to put on makeup before they go on stage.】

【The number of slaves is indeed important, but in the arena, what we want to see isn’t docile pets pecking at each other.】

【Tonight is a baptism, where fear, anger, blood, and cruelty will wash away the laws, morals, boundaries, and all the civilized restraints from society.】

【Then, you’ll become warriors, demons, and beasts, tearing each other apart in despair.】

This was a pure, calculated plot.

Both Tang Mo Bai and the expert team watching in silence in the real world understood this clearly.

Even if the mystery was directly revealed, it wouldn’t help the current situation at all, and in this moment, human nature flickered with a dark hue.

Anyone who had ever lit the oil lamp, anyone who noticed the lack of fuel…

Would naturally be driven to think of turning on each other.

【Unfortunately, your roommate isn’t as easy to deal with as a newcomer. So, how about exchanging intel?】

If the comment was correct, then it was crucial to gather information about the roommate before he returned. Tang Mo Bai glanced at the comments, his thumb pressing against his middle finger joint while his right heel subtly stepped back.

This was a pre-arranged signal, meaning that if there was no objection, he would agree.

After three seconds without a response, he pretended to finish thinking and nodded. “I need to know his intel first.”

【Five years ago, a nameless person suddenly appeared in this revival arena. He doesn’t speak and never communicates with anyone. His mental state is also unstable. His ability is to turn any part of his body into a weapon. From his first appearance, he has won every battle.】

“Unstable mentally?” Tang Mo Bai was taken aback.

【Yes, he’s a madman. He often turns the arena into a bloodbath. Every match he appears in ends with one side dead. No mercy, no sympathy. He never listens to what his opponents say, like a dragon that ignores the ants’ pleas. That’s why we like him, so we gave him a code name…】

Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps dragging chains approached.

Tang Mo Bai quickly looked toward the door. The door opened, and a figure that nearly filled the doorframe walked in.

Tang Mo Bai, although taller than most of his peers and had been recruited as a basketball team reserve, was utterly dwarfed by the man before him.

The man wore ragged, loose hemp clothes, but the muscles underneath were still visible. His seaweed-like curly hair covered his eyes, and his stubbled chin suggested he hadn’t cared for grooming in a long time. Between the strands of hair, a pair of red eyes glowed like ghostly flames.

When those eyes scanned him, he felt a cold shiver, his limbs going numb as though he was a rabbit being stared at by a wolf, and his pupils dilated.

【Deville!】

【Our Arena Superstar!】

Deville showed no reaction to the additional person in his room.

After scanning him, he dragged the heavy shackles and iron chains bound to his hands and feet and walked straight to the corner of the room, sitting down.

Tang Mo Bai and the others also had similar shackles on their necks, but they were somewhat different. The collars on their necks seemed to be imbued with some kind of magic—lightweight and not interfering with daily activities. The chains attached were only short fragments, disappearing into the void, practically weightless. In contrast, the shackles on Deville made him look like the embodiment of a “high-risk prisoner” at first glance.

Seeing that Deville completely ignored him and went straight to sit in the opposite corner, Tang Mo Bai finally regained his breath slightly, cold sweat forming on his forehead.

A phrase involuntarily surfaced in his mind: “Killing Aura”

He had only ever seen descriptions of such an aura in movies or entertainment works. This was the first time he had witnessed a person in real life possessing such a ferocious presence, as if a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood lay behind him.

But he quickly recovered, licked his lips, and, glancing at the rapidly scrolling bullet comments, muttered under his breath:

“Deville… a demon?”

【People like us—what else could our code names possibly mean?】 The comments laughed mockingly.

【Your turn! Hurry up, time’s almost up!】

【Give us a hint, bro! Which faction sent you?】

【No need to worry about retaliation, you probably won’t survive the night anyway. Think about it—if they sent you into such a dangerous place, they never really valued you to begin with. So why keep their secrets?】

【Yeah, exactly! Might as well gossip a little before you go.】

【Unlucky guy, prepped so much, but bad luck got the best of him.】

The scrolling comments were filled with subtle provocations, along with an air of condescension and detached commentary from the very beginning.

By now, Tang Mo Bai had already grasped the nature of these comments. If the entire “Paradise Lost” was a microcosm of society, then those participating in the “Resurrection Tournament” were the absolute bottom class. It was similar to how, in modern society, some people deliberately live-stream poverty-stricken areas, and such videos often garner high view counts.

Those born with silver spoons in their mouths are curious about how the other half lives. Those dissatisfied with their own lives derive twisted pleasure from watching others suffer.

“Look, there are people worse off than me. Maybe my life isn’t so unbearable after all.”

But in modern society, there are still moral boundaries. In the cruel environment of “Paradise Lost,” where everyone was struggling for survival, such ethics ceased to exist. Everything became more extreme, more naked, more brutal.

Most viewers had already accepted that this room was nothing more than a stage for a two-person death match. They had already assumed that Tang Mo Bai was doomed and eagerly awaited the moment his mask of calmness cracked—his struggle, his doubt, his despair.

Tang Mo Bai silently stared at the bullet comments. The time was fast approaching midnight.

Just when the audience thought he was dead set on keeping his secret, he suddenly lowered his head and, with a trembling voice, said:

“You’ve all misunderstood. I wasn’t sent by anyone… someone did help me, but not in the way you think.”

【Huh?】

【Wait, what?】

“The person who helped me… I choose to believe in them.”

On the live broadcast screen, the young man’s cheeks flushed red, even the tips of his ears burning. His gaze flickered, as if too shy to say it out loud. He pursed his lips into a small smile—his youthful radiance and the bubbles of happiness in his expression were almost tangible.

“Because… they are my lover.”

The stream cut to black as the time expired.

【……】

【Huh? No, wait…】

【This is what I came here for? I didn’t sign up for this! Why does even a weakling have a lover?! No, wait, how do you still have time for romance in the middle of a resurrection match?!】

【This reminds me of running into couples in dungeon raids. I hate it. I’m fighting for my life, and you’re making me watch a love story? How is this fair?!】

【Tch, why aren’t we allowed to see what happens at night? I want to watch this newbie get torn apart by Deville!】

The bullet comments exploded into chaos.

Meanwhile, outside the screen, the tense team of experts finally exhaled.

It wasn’t a particularly sophisticated lie, but it was perfect for exploiting Tang Mo Bai’s “bad habits”—turning his physiological disadvantage into an advantage. He was indeed lying, but his physiological reaction was real. And conveniently, his body’s response could easily be mistaken for shyness rather than deception.

But beyond this, what truly concerned the experts were the five hours of unbroadcasted time that lay ahead.

The instructor responsible for Tang Mo Bai’s training, eyes bloodshot, stared fixedly at the scrolling comments. He opened his mouth as if to say something but ultimately turned, dejected, to Wang Yuan Zhi.

“…Is there really no other way?”

Wang Yuan Zhi let out a slow sigh and shook his head.

“In the end, we are only spectators outside the screen.”

“The only person truly risking his life, from beginning to end, is Tang Mo Bai himself. There will always be moments when our hands cannot reach him. And that moment is now.”

The room fell into silence.

“So, trust him. That’s all we can do now—believe in him. Don’t stop thinking. Keep reviewing and analyzing. Did we get the recordings?”

A staff member to the right replied, “Yes, we did!”

“Good. Analysis team, don’t overlook even the tiniest clue. Live broadcast team, don’t waste this time either—keep checking other streams. We still don’t know enough about this platform. Gather as much intelligence as possible!” Wang Yuan Zhi ordered.

“I’m especially concerned about the ‘factions’ mentioned in the bullet comments. The way they said it suggests this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. They may not necessarily be talking about detecting an infiltration from the real world. It’s also possible that forces within ‘Paradise Lost’ have sent people into the Resurrection Tournament before. Start investigating from that angle.”

“Yes, sir!”

With Wang Yuan Zhi’s orders delivered, the entire base was once again thrown into a frenzy of activity. He let out a slow exhale, as if preparing for the storm ahead.

A pitch-black screen reflected his face, his expression laced with unspoken concern.

All they could do was provide support and logistics.

The rest… depended on the past two weeks of training—how much Tang Mo Bai had managed to absorb.