Chapter 45: The Ghost King and the Poor Student 10

“Whoo, whoo.” Tang Bin panted heavily and asked, “What do we do next?”

Almost immediately after he spoke, the familiar “ding ding ding” of a phone ringing echoed again.

The sound of the ringtone was very close to them. Tang Bin looked down, and without needing Cheng Hongyi to help, he quickly figured out where the phone was hidden.

He crouched down, picked up the wooden board on the ground with their names carved on it, and indeed found an old phone buried under a mound of dirt.

At this point, the snowstorm had completely engulfed them. The howling winds were fierce, and Tang Bin dared not hesitate. He quickly answered the phone.

At first, there was only the sound of static. The wind and snow were so loud that the voice inside the phone was almost drowned out. After a long while, a voice finally came through, a voice that made anyone who heard it uncomfortable.

“Player nickname: Song Yinche, Cheng Hongyi, a total of 50 pieces of appropriately sized wood have been produced. These have been transferred into the players’ exclusive space and can be used or checked by summoning with your mind.

Note: Only specific task items that match the size can be transferred into the personal space, and they will be automatically stored.”

The person on the other end hung up without further ado.

But at least they had some conscience, calling to explain how to use the personal space just before they crossed the river. Otherwise, all the time they had saved earlier would have been wasted, just guessing.

The blizzard, accompanied by the biting cold, wrapped around them. They had been running just moments ago, drenched in sweat, but now the cold wind hit them, and Tang Bin felt a sneeze coming on.

It seemed they needed to hurry and cross the river.

The concept of using the mind wasn’t hard to understand. After all, Tang Bin had already become accustomed to it when checking the male lead’s favorability. It wasn’t anything new.

He silently thought about checking the personal space’s remaining wood quantity, and in front of his eyes, a line of semi-transparent text appeared:

Remaining wood: 50.

At the same time, Cheng Hongyi did the same, and the result was still 50 pieces.

It seemed that the wood they had made was a shared resource for both of them, and either of them could use it freely.

However, considering that both of them were crossing the same bridge, it made sense that they would both benefit, whether one used more or less. The system’s setup didn’t seem designed to create any conflict…

Tang Bin didn’t have time to think much further, as Cheng Hongyi had already spoken: “Let’s cross the river first. I’ll go ahead, and you follow me.”

“Okay.”

Tang Bin responded, and before he knew it, Cheng Hongyi had already made a swift leap, landing on the first wooden plank on the bridge.

As soon as his foot touched the plank, the rope bridge shook violently. Not only did it sway side to side, but it also moved up and down.

But Cheng Hongyi seemed to have anticipated this. He grabbed the ropes on both sides to stabilize himself and then turned around, saying, “Hold onto the ropes with both hands, or the bridge will tilt. Don’t be scared. You walk slowly behind me. I’ll check ahead to see what’s going on with those wooden planks.”

“…Alright.”

Tang Bin took his first step, and Cheng Hongyi’s balance was so good that, with his weight on the bridge, it didn’t sway too much. Tang Bin didn’t feel too scared walking on the wooden planks.

However, beneath them was the rushing river. Although the snowstorm had spread to this area, it hadn’t been enough to freeze the river yet. Walking a few hundred meters on this shaky, dilapidated rope bridge above the turbulent river was truly a test of endurance.

On the shore, Tang Bin hadn’t noticed the height of the bridge, but as soon as he took his first step, he realized that the bridge was at least several dozen meters above the water. Anyone with a fear of heights wouldn’t be able to walk on it. Even though the water was below, falling from such a height would likely result in death.

The wood used here was strange. Every piece of wood in the rope bridge was cylindrical, a shape, size, and thickness Tang Bin was already familiar with. But because they were smooth cylinders, stepping on them made it much easier to slip.

Normally, even if a bridge used wood tied to ropes, wouldn’t they use wooden planks instead?

Tang Bin couldn’t make sense of it, but there was no time for him to dwell on it.

He and Cheng Hongyi coordinated as they walked forward. One would walk while the other stabilized the rope bridge, making the crossing a bit more steady.

Tang Bin didn’t know what Cheng Hongyi was feeling as he walked ahead, but as long as he was following him, all he saw was Cheng Hongyi’s slightly broad back, and that reassured him, helping him not feel afraid.

Soon, as Cheng Hongyi walked and tested each step, they reached the broken section of the bridge.

In the middle of the bridge, some of the wood had rotted and broke as soon as they stepped on it. Some had become unstable, and some were completely gone, leaving only empty ropes swaying on both sides.

After roughly counting, they realized they would need to replace more than ten pieces of wood to safely cross.

However, time was running out. The violent wind was making the bridge sway even more, and they were getting colder. Snow had accumulated on the wooden planks, and they didn’t know when frost would form and freeze them. If they didn’t hurry, there was a real risk of an accident or freezing to death on the bridge.

So Cheng Hongyi told Tang Bin to stay in place while he went ahead to scout. He would leave the planks that were still safe to step on, and remove the ones that were dangerous.

This didn’t take Cheng Hongyi long. By the time he had checked everything, there were eight places where they needed to replace the wood.

Tang Bin then stepped forward to join him, and together, they began inserting the wooden planks they had made into the ropes.

Now, Tang Bin finally understood why the system had originally paired them into teams of two.

It was because such heavy wooden planks couldn’t be placed on the ropes by just one person. It was a job that required teamwork. The distance between each rope loop was about a step and a half. Normally, they could take large strides and skip over one loop to step on the next, reducing the workload. But the bridge was too shaky, and their hands were becoming numb from the cold. If they missed a step, they could easily fall off, so they couldn’t afford to take shortcuts.

Besides, the shape and weight of the planks also added to the difficulty of the task. They only had planks of the correct size, so they had no choice but to use them to fill in the gaps.

The only fortunate thing was that the ropes on both sides were cleverly designed with adjustable loops. As long as they inserted the planks and tightened the ropes, the planks would stay fixed in place. The size of the loops was perfectly suited for these planks.

Once they figured out the technique, their progress sped up. They worked together, laying down planks as they moved forward, and in about twenty minutes, they had completed the task.

The remaining stretch was one that Cheng Hongyi had already checked. They could cross it directly without needing to lay more planks. Compared to the earlier part of the journey, it felt like walking through heaven, though by now, both of them were almost frozen stiff.

But at some point, the blizzard stopped chasing them.

This meant that when Tang Bin reached the shore, he suddenly realized that the other side of the river was still warm, like spring.

In contrast to the vast, desolate plains they had just crossed, the grass here was a soft green. They were bathed in sunlight, and it felt as though the blizzard had just been a nightmare.

“How is this possible?” Tang Bin muttered.

At this moment, Cheng Hongyi also jumped onto the shore, and the two of them looked back. The enormous blizzard had stopped right in the middle of the bridge, as if some invisible barrier had blocked it. They were now in warmth, while across the river, the snowstorm still raged, a white, indistinct world.

“So we’ve escaped?” Tang Bin asked, sitting down on the ground. He was completely exhausted, having pushed himself through the entire journey.

“Yeah.” Cheng Hongyi answered simply, sitting next to him.

He didn’t seem at all surprised by the unusual sight of the snowstorm being blocked not far away. However, the relaxation on his face, even a hint of enjoyment, was completely unmasked.

From every angle, Cheng Hongyi was handsome—very handsome.

Perhaps because the tension had eased, and there was no longer any sense of danger, Tang Bin found himself staring at Cheng Hongyi a little distractedly.

“What’s wrong?” Cheng Hongyi asked, breaking the silence.

It was only then that Tang Bin snapped out of his thoughts. He blinked his pure eyes awkwardly and replied, “Nothing, just wanted to thank you.”

At a time like this, he should have made a bold move, maybe even said something like “Let me repay you with my body.”

But when he saw that Cheng Hongyi’s affection for him still hadn’t exceeded 20 points, Tang Bin hesitated.

He didn’t know why he felt like a teenager right now—naive and shy, unable to admit his feelings or control his emotions.

Seeing the conflicted look on his face, Cheng Hongyi’s expression softened even further, and his tone, which was rare for him, became slightly playful. “Nothing at all.”

“So… what should we do next?” Tang Bin asked timidly, silently cursing himself for not being more assertive.

It seemed like the most common thing he had said to Cheng Hongyi since arriving in this world was “What now?”

“Let’s wait for the call.” Cheng Hongyi didn’t mind, always ready to answer questions. “I guess we’ll need to wait until all ten of us pass before it calls again.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the rope bridge they had just set up suddenly snapped from the point where the blizzard had stopped, almost in an instant. The bridge cracked in the middle and collapsed, falling with a “thud” into the river below.

“…”

Tang Bin didn’t need Cheng Hongyi to explain, he knew right away that this was part of the system’s design. It was probably meant to prevent them from retrieving the logs or to stop the others from using the bridge they had built to cross the river.

At this point, they were helpless to do anything about Lao Diao and the others.

From start to finish, neither he nor Cheng Hongyi had intentionally deceived the other. On the contrary, Lao Diao and the others had tried to outsmart them at every turn. If it weren’t for the system’s impartiality, he and Cheng Hongyi would never have even made it to this side.

The next stretch of time wasn’t idle. Tang Bin and Cheng Hongyi walked around the grassy field on the other side of the river. Not far off, they discovered a spring.

The sound of the spring bubbling was clear, and the water was so clean that they could easily see the rocks at the bottom and the faint steam rising from the surface.

Obviously, this was a hot spring.

As soon as Cheng Hongyi saw the spring, he wasted no time and started removing his clothes.

Tang Bin: “???”

“According to tradition, before receiving a new task, this is our free time,” Cheng Hongyi said as he undressed. “Don’t you want to take a bath?”

Tang Bin’s brain immediately short-circuited. Without hesitation, he replied, “Yes!”

After working for three straight days, though he had been washing with well water, after all that running around, he definitely needed a proper bath.

By the time Tang Bin began taking off his clothes, Cheng Hongyi had already plunged into the pool.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tang Bin caught a glimpse of a healthy, wheat-colored skin tone, which startled him so much that he quickly turned his eyes away.

But he didn’t continue undressing. He stood on the shore for a while, conflicted for quite some time, before he finally sneaked a glance back at Cheng Hongyi.

!!!

…Just one glance, Tang Bin swore.

However, he was already certain that Cheng Hongyi was completely naked…

So, should he also undress completely?

It felt a bit strange to be so open with each other like this.

But if he didn’t undress, would he have to bathe in his underwear?

“What are you standing there for?”

Cheng Hongyi’s confused voice came from beside him, startling Tang Bin, who was already lost in thought.

…Maybe standing there halfway through undressing was too strange, Tang Bin thought. He felt like he shouldn’t be so shy. After all, he and Cheng Hongyi had just survived together, bound by their near-death experience!

So, Tang Bin finally mustered the courage. He half-turned, facing Cheng Hongyi, and quickly stripped off all his clothes before jumping into the pool.

The water was deep. Tang Bin wasn’t as tall as Cheng Hongyi, and as soon as he entered, the water came up to his neck.

The bottom of the pool was slippery. Tang Bin slipped a little, but Cheng Hongyi was quick to reach out and catch him.

Their gazes met, and the warm spring water seemed to pass heat between them…

Tang Bin blushed without realizing it.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that this scene was oddly familiar, as if it had happened before.

And it wasn’t the first time he had felt this way.

The sudden feeling made Tang Bin lose focus for a moment.

When he refocused and looked at Cheng Hongyi again, his eyes were bright, and he gave him a big smile.

Although he had forgotten many things, and many details were lost to him, there was one thing he had promised Cheng Hongyi—and he hadn’t forgotten that.

So even though Cheng Hongyi’s affection for him was still painfully low, Tang Bin wasn’t afraid.

Because he remembered someone had once told him they would wait for him in this world.

After thoroughly washing up, Tang Bin couldn’t help himself. He crouched downstream and started washing his clothes.

The sun wasn’t strong, but there was some light and a gentle breeze. While he washed his clothes, Cheng Hongyi joined him, and in the end, they both took out wooden stakes from their space to make a makeshift clothesline. The breeze gently blew, and the two of them lay on the lush green grass, basking in the sunlight, sharing this peaceful moment together.

Before using the wooden stakes, they first took one out of the space to test it, afraid that once a stake was used, it couldn’t be returned to the space.

Fortunately, it worked fine, and they were able to use them without worry.

Even the unused wood didn’t change the count when removed from the personal space. When they crossed the river earlier, they had used a total of eight stakes. Now, Tang Bin’s display showed 42, and Cheng Hongyi’s count was the same.

It turned out that their initial decision to run fast was indeed the right strategy. While they were here washing up and washing clothes, they also took a nap. Nearly three hours passed, and the quick-drying school uniforms they had just washed were already dry enough to put back on. At that point, a figure could vaguely be seen near the bridge.

Tang Bin and Cheng Hongyi went over to check, and they found that three people had appeared there: Lao Diao, Zhao Xiaoguang, and a female classmate named Yang Yi.

The three of them had walked down from three different bridges, taking roughly the same amount of time. As soon as they reached the shore, they collapsed onto the grass, unmoving. Their skin was a bluish purple, frozen stiff like popsicles. Aside from their bones and muscles shaking, they were trembling uncontrollably.

“…Where are the others?”

Compared to the three collapsed figures, Tang Bin and Cheng Hongyi appeared full of energy and refreshed.

They didn’t rush to move the three people. Based on their earlier experience, the sunlight and temperature here were perfect for thawing them out, so it was best to do nothing for the moment.

The three of them were shaking uncontrollably, unable to say a single word. After a while, two more people appeared on the other side of the bridge—Lao Diao’s two underlings.

They were the only other group, besides Tang Bin, who had made it through.

Tang Bin judged that the others hadn’t made it through, as it was at this moment that his phone started ringing again with the familiar “ding ding ding” sound.

This phone was the one buried under the nameplate of his and Cheng Hongyi’s, which Cheng Hongyi had given him to use as a watch.

Tang Bin thought another phone would appear, but it didn’t.

Everyone knew the sound had long stopped ringing at random times, and now it meant something.

—The game was over.

Although they didn’t know the situation on the other suspension bridges, they all understood that their companions might never return.

Everyone’s gaze was fixed on Tang Bin’s hand, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Tang Bin answered the phone.

“Hello?”

This time, the static on the line wasn’t as pronounced as before, and they didn’t have to wait long before the voice on the other end spoke:

“Congratulations on passing.”

Had this been earlier that morning, everyone would have cheered and celebrated upon hearing those words.

But now… after losing their companions, no one made a sound. The people lying on the ground didn’t seem to have any sense of surviving a near-death experience.

At least, that’s how it appeared.

The flip phone didn’t give them time to sigh, it continued:

“Calculating the results to determine the rewards.”

“Results calculated. Player nickname Cheng Hongyi, overall score 98 points, votes received 297. Player nickname Song Yinzhe, overall score 95 points, votes received 301. Player nickname Zhao Xiaoguang, overall score 73 points, votes received 23. Player nickname Chen Jiayi, overall score 73 points, votes received 17, player nickname…”

The unpleasant voice in the phone continued listing names, and as expected, only their group had made it across.

The other side mentioned two parameters: “overall score” and “number of votes,” and it was clear that the rankings were from high to low based on performance. Tang Bin could easily see a clear hierarchy now. Not only was the score low for some, but even the number of votes differed greatly.

While the overall score could be inferred from their performances, what was the “number of votes”?

Why did Cheng Hongyi have fewer votes than Tang Bin?

Tang Bin couldn’t figure it out, and neither could the others.

In fact, for those lying on the ground, as long as they were still alive, it was more precious than anything else.

Just after the results of the previous round were announced, the phone spoke again: “Now announcing the survival information for the second round: Welcome to Dreamland Amusement Park, where you can enjoy various leisure and entertainment activities. You just need to complete all the attractions to pass the round. Game time: three days. Good luck to everyone.”

“Wait… there’s still a task?!” After the phone finished speaking, Zhao Xiaoguang, who had warmed up a little, began to howl.

Of course, the others also looked grim.

From their current experience, this task wouldn’t be too difficult, but it hid deadly dangers.

The most obvious evidence was that in the first round, they had lost three classmates.

But perhaps Zhao Xiaoguang’s cry of distress was too loud and hoarse. The other side didn’t address it as a problem. Instead, it said: “In the previous round, players with an overall score above 90 can each ask one question. The first-place player gets to ask a question now. Please start asking.”

Everyone: “!!!”

So, a total of three questions could be asked! This was a great opportunity!

Under the gazes of everyone, Cheng Hongyi pondered for a moment and asked the first question: “How many tasks do we need to complete to return to our real world alive?”

“Seven,” came the answer from the other side without hesitation.

Cheng Hongyi’s question was undoubtedly very strategic. He wasn’t just asking for a number.

He emphasized returning alive to the real world. It was clear that if they couldn’t return to their real world even after completing all the tasks, the other side wouldn’t have given such a definitive answer.

The answer from the other side indirectly told them that there was still hope for them to return to their real world, as long as they could complete seven tasks.

Everyone caught on to the underlying message and looked at Cheng Hongyi with admiration.

Now it was Tang Bin’s turn to ask. He had initially wanted Cheng Hongyi to help him with the question, but Cheng Hongyi told him that it was his question to ask, so he should ask whatever he wanted without pressure.

Tang Bin thought for a moment. Since Cheng Hongyi said there was no pressure, he really felt no pressure at all.

There was one thing he wanted to know, so he decided to ask it outright: “What is the voting number? How is it counted? Or what is the standard for counting it?”

He had been wondering about this since the system first announced the results. The number of votes seemed too similar to the landmines and grenades he received every day!

Apart from the results, there was no basis for this number. He had even asked 3376 several times what it was, but every time, 3376 responded that it had no authority to know. Even though he had obtained the special skill of checking favorability because of his highest earnings, the system had never revealed anything about it.

It was exactly because it seemed so similar that Tang Bin wanted to know what it actually was and whether its evaluation standard was the same as the system he was bound to!

If it were before, Tang Bin wouldn’t have wasted this precious opportunity to ask about it.

But he had been infected by the human spirit of exploration. Recently, he had become obsessed with figuring out what the system that captured him was trying to do and what its purpose was. Why did it send so many demons to conquer each world?

Right now, Tang Bin felt like a child who had just familiarized himself with his surroundings, his mind full of “whys,” and he began to involuntarily want to explore more secrets.

So, he asked this question. Although the others didn’t understand why he asked it, the fact that the phone had specifically broadcast the number of votes showed that it was clearly an important parameter, so no one said anything.

But no one expected that, compared to the answer to Cheng Hongyi’s question, Tang Bin’s question actually caused the other side some difficulty in answering, and it even caused a thunderous reaction!

“The voting number is the number of votes cast by viewers of the live broadcast based on their preferences, for the players they support,” the harsh, unpleasant voice explained in detail.