Chapter 37-Game Descent: I Am the Sole Player
Chapter 37
A far cry from the celebrity image on the mall billboard — polished from fingertips to every last strand of hair — the woman welcomed by the parting crowd had a shaved head. The leather jacket on her upper body gleamed with a cold, black sheen, and her black boots struck the ground with purpose. She looked like a lead pulled straight from a post-apocalyptic blockbuster — the kind who could raise a hand and put a bullet in you.
Her lips were pressed in a thin line, lending her an air of steely detachment. Her unflinching gaze strayed for only a split second before snapping back on course.
Staff in the lobby immediately rushed over to ask what she needed.
Cheng Yue did not speak. The young people trailing behind her scrambled to answer: "The car's got a flat tyre. It's parked outside — hurry up and send someone to change it!"
"Make it quick. We finally got a lead on that Monkey Monster pack. Don't let them slip away again."
Several young men and women, none of whom looked older than twenty, grumbled impatiently. Their styles varied, but every one of them wore a Gold Badge on their chest. Compared to the jostling ordinary people beside them, they radiated a haughty composure.
"Enough. Don't make things difficult for the staff."
Cheng Yue spoke up, cutting off her companions' complaints. The young people shut their mouths at once.
"I'm leading you this time. There is no chance of them escaping."
The disgruntled young faces brightened at her words, and they seized the opportunity to shower Cheng Yue with praise.
"Of course! With you here, Cheng Yue, what creature could possibly stand a chance?"
"The monkeys don't matter — what matters is getting to see [The Absolute Center] up close..."
Cheng Yue shook her head with a wry smile. "All right, save your energy for when it actually counts."
She turned to reassure the staff, telling them there was no rush — just follow the normal procedures.
The crowd in the lobby had been irked by the arrogant attitude of those young people, but with them as a foil, Cheng Yue came across as sensible, confident, and strong. Although she was nothing like the refined, approachable idol image most had expected, this version of Cheng Yue seemed to fit the post-apocalyptic ideal of what a powerful player should be.
In an instant, the curious and awed gazes of the onlookers transformed into ones of approval and admiration — so this was Nanzhou City's strongest player.
"...Is this really the same Cheng Yue that Xiao Mu stans? She's so different from what I imagined."
Lin Huijun leaned close to Bai Shan's ear and whispered. Xiao Mu was Bai Shan's deskmate; Lin Huijun sat directly in front of them, so she had been subjected to plenty of unsolicited Cheng Yue promotions.
But even without a rabid fan like Xiao Mu, Cheng Yue's fame among young women was sky-high. Whenever Lin Huijun shopped online, she was bombarded with "Cheng Yue's picks" — her jackets, bags, accessories, phone cases... anything could become the next trending must-have. She was the undisputed "It Girl."
Beyond that, Lin Huijun's impression of Cheng Yue was limited: an idol who came from a talent show, very young, sang the song behind a viral short video, acted in one or two idol dramas, had exquisite features, and every facial feature aligned with the current beauty trends.
"Is there a difference?"
Bai Shan was unfazed. She thought the real Cheng Yue was not all that different from the promotional clips her deskmate had shown her — still wearing a mask of sorts, still surrounded by a crowd, projecting exactly the qualities people wanted to see.
If anything stood out, it was that Cheng Yue appeared to be around the same age as her companions yet looked far more mature. And her height was probably more than the official 170 cm — her agency likely understated it to make on-screen pairings easier.
Lin Huijun was still craning her neck to look. "Then again, celebrities always work behind a mask. Maybe this is closer to her true self — hey, Bai Shan!"
Bai Shan had pushed through the crowd and walked straight up to Cheng Yue, blocking her path to the reception room.
Forced to stop, Cheng Yue regarded the uninvited guest. The emotion deep in her eyes was heavy, though the corners of her mouth curved into a natural smile.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Cheng Yue asked.
"Yes." Bai Shan pointed at the badge on Cheng Yue's chest. "How does one obtain a Jade Badge like that? I asked one of the staff just now, and he ignored me."
Her candid, clear voice echoed through the lobby. Every last person in the packed room doubted their own ears. The impatient staffer at the front desk was especially dumbstruck — was this girl out of her mind? Pestering Cheng Yue with a question like that!
"Hahaha, you must've just arrived from out of town! Haven't had a laugh this good in ages!"
A young woman behind Cheng Yue burst out laughing. The others joined in, their laughter laced with casual mockery.
But Cheng Yue did not laugh. She touched the badge on her chest and said quietly: "Those who make outstanding contributions to Nanzhou City are awarded a Jade Badge by the organisation."
"Any other questions?"
Bai Shan pressed on: "What constitutes an outstanding contribution?"
Before Cheng Yue could answer, a young man beside her cut in: "If you're strong enough, your contributions will be outstanding! Anyone below Level 13 shouldn't embarrass themselves asking a question like that!"
Bai Shan glanced at the speaker. "Ah, so you must be exactly Level 13. I see — Level 13 is where it stops being embarrassing?"
The Level-13 young man choked on his words and raised his fist in fury, only to have Cheng Yue press it back down.
"...What is your name?"
Cheng Yue studied the unfamiliar face before her. The girl looked even younger than the entitled trust-fund brats she led around. Her skin was very pale and very thin, clinging close to the bone structure beneath, giving off an almost excessive translucence.
Her orbital bones were large, yet her black irises were small — making her gaze far too piercing. Had those eyes been willing to wear coloured contacts to soften them, they would have turned the whole face into something fashionably distinctive. But these eyes were clearly not willing to be adorned — and perhaps that was exactly why Cheng Yue found the girl's stare so cutting.
"Bai Shan — 'Shan' as in kindness."
Without waiting for Cheng Yue to respond, Bai Shan continued:
"So, what standard counts as strong enough? Would beating you qualify?"
This time, the young companions behind Cheng Yue had barely widened their eyes in shock at Bai Shan's brazen declaration when — before anyone could react — Cheng Yue's gaze sharpened and she struck without hesitation!
The entire lobby erupted in screams. Every person's body suddenly went weightless, drifting upward like a kite with its string cut. Tables, chairs, the whiteboard, the counter — everything seemed to lose its weight, turning into feather-light balloons hovering in midair.
"Ahhh!"
"What's happening?!"
"Grab me!"
...
People flailed in panic as they floated near the ceiling. Someone thrashed wildly at the air and accidentally flipped themselves upside down, drifting helplessly in an undignified pose.
Lin Huijun had grabbed onto the counter the instant it happened. Although she floated upward along with it, having something solid in her arms gave her better control of her body.
Was this Cheng Yue's ability?
Lin Huijun stared down at Cheng Yue, who still stood firmly on the ground. She guessed the ability was some form of gravity control within a fixed range — but Cheng Yue herself was immune.
Yet Cheng Yue was not as composed as she appeared. Her gaze was locked on Bai Shan, barely an arm's length away, and her pupils contracted involuntarily.
Bai Shan was also standing firmly on the ground. She blinked, regarding Cheng Yue with open curiosity.
Then she tilted her head, dodging a thermos that had drifted lazily toward her from behind, and gave it a casual push to the side —
"Ow! Who hit me?!"
The young man had been floundering awkwardly in midair when the thermos struck him squarely on the bridge of his nose. Blood floated out in droplets, and he let out a shriek befitting a Level 13.
Seeing this, Cheng Yue's mouth fell open involuntarily — then she immediately pressed her lips tightly shut, forcing down the shock.
"Forget about us, Cheng Yue! Teach that lunatic a lesson!"
The arrogant young companions, having noticed that Bai Shan was standing rock-steady, realised the girl might actually have some real ability. Mortified as they were in their current poses, they could not help shouting for Cheng Yue to put the stranger in her place.
"Bai Shan... I've never heard that name. That must be my oversight."
After a tense standoff, Cheng Yue was the first to speak.
The tautness in her expression melted away. A smile clicked back into place, and she lowered her head slightly, her voice carrying a note of apology. "I'm sorry. I was the one who overstepped."
Cheng Yue lowered her head and then lifted her eyes, her gaze never leaving the person across from her. Seeing that Bai Shan neither spoke nor made any move to attack, she slowly exhaled.
She raised her hand and pressed it downward in a gradual motion. The people and objects floating near the ceiling descended gently. Heavy tables and chairs landed squarely back in their original positions. People touched down one after another, as if they had just been on an astronaut's zero-gravity simulator ride.
When Lin Huijun's feet hit the ground, she still wore a contemplative expression, pondering how she would handle an opponent like Cheng Yue.
Without gravity, she could not even touch the hem of Cheng Yue's clothes.
She looked up and saw Bai Shan — still standing with her hands in her jacket pockets, shoulders slightly slouched, as though she had felt no pressure whatsoever.
Bai Shan had said her ability was telekinetic manipulation. It was not surprising that her control could resist weightlessness — but resisting the power of someone ranked 61st on the leaderboard was a bit too extraordinary!
Lin Huijun knew Bai Shan was the type who fiercely guarded her privacy. She had never proactively asked what level Bai Shan had reached, or why she refused to display her level and name on the channel... She guessed Bai Shan's level must be very high — high enough that revealing it would invite trouble.
But based on what Bai Shan had shown so far, there was an odd sense of contradiction about her.
On one hand, Bai Shan was not shy about demonstrating her strength. After all, power was the universal currency in this game-ruled world, and Bai Shan was not the type to inconvenience herself.
On the other hand, Bai Shan showed remarkable restraint in certain peculiar ways.
Lin Huijun's mind raced. She felt she was grasping at a thread — perhaps Bai Shan's level was not merely high, but high enough to attract an overwhelming amount of attention.
Just as being wealthy was a good thing, but being too wealthy and too conspicuous was a burden of its own.
Following that train of thought, Lin Huijun's eyes widened. One of these days, she might actually see Bai Shan's name hanging on the leaderboard!
"I sincerely apologise for my impulsive behaviour. I'd like to ask the staff to register the names of everyone present, and allow me to compensate each person with Contribution Points."
Cheng Yue announced graciously in a clear voice. Most of the crowd still looked bewildered, not quite grasping what had just happened, but at the mention of Contribution Points, everyone broke into delighted smiles.
Amid the cheers and praise, Cheng Yue's companions exchanged confused glances, their faces a picture of incomprehension.
The young woman peeked around cautiously, wary of Cheng Yue's expression and attitude, not daring to mouth off again. The other young man was too busy clutching his nose — his nasal bridge, already of questionable structural integrity, had been knocked crooked. All he could do was glare at Bai Shan through furious eyes.
"And this friend here... Bai Shan, was it? Whatever she needs, get it sorted as soon as possible."
Cheng Yue gave the instruction, cast one more glance at Bai Shan, nodded briefly, and turned to leave.
The bewildered young people had no choice but to follow her out.
Bai Shan walked back to the front desk. The staffer, having been sent floating up to the ceiling and back, still felt as though his feet had not quite found solid ground. He continued processing the two on wobbly legs.
"Her — Lin Huijun, Level 10."
"Me — Bai Shan, Level 17."
"Anything else you don't understand?"
The staffer did not dare demand that the two prove their identities by posting in the channel. If Cheng Yue herself was not going to hold this person accountable, who was he to say anything?
Outside the stadium, the young woman grew more and more indignant the longer she thought about it. Weren't they supposed to wait in the reception room for the car to be fixed? Leaving now felt like slinking away with their tails between their legs...
"Cheng Yue, what was that girl's deal? You have the best temper in the world, but you can't just let someone walk all over you like that."
Cheng Yue rubbed her temple with a wince, deftly sidestepping an arm that tried to link with hers. Her voice was low: "You all go ahead... I'll go back... Never mind. Stick to the original plan."
She chose to pull back immediately, because there was no need for further confrontation. The moment the thermos had moved under Bai Shan's control and struck her companion, the outcome had already been decided.
Someone had broken through her control within the "stage" where she was [The Absolute Center].
Word of this would probably spread through the organisation in no time.
*
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