Chapter 604: The Flock

“What do you want me to do?” Chen Jun Nan asked again.

Di Shu didn’t answer. Instead, he smiled and asked, “You two leaders, do you believe that Qi Xia and I are on the same side?”

Qiao Jia Jin furrowed his brow, sensing that the man in front of him wasn’t trustworthy, but he said nothing and just turned to look at Chen Jun Nan.

At that moment, Chen Jun Nan narrowed his eyes, his playful expression vanishing completely, leaving only a face full of caution.

“Have you met Lao Qi?” Chen Jun Nan asked.

“Yes, that leader just participated in my game yesterday,” Di Shu said with a smile. “He’s truly a capable man. I admire him.”

“But aren’t you lying to me?” Chen Jun Nan’s expression turned instantly cold. “If you’re an old acquaintance of mine, how could you not know Lao Qi?”

“Oh…?” Di Shu reached up to stroke his beard. “But… you are you, and he is he. Why should knowing you mean I know him?”

Chen Jun Nan knew that the Di Shu in front of him was no simple character, but his words were hard to believe.

“You must have met me seven years ago, right? Back then, I couldn’t have been separated from Lao Qi—we came out of the same room. Even without my memories, I know he’s not my enemy.”

Upon hearing this, Di Shu slowly walked over to the radio and turned the knob, making the music in the room even louder.

“What the hell are you up to?” Chen Jun Nan felt something was off.

Di Shu slowly turned back, his expression complex as he looked at Chen Jun Nan, then glanced at Qiao Jia Jin, as if he had something to say but was holding back.

“Say something, damn it.” Chen Jun Nan stepped forward to stand next to Di Shu, looking tense.

Di Shu didn’t respond. He looked at Qiao Jia Jin and asked, “And this one is?”

“Hah…” Chen Jun Nan’s expression turned instantly dark. “Impressive, you don’t even recognize Lao Qiao? What kind of old acquaintance are we exactly?”

Di Shu shook his head helplessly and said, “Oh, Chen Jun Nan, Chen Jun Nan.”

“You…”

“What if there’s a possibility…?” Di Shu’s expression became unusually serious. “What if someone has been lying…? Are you and Qi Xia really from the same room?”

After he spoke, even though the music in the room was blasting, Chen Jun Nan and Qiao Jia Jin only heard a deafening silence.

“What nonsense are you spouting…?” Chen Jun Nan snapped back to his senses and cursed. “How could I not remember where I woke up and where I came from?”

“Then let me ask you…” Di Shu said, “In this place called ‘All Survivors,’ how many rooms are there exactly?”

“‘All… Survivors’?” Chen Jun Nan and Qiao Jia Jin exchanged glances, knowing Di Shu meant the situation where all nine people in the room were still present.

Was such a room rare?

Di Shu continued, “In here… ‘failing the life gamble’ means leaving the room, ‘becoming a zodiac sign’ means leaving the room, and all sorts of violations could get you taken by ‘Zhu Que’ and lose your sanity… So why has your room always been fully occupied?”

Di Shu drew closer to the two of them, his voice cutting through all the noisy music and reaching their ears clearly.

“Over the years, it’s all been thanks to my arrangements…” Chen Jun Nan said. “That’s how everyone in the room has been kept safe.”

“Is that so?” Di Shu smirked. “And how long have your ‘arrangements’ lasted?”

“Seven years,” Chen Jun Nan replied. “I’ve kept everyone in the room from leaving for seven years on my own. Is that enough?”

“But do you know how long ‘Zhong Yan Zhi Di’ has existed?” Di Shu asked. “What about before those seven years…? How united were the people in your room? Why, over all this time, has no one disappeared?”

Chen Jun Nan wanted to retort, but he had to admit Di Shu had a point.

Even if he could keep everyone trapped in the room for seven years, what about before that?

In the time before his memories, had everyone been surviving under Qi Xia’s protection?

The logic seemed sound, but it still felt off.

Those so-called teammates…

What about Xiao Ran?

What about Han Yi Mo?

What about Zhao Hai Bo?

These people didn’t even get along with him, let alone Qi Xia. How had they all cooperated back then, seven years ago?

“No…” Chen Jun Nan suddenly felt a cold sweat break out.

Besides those few, even Tian Tian had major issues.

He had interacted with her seven years ago, and she never wanted to leave.

But why had she been fine all these years?

Thinking more carefully…

Did Officer Li want to leave?

Did Zhang Chen Ze want to leave?

“Damn it, wait a minute… What the hell is going on here?”

Chen Jun Nan turned to Qiao Jia Jin in confusion, finally realizing that only three people in the room had any will to survive.

How had such a flawed room managed to avoid any losses for so many years?

“Chen Jun Nan.” Di Shu called out again, “You’re not a fool, so how can you not understand something so simple?”

“What are you saying…?”

“Though I don’t know how this situation happened… but is it possible that your room was reassembled?” Di Shu asked pointedly.

Chen Jun Nan and Qiao Jia Jin both widened their eyes.

Reassembled…?

By whom…?

And for what purpose?

“No…” Chen Jun Nan shook his head firmly. “I feel like that doesn’t add up… There are too many flaws in that theory.”

“Why would there be flaws…?” Di Shu took another step forward and whispered, “Chen Jun Nan, I’m the one who came from the same room as you. In our room, the only ones left who can move are you and me.”

“You’re lying to me…” Chen Jun Nan felt his mindset crumbling, his thoughts growing chaotic. “Are you saying that seven years ago, Lao Qi and Lao Qiao and I didn’t even know each other?! That’s ridiculous!”

“‘Herd mentality,’ Chen Jun Nan.” Di Shu sighed helplessly. “Do you know what ‘herd mentality’ means?”

“Damn it, my memories go back at least eight years, and I worked with Lao Qi for a whole year. How could I not know what ‘herd mentality’ means?”

“Oh? Then tell me.” Di Shu smiled at him.

“‘Herd mentality’ naturally means that if the leader sheep does something, the rest will follow suit.”

“No, that’s completely wrong.” Di Shu shook his head.

“Wrong…?” Chen Jun Nan slowly narrowed his eyes. “Then tell me… what is ‘herd mentality’?”

“What is called ‘herd mentality’…” Di Shu said gravely, “is that as soon as one sheep starts lying, the rest will all become lying sheep.”