The appearance of Zhong Feng and Hu Lei in the meeting hall created murmurs in this room filled with fifty plus people. The excitement could be primarily attributed to the presence of Zhong Feng because he was almost an urban legend. He rarely appeared in public places, so it sometimes seemed like he did not exist.Still, some people had seen him before. After all, the attendees were primarily from the affluent and well-connected families in Supreme City. It would be difficult for them not to recognise such a legendary figure. The uninformed individuals were either out of touch or had been brought as guests by their wealthier partners.
This game looked like it was a casual event, but it was actually designed and intended to be a bonding experience for the younger generation of the core families in the city. The cost of a single ticket was astronomical, and there was no guarantee that a person could get one. The exclusivity only made the demand higher.
Shun went to the front of the hall and stood at the podium. The traditionally dimly lit hall and the robed people gave the impression that they really were in an eastern fantasy novel, waiting for a forgotten dimension to be opened.
"I would like to welcome you to another of our exciting Secret Realm events. I hope that we can all have fun while maintaining a respectful att.i.tude. Those who violate the rules and common good conduct will be banned from Secret Realm permanently." He spoke with ringing solemnity.
"As usual, the goal of the game is to collect as many treasure tokens as possible. You will find them hidden in various places within the realm. The positions of placement are random. Others can be unlocked by completing surprise puzzles. Once you collect a virtual token, your score will be automatically logged. If you are killed by another player, your tokens will be transferred to them."
"You will also face dangers from concealed traps. If you are not careful, you could die before collecting a single token. The final man standing will be the winner of the game. If there are multiple people who cross the finish line, the number of tokens will determine the final winner."
Shun smiled and pressed a b.u.t.ton on the podium and a holographic image of a beautiful yellow sports car appeared above him.
"The winner of the game today will receive a street legal race car, courtesy of Clarion Motor City." Furukawa declared dramatically.
Most of the people in the room owned sports cars. However, there are things which cannot be bought using just money. In addition, this type of vehicle would cost millions. There was no one who would reject this opportunity.
A lot of eyes turned to a princely man dressed in red robes, sitting alone. He nodded at the people looking at him. Everyone felt even more excited, seeing the owner of the motor city. If he was here, the prize was definitely legitimate.
Hu Lei did not care about the vehicle. She wanted to begin playing. Unfortunately, she had to keep waiting. She looked around the room with interest, and she was surprised to discover some familiar people.
The most prominent person was Song Lili who was dressed in white robes and seated with some girls, as if she was holding court. She also discovered Murong Yue and Murong Yan. The latter looked uncomfortable and had a displeased look on her face while the former had the gentle demeanour, worthy of a sweetheart celebrity.
"When you receive your crossbows at the entrance, you will enter the labyrinth via the entrance that matches the colour of your robes. This is not a team game. However, you should consider those with the same colour to be your teammates while inside the labyrinth. You cannot kill your teammates until you exit the maze. However, you are not obligated to help them."
"Finally, photography is not allowed for the sake of personal privacy. Anyone found taking photos will be banned immediately. Now, let us begin." Shun finished with a smile.
There was loud cheering and an ambience of excitement. The group left the hall and ended down a wide staircase and to a circular entrance. At the entrance, four attendants in black robes were handing out beautiful pistol crossbows. Though they looked authentic, their design was similar to laser guns.
When Zhong Feng and Hu Lei finally crossed the threshold, they found Song Lili and another girl in red robes in the hallway, obstructing their path.
"h.e.l.lo, Hu Lei." Song Lili greeted before turning to Zhong Feng. "Feng"er, I didn"t know that you were coming. Perhaps we could have come together."
The friendly words attracted the gazes of the people around. Their eyes shone with a thirst for scandal and gossip. Even though photography was forbidden, Shun could do nothing about what they saw. Some were already thinking about how they could take advantage of this revelation.
"I don"t think that we are on such familiar terms, Miss Song." Zhong Feng responded coldly.
He was normally not bothered by rumours as long as they did not affect his life. However, he did not want Hu Lei to have a misunderstanding or even a doubt towards him. Furthermore, he did not want to be linked with other women, especially those who had a deeply plotting nature.
Song Lili looked dejected at the words, but she still smiled. Those who were watching subtly would believe that they were lovers who had had a disagreement. Song Lili looked like she had been wronged and was trying to stay strong. These people with a thirst for gossip leaned even closer.
"I am sorry. I just wanted to ask you to look out for my friend, Shishi. She is in the same team as you." Her voice was calm but had a wisp of sadness.
"Miss Song, this is not a team sport. It"s a survival game. Now, if you will excuse us…" Hu Lei looked at Song Lili as if she was looking at an idiot before walking away alongside Zhong Feng.
The gossipers were already filling in the gaps. Unfortunately, most people in this social circle judged by outward appearances. They decided that the famous Song Lili was the one who best matched the celestial Zhong Feng. Even though she only modelled in the west, she dealt with luxury products which were popular among second-generations in the country.
Since they did not know Hu Lei, they could only a.s.sume that she was a cheap woman who had gotten in between two well-matched people. This type of drama never got old. And naturally, most people were rooting for Song Lili who was watching those red-robed backs with palpable sadness.
"Don"t worry, Lili. I will teach her a lesson for you." Shishi felt sad when she realised how pitiful her beautiful friend looked.
Moreover, she knew that Song Lili had had a crush on Zhong Feng since she was a young girl. It must have been a blow for her to see him with another woman. Shishi made the entire matter extremely dramatic in her head, creating scenarios that did not exist.
"I am fine. You should just focus on having fun." Song Lili pushed the girl to the direction of the red door before turning to the opposite direction.
This generous and forgiving behaviour made Shishi even more determined to help out her friend by teaching that shameless woman a lesson. Lili was obviously the one who deserved to be next to that inviolable G.o.dly man. What right did a nameless n.o.body have to hold his hand?