Dangerous tasks are naturally left to the doppelganger.

In an abandoned building on the outskirts of Yukou City,

Old Xu peered through binoculars, focusing on a small park in the distance that had been abandoned for years.

Like the building itself, the park had been weathered by decades of sun and wind, barely recognizable from its original state. Only the rusted iron gate stood stubbornly in place.

As dusk fell and given the distance, even with binoculars, Old Xu could only make out a cluster of dark spots.

"It's too far, I can't see anything clearly," he reported, lowering the binoculars and turning to the captain beside him.

The Special Patrol Team captain removed his hand from the wall, dusting it off as he surveyed the surroundings. "If you can't see, then you can't see. Captain Qi must have his reasons for this. We just follow orders."

"Yeah," someone sighed dejectedly. This was nothing like the heroic battle alongside the Nine Seats he had imagined, culminating in ultimate victory. "He even has all of us on standby here. Clearly, Captain Qi brought a whole team of his own subordinates."

The captain smacked the back of his head. "Rather than achieving merit, I'd prefer..."

"Captain Qi is here!" someone shouted.

The yell echoed throughout the entire building.

Qi Yuan resisted the urge to transform into a real estate tycoon and strode over to the Special Patrol Team captain. "My... people have already infiltrated. We just need to wait here for news."

The captain nodded, then casually asked, "By the way, could your subordinates see the content of the chat group yesterday? Some of the people in there seemed quite dangerous."

This was almost a pointless question. Apart from those with no other options, what normal person would get involved with such dubious things?

Qi Yuan gave him a suspicious look.

Under Qi Yuan's scrutiny, beads of sweat formed on the captain's forehead, his composed expression faltering.

Clearly, he had something to hide. Qi Yuan replied concisely: "They saw it."

All the patrol team members' faces instantly turned ashen. They weren't even worthy of being Nine Seats' subordinates, yet yesterday they had arrogantly demanded to know why they weren't included.

Whether they could see it or not wasn't important. What mattered was that Captain Qi had confirmed his subordinates were present at the time.

How dare they feel so smug about their meager abilities?

Qi Yuan ignored their emotional rollercoaster and found a place to sit.

Now, all he had to do was wait for information from his avatar.

Wasn't it only natural to let the avatar handle dangerous tasks?

Besides, when the avatar's memories returned, it would make him feel uncomfortable. Though the impact was minor, it was always better to err on the side of caution.

...

Being an avatar really meant having no rights.

Qi Yuan's avatar leaned expressionlessly against a tree, blocking out the subtle scrutiny from those around him.

The people on the scene had no intention of verbal communication. They exchanged glances, moved their lips silently, or made hand gestures. After a while, their positions had subtly shifted.

Only a few remained in their original spots.

He didn't know much about Liu Bo's personality or habits, but with the aura boost, whether hunched over or sleazy, he was racing full speed towards the image of a sinister boss.

Rather than this, it might be better to be more direct.

There was another reason why others were eyeing his surroundings. He glanced from the corner of his eye to a spot not far behind him, where two men sat wearing masks – one of average build, the other overweight.

These two stood out from the rest. They lacked both the murderous aura and the desperate numbness of those beaten down by life.

Their supposedly careful and discreet communication was all observed by Qi Yuan.

Not far from them, another avatar was hidden in the shadows, silently watching everything unfold.

"Brother Liang, are you sure this is okay?" Fatty's voice was muffled and unclear. The person next to him had to lean in close to hear what he was saying.

"If you're scared, go back. This was my business to begin with, why did you get involved?"

"Brothers stick together, don't whine. Your sister is like my sister. If something happened to our sister, I couldn't sit idle either."

The other man remained silent for a long time, not bringing up the previous topic again. "Who are the participants? They don't seem to care, and the organizers didn't show up early to verify identities."

Fatty looked towards the center of the scene, confirming what Brother Liang had said.

As time passed, their emotions became unstable, and some began to pick fights with others.

Perhaps those starting trouble initially just wanted to test the waters, but once it began, whether it ended or not was no longer up to them.

Just as the verbal friction between two groups was about to escalate into violence, someone approached them.

He was tall and wore a hooded sweatshirt, concealing his body in the shadows...

This man ignored the ongoing conflict, like an NPC going through the motions, and began playing a recording. The voice on the recording was artificially synthesized.

Clearly, he didn't want to reveal any personal information.

"I am the winner of the last round. According to the rules, I can act as the initiator, organize a game, and receive a reward. So, let's skip the cliché probing and questioning phase. Don't ask me what purpose organizing this game serves."

Although those involved in the conflict were reluctant to back down so easily, they realized that this organizer didn't care whether they had heard clearly or not. They could only stand down.

Revenge could wait. Missing out on information wouldn't be kindly shared by anyone later.

"The rules of the End Game are simple. Under the watchful eye of the deity, kill each other until only one remains."

"Don't rush to ask questions, I know what you want to say."

Many participants looked disgruntled. This condescending attitude ignited the fire of anger in their chests. After all, calm, sadistic killers who enjoy watching their prey struggle were the minority. Most were those who couldn't resist temptation or acted on impulse, committing crimes and setting foot on a path of no return.

"Stop with the mystical act!"

"Grandpa here loves teaching lessons to grandchildren."

"Heh, if you want us to be quiet, show us some real power first!"

Some joined in the jeering, some watched coldly from the sidelines, seemingly prepared to watch the tigers fight, while others looked conflicted but ultimately chose not to exit the game.

The hooded man, however, remained silent, merely pausing the playback. Because he was hidden in the shadows, the others couldn't see his expression clearly.

Many tensed their bodies, making slight adjustments to their postures, both guarding against the hooded man suddenly attacking and preparing in case he turned to flee.

Fatty noticed movement beside him and grabbed the person next to him. "Brother Liang, what are you doing? Don't be rash!"

"Making them shut up. If the initiator fails this time, there can be another chance, but my sister can't wait."

From the rules mentioned earlier, he knew his sister's chances were slim, but he still clung to a glimmer of hope.

Fatty had no choice but to let go, shrinking behind a large tree. "Be careful, they might come after you."

Qi Yuan listened from the side, feeling exasperated. One moment they were sworn brothers, the next hiding behind trees – was that appropriate?

But Fatty's companion was very familiar with this behavior. Tossing out a line to sound cool, he darted forward in one swift motion.

"It doesn't matter. I'll strike first."

As the words left his mouth, he brushed past Qi Yuan and tackled the burly man nearest to him.