CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 34: A LIFE-AND-DEATH GAMBLE

This is how Mia Townsend met John Green.

John Green scanned the group, and a classmate nearby noticed something, hurried to say, "Every few years, it’s just us who come to the reunion. Other classmates either have family matters or just don’t want to join."

Someone else echoed, "Yes, some classmates are working, some just don’t want to attend, so each time, it’s just us who come."

"I remember our Class 31 always had a great atmosphere, and it’s nice to get together more and keep in touch," John Green said with a smile.

"What have you been busy with abroad all these years? We all know you went overseas a long time ago, and there hasn’t been any news about you."

"I graduated abroad and then worked there as a surgeon."

A classmate introduced while speaking, "Mr. Green is impressive, our classmates’ jobs are quite varied. I’m an architectural designer, this one opened a restaurant, that one is a white-collar worker, there’s a middle school teacher, and a stay-at-home mom..."

"That’s all great; I’ve noticed the ladies have become more mature and beautiful, and most of the men now have a beer belly."

"We with beer bellies have become used to being casual, not paying attention to our image," a chubby person laughed cheekily.

"Are you all married?" John Green inquired.

"Ninety percent of us here are married, five percent have boyfriends, and the remaining five percent are single."

John Green asked, perhaps unintentionally or intentionally, "What about those classmates who didn’t come? Are you still in touch?"

"We’re all in touch, except for Mia Townsend."

The class monitor mentioned her name. Initially, nobody knew about John Green and Mia Townsend’s romance, but later, some classmates saw it, and the news spread to many others in succession.

"Couldn’t find her contact information?"

"Not really, we all were in touch at first, but in the last two years, she left the group and blocked all her classmates. She hasn’t contacted us since."

"So that’s how it is."

Another female classmate spoke up, "I wonder if her depression relapsed."

John Green’s pupils contracted at those words, "Depression?"

"You didn’t know?" The female classmate continued, "Mia Townsend dropped out before finishing ninth grade because she attempted suicide twice due to depression, but she was rescued both times. She was quite lucky. Her family situation was burdensome, too. Her brother has epilepsy, and no one arranged a marriage for her, fearing they’d have to take care of her entire family."

Hearing this, John Green’s heart twisted. He originally thought it wouldn’t hurt, but at this moment, nobody knew that the heart he believed to have healed was once again in tatters.

After sitting there for a while, he found an excuse and left.

John Green drove to the Suburban Township of Riventide, arriving around Mia Townsend’s village.

He parked his car by the roadside, got out, and walked to her house wearing a mask.

The front door was ajar. Standing there, he hesitated to go inside.

Their relationship was known only to the Green Family, her family did not know. After they broke up, they hadn’t contacted or seen each other ever since; wouldn’t it be too intrusive to go in unannounced in the evening?

After much consideration, he decided not to enter.

He left eventually.

Back in the car, John Green lit a cigarette, the window half-open, his hand resting there.

Words spoken by his classmates at the reunion stabbed his heart repeatedly.

Teenage hearts are naive in love. That pure and tender beauty prompted their hearts to draw closer continuously.

They planned their futures together, each having a place in the other’s future.

They planned to move in together once Mia Townsend went to college.

They intended to marry after she graduated from college.

These dreams were cherished by them until it was discovered by the Green Family.

The day their dreams were shattered, she cried terribly.

He was taken back to the Green Family home by his family, locked up, and was only to be released after agreeing to break up.

He was desperate back then.

Ultimately, under the pressure of Grandma Green, he made the break-up call.

Thinking about all this, John Green’s eyes stung and teared up.

——

Time passed swiftly, day after day, repeating the cycle, through the New Year and into the new month; from the seventeenth of October in the lunar calendar last year to February 20th, the approximately four-month-long training finally ended.

During the training days, the four companions helped and supported each other, united and loving, overcoming numerous difficulties, and gradually deepening their bond.

New injuries on top of old ones, their bodies full of scars, a testament to the intensity of the training.

Gaining unanimous recognition from the coach, everyone was both anxious and eager for the final mission.

The anxiety was because success hinged on their last action.

Life or death depended on their own fate.

Today was the day to be assigned tasks. They handed over their simple luggage and bank account numbers. The one million bonus would automatically transfer to the survivors’ accounts upon their return.

The dead, however, would receive nothing.

This was the gamble.

What the four hadn’t anticipated was that the survival challenge’s task was utterly inhumane.

They speculated about what the task might be but never imagined they’d be fighting wild beasts—either be eaten by them or kill them.

The club locked them inside a 300 square meter large house.

The huge house had surveillance installed overhead for affluent spectators to watch them.

Each was allowed to bring one knife, whether their own or from the club.

Lucy Eaton brought the upgraded Fire Meteor she bought from the black market.

Robert Langley, Sebastian Johnson, and Mia Townsend each chose one from several knives provided by the club.

Gradually, enormous wild beasts that none of them had seen before and couldn’t name, kept in cages, were brought in—such an astonishing number.

It was evident they’d been drugged, each one sleeping soundly.

The staff took them out one by one, removing all the cages afterward.

Not only were they untamed, but before leaving, the staff specifically said, "They’ve been starving for a long time, and they’ve been injected with stimulants; they’ll wake up soon—take care."

The four looked at these beasts, feeling a chill in their hearts, their scalps tingling, exchanging glances and preparing to give it their all.

After about ten minutes, almost concurrently, all the beasts awakened.

Seeing the four, those beasts with eyes like copper bells gleamed with light, the kind that wanted to devour them as they pounced forward in a frenzy.

The group of wealthy youngsters crowded in front of the surveillance were all very excited, as if injected with adrenaline.

They agreed not to record the surveillance video, as it was illegal and would lead to unnecessary trouble if leaked.

Although the recruitment agreements sparked heated discussion, the club consistently claimed publicly that no one participated.

Therefore, it naturally couldn’t be pursued.

In past battles, four out of five resulted in everyone’s death.