Ten Day Ultimatum

The adolescent's accent and grammar were peculiar, leaving the listeners momentarily perplexed. Qi Xia studied him closely—this boy was clearly from {Passage to Heaven}, yet why was he here?
"Who are you…?" Officer Li asked.

"Ge, my name is Kim Wonhun," the adolescent replied with a charming smile, bowing once more, this time directly toward Officer Li. Then he looked up and asked, "May I know which ge is Qi Xia?"
Everyone’s eyes turned toward Qi Xia, who stepped forward with a resigned expression.
"That’s me."
"Great! Ge, I’ve been waiting here for you for a long time," Kim Wonhun said brightly.

"Waiting for me?" Qi Xia asked, his voice tinged with confusion.
"Yes," Kim Wonhun nodded. "I want to ask you a question."
The others, unfamiliar with him, exchanged puzzled glances.

Xiao Ran cautiously took a step back. "Qi ge, how come you have an acquaintance here?"
Ignoring her, Qi Xia focused on Kim Wonhun. "You’ve been waiting for me just to ask a question?" He had a faint idea of what it might be.
"Exactly zhèyàng," Kim Wonhun affirmed. "Ge, can we talk alone for a bit?"

Qi Xia nodded and followed him a short distance away from the group.
"Ge, someone asked me to ask you—{When did you arrive here}?"
Qi Xia paused at the question, as if weighing its significance. Could {Passage to Heaven} truly be trusted?

If they acted as they had last time, flitting about like headless flies in {End Point}, the outcome would probably be just as grim. In that case, perhaps trusting Chu Tianqiu once would be the wiser choice.
Quietly, Qi Xia answered, "My physical body has been here for eleven days, but my consciousness only for four."
"Ya, shibal [1]…" Kim Wonhun muttered under his breath. "Chu ge really is a god-like man…"

"What did you say?" Qi Xia asked, his surprise evident.
"Ge, to be honest, this is the first day for everyone here. Yet today, following Chu ge’s instructions, I’ve asked many people this question—and not a single one said {the first day}... Do you think Chu ge knows something?"
Of course he did. If Qi Xia’s guess was right, Chu Tianqiu retained memories from the last instance.

But what unsettled Qi Xia more was why Chu Tianqiu had asked this same question during their previous encounter. Had he retained his memories even back then? Could it be… they had arrived here before him?
If Chu Tianqiu had already gone through two cycles, his accumulated experience would be formidable. With each iteration, retaining his memories, he could deliberately choose teammates based on prior knowledge. If so, the strength of {Passage to Heaven} was likely far beyond Qi Xia’s imagination.
As they spoke in hushed tones, Xiao Ran wandered over at the worst possible moment, feigning casualness. "So, what are you two talking about?"
Kim Wonhun gave her a mild smile. "Ge, let’s go back. What I say next should be for everyone to hear."

…
Kim Wonhun faced the group. "Everyone, we’re gathering skilled people to form an organization to tackle the games together. Qi Xia ge has answered the leader’s question and has permission to join. Are you all nayang interested?"
"What exactly is the purpose of this organization?" Officer Li asked cautiously.

"Ya, it’s like a strategy group for the games, ge," Kim Wonhun explained. "The games come in different types, and we assign players according to their strengths nàyàng."
Officer Li studied him for a moment. "Are you of Korean descent?"
"Yes, ge," Kim Wonhun nodded. "I live in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, where few speak the dialect of the Han ethnic group (Mandarin Chinese), so I’m not very fluent. Please forgive any mistakes."

Officer Li nodded, understanding—his own city had a significant Mongolian population.
"Who sent you to find us?" Qiao Jiajin asked.
"It’s the ge from my room—Chu Tianqiu," Kim Wonhun replied earnestly. "He’s very smart, and I’m carrying out one of his orders nayang."
Qi Xia stroked his chin, thinking. Truthfully, he knew little about Chu Tianqiu—only that {he had a diary that could orchestrate an escape from this place}.

"Kim Wonhun, did Chu Tianqiu invite only me?"
"Yes, but not entirely," Kim Wonhun clarified. "Chu ge invited you zhèyàng, but you can bring anyone you want. A da ge named Zhang Shan also joined, and he brought his own people nàyàng."
‘Zhang Shan…’ The name triggered a memory—Ole Lu and Specs. Now Qi Xia understood why Zhang Shan had brought them along; they were indeed valuable teammates.

Glancing at the eight people beside him, he suddenly had an idea. Charging into the games with such a large group would invite many uncertainties. Why not bring them all into {Passage to Heaven}?
It would let him shed deadweight and possibly secure the notes. To erase a drop of ink, the best way was to cast it into the ocean.
"Can all nine of us join?" Qi Xia asked.

"Of course," Kim Wonhun said. "Chu ge said if you agree to join, we’ll accommodate any request you make."
At that, hesitation spread among the group.
They had followed Qi Xia because they’d seen his ability firsthand. But could this unseen {Chu Tianqiu} truly be trusted?

"Everyone, I’m joining {Chu Tianqiu}’s organization," Qi Xia declared before anyone could speak. "If you agree, follow me. If not, act on your own."
Uncertain glances were exchanged.
"Oh, and," Kim Wonhun added, "Chu ge says food and water will be scarce in the coming days, but our organization will do its best to provide for everyone."

"That good?" Qiao Jiajin asked skeptically. "What’s your motive for feeding us for free?"
Kim Wonhun’s gaze swept over them. "Our goal is to clear all the games nayang. We don’t support freeloaders—every member must follow Chu ge’s orders. He will lead us out."
"All the games…" The listeners were momentarily taken aback. Why aim to clear them all when escape supposedly came from collecting {Dào}?

"Then how are the {Dào} divided?" Xiao Ran asked.
"More work, more rewards," Kim Wonhun replied. "Chu ge isn’t concerned about the {Dào} nàyàng, so no one needs to worry."
Qi Xia suspected Chu Tianqiu’s approach was unusual—and that it tied to the {diary} he possessed. Perhaps escape wasn’t about collecting {Dào} at all, but about clearing every game.

"Qi Xia ge, what do you say?" Kim /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ Wonhun asked for final confirmation.
"No need to say more. I’m in," Qi Xia replied.