More than twenty minutes had passed since the Zhongzhou team entered this horror movie world. The two newcomers gradually regained consciousness one after another while Zero and Wang Xia searched for a bus. Their disbelief quickly transitioned through doubt to reluctant acceptance, though the process was accelerated by the massive steel landmass pressing down on the sky - even fools couldn't deny the world's strangeness.

"The basic situation is this... Cough, why does that phrase sound so familiar? Anyway, as I said before, you're now in a space called the Loop World. The Main God continuously throws us into various horror movie universes. Our goal is to survive in this looping realm while acquiring enough reward points and side plotlines - whether we endlessly strengthen ourselves or return to the real world depends entirely on your choices... Oh right, the current film we're trapped in is called Earth's Counterattack."

Zheng Zha explained the Loop World details to the two newcomers while asking about their professions and origins. These two might include a guide, which was why he personally questioned them - it was something Chen Xuan had advised him privately before the artillery strike... (Could this be his plan to create advantageous "momentum" for the Zhongzhou team through guides? Though I don't know what he's scheming, maybe I should trust him after all. At least he's never disappointed us...)

(Or perhaps he's just been too competent, causing unexpected situations that almost kill us every time... Should we be relieved or angry?)

The male and female newcomers were both quite young. The man was in his late twenties, with gold-rimmed glasses marking a well-educated elite from high society. Though slightly haggard, the moment he woke up he immediately pulled out a silk handkerchief to wipe dust off himself - this affected gesture combined with perpetually furrowed brows made him look thoroughly repulsive despite an otherwise handsome face.

The woman was more normal-looking at around twenty-three or twenty-four. Her features were quite attractive though she carried some extra weight, making her subtly plump appearance all the more intriguing. With ordinary clothing and mannerisms, it was precisely this unremarkable nature that made Zheng Zha pay closer attention - and indeed, when he glanced at her multiple times, the girl's cheeks flushed pink.

The man supposedly worked as a high-level manager for a Hong Kong company, Cambridge-educated with numerous internationally recognized credentials. A true product of elite education in upper-class circles, but upon waking up his first words were fluent English. When he noticed Zheng Zha and others giving him strange looks and realized everyone was East Asian, he quickly switched to Japanese then Korean before finally resorting to Mandarin - an action that immediately provoked surrounding glares.

By contrast the plump girl's reaction was entirely uneventful: she groggily awoke and frantically screamed until no one responded. After cautiously surveying her surroundings, when Zheng Zha explained the Loop World reality to her, she simply sat there agape in shock for several minutes before timidly asking questions about details within that "Main God" space.

"So your profession is... computer programmer? Unusual for a woman to choose such a career path. However, this horror movie world might actually benefit from your skills. If properly utilized, perhaps you could provide significant assistance..." Zheng Zha remarked while keeping his gaze on the alien fortress looming over the sky and waiting for Zero's return. Without a psionic controller, even trivial matters became impossible challenges - thinking this, he glumly looked at Jiang Lan and others still unconscious.

(Jiang Lan's psionic control abilities aside, Xiao Honglu should wake up as soon as possible to check Chen Xuan... At least it would be better than now when I can't even grasp his thoughts completely...) Unbeknownst to them, while Zero and Wang Xia searched for a bus, Chen Xuan had already entered a nearby electronics store. Amid chaotic streets filled with fleeing pedestrians, crashing vehicles, and opportunistic looters, he casually walked into the shop, grabbed a laptop as if it were his own home...

(...I don't know what you're planning, but that smug expression when you walked out with the laptop was so arrogant I almost wanted to punch you. Programming a virus like in the original movie? Actually she could help you with that...)

Zheng Zha said to Chen Xuan while pointing toward the two newcomers and informing him of their details at the same time. The man named Lin Jun Tian had indeed handsome features, but spoke in an irritating half-Chinese-half-foreign accent - introducing himself as "Philip" rather than his real name, creating a false sense of hybrid identity. Combined with his affected gestures, he radiated that smugness of someone born to lead.

Chen Xuan only asked two questions about his name before the man began prattling in broken English, constantly praising his own achievements - including his mastery of karate as if joining this team was some great honor bestowed upon them. "We Chinese always maintain moderation, avoiding taking initiative with sayings like 'trees that grow tall are easily broken' or 'the first sparrow gets shot'... This is terrible! Foreigners have such proactive mindsets embracing responsibility and challenges..." The rest of his speech was completely ignored by everyone - people who in real life cultivated confidence through wealth and success now exhibited the same traits here, but this wasn't reality...

By comparison Yang Xue Lin appeared genuinely ordinary. When Chen Xuan asked her opinion about the Zhongzhou team structure, she couldn't even form a response. However when questioned about computer virus design, she spoke at length with obvious passion for her profession.

(Only minimal clues so far - both seem potential guides yet remain completely normal appearances. Even someone like Lin Jun Tian could be found on every street in reality... Has Chen Xuan already identified the guide? Damn it, without a psionic controller even private conversations are impossible. We need to catch their mind controller within this horror movie first...)

While asking only brief questions of both, Chen Xuan immediately opened his laptop and began typing without another word. Yang Xue Lin watched attentively from beside him.

"...Only thirty percent probability..." Chen Xuan muttered while still hunched over the keyboard. "Currently I can identify potential guides at only 30% confidence... Continue investigating - this horror movie has plenty of time left for more clues to surface."

(You're not omniscient after all...) Zheng Zha and others silently thought, feeling a mix of satisfaction and relief as they waited. But before they could say anything, a large bus suddenly appeared on the street. Amidst the chaotic traffic it crashed through obstacles with ruthless efficiency, creating an opening path directly to their location.

"Get aboard! The road toward Washington is completely blocked, but we found nothing heading into the White House area. Better leave now!" Zero emerged from the rear doors, frowning as he instructed them while Wang Xia drove the bus.