This all transpired in the span of an instant; before the eye could fully track it, as Zheng Zha descended, his vision blurred into confusion. He had seen Zhao Yingkong fling a throwing knife his way, leaving him only the choice to lightly spring off a leaf and hurtle forward, narrowly evading the blade. In that same motion, he surged past the foliage to the trunk of another tree, instantly reversing his momentum to push off once more. This entire sequence unfolded in perhaps one or two seconds. For an ordinary person, attempting such an unbelievable maneuver was out of the question; merely keeping up with the sheer dynamism of their movements was a feat of kinetic wonder.

With that explosive push, Zheng Zha finally lunged horizontally toward Zhao Yingkong. Before the young girl could fully react, he slammed her hard against the tree trunk, his left hand clamping down on her neck while his right pinned her tightly against the bark. Though she sustained no injury, both knew that in this exchange, Zheng Zha had prevailed.

Zhao Yingkong’s complexion warmed slightly. The usually impassive girl wore an expression bordering on shy embarrassment, which momentarily stunned Zheng Zha. She murmured, "I lost. I withdraw from the competition. Can you take your hand away now?" Zheng Zha’s gaze dropped sluggishly to his own hand, realizing with a jolt that it was gripping Zhao Yingkong’s left breast tightly—even though she was bound with cloth strips.

Still, the fullness of the sensation transmitted through his palm was an undeniable, intimate reality that could never be voiced aloud. Zheng Zha instinctively, almost unconsciously, squeezed gently once more.

It was only when a soft sigh escaped Zhao Yingkong’s lips near his ear that he startled, frantically releasing his grip. Her face was now flushed a deep crimson, as if painted with cinnabar.

The assassin girl quickly regained her composure. Although her complexion remained vividly red, she stated calmly, "Then so be it. I withdraw. You are impressive; your fighting style adheres to no fixed form. After unlocking the Gene Lock, I simply couldn't predict your next move. Very good. Very powerful." Zheng Zha dared not meet her eyes again. He forcefully pushed off the trunk, leaping back up into the canopy, where he stood at the edge of the branches, silently surveying their surroundings. Just then, the communicator on his waist buzzed. Zhan Lan’s voice crackled through, "Zheng Zha, I’ve been spotted! They’re heading your way. Zhang Heng is to your back-left, aiming at you. Be careful—you must win!"

This location was Zhang Jie’s basement, which, through the team's experimentation, could be expanded to encompass a hundred-kilometer radius, capable of manifesting natural landscapes like forests and lakes. After the initial team assignments, Zheng Zha and Zhan Lan swiftly devised a strategy: Zhan Lan would find a concealed spot to hide, maintaining communication with Zheng Zha via the device to relay the locations of the others.

Guan Zha, meanwhile, was fighting solo.

However, shortly after Zheng Zha departed, Zhang Jie and Xiao Honglü detached themselves from the main group. Xiao Honglü was the only one permitted to use firearms. These two deliberately chose to traverse the open plains, making it exceedingly difficult for Zheng Zha to attack them, as he still couldn't physically evade bullets. While he wouldn't sustain fatal injuries, cuts and bleeding were inevitable. With no other choice, he pressed on, seeking out Zhao Yingkong and Zhang Heng.

These two posed immediate threats; eliminating them first would allow him to devise a way to handle Xiao Honglü and Zhang Jie within the complex environment, giving him a significantly higher chance of victory.

Upon hearing Zhan Lan’s warning, Zheng Zha whipped his head toward his back-left. Sure enough, a faint, cold gleam shot out. From at least fifteen hundred meters away, two arrows flew toward him, one chasing the other. This was Zhang Heng’s specialty. The rest of the team had witnessed Zhang Heng demonstrate: amplified by the range and power of his 'Ancient Bow Shooting the Heavenly Wolf,' his arrows could reach nearly two thousand meters. If he added his Wind Arrow skill, the girl’s projectile could potentially reach almost ten thousand meters! However, this was unrealistic for Zhang Heng’s aiming and firing capabilities. Thus, the range between fifteen hundred and two thousand meters was when his arrows delivered maximum power, maximum range, and utmost precision. Zheng Zha only had time to dodge sideways. The two arrows suddenly altered their trajectory: the trailing arrow struck the leading one with a slight burst. Instantly, the leading arrow accelerated like a cannonball. In a near-instant, the arrow shot past Zheng Zha’s trouser cuff, missing by barely an inch or two. Regrettably, the arrow only managed to pierce the fabric of his pants.

Zheng Zha himself was startled. The technique used with the arrows was terrifying; it was unbelievable that such skill originated from Zhang Heng himself, as anyone would assume it was an archery technique exchanged from the 'Main God' system.

Thoughts aside, Zheng Zha did not hesitate, leaping down from the treetop. He began to forcefully push off the tree trunks, using his Qinggong—each push propelling him over ten meters—then launching to the next trunk, continuously moving through the forest. His speed in this dense wood was absolutely breathtaking.

Minutes later, Zheng Zha had closed the distance to Zhang Heng, but what struck him as eerie was seeing Zhang Heng crouching nearby, wearing a pained, bitter smile that never ceased. As soon as he spotted Zheng Zha, Zhang Heng exclaimed, "I surrender! I surrender!" Zheng Zha asked curiously, "What’s wrong? Did you twist your ankle?" Zhang Heng replied with a wry smile, "No. After I shot those two arrows, I saw how furious you looked as you charged toward me. My legs instantly went weak with fright; I was so scared I couldn't move at all."

Zheng Zha felt a mix of exasperation and amusement as he helped Zhang Heng up. "It’s not that extreme, is it? This is just a competition; I wouldn't hurt you casually." Zhang Heng looked both ashamed and mortified. "I was genuinely terrified. The mere thought that you might strike me made my entire body go limp. I guess I’m really not suited to survive in this horror movie setting."

Zheng Zha carefully examined the tear in his trouser leg and shook his head. "His abilities are very strong. The entire team cannot lack a long-range sniper. You are the crucial replacement for Zero Point. Don't belittle yourself. If you can overcome this psychological shadow, I believe you can become a very powerful member of our team. Trust me!" Zhang Heng sighed, about to say more, but Zheng Zha cut in, "I lost this match. You are truly strong, and this isn't flattery; strength needs no compliments, nor does anyone dare challenge you. Remember this: for the sake of those you cherish, to survive, you must become stronger. Not just physically and skillfully, but mentally as well. You must survive, no matter what, for yourself and for those you love. When you possess that conviction, you will dare to face anyone and loose your bowstring. Believe me!" Zhang Heng followed Zheng Zha’s gaze down to his pant leg, noticing a faint blood streak on Zheng Zha's skin. Although the arrow hadn't struck his body, the sheer force of the powerful projectile slicing through the air had managed to graze his skin.

The sparring match finally concluded, and the result was naturally a defeat for Zheng Zha's side—not solely because of Zhang Heng’s unexpectedly formidable archery, but more significantly, due to the crucial importance of teamwork.

"Yes, teamwork. In fact, this was evident during the fight with the Indian Team. Our team was always at a clear disadvantage, but beyond the uncertain factor of luck, the more critical element was the advantage in our team composition. Besides Qi Tengyi, who perfectly utilizes plot items, there is Zero Point, whose ranged combat strength is infinite, and then Zhao Yingkong, who excels at assassination. My melee combat can even surpass their captain."

"Most importantly, every member of our team truly cooperates. The Indian Team, for whatever reason, if forced together, their morale fractured. A team is hard to lead when spirits are low. That is why, in the end, our team achieved victory."

After the practice match, the better part of the day had passed. On Xiao Honglü's suggestion, everyone decided to have a bonfire party on the basement's expanse of grassland. Besides grilling and entertainment, Xiao Honglü encouraged Zheng Zha to establish a set of team rules.

Zheng Zha had already been considering this; regardless of the perspective, rules are fundamentally crucial for any assembled team—without standards, nothing can be accomplished. So, he and Xiao Honglü conferred, then sought opinions from the other team members, finally agreeing upon five provisional articles.

"One: Team members are temporarily limited to the six present individuals. As per the old standard, any newcomers received in future horror movies will first have their previous occupation and physical condition assessed. Secondly, the six veteran members will vote to decide. Those who pass become temporary members, permitted to rescue and support temporary members without endangering senior members."

"Two: Unrecognized individuals will be issued one weapon and one gold brick. If the horror movie setting prohibits contact with civilization, they will be compensated with fresh water and food instead. If an unrecognized person conflicts with a senior or temporary member, or endangers the team itself or the specific demands of the horror movie, they may be killed or their operational capability neutralized."

"Three: At the end of every movie, everyone will uniformly record their Reward Points and Subplot Points. Then, based on individual attributes and areas of expertise, they will reinforce their own status. Reinforcing only personal attributes for survival purposes is disallowed, as this decreases utility to the team. Following three warnings, all other members will jointly hunt down and eliminate the offender to remove future hazards."

"Four: Plot-specific items, once obtained, are managed by the Captain. Any member with objections may call for a vote. If seventy percent or more of the members vote that the item should be surrendered, the item will be jointly managed by everyone. If the members’ vote fails, they lose the right to call for another vote on that specific item."

"Five: This team prioritizes the protection of mental power controllers, strategic planners, and those with unique abilities. If a combat member accumulates sufficient Reward Points and Subplot Points, they must, under the Captain’s instruction, appropriately enhance or exchange these for the benefit of the aforementioned three groups. However, the amount surrendered shall not exceed one-quarter of their total holdings."

Zheng Zha held a massive golden tablet engraved with these five rules. He murmured, "These are the temporary five rules of our Central Team. They will be revised if new situations arise in the future. I hope that when we depart from this horror movie cycle, the six of us—or perhaps more—will still be together, watching over these five rules until we leave!"