It was confirmed that the other two newcomers were indeed dead, the news filtering back from the small-time thugs. A few hours prior, an East Asian woman had been struck and killed by a car at a street corner. It was later discovered that the woman carried no identification, not even a photograph on file, suggesting she was likely an illegal immigrant. The rumor was that an Asian male had been with her at the time.

Several hours later, everyone discovered this Asian male lying in the street, decapitated. His cause of death was bizarre: his head lay separated from his body, with a nearly transparent fishing line found behind him. Reportedly, this line belonged to someone on the second floor of an apartment building; somehow, it had fallen, precisely spanning the width of the narrow street. At that moment, this Asian man, having apparently commandeered a motorcycle from somewhere, was speeding through that narrow street. His head and his left hand, clutching a communication device, were cleanly severed. Such a death even baffled the police and the forensic examiners; it seemed too coincidental. This wasn't coincidence. In the Final Destination horror film series, those destined to die often had strong premonitions, allowing them to escape the immediate danger. But they only escaped that specific death; they never truly escaped death. There is no monster called Death; it is merely a rule. Even if you evade immediate demise, what follows are still seemingly accidental traps set by Death, ensuring that eventually, you will be killed by this rule, unknowingly.

Zheng Zha murmured to himself, piecing together the results gathered from the thugs. He finally understood: the order of Death's killing in this instance was randomized! There was no fixed sequence! "According to the sequence in Final Destination 2, the subsequent deaths are the exact inverse of the initial car crash victims. But due to our interference, or perhaps the 'Main God' altering the film's plot, the order of death we face has become chaotic. Before those two died, I was attacked by Death. At this moment, the mother and son from the original plotline should still be alive, right? We were supposed to be attacked between their deaths."

At this point, the white-collar woman, Huang Liling, spoke up: "I've seen all three Final Destination movies. Isn't there one place in the second one that was considered absolutely safe? That sanatorium. If we can stay there, surely no accident can kill us, right? Otherwise, how could Death get us? Earthquakes? Fires? Forcing many others to die with us?"

Zheng Zha nodded: "The sanatorium might indeed be a potential hiding spot, but it's not absolute. Any accident can happen. Especially for us members of the (Reincarnation) Squad. I haven't told you about the 'Main God' yet, have I? It's a gigantic sphere of light that controls our random entry into horror film worlds. I've encountered this situation several times: the 'Main God' never leaves any blind spots in a horror film. Perhaps it leaves behind tools to counteract the monsters in the films, but you have to work hard to solve the puzzles to obtain them. Conversely, if you try to find a safe haven to comfortably survive the horror film, the difficulty level will increase." He paused, then added, "I can already imagine that on the way as you drive or walk to the sanatorium, a series of accidents will claim all your lives. Are you willing to gamble on that?"

The expressions of the people around him shifted, tinged with worry. Wang Xia quickly interjected: "We can discuss whether to hide later. What did you mean by what you said earlier? Why did you mention fighting several people as strong as yourself?"

Zheng Zha sighed. He looked at Wang Xia, then at the others: "In this horror film reincarnation, I and five others have experienced one or more horror movies. We formed a team, relying on complementary strengths to face the cruel reality of this horror world together. You cannot imagine how insignificant one person's strength is in that environment; only by combining the power of many can one survive. Our six people are such a complementary team." He continued, "For example, as the captain, my close-combat strength is the greatest. I've unlocked the Second Level of the Genetic Lock, strengthened my intermediate internal energy, and possess the mutated bloodline of a Vampire Count, along with the Red Flame and Qinggong skills. Frankly, I am the pinnacle of frontal close combat in this team. The other team members include someone skilled in assassination, a powerful long-range archer, someone capable of mental scanning, someone adept at strategic planning, and one other person whose specialty I don't know. This current incident happened because this person suddenly made a move I couldn't explain or understand. He controlled the other four, proclaiming that if I knocked them out, their controlled state would be lifted. Furthermore, if I defeated him, I would learn why he attacked me. That's why when you woke up, you only saw me."

Wang Xia's expression flickered slightly: "You mean I have to fight your original teammates?"

Zheng Zha nodded: "Yes, that's why I forbade the use of landmines or traps. I will fight alongside you during the engagement. It is imperative that you capture them. Of course, when it comes to breaking limbs or similar injuries, we don't need to worry about causing harm, as long as you don't kill them."

The lawyer, Zheng Xue, asked with interest: "You are the team captain? How is the team captain decided? Is it by popular vote? Or based on strength? I'm very curious. In such a brutal environment, do humans decide leaders based on civility, or is it simply the survival of the fittest through natural selection?"

Zheng Zha paused slightly, then smiled: "Within the team, once trust is established, we become partners one can rely on. I was elected by them..." As he said this, Zheng Zha felt a sudden jolt in his mind, and the rest of the words caught in his throat.

When did he become captain? It seemed to be after the end of Alien 1. It happened naturally: Zhang Jie didn't object; Zhan Lan felt both gratitude and a degree of affection for him after Alien 1, so she naturally didn't object either. Chu Xuan seemed indifferent to the title of captain, and Ling Dian's detached personality wouldn't raise any objections either. Thus, he became the captain by default. But was becoming a team captain truly that simple? And what did that sentence Zhang Jie said when he left mean? Defeat him, and you become the captain of the Central Continent Team; in other words, he wasn't the captain yet?

Zheng Zha rubbed his aching head. Everything seemed incredibly murky; not a single clue was sufficient to deduce why Zhang Jie had suddenly changed. Moreover, judging by Zhang Jie’s words, the fundamental reason lay in those two words: "team captain."

After thinking for a long while, Zheng Zha finally gave up aimless speculation. In any case, everything would become clear when he finally faced Zhang Jie again. He could only hope that by that time, his companions wouldn't have suffered too much harm. "Well, perhaps you should all find a room and get some sleep? You seem tired after today, right? Haha, it's still early; we can all have lunch together around noon. I will naturally arrange our next steps for everyone." Zheng Zha noticed everyone around him yawning incessantly and suddenly remembered they were just ordinary people in terms of stamina, so he quickly chuckled.

The six people exchanged glances. Even Zhu Wen showed a look of longing, so they readily agreed without refusal, heading toward the door to find a room in the corridor for a good sleep.

Zheng Zha thought for a moment, then suddenly laughed again: "Oh, try not to pick rooms too close to the front, alright? This is a hourly-rate motel; the noise from there will make it impossible for you to sleep."

The men shared knowing smiles, while the two women blushed slightly. Huang Liling, being the more forthright one, cursed softly while supporting Zhu Wen. The two women quickly found a standard room right next to Zheng Zha's, and as soon as they entered, they firmly shut the door, as if afraid the men might barge in, causing the five men to laugh again.

After seeing the others off, Zheng Zha returned to his room, picked up a pen from the desk by the phone, and tore off a piece of complaint paper. He then wrote down the names of the five people: Zhang Jie, Zhan Lan, Zhao Yingkong, Zhang Heng, and Xiao Honglv. Below these five names, he listed their respective areas of expertise and the skills he already knew—for instance, Zhan Lan's skills included mental scanning, and Zhao Yingkong specialized in assassination.

After finishing the details for the other four, he drew a circle around Zhang Jie's name and extended a line from the circle connecting to the other four.

(Zhang Jie controlled the other four. Judging by the strength Zhao Yingkong demonstrated today, she didn't seem to possess her own consciousness. This doesn't fit the state of being controlled; it's more likely hypnosis or suggestion, similar to when Zhan Lan was hypnotized to walk toward the sea during that vacation. Her own mind was relatively clear, but she was compelled to act against her will. That’s why he demanded I knock them out—to break the hypnosis, right?)

Zheng Zha pondered, then took up his pen and wrote the word "Hypnosis" under Zhang Jie’s entry. After a moment of hesitation, he added "Mental Attack," as this was the only imaginable way the (Yinzhou) Team's mental controller could have died. If that were true, Zhang Jie should have been able to kill him in the same manner. So why didn't he? "Zhang Jie, I genuinely, truly want to know the truth you are trying to convey. What is that truth? Is it worth pushing things this far? Are you seeking death?"

Regardless of Zheng Zha's contemplation, time inexorably marched forward. The other six found rooms and settled in. Except for the two girls sharing a room, the other four men each found their own. The pale, thin youth, Wang Xiaoxiao, deliberately chose a room closest to the front. As soon as he entered, he heard the sounds of a woman moaning from the adjacent room.

A slight breeze drifted in, and inexplicably, the window gently closed. Strangely, even in the still room, this breeze did not cease. It swept through every corner of the room, moving to...