Global Collapse-Chapter 621 - 589: The Keyboard turns into a Skillful Sprite!_1

The snake-head mask obscured the man's face. Gu Mian couldn't see his expression, but the man's tone indicated some confusion.

"Seems like the carnivals from the past couple of years were also like this...

"I wasn't chosen in previous years, but others from the base who attended said they were unprepared too. They were taken directly to the stage. Apparently, the Upper Class People designed five acts for us to improvise on the spot."

From the back row, Gu Mian faintly nodded, softly speaking to 007, "In the real world, circus audiences love wild beast performances because they're unpredictable and hard to tame. It's challenging to get them to remain calm while jumping through flaming hoops. Viewers love these contrasting performances. Similarly, if a wealthy man suddenly goes bankrupt and becomes a beggar, those who know him would be excited to watch the spectacle."

007's expression seemed a bit unnatural.

Gu Mian took no notice of 007's expression. He continued, "But this world's circus differs from the real world. The performers are submissive Lower Class People. They will do whatever is asked of them. Upper Class spectators have no interest in seeing mundane performances rehearsed by Lower Class People. That's why a no-rehearsal carnival is more stirring for the Upper Classes."

The Upper Classes love to see their panic-stricken faces, so the acts they assign would be anything but easy.

A resounding male voice echoed from behind the red velvet curtain.

The footsteps were fading, suggesting that the audience had taken their seats. The man speaking was possibly the host of the "Carnival" program.

It was not Teacher Slaughter's voice. It looked like he was out of a job since his circus stint.

Gu Mian turned, listening to the voice coming from behind the velvet curtain—

"Welcome to the third annual Carnival! I'm sure each of you has been eagerly awaiting its arrival throughout this past year!"

Whistles and cheers echoed in response.

The host's tone was quite similar to Teacher Slaughter's, sounding just as perverse.

007 frowned hearing this, "The host has arrived. Once the performance starts, it might be difficult to escape. Should we leave now?"

She didn't want to see Gu Mian on stage, not out of a protective instinct, but because she found him too unpredictable. She worried he might pull out a saw and perform something earth-shattering, like dismembering bodies on stage. If that happened, they'd likely get kicked out of the instance before ever finding the person they were looking for.

There were no guards here; it would be easy to leave.

But they had no idea if any Upper Class People were out in the corridors.

If any Upper Class People spotted them, they'd likely be executed on the spot.

"I want to go directly to Lu Yi. But it's my first time here, and I don't know where he could be. If any Upper Class People find us en route, it'd be troublesome," Gu Mian said, furrowing his brows. "Maybe he's in the audience."

The snake-head mask might know something, 007 thought.

007 considered this for a moment, then looked at the snake-head-masked man amidst the crowd and moved closer. She politely asked, "Hello, what role would Team Leader Lu Yi generally play during the carnival?"

The host's voice still echoed from behind the curtain—

"Like previous years, this year's Carnival will feature five acts, and five groups of Lower Class People will perform. We'll assign numbers to the Lower Class People, and you can vote for the one who brings you the most joy…"

This was akin to a talent contest, with the winners earning the Upper Class People's favor. It was another matter whether it was truly a favor or not.

The snake-head-masked man seemed to find it odd to meet someone as polite as 007.

They, the Lower Class People, usually did all the heavy lifting for the pleasure of the Upper Class People. They rarely had enough strength left over even to talk. If they needed to say something, they'd use the fewest possible words. When they were tired, they didn't even want to move their lips.

Yet, this newcomer, a Lower Class Person, was actually using formalities like "hello" and "please."

The snake-head-masked man seemed puzzled for a moment, then said, "I don't know where he is, but people who've attended the Carnival have said that once the performances end, he'd come here and take away the Lower Class Person with the most votes, promising them a better life…"

007 felt dismayed. Lu Yi would take away the person with the most votes at the end of the performance. Indeed, that would be the most straightforward way to find Lu Yi. But the idea of having Gu Mian perform on stage was truly horrifying. Imagining Gu Mian on stage, then picturing the audience below, 007 closed her eyes, finding the mental image too gruesome to bear.

For some reason, 007 remembered the arm skin Gu Mian had ripped off when she first met him.

She vividly remembered waking up from her stupor to find her arm skin missing. Gu Mian had shown her the flimsy piece of skin, waving it before her eyes with one hand before stuffing it into her other, as if to say, 'See? I didn't hide your human organ.'

She wondered if the skins of these Upper Class People resisted tearing...

She turned to look at Gu Mian and saw an impatient look on his face.

007 suspected that if it weren't for the curtain obstructing him, he would have already rushed onto the stage.

If Gu Mian took off his mask, his face would surely be screaming, 'Let me go up and seize first place!'

007 clenched her fists, feeling that their prospects weren't promising.

As Gu Mian was lost in the thrill of anticipation, a sudden, oppressive silence descended around him.

At first, Gu Mian couldn't figure out what had happened until he noticed that all eyes were fixed in a single direction—behind him.

The host behind the velvet curtain was still grandly delivering his lines, but no one here was interested in what he was saying anymore. They were all staring fearfully in the same direction.

This was akin to players running face-to-face with ghosts in an instance.

Driven by curiosity, Gu Mian turned around and finally saw what had silenced the other Lower Class People.

It was the kids.

They had snuck back, seemingly unable to give up on Gu Mian.

The boy at the front, revealing a set of unnervingly white teeth, gazed at Gu Mian. "We came back to play with you."