When Zhao Rong noticed how bizarre his surroundings were, he grabbed the handcuffed dwarf walking beside him and demanded, "Dwarf, stop playing tricks. Where is this place you’ve brought us to? Why does everyone here look like a corpse...?"

The dwarf replied aggrievedly, "Boss, you’re the ones who wanted to come to Deadly Island. I didn’t lead you here..."

The assistant stepped forward and asked, "Does that mean Deadly Island is entirely populated by the walking dead, with no living people?"

The dwarf explained, "Strange as it sounds, any living person who enters Deadly Island and stays for more than twenty-four hours becomes one of the walking dead. No exceptions."

Hearing how bizarre Deadly Island was, Zhao Rong asked with interest, "Then every time you complete a mission and return to report to the boss, aren’t you terrified you might accidentally become one of the walking dead?"

The dwarf replied, his voice laced with fear, "That’s why we have to complete any task the boss gives us immediately. Otherwise, if we come here without finishing our mission, the boss will detain us for more than twenty-four hours..."

He then pointed to a migrant worker passing by Lili. "That man used to be my colleague. We went on a mission together, but I completed my task and he didn’t. When we came back to report to the boss, he was kept here and turned into one of the walking dead."

The dwarf then pointed to an old man selling candied hawthorns up ahead. "That old man used to be my assistant, but he made a mistake on the job. The boss left him behind too, so he became one of the walking dead."

Next, the dwarf pointed to a man selling peanuts. "That man was once my best partner. He always completed his missions, but he loved to show off. One time, his attempt to impress the boss failed, and he was left behind. Now, he’s the peanut-selling walking dead."

A chill ran down the spines of Zhao Rong and his group as they listened to the dwarf.

Zhao Rong quickly estimated the time they had entered this "urban village"—this Deadly Island—and warned everyone, "Keep an eye on the time. We have to find Boss Hong Ju and Zhou Xiaoer and get them out of here within twenty-four hours. Otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable."

With that, Zhao Rong continued deeper into the so-called urban village, led by the dwarf. As they walked, an unnatural terror gripped his heart at the sight of the bustling crowds. It’s because none of these people are alive. They’re all employees executed by the boss, turned into the walking dead...

Suddenly, at a corner, two attractive women stepped out of a hair salon. Waving at Zhao Rong’s group, they called out, "Hey, handsome! Since you’ve come to Deadly Island, you have to come in and have some fun..."

Seeing the two scantily-dressed women emerge from the hair salon, Zhao Rong curiously asked the dwarf, "Are they part of the walking dead?"

The dwarf shook his head. "In this whole urban village, everyone is one of the walking dead except for the girls in these hair salons."

Zhao Rong found this strange. "Why is that? Don’t they turn into the walking dead if they stay here?"

The dwarf explained helplessly, "Zhao Rong, there’s something you don’t know. These girls have had a spell cast on them. Because of the magic, they can’t see the walking dead, only living people. It also means they won’t turn into one of the walking dead, no matter how long they stay."

Still struggling to make sense of the dwarf’s explanation, Zhao Rong asked, "That’s really weird. Why would your boss let the girls from these salons stay on Deadly Island for so long?"

The dwarf suddenly burst out laughing. "Every man has his needs," he said with a helpless shrug. "The boss may be powerful, but he’s still a man... you get it."

Zhao Rong was so stunned he nearly fell over. He never imagined the reason the boss allowed these women to exist was so simple and absurd...

Seeing how tall and pretty the women were, the assistant couldn’t help but wave to them. "Ladies! We’re on a mission right now, but once we’re done, we’ll definitely stop by your salon!"

With that, the assistant followed Zhao Rong and the others deeper into the urban village. The dwarf continued to act as their guide, leading them in search of the so-called masterminds, Hong Ju and Zhou Xiaoer. The urban village was so large that the dwarf eventually had to pull a compass from his pocket. Following its needle, he confidently led the group onward.

As they walked, Zhao Rong suddenly noticed some nostalgic sights. There were video rental halls from the mid-to-late ’90s, primitive internet cafes from the early 2000s, a photo studio so simple it could only take black-and-white pictures, a small shop for photo booth stickers, and even a public telephone shack for making long-distance calls.

Seeing all this, I can’t help but feel like I’ve traveled back in time.

He turned to the dwarf. "Why does this place have so many video halls, internet cafes, and photo studios from the ’90s and early 2000s?"

Seeing his surprise, the dwarf explained, "You might not know this, Zhao Rong, but the boss bought this entire street back in the mid-to-late ’90s. Ever since then, everyone on it has died mysteriously. That’s why, for decades, this street hasn’t developed economically or had any new construction, unlike the streets around it."

Hearing the dwarf’s words, the hair on Zhao Rong’s arms stood on end. An entire street of people, all dying inexplicably... It was a truly terrifying thought.

But the most frightening thing was yet to come.

Just then, the assistant pointed to a public bathhouse not far away. Zhao Rong was shocked to see bloody water flowing out of it.

Startled, he drew the Dharma Sword from his Magic Ring and yelled, "Trouble! Everyone, prepare to fight!"