Lu Shen’s words instantly made many classmates realize something.

[Holy sh*t! Are you saying that those packages contain items that make us stronger?!]

[So that bald guy was actually one of our classmates in disguise?! He wasn’t opening his own package—he was stealing it while pretending to deliver it?!]

[F*ck! So who the hell is that bald snake? He discovered such an important secret and didn’t bother sharing it?!]

[Wait, wait! Even if stealing packages makes you stronger, you’d still die if you can’t pay the compensation by midnight! Ding Deng only owed 8,000 and couldn’t afford to pay!]

[But Yang Wenchao is robbing other people’s packages, so he doesn’t have to pay at all!]

[Then how the hell did Baldy dare to do it? He was stealing the very packages he was supposed to deliver!]

[Maybe he plans to power up first and then make money to pay off the debt? Still, that’s way too reckless!]

[Should we follow Baldy’s example? Open packages first to gain power, then figure out how to pay later?]

[That’s too risky! We barely made enough money today just to pay rent—we can’t afford to pay for stolen packages!]

As everyone debated back and forth, a message from Gao Chang appeared in the chat:

[Baldy’s actions are way too reckless. I don’t recommend following his example.]

[As for Yang Wenchao, I think what he’s done has already crossed the most fundamental moral boundary. He’s now a serious threat to everyone’s safety.]

Gao Chang’s statement instantly ignited a wave of agreement in the chat:

[That’s right! Yang Wenchao is too much! Stealing packages is one thing, but murder is unacceptable!]

[We should avenge Cai Daming and Zhu Yupeng!]

[Yeah! Who knows, maybe he killed Fan Yuhang and Chen Yuan too!]

[I say we take Yang Wenchao out first—otherwise, none of us will feel safe delivering packages!]

[Agreed! This situation needs to be dealt with seriously—make an example out of him to deter others!]

[We have to kill Yang Wenchao to send a message—otherwise, more people might follow in his footsteps!]

[@Wang Lingling, Sister Ling, say something about this!]

Jiang Ye stared at the chat, feeling a bit stunned.

He hadn’t expected his classmates to start openly discussing murder this early on.

Clearly, they were adapting to this new environment much faster than he had anticipated.

And interestingly, not a single person had stepped up to defend Yang Wenchao.

But just as he thought that, a new message appeared—

From Wang Lingling.

Wang Lingling: [We haven’t actually investigated whether Yang Wenchao really committed murder.]

[I hope everyone stays calm and doesn’t get carried away by emotions.]

Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow in surprise.

But then, Wang Lingling continued:

[@Yang Wenchao, I’m giving you a chance to explain yourself.]

[Would you care to clarify why Zhu Yupeng died immediately after accusing you of robbing his package?]

[And what about the deaths of Cai Daming, Chen Yuan, and Fan Yuhang—were you involved? @Yang Wenchao]

She was giving Yang Wenchao respect.

But Jiang Ye didn’t think Wang Lingling was some kind-hearted fool trying to save him.

She was probing his strength.

Her earlier demand that all mutual aid group members display their player panels made it clear—

She wanted to know everyone’s true abilities.

She was cautious—extremely cautious.

Right now, her message was a test.

If Yang Wenchao explained himself weakly, it would suggest that he wasn’t as strong as her, giving her the confidence to take him down.

But if he ignored everyone’s killing intent and remained completely unfazed—

It would mean that he didn’t see any of them as a threat.

Which meant… his power level was something even Wang Lingling had to fear.

As Jiang Ye analyzed the situation, another thought flashed through his mind—

Wang Lingling is way too cautious.

So... was the player panel she showed in the chat really her actual stats?

What if she actually had an ability even stronger than S-tier and had just hidden part of her strength?

Given her personality, that wasn’t impossible!

And since the chat only displayed text—

Text could be faked.

At that moment, Jiang Ye realized—this group of 80 students wasn’t simple.

Wang Lingling.

Yang Wenchao.

Gao Chang.

And what about the ones who weren’t drawing attention to themselves?

Could there be other hidden powerhouses among them?

A deep sense of urgency flooded Jiang Ye’s mind—

He needed to get stronger. Fast.

Meanwhile, in the chat, Yang Wenchao never responded to Wang Lingling’s mention.

But soon, a message popped up from one of the students on the first floor:

[Holy sh*t! I just saw Yang Wenchao heading into the Duel Room!]

[He’s fast! He moves with an afterimage—like some wuxia light-step technique!]

[I saw something on his wrists—it looked like equipment!]

[And he doesn’t even look like the same person from school anymore! He’s got this aura—like a martial arts master!]

[Seriously! He gives off an even more intense vibe than Brother Chang and Sister Ling!]

[The real question is—how the hell is he even able to enter the Duel Room?]

[That means his apartment must also be on the 20th floor or higher?!]

[I remember Jiang Ye also lives on the 20th floor. His rent is over 120,000!]

[No wonder Yang Wenchao snapped and started killing people—he can’t afford the rent, so he’s just murdering his way through the game! He’s gone full revenge mode!]

[If he really keeps robbing packages from other students, he might actually afford his insane rent and survive today!]

[Not only that—he’s going to get way stronger too!]

[Maybe he even started with an insane ability!]

[F*ck! How is it that Jiang Ye, who also lives on the 20th floor, is just some weak nobody relying on the mutual aid group—while Yang Wenchao turned into this lone-wolf overlord?!]

[Honestly, Yang Wenchao has the potential to become a kingpin, while Jiang Ye just feels like some side character who won’t even make it past two episodes.]

[Hold on—Yang Wenchao is still a murderer! That’s not "ambition"—he’s just a psychopath!]

[True, but let’s be real—Jiang Ye is just an ordinary, boring guy. And people like that aren’t going to survive.]

[Meanwhile, Yang Wenchao is decisive, ruthless, and powerful! I think he’s got the best shot at staying alive and becoming unstoppable!]

[Honestly, maybe we should change our perspective. We should be learning from Yang Wenchao! Who knows—when the old players arrive, he might actually be our best bet at survival!]

[What? Why are you all switching sides so fast? Just now, you were all saying we needed to deal with Yang Wenchao, and now you’re talking about learning from him??]

[That’s because I saw how strong Yang Wenchao is on the first floor! I’m not exaggerating—if you saw him with your own eyes, you wouldn’t even think about “dealing with him.” You’d just feel pure fear and want to throw yourself at his feet!]

[Exactly! I also saw his back as he entered the Duel Room, and my entire perspective changed! I strongly advise those who are still talking about punishing Yang Wenchao—watch your mouths! Words can bring disaster. Some people, you simply can’t afford to offend!]

[F*ck that! Who can’t I afford to offend? What is he, some mafia boss? What, is he gonna teleport over and kill me just because I badmouth him in the chat?]

[Hmph, maybe he can’t kill you right now, but he’ll have plenty of chances later.]

[Well, I’m part of the mutual aid group! Sister Ling and Brother Chang have my back! And Sister Ling, don’t go soft on us now. A murderer should pay with his life. Yang Wenchao deserves to die! Only by getting rid of him can we keep our class united!]

After those first-floor students spoke up, 90% of the students who had been calling for Yang Wenchao’s death suddenly went silent.

Clearly, they were afraid of retaliation.

Jiang Ye watched the chat and felt like he was starting to understand Yang Wenchao’s transformation.

This Doomsday Survival Apartment was a place where strength ruled.

All those moral principles? They meant nothing in the face of overwhelming power.

Many classmates were starting to realize it, too.

Or rather, it was instinct—a primal survival response that made them naturally follow the law of the jungle.

At that moment, inside the Duel Room, Yang Wenchao was looking at the chat.

The same classmates who once looked down on him, pointed fingers at him, mocked him from their high horses—

Now, they were cowering in fear, too scared to even speak.

Some had even changed their attitudes after realizing how powerful he was.

A strange mix of satisfaction and contempt welled up inside him.

It felt like years of pent-up frustration were finally being released.

And yet... at the same time, a new kind of frustration took its place.

He realized—

He despised the ugliness of human nature.

And that very hatred was feeding his growing desire to kill.

But one thing surprised him—

Jiang Ye also lived on the 20th floor.

No wonder that guy had desperately started opening the packages he was supposed to deliver.

It wasn’t just recklessness—he probably couldn’t afford his insane rent and had decided to go all-in.

Still...

If Jiang Ye’s apartment was also on the 20th floor, then he most likely had a Bronze Treasure Chest in his starting room.

The only question was—had he found it yet?

Yang Wenchao briefly took note of Jiang Ye’s situation but quickly lost interest.

He turned his attention back to the game.

After paying 1,000 game coins, he started the matchmaking process for the Duel Mode.

And at that exact moment—

The chat group suddenly exploded with a major announcement—

Ding Deng: [Guys! I’m saved! The 8,000+ compensation debt I owed—I found a way to pay it off! And Jiang Ye—you’re saved too! I discovered a method to earn a ton of game coins fast!]