TEFSCBSS Chapter 46

Chapter 46: The Battle for the Quota (Part 3)

No matter how much people debated, the preliminary round of the quota battle was still in full swing. Unfortunately, some were destined to never make it to the finals.

Preliminary Round – First Match

“The sun rises. Open your eyes. Unfortunately, Butcher Liu was killed last night.”

Preliminary Round – Second Match

“Open your eyes. Last night, Butcher Liu got axed.”

Preliminary Round – Third Match

“Open your—”

“I got axed,” Butcher Liu stated calmly.

This round’s host, Zhao Si, looked at Butcher Liu with a mix of sympathy and exasperation. What a fool, he thought. Haven’t I told you before? Social connections matter. Show some restraint. Leave yourself an escape route. Now look at you—completely done for!

Normally, as a butcher, Liu was well-respected for his skill in raising and slaughtering pigs. But ever since he became obsessed with this game, he burned every bridge he had. He’d snap at anyone who disagreed with him, and his reputation was in ruins. Now, every player had a common goal: eliminate him first. Even if he miraculously survived the first night, he’d be the first to be voted out.

Yet, despite feeling a trace of pity, Zhao Si maintained a cold and indifferent expression as he ruthlessly announced Butcher Liu’s elimination. He was officially out of the competition.

Butcher Liu staggered to his feet—he still had his final words!

He swept his gaze over the room, his expression tragic. Even the other Werewolf games at neighboring tables came to a halt. The audience beneath the stage fell silent. In the private boxes on the second floor, the distinguished guests even stopped munching on their melon seeds.

For a moment, the entire room felt submerged in an immersive, guilt-ridden atmosphere.

Butcher Liu let out a bitter laugh. “Ha! Who would have thought that I, Liu, would fall to the point where everyone wants me dead? I’ve lived so many years, yet not a single soul wishes for me to see the light at the end of this tunnel.”

“I—Butcher Liu! I infiltrated the script shop as an unpaid errand boy just so I could gain experience, hoping to earn a rightful place in the final chamber through my efforts!”

“I wanted to prove to the world that I am more than just a pig butcher! That I, too, could be respected for my intelligence—just like Scholar Wang!”

“But alas! The autumn wind is bleak, and my passionate heart has turned cold!”

“Even so, I, Butcher Liu, stand tall! Even if no one believes in me, even if the world seeks to bury me, I will shine my last light and shed my last drop of blood!”

“I AM A WEREWOLF!”

A stunned silence fell over the room. If he was a werewolf… then why was he dead?

Butcher Liu continued, “I knew that no matter what, I wouldn’t make it to the end. I also knew that justice could never truly defeat evil. But—there is someone I had to protect!”

His gaze, filled with deep emotion, landed on Wan Niang, who happened to be in his group for the third round of preliminaries.

The other players followed his gaze, confused as to how this was connected to his elimination.

“I am a werewolf,” Butcher Liu declared. “And yet, as a wolf, I fell in love with someone! She is brilliant. She is every wolf’s greatest enemy. The others couldn’t wait to get rid of her—but I couldn’t bear to see her harmed!”

“And so today, I will expose my kind! This man—Yi—is my partner in crime. He, too, is a werewolf!”

“If you all vote him out in this round, the villagers will win without any further casualties! This is my final charge for justice! My last gift… to Wan Niang.”

“I beg you—eliminate Yi!”

With that, Butcher Liu closed his eyes and slumped back into his chair, utterly exhausted, no longer concerned with the world’s affairs.

But his words sent shockwaves through the crowd.

“This… This is Butcher Liu?”

“Did we misjudge him? Maybe he was just a simple-minded good guy all along!”

“Yeah, he’s just not good with words, just likes playing games. How could we treat him like this?”

The group fell into deep guilt, feeling ashamed of their treatment of Butcher Liu. Even Wan Niang lowered her head, and though no one could see her expression, it was likely that she was crying.

Wan Niang was truly fortunate, to have someone like Butcher Liu, who wholeheartedly cared for her, even disregarding the victory of his team.

For a moment, everyone was filled with emotion. Only Wang Qingmu glanced around, feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

No matter how much they discussed, the game had to continue. It was now Yi’s turn to speak.

Yi stood up, glaring with fury, slamming his hand on the table, making it shake. “Damn! What the hell is wrong with you, Butcher Liu?”

“I’m not a werewolf! Stop lying!”

“Ahhh! This is driving me crazy!”

“Listen to me, everyone! I’m a good guy! He just finds me annoying. He’s jealous of me! He doesn’t want me to be ahead of him!”

“Full of evil intentions! Don’t believe him!”

“Don’t you know him yet? Does he ever tell the truth?”

But the more Yi defended himself, the weaker his argument became. The stares from the others felt like daggers, piercing his heart. Finally, he slumped down, murmuring, “You’ll regret this.”

Everyone watched his performance, clicking their tongues.

Who would have thought? Yi’s acting was pretty good. If they hadn’t heard Butcher Liu’s words, they probably would have believed Yi.

But who were they? Every single one of them had been through countless rounds of Werewolf, their hands stained with the blood of both enemies and allies. They could see through Yi’s nervousness beneath the acting. Yi was a werewolf!

One by one, the others spoke. They all started by expressing admiration for Butcher Liu, then harshly condemned Yi, vowing to vote for him so the civilians could win without any casualties.

The people in the second-floor private boxes were stunned by the performances unfolding below.

“Who would have thought? Watching people play this game made me tear up.”

“Me too, quick, Mingyue, I need to touch up my makeup! Butcher Liu’s words moved me, my makeup is all ruined.”

Several young nobles also expressed their feelings. “Who would have thought a humble butcher would have such determination? If our soldiers could be as strong as him, loyal to the core, we wouldn’t fear the barbarians!”

“Exactly! I see, Butcher Liu may speak bluntly, but he has a strong sense of justice. I wonder if he’d be interested in joining the military. My father is always looking for good people.”

“My father too! Their guard division is also looking to recruit talent. I’ll talk to my dad about it.”

Everyone now understood the advantages of the Xilou Script Shop. Not only was the game fun, but this method also helped them scout potential talents, building their network of subordinates. It was much more useful than any typical banquet. After all, banquets cost money, everyone wears masks, and on the surface, everyone seems like a gentleman with great talents. But what about in reality?

Here, it was different. Whatever the game, it was the most genuine reflection of a person’s true nature. Just like Butcher Liu—he was the perfect example!

Interesting, spoke well, and though he looked scary, he was a skilled person!

In the end, as expected, the vote was cast for Yi.

However, Zhao Si glanced at everyone and expressionlessly declared, “Everyone, the game continues.”

?

What’s going on?

Where are the two werewolves?

Didn’t they say there’d be no casualties?