The hurricane ceased, and more cubes from the rooftop perimeter tumbled down.
With these recent falls, the total number had become quite significant, so even the least observant could tell that a lot of cubes were missing.
A tremendous pressure instantly weighed on everyone's shoulders, tensing them up, as they all knew time was running out.
There was no need to wait for all the cubes to fall; once those feathered cubes that were impossible to approach were gone, it would mean elimination.
Under the pressure of life and death, without needing Lin Baici and Xia Hongyao to urge them on, most people began to act desperately, rushing to the edge of the rooftop to start jumping across the cubes.
"Get lost, I don't want to see you again!" Xiao Xianya screamed.
"Qinqin, it wasn't intentional, I didn't want this, believe me!"
Zeng Guoxue was still pestering Xiao Xianya, with an attitude suggesting he was doing it all for her good, and that she should forgive him.
Bang! Bang!
The sound of fans falling started again.
The sight of bodies bursting and blood splattering tensed Xiao Xianya's nerves.
"Xiao Xianya, hurry up!"
Hua Yueyu urged, having secured two feathers and passed safely.
"Sister Yu, isn't there another way?"
Xiao Xianya cried her eyes out. She was already afraid of heights, and now with her burns, though not severe, the pain was scorching on her scalp and right hand, especially her eyes, which hurt from the foam that had sprayed out of the fire extinguisher.
Hua Yueyu looked towards Lin Baici.
"I have an idea, but I'm not sure if it'll work?"
Lin Baici observed the feathers: "We can't help others get feathers, but can we pick up feathers that others have discarded?"
"You mean…"
Xia Hongyao hadn't caught on yet.
"It's a good idea, but what if it's not allowed to take extra feathers?"
Hua Yueyu worried about Lin Baici being punished.
"Let's try!"
Lin Baici squatted down, took out a box of canned herbal tea and a roll of tape from the black urn, and started stuffing them into a backpack: "Xiao Xianya, I'll throw the feathers over, you pick them up, if you're too scared, forget it!"
Lin Baici didn't insist.
"I… I dare!" She was already burned, what's one more time: "Thank you! Thank you, big brother!"
"None of your business!" Zeng Guoxue rushed to Lin Baici's side: "Give me the herbal tea, I'll do it!"
Zeng Guoxue, perhaps spoiled by his parents, was too self-centered and reached out to snatch Lin Baici's backpack.
Lin Baici wouldn't indulge his bad habits, his right hand delivered a hefty slap across his face.
Slap!
Zeng Guoxue's head spun from the blow, his face burning with pain.
"Damn it!"
Cursing, Zeng Guoxue lunged at Lin Baici like a mad dog, aiming a punch at his nose.
Lin Baici couldn't be bothered to dodge and simply kicked out, landing a blow in Zeng Guoxue's stomach.
Bang!
Zeng Guoxue was sent flying seven or eight meters, tumbling several times on the ground.
The hurricane arrived.
This time no one fell, and when the wind stopped, Lin Baici immediately ran to the edge of the rooftop.
"Hongyao, don't come up!" Lin Baici cautioned.
Although he could jump several meters to the cubes, he didn't take the risk and chose the nearest ones, minimizing the danger as much as possible.
In twenty-five seconds, Lin Baici had jumped over sixteen platforms, secured a feather, and immediately taped it to a can of herbal tea, then swung his arm, throwing it towards the rooftop.
Bang!
The can traced a beautiful arc in the air, landing on the rooftop.
Many eyes followed it, and some who were afraid of heights and dared not jump were tempted, but fearing being burned, they hesitated to grab it.
Xiao Xianya clenched her teeth, steeled her resolve, ran to the can, and tore off the feather.
"Is it okay?"
Seeing no flames arise, Xiao Xianya was overjoyed, and others, witnessing this, immediately started calling out to Lin Baici.
"Handsome, get me two feathers!"
"Please, I'll die otherwise!"
"Ever heard of first come, first served? Get in line!"
"I don't care about your line!"
People started arguing, and some with hot tempers began shoving each other. After Lin Baici threw the cans, he didn't return but jumped down towards a feather, successfully grabbing it and tossing it up to the rooftop.
Bang!
Everyone's gaze shifted, and like wild dogs fighting for food, they surged forward.
"Get out of the way, that's for me from big brother!"
Xiao Xianya shouted, but it was futile; at the brink of death, there were no more manners or shame.
"Little Lin, come back, the hurricane is coming!"
Hua Yueyu was worried, constantly checking her watch, timing the intervals.
Lin Baici threw two more cans and began to jump back, gripping the legs of a giant locust, powering up his legs, and leaping towards the rooftop with a whoosh.
Swish!
With the grace of a cat's step, Lin Baici elegantly landed on the rooftop.
The hurricane blew, but Lin Baici was unmoved with his feathers, while the fans scrambling for feathers were tossed about.
When the hurricane stopped, two fans who had grabbed feathers hurried over to thank him.
"Thanks, handsome, I'm Lin Ke, a rich fan of Hua Yueyu!"
The man speaking wasn't very big-headed, but he was socially savvy.
He wasn't actually a rich fan of Hua Yueyu and had never tipped; he was freeloading, but who would know?
Seeing Lin Baici with Hua Yueyu, he knew they were close, and in such times, he could only seek help through Hua Yueyu to get this handsome guy to lend a hand.
After all, his phone was broken, he couldn't open the Shark Platform app, so whether he was a rich fan of Hua Yueyu or not, Lin Baici couldn't tell.
"I can give you money!"
A youth dressed in light luxury spoke: "Would a hundred thousand do?"
Lin Baici ignored him, focusing on jumping for feathers.
"Will you or won't you, just say something?"
The light luxury youth's family owned over a dozen rental properties, and his daily leisure was gaming, so his physique was poor: "I can add more if it's not enough!"
"Do you think God Lin would need your money?"
Hua Yueyu scoffed, calling him God Lin when others were present.
Lin Baici moved swiftly and with elegance, jumping across the cubes, securing feathers, and taping them to herbal tea cans before tossing them back to the rooftop.
Everyone followed his movements like a flock of birds waiting to be fed.
When the cans fell, they immediately swarmed to grab them.
After picking up five feathers, Lin Baici returned to the rooftop.
The hurricane came, but with his feathers, he was unharmed, while others weren't so lucky; the wind speed had doubled.
Many were blown away, tumbling across the rooftop.
"Ah!"
Xiao Xianya was blown away.
Lin Baici rushed over, grabbing her wrist, but as he did, he too felt the tremendous wind force, staggering him. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and with enough strength, he pulled Xiao Xianya back and pinned her to the ground.
The hurricane stopped, and Xia Hongyao quickly surveyed the scene, noting dozens of people missing, and more terrifyingly, even more cubes had fallen from around the rooftop.
"How come there are only so few platforms left?"
Some complained, others rushed out, seizing the last chance to fight for their lives.
"Watch out for falling fans!"
Gu Qingqiu warned everyone, but after half a minute with no movement, just as she was puzzled, those people fell not on the rooftop but onto the surrounding cubes.
"Little Lin, be careful!"
Xia Hongyao was startled, shouting a warning just as Lin Baici was already dodging; he could even see the horrified expression on the face of the person falling beside him.
Everyone was focused on jumping across the cubes, completely unprepared for this scenario, resulting in a dozen unfortunate souls being struck.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Their screams diminished quickly until they vanished.
Lin Baici threw a can: "Let Xiao Xianya pick it up first!"
The crowd, ready to scramble, didn't dare move.
"Thank you, big brother!"
After Xiao Xianya picked up the can, she clutched it to her chest, crying her eyes out, filled with gratitude.
She knew without this handsome guy, she would have been doomed today.
Sigh!
How I envy Sister Yu, having such a boyfriend!
Why can't I be that lucky!
After Lin Baici threw three more cans with feathers, he returned, his brow furrowed, as the remaining ones were difficult for ordinary people to reach.
The hurricane came and went, and although everyone was prepared, they were still blown about in disarray.
"Give me a few cans, I'll help too!" Xia Hongyao offered.
"No need, protect Yueyu and Qingqiu!" Lin Baici said, and set off again.
"???"
Xia Hongyao was puzzled, protect them from what?
Could there still be monsters?
There were no monsters, but human hearts are unpredictable.
Just now, that fat guy, seeing the dwindling number of cubes and his own lack of agility, knew he couldn't get a feather. Even if he managed to grab a can thrown by Lin Baici, he needed another, so he was doomed, which drove him to the brink of a mental breakdown. Suddenly, he screamed and charged at those waiting on the rooftop edge, hoping to grab the cans with feathers.
Many were caught off guard, and in the ensuing chaos, were knocked off the rooftop.
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan