Infinite Terror: Infinite Reversal

Chapter 12 As expected
James, carrying the decoder, led the way into the passage to scout ahead. The passage behind the iron gate was entirely lined with glass walls, completely different from the steel walls outside the gate.

James walked with extreme caution, each step deliberate and meticulous, befitting a highly skilled mercenary. Even so, he was startled when he reached the middle of the passage. The surrounding glass walls suddenly lit up, accompanied by a strange sound—a sudden and abrupt event enough to make an ordinary person's limbs tremble.

Kaplan's voice came through the earpiece: "Don't worry, it's just an automatic sensor light, there's nothing to be concerned about."

"Just," "automatic sensor light," "nothing"—it was a triple dose of carelessness. Mu Xiang couldn't help but smile wryly, a surge of tension rising in his heart.

James had already placed the decoder on the sensor at the end of the passage, on the door that resembled an old-fashioned cell phone. This device would allow Kaplan to crack the door's code. Kaplan then pressed some keys on the keyboard, and after a short while, the sound of a mechanism turning filled the air, and the door leading to the central computer slowly opened.

James was cautious enough. He took a breath, glanced briefly inside the door, and then called out to the mercenaries outside the passage, "Go forward."

The mercenaries standing behind Kaplan quickly checked the equipment, then lifted a bag, which clearly contained a rather large device.

Alice suddenly asked, "What is that?"

Kaplan explained, "This is a device that can shut down the Red Queen. It emits a powerful pulse, disrupts the mainframe, and forces it to restart..."

Just then, the mercenaries carrying the shutdown device were about to enter the passage when Zheng Zha shouted, "Wait, wait a minute! Don't you think something's strange? This AI computer is far too useless. It just let you restart it like that. I don't think things are that simple. There might be something unusual in this passage."

[The scene of the underworld is here!]

But... I also need to be prepared.

Mu Xiang coldly stared in Zheng Zha's direction, simultaneously adjusting his breathing to get into a focused state. He saw Zhan Lan standing beside Zheng Zha, holding his hand.

The mercenaries stopped abruptly, all looking at Zheng Zha strangely. Zhan Lan sighed softly, released his hand, and moved away from him to stand beside the female lead, Alice.

Actually... it's not fair to blame Zhan Lan for being disloyal or heartless. The members of this reincarnation team aren't really partners yet; they're just strangers who happened to come together.

Would you consider the people you cross the street with as teammates? If one of these pedestrians were to run into a truck and commit suicide, would you rush in and be hit and killed along with him?
will not!

Mu Xiang knew that if he were the one to take the lead here, the result would be the same. He had only whispered some irrelevant and unproductive things to the newcomers, demonstrating a certain level of competence, but becoming the wise leader of this small team... was still a long way off! Why should anyone trust him at this point and follow him down a path of certain death?

But now... is precisely the time to further demonstrate his strength. This will be Mu Xiang's first life-or-death test. If he loses, all will be lost. If he wins, while it may not guarantee a smooth road ahead, there is still much to be gained.

Those who have read the original novel know that Zheng Zha earned his first fortune in the laser tunnel, marking the beginning of his extraordinary journey. However, Mu Xiang, as someone who witnessed it firsthand, cannot simply interpret the plot in this way. He must step outside the surface of the story and examine the underlying logic of this narrative.

First, the mercenaries didn't trust the members of the Reincarnation Squad, and Zheng Zha's untimely reminder further amplified their suspicions, so they brought Zheng Zha along.

At first glance, this matter seems unrelated to Mu Xiang. Logically, he could have easily guided Zheng Zha beforehand, allowing Zheng Zha to earn his first fortune and gain his trust, then quietly retreated behind the scenes as this overpowered strategist. However, under this logic, the laser channel becomes relevant to him. The fundamental reason Zheng Zha was pulled in was "suspicion," and Mu Xiang's words of advice can only be considered the direct cause, or, in literary terms from the humanities, the trigger.

So who was the most suspected before? When Mu Xiang talked about his mistakes in front of the newcomers, it wasn't entirely self-deprecation. In fact, he was the most suspicious… The problem facing the Reincarnation Team wasn't that those who weren't suspicious became suspicious, but rather that they were already suspicious and couldn't eliminate the suspicion. Mu Xiang had his own plans; he never intended to clear his name. On the contrary, his "civilian" rhetoric was largely counterproductive. Coupled with his far superior physical and mental abilities (even if it was feigned), he was the most suspected person, a clear-cut enemy spy…

So he could foresee what would happen next...

James walked out of the passage. He looked at Zheng Zha silently for a long time before finally saying, "Alright, you, you... and you come in with us too." He first pointed to Zheng Zha and Mu Gang standing next to him.

Mu Xiang adjusted his glasses and stood silently at the back of the line, seemingly looking at the computer screen in front of Kaplan. He didn't look at James, but he didn't make any attempt to hide either.

The "and you" that James mentioned was naturally referring to Mu Xiang. Mu Xiang looked up and saw the black captain pointing at him with an incomprehensible expression.

When Zheng Zha and Mu Gang were summoned, their hands and feet were ice cold. Anyone who has seen this movie knows that this passage is a death trap. Anyone who enters will definitely die. Even the best mercenary captain died under the laser, and he died extremely miserably. He was cut into countless small pieces of flesh by the laser.

But then, Mu Xiang's earlier guidance actually came in handy... Watching Mu Xiang calmly—though somewhat pretentiously—walk towards the entrance of the passage, Zheng Zha and Mu Gang managed to suppress their fear and refrain from doing anything foolish. Zheng Zha's face was pale, and Mu Gang's legs were trembling with every step, but they both followed behind Mu Xiang.

Mu Xiang was also a little surprised. Mu Gang didn't cover his head and scream "No, no!" like in the original story, then run away and get riddled with bullets. Mu Gang was a minor character in "Infinite Terror" and countless fanfictions, and he basically died at this point... To explain it using the theory inside the box, it means that in the multiverse with countless different possibilities and states, Mu Gang's luck determined that he could only go this far.

So I actually changed someone else's fate? This thought popped into Mu Xiang's mind. But then he couldn't help but smile bitterly: He'd been too smug; maybe he and Mu Gang would die together in this laser tunnel, turned into pieces...

Looking back, he met Li Xiaoyi's gaze. Li Xiaoyi's surprised gaze shifted between him and Mu Gang, looking at Mu Gang with utter astonishment, but at him with a hint of schadenfreude.

[His character isn't great... but I need to survive before I can mock him.]

James looked at Mu Xiang's wry smile and naturally assumed he was afraid. So he said coldly, "I suspected you from the beginning. Although your identities are registered in the company's records, you don't look like company security guards at all. You might be intruders... What, are you still planning to stop us from restarting Red Queen? Alright, all three of you, come in together." With that, he turned and walked towards the exit of the passage.

Under the cold gaze of the other mercenaries, the three had no choice but to grit their teeth and follow him. The mercenaries waited until they were all inside before advancing in tactical formation, subtly blocking their retreat, as if they were escorting prisoners in an armed manner.

Zheng Zha quietly nudged Mu Xiang: "What should we do?"

Mu Xiang said softly, "If I remember correctly, the last laser net will disappear when it gets close to the door... I can only say be careful, and help each other out if possible."

He himself thought the idea of ​​mutual rescue was utter nonsense. Even after assessing the risks and benefits, he wasn't absolutely certain he could protect himself. Just surviving was a stroke of luck, and to win big in a perilous situation was an even greater stroke of luck. But to his surprise, Zheng Zha nodded without hesitation, even though Zheng Zha himself was trembling slightly.

(End of this chapter)