Chapter 381: The Boss is a Mastermind!

Before Brother Hu and Xiao Gang could say anything, Wang Yun had already stepped out of the elevator and walked away.

The two of them remained standing inside, staring blankly ahead.

Then, as if a switch had been flipped, their eyes lit up.

“Wait… could it be that Boss has been acting this whole time?” Brother Hu suddenly slapped his forehead. “Are we still on the run?”

The elevator reached the 16th floor, where their rooms were located.

Xiao Gang stepped out first, shaking his head. “You think this is some dream within a dream? Like some kind of Inception-level scheme?”

“Then why else would he want to meet us at night?” Brother Hu argued.

“Before we came here, I already checked out the terrain. This is an undeveloped island, the only way out is by boat. All the boats are docked at the harbor behind the hotel.”

Their whispers grew fainter as they continued down the hall, glancing around suspiciously, even checking the corners for surveillance cameras.

If anyone in the livestream had seen them at that moment, they would’ve burst out laughing. It was as if these two had gotten so deep into their roles that they couldn’t snap out of it.

In some cases, actors who get too absorbed in their characters can even develop depression.

Clearly, this wasn’t just limited to professional actors—even reality show contestants could fall into the same trap.

***

Meanwhile, in the livestream, things had already spiraled into chaos. Anyone who entered the stream was met with nothing but a black screen.

The only text displayed read:

“Recording paused. The next broadcast will begin tomorrow at 4 PM.”

A smaller line of text followed beneath it:

“The first season of Escape Show has successfully concluded. The countdown begins. 29 days until we welcome an all-new escape!”

“Thunder Bandit Wang Yun will be waiting for you in 29 days!”

Beside this message, there was an edited image of Wang Yun wearing a black hat, black sunglasses, and a black mask.

The entire picture had a comical tone. It was completely different from the intense, life-threatening scenarios the audience had been watching before.

The stark contrast was hilarious.

Despite the lack of visuals, the number of viewers had barely dropped.

Even with the blackout screen, over three million people were still in the stream. Even top-tier streamers—like those who broadcast major events on shopping platforms—only reach around three million viewers at peak hours.

And those numbers fluctuate, with people coming and going.

But in Wang Yun’s stream?

The viewership remained steady.

Even with no content.

This was a world record-level achievement.

The chat had turned into a complete free-for-all.

Some viewers were bored and started playing games in the chat.

“Three-two!”

“Four-five! BOOM! You lose!”

“Noooo, I was so close!”

Others started gossiping about entertainment news.

Some even began posting their relationship problems, turning the chat into an impromptu therapy session.

The funniest part?

People were actually responding seriously.

“Only 30 hours left! 30 hours until we see Wang Yun’s handsome face again!”

“Wang Yun should reveal his face this time! I’m a hardcore fan, and I still don’t know what my idol looks like!”

“If he shows his face, how can he participate in Season Two next month?”

“Face reveal or not, it doesn’t matter. I’m here for Wang Yun’s IQ, his strength, and his skills. Even if he’s just an old man, I’d still stan him!”

Then, out of nowhere, the topic took a wild turn.

“Speaking of age gaps, what do you guys think of older women dating younger men? My boyfriend is eight years younger than me.”

“Girl, don’t even worry! My husband is 11 years older than me! Age is just a number!”

And just like that, the conversation completely derailed.

***

Of course, Wang Yun had no idea any of this was happening.

Technically, he could have watched the chat on his phone. But right now, he was only focused on getting some sleep.

After an entire month of non-stop fleeing, he had barely used his phone, so he wasn’t even tempted to check it.

The same went for Xiao Gang and Brother Hu.

By the time 9 PM rolled around, the two had already gone downstairs—one hour early.

Even though they joked about conspiracy theories and dream within a dream scenarios, they still took action. Instead of waiting idly, they spent that time scouting the area.

By the time Wang Yun arrived in the lobby, they had already mapped out the entire vicinity.

“Boss!”

As soon as Wang Yun stepped into the lobby, he immediately noticed that something was off.

The place was empty.

Then, from the emergency exit near the elevators, two figures dressed entirely in black emerged. Black clothes, black masks—head to toe.

Wang Yun frowned.

“Xiao Gang? Brother Hu? What the hell are you guys wearing?”

Behind him, the hotel’s butler stood watching the scene unfold.

Brother Hu and Xiao Gang exchanged glances, then subtly lowered the brims of their masks.

In a deep, serious voice, Brother Hu whispered, “This butler… I’ll handle him. But boss, you must have set this up already, right? What’s the plan?”