Prologue

The private room of the hotel was bright and spacious, centered around a large round table where the family sat, all smiles. The moment today’s guest of honor walked through the door, party poppers went off with a bang, and a shower of colorful confetti rained down. Slightly embarrassed, he brushed the bits of paper off his face and took his seat amid cheerful welcomes.

“You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”

“Nonsense!”

“Our little Hong aced the college entrance exam. How could we not celebrate?”

“Don’t be shy today! Come, let Second Aunt take a good look at you. Our future star student!”

“Haha…”

Faced with the enthusiastic barrage from various aunts, the boy scratched his cheek shyly. Under the guise of picking up food, he leaned toward the girl next to him and whispered, “You didn’t tell me it was going to be this formal.”

“Don’t fuss, brother. Everyone came with good intentions, and this is a huge deal in your life.”

“It’s just the college entrance exam results. No need to make such a big fuss.”

Despite his words, a smile crept onto his face. After all this time, the weight hanging over his heart had finally lifted. The anxiety that had once consumed him now began to fade. Without his parents, he was finally preparing to step into society on his own.

“This is for you, Little Hong. Your favorite, spicy crayfish! Eat up!”

“And garlic bass! I remember you used to love that.”

Faced with his relatives’ enthusiastic care, he couldn’t bring himself to admit that none of these dishes really suited his taste. Mechanically, he shoveled bites into his mouth. The entire scene felt surreal. The tension and worry from before felt like a fading dream, while the memory of his parents’ death notices from years past came into sharp focus. He had once believed he would spend his life buried under pain and pressure. But now, that burden was finally starting to ease.

A new life awaited him as a college student, and for his little sister, a new life as a high schooler.

Once he moved into the dorms, she’d be living alone, wouldn’t she? He was a bit worried about that… but this wasn’t the time for such concerns.

After several rounds of toasts and countless dishes—

“Little Hong, don’t be a stranger, okay?”

“You and Little Jing have both had such a tough life. Bochun and Yaya left so early… You two only have each other now.”

“Why bring that up now? Come, Little Hong, if dorm life doesn’t suit you, just tell Uncle, I’ll rent you a good place off-campus!”

Looking around at his tipsy, half-familiar and half-estranged relatives, listening to their half-sincere, half-ritualistic promises, he sensed the gathering had reached its peak. The young man took a deep breath. He glanced at the little sister beside him and raised his glass.

“Everyone, I’m truly, truly grateful you came to celebrate with me today.”

He braced himself to get drunk and filled his glass to the brim with high-proof baijiu.

“It’s thanks to all of you that Little Jing and I have made it this far. I won’t say anything fancy, just this: for the sake of the bond we share, and for the future of Little Jing and me!”

“““Cheers!!!”””

Everyone lifted their glasses.

“Cheers!”

Even his sister, who wasn’t good with alcohol, raised her glass with a flushed smile.

Sweeping his gaze across the room, the boy lifted his glass high.

“Everyone, to—”

Crash!

In that exact moment, the glass slipped from his hand and shattered.

And before the word “cheers” could leave his lips, the boy vanished without a trace.

***

“All taken care of?”

“Yes, Godfather. I’ve already spoken with the municipal committee and the company. Your schedule has been arranged.”

“Ha! You’ve really gotten sharp.”

“It’s all thanks to your guidance. I’m just putting your lessons into practice.”

In front of the portly man lounging in a leather chair with a cigar in hand, the young man remained humble and composed. The documents in his hand were meticulously organized; everything had been handled flawlessly.

“Ah, right. You’re free this weekend, right? Even if you’re not, cancel it.”

“Of course. Is there something you need me for?”

“You’re coming with me to a charity gala. Those rich ladies from the skincare conglomerate are very interested in you. If we win their support, nothing will stand in the way of launching the new division. You understand, don’t you?”

“Perfectly.” The young man smiled warmly. “Leave them to me, I won’t let you down.”

“You’d better not, or I’ll make you regret it. Now scram, I’ve got real business to take care of, and you’re in the way.”

“As you wish. Please enjoy your evening. I won’t disturb you.”

He gave a respectful bow and placed the documents on the desk. Then, ever so lightly, he slipped a small knife from between the papers. It looked slender and unassuming, but its edge was razor-sharp.

That’s right.

Tonight, no one would interrupt.

The secretary, the guards—they still believed they were on the same side as this fat fool.

But not for long.

No matter the noise tonight, even if blood trickled out from beneath the door, not a soul would react.

“Hehehe… Now, who’s up next tonight…? Oh, that little model I liked yesterday.”

The fat man giggled as he scrolled through his contacts.

The young man’s lips curled in a sneer. He raised the knife—and in his other hand, he gripped a silenced pistol hidden under his clothes.

You think you raised me?

How laughable.

I fattened you up, you stupid pig.

They say fame ruins men and size ruins swine. How true.

And now—it’s time for the slaughter.

Let’s see that look on your face—when your throat is slit and blood gushes from your neck, and you writhe in agony.

May your miserable end at least cure my boredom.

Clang!

“Ah!?”

A sound from behind made the fat man turn around, puzzled.

There was nothing there.

Only a knife lying on the floor, dropped from who knows when.

And the young man was gone.

***

A student vanishing mid-answer in front of the whole class.

A civil servant disappearing mid-report with all eyes on him.

A child gone without a trace the moment their parents looked away.

A young office worker blinked out of existence after yawning on the subway.

An idol vanished during a photo shoot, camera still rolling.

Similar incidents played out one hundred thousand times across the globe.

Every victim was between ten and thirty years old. No warning, no signs. Each one disappeared into thin air in broad daylight, before a crowd.

This was the beginning of an event that would shake the world.

And the curtain officially rose with—

“Hello, everyone, and welcome to the evening ne—fzzzzzzzt—”

“Thirty seconds left in the half—ohhh! Curry shoots from way downtown—Warriors take the lead—fzzzzzt—”

“The presidential race is nearly over, the Republi—bzzzzzzzt—”

At that moment, every device capable of displaying video—televisions, computers, smartphones, tablets, even government equipment—was hijacked.

News, movies, shows, sports, entertainment, video calls… all forcibly interrupted.

Every screen on Earth showed the same face.

“Hello, everyone on Earth! So sorry to interrupt your regularly scheduled activities~”

It was a face drawn like a child’s doodle—an uneven oval, two curved lines for eyes, a vertical one for a nose, and a horizontal slash for a mouth.

“Let me see… from your perspective…”

“Hmm, you can call me—”

“‘God’~”

From that day on, one hundred thousand families were torn apart.

From that day on, every global television network was held hostage.

From that day on, the greatest ensemble broadcast in human history began.

From that day on, every move made by one hundred thousand people tugged at the world’s collective heart.

From that day on, the despair of one hundred thousand souls echoed across the globe.

From that day on, my hell began. 

***

Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province 

“Ugh… What… what’s going on…?”

“Please try to stay calm.”

“I—I know…”

Led by a police officer, the young girl—Zhou Yujing—hurried along, tears brimming in her long-lashed eyes. Several familiar relatives walked beside her, their faces frozen in disbelief.

Even now, none of them could fully grasp what had just happened. It felt utterly unreal.

“We understand how impossible all this sounds. Even we… But this is really happening, and it’s not just here; it’s global. Just within our province alone, there have already been hundreds of reports of people vanishing in public view, and the number is still rising.”

The officer explained as they walked. At last, they crossed the station’s parking lot and entered through the main doors.

And the moment they stepped inside, they sensed something wasn’t right.

The atmosphere was… stifling.

About a dozen people sat scattered in the waiting lounge. Every one of them wore the same anxious, dark expression. Every one of them was staring at their phone with furrowed brows.

“What’s going on here?”

“They’re just like you, their family members or friends vanished into thin air. All of them reported it just recently. Please wait here for a moment; we’ll conduct a preliminary interview to gather details on the missing person.”

—shhhhhhhzzzzzt—!

The TV in the lounge suddenly emitted a harsh static sound. The news program it had been playing was abruptly cut off, replaced by a flurry of snow. Just seconds later, the static faded, and in its place appeared a crude, childlike doodle of a human face.

“What the—!? Even the TVs here are—”

The police officer stared in shock, but the families who had been waiting weren’t surprised at all, because the exact same face was now displayed on their phone screens.

“Ahhh, finally connected! Took a bit longer here. Your facility’s got way too many communication systems. Took me quite a while to link them all up. Sorry for the delay~!”

The distorted cartoon face twisted its crude features into an exaggerated smile, grotesque enough to make people avert their eyes—yet no one could look away.

“Alright then, let’s start over with a proper self-introduction!”

***

Times Square, New York — every LED billboard lit up

“Let’s start over with a proper self-introduction!”

The same simplistic cartoon face now spoke fluently in English, grinning.

“Hello, everyone on Earth! Sorry to interrupt your daily activities~”

“Bet I gave a lot of you quite a scare, huh? News must be spreading already, right? Can’t blame you—people disappearing just like that? Pretty freaky! Hahaha!”

It laughed dryly. No one responded. The tens of thousands gathered in Times Square simply stared, stunned into silence.

“Hmm~~ So, I imagine your… what do you call them—ah yes, police—must be scrambling right now? Trying to count how many people disappeared, right? Don’t bother~ I’ve saved you the trouble. The number is one hundred thousand. Got it? One hundred thousand!”

***

Ginza District, Tokyo — all digital billboards

“One hundred thousand! That’s the total number of people I’ve pulled from your planet. And every single one of them is between ten and thirty years old. Prime working age!”

Here, the face spoke in smooth, articulate Japanese.

“Of course, I know your dear police officers want more than just numbers. You’ll want names, profiles, demographics, and all that jazz, right? No worries—I’ve compiled a full list of everyone I’ve taken!”

Every screen blinked, then was replaced by enormous, densely packed name lists written in Japanese. The sheer volume made one’s head spin.

“Oh, right! I also took your countries and regions into account, tailoring the language display to match each one. Pretty thoughtful of me, don’t you think?”

“And now we get to what you really want to know. I know, I know this is the part you’re dying to ask about—”

“Why did I do this? And where exactly did all those people I took… go?”

***

Cannes, France — every cinema auditorium

“Let me start with a formal introduction. Yes, don’t be shy—I am what you would call a god!”

The cartoon face now spoke fluent French with a dramatic flourish, its tone unnervingly cheerful.

“But I’m not one of your Earth gods. In fact, I’m not even from the same dimension. Honestly, I don’t really understand all the technical details myself. All you need to know is—I am not on your side.”

“God, Allah, Buddha—none of them exist. But that’s none of my business. I’m what you’d call a god from another world. Cool, huh? Impressive, right?”

“Wait, wait—don’t say it! I know what you’re thinking. ‘This is such a cliché!’ But I can’t help it either, okay? Our world got hit with a crisis. Some crazy interdimensional overlap started happening, and everything’s in chaos now.”

***

Dubai, UAE — Burj Al Arab Presidential Suite, private cinema

“And in times like these, unity is key, right? Helping each other out and all that. But then—ugh!—the other gods decided to dump all their trash into my world through those overlapping zones. How outrageous is that?!”

Now speaking flawless Arabic, the face grew more animated, more indignant.

“They didn’t even ask for my permission! Just treated my world like a garbage dump!”

“But what could I do? Being a god isn’t as glamorous as you think. We’re not allowed to interfere directly. At most, we can give some vague prophecies or gentle guidance. I wanted to clean up the trash myself—but I can’t!”

“So~~ eh-heh, I was desperate! And Earth is so wonderfully prosperous and conveniently godless… So I decided to borrow a little help, just a little!”

***

Wenzhou, China — top floor of a company building

“Out of your global population of seven billion, I only borrowed one hundred thousand of your most outstanding young workers. That’s not so bad, right? Totally fair! In times like this, we need to show love and compassion, so please don’t take it personally!”

“Don’t take it personally, my ass!!” the fat man roared as he hurled a wine glass at his computer—but missed.

Just now, his adopted son—his personal cash machine for all these years—had suddenly vanished. And what had that kid been planning before he disappeared? Why was there a knife on the floor?

“So yeah, that’s the deal! I’ve borrowed one hundred thousand fine young people and sent them to my world to help clean up the mess left by the other gods. Got it?”

“Hmmm~~~ I can already hear the cries of a hundred thousand grieving parents echoing across the globe. Aww, don’t look at me like that! I do feel a little bad. That’s why I came up with a brilliant idea!”

“It’d be boring if I were the only one watching their battles, right? So I figured—why not share the experience? Let everyone in on the show! I bet you all want to see how your family members or friends are doing, too?”

“So—I’ve decided! From now on, I’ll be broadcasting everything they do, live, through random channels on your communication networks! Isn’t that suuuuuper exciting?!”

***

The screen abruptly split—first in two, then four, then eight—multiplying like an explosion until it became a mass of one hundred thousand tiny frames, like the compound eye of an insect.

“These are all of them!”

The self-proclaimed god grew shriller, his voice grating.

“I know, I know—it’s too much to see at once, right? That’s why I gave you the list earlier! If there’s someone you want to watch, just use the list to switch views. Whether you’re using a… what do you call it… a smartphone? A computer? A television? You’ve got so many devices—but whatever you’re using, you can find who you’re looking for!”

“You can really do that!?”

Zhou Yujing scrambled to open her phone and navigate frantically, only to discover that the list from earlier really was accessible. It was massive, but the entries for China were conveniently sorted by pinyin and region. Finding someone might not be too hard—

“Where… where is it… ah!”

There! The most important name of all—Zhou Yuhong. It flashed past her screen, and she reached out to tap it—but before she could, the screen cut back to that grotesque doodle of a face.

“Before that, let me answer one more question!”

“I know that those of you who lost family or friends are desperately hoping for their return. And believe me—I am too.”

“But like I said! I took them to help me clear out the waste dumped into my world by those other gods! So the only way they’re coming back is by completing their mission. Until they’ve cleaned up enough, there’s no way I’m sending them home!”

Unless—

“Unless… there’s another way~”

The face grinned.

But this time, it wasn’t cheerful.

It was sinister. Malicious. A smile that wanted nothing more than to watch the world burn.

“If any one of them dies, I’ll immediately send their corpse back to you. Intact. So keep your eyes peeled… hehehe… Hahahahaha—”

shhhhh—bzzzt—

The screen hissed with static, and then the face vanished entirely.

All media systems resumed their original programming, but it was chaos. Every television station, every website, even every radio frequency was cutting in to report the emergency.

“…Big Brother…”

With trembling fingers, Zhou Yujing opened her browser—any random one would do.

*—!!*

In the corner of the screen, a tiny flashing “Video” icon appeared. She tapped it, and her phone filled with a scene she had never seen before.

Everything was gray. Jagged black rocks jutted from the earth. In the distance, a suffocating haze loomed like industrial smog.

“Big Brother… Where… where are you…”