Ding dong.
Another notification sound came from his phone. Chen Mo picked it up and saw a system prompt on the screen.
"Li Yan has activated the 'Studio' and invited you to join. Do you agree to enter the 'Studio'?"
Chen Mo paused briefly but immediately clicked accept. A cloud of black mist enveloped him, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a familiar room.
At this moment, in the dimly lit room, several figures had already appeared: Su Mu, Li Yan, and Dai Minghan.
"Huh? Where is this place?"
A voice came from behind. Chen Mo turned around and saw Lin Tianheng, who was clearly entering this mysterious space for the first time, his face full of curiosity.
Seeing these people, Chen Mo immediately understood. Opening the secret room was surely meant to discuss the choice of rewards this time.
"To be honest, this team mission reward is indeed a tough call. I opened the secret room to discuss with everyone how we should choose."
Su Mu didn't beat around the bush. Once everyone sat down, she spoke directly.
"Yeah..." Chen Mo nodded. The conflict between team rewards and personal rewards made it difficult even for him to decide. Fifty plot points was a substantial reward, and using them to exchange for cursed items to increase personal survival chances was undoubtedly everyone's instinctive first choice.
But this team reward was equally significant. Unlocking the livestream permission essentially provided an external hint for participants in the mission, which would undoubtedly greatly increase the survival rate of newcomers. Moreover, even for themselves, having more people to help analyze characters and avoid triggering deadly traps was absolutely necessary.
The scales in Chen Mo's heart had actually already tipped, but he still wanted to hear others' opinions.
Beside him, Dai Minghan wore a contemplative expression, while Lin Tianheng looked utterly fearless. "You know I hate dealing with troublesome stuff like this. Brother Mo, Brother Minghan, you two figure it out. Just let me know once you've decided."
Seeing this man's carefree attitude, Li Yan couldn't help but frown, as if finding it somewhat unbelievable. Only Su Mu glanced sideways, seeming to find it a bit amusing.
"Chen Mo, what's your opinion?"
With Su Mu's question, everyone's eyes immediately turned to Chen Mo. Although Su Mu was currently the highest-ranking host of the Seventh Program Group, it was clear that Dai Minghan and Lin Tianheng both valued Chen Mo's opinion greatly.
This wasn't just because the three of them had gone through two paranormal missions together, but also because Chen Mo's analysis had, at critical moments, repeatedly helped everyone avoid the hidden dangers lurking in the stories!
This young man had only been at the radio station for over half a year, yet he had already demonstrated remarkable analytical skills. At this moment, his opinion clearly influenced Su Mu's final decision.
Hearing Su Mu's question, Chen Mo thought for a moment and then spoke slowly.
"If I have to say, my opinion... leans more toward choosing the team reward."
"Alright, Brother Mo, I'll go with you!" Lin Tianheng immediately chimed in. "I think this livestream sounds pretty fun too..."
Dai Minghan rolled his eyes at him and then turned to Chen Mo with some confusion. "Chen Mo, why choose the team reward?"
Li Yan also nodded. "Tell us your reasoning."
"My reasoning is actually quite simple..." Chen Mo stared at the phone on the table, speaking deliberately. "In the radio station's missions, no one can rely solely on their own strength to complete the challenge. Not even I have that ability."
"I understand what you mean!"
Dai Minghan immediately looked at him with solemn respect. "In your heart, you're willing to put the team's interests above your own!"
"No, I'm not as noble as you imagine." Chen Mo gave a bitter smile. "This isn't just for the Seventh Program Group, but also for myself. Perhaps in some future mission, I too might face a situation I can't handle alone and need your help."
"At that time, a single hint could mean a life. The more people survive, the stronger the Seventh Program Group becomes."
"The more people survive, the stronger we become..."
Repeating these words, Su Mu's gaze seemed to pierce through the studio, looking toward some distant space.
Those words felt strangely familiar.
Though two years had passed, it was still vivid in her memory. Back then, she was a newcomer, drawn into a paranormal incident triggered by a plane crash and thrown into the terrifying events of the Creepy Radio Station. Facing her first mission, she was on the verge of collapse, surviving only with the support and help of another person.
Even now, that person's name was deeply etched in her heart. At that time, the Seventh Program Group had fewer than ten listeners and no cursed items. Everyone lived in deep fear, but that person managed to overcome their own terror, shining like a ray of sunlight into everyone's hearts.
Unfortunately, that ray of light ultimately couldn't withstand the encroaching darkness. That person completed only three missions before being killed by a ghost, never to return to the real world.
Su Mu clearly remembered that person's fourth mission. Four participants took part. Besides that person, the other three were newcomers who hadn't even experienced a single formal story. In the end, the entire group was wiped out in the story.
"One person's strength alone truly isn't enough..."
Su Mu murmured to herself. That person's death was both a heavy blow and a painful memory for her. This perhaps explained the formation of her cold personality, because she understood one fact very clearly: in this fear-filled space, anyone could die in the next moment.
Only a calm mind and a cold heart could prevent weakness born from grief.
But now, another light had cast a faint glow into her dark heart. Though not yet enough to melt the ice, it had pried open a crack in the darkness.
"Also, there's another reason."
Pulling herself together, Su Mu immediately heard Chen Mo continue speaking.
"The four of us each have some means of self-preservation, more or less, so our need for points isn't particularly urgent. If we give up this team reward, the next time we might not only have to wait for a team mission to trigger but also achieve a perfect ending to obtain a similar reward again. That introduces too many variables."
"So, my opinion is... don't give up this team reward!"
-- PS: Thanks to Dream Fallen and the reader for their tips.