The filming base.

This single detail connected all the dots for Qin Nan.

There were no death forecasts; they were actually shooting a movie called "Death Crew." They hadn't crossed into a film but into the production crew of this film, and all the players were actors in this production.

What he had seen before crossing over wasn't just about a high-altitude fall; it was about the reflections in the eyes of the deceased. That wasn't a hallucination; he was right where the deceased's gaze fell, meaning he was a character in the movie, not an outsider.

The actors in the film were this group of players.

The reason it was described as a filming crew rather than the movie itself was that, aside from the death scenes matching the script, other plot elements were clearly different, along with the information that NPCs occasionally revealed in their dialogues.

After the fat guy died, Old Wang appeared and said, "Next scene." In the hotel, Old Wang said, "Scene change." If they were in the movie, then every time a character died, the crew NPCs should display panic, fear, and behaviors like calling the police as written in the script, rather than using phrases typical for film production.

But how to break the cycle?

As a complete newcomer, even though Qin Nan had pieced together the situation, he still felt somewhat at a loss.

Jian Fan had more thoughts than Qin Nan.

There was another key element: the camera.

When the fat guy died on set, the presence of the camera was less noticeable because it was part of the filming environment. However, in the hotel room, the camera stood out. It was unusual for a player who wasn’t a cinematographer to have a camera in their room. Any unreasonable element could very well be the key to breaking the cycle.

Jian Fan scanned the surroundings and quickly locked onto a location. Suspended in mid-air, he couldn't do much himself. Reluctantly, he decided to use his points.

Jian Fan activated the points shop in his mind.

The shop offered various items and skills that could be exchanged for points, potentially saving his life at a critical moment. He quickly identified the item he needed, which cost 500 points and could destroy something from a distance. Just as he was about to make the exchange, he noticed Qin Nan suddenly springing into action.

Though Qin Nan was a new player, his love for puzzle games had given him significant insights at this moment.

He had also locked onto two important pieces of information: the oddly placed camera in the hotel room and the scene of the high-altitude fall he had witnessed. The camera might be the key to breaking the cycle, and finding out where the camera filming the death scene was located became crucial.

From what angle could the fall be captured?

Qin Nan quickly arrived at an answer and locked onto his target.

Seeing Qin Nan rush toward the hidden camera, Jian Fan was a bit surprised but soon regained his composure. He didn’t continue with the item exchange but kept the points shop open.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

He didn’t mind coasting on Qin Nan’s efforts; while he could earn enough points to cover the item himself, he was more in need of a partner. Of course, he wouldn’t put his life in someone else’s hands. It was better to rely on himself; he needed to ensure that if Qin Nan faltered, he could still find a way to break the cycle before meeting his end.

Qin Nan had some knowledge of photography and understood the basic operations of the camera. However, after pressing the stop button for a long time, the camera remained unresponsive. Growing anxious, he glanced in Jian Fan's direction.

Suddenly, the previously steady pressure shattered, and Jian Fan fell from mid-air.

This scene changed Qin Nan's expression. Without a moment to think, he gritted his teeth, grabbed a nearby chair, and smashed it down onto the camera.

Bang.

The chair struck the camera with a loud crash, and at that moment, everything on set seemed to hit a pause button. The last thing Qin Nan saw was Jian Fan’s falling figure suspended in mid-air, followed by that familiar white light appearing before him once again.

Instinctively, Qin Nan raised his hand to shield his eyes. When the white light faded and he lowered his hand, the scene before him had transformed.

He found himself in a completely white space, with several door-like structures lined up in front of him. Aside from that, there was nothing else.

Where was this?

Qin Nan quickly got his answer.

An electronic voice resonated in his mind: "Welcome, player, to the official game of the Death Realm. The points system is now activated for you."

As the electronic voice faded, a floating control panel appeared before Qin Nan. Upon first entry, there was some explanatory text. After reading the basic rules, two items appeared on the control panel.

One was the points shop, currently closed, which would update with corresponding items and skills once he entered the game world. The other was the points Qin Nan had accumulated.

Currently, he had 1,300 points: 500 for clearing a level and an additional 800 for the eight surviving players, excluding himself.

The control panel was straightforward to operate.

Just as Qin Nan was about to familiarize himself with it, a female voice sounded in his ear.

"Hi there, handsome."

Qin Nan closed the control panel and looked over.

The girl, around twenty, smiled at him. When she noticed him looking, she quickly extended her hand in introduction: "I'm Lin Junru. What's your name, handsome?"

Lin Junru was one of the members of the four-person team, a mix of two men and two women, and they had lost a companion in the previous game world.

Qin Nan didn’t plan to create animosity with other players, so he gently shook Lin Junru's fingertips: "Qin Nan, new player. I hope to rely on you in the future."

"New player?" Lin Junru's expression conveyed both surprise and admiration. "Qin Nan, you’re amazing! You should teach me more in the future."

Qin Nan chuckled. "I just got lucky, that's all."

"You’re too modest! When I first entered the Death Realm, I was completely lost…" Lin Junru seemed eager to chat, while Qin Nan politely listened, his gaze scanning the surroundings.

The surviving players had all appeared in this white space.

The team of six led by Xia Zeqin had now been reduced to four. Xia Zeqin looked the calmest, wrapping his arm around a woman’s waist as they walked toward a door. The other two team members lingered behind, glancing at Qin Nan with hesitant expressions. Meanwhile, the pair with Lin Junru, a man and a woman, stood nearby chatting.

Qin Nan's gaze quickly swept over them, finally landing on Jian Fan.

Jian Fan seemed uninterested in acknowledging him, heading straight toward a door.

"Sorry, I have something to do. Let’s chat later," Qin Nan quickly interrupted Lin Junru's aimless chatter, jogging a few steps to catch up with Jian Fan.

He caught up and placed a hand on Jian Fan's shoulder, smiling: "Jian Fan."

Jian Fan had reached the door. Hearing the call, he turned to look at Qin Nan, his expression neutral, his tone indifferent: "What's up?"

Qin Nan hesitated for a moment but soon smiled again. "We’ve been through a lot together; you’re being a bit cold, don’t you think?"

Jian Fan raised his gaze and repeated, "What’s up?"

Qin Nan withdrew his hand, shaking his head. Seeing this, Jian Fan decisively turned away, tapping the door before stepping through, disappearing from sight.

Tsk, Qin Nan puffed his cheeks in frustration. Jian Fan was indeed something; he thought of a fitting phrase—"burning the bridge after crossing it."