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Chapter 41: I feel like you are a little different today.
An Wujiu woke up choking on water.
A second ago, he was still in that dark golden cage, but now he found himself confined in a large glass case filled with ice water. In his semi-conscious state, he was almost sprawled in the water, only awakening when he couldn’t breathe any longer. He suddenly jolted upright, shaking off the water as he stood up.
An Wujiu was soaked through; his hair, which was originally tied behind his head, was now hanging loose and dripping water. After standing up, the water reached about the level of his lower abdomen, with spherical ice chunks floating on top. The temperature was surprisingly low, and he couldn’t help but shiver.
This was a rectangular glass case.
At the top, there was a large, low metal disc with a metal pipe inserted in its center, continuously injecting ice water into the device. At each corner of the top, there was a protruding metal rod, and at the moment, it was unclear what their purpose was.
Using his own height as a reference, the glass case’s height was estimated to be at least two meters.
An Wujiu lowered his head, and his own two feet were entangled by the two chains at the bottom. He bent down, attempting to free himself, but the shackles were exceptionally sturdy. Just like the glass case before him, no matter how much force he exerted, he couldn’t break it open in the slightest.
However, this was within An Wujiu’s expectations, so he only attempted it a few times without exerting too much effort.
Realizing that it was difficult to shatter the apparatus through violent means from the inside out, An Wujiu’s expression remained calm. He had simply ruled out one incorrect approach.
After some thought, An Wujiu took off his shirt, which was soaked with icy water, and let it fall into the water that submerged his lower body.
Leaning against one side of the glass wall to avoid getting wet from the central water column, his fair upper body was exposed to the air. The black and white peony patterns on his neck and chest resembled a piece of art on display.
Outside the glass case was a dim scene, with numerous dolls, giant playing cards, and discarded circus props scattered around. On the left was the vast velvet curtain, completely concealing An Wujiu.
Looking up, An Wujiu reached out to touch the descending water flow. Then he raised his eyes and stared at the metal disc at the top of the device, noticing four segmented circles and a green button. He raised his hand, attempting to press it with his fingertips.
“You’re quite an impatient player.”
The voice of the rabbit from earlier resurfaced, though it was only audible and not visible. An Wujiu couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being observed from somewhere.
The sense of being watched had started on the first floor.
“But you’re also the smartest player I’ve ever seen. Since waking up here, you haven’t shouted or desperately smashed the glass. You didn’t forcibly tug at your ankles or panic. Instead, you calmly stood up, took off the wet clothes that would keep lowering your body temperature, and targeted the mechanism of the device.”
The rabbit continued with flattering words, “Truly a seasoned player, knowing how to prolong one’s survival.”
“But,” the next moment, the tone shifted, becoming lower, “whether you can live longer, you have no control over that at all.”
What does that mean?
An Wujiu’s expression remained unchanged as he silently listened to the rabbit’s words.
“I know what you’re thinking right now. You must be thinking that it’s just water, right? As long as you hold your breath a bit longer and wait for someone outside to rescue you, even if you’re lacking oxygen by then, as long as you’re saved in time, there’s still a chance of surviving, even if the water goes over your head.”
After saying this, the voice emitted another grating laugh.
“Have you noticed the four metal bars above your head? Those are electrodes connected to the theater’s circuit. Once the water level reaches there, it’ll short-circuit completely. Guess what happens then? Can you survive submerged in water at that point?”
An Wujiu finally understood the deadly mechanism of this device.
He looked up at the metal bars at the corners. At the current rate of water flow, it seemed he wouldn’t have much time before being electrocuted right here.
“How uninteresting. It can’t even make you show a scared expression. I love the expressions on human faces when they’re greatly frightened; it’s so amusing, especially on a beautiful face like yours; it’s just perfect.”
Crossing his arms, An Wujiu spoke softly, “I’m not interested in chatting with a rabbit with twisted preferences. What else is there in this game? Lay it all out; let’s see if you can scare me.”
The rabbit laughed again.
“Such an interesting player. I’ll be straightforward, then. The giant glass case can’t be shattered from the inside, but it can from the outside. Have you seen the big sledgehammer under the playing cards? Two people working together can easily lift it, then a few hits, and you can smoothly get out. Simple, right?”
It couldn’t be that easy.
“But everyone outside was under hypnosis, enjoying a spectacular magic show. No one has the time to rescue you. Besides, they don’t even know you’re in trouble.”
An Wujiu suddenly remembered the fake version of himself from earlier.
He raised his hand, attempting to touch the earpiece on the side of his ear.
“Don’t bother; it’s useless. All signals are blocked here. Unless they discover it themselves, otherwise… you’ll be forgotten here forever. But that’s unlikely. Think about it, only someone with the willpower to resist the altar’s control could break free from the hypnosis. Even if they resist, there’s already a version of you around, so leaving here might not even be an option.”
An Wujiu remained silent.
Seeing his lack of response, the rabbit seemed triumphant, speaking in an elevated tone, “See the pipe in the middle that’s constantly filling with water? The continuous water flow indicates that no one outside has escaped the control of hypnosis. When the number of brainwashed people decreases, the water flow will stop. Each time someone’s will breaks free, there’s a five-minute period without water. But as long as you stay inside, those moments will pass, and you’ll still die.”
This also meant that he could, at most, get a 30-minute period without water, and only if everyone outside had regained consciousness.
“But… I’m quite generous.” The rabbit continued, “I’ll give you a way to save yourself, although it won’t completely release you. At least you won’t be electrocuted or freeze to death in the icy water at zero degrees.”
After saying this, the four segments on the metal disc at the top suddenly opened, and long silk ribbons in black, white, red, and blue colors emerged from the circular holes. They folded and hung on four circular hooks, slowly descending in front of An Wujiu.
These silk ribbons looked like magic props, but An Wujiu noticed that the craftsmanship was not excellent. The fabric was unevenly woven; some areas were thin enough to be transparent and easily torn, while other parts were thick and sturdy, creating a stark contrast.
“This is my little test for you; nothing too difficult. These silk ribbons are the props. Now, let me tell you the conditions. First, one silk ribbon is hanging vertically here. If one end happens to touch the water surface, water will be absorbed through the capillary fibers upward until the entire ribbon is saturated. It takes 20 minutes. You have four ribbons, all identical except for the colors, and you can pull them to any height you want. However, I must remind you that the weaving of these ribbons is unique, with uneven thickness. The rate of saturation may vary between different segments.”
“Second, it’s the challenge I present to you: you need to accurately measure a period of 22 minutes and 30 seconds without any timing tools or hints. When you press the green button on top, it indicates the start of your timing. Press it again, and it signifies the end of your timing.”
“You can start anytime and end anytime. If the difference between your measured time and the actual 22 minutes and 30 seconds exceeds 3 seconds, I’m sorry, but you will lose the chance to save yourself forever. You’ll have to entrust your life to the people outside or perish in the electric water here, becoming a permanent specimen of mine.”
Seemingly understanding An Wujiu’s thoughts, after stating the basic rules, the rabbit added another sentence.
“I’ll kindly remind you. Don’t attempt to calculate time using your heartbeat. Your body is soaking in icy water, and as your body temperature drops, your heart rate will slow down.”
The icy water continued to flow, and ice chunks had reached An Wujiu’s waist.
“Think of a solution,” the rabbit’s voice was sharp and lingering, “or think about your last words. I’ll make sure to pass them on to your surviving friends after this round of the game; let them taste the bitterness of regret.”
“But there might not be a chance. The water hasn’t stopped until now, and the people outside are probably completely trapped in hypnosis. After a while, when your water is about to reach the top, those who can’t wake up will experience brain death. You won’t be alone on your journey.”
An Wujiu no longer paid attention to what the rabbit was saying. The rabbit’s words were now just psychological tactics, an attempt to break his will without a direct confrontation.
However, just a moment after the rabbit’s words, the continuously flowing water suddenly stopped.
The pipe closed off directly, ceasing the infusion of icy water.
Standing in the water, An Wujiu suddenly laughed and said to the now silent rabbit:
“Don’t underestimate the willpower of a survivor.”
Shen Ti felt like something was manipulating his consciousness.
After a momentary shift, An Wujiu descended from the platform, approached step by step, and finally stood in front of Shen Ti. He bent down, picked up the flower on Shen Ti’s knee, and twirled the stem.
“Is it beautiful?” he asked, lifting his gaze from the intricate white petals to Shen Ti’s face.
His facial features, expressions, the gleam in his eyes, the subtle curve of his lips when he smiled, the patterns on his body, and his posture were all identical to those of An Wujiu.
But he was not An Wujiu.
In that moment, the temporary confusion in Shen Ti’s mind made him briefly deceived. However, he soon realized that the person in front of him was not An Wujiu.
If it were An Wujiu emerging from another cage, he would have continued to observe from the platform with suspicion for a moment, rather than coming down directly toward him.
He had no reason and no motive. Shen Ti was well aware that he wasn’t particularly special to An Wujiu at the moment.
Moreover, the current An Wujiu, with a genuine desire to save everyone, had eyes that resembled the purity of baptism. There was no trace of the concealed malice that would need to be hidden.
The malice that he was very good at concealing.
Shen Ti still couldn’t move and couldn’t speak. His whole body was numb, with only the ability to move his eyeballs and exert force with his teeth.
The person in front of him was likely the fake An Wujiu, who had attempted to kill Zhong Yirou.
“An Wujiu” inserted the flower into Shen Ti’s front pocket, then slowly circled around his chair, his fingers gently brushing over his shoulder and back.
As he walked behind him, Shen Ti struggled to move his eyeballs, looking to the right. He could only see a part of the others’ figures, but he observed the clapping gestures and heard the applause.
However, the stage was now empty, and the rabbit was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly, his hand seemed to be controlled by some invisible force, lifting involuntarily to prepare for applause.
Shen Ti fought against his own hand, fearing that clapping would trigger the hypnotic mechanism. His hand was lifted with difficulty, trembling slightly.
To avoid being hypnotized, Shen Ti forcefully opened his tightly clenched teeth, biting down hard on the tip of his own tongue.
In the moment of intense pain, Shen Ti suddenly felt a part of his body being liberated. His previously numb lips and jaw seemed to relax, and the tense vocal cords, as if frozen, gradually recovered.
“You… you…”
Hearing Shen Ti make a sound, “An Wujiu” looked surprised. Facing Shen Ti, he leaned in with a face identical to that of An Wujiu and cupped his cheeks.
“You can speak!”
His face was filled with a smile. Then he hugged Shen Ti and said, “You can actually speak? Even though I fed you the hypnotic drug, you truly live up to being my A01.”
Indeed.
Shen Ti’s lips moved with difficulty, “You… you came.”
“An Wujiu” half-knelt, crossed his arms on Shen Ti’s knees, and looked up at him. His eyes seemed to contain starlight; the previous undisguised malice was mostly gone, replaced by an adoring expression.
“Yes, I’m here. Are you happy?”
Shen Ti took a deep breath.
He wanted to speak, but he bit his own tongue once again.
This time, after the pain, his lips and teeth became more agile, gradually thawing and recovering.
“I… of course, I’m happy.” He could articulate complete sentences, just very slowly. “Give me a pull; I… I want to go out for a walk with you.”
“That won’t do.” The “An Wujiu” in front of him smiled and pointed to the others, “Everyone is still earnestly watching the performance. If we slip away on our own, they will make fun of us.”
The coquettish and sweet expressions in his eyes constantly reminded Shen Ti of one thing.
“Alright…” Shen Ti also forced a somewhat stiff smile: “You don’t like them making fun of you, right?”
“An Wujiu” thought for a moment. When he was silent, the corners of his mouth would slightly downturn, as if recalling something unpleasant. In the end, he gave an unrelated response.
“I just don’t like them deceiving me.”
Saying that, his hands interlocked on Shen Ti’s knees involuntarily tightened, his fingers almost digging into the flesh.
This pain allowed Shen Ti’s legs, which were originally numb, to regain some slight sensation, but it was still far from enough.
However, this sensation didn’t last too long. “An Wujiu” eventually emerged from his memories, and the tightly clasped hands were released.
“Did I hurt you?” He lowered his head to smooth out the wrinkled pants.
“I didn’t want to touch you originally. He said not to touch you.”
“He?” Shen Ti softened his tone, gently coaxing, “Who is he?”
“He is…” The fake An Wujiu’s expression carried a hint of bitterness, “He is our father, the owner of this containment center.”
Shen Ti frowned.
Our… father?
The person in front of him, is he A01’s lover or A01’s brother?
He flashed a smile and said, “You don’t need to care about him; he can’t make decisions.” Shen Ti cast a gentle glance at the “An Wujiu” in front of him and said, “Don’t be afraid.”
“An Wujiu” also looked at him, a somewhat confused expression on his face, as if puzzled by the tenderness: “You aren’t deceiving me, right?”
Shen Ti remained silent for a moment, then continued to smile, speaking in a soft and coaxing tone.
“How could I? If I was deceiving you, you would have bullied me like you did when we were kids, pushing me to the ground.”
“I never treated you like that when I was a child; you were the one who easily got angry with me.” He said so but was still amused. “At most, I just cried and hit you a few times.”
“That’s fine. Even if you hit me, pushed me down, and made me fall, I wouldn’t get angry.” Shen Ti gazed into his eyes with sincere eyes, guiding him, “If you don’t believe me, why don’t you give it a try?”
“An Wujiu” stared at him, tentatively lifted his hand, but ultimately chose to put it down.
His tone carried suspicion as he blinked, “I feel you’re a bit different today.”
Shen Ti’s heart sank for a moment.
He changed his expression and sneered at the “An Wujiu” in front of him.
“What’s wrong? Rarely treating you a bit better, and you don’t like it?”
“An Wujiu” hesitated for a second, and the skeptical expression on his face gradually turned into disappointment.
Shen Ti intentionally furrowed his brows and said, “Don’t be like this. I don’t like that expression of yours.”
“Sure enough, you still haven’t changed. You always get angry with me, despite everything I’ve done for you!” His emotions gradually got out of control: “Why are you always so indifferent? Why!”
Before he could finish speaking, Shen Ti, sitting in the chair, was kicked forcefully by “An Wujiu,” causing him to fall backward.
A tremendous sense of pain reverberated from his back to his entire body. He felt his numb limbs gradually regaining sensation. “An Wujiu,” as expected, immersed in pain, approached him and grabbed his collar, displaying a face filled with anger and suffering.
“You’re all lying to me! All deceiving me! They are too! You are too!”
Shen Ti moved his fingertips.
“Damn it, all of you should die…”
While he muttered to himself, a pair of arms embraced “An Wujiu” into their hold.
“I was just joking. Why are you so angry?”
Shen Ti’s gentle voice lingered in his ears. Amidst the pain spreading throughout his body, he slowly stood up, assisting “An Wujiu” as well, soothing his emotions and empathizing with him.
“They lied to you; I’ll help you deal with them.”
With that, Shen Ti grabbed his arm and slowly approached the chair where Wu You was sitting. He fiercely punched him in the back of his shoulder.
In an instant, Wu You, who had been silent on the empty stage, suddenly woke up, blinking his eyes.
The flowing water column stopped once again.
This time, it was after the previous five minutes.
An Wujiu looked at the long silk in front of him, lifted his hand, pulled down the white silk, kept it folded, and pulled both ends of this silk to touch the water surface simultaneously. Then he pulled down the red silk with his other hand but kept it unfolded. One end was pulled down, forming a complete long strip with the upper end stuck in the buckle and the lower end placed just on the water surface, maintaining a state where only one end was wet. After that, he pressed the green button.
“So soon, you’re starting your challenge? Remember, you only have one chance.”
“Someone outside will come to save me.” An Wujiu stared at the folded white silk.
“I will also win.”
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