Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 177: Thirteen
The world transformed. The kitchen turned into a street, but the people remained the same.
The rope used to tie Qin Rui was found in the kitchen by Qian Ai, so naturally it was still within the Owl. So upon regaining his freedom, Qin Rui didn’t hesitate to throw a punch.
Caught off guard, Qian Ai, feeling the pain, forgot they were back in reality and instinctively switched to combat mode, retaliating with a kick to the other’s stomach.
Thus began their exchange of punches and kicks, from standing to lying down, from exchanging blows to grappling in a hug, until a stern reprimand came from afar. “What are you two doing—”
The two were entangled on the ground, one gripping the other’s arm and the other strangling the neck. The battle was reaching its peak with kicking and kneeing when they heard someone question them. They turned around to glare at the meddler, ready to breathe fire, but shut their mouths upon seeing who it was.
Under the streetlight stood an imposing traffic police officer capable of quelling any malevolent spirits.
He was checking for drunk driving at the nearby intersection and hadn’t caught any drunkards yet, but he spotted the two brawlers first and immediately became alert—what law-abiding citizens brawl in the middle of the street at night?
Qian Ai, putting on a brave face, tried to conjure a forced smile, reluctantly letting go and patting Qin Rui’s back affectionately. “This-this is my brother. He was dumped by his girlfriend and was about to commit suicide. I tried stopping him, so he got angry with me..”
Qin Rui punched him in the jaw mercilessly. “Who the hell is your brother?!”
The traffic officer frowned, his gaze sharpening.
Qian Ai glared, cursing him silently for being an idiot.
Pushing Qian Ai away, Qin Rui stood up and dusted himself off openly. “From the day you stole my girlfriend, you ceased being my brother.”
When Qian Ai hazily returned to the hotel, Xu Wang and the others had just come back, meeting up in the hotel lobby.
Seeing Qian Ai’s multicolored face, Xu Wang asked, “Were you beaten up unilaterally?”
“How could that be?” Qian Ai immediately denied. “At most, I just lost by one punch.”
“That’s still losing.”
“……” How could he have known Qin Rui was a werewolf, even fiercer than his mother! Recalling the last punch he couldn’t return and the disapproving look from the traffic officer, Qian Ai felt depressed.
“What’s this?” Casually noticing a small card in Xu Wang’s hand, Qian Ai recognized it wasn’t the kind usually distributed by their advisor. The advisor’s cards were densely packed like exam cheat sheets, but this one was simple and elegant, with plenty of white space.
“Fu Wenqing’s business card.” Xu Wang handed the card over naturally, satisfying his teammate’s curiosity.
Qian Ai, looking at the clearly printed name, contact number, WeChat, and email on the card, was bewildered. “Where did this come from?”
Xu Wang shrugged. “Fu Wenqing gave it.”
Qian Ai looked around at all his teammates, trying to piece together the scene he missed. “So after they came out, instead of settling scores with you, they even gave their business card?”
Wu Sheng nodded. “He offered it proactively, very friendly.”
Kuang Jinxin added, “He said that in the future, no matter which level we plan to challenge, we can send him a message after deciding on the date to give them a heads-up. They can wait a couple of days to avoid another mutually damaging situation.”
Qian Ai frowned. “What future? We’ll definitely pass all thirteen levels in one go and leave the Owl for good!”
Chi Yingxue raised an eyebrow unexpectedly. “I said the same thing, although not as wordily.”
Qian Ai: “……”
The elevator reached the ground floor, and its doors slowly opened.
Xu Wang was the first to enter.
Objectively, he admired Fu Wenqing. In fact, they might indeed fail to pass all thirteen levels and encounter any team again in future attempts. At the moment of defeat, Fu Wenqing thought not of revenge but of the most beneficial choice for his own team, requiring tremendous self-control and calmness.
As all friends entered, Xu Wang pressed the top floor button, clearing his mind of past events.
What mattered most to them now was the path ahead.
That night, the small team stayed in the hotel without leaving, planning to recover from two days of intense battles by sleeping well in the Owl and the hotel.
They kept resting until 04:58 in the morning, when they were abruptly awakened by a “ding—”
The friends, startled, either bolted upright, flipped over, or rolled around, each in their own way “getting up” quickly to check.
It was the [Leaderboard] that had opened—
Top 1 – Chi Yingxue, Kuang Jinxin, Qian Ai, Wu Sheng, Xu Wang (12/23)
Seeing the first line was enough.
“First. We’re first, haha!” Qian Ai’s only previous first place was in the high school javelin throw. Now, scoring his second first place in life, he was so excited he didn’t know what to do, hugging the nearest Kuang Jinxin and giving him a noogie.
Kuang Jinxin was happy too, laughing foolishly until Chi Yingxue pulled him back.
Finding his arms empty, Qian Ai quickly understood his favoritism, hurriedly hugging both Xiao Kuang and Xiao Xue together, this time full of passionate enthusiasm and mighty strength.
Kuang Jinxin glanced at Chi Yingxue’s expression, laughing harder than if they had topped the leaderboard.
Xu Wang opened the stationery box. Wow, truly fitting rewards for first place. Each of them got 15 stationeries—5 defense, 5 offense, and 5 illusory. If they were to grind in the Endless Sea, who knows how many days it would take, especially for rare items not even guaranteed by endless grinding.
Before he could examine each stationery in detail, five treasure chests fell from mid-air.
Qian Ai immediately let go of his teammates to open the chests.
As frequent visitors to the top five of the leaderboard recently, they were very familiar with the contents of the chests, especially Qian Ai, who considered it a significant source of income.
The five chests opened, and each teammate’s loot was distinct—
Xu Wang: One hundred thousand yuan.
Wu Sheng: One hundred thousand yuan.
Kuang Jinxin: One hundred and fifty thousand yuan.
Chi Yingxue: One hundred and twenty thousand yuan.
Qian Ai: Eighty thousand yuan + [(Illusory) Help].
Qian Ai: “……”
Why does every time it involves discounting his cash and pairing it with a stationery? Is this stationery inlaid with gold?!
……
Meanwhile, at the airport, 2/23.
Long Legs: “Who’s this first-place team? They’re always on the leaderboard these days.”
Handsome: “Is the leaderboard first place something we should be concerned about? Have you been drifting off lately?”
Stick Figure: “Money…”
Fair Face: “Running low?”
Stick Figure: “I mean this Qian Ai; could he be that Lao Qian?”
Handsome: “Which Lao Qian?”
Stick Figure: “The one on the Red Eye Flight in this level who could turn words into reality with a roar. I remember his teammates calling him Lao Qian…”
Fair Face: “You’ve brought back some very unpleasant memories.”
Long Legs: “Now that you mention it, we encountered them too on 7/23. I have a strong impression of that ‘Sheng Ge’.”
Handsome: “Which Sheng Ge?”
Long Legs: “The one who did the story relay with me about Optimistic Classmate B and High School Detective C…”
Handsome, Stick Figure, Fair Face: “…”
Why are the memories related to this team so indescribably strange?
……
At the same time, in the castle banquet hall, 6/23.
Light Blue: “Yo, they really made it to first.”
Wine Red: “Captain, your prophecy came true.”
Elegant Gray: “I’ve always said they’re exceptionally strong. It’s a pity…”
Deep Purple: “A pity what?”
Elegant Gray: “A pity they’re wasted in the Owl. That storytelling session of theirs was wasted on breaking levels. The story he told was full of twists and so touching, it had me hooked!”
Bright Orange: “Captain, can you temporarily put aside your literary dreams and focus on the level…”
……
At the same time, in an outdoor café, 8/23.
Li Xia: “They made it to first.”
Han Buting: “With their recent efficiency, it’s normal.”
Li Zijin: “How did they manage to coordinate with Chi Yingxue so well? It’s miraculous.”
Qi Shan: “One man’s poison, another’s honey. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder…”
Li Zijin: “Qi Shan, if you keep giving me that nauseating look, I’ll… I’ll take back the signed keyboard I gave you!”
Qi Shan: “Shit, where’s my blindfold? Where’s my blindfold!”
Xu Yange: “……”
At the same time, at another table in the outdoor café, 8/23.
Wei Menghan: “Impressive, I knew they’d eventually top the list.”
Zou Jun: “Captain, at this stage, should we consider when our neighbors, Lao Han and his team, plan to challenge the level?”
Wei Menghan: “They’re observing us too.”
Feng Rang: “Then let’s all sit down and talk. This guesswork from afar is too inefficient.”
Wei Menghan: “There’s too much history. It’s hard to start.”
Zhu Mo: “It doesn’t have to be so complicated. On the field, we’re opponents; off the field, we can still be friends.”
Zou Jun: “Then why didn’t you give Han Buting your WeChat when he asked?”
Zhu Mo: “His reason was to learn dancing from me.”
Zou Jun: “…Call the police.”
……
At the same time, 10/23, outside the Aeroplane Chess battlefield.
Wang Duanran: “Tsk, they actually made it to first.”
Gu Nian: “Look on the bright side, losing to the top of the leaderboard isn’t shameful.”
Wang Duanran: “True. I just hope they smoothly get through the thirteenth level. The sooner we leave this damned place, the better.”
Jiang Dachuan: “How exactly do you roll a 6 and 10? I’m begging for the secret here!”
Chen Guan: “…”
Kong Lizhe: “Dachuan, why not change your approach? Like, cultivate more bad luck and directly keep one of the opponents stuck at the starting point? As long as you can tie with one person, we’re confident we can beat the other four in steps!”
Jiang Dachuan: “……”
…
At the same time, in the Endless Sea.
Qin Rui: “Captain, how much longer do we drift in the Endless Sea?”
Fu Wenqing: “Until our hearts are strong enough.”
Wu Yanchao: “What counts as strong enough?”
Fu Wenqing: “Strong enough to face Aeroplane Chess without breaking down.”
Zhao Muchen: “But our next level is 9/23, the mind hell.”
Helan Shan: “Level 10 is Aeroplane Chess.”
Fu Wenqing: “I think it’s more prudent to start preparing early.”
Wu Yanchao, Zhao Muchen, He Lanshan, Qin Rui: “…Makes sense.”
……
At 5 a.m., Xu Wang’s team popped out of the Owl, immediately receiving a video call from Captain Yue.
“Wow, you guys are on fire!” Captain Yue was proud. “I opened WeChat, and several groups are all asking about your team!”
“……” Xu Wang was more curious about how many WeChat groups Captain Yue was in.
Yue Shuai: “How about it? Go all out to conquer the thirteenth level!”
Xu Wang knew he came specifically to congratulate and cheer them on, but it really wasn’t as simple as going all out. “We’re planning to rest for a week, then head to Xinjiang.”
13/23 was in Xinjiang. This was the only piece of information about the thirteenth level they got from Mr. Fan.
“Right.” Yue Shuai thought for a moment and nodded. “Weaving baskets is all about closing the knots*. Rest well, prepare well.”
*Metaphor referring to seeing something through all the way, ensuring that the ending is successful.
Xu Wang actually had a lot to say, but with so many thoughts swirling in his mind, he didn’t know how to express them. In the end, he just nodded solemnly, with a hint of gratitude. “Mm.”
A week later, the five friends arrived in Xinjiang. They rested for another two days and then drove to the city where the coordinates were located.
They were cautious, not only because this was the last level but also because no one knew exactly what this level was.
Whether it was Mr. Fan, teams that bought information from him and successfully left the Owl, or teams that failed 13/23 and were sent back to previous levels, all without exception, lacked memories of 13/23—those who passed remembered the Wish Room, remembered the choices afterward, but not how they submitted their papers; those who retreated remembered “failure to submit” but had no impression of how they failed.
At midnight, the distant sound of the Owl came.
……
“Hoot—hoot—”
Waking up to a strange cry, he looked around bewilderedly. He saw himself in a messy office with lots of documents on his desk and a laptop screen lit up with dense spreadsheets.
“Knock knock.”
There was a knock on the office door.
His brain still foggy, he mechanically said, “Come in.”
A young woman in professional attire, demure and proper, with dimples making her smile sweet, entered. “Director Xu, your coffee.”
“……” He looked at the hot coffee placed before him, and soon his gaze drifted to a box of business cards beside it.
XX Financial Company
Xu Wang, Sales Director.
His name was Xu Wang, and he was the sales director of this financial company. The fact should be clear, but why did he have no memory of it?
A financial company? That’s just another name for empty promises.
The woman must be a secretary or clerk.
He’s a sales director? That meant he was doing well for himself, but he really didn’t like convincing people to buy financial products, especially those not backed by banks…
See, he remembers all societal norms and still has judgment and discernment, but why has he forgotten himself?
Forgotten who he is, forgotten the past, as if he appeared out of nowhere—the path he walked on turned into a blank.
“Ding—”
A strange sound rang out.
The phone on the desk remained black, signifying it wasn’t the source of the sound.
“Ding—”
As if realizing one sound wasn’t enough for him to pinpoint the source, it rang again.
This time Xu Wang listened more carefully. The source seemed to be… on him?
“Ding—”
With the third sound, Xu Wang finally rolled up his sleeve.
There was a strange owl’s head with a small “1” in the top right corner.
Compelled, he reached out to touch it, and the icon actually opened.
[Cheat Sheet]: Survive past 4:44 p.m.
What is… this?
Xu Wang felt his breathing tightened. He lifted his head to see the clock on the wall—the hour and minute hands perfectly aligned. It was exactly noon.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the sun shone brightly.
On the laptop screen, a bizarre red glow was reflected.
Xu Wang turned back. Outside the window was a giant, blood-red number “13”. It hung in the air like some company’s boring advertising gimmick, but it neither inflated nor fluttered with the wind—more like it was written in mid-air by a blood-soaked hand, intensely eerie.
“Director?” The young woman seemed frightened, her smile fading as she cautiously called out.
Xu Wang turned back. “What exactly is this?”
The young woman’s voice trembles slightly. “What-what?”
Xu Wang paused, suddenly realizing that the fear in the girl’s eyes wasn’t directed at the window but at him.
This was too unjust.
He hastily raises his arm, showing the owl icon to her, anxiously clarifying, “I don’t know how this thing got on my arm.” Pointing outside, he said, “And that ’13’—it’s my first time seeing it!”
The girl’s face turns completely pale, horrified. “Director, there’s nothing on your arm… and outside the window… there’s nothing either…”
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