Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 181: Someone Else

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng thought that, with the numbers outside the window and the icons on their arms, confirming each other’s identities would be a matter of eye contact. However, it took almost twenty minutes to fully convince Mr. Qian that this wasn’t some high-tech trap and that they were not part of a scam group but rather fellow sufferers in the same predicament.

Xu Wang nearly wore out his lips talking. He thought that Mr. Qian must have been hurt before. Otherwise, where would such a strong sense of caution come from?

He was responsible for appealing to emotions, while Wu Sheng handled the logic. “…In summary, the condition that triggers the reset has been determined to be death. The first time was Xu Wang, the second and third times, both were you.”

“No wonder the first time I was just grabbed by the leg, and then time reversed, and the second time it was falling down that brought me back to 12:00.” Qian Ai, as straightforward as he was, had only noticed this oddity, which now was explained.

“The 13 chances are shared among us, and now we have 10 left.” Wu Sheng glanced at the blood-red number outside the window, pondering for a moment. “If we don’t run around recklessly or provoke trouble, it should be enough.”

“You mean we just sit here and do nothing?” Qian Ai tried to avoid looking outside. The blood-red color reminded him of debt collectors, which was unsettling.

“Right, do nothing. Death equals failure. Correspondingly, staying alive equals success.” Wu Sheng glanced at his watch. “Now it’s 12:38. There are 246 minutes, 14,760 seconds until 4:44 p.m. If we persevere, that’s victory.”

Qian Ai silently turned to Xu Wang. “How did he just rattle off the seconds so easily…”

Xu Wang patted his shoulder. “You’ll get used to it.”

Being able to calculate in seconds was child’s play for him; this person also had a photographic memory. He was meticulously detailed, remembering every person, event, and object from each reset. While Xu Wang was still bewildered, this person had already proactively sought him out to unite, and when Xu Wang had just begun to grasp a general concept of this test, this person could already use stationery with precision.

Aside from the kiss later on, in this test, he had practically no “contribution” worth mentioning.

After some thought, he gave Mr. Qian another piece of advice as someone who had been through it. “Don’t compare. It affects your state of mind.”

Qian Ai: “……”

He didn’t have that kind of competitive spirit.

The fact that they could restart after dying somewhat reduced Qian Ai’s stress, and he began to wonder about various things. “You say this is a test, so what happens if we pass? Is there a cash prize?”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang despaired. “President Qian, how badly do you need money?”

Qian Ai showed him a miserable face. “Director Xu, creditors are coming to my door with bricks…”

Xu Wang: “Our company seems quite informal. We might have those unsecured loans. Want to try?”

Qian Ai: “Goodbye.”

The three fell silent for a moment.

Time passed by in the second, but this calm passage was reassuring.

Qian Ai opened his own owl head, looking at the array of icons in the [Stationery Box], still finding it incredible.

Wu Sheng said these were all usable props, but what effects they had could only be inferred from the category of the stationery (Defense, Offense, Illusory) and their names. The ones used to save him, [Lullaby] and [Impenetrable], were relatively easy to figure out.

With nothing else to do, Qian Ai began to explore his own stationery—

Defense category: [Princess Carry], [Immortal’s Leap]…

Offense category: [Sad Murderous Roar], [Export Into Needles]…

Illusion category: [Help], [Let’s See Who Dies First]…

“……” Why were the names of his stationery so mystical!

Suddenly, the chair started to shake, causing Qian Ai to tremble along with it. Wondering since his seat wasn’t a massage chair, he then noticed everything around him was shaking.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng, at the first shake, quickly stood up, eyes full of alertness.

Xu Wang: “An earthquake?”

Wu Sheng: “Not sure. Get under the table for now!”

Although Xu Wang asked the question and Wu Sheng answered, the first to act was Qian Ai, showing remarkable agility.

The three each found a table and hid under it. As soon as they did, the shaking stopped.

They looked at each other, puzzled and confused.

If this was also one of the “crises”, it ended too quickly and was harmless.

But if this wasn’t a “crisis”, why would the building shake for no reason with no typhoon around?

The three suppressed their doubts, waited a moment, and, finding no further shaking, carefully emerged from under the tables. Before they could fully stand up, they simultaneously experienced a moment of disorientation.

As their vision cleared, Xu Wang found himself sitting in his department head chair, looking out the window with a sense of despair.

The number had changed to “9”.

…How many people are actually in this exam venue?!

……

Forty-five minutes earlier.

Time: 12:05, the number 10, floor 15, pet grooming center.

Chi Yingxue leaned against the door of the grooming room, staring at Kuang Jinxin. “This is the second time I’ve come to find you.” After saying this, he seemed unsure and added with a frown. “Right?”

Even Kuang Jinxin, slow as he might be, realized something was off.

“Lin Lin, I’m stepping out for a moment.” Leaving his position unexpectedly, he needed to notify his colleague.

The young girl held him back, whispering, “Don’t go into the corridor. Use the storeroom over there. Otherwise, if the manager sees you, she’ll say you’re slacking off at work again.”

Kuang Jinxin thanked her, subtly inquired about the specific location of the storeroom, and then stealthily took Chi Yingxue there.

As soon as the door closed, Chi Yingxue pinched his face—not too hard, but definitely not lightly either.

Kuang Jinxin hesitated for a moment, but the next second, he decisively knocked the intrusive hand away. “What are you doing?”

Chi Yingxue asked, “Does it hurt?”

Kuang Jinxin was perplexed. “Of course.”

“Oh.” Chi Yingxue nodded. “It seems it’s not a dream then.”

Kuang Jinxin: “…You could pinch yourself.”

“It hurts.” Chi Yingxue said it as if it was the most natural thing.

Kuang Jinxin was at a loss for words. He wasn’t angry, but he found it amusing and exasperating. “Brother, it hurts me too.”

Chi Yingxue lightly pursed his lips. That word “brother” made his heart flutter as if it was tickled by a feather, giving him a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Glancing at the name tag on Kuang Jinxin’s chest, his eyes softened. “Xiao Sijin…”

These words sounded as if he had said them thousands of times before—affectionate and natural.

Leaning against the door with one hand, Chi Yingxue moved closer to Kuang Jinxin, his voice soft as if pleading, yet his tone carried a domineering edge. “Call me ‘brother’ again, and I’ll let you pinch me back.”

Kuang Jinxin thought this person was good-looking at first sight, but now, up close, he realized he wasn’t just good-looking; he was beautiful. He found it hard to resist, especially when Chi Yingxue spoke, his breath warming Kuang Jinxin’s face and making him dizzy. A little longer, and not to mention calling him ‘brother’, Kuang Jinxin might just lean his face closer for a pinch if Chi Yingxue raised his hand.

Dangerous.

Kuang Jinxin’s defensive instincts automatically kicked in. He slid down the door and dodged to the side, nimbly escaping Chi Yingxue’s grasp. “Can you first tell me what exactly is going on?”

Chi Yingxue looked at the empty doorway, feeling a bit disappointed, but quickly came to terms. The monk can run, but the temple won’t run with him.

“I’d like to know what’s going on too.” He showed his arm, rolled up from his sleeve. “An ugly pattern appeared on my arm, an even uglier billboard appeared outside the window, and time keeps reversing. That’s about it.”

“……” Kuang Jinxin decided to investigate on his own.

He had already seen the number outside the window on his way to the storage room. Now it was 10. According to Chi Yingxue, it started at 13, and with each reversal of time, it decreased by “-1”, much like a countdown.

Kuang Jinxin finally understood why. Despite grooming for so long, Lin Lin said he had only groomed a few strokes, and why the dog ran out many times and was always stopped by the same colleague. It turns out time had been reversing. He just hadn’t noticed.

The question now was, why was this happening, and why with him and this person.

“Uh, what’s your name?” Kuang Jinxin felt a bit embarrassed. He should have asked at the beginning.

Chi Yingxue tilted his head to look at him, not speaking.

Kuang Jinxin had a moment of inspiration. “Brother.”

Chi Yingxue was satisfied. “Director Chi.”

Kuang Jinxin: “…Is that your name?”

“More like a position.” Chi Yingxue thought for a moment and confirmed. “Yes, a position. That’s what the employees call me at the company.”

Kuang Jinxin: “Then what’s your name?”

Chi Yingxue spread his hands; his beautiful eyes full of innocence. “I have amnesia.”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Doesn’t this director have any curiosity at all…

Suddenly, the ground started to shake, including the cardboard boxes around them.

Kuang Jinxin immediately braced against the wall, but the shaking grew stronger. Trying to suppress his panic, he looked at Chi Yingxue. “Seems like an earthquake. It’s too late to go downstairs. We need to find a place…”

“Stationery.” Chi Yingxue interrupted him.

Kuang Jinxin didn’t catch that. “What?”

Chi Yingxue said, “It’s not an earthquake. It’s the stationery I used.”

Kuang Jinxin froze, then looked at Chi Yingxue seriously for the first time, noticing that amidst the sudden shaking, he seemed quite intrigued.

“It’s quite interesting.” Chi Yingxue commented, his earnest expression resembling a child reviewing amusement park rides.

Kuang Jinxin was speechless. “Stop it first.”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Chi Yingxue: “How do I stop?”

“……” Kuang Jinxin felt that his pre-amnesia self must have been a very patient person, but now he felt like blackening.

The shaking eventually stopped after Chi Yingxue finally figured out how to control the stationery he was using.

The stationery he used, thankfully, stopped in time; a few more shakes, and the building might have collapsed.

Chi Yingxue disagreed with this accusation. “On the verge of collapsing, but it continues to fall without ever actually falling.”

Kuang Jinxin wanted to retort “sophistry”, but his words faded as he saw it.

A black and white snake was on the shelf, hissing at Chi Yingxue.

How could there be a venomous snake here? But Kuang Jinxin had no time to ponder. He knew it was a banded krait, the fourth most venomous snake on land, since its pattern was too distinctive. The mortality rate of those bitten is extremely high.

“What’s wrong?” Chi Yingxue, seeing his face change dramatically, naturally wanted to step forward.

“Don’t move!” Kuang Jinxin’s heartbeat nearly stopped; his voice was so stern that it almost changed pitch.

Chi Yingxue froze, sensing something, and slowly looked down.

Eye contact was made, and the snake moved.

But Kuang Jinxin was faster, grabbing a cardboard box nearby to cover it.

The snake lunged forward with its attack, and the box only managed to press down on its latter half.

Kuang Jinxin pressed down hard, almost putting his entire weight on the box. The snake struggled, its upper body suddenly twisting around, biting onto Kuang Jinxin’s hand pressing the box.

Kuang Jinxin didn’t feel pain—just a moment of dizziness.

By the time he came to his senses, he was back in the grooming room, brushing a dog.

Ten minutes later, Chi Yingxue appeared at the grooming room door, looking gloomier than last time. Five minutes later, holding a fashionable yet retro golden shovel, he planted it on the ground with murderous intent. “Let’s go.”

Kuang Jinxin was astonished. “Going again?”

Chi Yingxue coldly lifted his eyes, his beautiful pupils filled with ice. “To avenge you.”

Meanwhile, on the 10^th floor of the building, the last remaining copier in President Qian’s company was working tirelessly.

“Is this useful?” Qian Ai picked up a freshly printed, still warm A4 paper, uncertain. “It doesn’t look very alike…”

It was a flier written by Wu Sheng in a few minutes.

The content was straightforward—

[Can you see the blood-red number outside the window? Do you also have an owl pattern on your arm? If so, your friends are anxiously waiting for you on the 10^th floor. Please come quickly to meet up!]

Besides the text, there was also an owl head drawn.

“Draw one in a few minutes and let me see.” Xu Wang took the flier and seriously admired it. He finally commented, “Concise text and the illustration capture the essence without losing the spirit. It’s perfect. Coming up with the idea of distributing flyers floor by floor is genius.”

“……” Qian Ai suspected Wu Sheng might have bought financial products from Xu Wang’s company, likely as a major client.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 180: Reunion of Three

Time: 12:01:30. Outside the window, the red number was 10.

“Wrong. There are others participating in this exam!”

The savior rushed in, this being the first thing he said.

Xu Wang closed the door, cutting off the curious gaze of the female secretary. “Are you sure?”

“If the two of us are just chatting normally and time resets, then this problem is unsolvable.” Wu Sheng’s breathing steadied, and his gaze remained firm. “There must be others, triggering the reset condition.”

“So what exactly is the reset condition?” Xu Wang was driven mad by the repeated resets.

“I guess, it’s death.” Wu Sheng lowered his voice.

“Death?” Xu Wang felt a chill down his spine.

“Yes.” Wu Sheng pushed Xu Wang into a guest sofa, then pulled a chair over to sit face-to-face with him. “From the beginning until now, the only unusual event we encountered was the baseball cap guy. As I mentioned before, if the test question is ‘to survive’, there must be obstacles to make us ‘not survive’. The baseball cap guy is one of those obstacles…”

“The result it caused me, is the reset trigger condition.” Xu Wang understood a bit more.

Wu Sheng glanced at the time and sped up his speech. “If this premise is correct, then there must be other test participants who have died twice in places we don’t know. The number is shared, including his part.”

Xu Wang was also prompted to glance at the clock. 12:03.

There wasn’t much time left. He hurriedly asked the question that had been on his mind for a long time. “Benefactor, could you tell me your name?”

Wu Sheng recalled he hadn’t mentioned it before. “Wu Sheng.”

Xu Wang grinned, not sure why he felt so amused. “Both of us have two characters in our names.”

Wu Sheng looked at him leisurely. “Is the probability that low?”

“…Alright, I just wanted to get closer to you.” Xu Wang sighed. “Can’t you play along?”

Wu Sheng reached out, naturally patting his head. “No need to get closer. We definitely have a connection.”

Xu Wang felt something strange inside. “Huh?”

“With so many people available for this exam, it specifically chose us. There must be a reason. Amnesia might be to cover up this information.”

“……” Xu Wang always felt that someone had highlighted the key points of the exam for Wu Sheng. Otherwise, there’s no reason for such a big difference between them.

Wu Sheng looked up at his watch and suddenly stood up.

Xu Wang, without thinking, also stood up.

Wu Sheng glanced at him, suddenly walked over, and firmly hugged him.

Before Xu Wang could react, he was already brought to the office door. Wu Sheng was holding him with one arm while opening the door with the other.

Outside, the female secretary’s ex-boyfriend was coming over with his hands in his pockets. His aura was fierce, while the female secretary was already blocking the door. Facing her obsessive ex, she was helpless and angry.

The sound of the door opening attracted everyone’s attention.

The entire office of gossip mongers was waiting to see how Director Xu would respond. Xu Wang scanned the room. Seeing only eyes filled with schadenfreude, he felt a bit downhearted. Doesn’t anyone think he might be innocent?

Suddenly, the light above was blocked.

Wu Sheng tilted his head and kissed him on the cheek.

Xu Wang was petrified, his heart racing like popping candy.

The baseball cap guy made a sudden stop, staring at them dumbfounded.

The air suddenly went quiet, completely silent.

Wu Sheng didn’t look at anyone else, just at the baseball cap guy, but his voice could be heard throughout the office. “You and your girlfriend can make a fuss all you want. Just leave my boyfriend out of it.”

After speaking, without giving the other party a chance to react, he walked out with Xu Wang.

Once out of the office, Xu Wang realized what had happened and was almost in tears. “Brother, you’re ruining me. How am I supposed to work now…”

“No time to waste on him. We need to find the others.” Wu Sheng glanced back at the baseball cap guy, making sure he didn’t follow with the intention of attacking, then patted Xu Wang’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. We might have to reset a few more times. What we say or do now doesn’t matter.”

Xu Wang suddenly grabbed him. “You mean, now we can… do whatever we want?”

His eyes lit up, and the last four words hinted at some eager anticipation.

Wu Sheng swallowed unconsciously. “Yes, we can.”

Xu Wang grabbed the back of Wu Sheng’s head and gave him a firm kiss—not on the cheek but directly on the lips.

He kissed with force, and when it ended with a “pop”, it dominated the scene.

Releasing Wu Sheng, he turned around, facing all the gossip mongers with his head held high. “Yes, I like men. Got a problem? Keep it to yourself!”

Walking out of the office, Xu Wang took a deep breath. “That was refreshing.”

Wu Sheng put his hand on his shoulders and pulled Xu Wang over while looking at him solemnly. “Did you regain your memory?”

Xu Wang felt a bit panicked but told the truth. “Just-just remembered my sexual orientation…”

Wu Sheng: “…What?”

“I like men. I remembered just now when you kissed me…” The last part, Xu Wang murmured, quieter than a mosquito’s whisper.

Wu Sheng was silent, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, unsure how to comment on this “discovery”. He himself was still amnesiac, and now he’s “converted” a fellow examinee?

Since it’s already started, Xu Wang simply laid it all out. “Before I lost my memory, I definitely kept this a secret. I can feel how many years I’ve been suffocated…”

Whether it’s converting or regaining memory, Wu Sheng didn’t want to think about it anymore, as long as Xu Wang was happy. “Okay, now you can freely express yourself.”

Xu Wang shook his head with a grievance. “Can’t be too free. You would resist.”

Wu Sheng gave him a deep look. “Now I suspect you’re also part of my exam.”

Xu Wang immediately denied it with confidence. “That can’t be. I’m too simple.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

The elevator reached the third floor, and the doors slowly opened.

Xu Wang followed Wu Sheng. “Where are we going now?”

Wu Sheng pressed for the first floor. “Security monitoring room.”

Xu Wang: “How do you know the security monitoring room is on the first floor?”

Wu Sheng: “Last time they caught the baseball cap guy, they said they were going to the first floor monitoring room to wait for the police.”

Xu Wang: “Is there anything you don’t know?”

There is.

Wu Sheng looked up at the changing numbers on the elevator screen, lightly licked his lips, and thought seriously about his own orientation issue.

……

Time: 12:00. Outside the building, the red number was 10.

“Mr. Qian—”

“Don’t worry, I won’t jump. Hey, see? I came down. You hurry back to the third floor. In four minutes, your boss will call you.” After a rush of instructions, Qian Ai ran back into the building, decisively forgoing the elevator, dived into the fire escape, and went down floor by floor.

Going downstairs was also physically demanding. By the time he reached the 10^th floor in one go, Qian Ai started to feel a cramp in his calf.

There was no injury on the back of his head, but that brick hit not only his head but also struck his heart. He had to see which bastard made the move.

Why did time suddenly reverse?

Qian Ai felt it was divine intervention, allowing him to seek revenge.

Sneaking out of the stairwell, he quietly approached the elevator along the corridor wall.

Finally, at the corner, he crouched down to peek towards the elevator door, finding no one there.

Qian Ai took out his phone to check the time. It was 12:05. He suddenly realized he was early—last time, he had smoked two cigarettes on the rooftop before taking the elevator down.

Not sure from where the person would come, Qian Ai decided to hide back in the fire stairwell for safety. Even if that person also took the stairs, he could at least run up or down.

Thinking it was about time, he came out again. The corridor was still empty, and he smoothly returned to the corner to scout.

Next to the elevator door, leaning against the wall, was a man in his twenties, wearing a black hoodie, with a handsome face that could be quite attractive if groomed but was marred by dyed blue hair.

Qian Ai inexplicably disliked dyed hair, especially since the man was holding a brick.

The elevator slowly descended, unknown who the unlucky person taking it down was.

The man with blue hair pulled up his hoodie, pressing his back against the wall, weighing the brick in his hand.

The elevator didn’t stop at the 10^th floor but continued downward.

The blue-haired man, who had been waiting for the door to open, turned back to the door numbers. Noticing it had descended below the 10^th floor, his brows deeply furrowed.

Qian Ai initially wanted a direct confrontation, but when the opportunity arrived, his survival instinct suddenly kicked in.

Quietly retreating, he took out his phone and dialed 110.

The other side quickly answered. “Hello—”

It was unclear which female officer it was, but her voice was loud and clear, effectively turning the call into a speakerphone effect. The empty corridor even echoed.

Qian Ai was desperate.

The footsteps of “deng deng deng” grew louder and closer. The blue-haired man blocked the sunlight coming through the window at the end of the corridor.

“Mr. Qian, calling the police, huh?” He smiled, but his eyes were sinister.

Qian Ai straightened up, ending the call very openly. “No.”

The blue-haired man weighed the brick again, its red color contrasting with his blue hair, creating a peculiar CP vibe. “Paying debts is natural justice. I should be the one calling the police.”

“I owe you money?” Qian Ai looked back at the empty and chaotic office behind him, feeling a sudden sadness and somewhat understanding why he had amnesia—it was probably too painful, and his mental state collapsed.

“You have quite a variety of ways to default. Heartbreak the day before yesterday, bitten by a dog yesterday, pretending amnesia today?”

“…What kind of reasons are those!” Even he, the person involved, couldn’t stand listening.

“It doesn’t matter now. I can’t get the money back anyway. Today, I just want you to understand one thing. Yes, we, the party B, are the underdogs, but you, the party A, shouldn’t push us too far. Those who are barefoot aren’t afraid of those wearing shoes*. Let’s see who dies first!”

*It’s a saying referring to those who aren’t rich or powerful (barefoot) and have nothing to lose, so they aren’t afraid versus those who are (wearing shoes).

“No, brother, take a good look with your big double eyelids. My company has already vacated. I’m barefoot too—”

The blue-haired man charged with the brick, no longer listening.

Qian Ai decisively turned and ran.

In terms of recognizing the situation, he seemed to have a remarkable talent.

Unexpectedly, the blue-haired man ran like he was flying, catching up in just a few steps.

Qian Ai didn’t bother to argue, immediately covering his head with his hands.

The blue-haired man struck down on Qian Ai’s hand with the brick.

Qian Ai tripped him, causing the man to fall, and continued running.

The blue-haired man leaped up, aiming for his back.

Qian Ai fell forward and, turning his head, saw the brick coming towards his face.

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) Impenetrable] on you~~]

“Pop!”

The brick broke upon hitting the tip of his nose.

Well, it shattered.

Qian Ai sniffed, not in pain, but the red dust raised by the shattered brick choked him.

The blue-haired man, hearing footsteps, turned back cautiously, not clearly seeing the two figures approaching, when distant, peaceful notes rang by his ear.

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Lullaby] on you~~]

Overcome by sleepiness, the blue-haired man collapsed onto Qian Ai, falling asleep peacefully.

Qian Ai on the ground: “……”

To move or not to move—that was the question.

“He shouldn’t wake up for a while.” Wu Sheng approached, capturing that subtle sensation after clicking a pen, and propped the blue-haired man against the wall.

Xu Wang helped Qian Ai up. “Are you okay?”

Qian Ai looked at the shattered brick on the ground. He was still dazed and forgot to be thankful. “How did you do that? Qigong? Magic?”

Xu Wang hurried to introduce himself. Otherwise, the other party may start guessing he was from the Lingxiao Palace*. “My name is Xu Wang, from the financial company downstairs, the one selling financial products…”

*Heavenly palace/Cloud Palace of the Golden Arches. It’s where the Jade Emperor (equivalent to God) resides.

Qian Ai’s jaw dropped. “Is business pulling so hard these days?”

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 179: Everywhere

Xu Wang pulled his savior into the office, slammed the door shut, and pointed directly outside. “You can see it too?!”

Wu Sheng showed the owl icon on his arm. “I have this too.”

“Me too!” Xu Wang almost wanted to cry and hug him, just like the overwhelming joy of meeting a compatriot in a foreign land.

“Let’s not get too excited.” Wu Sheng patted his shoulder. “Tell me what happened.”

Xu Wang blurted out everything he had experienced, but the timeline of the events was too chaotic, and he found it hard not to get agitated. As a result, his narrative was all over the place and became incoherent. Towards the end, even he couldn’t bear to listen to himself anymore, like turning neatly sorted vegetables into a jumbled rock salad.

The savior listened from beginning to end without saying a word, probably because he didn’t even know where to start asking questions without interrupting him.

“Give me a minute to sort this out.” Xu Wang shook his head, trying to calm himself down. “Let me explain it to you again…”

“Did you miss anything?” Wu Sheng asked.

“Ah, I don’t think so…” Xu Wang felt a bit embarrassed. “I just told it in such a disorganized way, I was worried you…”

“It’s not disorganized. It’s very clear.” Wu Sheng’s eyes were clear. “You’ve lost your memory and experienced two time resets; one where you were killed and one where you were holding the door and yelling for help, but there was no actual danger. Both times happened at 12:04. The number outside the window decreased from 13 to 11, and you have a strange owl icon and the message ‘survive past 4:44 p.m.’ on your arm.”

“How did you summarize it like that…” Xu Wang now looked at his savior with eyes full of admiration.

Wu Sheng enjoyed the recognition and admiration in the other’s eyes. Since losing his memory, it was the first time he truly smiled. “Because I’m just like you. I’ve also lost my memory, experienced two time resets, and can see the number outside and the message on my arm. The only difference is, I haven’t died. Both times were like your second time. I just zoned out, and then it reset.”

Going from fighting alone to standing together and having someone so reassuring by his side, Xu Wang’s panic was slowly replaced by a huge question. “Why is this happening? Is this some kind of mutation?”

“It’s not clear yet.” Wu Sheng glanced at his watch. 12:09. “So far, we know 12:04 is a key moment. We’ve successfully passed it. Now let’s see what happens next.”

“Next?” Xu Wang tensed up. “You mean there’s still danger to come?”

“Of course,” Wu Sheng said. “If everything goes smoothly, ‘survive past 4:44 p.m.’ wouldn’t make sense as a test question.”

“Test question?” His savior’s thought process was hard to follow.

“Oh, that’s just a metaphor I used.” Wu Sheng opened the owl icon, explaining, “See, there’s a [Roster], [Stationery Box], [Cheat Sheet], and [Report Card]. Among the four items, [Roster] and [Report Card] are blank. [Cheat Sheet] only has ‘survive past 4:44 p.m.’, while [Stationery Box] has items with prefixes (Defense), (Offense), and (Illusory). Doesn’t this look like items in a game?”

“It does seem like it…” Xu Wang hadn’t realized there was so much to the owl icon. He had only seen that message and didn’t click anywhere else. Plus, each time, just after four minutes, the secretary’s crazy boyfriend would arrive, leaving him no time to think further.

“I haven’t clicked them to see what effects they have, but with a [Roster], [Stationery Box] and [Report Card], to me, this seems like a test,” Wu Sheng continued. “The [Cheat Sheet] would normally have answers, but placed here, it’s more likely a hint.”

Xu Wang remembered the first few crisp “dings”. Indeed, it very much sounded like a phone’s notification.

Wu Sheng’s expression became serious. “I guess, for some inexplicable reason, we’ve been chosen to take this test, and the question is ‘survive past 4:44 p.m.’…”

“During this period, the mysterious force behind this test will set various obstacles for us, and if we fail, time will reset. The number outside the window is the number of times we can fail, meaning, you and I share 13 chances…”

“Once the number reaches zero, no one knows what we’ll face, but if possible, I’d like to win this challenge and throw a perfect score in the face of the test organizers…”

After taking a breath, he looked earnestly into Xu Wang’s eyes. “The most important part now is to find the trigger for the time reset. The first time was your death. What about the second time?”

Xu Wang also looked at him seriously, not speaking, just looking.

Wu Sheng paused, perhaps realizing something. “Did I say too much all at once? Actually, it’s not that complicated…”

“Brother.” Xu Wang grabbed his savior’s hand, holding it tightly with both hands. “Tell me the truth. Are you pranking me? You didn’t actually lose your memory. You know everything…”

Time: 12:17. Suddenly, without warning.

“Knock knock.”

Xu Wang snapped back to reality with the sound of knocking, feeling as if he still had the warmth of his savior’s hand in his palm.

Time: 12:00.

The number outside the window changed to “10”.

Half a minute later, the female secretary placed the coffee down for the fourth time.

A minute and a half later, Wu Sheng barged into the office, out of breath. “Wrong, there are others taking this test!”

……

15^th floor, XX Pet Grooming Center.

“Woof woof! Woof woof—”

“Lin Lin, why does it keep barking…” He didn’t know what was wrong with him, having to rely on the name tag pinned to his chest to remember his and his colleague’s names.

To say “remember” wasn’t quite right; his mind was still blank, just temporarily holding onto the two names he saw.

His name tag read Kuang Jinxin.

The girl helping him calm the dog, named Lin Lin, looked two years younger than him.

The dog being serviced was a golden retriever, which should have been gentle, but it barked fiercely. Lin Lin kept soothing it, yet it remained restless.

“It’s pregnant. The most sensitive time is when it’s about to become a mom.” Lin Lin gently stroked the golden retriever’s head to soothe it.

Kuang Jinxin put down the pet comb. “Alright, that’s enough.”

Lin Lin was startled and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You only combed it twice.”

“Ah?” Kuang Jinxin looked puzzled, tilting his head. “But I felt like I’ve been combing for a long time.”

The Golden Retriever suddenly jumped off the grooming table and ran out.

Just then, an employee passed by, intercepted the dog, and, after much coaxing, managed to carry it back.

Kuang Jinxin looked at the golden retriever, now back on the grooming table, momentarily baffled.

If he remembered correctly, the dog had run out three times already, and each time this particular employee happened to pass by. It was too strange.

“What are you daydreaming about?” Lin Lin took his pet comb and got busy.

Kuang Jinxin looked around the grooming salon. There were walls on all sides with no windows and only a glass door, sealed tightly by the company’s logo.

Probably because it was a bit stuffy inside, Kuang Jinxin thought, hence why he was having these bizarre illusions.

……

16^th floor, XX Brand Design Studio.

Mannequins were everywhere, fabrics of various colors cluttered the place, and designers were bustling about. It seemed even the overhead lights were malfunctioning. A maintenance worker was fixing them on a ladder, creating a bustling scene of work.

A beautiful man sat in a corner; even in an open office area, it was evident that the space around him was relatively larger and more independent.

He wasn’t busy but had turned his chair halfway to look out the window. Though frowning, his posture was relaxed, in stark contrast to the bustling employees.

“Director Chi, this is the theme for the next season. Please take a look.” An employee delivered a plan.

The contemplative man didn’t turn around, still immersed in his own aesthetic system. “Which company’s countdown advertisement is this?”

“Huh?” The employee didn’t understand.

“Too ugly.” The man didn’t wait for an answer from the employee, giving a genuinely felt criticism.

Following the boss’ gaze outside, the employee saw only a blue sky and clouds. There was no advertisement in sight.

Chi Yingxue turned his chair away from the big and ugly red “11”, his gaze falling on the planning document.

This was the third time he had received the same plan.

It must be a dream.

Only in dreams could he have a blank memory, and his employees repeatedly do the same things.

And the tattoo that appeared on his arm.

Both the design and color scheme were far from “beautiful”. Its only merit was that it was unique and somewhat intriguing.

But since it was a dream, there was no need to restrain himself—the barking from downstairs was giving him a headache.

When the planning document was delivered for the second time, he had already asked; there was a pet grooming center downstairs.

“Who opens a pet grooming center in a building…” he muttered as he got up and walked out. Wanting a good sleep and a peaceful dream wasn’t too much to ask for. It was a reasonable request that should be fulfilled.

The employee was left behind, recalling the boss’ expression of “I’m going to find fault”, dared not call out to the departing figure.

The messy office made Chi Yingxue’s walk from his station to the door winding, nearly getting hit by pliers falling from the maintenance worker’s ladder. Luckily, he dodged in time.

He chose to walk down the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator to go down just one floor.

On the stairs, he encountered a group of security guards taking a man down. They probably didn’t take the elevator because they were afraid of the negative impact.

He courteously made way, not in a hurry.

Yet, as the man passed by him, he suddenly broke free from the security guards, attempting to strangle him.

Whether the man was desperately seeking help or truly confident he could overpower him, Chi Yingxue didn’t give him a chance. He kicked him down, startling the security guards, fearing the man wouldn’t live to see the police arrive.

He had held back; a real kick would have sent the man tumbling down the stairs.

After this commotion, reaching downstairs, his irritation had somewhat subsided, but the barking became louder and more distinct, reigniting his headache.

Ignoring the receptionist’s attempt to stop him, he barged into the grooming salon, and upon opening the door, he saw two people and a dog.

Kuang Jinxin and Lin Lin were also stunned.

The Golden Retriever suddenly jumped down, clinging to Chi Yingxue’s leg, and wouldn’t leave, wagging its tail and sticking out its tongue. Even its barking sounded cheerful.

Chi Yingxue was puzzled.

Kuang Jinxin smiled, saying, “It likes you.”

Chi Yingxue felt strangely familiar with the voice, but his dream-addled brain wasn’t functioning well. He looked closely at the other person, forgetting why he came, and asked, “Have we met somewhere before?”

His gaze was fixed on Kuang Jinxin’s face, so obviously that Lin Lin didn’t even bother to think twice, bursting into laughter.

Kuang Jinxin was initially puzzled, then, scratching his head, asked uncertainly, “Brother, are you hitting on me?”

Before Chi Yingxue could answer, a wave of dizziness hit them both.

……

Rooftop, 12:00.

“Mr. Qian! You can always earn money back, but once a person is gone, they’re really gone—”

Amidst the clamorous shouting, Qian Ai’s vision gradually cleared. He was standing on the edge of the rooftop, with a seemingly endless abyss behind him, and a man dressed as a security guard stood two meters away, calling out earnestly.

“Mr. Qian! Think about how painful it would be to fall down! Smashed to pieces, you’d turn into a meat pancake—”

Meat pancake? Xianghe… meat pancake?

What a time to think about eating!

He scorned himself in his mind.

But soon, he realized something was wrong; he could remember Xianghe meat pancakes, Sichuan skewers, Northeast stew, Peking duck, and so on, but couldn’t recall who he was or why he was standing there.

“Mr. Qian—”

“Stop wailing!” He couldn’t take it anymore. The rooftop wind was strong, and being howled at like this, he was likely to lose his footing.

“Who am I?” He urgently wanted to know the answer.

“Mr. Qian!”

“Ding—”

“Qian Ai—the Ai from mugwort*.”

*The [Ai] (艾) from mugwort (草头艾).

“Who am I?”

“The boss of a trading company. We work on the tenth floor!”

“Ding—”

“Can you turn off your damn phone first!”

“That’s not my phone ringing…” The security guard was almost in tears, having gone to great lengths to persuade this suicidal boss to come down, accommodating even his feigned ignorance. What more could he do!

He wished this Mr. Qian really had amnesia; at least he wouldn’t be attempting suicide!

“Mr. Qian, think about your family, your wife, your children. Where there’s life, there’s hope…”

“Wife? Children?” Qian Ai was utterly confused. “Do I have any?”

“……” The security guard had blurted that out without thinking, not knowing the specifics of his family affairs.

The air suddenly went quiet, and a distressed voice came through the security guard’s walkie-talkie. “Hurry to the third floor. Hurry to the third floor. There’s a disturbance!”

Qian Ai sighed, deciding to come down from such a dangerous place. Whether the security guard was telling the truth or not, he currently had no desire to die. Even if he were truly bankrupt, he’d just have to pick himself back up.

Just as the security guard was about to report his situation via the walkie-talkie, he caught a glimpse of Qian Ai lifting one leg.

He held his breath and lunged forward with all his might!

Qian Ai’s eyes widened in panic as he watched the security guard lunge at him. The moment the guard grabbed his leg, he suddenly felt dizzy…

“Mr. Qian! Money can be earned back, but once a person is gone, they’re really gone—”

Qian Ai stood on the edge, his body swaying slightly, feeling an eerie sense of unreality.

Has he heard this before?

“Mr. Qian! Think about how painful it would be to fall down! Smashed to pieces, you’d turn into a meat pancake—”

He had heard this before…

“Mr. Qian, think about your family, your wife, your children. Where there’s life, there’s hope…”

Something was definitely wrong. Either he was going mad, or the security guard was.

Behind the security guard was the door downstairs, its glass reflecting a hint of red.

He looked back as if compelled, and there in mid-air was a blood-red “12”.

“Hurry to the third floor. Hurry to the third floor. There’s a disturbance!”

The voice from the walkie-talkie brought Qian Ai’s attention back.

Fragments of memories flashed through his mind: the walkie-talkie, the third floor, the security guard, lunging… lunging?

Overwhelmed by the flood of memories, Qian Ai was so shocked that he nearly lost his balance, the sudden gust of wind making him sway even more.

“Mr. Qian!” The security guard, horrified, lunged forward again!

“…Again?!”

This time, the dizziness didn’t come as expected when his legs were grabbed. Qian Ai was momentarily stunned but then leaned backward and fell from the rooftop.

The security guard had lunged too forcefully, grabbing the legs but knocking the person over, unable to tighten his grip in time, and the person was already gone.

In fact, even if he had tightened his grip, the strength of holding onto the legs wouldn’t have been enough to save a grown man.

Dizziness, disorientation, 12:00.

“Mr. Qian! Money can be earned back, but once a person is gone, they’re really gone—”

“Shut up! Be quiet! Don’t move!” Qian Ai, with a surge of energy, quickly came down from the edge, ran to the center of the rooftop, and only then, gasping for breath, felt grounded.

Outside the building, the blood-colored “12” turned into “11.”

“Mr. Qian, have you come to your senses?!” The security guard was nearly ecstatic with joy, his voice changing pitch.

“Nonsense!” Qian Ai wiped his forehead, not caring if there was any sweat. “Or else you’d have lunged again!”

“Huh?” The security guard looked innocently puzzled.

Qian Ai wanted to beat him with a stick.

The wind on the rooftop helped Mr. Qian cool down a bit. “Your walkie-talkie should be ringing about now.”

The security guard didn’t quite understand. After a few seconds, the walkie-talkie indeed rang. “Hurry to the third floor. Hurry to the third floor. There’s a disturbance!”

The security guard gave him an incredulous look before responding to the call. “Okay, coming now.”

As he reached the door and saw Qian Ai hadn’t moved, he asked, “Mr. Qian, let’s go down together?”

Qian Ai shook his head. “Go on with your work.”

The concern returned to the security guard’s eyes.

Qian Ai rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry. I’m just going to get some air and smoke a cigarette. If I wanted to die, I would have jumped just now.”

The security guard thought about it, and with the walkie-talkie urging him on, he gave a couple of words of caution and then left.

Qian Ai squatted seriously on the rooftop, smoking two cigarettes, and then—came up with nothing.

The situation was too bizarre, completely unscientific, and even more perplexing.

He took out his phone to check the time: 12:15.

He sighed, got up, and went back inside the building. The person had said he worked on the tenth floor. Maybe going back to the company, he could remember something.

From the 22^nd floor to the top, he waited in front of the elevator doors for a while before the elevator arrived.

At 12:17, the elevator doors slowly opened on the tenth floor.

As Qian Ai stepped out, he just saw the words “Trading Company” and felt a pain in the back of his head, his vision instantly going dark.

In the last moment before losing consciousness, Qian Ai instinctively guessed—it was a brick.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 178: Reset

Fear. Confusion.

Xu Wang stiffened in his chair, unsure if the problem was with him or the secretary.

“Director… I’ll be leaving now…” The secretary tried to maintain a smile, but her hurried steps betrayed her panic.

The door closed.

Xu Wang sat silently, listening to the echo of the door shutting fade away. He didn’t know what to do or think, as if staying still would somehow clear the chaotic illusions from his mind.

Noise from outside suggested an argument. It sounded loud enough to penetrate the door.

“I’ve told you, Director Xu isn’t here!” It was the voice of the young female secretary from before.

“Not here? Fine, I’ll wait here then. I want to see how long he can hide!” Came an angry, hoarse male voice.

Xu Wang frowned. Had he offended someone? Even if there were grievances, bringing them to the company and making a young woman fend for him seemed too unseemly.

“You keep this up, and I’m calling security!” The female secretary continued to dutifully block.

Xu Wang stood up, opening the door without hesitation. Both people outside paused, as did the dozens of “resting at their desks but actually sneakily glancing this way” onlooking colleagues.

Xu Wang paused too, not expecting such a large office area and such a broad audience.

“Don’t trouble the young lady,” he declared loudly enough for the entire floor to hear. “Talk to me if you have something to say.”

The troublemaker was a young man wearing a baseball cap with his hands in his pockets and the brim pulled down low, obscuring his face.

“Alright, since you’re man enough, let’s talk.”

The baseball cap’s corner curled up as he stepped forward, his hand moving from his pocket with the speed of lightning, stabbing towards Xu Wang’s stomach.

Xu Wang didn’t see what he was holding, only hearing a faint “puff”.

Looking down, the baseball cap pulled out the object, then “puff, puff” stabbed him two more times.

Now Xu Wang saw clearly that it was a fruit knife.

The delayed pain swept over him like a tsunami, with screams erupting around…

“Knock knock.”

Xu Wang shook his head, only returning to his senses at the second knock.

“Come in.” His voice was somewhat hoarse as he spoke.

The young female secretary entered, smiling as she placed the fragrant coffee on his desk. “Director Xu, your coffee.”

Xu Wang was bemused. “Didn’t you just bring me a cup? What, forgot about it?”

The female secretary froze, looking at him blankly.

Xu Wang suddenly felt a chill, looking up at the clock, which showed noon. Frantically rolling up his sleeve, he saw the owl icon again.

[Cheat Sheet]: Survive past 4:44 p.m.

He still didn’t understand why his arm had such a thing, but now this eerie item strangely comforted him.

He hadn’t gone mad. He had indeed seen the time, drunk the coffee, heard the argument, and been stabbed three times.

Turning the chair slowly, the blood-red Arabic numeral outside turned into “12”.

The secretary left.

Xu Wang looked at the clock’s second hand: one circle, two circles…

“I’ve told you, Director Xu isn’t here!”

“Not here? Fine, I’ll wait here then. I want to see how long he can hide!”

12:04.

Xu Wang stood up abruptly, opening the door. “I’m here. Let’s talk.”

“Alright, since you’re man enough, let’s talk.” The baseball cap guy smirked and approached, his hand swiftly moving.

Xu Wang wouldn’t let himself be stabbed a fourth time! Dodging just in time, the baseball cap guy missed and stumbled into the office.

Xu Wang closed the door from outside, holding it shut while shouting to the office. “What are you looking at? Call the police—”

Suddenly feeling dizzy, Xu Wang analyzed calmly, even as he lost consciousness. He had heard that yelling too long could lead to oxygen deprivation, but he had only shouted once…

“Knock knock.”

Xu Wang sat lifelessly, watching the door knock open, feeling despondent.

The clock still showed 12:00.

The blood-red number outside had changed to “11”.

People don’t come back to life, but it seemed he could.

The question was: he clearly hadn’t been stabbed to death just now, so why was he back here?

With each return, the number decreased accordingly, and if it reached “0”… Xu Wang didn’t dare think further.

Regardless, he at least understood the meaning of “Survive past 4:44 p.m.” because, for two consecutive times, he couldn’t even survive past 12:04!

If the brain were a 1TB hard drive, Xu Wang now only had 1MB of information stored, from the first “knock knock” to this moment, the rest was blank.

But this 1MB was too intense, making him feel that questions like “Who am I?” and “Where is my past?” could be postponed. For now, focusing on “surviving” was enough. If he could survive, then he could discuss the past and future.

“Come in.”

“Director Xu, your coffee.”

“Have I wronged anyone?”

“Hm?”

“A young boy, who usually likes to wear a baseball cap, about 180 cm tall…” Xu Wang tried his best to describe. Since the secretary dared to block, she must know something.

The female secretary’s face turned red and then pale, not out of shyness but shame. “Director, I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize. Answer my question.” It was already 12:02, and Xu Wang couldn’t hide his agitation.

Anyone forced onto the track, unknowingly racing with death, would be agitated.

“It’s not about you. He… He insists that my breakup with him is because of you…” The female secretary lowered her head, her voice getting softer.

“He was your boyfriend?” Xu Wang thought the man was his enemy.

“Ex-boyfriend.” The secretary corrected even at this moment.

Xu Wang massaged his forehead, feeling uncertain due to his memory loss. “So, do we have any relationship?”

“Ah?” The female secretary was stunned. “How could that be?”

“……” What kind of reaction is that?

Even though Xu Wang also hoped they were clear of each other, the secretary’s “shocked” face was still hurtful.

He’s a handsome, middle-level company manager, unmarried and childless. Why is it impossible?

Wait, the marriage and romance part seem blank in his memory too…

“Bang—”

The door was kicked open. The baseball cap guy saw them inside, and his eyes filled with rage. “I’m going to fight you—”

12:04.

The female secretary didn’t leave, and the baseball cap guy changed his lines.

Xu Wang’s mind was uncontrollably filled with these thoughts, but his body acted honestly, dodging the baseball cap’s extended arm. The intruder, blocked by the desk, became furious. He suddenly leaped over it!

Xu Wang’s breath hitched, circling the desk to run outside.

The baseball cap chased closely, tackling him from behind.

Xu Wang braced for impact, clenching his teeth, but before the pain came, a breeze passed overhead.

Xu Wang felt lighter, then heard a “thud. The baseball cup guy who was pressing on him was kicked away.

“Pin him down!” A magnetic and pleasant voice commanded the sweep kick.

The baseball cap guy was pinned down by a group of security guards.

Xu Wang scrambled up, facing a one-in-a-million face.

One-in-a-million handsome, one-in-a-million intelligent.

He didn’t know him, and while handsomeness is visible, how do you see intelligence? Xu Wang couldn’t explain, but he just knew.

“Are you alright?” his savior asked.

“I’m fine.”

After Xu Wang answered, he felt it was too curt, hesitating whether to add a “thank you” or directly ask “who are you”, but the savior leaned in again, speaking in a voice so low only the two of them could hear—

“Can you see the blood-red number outside the window?”

……

Noon.

He snapped back to reality amidst the continuous “tap tap tap” of the keyboard, only to find that he was the one typing.

The screen, filled with meaningless gibberish, proved he had zoned out.

This was an incredibly spacious and luxurious office. The boss’ desk was made of solid wood, the sofa was leather, and the marble floor was shiny enough that he could see his own reflection. Hanging on the walls were strange decorations.

His gaze returned to the computer screen full of codes, critically assessing—decorating an IT office like this is insane.

But this was his office.

How odd.

His brain felt formatted, currently blank. There was nothing on the desk to prove his identity, but he only panicked for a moment before checking his pockets.

Sure enough, his wallet was there, containing his ID, driver’s license, and several identical business cards.

XX Technology Company, General Manager.

Wu Sheng.

He calmly accepted his identity, feeling it was as it should be.

But he couldn’t be calm about his amnesia; this was a serious issue that could affect normal life, and he had to get to the bottom of it.

The quickest way to clarify his current situation was to ask someone nearby.

Just as Wu Sheng was about to stand up and look for someone who could help in the office outside, a “ding” sound made him sit back down.

He accurately pinpointed the sound source, rolling up his shirt sleeve in disbelief.

An APP icon had appeared on his arm—quite a novelty.

Clicking in, he first checked new messages—

[Cheat Sheet]: Survive past 4:44 p.m.

On his watch, the hour, minute, and second hands were perfectly aligned at 12:00.

Wu Sheng slightly tilted his head, furrowing his brows in thought.

Survive past 4:44 p.m.…

A warning? A premonition? Or some kind of prank?

No, that’s not right. Technology hasn’t advanced to the point where something like this could be implanted in his arm without notice. Also, his amnesia was strange. Could it be related to this thing on his arm?

“Thud.”

A collision sound came from the floor-to-ceiling window behind him.

Turning around, he saw a window cleaner standing in a gondola, cleaning the exterior glass. The wind was strong, causing the gondola to sway and occasionally bump into the glass.

Behind the window cleaner, a giant blood-red “13” hung in mid-air.

Wu Sheng stared at the “13”, feeling oddly at ease—the world wasn’t normal, so the abnormalities appearing on him were to be expected.

“Thud.”

The gondola bumped the glass again, looking even more unstable. The worker inside had to stop his work and use a walkie-talkie, probably asking the control desk to bring the gondola back down.

The gondola quickly began its descent.

Wu Sheng, feeling somewhat concerned, instinctively stood in front of the window, watching the gondola lower.

Finally, the gondola landed safely on the ground.

Wu Sheng breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly felt dizzy, struggling to stand.

“Tap tap tap…”

As his vision cleared, Wu Sheng stared at the familiar gibberish on the screen, stunned.

His first action was to check his watch, the second was to open the owl icon, and the third was to look outside the window.

Only the time had reset.

The message in the owl icon remained, and the unread “1” had disappeared.

The blood-red number had changed from 13 to 12.

“Why…” Wu Sheng murmured as he looked at the message in [Cheat Sheet] with confusion in his eyes.

Survive past 4:44 p.m.

He didn’t know who sent this message, but logically, if everything was going smoothly, who would specifically remind him of this? Since “survive” is emphasized, correspondingly, there’s a big possibility of “not surviving”, meaning there might be some “not surviving” danger between now and 4:44.

But he hadn’t encountered any danger, yet the time had reset.

Is time-resetting inevitable? No, if that were the case, even gods couldn’t live past 4:44.

What if the time reset is conditional? Something he’s unaware of happened, so time reset… Wu Sheng got excited by his own guess, like someone groping in the dark seeing a glimmer of light.

Assuming this “reset condition” truly exists, he just needs to find and prevent this condition from happening, allowing time to continue forward to 4:44!

What happens after 4:44, he can’t imagine, but right now, “Survive past 4:44 p.m.” is like an intriguing puzzle, fatally attractive to him.

“Thud.”

The gondola bumped the glass again.

Wu Sheng no longer worried; he knew it would land safely.

Standing up, he headed out. The office outside was a long corridor, with transparent office areas on both sides, mostly empty, likely because most employees had gone for lunch. A few were either resting at their desks or reclining in chairs, catching a quick nap.

Wu Sheng glanced at his watch, 12:02.

Two male employees approached, one carrying their bought lunch, the other engrossed in his phone, chuckling.

“What’s so funny that you’re laughing like that?” Wu Sheng greeted them, making a joke.

He wasn’t the type to make jokes, at least not now, but everyone he met could carry crucial information, and he didn’t want to miss out.

“Wu-Mr. Wu!” The two employees immediately stood at attention.

“Hm?” A simple upward inflection indicated he was still waiting for an answer.

The employees, probably finding themselves tongue-tied, just lifted the phone for their boss to see.

It was a WeChat group named “XX Building” the screen was spamming in a flurry of text—

[OMG, drama!]

[Who got played haha]

[Don’t just live text. We need pictures for proof!]

[Just come to the third floor and see for yourself.]

[[Photo]]

[The door hasn’t been knocked yet. Now it’s just the female lead and the second male lead. The first male lead is hiding and hasn’t shown his face.]

[Quite cowardly.]

[OMG, the door opened, hey!]

[They started fighting hahahaha]

XX Building—isn’t that the company address on his business card?

The building’s group?

Third floor? Drama?

Wu Sheng had just caught a few keywords and hadn’t had time to think deeply when the familiar sense of déjà vu hit him a second time.

“Tap tap tap…”

His fingers stopped. Wu Sheng glanced at the “11” outside the window and quickly stood up without a moment’s delay.

Rather than speculating on whether those messages have anything to do with his current situation, it’s better to investigate on site.

The hallway was quiet. Those two male employees hadn’t come back yet.

Wu Sheng made his way to the elevator, finding himself on the 7^th floor. The elevator was descending, currently on the 15^th floor. He quickly pressed the down button.

The elevator stopped on the 7th floor. Wu Sheng entered and decisively pressed “3”.

Without interruption, the elevator reached the 3^rd floor directly.

As the doors opened, Wu Sheng quickly stepped out, turned around upon exiting the elevator, and saw the “XX Financial Company” logo. It seems this building follows the rule of “one floor, one company”, with his tech company on the 7^th floor and only this one on the 3^rd.

From a distance, he could hear a man’s hoarse yelling.

The receptionist peeked into the office area to watch the drama, not noticing Wu Sheng’s entrance until he had already strode into the office area.

Just as Wu Sheng entered, the door that attracted all the office gossip was kicked open by the man wearing a baseball cap.

The man charged in aggressively, and Wu Sheng tensed up, instinctively running towards the office.

Just as he reached the office doorway, someone was escaping out. It was a rather handsome man, with distinct eyebrows and eyes. His facial features were attractive both individually and as a whole.

But just as Wu Sheng started to appreciate him, he hadn’t seen enough before the man was tackled from behind by the one with the baseball cap.

A flash of cold light.

The man in the cap was actually holding a knife.

Without thinking, Wu Sheng kicked the man away.

“Hold him down!”

The security guards arrived belatedly, just in time for the last part—pinning the man down.

“Are you alright?” Wu Sheng asked, but his eyes were already scanning up and down, automatically searching for any sign of trouble.

“I’m fine.” The man’s voice was a bit hoarse but still composed.

Wu Sheng’s “scanning gaze” paused on a section of the man’s exposed arm.

The same owl head.

He felt a surge of joy, unclear if it was because he had finally found a clue or because the clue was on this man.

“Can you see the blood-red number outside the window?” When Wu Sheng asked, he lowered his voice, unable to suppress his racing heartbeat.

---

The author has something to say:

If this were an exam, Advisor Wu would have already completed the multiple-choice questions, leaving only the fill-in-the-blank, calculation questions, and the final essay question. Captain Xu just finished writing his name and student number ╮(╯_╰)╭

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

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…”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 176: Best Actor

“Xu Wang?” A flash of panic crossed Wu Sheng’s eyes, barely noticeable but not escaping Fu Wenqing’s observation. His call also made the rest of the teammates look around.

Kuang Jinxin incredulously called out as well, “Captain?”

Qian Ai swallowed hard. “Don’t scare us, okay…”

Chi Yingxue remained silent, but his beautiful eyebrows were already furrowed.

Fu Wenqing assessed the situation, which was too sudden for him to make an immediate judgment.

Was the person really gone? Or was it a trap?—he exchanged glances with his teammates as if asking.

He Lanshan shook his head slightly—not sure. 

Wu Yanchao rolled his eyes—definitely a trap. They used their stationery, their person is gone, isn’t it obvious!

Qin Rui looked conflicted—but their reactions seemed genuinely emotional…

Zhao Muchen’s lips were tightly pressed—perhaps he even deceived his teammates. What exactly he plans, only he knows.

The woman opened her red lips and softly began to sing. Her voice rose in the post-storm living room. The ancient language of a different race carried a bewitching magic.

But what was more lethal were her eyes—beautiful like glass—like dew on the tips of grass, like an intoxicating whiff in the night.

No one could look away, as if their souls were being sucked into those enchanting eyes.

The same stiffness as yesterday began to spread among everyone.

Kuang Jinxin seized the last chance to click on a defense stationery.

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) A Single Leaf Blocks the Eyes] on you~~]

Only the woman could hear this prompt. A narrow green leaf, carried by the night wind, placed itself over the woman’s eyes. The woman reached to grab it, but the leaf clung tightly to her eyes, its veins glowing faintly as if alive.

The curse-like stiffness disappeared.

Kuang Jinxin exhaled deeply, turned his head, and looked admiringly. “Sheng Ge, you were right. It was the eyes.”

During the daytime strategy deployment, he was somewhat unsure whether his [A Single Leaf Blocks the Eyes] could interrupt this ghost’s “Stiffness Enchantment”—the name was given by the captain, saying it sounded cooler and more respectful to the ghost. At that time, the advisor didn’t explain much and just said that even if it failed, he had a backup plan.

Now, Kuang Jinxin felt foolish for doubting the advisor’s deduction.

Wu Sheng patted Qian Ai, who was still looking around worriedly.

Qian Ai turned back, his worry evident. “Xu Wang…”

“We’ll look for him later,” Wu Sheng said firmly, his brows furrowed but his tone steady. “First, capture the ghost.”

Qian Ai glanced at the woman, indeed. [A Single Leaf Blocks the Eyes] was about to give way.

Focusing, he proceeded to activate as planned—[(Offense) Threads of a Ghost’s Despair].

The woman finally tore the leaf apart, not having time to tidy her increasingly disheveled hair, when a bundle of glowing ribbons gently floated down, wrapping her from head to toe.

The woman’s pupils darkened. The strange words that spilled out of her mouth once more no longer held their previous grace but had a hurried and hoarse tone, as if she was cursing.

A black shadow rose behind her, taking on a human shape, and then hurled itself at the ribbons on the woman.

The ribbons emitted a holy light. Upon collision, the shadow emitted a burning black smoke accompanied by a distant, wailing scream as if it came from hell.

“Most of us would be reluctant to use this stationery on ordinary ghosts, so just be content.” Qian Ai stood tall and proud, his heart stirring.

There was no need for physical confrontation, no self-harm; the user experience was tear jerkingly good. What kind of divine stationery was this?!

The woman was completely immobilized by [Ghost’s Despair].

Wu Sheng glanced at Chi Yingxue.

Chi Yingxue didn’t look at him; he was already dashing out as planned.

His speed was extreme; in a blink, he was in front of the woman, and with not a moment’s hesitation or pause, he thrust the cross towards her heart.

The earth shook.

Chi Yingxue staggered, causing the cross to miss its mark and piercing the woman’s shoulder instead.

He quickly withdrew the cross for a second strike, but a large slab of stone fell from nowhere, hitting his back. Unable to withstand it, he kneeled on one knee.

It was Qin Rui, who had approached unnoticed, who took over and stabbed the cross into the woman’s heart.

Only then did Chi Yingxue hear the belated prompt—

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Earthquake] on you~~]

The previously saved [(Defense) Iron Slab] came in handy as Qian Ai pulled the advisor and Kuang Jinxin closer while anxiously shouting, “Xiao Xue!”

Wu Sheng looked towards Fu Wenqing’s team. The tumultuous ground and falling debris made the view fragmented.

Wu Sheng: “I thought you’d wait until we caught the ghost before acting.”

Fu Wenqing, feigning seriousness, shook his head. “That would be unscrupulous.”

Wu Sheng raised an eyebrow. “So confident?”

Fu Wenqing scoffed. “Hiding someone isn’t a trump card. If I were you, I’d prefer a fair fight. At least there’s a chance to win.”

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Returning to the Fields*] on you~~]

*Demobilized and return to the fields (解甲归田) Idiom referring to taking off one’s military uniform (retire) and returning home to farm.

Only Qian Ai could hear this prompt, and he immediately felt the connection to [Stingy] and [Iron Slab] disappear, or more precisely, the stationery themselves vanished.

…This illusory stationery could remove the stationery he was using!

Realizing this, Qian Ai abruptly looked up. In the corner where the four ghosts stood quietly, indeed, there was one more person from the opposing team!

The cross was raised and then plunged.

In just a moment, he watched as the ownership of their team’s ghost shifted to their peers.

Overwhelmed, he quickly raised his hand to use an offense stationery, but before his fingertips could touch the icon, his body froze.

He struggled to glance sideways at Wu Sheng and Kuang Jinxin beside him. Like him, his companions were immobilized.

And under the slab, so was Chi Yingxue.

Soon, all four friends heard the notification—

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Dumbstruck*] on you~~]

*Dumb as a wooden chicken/piece of wood (呆若木鸡) Idiom referring a person in a daze due to fear or surprise.

“Bang—”

In the midst of the earthquake, a pickup truck broke through the wall. Through the windshield, one could see the infuriating face of [Mr. Thirteen of the Middle Ring]. The truck was bigger, higher, and sturdier than yesterday’s SUV.

“Thump—”

A deer charged into the breach following the pickup. Though unharmed, the truck trembled heavily.

However, Fu Wenqing remained composed and even sighed with a bit of “you’ve disappointed me”. “We’ve upgraded our vehicle, yet you’re still stuck in the same place?”

The deer shook its head, ignoring Fu Wenqing’s words. It backed up a few steps and charged at the truck again with force.

An elevator, with its doors open, fell from the sky without warning, landing on the rear of the pickup.

The deer, unable to stop in time, rushed into the elevator and disappeared.

“[(Offense) Thousand-Mile Elevator],” the user of the stationery, Wu Yanchao, kindly explained. “Your deer demon is probably thousands of miles away now.”

The five agilely boarded the rear half of the truck.

The four ghosts in the corner, along with the woman in the living room, like spirits, floated onto the truck.

As the earthquake subsided, the truck sped away.

……

Under the moonlight, the pickup truck raced through the wind.

“Why didn’t we just send them back home since we had them immobilized?” Wu Yanchao was still bothered by not having completely subdued the enemy.

Fu Wenqing’s expression was grave. “If we can strike quickly and escape, let’s not get entangled with them.”

Zhao Muchen nodded. “Yeah, I always feel like they have something up their sleeve.”

“Anyone who’s made it this far is no easy opponent.” He Lanshan reflected on the recent fierce battle, still somewhat exhilarated. He rarely gets excited, but when he does, he needs a couple of puffs to calm down, or it affects his judgment and action.

After blowing a couple of smoke rings, he passed the half-pack to Qin Rui.

Qin Rui pushed it back.

He Lanshan was surprised. “You don’t smoke?”

Qin Rui scratched his grape-purple dyed hair and looked around with a hint of unease. “Don’t you think it went too smoothly?”

“This was smooth?” Wu Yanchao almost rolled his eyes. “When have we ever thrown stationery like it’s buy one get ten free?”

“I agree with Qin Rui,” Zhao Muchen said calmly. “That missing captain of theirs is too suspicious.”

Fu Wenqing was silent for a while until all four pairs of eyes turned to him.

“I have two guesses.” Fu Wenqing shared his thoughts. “One, he’s hiding in that house, ready to strike at a crucial moment; two, he’s already at the church waiting in ambush, so even if we capture all five ghosts, they still have hope for a turnaround.”

Zhao Muchen: “Now the first one’s out.”

Fu Wenqing looked towards the end of the road, where the church was faintly visible. “Mm.”

The truck stopped in front of the church. Under the moonlight, the church was quiet and solemn. The priest stood at the entrance, as if he had been waiting there for a long time.

“My children, you have finally arrived.” His kind voice couldn’t hide his excitement, which was filled with a heavy sense of expectation.

The exorcism ceremony was set up in the church’s hall, with five human-shaped grooves dug into the ground, forming a circle around a central pool of holy water.

“Once the five evil spirits lie in the grooves, the holy water will wash away their sins…”

The priest droned on while Fu Wenqing’s team listened with more interest in the missing “enemy captain” than in the procedures, fearing a missed detail might let the enemy slip through and ruin everything.

But now, standing before the exorcism formation, there was still no sign of any movement.

The priest stopped and gazed at the exorcism formation as if offering a final prayer.

Finally, he turned around and walked to the five neatly lined-up ghosts. “Go…”

The five ghosts stood firm, unmoving.

The priest quietly observed them and, after a moment, turned to Fu Wenqing’s team. “One is missing.”

Fu Wenqing was taken aback. “Impossible.”

The priest slowly shook his head. “One is missing.”

Fu Wenqing turned to his teammates and met four equally bewildered faces.

Could there be a sixth ghost? But there are clearly only five grooves on the ground!

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) Love Each Other as Family] on you~~]

The sudden prompt was like a hammer blow, shattering the precarious “stability” Fu Wenqing’s team had been balancing on.

The five “popped” together, arm in arm, huddled into a group, like soccer players celebrating a goal. The only difference was that players would separate and continue the game, while Fu Wenqing and his four teammates remained stuck together.

No, Fu Wenqing struggled to push away He Lanshan’s chin, lifting his head. One, two, three, four… not five—only four fucking people were huddled together!

“Captain, just hold on for five more seconds—no, four seconds—” “Qin Rui”, who had approached the priest, flashed a coquettish smile at “his teammates”, magically producing crosses from his arms, and “puff, puff, puff, puff,” stabbed them into the hearts of the doll, ghost figure, Nail Guy, and Gloomy Youth.

The beautiful woman wasn’t stabbed a second time—in the black plastic house, she was the one “Qin Rui” had stabbed in the heart.

“Father, it’s your turn,” “Qin Rui” urged.

The priest cooperated, looking at the five ghosts in the same line. “Go.”

This time, the ghosts moved, obediently heading towards their grooves.

“Qin Rui” watched the backs of the five ghosts calmly, inwardly frantic, wishing he could kick them to hurry and lie down faster.

Even the slowest among them realized the truth from the chill of that coquettish smile—this fucker wasn’t their teammate at all!

Fu Wenqing was furious, but breaking free from the defense stationery was useless now. The only way was to send the “source of disaster” back home. The crosses were all placed by him; as long as he was sent back, everything could be restarted.

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) Love Each Other as Family] on you~~]

The repeated prompt sound completely locked Fu Wenqing’s team into a “dead knot”, making even using their chins to activate stationery impossible, let alone counterattack.

The only thing left to move was their mouths.

Wu Yanchao: “How many fucking [Love Each Other as Family] do you guys have?!”

Wu Sheng, Chi Yingxue, and Kuang Jinxin walked into the hall.

They stepped through the night breeze and starlight, gracefully making their entrance as if walking up a stairway.

“This is about team spirit.” Wu Sheng kindly offered an explanation. “Perhaps inspired by our harmonious atmosphere, we keep getting such stationery at a high rate. It bothers us too…”

All five ghosts lay in their grooves, and the holy water pool gently stirred. The water flowed towards the ghosts.

Chi Yingxue exhaled softly, releasing the stationery.

“Qin Rui” reverted from grape-purple hair back to Captain Xu.

“I’m exhausted!” Acting was physically demanding. Xu Wang was sweaty but still considerately advised He Lanshan, “Don’t smoke too much. It’s bad for your health.”

“……” He Lanshan didn’t seem interested in smoking anymore; he looked like he wanted to eat someone.

With the situation resolved, Fu Wenqing finally calmed down. His expression was grave, and his voice became menacing. “Where is Qin Rui?”

Xu Wang: “A very safe place. Don’t worry, no one was hurt.”

Fu Wenqing: “What stationery?”

Eager to let their opponent die knowing the reason has always been Classmate Wangwang’s principle. “[(Illusory) Who Am I]. It belongs to our Xiao Xue’s.”

Fu Wenqing: “This stationery allows you to become anyone?”

Xu Wang: “Correct.”

Fu Wenqing: “When did it start?”

Xu Wang: “During [Raging Storm].”

Fu Wenqing: “And after that, you’ve been acting with us the whole time? Including rushing to stab that woman?”

Xu Wang: “Stabbing that woman didn’t matter, but I had to find an excuse to get close to Xiao Xue to grab his cross. You have no idea how uncomfortable it is to carry four crosses, and the truck’s bouncing almost blew my cover…”

Fu Wenqing didn’t want to hear another word from him—not a single one!

His gaze coldly fell on the remaining three. “Did you all know?”

Wu Sheng, Kuang Jinxin, and Chi Yingxue nodded together.

“Have you all been cooperating with his act?!” Fu Wenqing was finding it increasingly difficult to keep his tone steady and deep.

Zhao Muchen, Wu Yanchao, and He Lanshan were near breaking point.

What “Captain?”, what “Don’t scare us, okay…”, what “Where’s the captain?”, what “We’ll look for him later. First, catch the ghost…” Is this trying to complete the level or performing a drama?!

“It’s not exactly cooperation.” Wu Sheng felt Fu Wenqing’s summary wasn’t accurate. “Each of us has a different acting style, so it’s more about improvisation, adapting in real combat…”

Fu Wenqing’s team collectively shouted, “Shut up!”

……

The house was entirely stripped of all its black plastic. Even the kitchen was bathed in the gentle moonlight.

Qian Ai squatted in front of the tightly bound Qin Rui and was even gentler than the moonlight. “No need to admire me. I’m just a newbie. When it comes to acting, it still belongs to our captain, especially the last level. That was our captain’s most splendid moment—the Oscar of the Republic era; the Little Golden Man in troubled times!”

Qin Rui: “……”

Qian Ai scratched his head. He wasn’t used to playing the villain, lacking in experience, so he turned to rummage through the fridge. “Hey, do you want to eat sandwiches?”

Qin Rui: “Fuck off.”

Qian Ai: “Bacon?”

Qin Rui: “Fuck off.”

Qian Ai: “Chocolate?”

Qin Rui: “Fuck off.”

Qian Ai: “Beer?”

Qin Rui: “I’ll take a sip.”

Qian Ai: “Cereal?”

Qin Rui: “……”

Qian Ai belatedly turned around. “Eh? What did you just say?”

[Owl: Congratulations on passing the 12/23 test and handing in your papers! See you tomorrow~~]

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The author has something to say:

Qin Rui’s experience tells us not to dye our hair too eye-catching colors; it makes you a target for drama kings (╰_╯).

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