Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 6: Sorting Things Out

Treading through the night, four people hurried out of the park in one breath. Outside the park lies North Andeli Street, where both the large buildings and the residential areas were as quiet as if they were in deep sleep, with only the dim light of the street lamps casting shadows of fallen leaves on the ground.

“Now what?” Kuang Jinxin panted heavily and wiped off his sweat. He was wearing a thick coat to ward off the cold and looked flush from his “night run”.

Wu Sheng glanced at the time on his phone and looked up. “There are three more hours until dawn. Let’s find a place to sit down. We need to sort this out from beginning to end.”

“What’s there to sort out?” Xu Wang, having completely snapped back to reality from the surreal, stood firmly on the ground with the sky overhead and expressed his frustration. “Just call the police!”

“No use,” Sun Jiang said as he fumbled in his pockets, finally finding nothing, and looked around at his companions. “Got a smoke?”

The response was two headshakes and one “no.”

Sun Jiang’s already morose face grew more irritated.

Xu Wang, however, was still pondering his earlier statement. “Sun Ge, what do you mean calling the police is useless?”

Sun Jiang, unable to suppress his fatigue, yawned and then pointed to himself and Kuang Jinxin. “Both of us tried calling the police yesterday, but as soon as we got through, we started having severe headaches. I thought my head was going to explode. I’ve never felt such pain in my life—couldn’t even speak, let alone hold the damn phone!”

“Both of you?” Xu Wang looked incredulously at Kuang Jinxin, who replied with a pitiful nod.

“And you?” Xu Wang turned to Wu Sheng with a glimmer of hope.

Wu Sheng decisively shook his head.

Xu Wang thought he had found a lead and was about to inquire further when Wu Sheng calmly stated, “I didn’t call the police.”

“Why?” asked Xu Wang.

Wu Sheng replied, “They were both rolling on the ground in pain, a vivid demonstration that calling the police was a dead end. Why would I repeat the same mistake?”

Xu Wang: “……”

Sun Jiang: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Their discussion was interrupted by the realization that what they thought might be a nightmare the day before was actually a persistent ordeal they were facing. This was a long battle; they couldn’t afford to sit and wait out idly.

But where to “discuss” this was the question.

“McDonald’s? KTV? A bar?” Xu Wang suggested places suitable for an “early morning discussion”.

Wu Sheng vetoed them all in one go. “None of those. We need a place that’s both quiet enough to organize our thoughts and private enough to minimize the risk of information leakage.”

Xu Wang was incredulous. “Brother, we’re the victims, and we have to provide confidentiality for the perpetrator?!”

“Long story short,” Wu Sheng looked around as if searching for something, then asked casually, “Who do you live with?”

“I live alone,” Xu Wang replied without a second thought.

Relieved, Wu Sheng nodded. “Let’s go to your place.”

Xu Wang: “……”

This was a pit; this was definitely a pit, and he must climb out of it!

Kuang Jinxin: “I live nearby too, but I have roommates…”

Sun Jiang: “My family’s nearby as well. My wife and children are asleep.”

Wu Sheng: “I live near the company, not far from here. But if we discuss until dawn and the employees see us, I can’t give a reasonable explanation. It will lead to unnecessary gossip and speculation, which isn’t good for maintaining my aloof image.”

Do you have some misunderstanding about your own image?!

Xu Wang: “Come on, follow me. It’s dark and slippery outside. Watch your step…”

Half an hour later, the group arrived at Xu Wang’s home. He rented a one-bedroom apartment in an old neighborhood. Despite its age, the location was excellent, and it had been renovated, making it not cheap. But for Xu Wang, who only had himself to feed, the cost wasn’t too burdensome.

“Wow, Xu Ge.” Kuang Jinxin was the first to enter, politely standing there in the living room, not even trying to enter the bedroom, while looking around in all directions in astonishment. “Your place is so clean.”

Pleased with the compliment, Xu Wang was about to respond when Wu Sheng sighed. “Oh god, back to 222.”

“222?” Kuang Jinxin had a rare moment of insight. “Was that your high school dormitory with Xu Ge?”

“No,” Wu Sheng corrected seriously. “It was your Xu Ge’s own. The rest of us just stayed there. We’d mess up the place, avoid chores, and always forget to take out the trash. We didn’t have the sense of ‘making the dorm a home’.”

Xu Wang threw a pair of slippers he had just found at Wu Sheng’s feet, along with a big roll of his eyes. “Do you have to hold a grudge like that? Have you noted down everything I’ve ever said in a little black book?”

Wu Sheng didn’t respond and just smiled while he changed into the slippers with a cheerful and spirited look.

Xu Wang, tired of the banter, turned to pour four glasses of water. When he came back with the water, the other three had already settled on the sofa. He placed the water on the coffee table and fetched a chair from the bedroom.

The cups were filled with boiling water with steam rising, giving off a warm and soothing feel.

After two days of ordeal, the four of them could finally sit down and have a serious talk.

Wu Sheng was the first to speak. When it came to serious matters, he became completely focused. “We now know four things. First, the chosen ones will enter there at midnight, whether they want to or not; second, the substantial harm received there will be brought back to reality; third, once you want to report to the police, you will suffer an unbearable headache; fourth, the location there corresponds one-to-one with a location in reality—the distance and coordinate system are the same. For example, if we enter there from our home and move two kilometers in that place, when we return to reality, we will be two kilometers away from our home…”

Xu Wang had a sudden realization. This could explain why he popped out at the crossroads downstairs yesterday, and today he ended up even further away at Qingnianhu Park because they had traveled a distance there by sleigh.

“What use is knowing all this? I want to know what that damn place really is! Who’s playing us!” Sun Jiang interrupted Wu Sheng, voicing the question they all urgently wanted answered.

This was something Xu Wang, Kuang Jinxin, and even Wu Sheng themselves wanted to figure out. But “wanting” and “being able” were two different things.

“I don’t know. With the experiences and clues we’ve accumulated at this stage, there’s no way to answer these questions. But if we let it be and do nothing, we’ll never solve them,” Wu Sheng said, his tone unchanged and his demeanor as calm as if he was asking if you’d like some porridge today.

Sun Jiang slumped back onto the couch, looking up at the ceiling. His eyes were bloodshot from two sleepless nights filled with exhaustion. Xu Wang knew; he also realized that they couldn’t get any answers, but not venting out would make him feel even worse.

In fact, everyone felt the same, including Wu Sheng, who appeared unaffected. If he wasn’t bothered, why would he show the same determination he had when facing the toughest problem in a mock exam?

He was competitive, and Xu Wang could see it.

After all, such unprovoked disasters would infuriate anyone who encountered them.

“There are these four certainties, and there are four uncertainties,” Wu Sheng continued, his thoughts undisturbed by Sun Jiang’s interruption. “First, whether that place can truly exert mental control over people, such as preventing them from calling the police; second, whether there is some sort of protective mechanism that, when people involved are in grave danger, bounces them back to reality, minimizing harm, like when Xu Wang was attacked by a bear; third, today when we re-entered, both Sun Jiang and Kuang Jinxin’s [Stationery Box] were empty—the [Fishnado] and [Jingle Bells] that had never been used disappeared. Was this a punishment for their attempted police call or something else? Fourth, are there others like us who have been drawn into that place?”

“That… test submission,” Kuang Jinxin hesitantly said. “Before popping out, did you hear someone congratulate you for passing and successfully turning in the test?”

Xu Wang nodded quickly. “I heard it today, and yesterday I even saw a scorecard with information about another team turning in their test.” He had been confused when the new information popped up yesterday, but thinking about it today, he connected the dots.

“Yeah, I saw that too!” Kuang Jinxin’s face lit up with joy, but he instinctively reined it in. Clearly, he was an honest kid, not used to boasting, but definitely sharp-minded. “I remember the scorecard saying that team turned it in on 3/23—something about Yue Shuai… and someone named Anan…”

Xu Wang looked at Wu Sheng. “About the fourth uncertainty, I think we can move it to the certain category now. There are others.”

Wu Sheng took a sip from his cup and shook his head slightly. “Not enough. They might be humans, or not; might be forced like us, or willing; might share the same space with us and encounter us at any time, or might exist in a parallel, independent space, never crossing paths with us.” Putting down the teacup, he sighed. “Without confirming these, it can’t be classified.”

Xu Wang looked at him for a while and conceded. “After all these years, I admire your thoroughness.”

Wu Sheng frowned and said in sincere disbelief, “Just thoroughness?”

Xu Wang suppressed the urge to punch him and asked the last question, “The team that submitted their test yesterday was 3/23. Today, when we passed, it was 1/23. What do you think?”

“Same as you.” Wu Sheng shrugged, as if he had already accepted the reality. “It means there are 22 more levels waiting for us.”

Sun Jiang suddenly sat up, holding back from roaring, but his face clearly conveyed his astonishment and despair.

The discussion continued until 5:30 in the morning. Xu Wang learned that the first night after he was ejected early, the remaining three used Wu Sheng’s [Fishnado] and [Jingle Bells] to contend with the bear until they reached the coordinate point, then had to flee down the mountain due to not triggering the ice waterfall. They were pulled back into reality just before reaching the base of the mountain at around 5 a.m.

Calculating back, the time difference for them returning to reality was about an hour. Xu Wang was naturally long gone, which explained why Wu Sheng spent the next day searching all over Beijing.

That evening, Wu Sheng, having run around with Kuang Jinxin all day, simply parked his car at the last stop of his search, the West Fifth Ring, while Sun Jiang found an excuse to leave home and ducked into a KTV he’d never been to before. At the stroke of midnight, the eerie entrances appeared again, one in the back seat of the car and another on the wall of the KTV’s private room, as arbitrary as if there were no taboos but as persistent as a shadow. Two minutes later, the three, struggling fiercely, were dragged in just like Xu Wang the previous night.

The experiences of his teammates sent chills down Xu Wang’s spine, completely dispelling any thoughts of fleeing.

At the end of the discussion, Kuang Jinxin suggested, “It’s awkward always saying ‘that place’. How about we give it a name?”

Sun Jiang was speechless. “Are you playing house, naming that hell of a place?!”

Wu Sheng and Xu Wang didn’t object. In fact, the name was already glaringly obvious to them—

Xu Wang: “Isn’t there such a big word written underneath the owl’s head? That’s probably its name, so from now on we’ll call it…”

Wu Sheng: “Owl.”

Xu Wang: “Can. You. Not. Interrupt?”

Wu Sheng: “Okay, re-do. Isn’t there such a big word written underneath the owl’s head? That’s probably its name, so from now on we’ll call it…”

Xu Wang: “Owl!”

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 5: Submission

The new phrase was “heart like dead ashes*”.

*(心如死灰) Idiom referring to a state of utter despair or hopelessness. 

It was a perfect description of Xu Wang’s inner state at the moment.

The fatigue and sense of powerlessness brought on by frequent setbacks made it impossible for Xu Wang to concentrate on gesturing or explaining. His first thought was to interrupt by directly saying the word to change to a new one, but then he reconsidered given his state.

He took a deep breath and steadied his mind in the quietly passing seconds, hoping to find some fresh hope when the next word appeared.

His teammates, guessing the word, were clueless. Wu Sheng looked at him puzzledly, while Kuang Jinxin directly asked, “Brother, why aren’t you speaking?”

Sun Jiang, having already given up hope, said sarcastically, “We shouldn’t have guessed in the first place; it’s just a trap.”

Ten seconds passed. “Heart like dead ashes” disappeared, replaced by “struck by five thunders*”.

*(五雷轰顶) Idiom referring to after someone does something very bad and harmful by nature, they will naturally be punished (struck by five thunderbolts—the five representing the five phases/agents).

Xu Wang rebounded from his low point, his arms unfolding rapidly, gesticulating wildly as if simulating thunder and speaking as fast as lightning. “Crash—crash—smack—” He slapped his forehead with the last word!

Wu Sheng had an epiphany. “Struck by lightning*!”

*(天打雷劈) Idiom referring to not having a good death. Often used to curse someone, like you’ll get struck by lightning (for doing bad things). While the meaning is similar to Struck by 5 Thunders, it’s a different idiom.

Kuang Jinxin suddenly understood. “Bolt from the blue*!”

*Thunder As Clear As Day ( 晴天霹雳) Idiom referring to an unexpected or shocking event. 

“It’s the thing about a bolt, but without the word ‘bolt*’!” Xu Wang was almost frantic. This was the closest they had ever been to the answer, and the closer they got, the more anxious he became.

*Clarity: The original idiom only has thunder (雷) in it. The other two answers include lightning (bolt) (雷劈) and (thunder) bolt (霹雳).

Sun Jiang said, “It seems like it moved!”

Xu Wang was happy that Sun Jiang was also getting involved in guessing the phrase, but said, “Brother, even if it’s irrelevant, at least guess an idiom!”

“I mean the bear!” Sun Jiang’s eyes were filled with increasing horror. “The bear seems to be moving!”

Xu Wang felt a chill and immediately shifted his gaze from the ice waterfall back to the present, to the dark shadow under the feet of the three men… Sun Jiang was lying. What does he mean the bear seems to be moving? It’s already getting up!

As if sensing the “intense gaze”, the black bear, finally standing steady, lifted its small eyes and locked onto Xu Wang.

A man and bear, less than two meters apart.

Xu Wang, on roller skates, moved back slightly. His throat was dry, and his palms were sweaty.

The black bear tentatively stepped forward, not encountering the mysterious obstacle that had hurt it before, and then took a second step.

Xu Wang’s tension reached its limit. With one push of his skates, he darted to a tree seven or eight meters away, holding onto the trunk, not daring to blink as he stared at the black bear.

The black bear didn’t take a second step but instead gently scraped the ground with one paw—once, twice—as if a racecar driver was revving the engine before a race.

“Roar—”

The roar shook the sky as the black bear charged at Xu Wang like a giant cannonball!

Xu Wang’s nerves completely snapped, and he fled for his life!

In the vast forest, only this small area had hard snow. It was difficult to move anywhere else on roller skates, so Xu Wang could only run circles around his teammates and the black bear!

His teammates inside the invisible barrier were anxious but couldn’t help. Kuang Jinxin loudly suggested, “Xu Ge, why don’t you just let it pounce and finish it off? Like yesterday, you can be bounced back to reality!”

Xu Wang narrowly avoided the bear’s paw and reestablished some distance, despairingly responding, “Brother, I can’t gamble with my life. What if yesterday was just a fluke? If I die now, my life is over in this damn place!”

“Then run somewhere else and shake it off!” Despite his previous cynical remarks, Sun Jiang was genuinely worried for Xu Wang.

“The snow elsewhere is too thick and soft; I can’t skate!” The more Xu Wang explained, the more disheartened he became. He had thought earlier that the roller skates weren’t very useful, but now he realized his naivety; it was like drawing the bear away with the Fishnado or racing towards a coordinate point on the sleigh. The skates were indeed there for him to skate, to take on the devil’s pace*!

*Clarity: So his skates are called [My Skate Shoes] which is actually a reference to a song by John Pommelo. This line here is part of the song’s lyrics.

“Continue,” Wu Sheng suddenly said.

Xu Wang, having skated past, looked back at him. Wu Sheng’s face was calm and resolute.

“We don’t have any other choice, do we?” Wu Sheng raised an eyebrow. “Then continue. If we guess the phrase correctly, we should be able to escape.”

Xu Wang wanted to retort, “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one being chased by a bear!” But seeing the familiar determination on the other’s face, he swallowed his words.

This was Wu Sheng: when he really wanted to solve a problem, he would set aside all distractions, ignore what he considered unnecessary details, focus on the main points, and approach the core in a concentrated and efficient manner.

In Xu Wang’s heart, this was when Wu Sheng was at his most impressive, whether it was years ago in high school or years later in the present.

“Xu Ge—” Kuang Jinxin’s shout broke the tension.

Xu Wang tensed up reflexively and slid forward, the bear’s paw slashing through his down jacket, scattering a few white duck down feathers.

As Xu Wang’s life hung in the balance, Wu Sheng was almost breathless with fear, losing all composure and shouting, “What are you looking at me for? Look at the words; look at the bear!”

In fact, Xu Wang didn’t need the reminder and dared not be distracted anymore.

With the devil’s pace, he quickly regained distance, then lifted his head to glance at the ice waterfall.

The word on the ice waterfall, which had changed several times by now, was “fierce gaze*”, with seven seconds left on the countdown.

*(怒目圆睁) Idiom referring to a state of anger. It’s used to describe someone’s angry expression (glaring).

From the beginning, the ice waterfall had changed many phrases. Xu Wang suddenly realized that this “word bank” might not be infinite. Perhaps it was nearing its end, and perhaps each next word could be the last. Any further wrong guess could mean total defeat.

The sudden pressure made Xu Wang panic, but it also gave him a sense of determination to fight with his back against the wall.

He took a deep breath, calming his heart, and slowly separated his body and consciousness, letting his body rely on muscle memory to maintain skating in circles while focusing all his consciousness on the phrase.

This was the exam secret Wu Sheng taught him years ago, especially effective when stuck on problem-solving.

Xu Wang asked, “What was our high school’s dean like every day?”

Wu Sheng paused for half a second, then robustly replied, “Like a fierce demon¹, with stormy eyebrows², and an intense gaze!”

1(凶神恶煞) Idiom originally referring to a ferocious god, now later used to describe someone who is ferocious, intimidating, or evil.
2(横眉立目) Idiom describing someone’s fierce and intimidating expression. The literal translation is “horizontal brows and vertical eyes” which portrays someone who’s basically got their brows intensely furrowed while their eyes are curving in an angry way.

“Ding—”

A long-lost clear sound.

“Did we get it right? Did we?!” Kuang Jinxin was the first to exclaim, even more excited than Xu Wang.

Xu Wang didn’t have time to respond, but the uplifted corner of his mouth was the answer.

The countdown hadn’t ended yet, but the word on the ice waterfall had already changed for the first time.

Xu Wang saw the new word and spiritedly suggested, “She Haiyang’s singing!”

Wu Sheng retorted, “Wail like ghosts, howl like wolves¹! Makes your hair stand on end²! Hated by all³!”

¹⁽鬼哭狼嚎) Idiom describing a loud, shrill cry, resembling that of wailing or howling.
²(令人发指) Idiom describing something that’s extremely infuriating to the point it causes a strong emotional reaction (like your hair standing on ends).
³(人神共愤) Idiom referring to something so morally reprehensible or outrageous that it incites anger from everyone (to the point of even the gods).

“Ding—”

Xu Wang: “Zhang Lei chasing Zou Lulu!”

Wu Sheng: “In his dreams¹! Wishful thinking²!”

1(痴心妄想) Idiom referring to thinking about the impossible but now also refers to stupid and absurd ideas (basically, unrealistic hope).
2(白日做梦) Idiom referring to a fantasy that cannot be realized.

“Ding—”

“Qian Ai eating!”

“Like a whirlwind sweeping away the clouds*!”

*(风卷残云) Idiom referring describing doing something so swiftly and powerfully, like a huge gust blowing away the clouds. In this context, it basically describes someone inhaling food at an extremely fast speed.

“Ding-ding-ding—”

[Owl: Congratulations on passing. 1/23 successfully submitted! Dear, see you tomorrow~~]

A familiar voice sounded in their ears, but the message changed from yesterday’s “Early holiday. Sending you home in advance” to today’s “Congratulations”, with the same playful tone.

Xu Wang felt a sense of weightlessness again, wanting to call out to others but couldn’t, trying to grasp something but found only emptiness.

After what felt like an eternity yet just a moment, he finally felt the ground beneath his feet.

A breeze brushed his cheeks.

Xu Wang looked around in the darkness, slightly panicked, and instinctively called out, “Wu Sheng?”

“Here.” The reply came from close by.

“I’m here too, Xu Ge!” Kuang Jinxin announced without being asked.

“What the hell is this place?!” Sun Jiang, always on the edge, exclaimed.

With teammates around, Xu Wang felt slightly reassured.

His eyes, coming from the bright snowfield, slowly adjusted to the dark, and he saw the moon shining behind the clouds.

Another breeze passed.

It should’ve been cool in late autumn, but it felt warm and itchy on their frozen red faces.

It was night in Beijing.

They had returned.

Xu Wang finally felt relieved, withdrew his gaze, and looked around. He naturally assumed he was still standing at a crossroads like yesterday, but upon looking, he was stunned. Instead of a road, the four of them were standing on a bridge over a lake. The lake wasn’t very wide, seemingly like an artificial lake in a park. The bridge’s railings were made of wrought iron, delicate yet carrying an air of simplicity. On the opposite side of the bridge, there seemed to be shade from green trees, lush vegetation, and branches swaying gently in the moonlight, casting faint and shifting shadows…

Wait.

Xu Wang squinted and recognized the familiar scenery. “Isn’t this Qingnianhu Park?”

After this reminder, Kuang Jinxin and Sun Jiang, who lived nearby and often visited for fresh air, realized the same. “It is!”

As Xu Wang was about to discuss further with his teammates, Wu Sheng recited a string of numbers, “116.4085, 39.9616.”

Looking over, Wu Sheng was staring at his phone, the screen’s cold light illuminating his furrowed brows.

“Where… Where did you get a phone?”

“I put it in my pocket before being sucked in tonight, but it’s useless. There’s no signal inside…” Before he finished speaking, Wu Sheng suddenly realized, “The phone is not the point!”

“Ok, ok,” Xu Wang hurried to soothe and returned to the topic. “What were you reciting just now?”

“Coordinates.” Wu Sheng showed his phone to Xu Wang, displaying a satellite map with coordinates. “Our current location exactly matches the coordinates on the [Cheat Sheet].”

Kuang Jinxin instinctively looked at his arm to review the coordinates, only to remember that the mysterious patterns had disappeared along with their return to reality.

“You mean that place and reality share the same geographic latitude and longitude?” Xu Wang didn’t bother to verify. Wu Sheng’s mind was like a calculator. If he said the coordinates matched, they matched. But it didn’t make sense. “It’s day there and night here; a snowfield there and a park here, no similarities. What’s the point of using the same coordinate system?”

“Who’s there—”

Suddenly, a loud shout from the patrolling security guard was heard at the end of the bridge, interrupting the four people’s “research”. It was followed by a flashlight beam illuminating their “suspicious” figures.

Xu Wang was law-abiding, Wu Sheng was still focused on coordinates, and Kuang Jinxin had never been out past midnight before. So, under the flashlight, they all looked stunned.

At this time, Sun Jiang’s street smarts came in handy. He immediately responded, “We’re exercising—on a night run!”

The security guard was suspicious but somewhat convinced.

Sun Jiang immediately rallied the group. “Enough rest. Continue. One two one, one two one!”

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Kuang Jinxin hurriedly followed, running in a straight line.

At three in the morning, their loud slogans echoed over Qingnianhu Park. “One two one! One two one! Staying fit promotes a healthy lifestyle!”

Mixed in were some murmurs—

Kuang Jinxin: “Xu Ge, who were those people you mentioned in the guessing game?”

Xu Wang: “High school classmates.”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Sun Jiang: “You two must’ve spent all your time back then gossiping about classmates.”

Xu Wang: “They weren’t idle either, saying he’s a show-off.”

Wu Sheng: “Saying he’s a chatterbox.”

Xu Wang: “Saying he’s always sucking up to teachers.”

Wu Sheng: “Saying he’s buddy buddy with everyone.”

Xu Wang: “Fuck, who said the last one?!”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Youth is fleeting and unretainable; why bother looking back?

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 4: Ice Waterfall

The black bear’s pounce caused the entire sleigh to jolt violently! Unaware of what was happening behind them, the reindeer kept pulling hard, but with the added weight of a bear, their speed immediately slowed down.

The other three people sensed something was wrong and instinctively looked back, feeling their scalps tingle at the sight!

The black bear had stabilized itself and began to struggle into the sled.

Xu Wang, unarmed and desperate, kicked at the bear’s head!

The bear didn’t dodge but instead opened its mouth to catch it!

Xu Wang realized something was wrong, but it was too late to retract his kick!

Just as his foot was about to enter the bear’s mouth, a large leg appeared out of nowhere and kicked the bear’s forehead!

The force of the kick sent the bear’s head reeling backward, and instead of biting Xu Wang’s foot as intended, it only caught the tip. Xu Wang used the reaction force from the bear’s teeth to retract his leg quickly!

He felt a sudden chill on his foot—he had managed to pull back his leg but not his shoe.

Wu Sheng kicked the bear’s paw off the sled with two more swift kicks until the black bear fell into the snow with a thud. He then turned to Xu Wang and yelled, “Are you trying to lose your foot? Don’t you know you can take injuries out with you? Are you planning to hop on one leg for the rest of your life?!”

Xu Wang’s lips parted and closed repeatedly, but he couldn’t muster a single reply.

The words were well-intentioned… but why did it sound so snarky!

“Fuck, this thing must be fake. It’s a robot bear, right? How does it not get tired from running?!” Sun Jiang cursed, drawing everyone’s attention back. Sure enough, the black bear had caught up again, having been kicked off by Wu Sheng only to close the gap once more.

Kuang Jinxin was hugging the rear of a reindeer, making him the farthest from the bear among his companions. Yet, this did little to comfort him. Looking back at his partners and then at the bear, he felt like crying. “We shook it off easily on the sled yesterday. What’s happening today?”

“This won’t do.” Wu Sheng raised his arm to check the map. “We’re about to reach the coordinate point. If we can’t shake it off by then, we only have two choices: one, we stop the sled and risk getting killed by it while searching for a trigger prompt, or two, we don’t stop, and all our efforts tonight will be in vain.”

Xu Wang patted his shoulder. “Just say the third option directly.”

Wu Sheng was surprised. “You know I have a third option?”

Xu Wang smiled at him—an innocent, friendly smile. “Once you start showing off, that means you’re confident.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

He wondered if returning to his country had been a mistake.

“When we get close to the coordinate point, none of us should act. Wait for the bear to climb in successfully, then we’ll all jump off and let the running sled take the bear away,” Wu Sheng explained his plan succinctly.

Kuang Jinxin swallowed hard but was the first to agree. “It’s risky, but it seems feasible.”

Sun Jiang had no objections, which counted as tacit agreement.

Xu Wang stopped joking and nodded seriously.

With a shared goal, Wu Sheng looked down at his arm. “According to our speed on the map, we have about two more minutes to reach the coordinate point. Be ready.”

Kuang Jinxin and Sun Jiang rolled up their sleeves and stared at the maps on their arms, identical to Wu Sheng’s.

Xu Wang leaned in and saw they were looking at [Cheat Sheet] on their arms. He hurriedly opened his own [Cheat Sheet], and the same content immediately appeared—a small map with a coordinate point marked (116.4085, 39.9616) and, not far below it, four tiny squares moving steadily towards the coordinate point.

Xu Wang remembered what Wu Sheng had said about needing to reach a specific coordinate point, and he belatedly realized that the reindeer sled wasn’t running aimlessly but was precisely heading towards the coordinate point! The small map represented the area, and the four tiny squares were themselves!

The sleigh shook violently, its speed drastically slowing down—the black bear had once again dug its claws into the sleigh’s backrest!

Looking at the map, they saw the coordinate point was imminent. The four looked at each other and nodded in unison—it was now or never!

As the black bear struggled upwards, the four held their breath and stayed still, except for Kuang Jinxin, who was already far enough. The other three leaned forward as much as possible, giving the bear ample space to climb in.

Finally, the bear flipped over the backrest and landed with a heavy “thud” into the sled.

That sound was the signal, and all four leapt from the sled in unison!

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Fwish—

Suddenly lighter, the sled gave the reindeer a burst of energy. They lifted their antlers and dashed off, pulling the sled away in an instant.

Xu Wang rolled several times in the snow before coming to a stop. He had jumped while the sled was still moving slowly, but the snow was unforgiving. He felt his shoulder wound tear open from the impact, the pain going from intermittent to constant.

The others fell around him, rolling into “snowmen”. Wu Sheng, closest to him, was already getting up and coming over to help him. “Is your shoulder okay?”

Xu Wang didn’t move, but then the person just reached out and pulled him up.

Wu Sheng had grabbed his uninjured shoulder, whether by chance or intentionally.

After standing up, Xu Wang quickly withdrew his arm and subtly lowered his eyes. He brushed the snow off his body and, amidst a pounding heartbeat, pretended to be nonchalant by whistling. “It’s fine. Remember how I used to take on three at a time? You know that.”

Wu Sheng finally caught the chance to return a similarly innocent smile. “Yeah, I remember when I called the teacher over, you were already being tossed into the soccer goal by those kids.”

Despite the years, Xu Wang still got riled up when this incident was mentioned. “Why didn’t you come over to help directly? What’s the point of calling the teacher!”

“Nonsense.” Wu Sheng raised an eyebrow, exuding a righteous aura. “You were picking fights with those big guys, and I was still small back then. What good would I have done by going there? In times like those, you need to be smart!”

“That being said, brother, I don’t really want to interrupt your reunion here, but…” Kuang Jinxin timidly extended his hand in front of them, then slowly directed their gaze somewhere. “It seems like the bear jumped down with us.”

A few meters away, the black bear that had taken a hard fall seemed to just regain its senses, huffing and puffing on the ground.

Xu Wang widened his eyes at Wu Sheng. “Weren’t we supposed to jump down and then let the sled carry the bear away? Why did the bear jump down too?”

Wu Sheng gave him an innocent look. “You’re asking the wrong person. You should be asking the bear.”

Fuck me!

Xu Wang felt like screaming in frustration. Why was it that every time he decided to trust and rely on this guy, he always ended up failing in a hundred and one ways!

“What are we waiting for?” Seeing the black bear struggling to get up, Sun Jiang was almost ready to beat someone. “Guys, quickly find the coordinates!”

He was the first to start walking, checking all directions to align with the coordinates.

Xu Wang also wanted to help, but just as he took a step, he inhaled sharply from the cold—only then did he remember he was missing a shoe!

He hadn’t felt anything while sledding or rolling in the snow, as he was too busy bickering with Wu Sheng. Only now, as he tried walking, did he realize his foot was numb from the cold!

When Wu Sheng saw Xu Wang suddenly raise one foot in the stance of a golden rooster standing on one leg, his memory came flooding back, recalling the harrowing moment of “bear snapping off a foot” on the sleight. Without thinking, he immediately crouched down, ready to take off one of his shoes to give to Xu Wang, but as soon as his hand touched the shoelace, he heard a “ding—”.

No, four dings.

A crisp alert sounded from everyone’s arms.

Xu Wang lifted his arm, exited the [Cheat Sheet] to return to the main four options, and noticed a new little “1” in the top right corner of [Stationery Box]. Upon clicking, what was previously an empty slot now contained [(Defensive) My Skate Shoes].

“What the hell are skate shoes?” Xu Wang looked to his companions for help, bewildered. “Are we supposed to use the soles to hit the bear?”

Wu Sheng, looking down at his own arm and hearing Xu Wang’s question, looked up just as confused, a mix of bewilderment and perplexity in his eyes. “What skate shoes?”

Xu Wang, utterly baffled, waved his arm, assuming everyone else was in the same boat. “Isn’t there a pair of skate shoes in the stationery box?”

Wu Sheng shook his head. “Our update was for the [Cheat Sheet].”

Xu Wang was stunned, not knowing what to make of it. “Aren’t we… a team…”

Wu Sheng pondered for a moment before a hint of realization flicked in his eyes. “It must be different roles. Who gets what might be random, or maybe it’s because you’re missing a shoe, so it gave you that item.”

Xu Wang: “Then what did your [Cheat Sheet] update?”

Wu Sheng: “Stay still.”

“What kind of hint is that? And…” Xu Wang looked him up and down. “If you’re supposed to stay still, why are you squatting?”

Wu Sheng looked off into the distance, refusing to answer.

Kuang Jinxin’s pitiful voice sounded from beside him. “Xu Ge, I think it might not be a hint. It’s an order…”

Xu Wang looked in the direction of the sound and saw Kuang Jinxin two steps away, with one foot forward and the other back, the front leg bent and the back leg stretched, maintaining a bow-step forward charge posture. His stance seemed fierce and vigorous, but his expression was one of pitiful misery.

Putting it together with the “Stay still” from the [Cheat Sheet]…

Xu Wang’s face fell. “You guys didn’t…”

Kuang Jinxin’s mouth drooped even further, looking utterly dejected. “As soon as I stepped forward, I got stuck.”

Xu Wang understood. No wonder Wu Sheng’s hand froze while touching his shoe. But luckily for them, they had the [Cheat Sheet] always in view. If they had updated the [Stationery Box] like him, they wouldn’t have been able to move at all to check it.

In a whirl of thoughts, Xu Wang looked towards Sun Jiang, who was also immobile except for his neck. The only luck he had was that when he was “frozen”, he wasn’t in any odd position and now stood as straight as a post.

Seeing Xu Wang looking, Sun Jiang, nearly bursting with urgency, yelled, “What are you dawdling for? Use whatever you’ve got. It might just be the game-changer!”

Wu Sheng was much calmer, understanding Xu Wang’s worry, and said assuredly, “Don’t worry about us. If the trigger for everyone arriving is to stay still, then staying still won’t pose a fatal risk. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense.”

Reassured, Xu Wang took a deep breath and activated [My Skate Shoes]!

The moment the icon disappeared, Xu Wang felt himself suddenly ten centimeters taller. When he looked down again, the remaining shoe had vanished, replaced by a pair of skates… with four wheels underneath.

Aren’t these just fucking roller skates?!

“Careful—”

The three people rooted in place suddenly shouted in unison!

Xu Wang only felt a shadow approaching from the corner of his eye. He shifted to the left and slid out several meters before realizing the snow here was extremely hard, as if compressed by a road roller, making skating effortless!

The black bear pounced and missed. As it got up to pounce again, it noticed three more motionless figures closer to itself and immediately shifted its target!

Xu Wang, seeing this, nearly stopped breathing. He could dodge, but his three teammates seemed as if they were grown into the snow!

In a life-and-death moment, Xu Wang thoughtlessly scooped up a hard chunk of snow and fiercely threw it at the bear’s back!

But he was a step too late. By the time the snow chunk fell, the bear had already pounced on the three!

Bang—

A huge collision sound that hurt just to hear.

Xu Wang’s eyes widened. He was certain there was nothing around the three, but the bear hit an invisible wall just a foot away from them and slid down dejectedly.

The impact was severe, adding to the injuries from a previous sled fall that hadn’t fully healed. The bear didn’t even groan and lay completely still a foot away in the snow.

Xu Wang was thoroughly confused by the series of events. He sadly realized that in this territory, he was just a weakling* with neither ability nor intelligence!

*Scum power of 5. This is a reference to Dragon Ball where Raditz first lands on Earth and, using his combat analysis lens, measures a farmer with a combat power of only 5 (the scum in this case basically means a five combat-powered trash). It’s now slang used to refer to someone who performs poorly in battles or competitions. 

His teammates, rooted like pine trees, meant Xu Wang couldn’t run. But with no new hints appearing, what else could he do?

In desperation, Xu Wang looked up at the sky, foolishly hoping for a guidebook to fall from above.

Of course, that didn’t happen.

But when he lowered his gaze, he noticed the scenery he had previously ignored.

A whole cliff of ice waterfall.

Right in front of him, behind his three teammates, the massive waterfall was like a galaxy falling, frozen in its most beautiful and spectacular moment by the cold winter. It was crystal clear, surging and flying, and if you listened closely, you could almost hear the sound of water like shattered jade curtains.

The ice waterfall seemed to respond to his searching gaze, suddenly reflecting a bright, crystal clear light!

Xu Wang was blinded and couldn’t open his eyes until the intense light faded. When he looked again, the words “Dragon Coiling and Tiger Crouching*” in golden characters appeared on the ice waterfall, as if written with a brush dipped in gold powder, strong and majestic!

*(龙盘虎踞) Idiom used to describe a place with a strategic geographical location that’s easy to defend but difficult to attack. It conveys a sense of grandeur or majesty of a location, suggesting the place is imposing like a tiger or dragon.

Stunned, Xu Wang watched for a while before reacting. The characters suddenly transformed from “Dragon Coiling and Tiger Crouching” to “Golden Wind and Jade Dew*”. It was then that he noticed a countdown in the upper left corner of the ice waterfall, starting from ten, then nine, eight…

*(金风玉露) Idiom referring to the scenery of autumn.

Confused, Xu Wang’s changed expression was fully captured by Wu Sheng. “What happened? Where did that light come from?”

Coming back to his senses, Xu Wang hurriedly pointed forward. “There’s an ice waterfall on the cliff behind you. After that flash of light, words started appearing on the ice, first ‘Dragon Coiling and Tiger Crouching,’ then ‘Golden Wind and Jade Dew’…”

“Tweet tweet—”

A warning-like piercing whistle cut through the air. The countdown that had only two seconds left suddenly reset to ten seconds, and “Golden Wind and Jade Dew” disappeared, replaced by a new phrase “Summer Insect Speaks of Ice*.”

*(夏虫语冰) Idiom referring to someone who has limited experience and perspective trying to understand something beyond their capabilities, akin to a summer insect, which never experiences winter, to speak of ice and snow. Basically, someone who is shortsighted due to their limited experience or understanding and doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

“I get it!” Xu Wang had a moment of inspiration. “It wants us to play a guessing game with idioms! I describe, you guess, but I can’t say the words in the idiom, so when I just mentioned the literal words, the countdown ended early and switched to a new phrase!”

Wu Sheng understood, but judging by the look of “astonishment” in his eyes, it was obvious that the “level” he had gone through so much trouble to trigger was far from what he had originally expected.

Sun Jiang was outright internally fuming, his face clouded with a “are you fucking kidding me?” expression.

“I’m good at this. Our class played it last year at the party!” The happiest was Kuang Jinxin, forgetting the bear lying a foot under his feet, eyes brimming with eagerness. “Xu Ge, what’s the phrase now? Hurry and start!”

“Okay, but we only have ten seconds per word, and it changes after that, so we must be quick!” Xu Wang said in one breath, immediately turning to “Summer Insect Speaks of Ice” and started organizing his thoughts. “It’s like… someone… who’s quite narrow-minded…”

The countdown ended.

The ice waterfall changed to “A Face like Peach Blossoms*.”

(人面桃花) Refers to a woman’s appearance complementing peach blossoms. Later, it was used to describe when a man and woman fall in love by chance and the man reminisces about the past, evoking a sense of nostalgia and melancholy for past beauty.

Kuang Jinxin was mentally counting down, and as Xu Wang suddenly stopped, he quickly realized it was time for a new phrase, hurriedly suggesting. “Xu Ge, you don’t have to explain. You can use actions, context—whatever gets us there fastest!”

“Stay calm, don’t rush.” Wu Sheng also accepted reality and quickly got into “combat” mode. “We’ll guess together. Ten seconds is enough.”

His voice was steady, a stark contrast to when he’s mocking or joking, which made him a calming force.

The phrase changed again—“Friendship as Strong as Cutting One’s Throat*”.

*(刎颈之交) This is a bit of a literal translation. Idiom referring to a friendship that’s so strong and loyal that you are willing to risk your lives for each other’s sake, sharing a bond of life and death (literally cutting your own throat for your friend).

Xu Wang made a decisive move, lifting his hand in a gesture of cutting his own throat, repeatedly acting out, and saying, “Two people are very close, very close!”

Kuang Jinxin watched Xu Wang repeatedly pulling something from his neck to his chest when suddenly a lightbulb went off and his eyes suddenly brightened. “The Love of Boat Trackers*!”

*The joke here is that Kuang Jinxin thinks Wu Sheng’s action is “rowing” and the hint given, so he thought of The Love of Boat Trackers, which is not an idiom, but actually an (old) song by Yin Xiangjie feat. Yun Wenhua. From what I gather from the lyrics, it’s basically about the love between a girl and a boat rower. You can click on the YouTube link for the song and translation.

Xu Wang despaired. “Idioms! Idioms, brother!”

Are all people born after ’95 this nostalgic for oldies?!

The timer ended, and the words changed—“Hundred Years of Good Harmony*.”

*(百年好合) Idiom referring to the happy union of men and women. This is often used as a blessing for newlywed couples (like “Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together”).

Xu Wang went all out, blowing a kiss at Wu Sheng. “I want to join you in matrimony—what’s next?”

This was the context method Kuang Jinxin talked about, giving the first part to guide his teammates to say the next.

Wu Sheng caught the flying kiss and the underlying message his classmate wanted to convey. “Clouds and rain in Wushan*.”

*(巫山云雨) Idiom referring to (unite in) sexual intercourse. It comes from a story involving Yaoji, the Goddess of Wu Mountain (Wushan). 

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng slightly frowned, surprised his answer wasn’t correct.

“The joy between fish and water*?”

*(鱼水之欢) Yet another idiom referring to sex. Comes from “The Romance of the West Chamber” by Wang Shifu.

“……”

“Blending like water and milk*?”

*(水乳交融) Idiom referring to blending in perfect harmony (meaning people getting along well with each other). In this context though, it means really well (if you get my drift).

“……”

“Like dry wood and a blazing fire*?”

*(干柴烈火) Idiom referring to passionate sex.

“Can you stop thinking dirty?!”

With Xu Wang’s desperate shout, the phrase changed.

No one noticed the black bear lying on the ground had moved slightly.

Kinky Thoughts:

Just a note: It is highly recommended you read the translation notes, as they give a bigger context to understanding the game and also a lot of the jokes in this novel. Many items/props (stationery) in this novel are also idioms or cultural references, so it’s best to understand them to get a better picture of how they work.

I’m wheezing from this chapter.

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Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 3: Stationery Box

Xu Wang’s original intention was simply to divert the topic to avoid bringing up yesterday’s “foolish actions”. But as the conversation turned, the shadow of these two consecutive days of bizarre encounters spread over him.

Wu Sheng, thrown off by his barrage of questions, had forgotten what he was initially going to say and could only shake his head in response to Xu Wang’s inquiries. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have met you after so long in casual clothes yesterday. At least I should have dressed more formally to show respect to an old classmate like you.”

“You serious? Those were pajamas.” Xu Wang realized that despite ten years passing, some things never change—like Wu Sheng’s insistence on maintaining his dignity no matter the circumstance and his own instinctive desire to tease. It was as if both their essences had weathered through all trials without changing at all.

A deliberate cough of impatience broke the “peaceful and harmonious” atmosphere. “Do we really have such a lack of presence?”

Xu Wang was startled and only then noticed two other people standing behind Wu Sheng—a man in his forties and another young man in his early twenties. The older man had a buzz cut, a lean face that was expressionless, hands in his pockets, and eyes full of irritation. The younger man had short hair, a round, fair, and clean face, and was almost as tall as Xu Wang’s 180 cm. He had handsome features but had a naive simplicity about him. As their eyes met, the young man gave off a friendly smile, his eyes narrowed into slits—definitely the “puppy” type according to the popular classification.

“Have you… been here all along?” Xu Wang genuinely hadn’t noticed them.

The young man nodded, cheerfully saying, “Yeah, yesterday too. We’ve been here all along, but you didn’t look at us…”

“Wait,” Xu Wang interrupted, swallowing hard. “Yesterday…?”

The young man scratched his head awkwardly, mumbling, “Yeah, seeing how engrossed you were, we didn’t feel like interrupting.”

Xu Wang: “……”

If anyone should feel embarrassed, it should be me. Why are you, as a bystander, acting embarrassed?!

Wu Sheng finally regained his rhythm, interjected by the young man’s assistance, stepped forward, and said, “Yesterday…”

“Yesterday, I fooled you all, right! Ha ha!” Xu Wang interrupted at breakneck speed, wearing a face of triumphant glee.

Wu Sheng was taken aback, his firm gaze faltering.

Xu Wang feigned surprise; his expression was so sincere that he could instantly win an Oscar. “No way, you didn’t really believe it, did you? I was just kidding yesterday!” He slapped Wu Sheng’s shoulder heartily, his tone and sly smile as familiar as ever. “A reunion of old classmates, of course, needs some special seasoning to be memorable.”

Wu Sheng stared at him for a long time, then slowly lowered his gaze.

Xu Wang knew that he believed him; the stormy expression on his face was proof. However, the other’s silence made him anxious because, based on his understanding of Wu Sheng, this person is definitely not one to suffer in silence. Whether bullied or tricked, he has a hundred cunning ways to retaliate. Thus, the current “extinguishing of fire” made him particularly unsettled.

Finally, Wu Sheng sighed deeply, crouched down, and started aimlessly drawing circles in the snow.

Xu Wang felt a bit guilty. After all, he was the one who made an impromptu confession, took advantage, and then said it was all in jest. Maybe Wu Sheng wasn’t the same impenetrable cool boy anymore; perhaps time had softened his heart…

With that thought, Xu Wang felt a pang of empathy and immediately crouched down to make amends. “Actually… Fuck!!!”

A fist-sized snowball rolled in from the back of his neck. The icy chill startled him into a leap. The snowball, on its conquering path, scattered into numerous flakes, intensely kissing every inch of skin on his back.

The culprit shook off the melted snow from his hand and smiled at Xu Wang, looking refreshed and cheerful.

“Wu Sheng, are you eight years old!” Xu Wang, having forgotten his recent antics of “adding spice to the reunion”, berated him through gritted teeth while lifting his clothes to shake off the snow. Focused on his battle with the snowball, he forgot about the injury on his shoulder, and a sudden movement caused him to sharply inhale from the pain.

“What’s wrong?” Wu Sheng stood up, the previous schadenfreude gone, replaced by a flicker of concern in his furrowed brow.

Xu Wang irritably opened his collar to reveal a bit of the bandaged shoulder.

Wu Sheng connected the dots. “The bear yesterday?”

“What else. I’m already this miserable, and you still pelt me with snowballs. Have you no humanity!” Xu Wang was infuriated, though the pain from the injury had already subsided. What truly stung was falling for Wu Sheng’s childish trick!

“Considering how spirited you are, the injury can’t be that serious.” Wu Sheng teased, though the sight of the white bandage still bothered him.

Xu Wang didn’t feel like arguing anymore. He just wanted to know, “What should we do? Is there any other way back to reality besides being pounced on by a bear?”

Wu Sheng became serious, his gaze earnest.

Xu Wang noticed that Wu Sheng still had that exceptional focus when it came to serious matters.

“First, this isn’t a dream. You, me, and them are all real. That should be a common understanding by now; second, according to the roster, we four are currently a team, and according to the cheat sheet, we need to head to a coordinate; third, what we’re supposed to do after reaching the coordinate is unclear because after you disappeared yesterday, the three of us reached the coordinate, but nothing happened. So, I guess full attendance might be a necessary condition to trigger an event or update the prompt; fourth…”

Xu Wang’s head was starting to hurt from all the information, and he raised his hand. “Can I take notes on a small notebook or something?”

“Last point,” Wu Sheng continued undeterred, looking intently into his eyes. “If you get pounced on by a bear again and return to the real world, just stand still and don’t move.”

“Why?” Xu Wang asked.

“Because as a team, we need to meet up in reality, and yesterday, Xiao* Kuang and I drove all over Beijing looking for you, almost getting lost near Xizhimen Bridge,” Wu Sheng explained.

*Little/small (小) Often, it’s used as an address for someone who is younger or lower rank than you. It signifies familiarity and closeness with that person.

“Xiao Kuang?”

The fair young man, with a naive smile on his face, raised his hand. “Kuang Jinxin.”

Xu Wang quickly shook hands with his comrade. “Xu Wang.” He then turned back to Wu Sheng, returning to the topic. “Do I really have to stand still? That’s a crossroads, quite an awkward place, with all the traffic…”

“Do you want to resolve this quickly?” Wu Sheng frowned.

“I do!” Xu Wang didn’t hesitate.

Wu Sheng: “Then why all the questions?”

Xu Wang: “What I mean is, wouldn’t it be more efficient and safer if I just give you my phone number now?”

“……”

The older man, who had been silent until now, finally lost his patience and kicked the snow in front of him. “Can we start getting serious about this now? I don’t want to be dragged here every night. I’m going crazy!”

Xu Wang understood his frustration. Anyone suddenly dragged into such a magical place would be at their wit’s end. He was about to speak up to calm everyone down and make introductions to foster camaraderie when suddenly his sixth sense kicked in.

The air had quieted down, so silent that even the sound of the kicked snowflakes falling was crystal clear.

Xu Wang looked around nervously, and before he could make sense of it, he was suddenly tackled!

He hit the snow with the back of his head, looking up at Wu Sheng on top of him, unsure if this was a sign of impending doom or an impending boon.

The other two didn’t need to be tackled. As if they had rehearsed, two loud thumps could be heard as they dropped to the ground.

With Wu Sheng on top of him, Xu Wang couldn’t see anything but him, but the increasingly loud footsteps and the muffled growls of a bear!

And it wasn’t just one!

Xu Wang tensed up, daring not to move, while Wu Sheng suddenly grabbed his arm and tapped it forcefully twice!

A fierce wind suddenly rose while the bears roared, but the wind was even more intense, drowning out their roars!

As if anticipating this, Wu Sheng didn’t look around at the changing surroundings but instead pulled Xu Wang up and tapped his arm for the third time.

Xu Wang could see clearly this time. He had tapped on the [Stationery Box] from the four options on his arm, which displayed rows of grid-like slots akin to an inventory bar in a game. He didn’t know what item Wu Sheng had tapped that caused a gust of wind earlier, but the third tap was on the last remaining item in the box—[(Defensive) Jingle Bells].

As this icon disappeared, the [Stationery Box] was completely emptied, and suddenly, a sleigh appeared on the ground, drawn by four reindeer and adorned with jingling bells and Christmas wreaths.

Yes, a sleigh had just sprung up from the ground.

“Stop gawking!” Wu Sheng leapt up agilely onto the sleigh. Xu Wang snapped out of it, hurriedly clambered up to follow, and sat down inside, followed by Kuang Jinxin and the stern-faced older man. Once all four were seated, the reindeer, as if sensing their readiness, dashed off at a gallop. The sleigh broke through the air, whipping up frost and snow in its wake!

Xu Wang, watching the antlers before him, exclaimed from the bottom of his heart, “After this, nothing will surprise me, really.”

Kuang Jinxin squeezed next to him, patted his shoulder, and kindly suggested, “Brother, you might want to take another look behind us.”

Xu Wang turned back. The speeding sleigh had put a considerable distance between them and the black bears, but he could still clearly see a “tornado” that had diverted the bear pack.

The tornado was a spectacular sight, whirling and howling. The bears jumped around, trying to catch the densely packed, lively fish leaping about in a frenzy inside the tornado.

Xu Wang slowly withdrew his gaze, genuinely repentant for his previous bravado. “I’m sorry, I was too naive.”

Kuang Jinxin looked excited, finally finding a “kindred spirit”. “I felt the same yesterday. When I first saw the icon in the stationery box, I was like, ‘What is a [Fishnado]?’ But when I used it, I was stunned. It opened a new world for me!”

“Fish… nado*?” Xu Wang wanted to discuss life choices with whoever named it.

*In Chinese, tornado is [long juan feng] (龙卷风) which broken down means dragon rolling winds. This is a play on that word and replaces the dragon (龙) with fish (鱼) becoming fish rolling winds [yu juan feng] (鱼卷风).

Kuang Jinxin enthusiastically continued, “Yeah, it’s called ‘Fishnado’. It and ‘Jingle Bells’ seem to be the default items in everyone’s stationery box who enters here. The three of us have it, but Wu Ge’s* was used up yesterday. Mine and Sun Ge’s disappeared today when we came in again. I’m not sure why, but luckily yours was still there.”

*Brother (哥) Term used often by someone younger to refer to someone who is male, who’s older or higher rank than you and whom you have a good relationship with or respect.

Xu Wang nodded, acknowledging his “unexpected gain”, and turned to the stern-faced older man beside him, extending a hand of friendship. “Sun Ge?”

The stern-faced older man hesitated, his mood instinctively not wanting to respond to such idle pleasantries, but since one does not hit a smiling face, he reluctantly reached out his hand. “Sun Jiang.”

Just as Xu Wang was about to say something more, he felt a shadow in his peripheral vision. Instinctively turning back, he saw a bear’s paw swooping towards him!

Xu Wang was too slow to react, feeling the bear’s claws nearly graze his eyelashes, when suddenly someone pulled him back by the nape of his neck, tilting his body just in time to avoid the deadly strike!

“Move forward!” Wu Sheng released his grip on Xu Wang’s collar, sharply instructing the entire team. Not needing to be told, everyone had already leaned forward, with Kuang Jinxin nearly sprawled on a reindeer’s back.

As the reindeer ran faster, the undeterred black bear relentlessly pursued them, its speed not befitting a bear but more like a leopard!

Xu Wang maintained his backward glance, fixated on the bear that wasn’t lured away by the Fishnado, watching as it closed in once again—closer, even closer—and suddenly lunged forward, its paws catching onto the back of the sleigh!

Xu Wang was going mad.

What kind of place was this? Who had dragged them into this? And did such a dangerous activity even have a business license?!

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