Chapter 9

Translator: Lordbluefire

“I’ll acknowledge being a skiving fish, but an annoying piece of shit? Is that proper?” Lin Xiaoxiao glared at Ye Wan. “It’s one thing for the boss to mock me, but what are you making a scene for?”

“I’m just stating facts,” Ye Wan replied calmly. “On to the business. How do you plan on sounding the young fellow out?”

Lin Xiaoxiao pondered and then let out a meaningful laugh. “I’ll let him have a nightmare first.”

Ye Wan frowned. “Don’t overdo it.”

“Don’t worry.”

At this point, there was a disturbance among the prisoners at the back who were queuing for their food.

No.18 Prison Fort was like a huge and spacious metal case. During meal times, 21 of the robot guards would distribute the food all around, and each of them was also equipped with loaded firearms.

They didn’t have the emotions of human beings and were tasked with handling all the prison’s sudden outbursts or situations.

Compared to over 3000 prisoners, 21 robot guards seemed understaffed, but every prisoner knew that the real threat was the storm from the drones and six metal gun barrels embedded in the high domed roof overhead.

Ice cold and formidable.

At lunchtime, all the prisoners headed to the dining hall and lined up in a row punctually. They then began to collect their meals according to their assigned floors.

Not just that but every prisoner had to stand on their assigned spot too.

Some newcomers couldn’t remember their assigned spots in the queue and would immediately find themselves surrounded by the robot guards, being issued a warning. If they still couldn’t return to their spots after the warning, then they would receive an electric shock from the guards as punishment. Thereafter, the robot guards would escort them to their allocated positions.

After a round of beating during the newcomers’ initiation in the morning, who could remember their original position amid the giddiness? Hence, they had to suffer an electric shock punishment from the robot guards.

The senior prisoners watched with amusement as they waited for the newcomers to make a fool of themselves. This was almost like a standard entertainment program with every batch of newcomers.

It was then that the existing prisoners thought it to be strange. Why wasn’t the young man who had played chess with Li Shutong this morning being punished?

Their gazes then searched the crowd, and they were shocked to see Qing Chen standing at his assigned spot, watching everything calmly.

It was strange. There were at least 500 people in each formation, so how could the young man find his spot among all these unfamiliar faces?

As for Qing Chen, he was sizing up the “newcomers” who were admitted to the prison at the same time as he did.

He noticed that there were no scars or injuries on their faces, but the way they were walking was very strange, as though they were enduring pain.

It seemed that the senior prisoners had their limits when they did the deed. They wouldn’t hit the face, and the blows wouldn’t be fatal.

After looking around, Qing Chen carried his tray and walked forward, only for an arm to pull him out of the queue.

It startled Qing Chen. He turned his head and watched as Lin Xiaoxiao dragged him to the side. “You don’t have to queue with them in the future. You are someone who can play chess with the boss. What are you queuing for?”

Qing Chen unconsciously cast his glance toward those robot guards, afraid that they would electrocute him for straying from the queue.

In the end, he realized the robot guards were completely ignoring him and even urged the other prisoners to fill up his spot!

Qing Chen didn’t understand. Even if Li Shutong and his followers had a special standing, it was unlikely to continue to such an extent, right?!

Lin Xiaoxiao dragged him and passed through a few long lines of prisoners. He then took the meal and sat in front of Li Shutong. These actions flowed smoothly.

The prisoners on both sides quietly watched the scene unfold, and everyone’s attention focused on Qing Chen.

The clamorous environment from before quietened down in an instant, as though they were holding their breaths.

At this moment, they realized Qing Chen was no longer the same as them.

Lin Xiaoxiao squatted on the chair beside Qing Chen and cheerfully said, “No need to be surprised. Anyone who can play chess with the boss naturally will receive some special treatment. Hurry and eat, although the food at No.18 Prison Fort isn’t delicious in the slightest.”

Qing Chen looked at Li Shutong who was sitting opposite him. The latter was eating the meal slowly, with no intention of interacting with him.

Then, he looked toward the crowd. In the queue, Lu Guangyi sneakily flashed him a thumbs-up…

Qing Chen didn’t understand. During the morning, playing chess was the only thing Li Shutong was willing to do with him. How did his attitude change so drastically in the afternoon?

Could it be because of his identity in this world?

…

Around 8.40 p.m, Qing Chen walked to his prison cell at the regulated time.

While others were queuing to return to the rooms, he tried to deviate from the line and freely moved about. As expected, those robot guards left him alone.

As long as the direction he was moving toward was his prison cell, the robot guards wouldn’t place their attention on him.

One by one, the prisoners watched him with envy. Walking along the long stretch of corridor, he was like a lone wolf.

It was empty inside the single prison cell, and only after the door shut did Qing Chen head toward the washbasin, wanting to brush his teeth and wash his face.

However, before he could even take two steps forward, a sudden bout of drowsiness overwhelmed him.

This drowsiness was extremely unusual. Even if he had over-exerted his mind in the daytime, it was still unlikely that he would be this exhausted, to the extent of being unable to sustain his willpower.

Something was strange!

Before Qing Chen could think any further, he collapsed onto the floor.

In the dream, Qing Chen was wide awake and standing in a dim living room of a villa.

At first, he knew that this was a dreamscape and was very clear about the fact that his body was still in the prison cell.

However, he began to forget everything after two seconds. It was as though he was supposed to be here and no longer remembered it was a dream.

There was firewood burning in the fireplace of the living room, and the villa had a unique damp smell to it. The moisture in the villa evaporated from the heat of the fireplace and gathered at the ceiling.

There was a crystal chandelier on the high ceiling, but Qing Chen couldn’t find its switch even after looking around.

A strange vibe filled the villa. At this moment, Qing Chen’s pupils abruptly narrowed.

There were traces of blood on the staircase to the second floor.

Moreover, the sofa placed in the living room had the marks of cat claws. Qing Chen could see slits on the leather that were sliced open by the sharp claws.

The other strange things were the photo frames displayed atop the fireplace stand. Someone had smashed the glass on the frames, and the photos were missing.

There were blue-gray blade marks on the wall. At this moment, as the flame on the fireplace danced, the marks on the wall and the slits on the sofa twisted strangely.

On the rug, there was a bloody dagger.

Someone used the blood to write three eye-catching words on the flooring beside the rug: There’s a ghost.

Dong, dong, dong. There were a few knocks at the door.

Qing Chen took a deep breath. He touched nothing in the house as he walked to the side of the door and asked, “Who is it?”

A relaxed voice replied from the other side of the door, “Police. Police number 27149. Were you the one who called for the police? Please open the door.”

Qing Chen frowned. There was an obvious familiarity to the person’s voice, yet he couldn’t make himself recall where he had heard it from.

That was strange. Was there something wrong with his memory?

Hesitantly, he opened the door. A young policeman with a case record in hand was standing outside.

The moment the door opened, that policeman noticed the blood flowing down from the staircase leading to the second level. Hence, he hurried up the stairs and said, “Case reporter, please stay where you are and lock the door!”

Qing Chen had some doubts. The way the policeman was handling things didn’t seem to fit the process, and he didn’t even have a gun.

But for some reason, Qing Chen unconsciously followed their instructions.

The young policeman headed upstairs while Qing Chen remained by the door.

Not even a minute had passed before there was a knock at the door again.

“Who is it?” Qing Chen asked.

“Police. Police number 27149. Were you the one who called for the police? Please open the door.”

Qing Chen was stunned. Wasn’t police no. 27149 already upstairs? Then who was this outside?

At that moment, it was as if someone was in his subconsciousness, asking him in a dreary voice, “What would you do? Take a guess, the one outside or the one inside. Which is the real deal? Or perhaps, none of them are.”

The police outside the door urged, “Hello, please open the door.”

Qing Chen took a deep breath once again and headed into the house. He wanted to bend down and pick the bloody dagger on the rug, but there seemed to be an invisible obstruction between him and the dagger.

The dagger was within a stone’s throw from him, but he couldn’t touch it.

Someone didn’t want him to pick up the knife.

Someone wanted to trap him here.

However, the return countdown on his forearm was still ticking. His pulse and blood were still pulsing and flowing as well.

Without attachments, he came to this ice-cold mechanical world alone and there was no turning back anymore.

“Get out,” Qing Chen said coldly. The pupils in his eyes narrowed again, as though it was turning all his courage into a sharp blade, slicing away at something.

At this moment, an inexplicable sound of glass breaking rang within the empty living room of the villa, and the barrier between him and the dagger shattered.

Someone let out a soft cry of surprise.

After that, Qing Chen picked up the knife, turned, and walked toward the staircase.

Out of nowhere, a voice asked him suddenly, “What are you taking the knife for? Are you not going to open the door for the policeman?”

Qing Chen replied coldly, “I’ll open it after I kill the one inside.”

Lin Xiaoxiao: “???”

At this moment, Qing Chen finally remembered everything. When he picked up the knife after eradicating the barrier, he also got rid of the obstruction to his memory that this nightmare had placed on him.

He recognized the voice as Lin Xiaoxiao’s, and the young policeman also looked like Lin Xiaoxiao.

He was in the nightmare created by Lin Xiaoxiao for him.

This world seemed to have become even more interesting.