Chapter 11: Press On

Qi Xia sat quietly at his seat, neither standing up nor searching for clues.

He felt a persistent sense of unease.

Lingqin, the psychologist, was also seated and hadn't moved.

"What's on your mind?" Lingqin casually asked, covering her mouth and nose.

"Me?" Qi Xia looked momentarily surprised. "Why? Planning to give me a psychological evaluation?"

"Not at all. Although clever people like you often have some psychological quirks, this situation is far from ideal for therapy." Lingqin smirked slightly. "I'm just curious what you're thinking."

Qi Xia pondered for a moment. "I'm thinking about the reason."

"The reason?"

Qi Xia didn't respond to Lingqin directly. Instead, he turned to Dr. Zhao and asked, "Doctor, how long can a person survive after being shot in the heart?"

Dr. Zhao looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, "If I recall correctly, when the heart is hit, a person becomes unconscious within seconds. But medically speaking, 'death' is defined as 'brain death,' so even if they lose consciousness, the brain might continue to function for a few minutes."

Qi Xia nodded. "The goat-headed man screamed for minutes after being shot in the heart. That suggests his body structure is far more durable than a human's, right?"

"Yes. Despite taking a bullet to the heart, he remained conscious for several minutes."

As Qi Xia and the doctor spoke, the rest of the group quieted down, their attention piqued by the man whose insights had already saved all nine of them.

"Why do you think that is?" Qi Xia held his thumb and index finger together, forming the shape of a gun, and aimed it at his temple. "Normally, people would choose this spot to end their lives."

He shifted his hand under his chin, demonstrating another common method. Then, he pointed to his chest.

"No matter the method, those who choose suicide tend to pick the least painful option. So why did he shoot himself in the heart?"

Qiao Jiajin was fiddling with the goat mask. He flipped it around and said, "Maybe that sausage-brained guy's skull is too thick to kill him with one shot."

"If he's coughing up blood, that shows his anatomy is similar to ours," said Officer Li. "No matter how tough he is, a point-blank shot to the head would be fatal."

Qi Xia nodded. "If that's true, there's only one explanation."

He pointed to the mask in Qiao Jiajin's hands. "The goat-headed man chose to shoot himself in the heart to protect something. This 'game' isn't over."

Qiao Jiajin's eyes widened. "You mean... he was trying to avoid damaging the mask?"

"Exactly."

Under Qi Xia's direction, Qiao Jiajin flipped the mask over, revealing the rough interior lined with black ink markings, now smeared with blood. Undeterred, he wiped the surface with his T-shirt until the words were legible.

"What's this?" Qiao Jiajin frowned and began reading the lines aloud in his accented Mandarin:

"I am the 'Man-Dog.'

You are cursed.

I want you to survive.

The clock never stops; danger lurks on all sides.

To live, turn a hundred times toward your homeland.

Oh, and why do spring bamboo shoots not fear the rain?

See you after the rain."

Qi Xia furrowed his brows. It was another hint for the next game.

The shadow of death hung over them yet again.

Even in death, were they expected to die once more?

"Hey, trickster, what does this mean?" Qiao Jiajin asked.

"How should I know?" Qi Xia scoffed. "There are nine of us here. Must I think for everyone?"

Lawyer Zhang Chenze slowly sat down and spoke up, "As much as I hate to admit it, your thinking aligns best with the 'host.' If you have an idea, speak."

"I…"

Before Qi Xia could respond, the walls around them began to change.

To everyone's shock, holes materialized out of thin air.

What had been solid cement now transformed into something shifting, as if a living membrane.

Within moments, rows of evenly spaced holes formed across the walls, appearing as though they had always been there.

The rattling of chains echoed from all sides.

"What's going on?" A murmur of panic swept through the group.

"Look at the ceiling!" someone shouted.

Everyone glanced up, seeing that the ceiling was also peppered with holes.

Qi Xia finally stood up and took the goat mask from Qiao Jiajin, scrutinizing the last line on it.

"'See you after the rain.'"

"Rain…?"

Qiao Jiajin cautiously approached the wall, peered into one of the holes, and recoiled, stumbling backward.

"Holy...!"

He scrambled, looking for cover, but there was nowhere to hide.

"What is it? What's in there?" Teacher Xiao Ran asked, her voice trembling.

The group knew that for someone as fearless as Qiao Jiajin to react like that, it had to be serious.

"Fish spears!" Qiao Jiajin shouted, pointing at the holes. "The holes are full of 'retracted' fish spears!"

"'Retracted'?" Dr. Zhao asked in confusion.

"They're 'cocked,'" Qi Xia said. "The sound we've been hearing is the chain mechanism. Those spears are ready to fire at any moment."

"Hey! Trickster, think of something!" Qiao Jiajin begged, desperation written on his face. "If they all launch at once, where can we hide?"

Qi Xia thought about it. He could protect himself by using the two corpses already on the floor as cover. The spears' penetration would be limited; stacking the bodies could shield him, ensuring his survival, albeit possibly injured.

"This time, I might not be able to save everyone. Self-preservation comes first," Qi Xia muttered.

"You…" Qiao Jiajin started, but stopped when he saw the panic mirrored in the faces of Officer Li and Dr. Zhao.

Qi Xia examined the mask again, looking at the cryptic instructions.

Had he misunderstood them?

Would only the last person standing truly end this 'game'?

If he kept everyone alive, would this deadly cycle continue indefinitely?

The walls defied logic, shifting in ways that had nothing to do with science—more akin to magic.

But if the host wielded such power, why torment nine dead souls?

Was this some twisted game of managing spirits?

As Qi Xia pondered, Lingqin pointed to the mask in his hands. "It says there's a way to survive. 'Turn a hundred times toward your homeland.'"

The group calmed slightly, digesting her words.

"Does it mean face home and spin around?" Tiantian asked.

"Impossible." Qiao Jiajin shook his head. "How do you even determine home in this room? And spinning a hundred times will only make you dizzy."

"Forget it! I'll try it!" Tiantian picked a direction and began spinning on the spot.

Qi Xia's mind raced, knowing it couldn't be that simple.