Chapter 21: The Death Game of the Escape Room

In a corner of the city, a popular escape room venue, beloved by young people, became the site of a horrific tragedy. When the police received the alarm, they found several players trapped inside, with no signs of life. The incident quickly garnered widespread attention. The seemingly fun escape room game had turned into a deadly game of life and death.

After the case broke, Su Wanqing and Lu Chen Zhou swiftly arrived at the scene. The entrance to the escape room had already been sealed by the police, and the staff and customers had been temporarily evacuated. The venue wasn't very large, but it felt unusually oppressive. As Su Wanqing stepped inside, she immediately felt a heavy atmosphere permeating the air.

"What's the situation with the deceased?" Su Wanqing asked one of the on-site investigators.

"There are five victims," the investigator responded. "When they were found, they were all in a coma with weak breathing. After resuscitation attempts, four were declared dead, and the only survivor is a staff member, who claims to have left the scene before the incident occurred."

Lu Chen Zhou walked over to the personal belongings of the victims and picked up a fallen wristwatch. The watch's dial had become damp from sweat, as it had apparently been worn for a long time, making the time markings unclear. The deceased's expression seemed both painful and contorted. "The cause of death is asphyxiation. Hypoxia led to severe ischemia in the brain," Lu Chen Zhou murmured.

Su Wanqing looked down at the body. The corpse was in a typical stiff state, and its skin had a bluish purple tinge, a clear sign of death by suffocation from high temperatures and lack of oxygen. Her eyes swept over the escape room, noticing the oppressive atmosphere, dim lighting, and a strange odor as if the oxygen had been sucked out of the air.

"How did these people die?" Su Wanqing furrowed her brow and walked towards a nearby passage.

She noticed that the escape room wasn't as spacious as other entertainment venues. The passages and rooms were arranged very compactly, making the space feel cramped. The air wasn't circulating, and the lighting seemed a bit old, which made her uneasy.

"We've checked. The escape room's passages were sealed off, and the emergency exits were locked. The venue's ventilation system wasn't turned on, leading to poor airflow. The players were trapped inside for too long, causing hypoxia and high temperatures. Eventually, they suffocated," the investigator explained.

"That makes sense," Su Wanqing nodded. "This incident was clearly due to the venue's negligence. The design had fatal flaws. Escape rooms are supposed to be exciting games, but when safety risks aren't taken seriously, the result is often tragic."

Lu Chen Zhou also noticed some unusual things about the escape room. He walked over to the venue's management desk and carefully reviewed the security system's surveillance footage. The video showed that, when all the players were trapped, the room's windows and doors weren't completely sealed, but were partially obstructed, and the air wasn't exchanged in time.

"It looks like the ventilation system was deliberately shut off," Lu Chen Zhou said, pointing to a scene in the surveillance video. "This is a serious safety risk. The venue's facilities should have ensured proper air circulation, but it seems they didn't consider this."

Su Wanqing nodded, her gaze thoughtful. "We need to dig deeper into the venue's background to determine whether this incident was truly an accident, or if there's something more behind it."

The two of them entered the venue's management office, where the atmosphere was just as oppressive. The venue's owner stood nearby, looking a bit nervous. When he saw the police, he immediately tried to explain himself.

"You're finally here, thank goodness!" The owner's voice was urgent. "I never thought something like this would happen. You have to find out if I made any mistakes."

"You're the owner of this venue?" Lu Chen Zhou approached him and asked calmly.

"Yes, I'm in charge of this venue, my name is Zhang Kai," the owner replied. "I've always paid close attention to safety issues. We have strict security protocols, and all the equipment is maintained on time. This incident completely took me by surprise."

Su Wanqing looked around, noticing various escape room props and decorations piled up around the office. She also saw several stacks of unprocessed documents on a desk, including some security system maintenance reports with words like "delayed repairs" and "budget cuts" marked on them.

"We found that your venue recently had a security system inspection, and your maintenance records show that some of the ventilation equipment and emergency exits were postponed for repairs. According to this report, you chose to suspend maintenance on crucial facilities to save costs," Su Wanqing said directly.

Zhang Kai's face changed slightly, and he swallowed nervously, seeming anxious. "Well… well, that's because the venue's operating costs are too high, and business isn't good. I just had no choice… I had to make some cuts to save money."

"So, you chose to ignore safety risks?" Lu Chen Zhou said coldly. "You locked off the escape routes to save costs, trapping the players inside, leading them to suffocate. You deliberately ignored their safety for your own profit."

A look of panic crossed Zhang Kai's face as he began to argue quietly, "I didn't want to hurt anyone! I just… just didn't think it would get this serious! I didn't kill anyone, it was an accident!"

"We'll get to the bottom of this," Su Wanqing said calmly. "But you should know that responsibility can't be avoided. If you are truly responsible, you will face legal consequences."

Through further investigation, the police confirmed that Zhang Kai had indeed made serious management mistakes. To reduce costs, he had cut back on security checks and equipment maintenance, even closing off multiple emergency exits. The most serious issue was that he had deliberately limited the ventilation system's use in the escape room, leading to the players' suffocation under extreme conditions.

Zhang Kai was arrested and charged with manslaughter and serious violations of safety regulations. Although the case was concluded, it sparked a deep reflection on the safety of escape room-type entertainment in society.

The outcome of the case left Su Wanqing with a heavy heart. She stood outside the venue, gazing at the still-open business, feeling a strange sense of sorrow. For some, games might be a pastime, but for others, it could be a life-or-death challenge. She knew that only by strengthening oversight and safety awareness could more tragedies be prevented.

"All mistakes come with a price," Su Wanqing murmured.

"Indeed," Lu Chen Zhou stood beside her, his gaze deep, "but let's hope this price is never paid again."