Chapter 32

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Present\n“I have a piece of paper here,” the youngest man announced. “My character is…the descendant of a priest. My objective is…oh, the mission says I can’t tell you.”\n

The young man produced a piece of parchment, which had a simple map on it. In the escape game, each person had their own character to play, as well as their own unique props. Only now did Zhou Luoyang remember this, and so he looked at the small bag the employee had handed him when he’d entered.\n

Du Jing hefted both of their bags over his shoulder. Neither of them had really been listening as they waited to be let inside.\n

“I’m the captain of a mercenary squad,” said the tall, burly man. “I have a Swiss Army knife in my bag.”\n

Zhou Luoyang watched as he twirled the knife in his hand easily. This man would keep sneaking glances at him from time to time before they were let inside.\n

“I’m a professor researching theology. I have a flashlight,” offered the slim young man in the shirt.\n

The remaining student was playing the role of a Chinese emigrant botanist living in Vietnam. His bag contained a watering can. “I came here to study the local vegetation. Also…”\n

The mercenary captain waved his hand, reminding him not to give away his true objective.\n

Now it was Zhou Luoyang’s turn. “My character is…uh, a tourist? That’s an interesting character. They didn’t give me a single prop?”\n

He dug around in his bag for a while, then flipped it upside-down, giving it a couple good shakes. It was empty.\n

“I’m a local bodyguard the tourist hired,” Du Jing said.\n

Zhou Luoyang looked him up and down. “Players are allowed to retain their existing relationships?”\n

“Of course,” Du Jing replied. “I picked these roles for us.” But he didn’t say what was in his bag.\n

“Let’s think of a way to open the door,” the mercenary captain suggested.\n

“So right now, I’m a dumb, useless tourist,” Zhou Luoyang remarked, looking on as everyone else attempted to unlock the iron gate.\n

“Yes, you can sit and rest for a bit,” Du Jing said politely.\n

The burly man playing the mercenary captain looked over thoughtfully. Ever since they’d entered the room, he’d been paying close attention to Zhou Luoyang.\n

The “college professor” bent down to inspect the lock. “I think this might not be the door to the exit, and it’s just a red herring.”\n

“That’s possible. What do you do again?” Zhou Luoyang asked.\n

“I’m a professor. I have a broken flashlight.” As he spoke, he pulled out the flashlight and waved it in Zhou Luoyang’s direction. Zhou Luoyang took it. Sure enough, it wouldn’t turn on.\n

The college student and high schooler had temporarily teamed up. The botanist said, “We’ve tried prying up every brick. None of them seemed unusual.”\n

“There’s a crack here,” the mercenary captain observed. “Should I use a prop to open it up?” \n

“That’s the door we entered through,” the youngest-looking player kindly reminded him.\n

The group laughed. Zhou Luoyang realized that he was learning to tell these people apart. This group of strangers didn’t seem at all concerned with whether they could escape the temple and were simply chatting lightheartedly. They had already become acquainted with each other in their group chat.\n

Zhou Luoyang was the only one who wasn’t in their group chat, and he was completely lost listening to their conversation.\n

After matching faces to screen names, they began to address each other by the names they went by in their chat. Very soon, the group was split into three—Zhou Luoyang and the professor stood together, inspecting the lock on the iron gate.\n

Du Jing and the mercenary captain stood together and scanned the walls. The two students were feeling around the room and checking the ground.\n

“Did Groot bring you here?” the professor asked.\n

Zhou Luoyang wondered if the Swiss Army knife would be able to pry open the lock. Distracted, he asked, “Who?”\n

The professor gestured at Du Jing, and Zhou Luoyang nodded.\n

“Are you two together?” the professor asked.\n

Keeping in mind the story Du Jing had created for them earlier, Zhou Luoyang acted appropriately embarrassed and didn’t answer. Thus, the professor stopped asking, as if he’d lost all interest in him, and turned, looking at the others.\n

“I think there’s something off about this spot,” the professor remarked, pointing in a certain direction. “This is the only area that the light doesn’t reach at all.”\n

“Let me see?” the mercenary captain said.\n

The players gathered over, and Du Jing said, “It’s even harder to see anything if it’s blocked. Please make way.” He had Zhou Luoyang stand behind him.\n

The botanist reached out a hand, feeling around. In the darkness, he announced, “It’s just regular metal railing, nothing out of the ordinary.”\n

“It’s a bit loose.” Du Jing gripped one of the metal rods, making it wobble. “There’s definitely something off about this spot.”\n

It was true. Zhou Luoyang checked the rest of the fence and found that the other rails were all welded in place. Only the rail in the dark corner would rattle. As the players took turns checking, Du Jing asked, “Can it rotate?”\n

“I’ll try it,” said the mercenary captain.\n

He twisted the rail, and it grated loose. He pulled the iron rod free, and they saw that it was in fact a vertical door bolt. The iron fence could now be opened inward.\n

Everyone applauded, and the young priest commented, “That wasn’t so hard.”\n

The professor voiced his agreement, and the mood livened up. The mercenary captain was the first to step out. Now that they had unraveled the first puzzle, their surroundings became significantly brighter. The group entered a spacious room, in which sixteen stele totems were erected, with a bronze statue of a deity, about half a meter tall, in the very center. There was also strange music playing, with the sound of water in the background.\n

Zhou Luoyang: “……”\n

Du Jing looked at him inquisitively.\n

“It’s nothing.” Whoever designed this escape room is so unprofessional. How could they put a statue of the Hindu god Shiva in a Cambodian temple?\n

“Are you a top or a bottom?” The young priest suddenly popped up on the other side of the statue. Zhou Luoyang, who was completely concentrated on the bronze Shiva statue, nearly jumped.\n

“Who are you in the group chat?” The young man didn’t wait for Zhou Luoyang to reply before he supplied the answer to his own question. “You’re Groot’s friend.” \n

“Yes.” Zhou Luoyang nodded. “I’m not in your group chat.”\n

“What do you do?” the young man asked.\n

Zhou Luoyang smiled. “I’m a tourist.” But of course he understood what the young man was really asking, and he elaborated, “I’m a store owner. You?”\n

Zhou Luoyang had noticed that his hands were very pale and delicate, and very beautiful.\n

“I’m a gamer, eSports,” he answered.\n

The mercenary captain walked over as well and joined in on their conversation. “Let’s check under the Buddha statue.”\n

“This isn’t a Buddhist statue,” Zhou Luoyang informed the young man. “This is Shiva, one of the Hindu triumvirate, and the god of creation and destruction. The Ganges River is said to have been created from the convergence of his semen.”\n

“You sure know a lot,” the captain said. “Is this your field of study?”\n

Zhou Luoyang didn’t answer his question and instead asked, “Can this be moved? You’re strong. Why don’t you try?”\n

“It’s too heavy,” said the priest.\n

“Let me have a go at it.” The captain didn’t pass up the opportunity to show off and rolled up his sleeves. But after a brief moment of observation, Zhou Luoyang said, “No, never mind.”\n

The captain looked confused.\n

“Typically, items that are too heavy to move around aren’t important components of the escape room’s puzzles. They have to take into consideration the comprehensive strength of all the players,” Zhou Luoyang explained.\n

The captain nodded pensively. “Makes sense.”\n

The Shiva statue looked to be copper but was in fact crude iron covered in a layer of green paint.\n

Du Jing had ambled over some time earlier and was now observing the two of them.\n

The captain smiled at Du Jing. “Groot?”\n

They had spoken in the group chat a little while ago, so he knew that Du Jing would be bringing the person he was interested in to the escape room today.\n

Du Jing nodded. The captain extended a hand, and at last, the two of them formally shook hands. Zhou Luoyang had taken note of the captain for some time now; he had a masculine temperament and was clean shaven, with thick brows and big eyes. He was always smiling and very friendly.\n

He was in good shape and was probably hiding muscles beneath his clothes, though he wasn’t built like a fitness instructor. He was pretty good-looking and very manly.\n

Du Jing didn’t hide from them. After making his way over, he wrapped his arms around Zhou Luoyang from behind. He shot a glance at the little priest, who promptly walked away.\n

Du Jing spoke softly against his ear. “What did he say to you?”\n

“Hey, watch it,” Zhou Luoyang said. “We’re doing an escape room right now. Even if you’re acting you’ve got to wait for the appropriate setting.”\n

Du Jing’s breath lingered at Zhou Luoyang’s ear.\n

“Then answer me quickly,” Du Jing demanded in a tone that offered no room for protest.\n

“The professor asked about our relationship. The priest asked which one of us is on top and which one’s on the bottom,” Zhou Luoyang whispered.\n

“Oh? What did you tell him?”\n

“I said I didn’t know because we haven’t slept together yet. By the way, could we discuss our roles if you have some time?” \n

“Does that even need to be discussed? Are you thinking about revolting?”\n

Zhou Luoyang: “……”\n

“Hey,” he warned. He felt that Du Jing was a bit dangerous. “Behave.”\n

“My original goal was to hook up with you, so what do I need to behave for? Come on, tell me more about Shiva. Where did the Ganges River come from again? Why don’t you tell me about it?”\n

“Hey, hey, hey…don’t…they can see!”\n

They stood in front of the Shiva statue. Du Jing held Zhou Luoyang from behind and tipped his face toward himself by the chin, gazing at his lips.\n

“They aren’t sold on our relationship. Play along,” Du Jing said expressionlessly. “You should take the initiative more. It’s up to you today.”\n

Many thoughts raced through Zhou Luoyang’s mind. He knew that Du Jing meant for him to kiss him, and so he said, “I won’t.”\n

“Now get lost,” he added. “Go solve the puzzle.”\n

Zhou Luoyang gave him a little push, urging him to leave. The professor and botanist were conversing as they studied the stele totems, and Du Jing walked over to them and joined them in their discussion.\n

Was the professor the suspect going after targets?\n

Zhou Luoyang peered at the central statue.\n

“Hey, handsome, look at this.”\n

Once Du Jing had left, the captain returned and patted Zhou Luoyang’s shoulder. He pointed behind the Shiva statue, where there was a dark hole on the pedestal.\n

“Oi!” Zhou Luoyang called out to Du Jing. “Hey, come over here.”\n

The professor concluded his conversation with the botanist and said, “We discovered that one of the stone pillars can rotate. It’s very light and made of wood.”\n

“What’s inside?” Du Jing asked.\n

The hole was so small that a grown adult could only reach into it up to their wrist. As the mercenary captain reached inside, the botanist reminded him, “Careful not to get stuck.”\n

“Ah—!” The mercenary captain suddenly let out an exaggerated shout, his eyes fixed on Zhou Luoyang, causing everyone to jump and hurry towards him to help. Only Du Jing and the professor remained calm. From the corner of his eye, Zhou Luoyang noticed that they exchanged a look.\n

Zhou Luoyang: “……”\n

He was suspicious, but he didn’t think too deeply about what it all meant. The priest, however, was very startled, and he quickly went to help the man extract his hand.\n

Sure enough, the captain was only playing with them. He pulled his hand out and ruffled the little priest’s hair. \n

“There has to be some apparatus in there. Professor, can you use your flashlight?” Du Jing asked.\n

“It won’t turn on.” The professor fiddled with the power button on the faulty flashlight.\n

“What was your character again? This Buddha statue is all up to you,” said the captain.\n

“I’m a theology professor,” he answered. Suddenly, he seemed to come to a realization, and said to the flashlight, “The gods say let there be light.”\n

The voice-activated flashlight lit up and the players applauded. Zhou Luoyang was stunned.\n

“Let there be light,” the professor tried again. The flashlight turned off. They understood now that the phrase ‘let there be light’ was the command to turn the flashlight on and off. He angled the flashlight at the hole, and he, Du Jing, and the captain squeezed together to peer down into it. There really did appear to be something inside, but they couldn’t make out what it was.\n

“This flashlight was probably meant to be used in the metal cage,” Du Jing remarked.\n

“Yeah,” the captain agreed easily, “we just didn’t get to use it.”\n

As Zhou Luoyang stood with the two students, waiting for the others to reach a verdict, he made a funny discovery—the team was split into three tops and three bottoms. And the bottoms were all standing off to the side, observing Du Jing, the professor, and the mercenary captain’s performance.\n

To them, the escape room wasn’t all that interesting. What they really cared about was which one of the three tops was the best fit for themselves, which one they could look for something more with once they were out of the escape room.\n

From the looks of things, the other two seemed to be most interested in Du Jing—or “Groot,” as he was known online—because disregarding his scar, he was the most attractive of the three. In fact, the scar that ran across his nose, the scar that marred his face, made him seem more approachable.\n

The discussion trailed off. A moment later, the captain said, “I wonder what’ll happen if we pour some water inside.”\n

“I heard the sound of water,” the professor immediately added. “I remember someone had a watering can as a prop.”\n

As the botanist quickly pulled out his watering can, Du Jing said, “Figure out if there’s a source of water nearby by listening to the music. The water sounds in the background might be a clue.” \n

So Zhou Luoyang began walking around, trying to track down the source of water based on the audio.\n

“Found it,” he announced.\n

In a shadowy blind spot, hidden behind a pillar, they discovered a small pool of water.\n

It contained approximately three liters of water. The captain filled up the watering can in the pool and then poured the water into the hole. Soon, a wooden tablet with a small key attached to it floated to the top.\n

The moment the key rose to the surface of the water, all the lights in the escape room went out, blanketing them in darkness. Several people cried out.\n

“Where are you?” Zhou Luoyang immediately asked.\n

“Here,” Du Jing answered, and took Zhou Luoyang’s hand.\n

“The gods say let there be light. The gods also say to not be nervous.” The professor’s voice rang out in the dark, and the flashlight lit up, casting the entire room in a creepy glow. Soon, the music turned into the eerie whistling of wind.\n

“Don’t be afraid,” the captain soothed. “This is part of the game.”\n

Zhou Luoyang wasn’t sure who was feigning fear and who was genuinely afraid, but to the naked eye, the pitch dark, unfamiliar room did indeed seem to strengthen the players’ dependence on each other. The flashlight swept to the side, and Zhou Luoyang spotted two people holding hands.\n

But it was only a brief moment before the light moved away again.\n

“Shine it behind us!” The botanist was evidently scared of the dark.\n

“Nah,” said Zhou Luoyang. “It makes me dizzy to see the light swaying back and forth.”\n

“I-I-I…I’m a bit scared of the dark,” the botanist said. “Can I leave? Can I quit the game?”\n

“You’re already here, so might as well stay,” the professor reasoned. “Don’t be afraid, I’ll hold your hand.”\n

“I have the key. Let’s open the door. Where is it?” the captain asked.\n

Suddenly, there came a rumbling sound from the depths of the escape room. As they searched for the door, the professor’s gaze once again flitted past the Shiva statue. Illuminated by the flashlight, it gave off a creepy vibe.\n

Zhou Luoyang felt Du Jing’s hand tighten almost imperceptibly around his own, and he knew that Du Jing now understood the answer.\n

The captain led the youngest boy along, the professor led the botanist along, and Du Jing led Zhou Luoyang along—they’d split into three groups.\n

Was the suspect the “professor” or the “captain”?\n

“Found the door,” the professor declared. “There’s actually a keyhole here.”\n

The keyhole was concealed among some decorative designs. The botanist asked, “Have you been to this escape room before? I looked around forever and still couldn’t manage to find it.”\n

“No, it’s pretty conspicuous, isn’t it?” the professor said.\n

“How is it conspicuous?!” Zhou Luoyang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. They’d already checked the walls multiple times. If it weren’t for the music’s constant reminder, no one would’ve noticed it at all. Of course, he suspected that Du Jing had discovered it long ago and just didn’t want to stick out too much. To him, the entire escape room might not be any more challenging than kindergarten homework. \n

“Key,” the professor said.\n

“Here, let me.” The captain walked over, unlocked the door, and pushed it open. Beyond the door was a long corridor that forked off into multiple paths separated by thin boards.\n

“I have a map.” It was finally time to put the priest’s prop to use. “Follow me.”\n

The narrow corridor was very dark. Du Jing glanced at the gently lit hands of his watch. It’d been a full hour and twenty minutes since they’d entered the escape room. The professor was still holding the college student’s hand, flashlight pointed at the map.\n

“This is the only path,” the priest said.\n

“Aren’t you holding the map upside down?” Du Jing pointed out.\n

The group chuckled as the priest righted the map and found the right path.\n

“What’s that on the back?” Du Jing asked.\n

“Groot, how are your eyes so sharp?” the priest laughed.\n

Du Jing didn’t reply, having noticed that there was writing on the back of the map.\n

“Stand with the partner you’ve chosen,” the priest instructed. “The gods will send you to wherever you should be.”\n

Du Jing turned to Zhou Luoyang. “An ancient Cambodian map with simplified Chinese written on it? Very interesting.”\n

“Does the killjoy never close for business, even in an escape room?” Zhou Luoyang joked.\n

“Let’s walk ahead,” the professor said.\n

<hr class="wp-block-separator">\nTranslated by beansprout. Edited by opal.\n

<hr class="wp-block-separator">\ndouble update this week bc i was feeling peer pressured by all the other translators who go like twice as fast as me ;w; \n

make sure you don’t miss ch 33! it’s also up!\n

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