Qiao Qi, dressed in a white lab coat and wearing black-rimmed glasses, entered the fifth corridor. His face was sour, resembling a whale who had spent ten gacha pulls without getting anything, only to see a free-to-play player on Weibo proudly showing off a brand-new special SSR they had pulled with a single ticket.
Behind him followed a few nervous guards. They exchanged glances, unsure why this man, known for his noble status and harsh temperament, had come here in the middle of the night, lowering himself to this place.
Nevertheless, they opened the access door for him. After all, this man was related to the Seventh Governor, the nephew of the museum director, a Ph.D. from Central University, and a rising star in the field of psychology. Such a person was not to be offended, nor dared they to offend him.
——Moreover, this man was also a close friend of the general recently in charge of the “Reclaim the Southern Border” plan.
Therefore, rather than stopping him according to regulations, the guards were more inclined to curry favor with him, not only opening the access but also going the extra mile.
Under normal circumstances, unless it was the designated patrol time, these guards rarely took the initiative to patrol these corridors. The museum’s security equipment was quite reliable, and rather than wandering aimlessly in these cold corridors, it was better to return to the warm rooms and watch a few online sensory movies. Thus, several potential inmates who had been asleep in the corridor woke up, opening their eyes in confusion or astonishment, watching the sudden arrival of people in the corridor, not knowing what to think.
The red-haired girl, who had been sitting by the bed with a blank, puppet-like expression, also turned her eyes as they entered.
“They must be here to trouble No. 81,” she heard someone beside her say.
“No. 81 has been too arrogant,” the woman who had been humiliated during her painting session whispered, “Hey, among all of us, he’s the most… Now, see what’s happened——”
“Will he be killed?”
“I don’t know…”
The red-haired girl moved her fingers amidst the whispers.
Would that person die?
The people around her were speculating about that person’s fate. Perhaps they themselves didn’t realize that before this, they had rarely spoken.
They rarely paid attention to the outside world, indifferent to the world they were in. However, on this day… they couldn’t help but engage in conversation.
“Quiet!” the guard barked, and all the potential inmates who had been whispering immediately fell silent. Then, he fawned over Qiao Qi, saying, “Dr. Qiao, these inmates have been quite restless lately. Ah, it’s all because of this No. 81…”
“I know.”
Qiao Qi only glanced casually at the various potential inmates before heading straight for the cell where No. 81 was held.
Not only the NPCs but also the lightly sleeping players were awakened by their commotion. Lu Xiaotian pricked up his ears to listen to the outside noise, and upon hearing the familiar name “No. 81,” he hurriedly crawled to Lin Huai’s side and knocked on the glass: “Hey, Brother Lin, it seems like those people are here for you!”
“To make the guards go to such lengths, today’s visitor must be quite significant…” Wang Pangzi also trembled the fat on his chin as he spoke, “Old brother, what are you going to do now?”
The young man at the center of their discussion was also leaning against the glass. He listened to the noise from the corridor, reasoning: “It’s really strange, why would a rich second-generation come looking for me in the middle of the night? With the time he’s spending here, he might as well be playing cards with a sexy dealer online…”
“I don’t think it’s strange no matter who comes looking for you…” the white-collar worker in the corridor across from them couldn’t help but comment.
“And he’s brought so many people with him. If they want to do ○ or ○ or ○ to me here, I won’t be able to resist…”
“…Old brother, you’re worrying about the wrong thing…” Wang Pangzi facepalmed, “I think you should first worry about them beating you up…”
“Brother Lin, you should think of a way,” Lu Xiaotian said anxiously, “What if they really have such a twisted taste and want to do something to Brother Lin… What kind of thing? After all, the world is full of wonders, and if some like sweet talk, it’s inevitable that some would like foul talk…”
Lin Huai: “…Thank you for your concern, but what you’re saying isn’t making me happy.”
A soft laugh came from the cell across.
Lin Huai turned around to see the girl wearing a sunflower smiling at him.
“But I think it would be better for you to prepare a bit,” she tilted her head, narrowing her amber eyes, “The other party specifically asked to see No. 81, and they’re coming with a formidable force…”
Her tone lacked much concern, instead, it was filled with the pleasure of watching a spectacle. On the other side, Lu Xiaotian also urgently spoke up: “Yeah, Brother Lin, although I find your daily deduction reminders as annoying as rap, I would definitely feel uncomfortable if you died…”
“What you say makes sense,” Lin Huai put his hands down from the glass, “It seems I really should prepare a bit…”
As he spoke, he slowly retreated to the corner. After inspecting the sturdiness of the corner, he grabbed a book, took a deep breath.
…Then, he stood on his head.
Lu Xiaotian, who was watching his bizarre behavior, was dumbfounded. Wang Pangzi also crawled over upon seeing this: “Old brother, what are you doing?”
“Disguising.”
“Disguising? Disguising what?”
“I’m disguising myself as No. 18,” Lin Huai pointed to his chest.
Wang Pangzi and the others: …
While they were chatting, Dr. Qiao finally arrived at the end of the fifth corridor.
Before coming here, he had many hypotheses in his mind. He hypothesized that No. 81 would be sitting on the bed with his hands hanging down, revealing a sinister smile when he looked at him. He hypothesized that No. 81 would be sitting on the bed reading a book, biting a pencil as if pretending to be harmless. He hypothesized that No. 81 would be sitting in the corner, staring at the non-existent sky, muttering to himself like a lunatic…
He had too many hypotheses about this person, each filled with what could be called detailed logical reasoning. As a psychology Ph.D., he had been more concerned than anyone about this unprecedented exhibition on the first day of “Eden” and had watched the live broadcast.
——And then, he saw this No. 81.
The flaw of the entire exhibition.
At first, he only thought of this person as an ordinary clown——a clown who would be “taken care of” due to “sudden illness” by the second day, and he had confirmed this with Dr. Luthiel. However, in just one night, the world’s attitude changed. People flocked to the fifth corridor with a sense of curiosity to see No. 81, completely deviating from the exhibition’s original purpose, and his revered mentor, Dr. Luthiel, regretfully told him that due to “various irresistible factors,” this person was kept. Not only would he survive today, but he would also survive many more days——
Absurd, utterly absurd! Filled with immense anger, he went to talk to his uncle——the director of the Capital Museum of the Greenhouse. During the conversation, he proposed: “This person clearly exhibits strong aggressiveness, why not get rid of him? Why keep him? This will turn us into a laughingstock, utterly ridiculous!”
However, his uncle, who had always been gentle and elegant with him, for the first time, refuted his opinion and told him——this was not a problem of a potential inmate.
——Then what was the problem?
More factors, deeper considerations, greater interests, the director said meaningfully. Finally, he patted his nephew on the shoulder: “But after all, your good friend also played a significant role in this matter. It was he who ultimately changed the decision to execute that person.”
Absurd, utterly absurd!
He couldn’t believe that the friend he admired would do such a thing, and after a moment of calm, he immediately decided to go and inquire. Unexpectedly, he heard that person instructing his adjutant to send throat lozenges to the clown at the door.
…I was the first, whether it was becoming friends or chatting… At that moment, countless subtitles scrolled through Dr. Qiao’s mind. At that moment, Touma Kazusa, Saionji Sekai, and Nanamiya Chiaki possessed his soul… When he came to his senses, he had already arrived in front of No. 81’s cell.
And saw that prisoner.
However…
“Is this No. 81?” he asked the guard beside him uncertainly, “How is he…”
“No,” a voice quickly came from the glass room, “This is No. 18, No. 81 is in front.”
Dr. Qiao: …
After a while, he sneered, “Do you think I’d believe that? Look up! No, turn around first!”
The young man in front of him slowly got down from the corner and turned to face him.
When Dr. Qiao saw No. 81’s face, he was momentarily dazed.
To be fair, this prisoner was quite handsome. His delicate figure, pale skin, and listless demeanor, accentuated by the glass cell, gave off a slightly neurotic vibe, sharp, unique, and arousing the desire to study and explore.
But what was most captivating were those equally dark eyes under the black bangs and the slightly hooked corners of the mouth under the straight nose bridge.
This person could remind one of many things: the exquisitely dressed doll in the window smashed by a baseball bat, the gasoline burning in the ancient castle, the terrorist in the opera house wearing a gorgeous suit… In short, everything beautiful, dangerous, and feeling out of place.
Even with an unusual bias in his heart, Qiao Qi had to honestly admit that this person’s appearance was indeed superior——otherwise, he wouldn’t have attracted the attention of two wealthy individuals on the first day of the exhibition, just after being listed, and hinted to the director to “dispose” of him to them after the exhibition…
…Although these wealthy individuals withdrew their requests after seeing this person’s foul-mouthed records.
After realizing he was distracted, Dr. Qiao coughed and then sternly said, “Are you that clown?”
“No,” Lin Huai said in a low voice, “I’m Batman.”
Dr. Qiao: …
“Do you know who you’re talking to?” the guard barked, “The person in front of you is Dr. Qiao Qi! You should know that the Seventh Governor’s surname is also Qiao, right?”
“Oh, nice to meet you,” Lin Huai said insincerely, “Sorry, I didn’t notice earlier…”
“Why?”
“Your hair,” Lin Huai pointed to his own head, “Lacks a bit of a wise aura.”
Dr. Qiao was stunned for a long time, seemingly not reacting to what this person was saying. After a while, he turned to the guard, “What is he saying?”
The guard was also at a loss. A girl’s soft laugh came from the glass room next door, “He’s saying you’re bald.”
Dr. Qiao: …
He realized that since entering the fifth corridor, he seemed to have been led by the other party’s rhythm. After a while, he took a deep breath, looked at this cunning prisoner, and asked, “What were you doing just now?”
“Standing on my head.”
“Why are you standing on your head in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?”
“To let knowledge settle,” Lin Huai said earnestly, “As you can see, I was reading a book, and under the effect of gravity, by standing on my head, knowledge can permeate the brain more…”
As he spoke, he raised the book in his hand.
Dr. Qiao fell silent as he looked at the “Greenhouse Dictionary” in Lin Huai’s hand.
After a while, he said, “But I just saw you holding the book upside down, No. 81.”
“Oh, actually, I was memorizing the book. As the saying goes, memorizing it backwards…”
“I think the ‘backwards’ you’re talking about isn’t holding the book upside down, No. 81.”
Although he said this, Dr. Qiao never stopped observing the other party. He critically examined the other’s demeanor and movements, feeling that every gesture and action was filled with irregularity and strangeness that he found unbearable. After a while, he resentfully threw out a sentence, “I really don’t know why the general likes you so much.”
The moment he said this, all the other players who were pretending to sleep secretly opened their eyes.
——Even Zhao Jingtian across from them.
“…He protected you, and before that, you had never met,” he said, leaning against the glass, “And others, people on the internet, museum visitors… They all seem to be under your spell.”
“This is simply incomprehensible, a criminal, a born criminal with no quality, could become an internet hero,” he sneered, “I want to see what kind of magic you have!”
As he spoke, he forcefully pushed himself up from the glass and turned to leave, only to see the other person hugging himself, shouting, “Hey, you can say what you want, but don’t strip my clothes.”
Dr. Qiao: …
He clearly felt that after No. 81 said that, the guard behind him looked at him differently. He suppressed the urge to retort, sneered, and prepared to leave.
But at this moment, the other’s voice came from behind.
“You’ll soon know what kind of magic I have,” the other’s voice came with a lazy smile, “For example, within an hour, you’ll come to see me again——”
“Impossible.”
“Don’t be so quick to deny,” the person chuckled, “You will.”
Dr. Qiao left angrily, accompanied by two guards. The only guard left to handle the aftermath checked each glass cabinet and came to No. 81’s cabinet.
No. 81, who had just been arguing with everyone, was now lying on the bed, tossing a small red dictionary in his hand. The guard curiously knocked on the cabinet door, successfully attracting the other’s attention.
No. 81: ?
“Why did you say earlier that Dr. Qiao would come back?” the guard asked curiously.
“Why do you think he wouldn’t?” No. 81 raised an eyebrow.
“If I were him, I definitely wouldn’t come back to see you,” the guard said firmly, “What kind of witchcraft did you use?”
Lin Huai looked at the young guard in front of him with curiosity and narrowed his eyes.
“Do you want to make a bet with me?” he said, “Let’s bet that Dr. Qiao will come back.”
“Sure,” the guard replied without a sense of crisis and eager to watch the show, “What’s the bet?”
Lin Huai waved his finger at him: “A small agreement.”
After Dr. Qiao and the others, along with the last guard, angrily left the fifth corridor, Lu Xiaotian and Wang Pangzi, who had been huddled aside, finally crawled over again. Wang Pangzi looked at Lin Huai, somewhat amused and exasperated: “What were you trying to do by saying that stripping thing earlier!!”
“…Probably trying to add a bit of BL element here?” Lin Huai said casually, “Well, it just felt like the atmosphere was right…”
“What kind of atmosphere is right for that!” Wang Pangzi loudly retorted, “You successfully pissed off the NPC, you know? Didn’t you hear, that NPC is a second-generation with connections, following him could have taken you out of this misery…”
“Brother Lin, how did you know he would come back?” Lu Xiaotian asked a different question.
Lin Huai looked at him and smiled with narrowed eyes.
“Look here.”
Lu Xiaotian looked up to where he was pointing, and there lay an ID card.
“When he leaned against the glass earlier, he was so agitated that the ID card in his pocket fell out,” Lin Huai said, “I bet he’ll come back within an hour to look for his ID card.”
Wang Pangzi: “Old brother, you’re really observant…”
Half an hour later, Dr. Qiao, who had long since left, returned to the fifth corridor with a dark face, full of anger.
As soon as he entered, he heard a whistle from No. 81’s spot: “Your Yida is here.”
Dr. Qiao picked up the card, not even looking at the other, and left with a dark face.
After Dr. Qiao and the others left again, the young guard stayed behind in the corridor. He looked at Lin Huai and sighed, “I really didn’t expect…”
“Heh,” Lin Huai laughed with a shrug, “Didn’t expect me to be so insightful…”
Guard: “I really didn’t expect that besides being a lunatic, you could also reason!”
“…Please delete the first part, thanks,” Lin Huai almost stumbled, “Now it’s time for you to fulfill your promise.”
“What do you want to do?” the guard asked with interest. “Of course, you have to remember, as a small guard, my authority is very limited. Besides transporting some supplies, there’s nothing else I can do…”
![Dissatisfied [e-sports]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4997572.jpg "Dissatisfied [e-sports]")
