Chapter 7

“Who can’t handle it? We’ll see about that.” Jiang Zhiyu smirked and stuck out her tongue at the guy.

Zhang Qiangyi immediately pulled the petite and delicate Jiang Zhiyu into a protective hug and declared, “Fishy, I’ll protect you!”

The guy curled his lip into a smile, walked to the front desk to gear up with knee and wrist guards, signed the “life or death waiver,” and then crooked a finger at Jiang Zhiyu, signaling her not to chicken out.

This was a five-player escape room, themed Saw. After skimming the instructions, Jiang Zhiyu quickly found the signature area and signed her name.

Zhang Qiangyi signed next. According to the “life or death waiver,” the guy’s name was Xu Leyun—healthy, with no illnesses.

After storing their phones and any glowing devices in lockers, the shop owner handed each of them a glow stick to strap to their wrists.

Led by an NPC, the five blindfolded themselves and lined up with their hands on the shoulders of the person in front, slowly stepping into the escape room.

A creepy background track played as a broadcast voice echoed,
“You are now locked in a pitch-black place. Remove your blindfolds and try to unlock the chains.”

Everyone took off their blindfolds. Darkness enveloped them, and everyone except Jiang Zhiyu jumped in fright.

Clang… clang clang!!
Knocking noises came from the door and walls, while creepy ghost faces appeared randomly in the window above.

“Xu Leyun, don’t tell me you’re scared stiff already.”

Jiang Zhiyu quickly felt around and found a key, unlocking the chains on her hands and feet.

The room was pitch-black, and they had to rely on the dim glow of their wristbands to explore.

“How… how did you unlock yours?!” Xu Leyun asked in disbelief, sweat dripping down his face.

Jiang Zhiyu soon found a second key and unchained Zhang Qiangyi, who now looked at her like a superhero.

Zhang Qiangyi gave her a big thumbs-up and said, “Fishy, you’re amazing!”

“Fishy, help us too!” cried the chubby and skinny guys locked in the corner, pleading in sync.

Zhang Qiangyi flipped her bangs and scoffed, “You think you can call her Fishy? Call her Fish!”

Fish?
The nickname felt oddly familiar and nostalgic—it had been so long since she’d heard it.

The two guys hesitated, but given the terrifyingly dark surroundings and the creepy wails, they gave in. Besides, they were timid to begin with and had just been dragged in last minute by Xu Leyun. Now all they wanted was to be rescued.

“Fish! Fish! Please help me!” the skinny guy begged, shaking the chains on his right hand.

Since they already called her that, Jiang Zhiyu couldn’t exactly refuse.

She felt around on the gruesome floor covered in severed limbs and found the key for the skinny guy, unlocking his chains.

The freed skinny guy tugged gently on her sleeve and smiled goofily, “Don’t know why, but I feel super safe around you, Fish.”

“Help me too, Fish! I’ll be your little bro if you want, I’m begging you!” The chubby one, envious of the rescue, called out as well.

Xu Leyun swallowed hard, trying to maintain his pride. “You useless fatso! Can’t even use your own hands? Asking a girl to help you find a key—what a disgrace!”

“Boss, you’re tall and brave, but I really can’t do it. I’ll apologize once we’re out of here.” As the wails grew louder, the chubby guy turned to Jiang Zhiyu again. “Please, Fish, I’m begging you.”

After she unchained the chubby one, only Xu Leyun remained shackled to the wall. His handsome but terrified face blended with the shadows, looking like some fallen angel of the night.

Jiang Zhiyu grinned at him, “Call me Fish and I’ll unlock you.”

“A man can die, but not be humiliated. I’m not like those two cowards.” Xu Leyun said stubbornly, full of pride.

“Okay, then. We’ll be going now.”

They hadn’t even turned the corner before Xu Leyun’s panicked voice rang out,
“Forget pride! After today, we’re strangers anyway!”

Who would’ve thought this guy would break down and cry, screaming,
“Help! Fish, help me! There’s a snake on me! A real one! It’s moving—help!!”

At that moment, everyone—including the chubby and skinny ones—burst out laughing. They’d known Xu Leyun for over a decade and had never seen him lose it like this.

Jiang Zhiyu walked over, saw the terrified boy curled up in a corner, and reached behind his neck to remove the so-called “snake.”

“It’s just a battery-powered toy snake. That ‘Fish’ was worth it. From now on, I’ve got your back.” She said while unlocking his chains. In Xu Leyun’s eyes, she looked like a glowing goddess.

“And you said I couldn’t handle it? Sounds more like you.”

Xu Leyun instantly switched gears and acted like a spoiled child,
“I know I was wrong… sob sob sob.”

WTF! He’s a sobbing gremlin now?! The escape room didn’t scare her—that noise did…

The five of them finally exited that room.

Suddenly—

Bang bang!

Footsteps thundered behind them, accompanied by a strong smell of gasoline and the grinding sound of a chainsaw.

“Run! The ghost’s coming!” the chubby guy screamed, yanking the skinny one and Zhang Qiangyi away, vanishing into the shadows.

And Xu Leyun? His legs gave out, collapsing to the ground.

A black-clad NPC with a white mask appeared, grinning wickedly. He charged at them with a chainsaw-sound speaker and a stun baton.

Silver sparks danced on the stun baton.

“No way?? This is real?? Damn it!!”

“Bro, get up!!” Jiang Zhiyu dragged the heavy boy into a nearby room.

The stun baton looked terrifying. She’d heard some escape rooms use them to make even brave players run, for a more immersive experience.

“G-ghost bro, d-don’t t-taze me…”

The NPC said nothing. He just snatched the glow sticks off both her and Xu Leyun’s wrists with lightning speed.

The room plunged into total darkness. Only faint reflections allowed them to barely see.

Then the overhead speaker crackled,
“Three of your teammates have been captured. If you wish to save them, find the magic orb in the cannibal dining room.”

Jiang Zhiyu looked at the useless lump that was Xu Leyun and sighed. No help from him.

She groped through the darkness, crawled through a wall hole, and finally reached the cannibal dining room. The magic orb sat in the center of the wall.

Just as she reached for it to complete the task, a black-clad figure appeared again.

The figure stepped closer, stun baton crackling.

No way out now—she was going to get tazed…

Wait!

Those eyes… they looked familiar.

Seizing the moment, Jiang Zhiyu grabbed the mask—

A fresh, fair face was revealed underneath.

“Lin Yeci! What the hell are you doing here?!”