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Chapter 24: Deadly Room Numbers (Part 4)
No one wanted to stay a second longer, and as soon as the door opened, they all raced out.
Xiao Muyu glanced over and saw three mirror images holding up Shen Qingqiu. Without hesitation, she turned back and, with a sweep, knocked one of them to the floor. With one less opponent, Shen Qingqiu quickly freed herself and pulled Xiao Muyu along as they bolted out.
The door slammed shut behind them, and Chen Kaijie and the others collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
Almost everyone was injured. Wang Yushan had three bloody claw marks on her neck, Zuo Tiantian was scratched on the arm, Su Jin’s back was wounded, while the four men were in worse shape.
Luckily, none of the injuries were deep, only bleeding slightly. Shen Qingqiu had constantly shielded Xiao Muyu, so they managed to make it through unscathed.
Xiao Muyu, who had been on high alert the whole time, finally relaxed. It took her a while to notice that Shen Qingqiu was still holding her hand. Shen Qingqiu hadn’t fully come back to her senses, and was still gripping Xiao Muyu’s hand firmly. Her fingers were long and warm, and Xiao Muyu could even feel the calluses on them.
A long dead string deep inside Xiao Muyu stirred ever so slightly—not enough to make a sound, but it trembled. She felt puzzled by the sensation and, frowning slightly, quietly withdrew her hand.
Out of the corner of her eye, Xiao Muyu saw Shen Qingqiu pause for a moment, then glance down at her own hand. Xiao Muyu had expected her to make some inappropriate joke, but instead, she became unusually quiet.
That string in Xiao Muyu’s heart trembled just a little more.
Xiao Muyu looked at the group and asked, “Is everyone okay?”
Su Jin’s arms and legs were trembling—not just from fear, but from exhaustion. She glanced at Xiao Muyu, her face pale, and nodded, “I’m fine.”
“Damn, this game is like walking through a haunted house.” Zhang Qiang wiped the sweat off his face and grumbled roughly, “If it’s this brutal from the start, what’s waiting for us in the next rounds?”
“Why was the password 857142?” Chen Kaijie, who had a remarkably strong mental fortitude, had already noticed some of the patterns in this instance. He hadn’t paid attention when Shen Qingqiu was explaining earlier, so he immediately asked her for clarification.
Shen Qingqiu explained: “At the start of this round, we were given a hint—’numbers are the foundation of all things’, and the password was related to numbers. In the meeting room, there was a row of books on the shelf. When numbers came up, the first thing that came to mind was math books. We noticed that all the books were categorized except for the six math books, so I memorized their placement.”
She was not acting distant for once, and even took the time to explain her reasoning.
The group carefully recalled the math books, and realized they really had been placed apart.
Lin Hai quietly cursed, “F*ck! It actually mattered.” He clearly remembered how he almost messed things up by randomly moving the books.
Chen Kaijie, who had been standing next to Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu at the time, was still a bit confused after hearing her explanation: “But I heard you and Miss Xiao mention 9, 15, 23, 25, 30, and 33? How does that connect to 857142…?”
Before he could finish, realization suddenly dawned on him. His eyes filled with surprise and admiration. “I get it!” he exclaimed. “Those six books split the rest of the books on the shelf into groups of 8, 5, 7, 1, 4, and 2, which combine to form 857142! That’s just… so difficult to figure out.”
Shen Qingqiu glanced at Xiao Muyu and then, with a slight hint of mischief, added, “At first, I only noticed those books were out of place. I remembered their positions just to test Muyu’s reaction. When she repeated those numbers, I realized they didn’t fit the six-digit password, so I instinctively calculated, and the coincidence appeared. They were the same as the last digits of our room numbers.”
Shen Qingqiu had a keen sense for numbers, and she had counted the books herself. When she discovered that the numbers perfectly matched the last digits of their room numbers, she immediately made the connection.
“That was way too obscure,” Su Jin said, still shaken. “If we hadn’t noticed it, wouldn’t we have died in there?”
“No, did none of you realize? Although the mirror images were constantly attacking us, they never went all out,” Xiao Muyu pointed out. “If they had, we wouldn’t have lasted a minute, let alone nine. Even if the door hadn’t opened, we wouldn’t have died, just ended up wishing we had.” Her last words made everyone’s faces darken.
“What about the third round? Do we… go into another room?” Zuo Tiantian muttered hoarsely, her whole being utterly drained.
“Everyone, think about it,” Chen Kaijie reminded, still focused on the system’s initial hint. “Why was the password set to 857142? We’ve already established that the six-digit password was based on the last digits of our room numbers. But why in this particular sequence? What deeper meaning does 857142 hold?” Even though this was a supernatural instance, it wasn’t random or illogical, so they could definitely think things through.
Chen Kaijie’s question confused Wang Yushan. “I thought the books gave the hint?”
“Chen Kaijie means there are still four more rounds, and it’s likely they’ll also be number-based games,” Su Jin said in a low voice.
Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu didn’t say anything while the others racked their brains, but no one could figure it out.
Xiao Muyu had a nagging feeling that she had overlooked something, like the answer was right in front of her but obscured. The intense series of games had left her mind a bit foggy—she needed to take a moment to clear her head.
Xiao Muyu realized there was another crucial issue at hand. She looked at the group seriously and said, “For most of us, this is our second instance, which means you should all have some kind of clearance reward. I don’t know what each of you have, and I’m not forcing anyone to reveal it. Just keep in mind that if there are usage limitations, make sure to use them at the right time. These six rounds are only going to get harder, and if you use your resources too hastily, you might run out of options later.”
Xiao Muyu’s comment was a little touchy, and no one spoke up immediately. In truth, in an instance like this, it would be ideal for everyone to reveal their trump cards, and coordinate their use to avoid wasting resources.
However, Xiao Muyu could clearly see hesitation among the group, and she understood. After all, these were personal trump cards, and the system wasn’t giving them much time to weigh their options.
Another door opened.
“Congratulations to the nine players for completing the second round of the game. Now, the third round begins!”
Their hearts tightened once again.
The third round followed the same rules, with the same layout. However, as the nine stared at the room they had just barely escaped from, and at the twelve ghosts that had tormented them relentlessly, now grinning with twisted excitement, they almost wanted to curse.
This time, Xiao Muyu didn’t even have the chance to think, and the password remained unsolved, but fifteen minutes later, all nine of them made it out alive. Yet, apart from Shen Qingqiu, no one could even stand properly.
Shen Qingqiu helped Xiao Muyu sit down, then joined her on the floor.
Shen Qingqiu’s black outfit made it hard to tell how much blood was on her, but Xiao Muyu knew very well.
For fifteen minutes, Shen Qingqiu had been fighting those damn ghosts almost entirely on her own. She had slashed those unfeeling, undying monsters countless times with her dagger, and her body was blood-stained.
Xiao Muyu herself had a few cuts, though none were serious. She was just completely drained.
No one had used any items, likely because they felt it wasn’t a life-or-death situation just yet. Xiao Muyu glanced at Shen Qingqiu, then lowered her head, her expression turning cold.
After witnessing Shen Qingqiu’s prowess twice, the group no longer dared to entertain any thoughts about the beautiful woman. She was like a grim reaper, cutting down those inhuman creatures without batting an eye, as if she were chopping vegetables.
But Xiao Muyu knew—Shen Qingqiu was still human.
Shen Qingqiu leaned against the wall, glanced at Xiao Muyu, then at herself, and shifted her body a bit farther from Xiao Muyu before closing her eyes.
Xiao Muyu could clearly see her chest rising and falling steadily, as well as the sweat soaking the hair on her forehead.
She wanted to say something, but Shen Qingqiu took a breath, her voice low and tinged with exhaustion as she said, “Just pushing through isn’t an option anymore. We have to find the door’s password.”
Shen Qingqiu leaned her head back against the wall and swallowed. Her neck was long and graceful, with smooth lines. The blood vessels on either side of her pale neck were visible, and the movement of her throat as she swallowed was strangely enticing.
Xiao Muyu stared at her in a daze, and found a mysterious sense of familiarity with the scene.
Shen Qingqiu continued, “Earlier, I saw a number on one of those creatures; I thought it was a 9. I kept an eye out for them this round. Just now, I saw a 2, but from my angle, it was upside down, so I realized the 9 was actually a 6.”
“This is getting more and more confusing,” Chen Kaijie said, feeling overwhelmed as more numbers started to appear.
Xiao Muyu furrowed her brows unconsciously, but her eyes suddenly brightened when she heard this, and she inquired somewhat urgently, “You’re saying that during the round with the 857142 password, you saw a 6?”
Shen Qingqiu nodded.
Xiao Muyu muttered quietly, “I can’t believe I missed this. How could I have forgotten 142857? It’s such an obvious answer, and I only just realized it now.”
Xiao Muyu continued speaking to herself, leaving the rest of the group utterly confused. Shen Qingqiu stared at her, a sudden thought flashing through her mind, and she couldn’t help but say, “142857 multiplied by 6 equals 857142.”
Xiao Muyu nodded. Shen Qingqiu really was formidable—not only did she have off the charts combat ability, but she was also much smarter than the average person.
However, the others were completely lost. “What are you two talking about?”
“The room numbers misled me, and I thought 142857 was just part of the game’s design. But the room numbers themselves hold a deeper meaning. The sequence 142857 is a special set of numbers, reportedly discovered inside the Egyptian pyramids, said to prove that a week has seven days. It’s also known as a cyclic number1—a very magical set of numbers.”
Xiao Muyu became a bit frustrated as she spoke. “Actually, the meeting room gave us plenty of hints, like the calendar with the Egyptian pyramids as a background. I’ve only seen this so-called cyclic number once in junior high, and it’s been so many years since, so I didn’t connect the dots until now.”
The six rooms rotating like a carousel lantern2 was also a clue. However, it was such an obscure reference, and with the intense pressure of the game, it would be hard for anyone unfamiliar with it to figure out. That was why the first round used the room numbers as a hint, and the second round relied on the arrangement of the books.
“What does cyclic number mean?” someone asked, confused by this obscure knowledge. They hadn’t even heard of the term, let alone been able to deduce anything from it.
After taking a breath, Shen Qingqiu added, “If you multiply 142857 by any number from 1 to 6, the result is still the same six digits, just in a different order. For example, 142857 multiplied by 6 equals 857142, and 142857 multiplied by 2 equals 285714. The six digits don’t change; they just shift positions.
If you multiply by 7, it becomes 999999. Westerners believe this signifies Sunday as a rest day, because 9 represents completeness.
The cyclic number and the number 9 are closely related. For example, 14 plus 28 plus 57 equals 99, and 142 plus 857 equals 999. It’s no surprise the books were grouped into seven, but only six were necessary; the game has six rounds, and ends at the seventh.”
“Seven numbers? What’s the last number?” Xiao Muyu asked instinctively. Shen Qingqiu hadn’t mentioned it.
“The six math books actually divided the rest into seven groups, and the last group had 9 books,” answered Shen Qingqiu.
“No wonder. So, the first round’s password could have been 142857, and the missing rooms, 4316 and 4313, have last digits that add up to 9. It seems that 9 is also a key number.”
After Xiao Muyu finished speaking, the other seven people stared at the two women a bit peculiarly.
“You both know about this ‘cyclic number’ thing?” Chen Kaijie asked in surprise.
Shen Qingqiu, noticing their expressions, looked somewhat dissatisfied. She propped herself up on her left leg and said coolly, “Is there a problem?”
“No, no problem at all. We’ve long noticed Miss Xiao’s exceptional intelligence, but Miss Shen, we didn’t expect that you not only have outstanding skills but also possess such extensive knowledge. It’s truly eye-opening for us,” Chen Kaijie said, clearly intimidated by the two. He prided himself on both physical and intellectual prowess, but in the face of Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu, he felt like a small fish in a big pond.
“Simple mind, well-developed limbs,” Xiao Muyu suddenly said. When Shen Qingqiu looked at her in surprise, she added, “Neither applies to Miss Shen.”
It wasn’t that Shen Qingqiu lacked combat strength; rather, despite her tall stature, her slim figure wouldn’t suggest such explosive power.
“Does this mean we’ll know the passwords for the next few rounds?” Lin Hai asked with excitement.
“Logically, yes. However, it’s clear that these seven sets of numbers don’t appear in order. The first round was 142857; the second round was 857142. We didn’t figure out the third round’s password, but if the number 2 appeared, it should be 285714. As for the next three rounds, we don’t know whether we should multiply by 3, 4, 5, or a repeat number. But I think I know where to find the hint.” After explaining this, Xiao Muyu glanced at Shen Qingqiu.
“You mean you want me to go and pull their sleeves?” Shen Qingqiu smiled.
“If you can’t manage that, we’ll have to try each set of numbers in turn. But the system probably expected this, so it might not give us the chance. Also, one person can’t fend off all the attacks.” After saying this, Xiao Muyu looked around at the others. The implication was clear—they couldn’t rely solely on Shen Qingqiu’s hand-to-hand skills, and they shouldn’t keep their cards so close to their chests.
Zuo Tiantian hesitated briefly before revealing, “I drew an A-grade item—a red string. It can bind one target, whether human or ghost, for thirty seconds, but it has a thirty-minute cooldown.”
After she opened up, the others also felt compelled to share.
Wang Yushan had drawn a B-grade peach wood sword. She showed it to them; it was only about a foot long, looking like a child’s toy.
“It’s not very durable. It will break after three uses,” she explained.
Su Jin the newbie had nothing, while Ni De had drawn a ball.
“In my last instance, there was a little ghost who liked playing with a ball. This ball, when thrown, will attract ghosts to chase it. It also has a thirty-minute cooldown.”
Lin Hai’s expression darkened slightly, and he grumbled, “I had bad luck and drew a thousand coins, no items.”
Chen Kaijie also looked a bit awkward and rubbed his nose, saying, “I drew a frying pan. It can heat food.”
Zhang Qiang just pulled out a bandage without saying much.
“A five-meter-long tourniquet. Useful in emergencies.”
The group: …….
“That’s actually quite useful, right?” Wang Yushan said in a small voice.
Everyone turned their hopeful eyes toward Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu succinctly said, “I’ve got a dagger, a piece of refined iron forged into the dagger, and a ‘thanks for playing’ card.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Muyu looked at her in surprise. It was quite a coincidence that the first unlucky draw was Shen Qingqiu.
“Who are you trying to fool? How could there be a ‘thanks for playing’ card?” Lin Hai muttered, with the others also looking astonished and somewhat skeptical.
Xiao Muyu cut in, “There is. I also drew one.” She looked slightly resigned.
Shen Qingqiu was also surprised. After all, Xiao Muyu had achieved S-rank clearance in her first instance. Was her luck really that bad?
She couldn’t help but laugh. “I was so depressed at the time, thinking I was the only one having such bad luck. I didn’t expect it to happen to you too.” There was a hint of schadenfreude in her tone.
Xiao Muyu wanted to wipe that annoying look off Shen Qingqiu’s face, so she added a salvaging statement. “But I did get one extra draw, and I pulled a human skin mask. It’s not offensive, only for disguises, so it’s not very useful right now.”
“Extra draw?” The others felt like they just gained new knowledge.
“You get them after S-rank clearances,” Shen Qingqiu casually added, raising an eyebrow to indicate that she also had one.
“You two have really terrible luck. I thought my bad draw was already outrageous.”
“Now isn’t the time to discuss this,” Xiao Muyu said as she began to summarize what they had discussed into a plan. “I know everyone has their own plans, but I want to remind you that we’re already entering the fourth round. Most of your items have a thirty-minute cooldown, so if used now, they can still be available for the sixth round. How you decide to use them is up to you. Currently available items are Zuo Tiantian’s red string and Ni De’s ball, which can control two units in critical moments. Wang Yushan’s peach wood sword depends on your performance. As for the frying pan, it has limitations for heating food, but can be used as a weapon when necessary. It’s better than being empty-handed.”
The group nodded in agreement. Chen Kaijie rubbed his forehead and said, “The smarter you are, the more your own cleverness trips you up. Why did I let myself be constrained by thinking inside the box?”
Swinging the frying pan at people—no, ghosts—was a much better idea.
A bang signaled the end of their break, and the fourth door opened.
“Certain situations call for appropriate measures,” said Shen Qingqiu as she stepped forward, providing a reassuring presence with her calm and composed eyes.
In situations like this, Shen Qingqiu was as captivating as Xiao Muyu’s brilliance during reasoning.
The fourth round of the game was about to begin.
Footnotes:
Author had something to say:
Several little angels in the comments section actually thought of the numbers from the Egyptian pyramids as soon as they saw 142857—awesome! This round was a bit obscure, but once you know and think about it, everything falls into place, so it definitely wouldn’t be in the order of 1 to 6. Additionally, the designs of the first and second rounds were meant to provide hints, because without knowing the cyclic number, it would be impossible to figure it out.
Also, not all six rounds of the game will be detailed. This chapter is a long one!
D[Translator]
Been doing this for over a year now. I don't do simple translation but aim to retell a story as engagingly, smoothly, and true to the author's intent as I can, which means lots of editing and googling as well. Click on my ko-fi button if you want to support my work.