Chapter 25: Point of Divergence
Zhang Chenze's eyes flew wide open. She couldn't say a single word and could only step back involuntarily.
"What's wrong?" Qiao Jiajin's view was blocked by Zhang Chenze, and he had no idea what was happening.
The once arrogant lawyer retreated several paces, then plopped down onto the dirty ground.
"You... you..." Zhang Chenze pointed a finger at the female clerk.
The others followed her gaze and saw the female clerk holding a small segment of an arm in her open palm. The arm was very small and delicate, not like an adult's. Moreover, the fingers on it were distinct and definitely not from any animal.
It seemed that the female clerk had indeed cooked a baby.
The baby's arm was now exuding an enticing aroma.
Qi Xia saw this, connected it with the environment of this bizarre room, and instantly understood something.
"Is this... a 'little piglet'?" Qi Xia asked tentatively.
"That's right." The female clerk nodded. "Don't you want to eat?"
Qi Xia's face darkened as he asked again, "You said that if we sleep with you, you'll let us eat little piglets. This is the kind of little piglet you meant?!"
"Mmm." The female clerk stared blankly at Qi Xia. "Little piglets are very tasty."
The smell of blood here was very strong. There were bloodstains on the female clerk's thighs and on the bed. If Qi Xia guessed correctly, this woman had just given birth not long ago, then cooked the child.
She let men sleep with her just so she could eat the child.
"It takes me about a year to eat one little piglet..." The female clerk smiled, revealing her yellowed, dry teeth. "I just wanted to ask if any of you would be willing to sleep with me? I can trade some pig trotters with you..."
"We... we don't eat that..." Officer Li shook his head.
"Since you don't want to... that's fine then..." She fumbled around, stuffed the cooked baby arm into her clothing pocket, and wiped the grease off her hands.
Zhang Chenze saw how the clothes she had draped over the woman had ended up and couldn't say a word. Before this, she had never imagined that cooking human flesh would leave so much grease.
Tiantian slowly walked over to the female clerk and said to her with a complicated expression, "Miss, what you ate wasn't a little piglet. It was a child..."
"A child?" The woman's lifeless eyes shifted. "That is a little piglet. It suddenly jumped out and bumped into me, hurting me."
Everyone exchanged glances. No one could find any words.
"Heh... I'm hungry again." The woman raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to go drink some pork soup. It's really nice to eat my fill."
With that, she turned around and walked back into the staff break room. Before closing the door, she seemed to remember something, grinned foolishly at everyone, and said, "Please feel free to choose!"
Then she slammed the door shut.
The group was silent for a long time. The atmosphere was very oppressive.
Finally, it was Qi Xia who broke the silence and spoke.
"Everyone, even if this damn place doesn't destroy itself in ten days, we won't be able to return to the real world." Qi Xia reached up and touched his forehead. "If we have to stay here forever, sooner or later we'll go as crazy as she did."
This time, Officer Li didn't oppose Qi Xia.
He hesitated too. In this obviously abnormal city, beneath this dark red sky and earthy yellow sun, how long could a person stay sane?
From inside the room came the sound of kitchen utensils clattering. It sounded like the female clerk had helped herself to another bowl of delicacy and was now feasting heartily.
Just a door away, a woman was eating the child she had just given birth to.
Everything in this place was too abnormal.
"I want to go out and take a look." Qi Xia spoke. "Aren't you curious? What exactly is this place? Who are all these people? Does the city have an edge? What's outside? How did we get here, and how do we get out?"
Rather than "curiosity," the expressions on everyone's faces were more like fear.
"I just feel like danger is everywhere here." Xiao Ran shook her head and said to Qi Xia, "Rather than going out to participate in those 'games,' I'd rather find a safe place to stay."
"Pretty girl, there's no food or drink here." Qiao Jiajin rubbed his stomach. "If we want to survive, we can't really eat that little piglet, can we?"
His stance was self-evident. Rather than stay here waiting to die, he wanted to go out and take a look too.
The nine people now seemed to be split into two groups. Some wanted to leave, some wanted to stay.
Dr. Zhao glanced at Han Yimo beside him and said, "Going out to take a look is fine, but the injured person can't go. He's destined to stay here. As a doctor, I should also stay to take care of him."
"Then I'll stay and keep you company," Xiao Ran said quietly.
"Are you all trying to get yourselves killed?" Qiao Jiajin shook his head. "One patient, one weak woman, plus one doctor. You three are planning to live here?"
"I'll stay too," Officer Li suddenly spoke up.
Dr. Zhao and the other two turned to look at him. Knowing that if the sturdy Officer Li also stayed, it would naturally be safer.
Officer Li nodded at Dr. Zhao and said, "This thug is right. It's too dangerous for you three to be here alone. Not to mention those animal masks—even if that woman inside goes crazy, you won't be able to handle her."
Now the number of people choosing to stay had reached four. Everyone then turned their gaze to Tiantian, Zhang Chenze, and Lin Qin.
These three women had not yet stated their positions.
"I'll definitely stay." Zhang Chenze smiled slightly. "I'm a lawyer. Before I have all the information in hand, I won't take the initiative. That would lead me to make wrong judgments."
Having said that, she stood up and walked over to Officer Li and Dr. Zhao's side.
At this moment, Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin seemed to have become outliers. In this seemingly perilous world, they wanted to go out and explore, like children who hadn't grown up.
Tiantian glanced at Lin Qin beside her, then walked over to Qi Xia's side, but still didn't say a word. It seemed she didn't need any reason to join Qi Xia's team.
"Hmm?" Qiao Jiajin's lips curled up. "I thought you would stay."
"Stay?" Tiantian smiled bitterly and shook her head. Then she raised her hand and pointed at the ground. "Can't you see? There's a wall here. This wall forces me to leave."
"Wall?" Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin looked down but didn't see any "wall."
"On that side of the wall are police, lawyers, doctors, and writers. And on this side of the wall are liars, thugs, and prostitutes." Tiantian's tone was flat. She tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear and continued, "Our 'side' was determined from the very beginning, wasn't it?"
Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin's expressions shifted. They understood what Tiantian meant.
Yes, even though the nine of them were all ordinary people forced to come here, they still had their own "sides." Qi Xia, Qiao Jiajin, and Tiantian were all people living in the gray zone, destined to be incompatible with the others.
Now the only person who hadn't chosen her "side" was Lin Qin. According to her identity as a "psychological counselor," she should also go to the other side of the "wall."
But what no one expected was that she slowly walked over to Qi Xia and the others.
Qi Xia vaguely felt that this girl was a bit off, but couldn't pinpoint what was strange.
"You're coming too?" Tiantian looked at the girl with confusion. "You're not the same kind as us. If you follow them, maybe..."
"But I'm very useful." Lin Qin covered her mouth and nose and smiled at Tiantian, interrupting her. "I understand human nature. Maybe I can be of help."
Qiao Jiajin stretched lazily and said, "Great, with two pretty girls accompanying us, me and Liar won't get bored."
"Don't call me Liar." Qi Xia frowned. "And I don't need you to follow me."
"Fine, fine..." Qiao Jiajin nodded. "When do we leave? Now?"
"I..."
Before Qi Xia could finish, Lin Qin spoke up. "It's really getting late now. Personally, I suggest we go out tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Everyone turned to look out the window. The sky had indeed darkened.
That sky was even more dark red, constantly exuding an air of danger.