LABMY CH151

The game started at nine o’clock every day, but in the unfamiliar environment of the ancient castle, without entertainment devices or mobile phones, most people woke up very early.

The first to come out of his room was that honest and somewhat timid middle-aged man.

The ancient castle had a unique structure, with a corridor-style layout. From the hall, it was easy to see the second and third floors, and conversely, from the second and third floors, one could also see the hall by simply leaning forward.

However, from the third floor upward, the layout changed to one that offered excellent privacy. Looking up from the hall, everything above the third floor was just walls.

The middle-aged man stepped out of his room, looked up, and was momentarily stunned upon seeing the people in the hall. Then he walked down the stairs and gave a slightly ingratiating smile to the two people there. “Good morning, good morning.”

Shen Tingyue looked at him curiously. The middle-aged man felt his scalp tingle under the gaze and awkwardly touched his own face. “Is something wrong?”

He felt extremely nervous, but then the “Lu Yongye” in front of him suddenly flashed a big smile.

The middle-aged man relaxed a little. Seeing that this child was about the same age as his daughter, he couldn’t help but show some elder-like concern. “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Are you feeling so relaxed because you’re about to leave this place?”

Shen Tingyue tugged at Jian Yuanbai’s sleeve. When Jian Yuanbai looked down at him, he opened his mouth and let out two soft “ah, ah” sounds, then pointed at his own throat, showing an expression that was both innocent and a little troubled.

Jian Yuanbai’s heart tightened, but he kept his expression unchanged as he said to the middle-aged man, “She was too scared last night and lost her voice a little.”

“Lost her voice?” The middle-aged man was shocked. “How could a person suddenly lose their voice just like that?”

Jian Yuanbai explained, “Medically, this is called hysteria-induced aphonia. When emotions are too tense, this kind of situation can occur.”

The middle-aged man looked at Shen Tingyue worriedly. “Will it get better?”

Jian Yuanbai replied, “It’s just temporary aphonia. Once she’s out of this environment, she’ll gradually recover.”

He hadn’t expected that Shen Tingyue’s disguise could only mimic appearance but not voice. Fortunately, he had encountered a suspect before who had lost their voice temporarily due to severe emotional shock. In this emergency, he simply borrowed that explanation.

He glanced at the middle-aged man sitting stiffly on the sofa, wearing a dusty, cement-stained military green jacket, and after some thought, asked, “Why did you come here?”

The middle-aged man smiled bitterly. “For money, of course. What else?”

“Money is a good thing. Everyone likes it.”

During their conversation, Jian Yuanbai learned some basic information about the middle-aged man. His name was Lao Zhao, an honest and hardworking migrant worker with a daughter in high school.

The reason he came here was simple. His daughter wasn’t good at academics and had little chance of getting into college based on her grades. However, her teacher said she had a talent for art and could apply as an art-specialty student. But pursuing an arts path required a lot of money.

Not only was high school expensive, but once she got into an art academy, the costs would be even higher. With Lao Zhao’s earnings, it would be nearly impossible to support his daughter’s art studies and university education.

Lao Zhao laughed self-deprecatingly. “Becoming an art student requires an upfront payment of twenty thousand yuan, and who knows how much more later. My wife passed away early, and I’m not capable. It doesn’t matter if I struggle all my life, but if my girl can’t go to college and ends up struggling like me, what do I do then?”

“I even considered selling a kidney. Then I heard that joining a game could earn me money. I didn’t believe it, but I thought there was no harm in trying, so I came.”

Jian Yuanbai frowned. “If you sell a kidney, you’ll lose half your health.”

“If you’re unlucky, there could be many complications. The money you get from selling a kidney might not even be enough for medical treatment.”

As he spoke, Jian Yuanbai took out a pen and a small note from his pocket and quickly wrote down a string of numbers. “This is my phone number. Call me after we leave this place. Maybe I can find someone to help you.”

He didn’t directly offer to help. Sponsoring someone’s education involved many complexities. If not handled properly, it could cause unnecessary trouble. He needed to investigate first before making any promises—giving false hope would only make things worse.

Lao Zhao was stunned but took the note and repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

Meanwhile, the others had started coming downstairs one after another. Jian Yuanbai appeared focused on his conversation with Lao Zhao, but in reality, he was closely observing everyone’s reactions.

The more he observed, the deeper his frown became.

Everyone’s expressions seemed too normal. When they saw the “Lu Yongye” disguised by Shen Tingyue, none of them showed any shock.

Seeing someone they had personally killed appear alive in front of them—how could they not show the slightest reaction?

Either the murderer had an extremely cold and calculating mindset, or the person who killed Lu Yongye wasn’t among them.

Jian Yuanbai’s thoughts were interrupted by a tug on his sleeve. Looking down, he saw Shen Tingyue gazing at him with an eager expression before shifting his gaze to the lively crowd.

His expression was incredibly innocent. He stared at Jian Yuanbai with bright, expectant eyes, pressing one hand against his lips as if craving something.

Jian Yuanbai looked at Shen Tingyue expressionlessly.

They stared at each other for a moment. Shen Tingyue pouted, gave up, and slumped in defeat.

…?

Jian Yuanbai’s characteristic speech quirk.

He glanced at Shen Tingyue, who was curled up on the sofa like a small bundle, and pondered the oddities about him.

Shen Tingyue claimed to remember nothing except his own name. Could it be that his memory had regressed all the way to infancy? Jian Yuanbai’s gaze grew darker. A one-meter-seventy-something infant?

Then what was he, the person Shen Tingyue had latched onto?

A nanny?

At that moment, the blond man suddenly exclaimed, “Damn! Seeing so much money and not being able to take it is driving me crazy!”

He slammed his fist against the glass case and cursed, “What the hell is this glass made of? When I get out, I’m going to report the company that made this crap!”

His outburst attracted everyone’s attention. The blond man spat on the ground and said, “It’s not even nine yet. What should we do?”

“Should we wait until nine or check if the driver is here?”

The bespectacled man suggested, “Let’s check on the driver.”

The group left the castle and saw that the bus was still parked where Jian Yuanbai had left it yesterday. The door was open, but there was no one inside.

Jian Yuanbai stopped a few people who were about to wander off. “Let’s wait here for a bit. The castle is huge, and if the driver arrives while you’re away, it’ll be troublesome.”

He suspected the driver wouldn’t come, but he couldn’t let everyone scatter randomly—after all, there was still a murderer among them.

He had covered up Lu Yongye’s death to delay the start of the game, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t investigate it. If they could leave, these people would be taken straight to the police for questioning.

Thirty people waited for a long time, but the driver never appeared. The most hot-tempered one, the blond man, finally lost patience. “Damn it, how long are we supposed to wait?”

“I haven’t even eaten yet. I’m going to get breakfast.”

His words gained widespread agreement. Most of the group headed toward the dining hall, while a few chose to stay behind and wait. As the blond man and his companions stepped into the hall—

A loud “clang!” echoed through the castle.

The clock by the stairs struck precisely at nine.

The sound unsettled everyone. Unable to sit still any longer, they hurried toward the dining hall. Jian Yuanbai followed behind, observing their reactions, while Shen Tingyue trailed closely behind him like a little shadow.

Jian Yuanbai tilted his head slightly, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Shen Tingyue, who was tugging at his sleeve.

There it was again—that déjà vu of being a doting dad.

Inside the dining hall, a round stainless steel tray lid was placed upside down at the center of the long table, instantly tightening everyone’s nerves.

“What’s going on?”

“Did someone come in and put this here?”

“Is there a note inside?”

“The dining hall door was open the whole time. I didn’t see anyone come in.”

“Was it put there last night?”

“Whoever did this, step forward.”

Tension, suspicion, unease—all kinds of emotions spread among the crowd, making the atmosphere heavy and oppressive.

Jian Yuanbai fixed his gaze on the stainless steel tray lid, his brows furrowed. Before sitting in the main hall to observe everyone, he had already been to this dining hall.

At that time, the round stainless steel lid had been casually placed to the side, untouched since it had been removed the previous day.

No one had entered the dining hall. So who had placed the tray lid neatly back in the center?

Jian Yuanbai strode forward and lifted the lid. Inside, a neatly folded note lay quietly.

The moment the note appeared, several people around them audibly sucked in a breath.

Jian Yuanbai unfolded the note. The writing was in that familiar black ink:

“Li Lijie.”

“It’s me!” A short man in the crowd screamed in terror. “That’s my name!”

The blond man slung an arm over his shoulder and squeezed hard. “What are you panicking for, coward?”

“That girl yesterday was still standing here just fine. None of us are playing this game, so no one’s going to die.”

Li Lijie turned to look at “Lu Yongye,” patting his own chest as if trying to reassure himself. “Right, no one’s going to die. No one’s going to die.”

He let out a heavy sigh of relief. “Damn, that almost scared me to death.”

On the long table, besides the note, there were only the leftovers from yesterday’s meal. The blond man eyed the remaining food, picking out a long bread roll that hadn’t been touched and stuffing it into his mouth.

“Whoever put the note here, couldn’t they at least have swapped out the food?”

He took a bite and immediately cursed, “Damn, this is rock hard. How is anyone supposed to eat this?”

Since “Lu Yongye” hadn’t died, the group’s panic didn’t escalate too much at the sight of the new note.

Most people found the leftovers unappetizing and refused to eat. Only a few, including Lao Zhao, did. He ate heartily, showing no sign of disgust.

Jian Yuanbai wasn’t as relaxed as the others. He was one of the few who knew that Lu Yongye was already dead. His mind flashed through countless possibilities, but for now, the most pressing matter was keeping an eye on Li Lijie.

Since they were still waiting for the driver, the group lingered in the main hall, occasionally pacing around but never straying too far. The screen that had explained the game rules remained dark. While waiting, Jian Yuanbai examined it and confirmed that the television was completely beyond their control.

As time ticked by, the group grew restless. When the clock finally struck noon, their patience wore thin.

“Why isn’t the driver here yet?”

“Are they even coming?”

“Are we just going to be left here?”

“Was that person lying to us yesterday?”

“Should we keep waiting?”

People muttered among themselves, some looking lost. The blond man stood up abruptly. “Screw this. We’re not waiting anymore—we’re leaving.”

He pointed straight at Jian Yuanbai. “You. Don’t you know how to drive?”

“Take us down in the car.”

Suddenly, all eyes were on Jian Yuanbai. Before he could respond, the two people who had walked with him the previous day spoke up.

“No way. There’s no road.”

The blond man scowled. “Bullshit. There has to be a road.”

He was still wary of Jian Yuanbai after being beaten down yesterday, so instead of cursing at him directly, he turned his aggression toward the two men.

Jian Yuanbai read the expressions on everyone’s faces and didn’t bother arguing. He uncrossed his legs, got up from the sofa, and said, “Let’s go.”

He tilted his head slightly. “After you.”

With one hand in his pocket, he stood off to the side. His long legs were straight, and the black suit he wore fit him perfectly. From the collar, his defined collarbones were visible, and further down, the V-neck cut revealed a broad expanse of chest.

Against the backdrop of the gothic castle, he looked like he had stepped straight out of a high-fashion photoshoot—undoubtedly the most captivating model.

Among the thirty people, quite a few women couldn’t stop looking at him, regardless of their age. The younger ones, in particular, blushed at the sight of his V-neck suit.

The blond man cursed him in his heart for being a show-off but outwardly snapped, “What are you all standing around for? Move, you bunch of idiots.”

Jian Yuanbai was the first to board the bus. He sat in the driver’s seat, turned his head slightly, and his eyelid twitched. “Find your own seat.”

Shen Tingyue just stood beside him like a human lamppost. Hearing Jian Yuanbai’s words, he pursed his lips, shook his head, and looked at him expectantly.

Jian Yuanbai: “Standing there is dangerous. Do you understand?”

“If you fall when the bus starts moving, I’m not responsible.”

Shen Tingyue held his chin as if pondering this. Jian Yuanbai watched him squat down right next to the driver’s seat, hugging the base of the chair, and flashing a bright smile.

Jian Yuanbai was silent. He gave up trying to persuade him and started the engine.

He suddenly felt that he had just acted like an overly concerned father. Especially when Shen Tingyue looked at him with that innocent expression—it made him feel even more like he was babysitting a child.

Jian Yuanbai sighed inwardly. He didn’t want to be a doting dad. Absolutely not.

The dangerous environment and the ongoing mission suppressed Jian Yuanbai’s usually rich inner thoughts. He drove with a blank expression, but his mind started guessing Shen Tingyue’s age.

Judging by his appearance, he seemed like a minor. He was obedient, sure, but not very bright. Once he confirmed that Shen Tingyue was no threat, he might have to take him to a hospital for a check-up.

The bus didn’t get far before coming to a stop. Jian Yuanbai turned his head to face the passengers. “The front gate is locked.”

The crowd was startled. Jian Yuanbai got off first, and the others followed.

The iron gates of the castle were tightly shut, with a heavy iron lock hanging from them. Jian Yuanbai reached out, gave it a tug, and shook his head at the group. “It’s locked.”

The blond man smirked. “Leave this to me.”

As he spoke, he pulled out two iron wires from who-knows-where and prepared to pick the lock. But before he could make a move, his face changed. “Something’s stuck inside.”

Jian Yuanbai: “A broken key is lodged in the keyhole.”

The blond man snapped his head toward him, suddenly furious. He threw the wires to the ground. “You saw it earlier and didn’t say anything?”

“Were you screwing with me?”

Jian Yuanbai sneered, his expression turning sharp and stern in the next second. His gaze was filled with contempt as he looked down at the blond man from above. “Screwing with you? Do you even deserve it?”

“You!” The blond man erupted in fury and was about to charge forward when someone beside him grabbed him, and a chorus of voices tried to persuade him to let it go.

The blond man roared, “Let go!”

He shoved the others away, stormed onto the bus, grabbed the emergency hammer, and smashed it hard against the iron lock.

“Damn it!”

A guy standing next to the blond man spoke up, “Big brother, should I climb over and check it out?”

The blond man waved his hand dismissively. “Go, go.”

That person swiftly climbed onto the iron fence and was just about to leap over when the metal net at the top suddenly crackled with electricity. A violent burst of flames erupted from his body, and he instantly plummeted to the ground like a kite with a broken string.

The fire extinguished, but the man was no longer recognizable as human.

As they stared at the charred corpse on the ground, a heavy silence fell over the group, filled with overwhelming terror. Someone let out a scream, and the crowd instinctively backed away in fear.

“How did this happen?”

“Is he dead? Is he still alive?”

“How did he die?”

Jian Yuanbai stepped forward and glanced at the body without touching it. “Electrocuted.”

He raised his head to look at the towering iron fence in front of them. The fence was built on stone bricks, and sharp spikes lined its top, intertwined with coils of barbed wire. This was originally just a normal security measure, but now—

“There must be electricity running through this fence.”

“Stay away from these iron bars. The stone bricks insulate the lower part of the fence, so touching the iron gate is fine. But if you try to climb over—” Jian Yuanbai lowered his eyes to the scorched corpse and left the rest unsaid.

The man with glasses tilted his head up to examine the iron gate. “The middle section should have been insulated; only the top is electrified.”

Then, he turned to the others. “This is a deterrent. Whoever set this up doesn’t intend to harm us—they just won’t allow us to leave.”

He spoke in a deep voice, “I fear… that driver isn’t coming back.”

The crowd grew even more panicked. Some of the more timid ones had already started sobbing. People were talking all at once, but with the chaos, no one could hear anyone else clearly. They just kept speaking, not caring if anyone responded, simply using their words to vent their fear.

The man with glasses raised his voice. “Let’s split up and see if there’s another way out. Meet back in the lobby in half an hour.”

After the incident, he seemed to naturally take on a leadership role.

Jian Yuanbai didn’t mind someone else taking the lead. However, when it came time to divide into groups to search for an exit, he called out to Li Lijie, “You’re with me.”

Li Lijie glanced at Jian Yuanbai, who was tall and strong and looked like he could beat up ten men at once. He quickly shook his head. “N-No, I don’t think so.”

“Together,” Jian Yuanbai said coldly. “And she’s with us too.”

He pointed at Shen Tingyue. Seeing “Lu Yongye” in a long white dress, looking tall but frail and delicate, Li Lijie sighed in relief and finally agreed.

The fear brought by the death was immense. But even more terrifying was the fact that, after regrouping in the lobby, no one had found a single way out.

The front of the castle was surrounded by an electrified fence, and beyond it was a bottomless cliff—jumping meant certain death. In other words, they were trapped here.

“F*ck!” The blond man cursed and kicked the screen. “Get out here and explain what the hell is going on!”

His outburst had no effect whatsoever. After cursing for a while, he sat down, panting, next to the screen, staring blankly at the massive pile of money inside the glass case.

There were no phones, no way to contact the outside world, and no way to leave. A suffocating silence spread among the group like a heavy weight.

No one knew how long the silence lasted until the man with glasses finally stood up and addressed the group. “Sitting here won’t solve anything. We should search the castle and see if there’s a passage leading outside or a landline we can use.”

He swept his gaze across everyone and spoke gravely. “Most importantly, we need to find out if there’s anyone else hiding in this castle.”

The castle was enormous, surrounded by dense trees. Jian Yuanbai, Shen Tingyue, and Li Lijie explored outside the castle and found that, aside from the main entrance, there were many side doors. The two towering, chimney-like structures flanked the center, like silent guards standing watch.

Jian Yuanbai stepped inside. The interior was dimly lit and covered in dust. Rooms lined both sides of the hallway, their doors unlocked. He pushed one open and found a simple room with a bed and a desk—far too plain compared to the lavish accommodations they had stayed in the night before.

A dusty notebook sat on the desk. The poor lighting made it difficult to read, so Jian Yuanbai shook off the dust and tucked it into his coat, intending to examine it in better light later.

The corridor was narrow, and further ahead, a long staircase led upward.

Li Lijie rubbed his arms, feeling uneasy. “It’s way too dark in here. Don’t you guys think it feels really eerie?”

Saying that, he quickly darted ahead, taking the stairs in a few quick strides. “I’m gonna check if it’s brighter up there.”

In the darkness, Jian Yuanbai was suddenly pulled back. A soft, cool body collided with his, brushing against his ear as Shen Tingyue whispered softly, “I’m so hungry… I’m going to bite you.”

Jian Yuanbai froze. Shen Tingyue had spoken right against his ear, which meant the soft brush against his skin just now… was it his lips?

His thoughts surged, but his first instinct was to refuse. “No. I have some bread—eat that if you’re hungry.”

“That’s not enough,” Shen Tingyue pouted, sounding pitiful. His stomach growled, empty and aching, making him want to abandon politeness. “If you won’t let me bite, I’ll have to speak.”

He muttered, “And if I speak, my secret will be exposed.”

Jian Yuanbai: …

“Fine, go ahead.”

He extended a finger toward Shen Tingyue’s lips. Shen Tingyue, standing close to him, seemed to see clearly even in the dark. He grabbed Jian Yuanbai’s hand, flicked out his tongue, and licked his fingertip.

Jian Yuanbai was about to tell him not to lick when he suddenly felt a sharp pain on his neck. “So, you’ve learned to distract me?”

Shen Tingyue didn’t answer. He simply sank his fangs into Jian Yuanbai’s neck, greedily sipping the sweet blood in small mouthfuls.

Li Lijie, seeing that the two hadn’t followed him up, leaned over and called, “What’s taking you guys so long? Hurry up!”

When he finally spotted them in the dim light, his voice caught in his throat. Though the lighting was poor, he could make out two figures clinging tightly together.

The slightly shorter one had wrapped their legs around the taller man’s waist, their arms hooked around his neck. The taller man had his head tilted back slightly, one hand gripping the back of the other’s head, the other arm wrapped firmly around his waist.

The shorter figure was pressed close to the man’s neck, passionately kissing it.

If he listened closely, he could even hear the wet, intimate sounds.

Holy shit!! Li Lijie cursed internally. At a time like this, couldn’t they wait until later? How desperate were they?!

Out loud, he stammered, “Uh… carry on. I didn’t see anything.”

Jian Yuanbai thought he had misunderstood something. He frowned, about to speak, but Li Lijie had already shrunk back and muttered repeatedly, “Sorry, sorry.” Then, he ran off to a safer distance before patting his chest, still shaken.

Jian Yuanbai pressed his fingers against Shen Tingyue’s neck and whispered, “That’s enough.”

Shen Tingyue reluctantly licked the two small bite marks he had left before lazily sliding off Jian Yuanbai’s body.

Jian Yuanbai looked down at him and asked seriously, “Were you drinking my blood just now?”