Chapter Three: Solitary Confinement
\u201cWhy don\u2019t you\u2026 sleep a bit longer?\u201d
From where they stood, the man in front was clearly Proctor 001.
He looked like someone who had just come in to escape the snow. As he surveyed the room, he removed his black leather gloves and smiled faintly. \u201cNot bad\u2014you knew to light a fire. It\u2019s snowing hard outside. Quite cold coming all the way here.\u201d
No one returned the smile.
Most people in the room instinctively shrank back.
He acted as if he hadn\u2019t noticed. Walking over to the stove, he held his hands out to warm them. The faint smile still lingered on his lips, carrying a lazy hint of mockery.
The snow on his shoulders and collar slowly melted, leaving damp marks that soon dried in the heat.
Everyone stared at him, but no one dared speak.
They had just seen a metal can turn to powder the moment it left the house, yet these three had walked through the snow unharmed.
Yu Wen trembled behind You Huo, practically vibrating against him. In a tiny whisper, he asked, \u201cAre they\u2026 even human?\u201d
Proctor 001 seemed to hear him. He turned and glanced at You Huo.
His eyes were pitch black, hidden in shadow. Occasionally, the firelight flickered across them\u2014brief, sharp. The hint of amusement remained.
You Huo looked back expressionlessly, pressing down on the trembling Yu Wen behind him. \u201cCan you be quiet?\u201d
Yu Wen froze.
\u2026
After 001 finished warming himself and put his gloves back on, another proctor near the door spoke in a flat, official tone:
\u201cWe are the proctors for this exam. I am No. 154. We have just received notice that two of you did not follow the rules when answering.\u201d
Yu Yao\u2019s face turned deathly pale. Already unsteady, she now looked as if she might faint.
Tears streamed down her face.
As for the bald man tied to the sofa\u2014he didn\u2019t even dare breathe.
\u201cBut\u2014\u201d
Someone suddenly spoke.
154 paused and looked toward the speaker.
Yu Wen peeked out from behind You Huo.
Surprisingly, the one who spoke was his drunken father.
\u201cAt\u2026 at the beginning, you never said what we had to use to answer,\u201d Old Yu stammered.
\u201cAll rules have hints,\u201d 154 replied.
\u201cWhere are the hints?\u201d
\u201cI am not a candidate.\u201d
\u201cBut we didn\u2019t know! Ignorance shouldn\u2019t be punished\u2014\u201d
154 cut him off coldly. \u201cThat has nothing to do with us.\u201d
He took out a white slip of paper and read, \u201cAccording to reports, the violators are a middle-aged man and a young girl\u2014\u201d
He glanced at 001, paused, then corrected himself stiffly: \u201cA middle-aged man and a woman. The two violators will come with us.\u201d
While he spoke, Proctor 922 had already grabbed the bald man and dragged him toward the door like a sack.
The door opened.
A blast of icy wind rushed in.
Snow pelted into the room, and everyone shrank back in terror.
They watched as 922 dragged the bald man into the storm\u2014and vanished.
Only his screams remained, along with a wet stain on the floor.
154 scanned the room. \u201cAnd the other\u2026 female\u2026\u201d
Old Yu and two elderly women tried to shield Yu Yao, trembling violently.
Just as 154\u2019s gaze was about to land on them\u2014
001 tilted his chin toward You Huo. \u201cThe other one is him. Take him.\u201d
\u201cWho?\u201d
154 looked down at the slip.
The words clearly read: \u201cyoung girl.\u201d
He stared blankly at You Huo.
You Huo frowned and glared coldly at 001.
154 had no doubt\u2014if this man had a knife, their boss\u2019s head would already be gone.
Before he could say anything, 001 turned and walked out into the snow.
\u2026
\u201cDamn it! Bro!!\u201d
\u201cThey don\u2019t even follow logic!!\u201d Old Yu shouted.
\u201cIt\u2019s not him\u2014it\u2019s me!\u201d Yu Yao cried, rushing forward.
But when she reached the door, it was already empty.
The proctors\u2014and You Huo\u2014were gone.
\u201cStop yelling!\u201d the tattooed man snapped, slamming the door shut and locking it.
Silence returned.
Old Yu collapsed to the ground, eyes bloodshot.
Yu Yao broke down again.
Yu Wen stood frozen at the door before turning to his father. \u201cMy brother left me a message.\u201d
\u201cWhat?\u201d
\u201cFind a knife.\u201d
\u201cWhat knife?\u201d
Yu Wen didn\u2019t answer. He stared at the wall.
Then it clicked.
\u201cThe knife marks\u2026 they\u2019re the hint.\u201d
Ink couldn\u2019t leave marks.
But a blade could.
So the knife was the \u201cpen.\u201d
Old Yu\u2019s eyes lit up. \u201cThat\u2019s clever.\u201d
\u201cShh!\u201d Yu Wen quickly covered his mouth. \u201cThe knife is hidden.\u201d
\u2026
The snowstorm worsened.
You Huo walked through the white void, expression cold.
The hut had vanished behind him.
At least one thing was certain\u2014under proctor supervision, they wouldn\u2019t disintegrate.
But honestly, the proctors were worse than the snow.
The bald man kept screaming.
Thankfully, the journey wasn\u2019t long.
A small villa appeared ahead.
The kind horror movies loved.
\u201cWe\u2019re here,\u201d 154 said, pushing him inside.
The interior was filled with sculptures and murals\u2014faces everywhere.
The bald man collapsed to the floor.
922 dragged him down a hallway.
\u201cPlease\u2014I was wrong\u2014!\u201d his voice echoed.
\u201cScared?\u201d 001 asked beside You Huo.
You Huo ignored him and walked inside.
154 glanced between them.
\u201cWhy are you looking at me?\u201d 001 said lazily. \u201cGo. Someone\u2019s eager.\u201d
\u2026
The hallway was unnaturally long.
Finally, they reached a door.
922 shoved the bald man inside and locked it.
You Huo asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s the punishment?\u201d
\u201cSolitary confinement,\u201d 154 said.
You Huo: \u201c\u2026\u201d
He stared at him. \u201cYou\u2019re afraid. You\u2019ve been inside?\u201d
154 frowned. \u201cYou should be the one afraid.\u201d
Then he felt something sticky underfoot.
Blood seeped from beneath the door.
Screams followed.
\u201cDon\u2019t worry, he won\u2019t die,\u201d 154 said, opening another door and pushing You Huo inside. \u201cThree hours.\u201d
The door slammed shut.
\u201cYou\u2019ll relive your worst fear,\u201d 154\u2019s voice came faintly.
\u2026
Upstairs, Proctor 001\u2014Qin Jiu\u2014sat in a chair, idly playing with a black bird.
922 complained loudly nearby.
154 burst in, waving the slip. \u201cIt said girl! You wrote girl!\u201d
Qin Jiu didn\u2019t respond.
\u201cBoss?\u201d 922 called.
\u201cQin Jiu!\u201d
He finally looked up.
\u201cWhat?\u201d
\u201cWhy\u2019d you bring the wrong person?\u201d
\u201cI followed the rules,\u201d Qin Jiu said calmly. \u201cHis hand touched the \u2018ink.\u2019\u201d
154 blinked. \u201cOh\u2026\u201d
\u201cAnd besides\u2026\u201d Qin Jiu trailed off.
They waited.
Ten minutes passed.
\u201c\u2026never mind.\u201d
\u2026
Three hours later, 154 opened the door.
He braced for chaos.
Instead\u2014
You Huo was asleep.
Head on the table.
Like a student napping in class.
154 froze.
You Huo woke, glanced at him, then leaned back lazily. \u201cDone?\u201d
154: \u201c\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u201d
\u2026Should you maybe sleep a little longer????<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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