He really didn't expect this. He actually got a special character in the first episode.
Fang Juexia glanced at the camera in front of him.
Could it be that the director gave out the trump cards based on everyone's performance just now? But giving out this kind of character card in the first episode, were they really not afraid of ruining the entire episode?
He glanced across and saw that Pei Tingsong seemed to have finished checking. He put his phone back in his pocket and looked up at him.
"Why are you frowning?" Pei Tingsong curled his lips. "You got Killer?"
Fang Juexia raised his eyebrows. This kind of fake identity was useless to him. "Yes, you got Killer in the first round. How do you feel?"
Pei Tingsong leaned forward on the table with his hands cuffed. He looked at Fang Juexia with a pitiful and innocent expression. "I'm very scared."
But as soon as he finished speaking, he laughed.
He really looked like a psychopathic murderer, Fang Juexia thought.
Could it be that Pei Tingsong was Killer?
This thought flashed across his mind. If the two newcomers really got the character card together, the production team might really go crazy.
He thought about it and remembered that when his senior participated in the first episode of the first season, he was also a newcomer. He was a blank piece of paper, but he got the role of Killer for the first time. This meant that the production team didn't think too much when giving out the trump cards. The only thing that could be considered was that Killer and the script corresponded to each other.
But even so, he couldn't rule out the possibility of Pei Tingsong getting the Killer card.
The table happened to block his hand movements. Fang Juexia tapped on the card on the screen. After choosing his side, he pretended to have his head lowered and stuffed his phone into his phone. Then, he raised his hand expressionlessly and continued to bite the knot with his teeth.
He was sure that there must be a tool to cut the rope somewhere, but he was too lazy to look for it. Anyway, as long as he achieved his goal, there was no difference between good and bad.
"You're breaking it by force." Pei Tingsong teased him. "The production team should have given me the rope and you the handcuffs. That way, there would have been no mistakes." At this point, he suddenly realized that there was a letter 'B' printed on his handcuffs. The color was very light and hard to notice.
There must be something wrong with something marked.
Pei Tingsong had very little space to move around. He could only look around the table to see if there were any other clues. Now that the hood was off, he saw the square that he had embedded into the table. It had a capital letter A written on it.
His intuition told him that there was something wrong with A.
Looking up at Fang Juexia, Pei Tingsong wanted to tell Fang Juexia about the letter he found, but he was surprised to find that there seemed to be a very small card strung on the rope around Fang Juexia's arm. The card swayed with his movements.
"Don't move."
Upon hearing Pei Tingsong's words, Fang Juexia stopped what he was doing and looked at him. "What's wrong?"
"There's a sign on your left arm."
After listening to his words, Fang Juexia turned his head to look. Sure enough, it was a small wooden sign with the letter "A" written on it. Pei Tingsong finally saw it clearly.
A and a.
"So it's not an English letter." Pei Tingsong smiled. He did not expect that he would find the corresponding letter so quickly.
"What English letter?" Fang Juexia asked.
"The sign on your arm corresponds to the metal block that I embedded into the table." Pei Tingsong took out the square and showed the side with the letters printed on it to Fang Juexia. "They're both Greek letters. One is uppercase, and the other is lowercase."
Fang Juexia understood. This was probably the tool that the program team used to untie the rope. But how could a square cut the rope?
Pei Tingsong held the square with both hands and tried to knock and twist it, but there was no change.
Could it be that it was not a deformation?
He looked closer and found that there was a horizontal line near the edge of the square that was hard to find. It looked like a small drawer hidden in the square. Pei Tingsong tried to push it with his fingers, but the strip was too narrow. His fingers could not move it at all.
Fang Juexia felt that it was hopeless. Even if Pei Tingsong found a way, it was unlikely that he would give it to him. He might as well solve it himself. Who knows, maybe it would be bitten open.
"I got it." Pei Tingsong quickly came up with a new idea. He used his handcuffed hands to take off the badge on his shirt. It was a very thin rectangular piece of metal with the words [Doctor Tian] written on it.
Was his character really a doctor?
Pei Tingsong pressed the corner of the metal badge against the metal block marked with a and pushed the small strip inside. Sure enough, he pushed the square out like a piece of building block that had been pulled out!
The bottom of the square was the strip on the metal block from before. The front part of the square that was pushed out was as thin as a blade.
"Here, found it." Pei Tingsong pinched the square "blade" and waved it at Fang Juexia.
Fang Juexia was not very happy because his past experience told him what was about to happen. He could only hope that Pei Tingsong would not say it during the recording …
"Beg me and I'll give it to you." Pei Tingsong did not bother to pretend at all.
Sure enough, he said it … Fang Juexia sighed in his heart.
"No need." He still chose to bite it open himself.
Looking at the rope with his head lowered, Pei Tingsong glanced at the gloves he was wearing.
He really could not afford to tease him.
"I'm just kidding." Looking at Fang Juexia's teeth, Pei Tingsong was scared. "I know you have good teeth, but the production team carefully arranged for us to work together to escape. Let me show you."
"Here." He pressed the blade on the table and pushed it towards Fang Juexia. "The greatness of mankind lies in the use of tools."
Fang Juexia glanced at the blade that was pushed over.
Pei Tingsong's level of cooperation today was so high that it made him suspicious. Fang Juexia guessed in his heart. Could it be that he wanted to show his goodwill and get his vote?
Forget it. Anyway, he had found the blade. It would be a waste not to use it.
Just as he reached out his hand, he saw Pei Tingsong's elbows on the table. His two handcuffed hands were cupping his face. One hand was gloved and the other was bare. His face was lonely and pitiful. He sighed deeply. "Ah, I miss my Lily."
Fang Juexia forced himself to calm down in his heart.
He knew that Pei Tingsong would never let him down.
"You can bring her to China."
Pei Tingsong shook his head. "Forget it. I can't afford to raise two dogs."
In the face of Pei Tingsong's insinuations, Fang Juexia tried hard to calm his emotions. He could almost imagine that after the show was broadcast, the fans would definitely flood the screen and ask if they raised a dog in the dormitory.
He shouldn't have talked to this little devil from the beginning.
In order to move freely, Fang Juexia picked up the "blade". Although it didn't have a real blade, it was enough to cut the rope. He tried it back and forth a few times. As expected, the rope broke.
Suddenly, the narration sounded again. "Players, please pay attention. The double-faced knight has made his choice. During this period of time, the black and white masks of the knight will be temporarily hidden. We will choose a time to announce the knight's faction in the form of an announcement."
Pei Tingsong leaned comfortably on the sofa and slacked off. "They really know how to play."
During this period of time where the knight's faction was not announced, it was the best time to fish in troubled waters. Everyone only had a small amount of information. Everyone didn't trust each other, but they had to cooperate and communicate in order to piece together the complete story. In this period of time where everyone was in the dark, anything said could affect the direction of the entire game.
Hearing the narration, Fang Juexia secretly rejoiced. He was worried that he would be exposed after choosing his faction. It seemed that the program team wanted to give the players and the audience more suspense. Although his heart was in turmoil, Fang Juexia's expression didn't change at all. He was still focused on the knot on his wrist.
This period of time was his golden time as a knight. He had to escape as soon as possible, gather information, and control the pace of the game.
Seeing that Fang Juexia was working so hard to escape, Pei Tingsong didn't stay idle either. Although it was his first time playing, his logic was clear. Since the two of them were initially trapped in a specific location, the item to crack the puzzle must be hidden nearby.
The closest thing was this table.
His eyes scanned the table. There weren't many things on it. In front of him was a blank book with a pen on it. There was a lamp on his end, covered by an elliptical lamp cover. Fang Juexia opposite him also had a lamp in front of him.
"Why did you only turn on the light on your end …" Pei Tingsong muttered to himself. Only one lamp was on. There must be a problem. He stretched out his handcuffed hands and tried to get close to the lamp on the upper left corner of the table. At this time, he unexpectedly found a letter printed on the base of the lamp.
It was β.
Found it.
Pei Tingsong struggled to find the switch and turned the lamp on.
After a long time, the rope finally broke. Fang Juexia touched his red wrist, rolled the rope into a ball, and put it on the table. He saw Pei Tingsong observing something under the lamp, so he stood up and walked to his side.
A vague shape appeared on the lamp cover.
It was the shape of a key.
Pei Tingsong was about to remove the lamp cover, but Fang Juexia, who was more agile, beat him to it. After removing the lamp cover, the lamp was left with a lonely light bulb. The small key was hidden in the transparent light bulb.
"You really throw it away after you use it." Pei Tingsong, who had lost the initiative, was still smiling. "Am I your tool?"
Fang Juexia smashed the light bulb and took the small key out of the broken pieces. The metal key was very small. Other than the handcuffs, it could not open anything else. He fiddled with it for a while before leaning against the table and facing Pei Tingsong. His face was calm. "Isn't this the way to play this game? Everyone is suspicious of each other, but they also have to use each other. "
The eyes under the lens were calm. Under the dark rules of the game, Fang Juexia said such words to someone for the first time in his life.
"Isn't it your turn to beg me now?"
Pei Tingsong leaned his head back on the sofa, the frivolous smile on his face unchanging.
In his eyes, Fang Juexia's wrists and neck were still red from being tied up. The collar of his shirt was open, and he wore a pair of scholarly glasses. This Fang Juexia looked more fragile and bookish than usual, and he also had an inviolable sense of restraint. Even though he was threatening her, when paired with his face and the cold temperament that seeped out from his bones, it didn't sound very intimidating.
Instead, it sounded like a provocation.
It was like an invitation to violate the rules.
So the more Fang Juexia threatened and stood on the opposite side of the fence, the more excited Pei Tingsong felt.
This was very abnormal, but adrenaline didn't lie. Maybe he had a little bit of the perverted gene in his bones.
Pei Tingsong nestled on the sofa and looked at him with a smile. Once the fierceness at the corners of his eyes was gone, his face looked very youthful.
"Juexia Ge," he said in an obedient tone, like a real child in front of the camera. "You won't not help me, right?"
"What can I get by helping you?" Fang Juexia held the key in his hand and scratched on the table expressionlessly. The table whined softly.
"If you were Killer or the Black Knight, what would I do?"
He looked so cute when he asked what to do. Pei Tingsong couldn't help but smile. "How about this, as long as you help me unlock the handcuffs and ankle cuffs, I promise to form an alliance with you."
Fang Juexia glanced at him, their eyes intertwined. Pei Tingsong looked calm, as if he wasn't the one at a disadvantage.
He calculated Pei Tingsong's sincerity in forming an alliance.
If Pei Tingsong was an ordinary player, forming an alliance would be beneficial. If he was Killer, there was nothing wrong with it. Anyway, for the Double-Faced Knight, gaining anyone's trust was beneficial.
But he was facing a guy with no bottom line. What he did and said was completely unpredictable. These premises and assumptions were meaningless. Even if they formed an alliance now and Pei Tingsong voted to execute him in the next moment, Fang Juexia wouldn't be surprised. Forming an alliance with a bomb always required foresight of the tragic outcome in advance.
But …
In this game of fishing in troubled waters, people with no bottom line had a better chance of winning.
Fang Juexia took his hand and looked down at the keyhole on his handcuffs. "How do we form an alliance?"
Pei Tingsong sat up, approached him, and said sincerely, "In the first round, I'll vote with you unconditionally and do my best to take you out of this room." His tone was suggestive. "There will be a time when you need me."
Fang Juexia didn't say anything and quietly unlocked his handcuffs.
"It's too uncomfortable." Pei Tingsong's hands were finally able to move freely. He stretched lazily and moved his wrists. He lowered his head to confirm the ankle cuffs below. These two ankle cuffs didn't have a key. Instead, they had a four-digit password lock, and there was a character above the password lock — delta.
The next step should be to find the corresponding capital Greek letter.
Fang Juexia was observing the entire room. Their table was in the center of the room, and on the right was a row of five-tiered bookshelves against the wall. The bookshelves were filled with books, most of which were related to psychology. Occasionally, there were books on humanities and social sciences. There were even a few books on astronomy and mathematics. There were very few decorations on the wall. There was only one painting, and it was placed next to the door. The width was about the same as the door frame, but much shorter.
The only door in the whole room was facing their table. Fang Juexia approached and was surprised to find that the door had neither a keyhole nor a password lock. There was only a screen embedded in the door. He tried to touch it, and the screen lit up. There was even an electronic notification sound.
[Your consultation time has not ended. Please do not leave.]
"Consultation?" Fang Juexia was confused.
Could it be that this room was actually a psychiatrist's consultation room, and he was the patient here?
After the notification sound ended, the screen went black, and a glowing letter glowed in white appeared in the middle.
A third Greek letter appeared, but what did it correspond to?
Just as he was puzzled, a man's voice suddenly came from the speakers in the room.
[Next, I will hypnotize you:]
"Hypnotize?" Pei Tingsong was confused. "Where did you move just now?"
Fang Juexia moved aside and pointed at the screen on the door. "Here."
Pei Tingsong saw the letter on the screen. It didn't match the delta printed on his ankle cuffs, and it was lowercase. However, his intuition told him that the following words must have a deeper meaning.
"Juexia Ge, help me see if there are any triangles or delta printed in the room. It might be a clue to unlock the password to my ankle cuffs."
"Okay."
The male voice in the room continued. The tone was slow and peaceful, as if he was really hypnotizing someone.
[Now, please try to relax all your muscles. Try to empty your mind into the realm of nothingness. Stretch your mind to the deepest place you can reach. Return your emotions to the outside world that created them …]
Fang Juexia followed Pei Tingsong's instructions and looked for the item with delta.
According to the game designer's thinking, he had to consider the worst possibility that the two people in the same room did not cooperate. In this way, Pei Tingsong, who was bound, would be alone and helpless. The clue that could help him regain his freedom must be something that he could reach through his own efforts.
The hypnotizing words echoed throughout the room, and there was a faint soothing power that could soothe emotions and soothe anxiety.
[Imagine that depression and resentment do not disturb you. Feel the glorious palace built by your consciousness. Step on the steps and go to the deepest place. The peace there is where the soul will return to …]
An item that was within reach.
Fang Juexia's eyes locked onto the table. Pei Tingsong was bent over the table, writing something. There were very few items on the table. Lamp? No, it had already been used. Pen and paper. Pei Tingsong was using them. He should have already checked. There was nothing else.
According to his usual thinking, if there was nothing on the table …
Under the table.
Fang Juexia immediately squatted down and moved his body to the bottom of the large table. However, this move did not distract Pei Tingsong's attention.
The space under the table was very small. Fang Juexia simply knelt down and tried to look under the table as much as possible. Sure enough, there was a protruding triangular piece on the table that could not be pressed. It did not seem to be a button.
He changed his mind and tried to grab the triangular piece of wood and pull it out.
Sure enough, the piece of wood was pulled out and a wooden triangular prism was pulled out. There was a piece of paper stuffed inside. Fang Juexia took it out and spread it on the floor.
This piece of paper was very similar to the Sudoku paper he usually played with, but there were no numbers in the grid. It was more like an ordinary piece of draft paper. In the middle of the paper was a line of numbers: 258,321456, 987,12369,12369, 874.
What did this mean? Fang Juexia knelt on the floor and fell into deep thought.
The "hypnotic sound" in the room continued.
[Look, the blue sea is in this pure land. Don't be afraid, the cold wind will never reach you. Stretch yourself under the warm sun …]
The sound was so loud that it was a little too noisy for him to think.
[Slowly open the door to your subconscious, wait for your memories and true self to be unlocked.]
Fang Juexia held the piece of paper tightly. His eyes swept over every number, trying to find any pattern. Could it be that the next number in the sequence was a four-digit number that could be filled in Pei Tingsong's shackles?
However, he could not see the pattern of the first few numbers.
At this moment, Pei Tingsong suddenly slammed the table, startling Fang Juexia under the table.
"Juexia, quickly go to the bookshelf. The first row of blue books on the bookshelf! Bring it here. "
What?
Fang Juexia was puzzled. He held the piece of paper in his hand and crawled forward to the edge of the table. He even held onto the knees of the person in front of him and looked up at Pei Tingsong. "The bookshelf?"
At this moment, the two players who were obsessed with deciphering finally realized how ambiguous and awkward their position was. Fang Juexia was almost in between Pei Tingsong's knees, looking up at him with an extremely innocent expression.
Fortunately, the knitted vest was wrapped around the shirt. Otherwise, Pei Tingsong's angle of view would be even clearer. He suddenly felt a little tongue-tied. "You, you come out first. Go to the bookshelf and see if there are any blue books on the first row."
Fang Juexia replied with an "oh". Like a dirty little mouse, he angrily escaped from under the table. He temporarily placed the piece of paper on the table with the numbers on it and touched his burning ears. His knees had unknowingly become numb from kneeling. He couldn't stand up all of a sudden, so he had to support himself on the table. After regaining his strength, he quickly walked over to the bookshelf.
Even though he really didn't know how Pei Tingsong got the clue, he didn't sound like he was lying.
Fortunately, the bookshelf wasn't very tall. Fang Juexia was 1.8 meters tall, so he could easily reach the first row of books. Only then did he realize that there was a small ukulele at the top of the bookshelf.
There were so many books that filled up five whole rows. If there weren't any clues, they would have spent the whole day here. Fang Juexia carefully looked from left to right. He pulled out one book after another and finally found one.
"The production team is too sinister. The spine of this book is white, but the front and back cover are blue."
After successfully deciphering the clue, Pei Tingsong was very excited. "Let me see."
"Okay." Fang Juexia pulled out the book and flipped it open. There was a piece of paper inside with a few large words written on it — Reservation Registration Form.
There were some names at the bottom of the form.
"Teacher Yan, Morning …"
Just as he was reading out the names and walking towards Pei Tingsong, he heard a loud noise behind him.
He also heard Pei Tingsong's voice of disbelief.
"What the …"
Fang Juexia turned around and watched as the bookcase behind him slowly slid to the left along the wall, revealing a door on the empty wall!
[Congratulations, you have successfully unlocked it.]
This wasn't a sound from their room, but a notification from next door.
The next second, the door that suddenly appeared opened. A long and narrow shadow landed on the ground and appeared before the owner. Fang Juexia saw a familiar face. He had to admit that at this moment, goosebumps appeared all over his body.
"Eh? There are two children in this room. " The person who came was wearing a high school uniform with a white shirt and black trousers. There was a school badge pinned to his chest. He smiled and said in a teasing tone, "Sorry, I was so focused on looking at the handsome boy that I forgot to introduce myself."
He took a step forward and stepped into their secret room.
"Hello, I'm Xia Xiqing."