Chapter Text
Fuck.
The man thinking this thought was particularly careful about keeping his face as blank as humanly possible. It was a skill that he had honed over his entire life, first from a lack of understanding of his circumstances and later from a far too deep understanding. It wouldn’t fail him now hopefully.
If there would ever be a moment for his composure to fail, it would be this one though. They were in a room where he couldn’t sense the system’s influence. It was a feeling so unique, it was downright distressing. As he was surrounded by every invigilator who looked up to him and those he avoided looking at for long, knowing their displeasure.
Fuck.
There was a particular invigilator who fit the latter category however, and he was standing right next to him. Closer than he had been in—
Fuck.
Invigilator A took a step back towards the wall behind him. Luckily Chu Yue had run up to him, her eyes already clearly as panicked as he was on the inside. If the system had managed to override its own most basic rules, to trap the invigilators in some exam and hide its own presence?
“Fuck.” You Huo nearly swivelled his head to his thoughts being verbalized somehow, but it was Qin Jiu, no, Gin .
“Big Invigilator, I don’t suppose you know whether this is the system’s doing?” His tone was sardonic, but it clued everybody else into the worrying fact that the feared leader had no clue what was happening. D’s mouth opened to argue, but You Huo’s glare shut that down.
Chaos erupted, the invigilator factions resuming arguing as usual to cover up their unease.
“Not that you’d tell me even if you knew.” Qin Jiu muttered, a rare bitterness lacing his voice. You Huo could suddenly see the afterimage of a younger Qin Jiu, trying to wheedle answers out of him in the rare hours they had together.
Damned memories. Damned, precious, unforgettable memories.
At least until the system corrupted that, like it did everything else.
Qin Jiu glanced at A and Z, who were huddled in a corner, quietly talking with their voices low. The sight made something in his stomach burn.
A’s eyes were looking down as usual, as he listened to Chu Yue’s words. He wanted to come closer. To be that close. Qin Jiu clenched his fist and slouched into one of the numerous couches.
[Hello everyone, apologies for the disturbance.] The robotic voice echoed in the room, silencing the rising conversation.
[This room is not a part of the system you are familiar with, you are free to say and do as you like, food and other resources are freely available. However, there is a price for this relief. A small one.]
Everybody stiffened.
[Sit down and watch the screens. They showcase the future that is near to you. Use this information as you wish. There are special features to add to the immersive experience. Good luck.]
Immersive experience your mum, what does that even mean? You Huo gritted his teeth. There wasn’t much any of them could do, and the possibility of being able to communicate without the system’s interference was too appealing. He sat next to Chu Yue in one of the bigger couches, and glanced at Qin Jiu who had chosen to sit in the next seat over.
Once they settled, the screens lit up.
The snow fell for four hours. It didn’t show any signs of stopping.
This place is a barren mountain cabin. Various hunting tools hung from the walls and a long wooden table gnawed away by termites sat in the centre. Around the table sat a group of people. Male, female, young and old, they were all present. There was even a foreigner amongst them.
The invigilators stiffened at the sight of such an unsuitable group of examinees. They hadn’t reached that point, and it hurt to realize that their future was only worse in this regard.
You Huo’s face paled unnoticeably.
Even after all our planning, we failed.
“This viewing will change that. Second chance.” Chu Yue muttered to him, carefully keeping her words indecipherable to anyone aside from themselves, just in case. Paranoia was not something they could so easily abandon.
The room was very cold. Everyone present shivered with a solemn expression on their faces but no one moved to start a fire. The old radio sitting on the table was speaking.
【It is currently 17:30 Beijing time.】 【There are still 30 minutes until the exam starts. Examinees, please quickly head to the examination centre.】
The radio sounds were scratchy and there were also static noises one would typically hear in the background of radio broadcasts from the 1950s. It tirelessly buzzed.
This was already the second broadcast. The first broadcast was three hours ago. It said 【Welcome to examination centre 003712.】 which immediately caused an old lady to faint and even now she had not yet recovered.
Everyone winced at the sight. The invigilators’ moods worsened when they realized the examination centre digits had increased, which implied far too much.
Another person didn’t listen to its instructions and attempted to destroy the radio……. After removing the batteries, he ran out of the room like he was possessed. Five minutes later his body fell from the roof together with a pile of snow.
Since then, no one dared to touch it.
【Please enter the centre as soon as possible and avoid loitering outside.】 This sentence was repeated three times. The room was deathly silent.
After a long time, someone sitting at the head of the table muttered irritably: “So who hasn’t entered yet?”
This person had a yellow head of slightly permed hair. His figure is lean, and he is average in height. Both his arms were tattooed with a sleeve of animals. Despite being unable to tell whether it was a dog or camel, it looked quite intimidating.
The person sitting next to him shrank back a little and answered: “Old Yu.”
Chu Yue’s eyes widened at the vaguely familiar name. She glanced at You Huo, who had lowered his eyes.
“It’ll be okay.” She softly whispered to him. She knew one way or another, You Huo would find a way to protect his family. If only he had that same faith in himself.
Qin Jiu and Gao Qi perked their ears up at the strange reaction.
“Who is Old Yu?”
“The drunkard who vomited the moment he entered through the door. The one who brought along his son and nephew.”
You Huo hated everything about this. To fail to this extent, and then have the only two family members he could vaguely remember caring about him get involved. It was unacceptable.
Chu Yue patted his hand under the blanket absentmindedly, scanning the screen for any and all clues.
The person who answered pointed towards the wall using his lips and then carefully made a “quiet” gesture.
Lying on the beaten sofa by the wall was the nephew.
It was a 27 or 28-year-old young man. He had a tall figure and his appearance was very extraordinary. When he held the door frame and lowered his head to enter the cabin, the picturesque mountain pines covered in snow behind him paled in comparison. However, ever since he entered, he constantly maintained a dull expression. He seems to be a little arrogant.
According to Old Yu who rambled incessantly, his nephew's name is You Huo.
“Big Invigilator?” Qin Jiu couldn’t help but let his eyes rake over the man who had to be their head invigilator in the future, yet seemed so different already. Sleeping in public? The casual, soft clothes?
He wanted to see this You Huo, the one who was comfortable enough to reveal even some sliver of humanity. To get closer, to understand why —
Qin Jiu shook the thoughts away. There was technically no sign that their Head Invigilator was anything more than what he showed himself as: a cold, impersonal leader. And yet.
“He had only returned for two months and came to Harbin to find me during the National Day holidays. I was originally supposed to take him to the airport tomorrow morning. Sigh…….It’s all my fault! Useless!”
Old Yu had drunk until he was completely intoxicated. During the night where there were few people around, he stumbled around.
On the sidewalk in front of the children’s hospital, someone had left a bunch of joss paper. Old Yu stumbled around and wasn’t able to regain his balance. With one foot stepping onto the joss paper, everything spun and himself, his son and his nephew were all sent here.
When they entered the cabin, he had not yet recovered from the dizziness. No longer able to hold himself back, he vomited all over You Huo. Old Yu sobered up from his drunken state after vomiting but he was too scared to say anything to You Huo.
Some of the invigilators balked at seeing a member of A’s kin act so unabashedly weak. The hardliners took that fear as just further evidence that A was just another extension of the system.
Qin Jiu glanced at You Huo. His eyes had dimmed at the sight. It wasn’t disappointment, it was something that resembled resignation.
The people who came here were all caught unexpectedly and were completely unprepared. Only the foreigner called Mike had a set of clean clothes in his bag.
After You Huo changed, he remained distant from the others and laid on the sofa without a word. He appeared to have fallen asleep.
Through the arm that covered his face, you could see a stud earring on his right ear. It reflected the light coming from the oil lamp and appeared very dazzling.
Everyone in the room took a moment to accept the absurdity of their Head Invigilator wearing an earring of all things.
“A, what a pretty piece of jewelry you’ve got there?” Chu Yue nudged the man next to her, her tone light. She knew that the only way someone like You Huo would wear something that flashy, was if someone gave it to him. Someone he treasured.
The tips of You Huo’s ears reddening were his only reaction. Chu Yue chuckled, trying not to think of where and what happened beyond the sweet gift.
Qin Jiu just couldn’t help but think he wouldn’t mind being the one to come close enough to put that earring on You Huo.
“It suits you, Big Invigilator.” It’s all he could let himself say.
The sky should have darkened but every part of the mountain was covered in snow and it was still bright outside.
A pregnant woman looked towards the cabinet in panic. The time on their phones had become erratic and they could only rely on the clock sitting above the cabinet to tell the time: “It’s almost six. Could Old Yu have……….”
Bang, bang, bang!
Before she could finish her sentence, the sound of something smacking against the door was heard.
Everyone was shocked. They looked over with fearful eyes. The snow piled up on the window was pushed aside and Old Yu’s face appeared through the glass. With exaggerated mouthing, he said: “It’s me. Open the door.”
Everyone was relieved.
Fortunately, he had returned before 6 o’clock and didn’t die.
The two snow covered men entering the house were Old Yu and his son Yu Wen.
Yu Wen seemed to share none of his looks with You Huo, and was instead a normal young man. You Huo struggled to remember the child version of his cousin, to see how it compared. It was useless though, too much interference and time.
“How is it outside?” Everyone hurriedly asked.
Old Yu shivered in place for a moment before slapping his face forcefully. He then slapped his son. When they finally warmed up a little, he said: “I went around everywhere but it was useless! No matter where I went, in no more than ten minutes I would see the cabin again. We can’t get out!”
“Were there other people? Or houses even?” Old Yu spoke frustratedly: “No, don’t count on it.” Everyone’s expression fell into despair.
There was no signal on the phone and the time on it had become erratic. The trees all looked the same so it was hard to tell which direction was north, south, east or west. There was absolutely nothing.
This was their current predicament.
Oh, there was also an old radio that noisily reminded them about the exam. Exam your mum.
Some of the invigilators nervously chuckled at the insults to the system, still unwilling to test just how true their current system less existence was.
This narration, it couldn’t be. ..Could it? Qin Jiu stole a look at You Huo, whose mouth was tightened in disgruntlement.
Chu Yue struggled to smother her grin at the comment, knowing damn well just who thought like that. Once upon a time, he would confide in her with those acerbic words too. She had missed it.
Fuck. You Huo poked Chu Yue knowing her amusement. This is an issue, it’ll be much harder to keep secrets if my thoughts are being broadcasted, even with the amnesia.
The moment Old Yu stepped in, the radio started to make static sounds. Just being around it for the entire afternoon was enough for the people present to develop a conditioned reflex. They immediately quietened down and looked at the radio.
【All examinees have been admitted. The exam rules are as follows.】
Old Yu and Yu Wen who had just entered the examination centre gulped.
【The exam is conducted within a set period of time.】 【After the exam officially starts, examinees cannot enter the examination centre. You may not leave the centre during the exam without permission. If there is an emergency, you must follow the instructions and leave with the invigilator.】 【Apart from open book exams, you cannot use mobile devices or other communication tools. Please be considerate and turn them off.】 【The exam is point-based. Examinees must write their answer on the designated answer sheet (except in special circumstances) or the answer is invalid.】
When the radio finished speaking, everything once again turned silent.
After a while, the room suddenly started to fall into discussion.
“Who is the invigilator?” “There are open-book exams?” “What’s an answer sheet?”
“To think that you’re discussing it. You all must be crazy.” The tattooed man played with his swiss army knife. You couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
“Then what should we do?” The eyes of the pregnant woman were still swollen from crying. She said quietly: “Don’t forget about that…..”
You Huo resolved to keep an eye on her. She seemed vaguely familiar, and something about her was off.
She pointed to the roof.
The tattooed man thought of the body and his face also paled. He stiffened for a moment before finally accepting the situation. Holding the swiss army knife, he waved it in a particular direction: “Little brat.”
Yu Wen looked left and right and then pointed at himself: “You……mean me?”
“Yes, you. Come, sit here.” The tattooed man patted the seat closest to him.”
“I, uh……..” Yu Wen turned around to look at his brother only to see his brother still lying on the sofa like he was dead. He suppressed the curses inside him and said: “I’m 18.”
What’s more, the tattooed man is at most 25 or 26-years-old. How dare he call him little brat.
As funny as Yu Wen’s internal thoughts were, everybody bristled at the implicit threats of the tattooed man. Especially towards the younger cousin of their boss! He was basically their junior to protect too!
Not that they’d ever make that statement to A, who knew what he thought about them.
“It doesn’t matter what I call you!” The tattooed man was impatient, “Come here. Let me ask you. Are you a student?” Yu Wen: “I guess so.” The tattooed man frowned: “Can you do exams?” Old Yu reflexively said: “He can! He grew up doing exams!” “You can shut up.” Yu Wen said rudely to his drunkard old man.
You Huo’s frown deepened at those words. He vaguely remembered the few times he had seen his cousin and uncle, and their relationship hadn’t degraded to this amount. It was none of his business however, to them, he was barely family.
Chu Yue carefully held his hand under the blanket, knowing his thoughts and hoping he’d be proven wrong.
But after he scolded his father and turned around, he saw that everyone in the room was staring at him.
Yu Wen: “…………….”
He thought about his words and said: “I just finished the University Entrance Examination in June and I have been playing like crazy for the past three months. I’ve already………Yeah, I can’t do them very well anymore.”
The pregnant woman had panicked for the entire afternoon. She smiled with great effort: “That is still better than us. It was only three months for you. We have long forgotten now.”
“No.” Yu Wen found the situation a little absurd and even forgot about his fear, “Don’t you guys read novels or watch movies? Would it truly be an exam in this horror kind of setting? It’s probably just a cover!” “Cover of what?” Yu Wen rolled his eyes: “How would I know? Anyway, people just die everywhere in horror movies. Who the hell would suddenly come and test you on maths and physics? Is this cabin built by the Ministry of Education?”
The whole room was chuckling by the end of the spiel, who could’ve guessed that Invigilator A’s relative could be so abrasive?
He still didn’t feel like he had said enough. He added at the end: “Hah.” His cousin who was lying on the sofa like a dead pig was finally awakened by his “hah” .
Yu Wen turned around to look at him. He saw You Huo sit up and look at the group of people through half-open eyes. You Huo then kneaded the back of his neck. The legs resting on the old wooden floor were long, making the sofa appear even smaller.
Qin Jiu appreciated the extra moments the reading in front of them was giving to admire A, something that was usually so difficult with how quickly A would walk away from him.
The timing seemed to have been calculated and the moment when he finally placed his hand down, the clock above the cabinet started to ring to signal that it was 6 o’clock.
Static sounds were emitted through the radio again. 【It is currently 18:00 Beijing time. The exam has officially begun.】 【As another reminder, examinees are not allowed to enter the centre after the exam has started and you cannot leave without authorisation during the duration of the exam or you will be punished.】 【The other examination rules are as per the standard.】
After it threw out a threat in passing, it paused for two seconds and said: 【Exam duration: 48 hours.】 【Subject: Physics.】
Yu Wen: “…………..”
【We will now be distributing the exam papers and the answer sheets. I wish you all the best.】
After the radio was done, it once again died off.
Yu Wen: “…………….”
Goddammit, shouldn’t the exam paper and answer sheet be distributed first???
The pregnant woman cried out in panic: “That wall!”
She was referring to the wall above the fire stove. The empty wall that was covered in several knife marks now had a few more words ——–
Topic: A group of travellers came to a snow mountain……. Exam details: The response will be collected every 6 hours. If no points are earned within 6 hours, you lose qualification to participate and will be evicted.
Everybody turned to A automatically, whose encyclopedia-like memory about the exams was well known.
The man in question paused, and then simply said, “It’ll be fine.”
Any more details, please???
Below that was a large blank area. It was like the response area in a test paper for answers to be written in.
What question is this? What is it asking? What do we answer?
Everyone was confused.
Not to mention 6 hours, even if you gave them 600 hours they didn’t know how to earn the points.
At this moment, a gust of cold wind that carried small beads of snow rushed into the room causing everyone to shiver.
Chu Yue glanced at You Huo, knowing she’d never know if he felt the cold from his expression. He was far, far too used to freezing.
But the hand in her grasp had cooled.
They looked over at the source of the wind and saw that You Huo had walked over to the window and had opened half of it.
“Big Invigilator, you’re not—”
“What are you doing?!” The tattooed man was furious.
You Huo had one hand in his trouser pocket and his other hand was about to reach out. Hearing the yell, he glanced back. However, perhaps it was because the look was so fleeting, it looked cold and arrogant.
The tattooed man was even more enraged: “Don’t you know how to say something before opening the window? What are you going to do if something goes wrong?”
“Who are you?”
You Huo threw out those three words and no longer paid him any attention. He again stretched out his left hand.
Old Yu could no longer hold back. He urged his son and whispered: “You ask.”
For some reason, Old Yu had always seemed to be afraid of this nephew of his.
You Huo ducked his head at that. It was noticeable even to D and Qin Jiu, although they couldn’t fathom what the situation was.
Yu Wen shouted: “Brother, what are you doing?”
You Huo retracted his left hand and waved at him. Finally, he gave them his answer: “Testing out the consequences of leaving the examination centre.”
Everyone present gasped. Crimson red blood flowed down his fingers onto his palm. With his pale skin, it looked even more shocking.
Everybody’s eyes turned to their boss, who’s expression had not changed. Before they could be relieved however, Chu Yue lifted his hand out of the blanket, the fingers covered in blood.
“Here.” Qin Jiu had already gotten up to give him a handkerchief, fast enough that D couldn’t even argue. You Huo’s eyes flickered as their hands just slightly touched, in the handover.
Chu Yue tutted at You Huo like a mother hen, as she wrapped his hand, You Huo looking almost as bored as his future counterpart.
He casually rubbed it off and once again fiddled around with the windowsill. He picked up a rusty tin can and threw it out the window.
Qin Jiu grimaced just a bit. Some things never change, he supposed.
Under everyone’s gaze, the tin can was smashed into smithereens and it scattered across the snow.
When they once again looked at the “Exam Details” , everyone’s eyes were filled with panic.
By the wall, You Huo once again closed the window. His eyes swept past each and every one of their backs.
As for Yu Wen who had some experience with exams…….You Huo understood him well.
During the three years of high school, this high school student messed around with love and the wrong group of friends. He would often skip class to play games at internet cafes and he suffered from a strong case of eighth-grade syndrome. Even now, he had not yet escaped that dangerous period.
It would be better to rely on a dog than him.
As for the others….
Old, frail, sick, pregnant, and even a thug. All five deadly poisons are present.
The opening question is a death question.
Everybody had now realized what Chu Yue knew from the beginning. Their cold, taciturn Invigilator A, the one who seemed to be cursed with a infinitesimal word count every sentence he ever said, was also this savage in the privacy of his thoughts?
D looked at A, laughed and said nervously, “That’s just the version of you with no memories, right?” The hardliners looked ready to collapse.
A simply hmmph’ed. Chu Yue, never willing to let a weakness go by unnoticed, cackled.
“Unfortunately for you all, A is the funniest person I know.” She grinned at them and watched their reactions. Every single person in the room thought back to their multi-hour squabbling, their stupid failures, and the sheer amounts of paperwork they had all generated at one time or another. They were so fucked.
Chu Yue just smiled contentedly. The situation they were in may have been just to give them a better future, but she could give them a better now . It was clear that their peers needed a serious wake-up call. You Huo glanced at her with a question in his eyes, and she just shook her head at him. He would implicitly trust her actions, she knew.
Qin Jiu scooted over closer to the two of them in the hubbub, with his bastardly grin back on after his initial shock.
“I’d like to join Big Invigilator and Z here. It seems you two know much more than you’ve been letting on, no?” His eyes were sharp, belying his glib tone. “And for once, you can’t run away so easily as you do after our meetings.”
“..Nobody’s running away.” You Huo’s voice was low and vaguely dangerous at the implication.
Chu Yue internally wondered how they’d survive this room, just from the sheer tension choking them. Well, a “better now” was a pretty vague goal, she could absolutely add being a wingman in the parameters.