Clown Game
Chapter 302 - 289: The Murderer (Part 1)

Chapter 302: Chapter 289: The Murderer (Part 1)

So, as everyone expected, Xiao Yu, the boss, and Chen Xiao walked down the path marked with "Hell."

The heavy iron door, rust-streaked and ajar, had a handle covered with dust and a greasy sheen. One could imagine that every few months, a pair of bloodstained hands would grip it, then the blood would dry, and new blood would adhere, dry again, and so on. That’s why Chen Xiao didn’t even try to touch it, instead using the tip of his shoe to nudge the door further open.

Inside was a staircase extending downwards. Due to the angle, the moonlight couldn’t reach, so visibility was extremely low in the pitch-darkness. A pungent, bloody smell hit them, nearly knocking Xiao Yu off his feet.

"This smell... is just disgusting," he said, holding his nose.

Chen Xiao, expressionless, began to feel around the walls within arm’s reach. After a while, there was a "click," and the stairwell lit up. A dim bulb swayed from the ceiling, casting a faint red glow on the floor.

"Uh, there’s actually light in this kind of place?" Xiao Yu murmured in disbelief.

"Of course, there is... The kidnapper also uses these stairs regularly. The stench isn’t as strong as you would imagine because he cleans up often. As I mentioned before, he’s a bit of a clean freak. In that case, there probably aren’t any traps on the stairs since he didn’t cut the power to the light. The larger reason, of course, is that he wouldn’t allow his prey to die so soon. If the choice to flee means death, and the choice to save companions also means death, then that’s just pathetic. Plus, with the wind this strong here, the space below must be substantial. He must have prepared plenty of ’entertaining’ things for us. We aren’t likely to die before we’ve had a chance to ’appreciate’ them, so... let’s go," he said.

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Xiao took the lead and moved forward.

Xiao Yu quickly processed Chen Xiao’s words and hurriedly followed, fearing he might be left behind.

The staircase was long, with three turns. Aside from the entrance, the smell of blood seemed much less, possibly due to many people struggling and dying near the door. The dim bulb above gave off scarce light, and the draft became stronger, causing shadows to flail wildly as if mockingly snarling at someone. After another 180-degree bend, a modestly sized room appeared before them.

On the wall opposite, there was a door, with the wind howling through its gaps. Next to it stood a mini television set.

Upon seeing this, Chen Xiao rolled his eyes resignedly: "Sigh, it’s the same old cliché. These psychopathic killers are getting less and less original."

"Huh? What cliché?" Xiao Yu asked, unable to help himself from exclaiming on the side: "And the way you said that, it sounds like the usual lecture from teachers, ’You are the worst class I’ve ever taught’ kind of tone!!!"

...

No sooner had he finished speaking, the TV beside them suddenly lit up.

The image was blurry, but still discernible. On the screen was a person wearing a rabbit mask, the mask fuzzy and the eyes notably large, creating an incredibly vacant look that, in this atmosphere, felt unbearably eerie.

And the next second, a voice that was clearly modulated resonated.

"You have resisted temptation and chosen to share hardships with your loved ones. You are brave, but bravery is never free. Now you must pay for your choice. Behind this television, there is a sealed box containing a key that can unlock the door before you. However, it also contains a starving black shrew—that is enormous, covered with abscesses, and incredibly vicious. The box is embedded in the ground, and there is only a hole big enough for one hand to reach in. The shrew’s body is pierced with an iron rod, preventing it from escaping through the hole..."

At that moment, the image shifted, presenting in front of the two a scene within a room. In the center of the room stood a massive glass box, and seated within was Xiao Nan, her eyes tightly closed, appearing to still be in a deep sleep. Next to this transparent box, a tube connected to another glass box, but this one was swarming with densely packed rats.

"Now, you have 10 minutes to reach your hand into the box, retrieve the key and open the door. Of course, if you lack the courage to do so, the door will also open automatically after 20 minutes. But by that time, your employee will have been devoured by a multitude of rats, reduced to nothing but bones... Will your bravery be impulsive or steadfast? Are you truly willing to make sacrifices for others, or are you a hypocritical coward? Whether or not this is worth it in your heart, you decide."

The image on the television ended there.

Boss Xiao Yu’s features had merged into a collective expression, as if about to cry, and somewhat helplessly, he tugged at his own hair, "How... How can this be, what do we do???"

Chen Xiao said nothing and kicked the television in front of him. Sure enough, there was a metal box embedded in the ground behind it.

Xiao Yu hurried over, only to hear dings and dongs inside, a rat crazily thrashing about, accompanied by a stench of decay. It wasn’t hard to imagine that if one were to reach a hand in now, it would be instantly torn to shreds.

"Four methods!" Chen Xiao said with his hands in his pockets and a calm demeanor, "First, do as he says, reach in and find the key..."

Before he could finish, Xiao Yu immediately interrupted, "What about the rest?"

Chen Xiao continued unperturbed, "Secondly, urinate. Fill the box with urine until the rat suffocates. Then reach in and retrieve the key."

Xiao Yu thought for a moment, then looked at the box again.

"The idea isn’t bad, but there are only 10 minutes. How much would one need to pee... Besides, what if the box isn’t sealed and it leaks?"

Chen Xiao nodded, "Hmm, you make a good point. So, the third method is to strip off your clothes and stuff them in there until it’s packed tightly enough to pin the rat in one place, and then reach in for the key... But this also has a drawback, because you might also press the key under the clothes, and the risk is still high. It should be easy for a rodent to bite through the fabric, and the most critical part depends on the size of the box. You’ll need to be bare-bottomed for it to be enough, and I am very averse to that image."

"Enough, tell me the fourth one!!" Xiao Yu yelled. He wasn’t in the mood for a verbal tussle with Chen Xiao. In fact, he had already prepared to strip and stuff his clothes inside.

But Chen Xiao seemed in no hurry at all. He took off his suit jacket with a lack of energy, nonchalantly wrapped it around one hand several times, and just like that, casually reached into the box...