Chapter 69: Zhang Le Announces Plans to Form a Band
"Little Zhang Fei, you're being very naughty!"
Su Mi smiled faintly: "Since you're so disobedient, you won't get any snacks this time."
She pulled out two bags of dog treats from the cabinet and casually tossed them in front of Xiao Q and Xiao Peng.
She warned: "You two better not misbehave like Little Zhang Fei! If you make me angry as your owner, I'll sell you to the dog meat factory!"
A flash of cruelty passed through Su Mi's beautiful large eyes.
Then, her snow-white legs in black high heels click-clacked their way out of Room 1001.
Only Xiao Q and the other two remained in the room.
"Little Zhang Fei? I hate it when people call me that..."
Ke Bei's voice trembled as he spoke, unsure where exactly that kick had landed on him.
"Can't help it - your beard's too long and unshaven, plus those heavy sideburns." Xiao Q shrugged, though even that simple motion felt exhausting now.
His hands were firmly shackled, with the chains connected to the wall.
"Xiao Q, what should we do now?!"
Xiao Peng grew anxious - he didn't want to be treated like a dog!
Being trapped here meant no freedom, worse yet eating dog food, and using that tiny plastic toilet!!!
Their only consolation was that they didn't seem to be in immediate mortal danger.
Xiao Q: "Try shouting to see if anyone can hear us and come help."
Xiao Peng's eyes lit up, but after shouting himself hoarse, no one came.
Xiao Q sighed deeply: "Then there's nothing we can do but wait until someone notices we're missing and tries to find us."
Xiao Peng's eyes brightened again: "Right! Tomorrow's Monday - if we don't show up at school, people will notice! And my friends, especially Xiao Hua, will definitely come looking if they can't reach me!!!!"
Meanwhile, in the live stream room:
Ultimate Rich Kid: [Hahahaha this is hilarious! Three people team up against the Dog Man only to fall into the "mantis stalks cicada, unaware of oriole behind" trap!!! All caught!!!!]
[But honestly, even us viewers with god perspective couldn't have guessed the Dog Man has an owner - and that it's that young woman Su Mi... Her acting was impeccable!!!]
Middle-aged Uncle: [You newcomers aren't the only ones surprised. I've been watching Far Neighbor for ages and never saw this coming either.]
Ultimate Rich Kid: [How could you not know?]
Middle-aged Uncle: [I didn't start from the first round. When I began watching, there was never any connection shown between Su Mi and the Dog Man.]
Ultimate Rich Kid: [Oh I see!!! Let's see... This round's five lab rats: Jiang Ran, Xiao Q, Zhou Wu, Ke Bei, Li Mengmeng]
[Xiao Q and Ke Bei got caught immediately, Li Mengmeng was taken by that doctor - three out of five captured already. Does this count as elimination?]
Middle-aged Uncle: [Not until death and official announcement by the host.]
Ultimate Rich Kid: [Then I'm confused - I heard each round lasts 7 days. If it requires death to count, what happens if by day 7 the three captives are still alive? Who wins?]
Middle-aged Uncle: [Whoever remains free and uncaptured wins.]
Ultimate Rich Kid: [Uncle, do you think Xiao Q's group still has hope of escaping? I see the betting amounts show Xiao Q as second highest.]
Middle-aged Uncle: [Who knows? Anything can happen until the final moment.]
In a luxurious golden villa:
Diamond Bachelor, the beautiful long-legged woman, sat on the first floor's 2-million-yuan leather sofa, staring at the massive TV screen showing Xiao Q's trio shackled in Room 1001's living room.
Her exquisite eyebrows furrowed into a frown.
This round, her sixth sense had told her to bet on Xiao Q, yet by day 2 of round 26...
Her chosen lab rat was already captured.
Locked in Room 1001 as a dog.
If he couldn't escape in the coming days, it meant her bet would lose.
More importantly, it suggested her famously accurate sixth sense might be failing.
Round 25 - her intuition said Wang Xixi would survive, but Jiang Ran won.
Round 26 - her gut insisted Xiao Q would triumph, but... damn...
Growing increasingly frustrated, she grabbed a black remote and smashed it violently to the ground, shattering it to pieces.
The perpetrator then stomped angrily upstairs.
Day 3 of Round 26:
Jiang Ran took a day off from his online store customer service job for a pre-employment physical.
He felt confident about the exam since aside from his dissociative identity disorder, he was perfectly healthy.
Fortunately, the physical didn't include psychiatric evaluation.
He finished by noon and returned to Alice Apartment.
Though the results wouldn't be ready until the day after tomorrow, he ran into Manager Xiao Zhang in the lobby.
After inquiring about the physical and which hospital, Xiao Zhang pulled some strings to expedite the process.
Jiang Ran could get his results tomorrow.
With this arrangement, assuming no major issues, he could start his new job tomorrow.
That afternoon, Jiang Ran enjoyed rare downtime at home.
His relaxation method was simple - playing with his phone.
While scrolling through Douyin, his WeChat group kept buzzing with notifications.
Opening it, he saw someone had @-ed all residents in the Alice Apartment group again.
It was Xiao Zhang initiating the @-all, but the actual announcement came from Zhang Le in Room 501.
Jiang Ran remembered Zhang Le - the music enthusiast who'd hit it off with Wang Xixi during the welcome party.
What was Zhang Le announcing?
First came a photo:
A complete set of band equipment:
Microphone, guitar, bass, drum set, keyboard.
The accompanying message explained he wanted to form a band, asking if any residents were interested. Musical experience preferred but not required - he could teach.
Jiang Ran had no interest. Hobbies required significant time and money - luxuries he lacked.
He was about to close WeChat when something about the instrument photo caught his eye.
Zooming in, he studied it more carefully.
After a moment, he muttered: "These instruments look... haunted."
"Why are they all bone-shaped?"
The longer he looked, the more inexplicably creeped out he became.
He quickly closed WeChat and returned to Douyin.