Grotesqueries of the Old Domain

Chapter 25: Mouse

When she saw Zhang Wenda rummaging through the writhing intestines to pick out each white round worm with centipede legs, Song Jianguo revealed a trace of satisfaction.

She had asked Meiqiu, and these things could indeed make money; it would not take long before she had enough to buy special powers.

"Not bad, keep working hard. Don’t sleep tonight—keep working until dawn."

Song Jianguo clearly did not like this place, but she endured it in order to quickly gain special powers.

After issuing some mandatory orders to Zhang Wenda—not to attempt to attack her and not to leave—she began to pretend to nap; it was already midnight and she was a bit sleepy.

Before long, in the Go room, a black worm flew up, and gradually two, then three.

As the surrounding temperature grew stifling, the drowsy Song Jianguo immediately sensed something was wrong.

She opened her eyes, looked confusedly at Zhang Wenda, who was still buried in his work, thinking it was her imagination.

But before long, when she saw five black Go pieces flying up, she realized there was a problem.

"Wait! Stop searching!" Song Jianguo scolded, anxiously glancing left and right, then hurried toward the door.

Zhang Wenda chuckled; he released all the revived white Go pieces in his hands, sat on the flesh and blood, and waited for Song Jianguo to return—his plan had succeeded.

After several dozen seconds, Song Jianguo finally returned, her eyes showing panic. "The door?! I ask you, where did the door go?!"

"Door? What door? I didn’t see a door when I came in either," Zhang Wenda said with an innocent face.

"Do you want to die?! Answer me! Where is the door!!" Song Jianguo pointed the spear at his neck.

But facing the threat of death, Zhang Wenda remained calm. "That’s right, I want to die. I’ll drag you down with me."

"Let me introduce you formally: this is the Youth Center, underground creatures. Now it’s alive, and it will take us back hundreds of meters underground, and we’ll die there together."

Upon hearing this and seeing the flesh begin to writhe around, Song Jianguo panicked completely. She hadn’t expected him to set this trap even while under her control!

She pointed at Zhang Wenda and ground her teeth: "Now! I order you to find the door for me immediately!"

Though it was Song Jianguo’s forced order, Zhang Wenda’s body did not move; he chuckled.

"Sorry, if you’re only controlling my body, you can’t make me find a door. You can’t force me to do the impossible."

Song Jianguo tried to wrench information about the way back from Zhang Wenda, but no matter what she did—even torture him—Zhang Wenda remained unmoved and flopped down on the ground to slack off.

Seeing Song Jianguo anxious, Zhang Wenda instead felt no urgency; he felt the thrill of deceiving someone.

As the oxygen in the Youth Center decreased and the temperature gradually rose, Song Jianguo’s expression grew extremely unpleasant and her nerves became taut.

"Don’t forget! If that happens! You will die here too!" Song Jianguo bared her fangs and hissed.

"Exactly, I’ll die here. My rotten life is nothing. I exchange one life for one life with you. I’ll make a fortune," Zhang Wenda sat upright calmly, facing Song Jianguo.

"Then I’ll kill you right now!" Song Jianguo tightened the spear against Zhang Wenda’s neck.

"Heh, do you think threats like this still work now? I already planned to go with you," Zhang Wenda looked at her with a mocking smile like a cat toying with a mouse.

Song Jianguo put in effort to stab him, but after piercing just a little skin, she stopped.

Suddenly, Zhang Wenda grabbed the spear with one hand and moved it to his own neck—this sight horrified Song Jianguo, and she quickly withdrew the spear.

Zhang Wenda had anticipated this; no matter how wild the kid, she was only fierce, and she couldn’t really risk her life. Since she wouldn’t go all the way, she was easy to manipulate today.

Seeing he was serious, Song Jianguo relaxed her grip and ultimately yielded.

She panted heavily: "What exactly do you want! I don’t believe you really want to die!"

"Simple—unlock this for me, or we all die together." Zhang Wenda pointed to the collar around his neck.

"Fine! It’s a deal! Once we get out, I’ll help you unlock it!"

Zhang Wenda sneered at her. "Do you think I’m stupid? Unlock it now, or we both perish."

"No! What if you unlock it but don’t find the door?!"

"Even if I don’t find the door, I’ll die here anyway. I just want to get your control off me. Once we’re out, I’ll give you the function ticket, and everything between us will be over." Zhang Wenda spoke decisively.

"No!" Song Jianguo flatly refused, but the increasingly oppressive atmosphere was gradually crushing her nerves.

Zhang Wenda had been through this once; he understood how that creeping fear of death would break someone.

When Song Jianguo began feeling dizzy, she finally started to yield, because she realized he wasn’t joking—if she didn’t open it, he would drag her to mutual destruction!

"Give me the ticket first!"

After receiving Zhang Wenda’s ticket, Song Jianguo felt a bit calmer; at least she gained something, and without this guy as muscle, she could find another way to scrape together ten monies.

She pulled a bronze key from her hair and inserted it into the edge of Zhang Wenda’s collar.

Though extremely reluctant, with a click, the collar opened.

But in that moment, something unexpected happened.

Prepared ahead of time, Zhang Wenda suddenly surged, grabbed the removed collar, and with a click, clamped it tightly around Song Jianguo’s neck.

In the next second, Zhang Wenda ordered, "Give me the key!"

In Song Jianguo’s desperate gaze, her body involuntarily handed the key to Zhang Wenda.

He snatched it away and immediately tossed it into a crevice of flesh and muscle in the Youth Center.

Looking at Song Jianguo wearing the collar, Zhang Wenda smiled in exactly the same way she had two hours earlier.

"How does it feel to fall from heaven into hell so suddenly? Good—this is what I wanted."

Then Zhang Wenda reached out and unrestrainedly touched her cat ears.

"I heard your name is “cheap cat,” right? Nice to meet you. Let’s get to know each other again—my name is Mouse."

"Hey~ your head is so pointy! Are pointy heads less smart?"