Chapter 43: Fragmented Memory
Zhao Wentu's diary entry for his first exam was more like a "Diary of Brother Qin". Qin Jiu occupied more space in the entries than he himself.
Perhaps it was because of the dangerous environment at that time and the fact that Qin Jiu was too outstanding in the team, he became the most memorable person in the diary.
However, this was only comparatively speaking.
Zhao Wentu's diary wasn't very detailed. At least, it wasn't enough for others to imagine the events.
But several times Qin Jiu felt a faint sense of familiarity.
It was as if those forgotten memories could be remembered if he read more of the entries.
Qin Jiu read on.
However, over the next few days Zhao Wentu only mentioned him a few times.
Because while the others went to the rest stop after completing the exam, Qin Jiu didn't go and was getting punished at the invigilators place…..
It wasn't until a few pages later that his name appeared again.
Exam break day 5
Fine
The same thing happened to me again this morning.
As soon as I pulled open the curtains and saw the high-rise buildings outside, I would always feel as if I had just woken up after a nap at home.
This rest stop is too deceiving. They might as well throw us into the wilderness. At least that way I wouldn't get confused and it wouldn't make me lose my spirit all morning.
It is said that there are more than one rest stops. We were lucky and ended up in one of the more bustling city-like ones. Just this morning, Old Li even found a chess and card centre. It really was a chess and card centre. They even had mah-jong and poker. (Even I find it quite ridiculous as I write this)
In a world that is trying to kill us as we complete exams, there was actually something as grounded as a chess and card centre....
Old Li and the others put together a mah-jong table. (They're pretty amazing. There's an internet café opposite us but I remained calm) I didn't know how to play, and I wasn't interested so I slipped out.
When I went downstairs for dinner at four or five in the afternoon, they were still playing. They didn't even have lunch. In a way, they were a little too entranced. Just the thought of it was scary, but it was also understandable...
I was feeling a little annoyed afterwards, so I wandered around to gather my thoughts. Using my phone, I filmed my surroundings. (Being able to use the phone in the rest stop was probably the only source of comfort for me. It just can't connect to the normal world's internet dammit.) I wonder if these videos would become filled with pixels once I complete the exam and return to the normal world? Afterall, I also took some of the invigilator.
On the street next to the mall, Brother Qin was together with invigilator A. When my camera swept over, I was taken aback.
How should I put it? In any case, whenever I see the two of them, I would always feel as if knifes would suddenly be thrown around. (My Chinese can no longer be saved. What am I going to do if I end up getting this subject?) Although Brother Qin was smiling...For some reason, it looked like the two were completely hostile to each other.
Invigilator A didn't stay for long and left within a few seconds. Fortunately, he didn't see me recording the video. If he did, he would have probably thrown me a rule violation offence.
Brother Qin said that his punishment was over and invigilator A was just following the rules and sending him back to the rest stop. It was said that he dropped him off by car. It was also said that he did it very reluctantly and would deliberately take detours into the remote wilderness. (Although there are many places like that in this damned place, I still think the invigilator did that because he wanted to kill him)
At night, I went with Brother Qin together to the mall. I only bought a retractable fruit knife while he filled a small suitcase.
I suspect that we are not in the same world. I came here to take the exam while he's here on holiday.
Why is there such a big difference between people?
Having had my thoughts interrupted by these things, my mood was no longer so bad.
I don't know if I would be able to be in the same exam as Brother Qin for the next one but, regardless, I hope to be a little stronger. I am after all someone who has done this before.
PS: My diary entries are recently getting longer and longer. It might be because I've been idle the past few days, so I've been thinking more. We've also discussed about this for a long time, but we eventually couldn't figure out who could be responsible for making this system, what their intentions are and why we were dragged in. Old Li said that it's pointless thinking about this right now and that we should focus on staying alive.
....But I still want to figure it out. How could it be considered living if you don't even know the reason behind what you're doing?
It is now midnight. We're another day closer to the next exam. I wish us all good luck and that we can survive and figure out what's going on. Good night.
.
This entry of Zhao Wentu's covered several pages. Qin Jiu pressed his finger on one of the pages.
His eyes lingered on a certain line for a long time. A fuzzy scene suddenly flashed past in his mind...
It appeared to be at night. Before him was a car, a black one. The light from the streetlight was reflected on the window and you could faintly see the silhouette of the person inside.
It was very strange. The time, place and also the car was unclear and indistinct, yet that window was exceptionally clear in this scene.
He leaned onto the roof of the car with one hand and knocked on the window.
He couldn't remember what mood he was feeling at that time. Was it amusement? Picking a fight? Provocation?
Anyway, he waited for a while, but the window didn't lower. Instead, the horn went off.
He also no longer remembered the meaning behind the horn.
Perhaps the person inside was provoking him back? Asking him to move aside and get lost? Or did it mean something else?
He straightened up and the car then drive off without looking back.
That scene was like a bird swooping past. When he tried to recall it, he could only catch the final fleeting shadow——–
He crossed his arms and leaned against the streetlight as he watched the car disappear in the distance.
...….
.
In confinement room 1 next door.
A finger resting on the back of You Huo's neck suddenly twitched.
He was startled awake but the moment he woke up he had forgotten what he had dreamt about. He kneaded his neck and lifted his head. Through half-opened eyes, he looked around at his surroundings.
It was pitch black.
It wasn't the kind of darkness you get when you turn off the lights. Instead, it was complete and utter darkness like if one was blind.
You Huo's eyes had been injured in the past so he was very sensitive to the difference between the two.
Back when he was recuperating in the hospital, he had lived in this darkness for almost a year.
One year. For someone who was both blind and missing his memories, it was a very long time.
For a long time, he would fall into silence so that he wouldn't ask any stupid questions. He also spent most of his time in a lazy and drowsy state as he wiled his time away by sleeping. At all costs, he wanted to avoid feeling around like the blind.....
That was too weak. He didn't like it.
Over time, it became a habit.
The doctors said that he was a little emotionally deficient. He didn't express his emotions much and he also possessed very little curiosity and doubt.
He didn't take it seriously.
It was just that he didn't meet the right people. If you brought over eight invigilators, his emotions would definitely not be deficient. As for invigilators like 001, just one would be enough.
And now, he even felt a little doubt.
When he was confined during the last exam, the room remained the same and nothing had changed.
So why did he suddenly become blind after waking up from his nap?
The most feared thing in his life....
What silly algorithm did this confinement room use for it to think that he was afraid of being blind? If he was really afraid of that, why didn't the confinement room last time undergo any changes?
You Huo sat in the darkness for a moment before sprawling back across the table expressionlessly.
The confinement room was completely silent. Apart from him, there was no one else around.
His light-brown eyes blinked silently in the dark a few times. He then buried his eyes in his elbow and soon fell back asleep.
.
Back in the cabin, the minute hand on the clock moved a notch.
For the invigilators, the three-hour confinement period passed in a blink of an eye.
As soon as the bell rang, 078 leapt up from the sofa startled: "Let's go. We should get….021?"
Before he could finish speaking, he noticed that 021 wasn't anywhere on the second floor.
"That's strange. She was clearly sitting on the carpet playing on her phone just now." 078 muttered with confusion.
He guessed that Miss Decisive may have gone to the bathroom. He knew that with her personality, it was unlikely for her to be late, so he didn't think too much of it and went downstairs first.
But when he reached the bottom floor, he saw 021 standing before the door to confinement room 1. She had just opened a small gap in the door.
"You're here!" 078 said: "I was wondering where you went. Didn't you say that we should wait for the bell?"
021 glanced at him and said: "I just wanted to get some water and I saw that it was almost time. I didn't want to sit down and then stand up again."
078 didn't doubt her words. He nodded and said: "Oh is that so? Okay then. You can call out this one, I'll get 001. I'll find you later."
021 nodded. She then pushed open and entered You Huo's confinement room.
078 saw her close the door behind her and internally thought: You're just calling him out so why all the effort closing and opening the door?
But he only thought this. He naturally didn't dare say this to 021.
That young lady may look good, but she has a bad temper.
078 pushed open the door to the second confinement room. The scene of the ruin site was slowly fading. Because no conflicts happened, the room was clean and free from blood and flesh.
And as for the detained Mr. 001, he was no longer reading the book. Instead, he was holding onto a black phone and fiddling with it.
"You...What are you doing?" 078 approached with a frown.
Qin Jiu welcomed him over: "You came just in time. I have something I want to ask."
078: "What is it?"
Qin Jiu waved the phone and said: "An old device from a few years ago. It won't turn on. Do you know how to repair it?"
078: "..."
Who are you asking to repair the phone? Care to say that again?
Qin Jiu really repeated it: "Do you?"
078 almost broke down: "I don't. I really don't. Why did you suddenly pull out a phone in the confinement room?"
Qin Jiu said: "It's a legacy my friend left with me. I wanted to see what's inside."
078: "...…"
He said nothing in response to that. He gestured over to the door: "Please."
It had the same meaning as "get out".
.
Next door.
021 stood before the table in the confinement room. Her fingers with dark red nail polish poked at You Huo's shoulder.
The darkness around them was slowly fading and the lights from within the room gradually projected down.
021 stood under the light and whispered: "You said it yourself. If you were ejected and the system still existed, I must bring you back and wake you….."
"You. Should. Wake. Up. Now. Big. Invigilator." She poked him as she emphasised each word. Although her expression was no different from the usual, her tone was much livelier.
After a long series of pokes, she waited for a while. You Huo who was almost impossible to wake up ruffled his hair and sat up.
He squinted his eyes and looked up. His cold and beautiful face was even more dazzling under the light.
When 021 was about to say something, several knocks came from the door behind them.
"Done yet? Let's go." 078 poked his head in.
"...…."
The corner of 021's lips twitched. She pulled out her big sunglasses and put them on. Resisting the urge to twist off that head of his, she calmly raised her chin and said: "We're leaving now."
KK has something to say:
Miss 021 knows somethinnnnggg!!
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