Zhang Chenze's eyes widened, unable to utter a single word, she could only instinctively step backward.
"What's going on?" Qiao Jiajin's view was blocked by Zhang Chenze and he didn't know what was happening.
The once arrogant lawyer stumbled several steps back and then sat down on the filthy ground.
"You... you..." Zhang Chenze pointed at the female shop assistant.
Everyone turned to look and saw that the shop assistant was holding a small arm in her open palm. The arm was very tiny, not resembling an adult's at all. Moreover, the fingers were clearly defined, definitely not from any animal.
It seemed this female shop assistant had indeed cooked an infant.
The baby's arm emitted an enticing aroma at this moment.
Qi Xia saw this scene and connected it with the peculiar environment of this room, instantly understanding something.
"Is this... a little piglet?" Qi Xia asked tentatively.
"That's right," the female shop assistant nodded, "Aren't you going to eat it?"
Qi Xia frowned and asked again, "You said if we sleep with you, you can eat the little piglets, and these are the so-called little piglets?!"
"Mm-hmm." The female shop assistant stared blankly at Qi Xia, "Little piglets taste really good."
The smell of blood was strong here, there were bloodstains on the woman's thighs and on the bed. If Qi Xia guessed correctly, this woman had given birth not long ago and immediately cooked the child.
She let men sleep with her just to be able to eat the child.
"I can only eat a little piglet about once a year..." The female shop assistant smiled, revealing yellowed teeth, "I just wanted to ask if anyone would like to sleep with me? I can trade for pork knuckles..."
"We... we don't eat..." Officer Li shook his head.
"If you don't want to eat... then forget it..." She fumbled around, stuffed the cooked baby arm into her coat pocket, and wiped the oil off her hands.
Seeing her coat used in such a way, Zhang Chenze was speechless.
Before this, she never imagined that cooking human flesh would produce so much grease.
Tiantian slowly walked up to the female shop assistant, saying to her with a complex expression, "Miss, what you ate wasn't a little piglet, but a child..."
"A child?" The shop assistant's lifeless eyes flickered, "That's a little piglet, it suddenly appeared and even hurt me."
Everyone looked at each other, no one knew how to respond.
"Hey... I'm hungry again." The shop assistant raised her eyebrows, "I'm going to drink some pork soup, it feels great to be full."
With that, she turned and walked back into the staff lounge. Before closing the door, she seemed to remember something and laughed foolishly at everyone, "Please feel free to choose!"
Then she slammed the door shut.
The group remained silent for a long time, the atmosphere extremely oppressive.
Finally, Qi Xia broke the silence and spoke up.
"Everyone, even if this place doesn't get destroyed ten days later, we won't be able to return to the real world." Qi Xia touched her forehead, "If we have to stay here forever, sooner or later we'll go crazy like her."
This time, Officer Li did not object to Qi Xia.
He hesitated too; in this obviously abnormal city, under this dark red sky and tawny sun, how long could humans maintain their sanity?
Sounds of kitchen utensils clashing came from inside the room, it seemed the shop assistant was serving herself another bowl of delicacies and enjoying it heartily.
Separated by just a door, a woman was eating her newly born child.
Everything here was too abnormal.
"I want to go out and take a look," Qi Xia said, "Aren't you curious? What is this place? Who are these people? Does the city have an edge? What's outside? How did we come here, and how do we leave?"
Rather than being 'curious', the expressions on everyone's faces seemed more like fear.
"I just think there's danger everywhere here..." Xiao Ran shook her head and said to Qi Xia, "Instead of participating in those 'games' outside, I'd rather find a safe place to stay."
"Beautiful lady, there's nothing to eat or drink here," Qiao Jiajin patted his stomach, "We need to survive, we can't really eat that little piglet, can we?"
His stance was clear; rather than waiting to die here, he also wanted to go out and see.
At this point, the nine people seemed divided into two groups, some wanting to leave, others wishing to stay.
Doctor Zhao looked at Han Yimo beside him and said, "Going out to take a look is fine, but the injured person can't go, he's destined to stay here. As a doctor, I should also stay to take care of him."
"Then I'll stay with you..." Xiao Ran whispered.
"Are you guys giving up your lives?" Qiao Jiajin shook his head, "A patient, a weak woman, plus a doctor, are you three planning to live here?"
"I'll stay too," Officer Li suddenly spoke up.
Doctor Zhao and the other two turned to look at him, knowing that with the physically strong Officer Li staying, they would naturally be safer.
Officer Li nodded at Doctor Zhao and said, "What this thug says is right, it's too dangerous for you three alone here, not to mention those animal masks, even if that woman inside goes crazy, you wouldn't be able to handle it."
Now four people had chosen to stay, everyone's gaze shifted to Tiantian, Zhang Chenze, and Lin Qin.
These three girls hadn't expressed their intentions yet.
"I will definitely stay," Zhang Chenze smiled slightly, "As a lawyer, I won't take action until I have complete information. It prevents me from making wrong judgments."
With that, she stood up and walked over to where Officer Li and Doctor Zhao were.
At this moment, Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin seemed to be different, wanting to venture out in this seemingly perilous world, like children who hadn't grown up.
Tiantian looked at Lin Qin beside her, then walked to Qi Xia's side without speaking.
She seemed to join Qi Xia's group without needing any reason.
"Huh?" Qiao Jiajin grinned, "I thought you would stay."
"Stay?" Tiantian smiled bitterly and shook her head, then pointed at the ground, saying, "Can't you see? There's a wall here, this wall forces me to leave."
"A wall?" Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin looked down but didn't see any 'wall'.
"On one side of the wall are police officers, lawyers, doctors, writers, while on this side are swindlers, thugs, prostitutes. Our 'camp' has been determined from the beginning, hasn't it?"
Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin's expressions changed, understanding Tiantian's meaning.
Indeed, even though the nine of them were ordinary people forced to come here, they still had their own 'camps'.
Qi Xia, Qiao Jiajin, and Tiantian lived in gray areas, destined to be incompatible with others.
Now, the only person left without choosing her 'camp' was Lin Qin.
According to her identity as a 'psychological counselor', she should also go to the 'other side' of the wall.
But unexpectedly, she slowly walked to Qi Xia's group.
Qi Xia faintly felt something was off about this girl, but couldn't pinpoint what was strange.
"You're coming too?" Tiantian looked at the girl doubtfully, "You're not one of us, maybe it's better to follow them..."
"But I'm useful," Lin Qin covered her nose and smiled at Tiantian, interrupting her, "I understand human nature, perhaps I can help."
Qiao Jiajin stretched lazily and said slowly, "Alright, with two beautiful ladies accompanying us, I and the liar won't be bored."
"Don't call me a liar," Qi Xia frowned, "And I don't need you following me."
"Okay, okay..." Qiao Jiajin nodded, "When are we leaving? Now?"
"I..."
Before Qi Xia could finish speaking, Lin Qin said, "It's really late now, I suggest we go out tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Everyone turned to look out the window, the sky had indeed darkened.
The sky was even darker red, continuously emitting a sense of danger.