Zhang Chenze's eyes widened, unable to utter a word. She could only unconsciously step back.
"What's wrong?" Qiao Jiajin was blocked from seeing by Zhang Chenze and didn't know what was happening.
The haughty lawyer took several steps back, then sat down on the dirty floor with a thud.
"You... you..." Zhang Chenze pointed at the female clerk.
The others followed his gaze and saw the female clerk holding a small piece of forearm in her open palm. The arm was very small, not like that of an adult. Moreover, the fingers on it were distinct, definitely not those of an animal.
It seemed that the female clerk had indeed cooked a baby.
The aroma of the baby's arm was now alluring.
Qixia witnessed this scene and, considering the strange environment of the room, instantly understood what was happening.
"Is this... the 'piglet' you mentioned?" Qixia tentatively asked.
"Yes," the female clerk nodded, "Aren't you going to eat?"
Qixia frowned and asked again, "You said if we sleep with you, you can eat 'piglets,' is this the kind of 'piglet' you're talking about?!"
"Yeah," the female clerk looked dazedly at Qixia, "Piglets are delicious."
The smell of blood was heavy here, with bloodstains on the female clerk's thighs and on the bed. If Qixia guessed correctly, this woman had given birth not long ago and then cooked her child.
She invited men to sleep with her just so she could eat the child.
"I can only eat 'piglets' about once a year..." The female clerk chuckled, showing her yellowed teeth, "I just wanted to ask if any of you would like to sleep with me? I can exchange it for pork trotters..."
"We... we won't eat..." Officer Li shook his head.
"Well, if you won't eat... then forget it..." She fumbled around and stuffed the cooked baby's arm into her pocket, then wiped the oil off her hands.
Zhang Chenze saw how her clothes were being used and couldn't say anything.
She had never imagined that cooking human flesh would leave so many grease stains.
Sweet slowly walked to the side of the female clerk, her expression complex as she said, "Miss, what you ate wasn't a 'piglet,' it was a child..."
"A child?" The female clerk's lifeless eyes glanced around, "Then it's a piglet, it suddenly came out and even bumped into me, hurting me."
Everyone looked at each other, unable to respond.
"Hey... I'm hungry again." The female clerk raised her eyebrows, "I'm going to have some pork soup. It's nice to be able to eat."
With that, she turned around and walked back into the employee lounge, closing the door heavily behind her.
Several people remained silent for a long time, the atmosphere very oppressive.
Finally, Qixia broke the silence and spoke.
"Even if this place isn't destroyed in ten days, we still won't be able to return to the real world." Qixia touched his forehead, "If we have to stay here forever, we'll end up like her, going crazy."
This time Officer Li didn't oppose Qixia.
He hesitated too. In this obviously abnormal city, under this dark red sky and pale yellow sun, how long could humans maintain their sanity?
The sound of kitchen utensils clashing came from inside the house, sounding like the female clerk was serving herself another bowl of delicacy and enjoying it heartily.
Just a door away, a woman was eating her own newborn child.
Everything in this place was too abnormal.
"I want to go out and take a look." Qixia spoke, "Aren't you curious? What is this place? Who are these people? Does the city have borders? What's outside? How did we get here, and how do we get out?"
Rather than "curious," the expressions on everyone's faces seemed more like fear.
"I just feel there's danger everywhere here..." Xiao Ran shook his head, saying to Qixia, "Instead of going out to participate in those 'games,' I'd rather find a safe place to stay."
"Pretty lady, there's no food or drink here." Qiao Jiajin rubbed his stomach, saying, "We want to survive, we can't really eat that 'piglet,' can we?"
His position was clear. Rather than staying here waiting for death, he also wanted to go out and take a look.
Nine people seemed to have divided into two teams at this point, some wanting to leave and some wanting to stay.
Dr. Zhao looked at Han Yimo beside him and said, "It's okay to go out and take a look, but the wounded can't go. He can only stay here. As a doctor, I should also stay to take care of him."
"Then I'll stay with you..." Xiao Ran said quietly.
"Are you asking for death?" Qiao Jiajin shook his head, "A patient, a weak girl, plus a doctor. The three of you are ready to live here?"
"I'll stay too." Officer Li suddenly spoke up.
Dr. Zhao and Xiao Ran turned to look at him, knowing that if the robust Officer Li stayed here too, it would naturally be safer.
Officer Li nodded to Dr. Zhao and said, "This thug is right. It's too dangerous for the three of you to be alone here, not to mention those animal masks. Even if that woman inside goes mad, you won't be able to handle her."
With four people choosing to stay, the others turned their gaze to Sweet, Zhang Chenze, and Lin Lin.
These three girls hadn't made their stance known yet.
"I will definitely stay." Zhang Chenze smiled slightly, "As a lawyer, I won't take action until I have all the information. Otherwise, I might make the wrong judgment."
With that, she got up and walked to the side of Officer Li and Dr. Zhao.
At this point, Qixia and Qiao Jiajin seemed to be the odd ones out, wanting to go out for adventure in this seemingly dangerous world, like children who hadn't grown up.
Sweet looked at Lin Lin beside her, then walked to Qixia's side, but remained silent.
She seemed to not need any reason to join Qixia's team.
"Huh?" Qiao Jiajin smirked, "I thought you would stay."
"Stay?" Sweet smiled bitterly, shaking her head, then pointed to the ground, saying, "Can't you see? There's a wall here, a wall that forces me to leave."
"A wall?" Qixia and Qiao Jiajin looked down, but didn't see any "wall."
"On the other side of the wall, there are police officers, lawyers, doctors, and writers, and on this side of the wall, there are swindlers, thugs, and prostitutes." Sweet's tone was flat as she tied a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "Our 'camps' have been determined from the beginning, right?"
Qixia and Qiao Jiajin's expressions changed, understanding Sweet's meaning.
Yes, even though all nine of them were ordinary people forced into this place, they still had their own "camps."
Qixia, Qiao Jiajin, and Sweet were all people who lived in the gray areas, destined to be at odds with the others.
Now, the only person who hadn't chosen her "camp" was Lin Lin.
As a "psychologist," she should also go to the other side of the "wall."
But what everyone didn't expect was that she slowly walked to Qixia's side instead.
Qixia vaguely felt that this girl was a bit strange, but couldn't say what was odd.
"You're coming too?" Sweet looked at the girl with suspicion, "You're not the same kind of person as us. Maybe if you follow them..."
"But I'm useful." Lin Lin covered her mouth and nose, smiling at Sweet, interrupting her, "I understand human nature. Maybe I can help."
Qiao Jiajin stretched lazily, saying slowly, "Well, with two beautiful ladies accompanying us, me and the swindler won't be bored."
"Don't call me a swindler." Qixia frowned, "And I don't need you to follow us."
"Okay, okay..." Qiao Jiajin nodded, "When do we leave? Now?"
"I..." Before Qixia could finish speaking, Lin Lin interjected, "It's really not early now. I personally suggest we wait until tomorrow to go out."
"Tomorrow?" Everyone turned to look outside the window, and indeed, the sky had darkened.
The sky was even darker red now, emitting a dangerous aura.