By this time, the yard was already bustling with activity. All the rats had come inside and were searching for the collar.
"We have less than twenty minutes to find a hiding place. Get to know the layout first," Gao Xin said as he started rummaging around on the first floor.
He observed every spot that could potentially serve as a hiding place.
This mansion was huge, with numerous rooms, lavish decoration, and a European style filled with stone carvings and murals.
In the center of the hall, there was a luxurious and spacious staircase, covered with precious carpets that branched off into left and right stairways toward the second floor at the halfway point.
A large wall clock hung at the halfway point on the wall.
When he first came in, Gao Xin had seen it: the time was just past 2:02 PM.
It didn't take two minutes to cross the yard, but even if they had delayed, that meant the game had started at two o'clock sharp.
And the game lasted two hours, which meant it was set to end at four o'clock sharp.
Besides, they noticed that from various angles and places, there were decorations resembling crystal balls embedded everywhere.
Thinking back, there were also such crystal decorations in the yard, which was a bit strange.
Do they like crystals that much? It's alright to have one or two around, but having them everywhere is a bit eerie.
"Could these be surveillance devices?" Gao Xin murmured.
Su Lei was taken aback, "That's quite possible! Didn't the Japanese say that the Redemption Game is watched live by the wealthy? These might be scanners broadcasting three-dimensional images."
Gao Xin's face darkened, and he stared coldly at those crystal balls, as if they were actual eyeballs.
And behind those eyeballs, many wealthy individuals might be indulging in good food and drinks, cheering each other on while enjoying their plight.
This made him feel sick, but there was nothing he could do about it; he had to ignore it, "Never mind them, let's keep looking for places to hide."
"Right."
Gao Xin wandered around the first floor, while at the same time hiding the collar.
Su Lei first took an interest in the fireplace, he leaned in to take a look and then said, "Bro Xin, why don't we hide in the chimney?"
Gao Xin also went to take a look, the chimney was deep and dark, and indeed, if one could climb up, they wouldn't be visible from below.
If they were discovered, they might still be able to climb out from the top of the chimney and find another hiding place.
Indeed, it was a very good choice.
"Can you climb up?"
"I think so."
Su Lei crawled in and began to climb, using his hands and feet to brace himself against the walls, heaving himself up step by step.
Gao Xin's mouth twitched, but he still gritted his teeth and followed, climbing upward.
But the chimney was too wide, and it was hard for him to exert any force, after struggling to climb less than the height of one person, he fell down, covering himself in soot.
"Ah, I can't do it. You hide here; I'll keep looking."
Gao Xin walked out of the fireplace dusty and disheveled, just as Jin Meimei and another newcomer with a fierce look barged into the mansion.
Jin Meimei gave him a glance and suddenly locked her gaze onto Gao Xin's crotch.
Gao Xin forced a smile, "Beauty, do you enjoy looking at me this much?"
Jin Meimei snorted, "Did they give you the dog collar?"
Gao Xin was startled, "The dog collar? What's the use of that thing? Shouldn't you be hiding quickly?"
After speaking, he walked away nonchalantly, as if eager to find a hiding spot.
Watching Gao Xin's retreating back, Meimei was puzzled but said nothing.
The other newcomer with a fierce face, realizing that Gao Xin was only wearing underwear and didn't seem capable of hiding two large alloy collars, immediately focused his attention on the fireplace.
"If the person who came in first has it, they definitely hid the collars in here!" The fierce-looking newcomer growled, rushing in to search.
Suddenly realizing someone was climbing upwards, he picked up something and started throwing it upwards, "Get down from there!"
He leapt up and threw objects upward, hitting several times, and finally knocked Su Lei down.
He then pounced on him, grabbing Su Lei by the throat and searching him.
But Su Lei was also naked except for his underwear, and a quick pat-down made it clear there was nothing there.
"What are you doing? What are you doing? I had just managed to climb up... Hey hey hey, where are you touching!" Su Lei looked completely baffled.
"Damn it... where's the collar?"
Su Lei answered innocently, "I didn't take it. What's it good for? I had just found a good hiding place and you knocked me down for what?"
"Get lost, this spot is mine." Seeing he hadn't found anything, the fierce-looking newcomer climbed up after Su Lei, thinking it might be hidden in some secret compartment there.
Even if it wasn't, it would still make for a good hiding spot.
Seeing his spot being taken, Su Lei couldn't very well hide there anymore, and hurriedly followed Gao Xin.
Just as the two were about to go upstairs, reaching the staircase,
The bald man suddenly led eight newcomers and shouted, "Hold it right there, kid, stop."
Gao Xin didn't look back, uninterested in engaging.
But the bald man quickly caught up, bellowing, "You, the one in the underwear, do you have the collar?"
Gao Xin turned around, looked left and right, and then touched his bare arms with an expression of disbelief.
The bald man paused, and it also seemed a bit absurd to him.
He immediately turned his scrutiny to others, "Everyone needs to be searched!"
He noticed someone in the fireplace and charged in to drag them out.
The fierce-looking guy really wanted to explode, but seeing the bald man's sturdy build and the many newcomers following him,
He repressed his anger and said, "It was those two guys who came in first, they must have hidden the collar."
The bald man then turned to Gao Xin, "Where did you hide it? Hand it over quickly!"
Gao Xin rolled his eyes and said, "Are you guys nuts? Why aren't you hurrying to find a hiding place instead of looking for a collar?"
The bald man said sternly, "Don't play the fool with me, kid, how could just hiding be enough to avoid being hunted by the Radiation?"