There was no one else in this scene in the confinement room. There was no invigilator A standing before him.
Qin Jiu walked along the protective fences.
In the distance outside the ruins was a forest. The tall and straight branches pointed at the sky. Occasionally birds would suddenly become startled and swarm into the forest.
On the other side it was a mass of fog and there were some traces of smoke.
As an invigilator, Qin Jiu had a good understanding of the confinement rooms.
Here, people would be exposed to the most feared event in their life and be forced to experience it repeatedly.
He truly believed that this was true because all the examinees who had entered the confinement rooms would wet themselves. Even 154 and the others who had become invigilators feared this place.
But now, he felt that it was all just an exaggeration.
A field of ruins, a forest and this quiet environment – What was there to be "feared"?
Of course, the word "fear" could mean many things.
As he stood there taking in the ruins and forest, he indeed felt a small sense of emptiness. It was as if....it was hard for him to be happy again.
But this was far from "fear".
He once thought that the word "fear" had nothing to do with him.
Before this, he had always felt that if he entered the confinement room, he would either see a blank space or the room would remain as is.
But now, it had become very intriguing.
What did that invigilator A do for him to even appear in the scene produced by the confinement room?
Qin Jiu wanted to see if he could find some clues in this ruin site.
After wandering around for twenty minutes, nothing was found.
It probably had something to do with his memory. He could only remember this much so the confinement room naturally couldn't reveal any more than that. At most, it just helped with bringing out the scenes from within his subconscious.
.
On the second floor of the invigilator ship.
While You Huo was confined, 922 slipped out of his room and rushed over to the kitchen downstairs to continue making his smoked chicken and lamb chops.
It wasn't until the sides had turned light brown and the outside had turned crispy causing the cabins to be filled with its delicious scent did 922 recover from his shock of "detaining his boss".
He squatted behind the wooden cabinet searching for a clean plate. As soon as he looked up, he saw 078 come in following the scent. 078 said: "It's not bad working together with you guys. The meals are very different. It's no wonder 021 chose this team. Did she work with you two before?"
"If you want to eat, wash the dishes first." 922 shoved four plates into his arms, "021 chose this? Don't tell me she came over just to see our boss get detained...."
"I don't think so? No one would have expected him to violate the rules. It might be because she wanted to try being 001's invigilator?" 078 said: "Anyway, there were several groups we could choose from. While I was hesitating, she decided on this one without a moment of thought! This lady has always been decisive."
922 made a sound of acknowledgement and divided the chicken and lamb chops onto the clean dishes: "So where is Miss Decisive? Tell her it's time to eat."
"Sitting in the monitoring room." 078 said.
922 was stunned: "What's she doing there?"
"Watching." 078 was even more surprised: "You guys don't monitor them?"
"Not really." 922 shook his head.
Even that was an exaggeration. In fact, they don't look at all.
Every invigilator's site would have a monitoring room allowing them to see the inside of the confinement rooms. Everything the examinees experience in the confinement room would be shown on the screen.
As for whether an invigilator was required to monitor them, there was no hard and fast rule.
Since there was no hard and fast rule, other invigilators interpreted as a 'requirement' while Qin Jiu took it as 'unnecessary'.
And so, either the monitoring room would be empty, or it would be completely shut off.
This time, invigilators from two different teams had come together and they each had their own habits.
922 didn't stop them. He just said: "Then does it mean that you two take turns to eat? Or do you bring the food into the room and eat in there with her? It's better eating it while its hot and crispy. It won't taste good once it gets cold."
"I'll take it over to her then. She has always been like this." 078 said: "I won't eat in there. I have a weak stomach. If I see something bloody or gruesome, I would probably vomit. Are you sure you and 154 aren't going to watch?"
922 held his plate. He felt conflicted.
To be honest, he was really curious about what his boss would see in the confinement room.
But in the end, his desire to live won over his curiosity.
He shook his head and said: "Forget it. I'll get 154 to come eat."
.
According to group 9's usual practices, 078 and 021 worked on a shift-like schedule. For the first half of the day, 021 would watch in the monitoring room and on the second half of the day, it would be 078's turn.
So at this moment, 078 had not yet seen what the two confinement rooms were like.
"Miss Decisive, your dinner." 078 pushed open the door was soon surprised: "Why are you standing?"
021 was standing next to the control pad. She said while looking back: "Sitting for too long affects your figure."
078: "...…" Okay then.
021 didn't continue this topic, "What did you just call me?"
"Miss Decisive. It was a name 922 came up with. I think it's quite appropriate." 078 placed the plate on the table, "922 made some fried chicken and I also boiled some vegetables for you. You....can stand and eat?"
021 pulled over a chair and sat down.
She finally removed her sunglasses. Her eyes were beautiful and sharp. She cut off a small piece of chicken and when she was about to eat it, she looked over at 078: "You're not going to eat? Or are you waiting for me to collect the plate?"
It wasn't 078's first day with her so he was used to her way of speaking and wasn't upset. He said: "I'm eating. I'll go back and eat. I was just curious about 001's room——-"
He turned around as he said that and saw that one of the monitoring screens was on.
The camera was angled down from the corner of the room. It appeared to be a ruin site. Qin Jiu was leaning on a relatively clean metal table....reading.
078: "...….."
He almost pressed his face against the screen to confirm what he saw.
He really was reading...….or just looking at some leather backed book.
Who knows?
In short, the chaos and panic he had expected to see wasn't happening.
It took a long time before 078 could utter his next sentence: "Is he there just having a goddamned afternoon tea...…?"
021 slowly chewed on her chicken and hummed in response without raising her head.
"What about the other one?" 078 again asked, "Why is only one screen lit up?"
Miss 021 had always been particular about not speaking while eating. Her finger painted with dark-red nail polish poked at the screen on the bottom right corner to indicate to 078 the location of the screen.
078 again sprawled against the screen.
He felt that he had probably gone blind. It was completely dark. There was nothing at all.
"What's happening here? Is he afraid of the dark?"
021 didn't speak any nonsense. In one smooth motion, she turned on the night mode.
This time 078 could finally see the scene inside the confinement room. That person....that examinee who was supposed to be confined in there was lying on the table sleeping like a dead pig.
He got closer and listened intently. He could even hear his smooth breathing.
078: "..."
One was reading, one was sleeping. What was the point of this confinement punishment? Was this humiliating the invigilators or humiliating the system?
"Forget it. I'm going to eat...…"
He had been angered until he was hungry. He turned around and headed for the kitchen.
The monitoring room became quiet again. 021 swallowed her vegetables and finally raised her eyes. Those beautiful eyes stared intently at the screen.
.
Five minutes later, while the three invigilators were eating lamb chops in the kitchen, 021 came upstairs.
"The monitoring system is broken." She held her plate and glass and for a moment looked a little innocent.
078 swallowed the food in his mouth, "Ah? Why did it suddenly break? Wasn't it fine just now?"
021: "I accidentally overturned my glass and water was poured all over the control pad. When I tried to wipe it up, I may have pressed the power button or something."
"What now?" 078 said, "Report to the system?"
021 was a bit reluctant.
That was also normal. No invigilators were willing to anger the system.
922 spat out the bones and said: "We're out at sea my Brother. What's the point of reporting? It doesn't matter if we can't monitor them. The confinement room is the only place free from the system. Anyway, the confinement room itself is enough punishment for the examinee and the system has not been too intrusive about this. Our team has never looked at it. Not even the red lights turn on."
078 originally wanted to say something but when he thought about the two who are reading a book and sleeping, he felt that there really wasn't much to see.
If he watched that long enough, it would probably frustrate him to death.
And so, he sat back down and resumed eating the piping hot lamb chops.
Now no longer needing to monitor, 078 and 021 joined the others and ate together.
They warmed themselves up by the fire and chatted as they checked the time. They only wanted to send away the gods of misfortune as soon as possible.
.
In the second confinement room on the lower floor of the ship, Qin Jiu turned to another page.
What he was reading wasn't a book. It was the Zhao Wentu's diary that was entrusted to him.
He had kept this diary with him the entire time and it was only now that he took it out to read. Afterall, the confinement room was a rather special place.
This was the only place in the entire examination system that was not monitored.
In other words, every other place including the invigilator's living area, exam centres and rest stops are under the system's surveillance. It would always know what everyone was doing right away.
The only exception was the confinement rooms.
Following the earliest rules of privacy, the systems invisible eyes were not there. There are only the physical surveillance cameras.
Once you turned those off, the confinement room would become the most private of places.
Of course, access to these rooms were restricted.
Only rule violating examinees could enter and invigilators could only enter when dropping off or picking up the examinees.
.
During this rare period of private time, Qin Jiu had already gone through half of the diary.
There, Zhao Wentu had made records about every exam he took and every note-worthy person he met.
Qin Jiu saw his name in there.....
And he also saw invigilator A.
Mathematics Day 2
Rain
Yesterday, I almost went crazy. But even after calming down, I still don't understand. What sin did I commit for me to be dragged into this exam? (I had a peaceful breakup with my last girlfriend. Not a scum.)
I would rather drop out of school and repeat the university entrance examination for ten years than taking this shit! At the very least, I wouldn't be burned to death if I couldn't solve the math problems in the exam.
Oh, but there is also something that's pretty good. There is a very amazing person in the team called Qin Jiu. It was all thanks to him that we were able to survive yesterday.
But he would always step on the examination rule boundaries. I am a little scared. No, the entire team is scared. Everyone except for him.
I hope he can hold himself back. Please hold himself back (It's too scary kneeling before him in person so I'll kneel in my diary. Thud.)
It is currently 10 o'clock at night. I hope we get through the night safely. Good night.
Mathematics Day 3
Rain
Today was really nerve-wracking. A teammate was almost burned to death, but Qin Jiu instead burned the monster down. (He really dared to do that.....)
To be honest, it was actually quite exhilarating seeing it happen. It felt like we had just returned from the brink of death
Qin Jiu was then taken away. (Our team's only hope!)
Yes, this damned exam actually also has a fucking invigilator. A living one. In short, invigilator A took the rule violating Qin Jiu away. The most ridiculous thing was that he didn't take it seriously at all and was even teasing the invigilator.
That invigilator A was too fucking young. I think he's probably around my age and a year or two younger than Qin Jiu? That guys charisma though. As soon as he appeared, no one dared to move or speak. (But it may also be because he is an invigilator, so everyone didn't dare do anything. Everyone except for Qin Jiu.)
It is said that the punishment for rule violation was solitary confinement. Qin Jiu said that the fundamental meaning of confinement was to get examinees to sit in the room alone and suffocate from boredom. (But why do I feel that it doesn't sound right? How scary could sitting in a room alone be?)
Anyway, I still hope he can hold on. This exam will take twelve days.
It is currently 9:30 at night. Long live Brother Qin. I hope nothing crazy happens tomorrow. Wish me good dreams.
Mathematics day 4
Fine
A little girl almost died today. That girl was only six years old and was dragged into doing this disgusting exam. Fucking hell.
The little girl gave Brother Qin a candy. Brother Qin then helped her overthrow a question about the auditorium.
In the end, the auditorium collapsed so Brother Qin was once again taken away by the invigilator.
Today's invigilator A was also cold. His expression this time however was a bit bad. (Oh no. Because of Brother Qin, I am even no longer feeling nervous. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing.)
I suspect that with these two consecutive trips, invigilator A and Brother Qin would probably put each other on their blacklist.
Based on my instincts as a former member of the national defence squad, this invigilator probably used to be in the military. Or at least he had some sort of similar experience. Then wouldn't that mean that he's in a similar field as Brother Qin? So that's why they didn't get along...
What was even more scary was that Brother Qin said that he would cause more disruptions for the invigilator next time he is detained (since he won't see this entry, I'll just say that his actions are called enticing death.) Hmm….. You couldn't tell if he was speaking the truth from his expression. In any case, he always spoke like that.
Don't tell me he had gone mad from the confinement?
It is now 10 o'clock at night. Sweet dreams.
Mathematics day 5
Fine
My god. We completed the exam...…
But as soon as we left the exam centre Qin Jiu was again taken away by the invigilator.
For a moment, I didn't know who I was more worried about.
Forget it. I just hope I can meet Brother Qin again in the next exam.
KK has something to say:
LOL Qin Jiu has been breaking the rules since long ago