Chapter 397: The Choice

2022-05-20

The door swung open and we saw the man inside.

He looked to be in his mid-forties or fifties, sitting on the edge of a bed. As I glanced around the room, something struck me as odd: even these so-called hardened criminals always seemed to have a massive bookshelf filled to the brim with books.

Shi Huacheng sported a thick beard, but it was neatly trimmed. To be honest, this place was less like a prison cell and more like a studio apartment. Apart from not being able to cook, it had everything you’d need. Clearly, Shi Huacheng was living quite comfortably here.

But despite how at ease Shi Huacheng seemed, his right ankle was chained with a heavy shackle, the other end anchored deep underground. Wu Zui stepped up to check out the shackle’s design. It was simple but solid. Sometimes this world works in funny ways—the simpler something is, the tougher it is to break.

Take that electronic door out front. As high-tech and complicated as it looks, it can still be opened. But this shackle? Without a key, it’s almost impossible to break.

Wu Zui gave it a good yank, putting every ounce of strength into it, but the shackle didn’t budge.

“Where’s the key?” Wu Zui turned to ask Li Ai.

Li Ai looked back with an innocent expression. “I don’t have it. I only knew you needed to get through two doors to see him. I did what I promised, and now you’ve met him. It’s your turn to keep your end of the deal.”

It was obvious this turn of events had caught Wu Zui off guard.

After thinking it over, Wu Zui spoke. “Anyone got some tools?”

Shi Huacheng’s face darkened a little. “What, you came here without any tools?”

Then Li Ai chimed in. “None of us thought that far ahead. And besides… the moment Yinzi gets cleared out, that electronic door’s going to come down. Once it does, there’s no way out. So maybe…”

Li Ai didn’t finish, but we all knew she meant it’d be best to give up on rescuing Shi Huacheng.

Hearing this, Wu Zui nodded. “I get what you’re saying, and I know you mean well. But you really don’t have the key to this lock, do you?”

Li Ai replied, “Why would I lie at a time like this? The door could drop at any second. Once it does, no one inside can open it. I think we should just—”

As she spoke, Li Ai mimed running away.

It made sense—Li Ai had been waiting here for months just for this plan. For someone so desperate for freedom, the thought of never escaping was more than she could bear.

Shi Huacheng just sat there in silence, face like thunder, as they talked about abandoning him right in front of him. Anyone else would have lost their temper, but he didn’t say a word. Maybe because he knew if it didn’t work out this time, no one would get another shot at breaking him out.

“So basically,” Wu Zui said calmly, “if we can’t get my father out in five minutes, we’ll all be trapped behind that door. And there’s no way to open it from inside?”

Li Ai nodded. “That’s right. Once it drops, unless someone outside opens it, we’re never getting out.”

“How long have we been in here?” Wu Zui shot Li Ai a look.

Li Ai said, “It’s already been a few minutes. If we don’t hurry…”

Her eyes widened in panic, mouth hanging open like she still had a thousand things to say. But just like that, she dropped dead—right there in front of me.

Li Ai’s mind had been outside these walls for ages, dreaming of escape, but in the end, she never got to see the world beyond. She and Wu Zui had worked together, but she never understood that the moment she lost her use to him, she’d be tossed aside without mercy.

Wu Zui glanced at Shi Huacheng. “There’s only one way out now, Jasmine.”

Wu Zui and Jasmine exchanged a silent look, then Jasmine stepped forward. I still had no idea what Wu Zui had in mind for getting through that unbreakable shackle. Jasmine stopped in front of Shi Huacheng, then—without warning—brought her foot down hard on his ankle.

Even Shi Huacheng didn’t see it coming.

There was a sharp crack, and I knew his bones had snapped. Still, Shi Huacheng’s face barely changed. He bit down so hard his jaw looked ready to break, sweat pouring down his face. These people—they’re as ruthless to themselves as they are to others.

Jasmine grabbed the iron chain, yanked with all her strength, and, even then, Shi Huacheng didn’t make a sound. Once the bone shattered, his foot slid out of the shackle.

Wu Zui rushed to support Shi Huacheng. “Go.”

Jasmine pulled me up to lead the way, while Wu Zui helped the limping Shi Huacheng from behind.

I knew Wu Zui wasn’t going to kill me—not yet, anyway. He still needed to look after Shi Huacheng, but if I could keep these three trapped behind that electronic door before it came down, Wu Zui’s plan would die right here. This was the best chance to catch both Shi Huacheng and Wu Zui in one go.

I also understood—if things came down to it, they might kill me to escape. But if those two died, then Gu Chen would be safe, and one day Guan Zengbin could recover through hypnosis. That was my purpose. That would be the best ending for all of us.

But we’d already wasted precious time. The door could drop at any second.

Lost in my thoughts, we hurried down the hall. It wasn’t that long—maybe ten meters or so. But every step felt like crossing a whole light-year. We finally reached the midpoint of the hallway, and in just these few short minutes, everything came down to this.

That’s when I planted my foot and threw myself backward with all my strength.

Jasmine hadn’t expected it; she nearly lost her balance from how hard I yanked her. She was strong—for a woman, stronger than most. But I was running on pure adrenaline—she couldn’t drag me forward. Wu Zui and Shi Huacheng noticed immediately.

Wu Zui propped Shi Huacheng up against the wall and strode over.

Without a word, Wu Zui planted a brutal kick straight into my gut. I felt like every organ in my body shattered at once. The pain was blinding—I rolled on the ground, unable to get up. Wu Zui and Jasmine dragged me forward, with Shi Huacheng hopping after as best he could.

I knew this was my last shot to stop them. Gritting my teeth, I lunged and locked my arms around Jasmine’s thigh, refusing to let go. I yanked her to the floor with me. Just then, I heard a sharp click and the lights went out.

We all knew what that meant—the next time the lights came on, the electronic door was coming down.

When it closed or opened, the door moved slowly—maybe ten seconds from top to bottom.

I knew I just needed to hold out for a minute. What I didn’t know was whether Wu Zui would give up Jasmine to get away—after all, he’s the kind who’d abandon anyone if it meant survival.

Suddenly, the lights flickered back on.

With a soft snap as the lights came up, Wu Zui ripped off his mask and spat, “Think you can trap us in here? Not a chance. Sure, you’re useful, but don’t overestimate yourself. Don’t forget, we’re not blood brothers. Compared to Jasmine, you’re just a pitiful bug.”

For the first time, I saw Wu Zui truly lose his composure. He was furious—and, for once, not in total control.

He was right. Everyone has weaknesses. For Wu Zui, it was Jasmine. I didn’t know what kind of relationship they had, but one thing was clear—she was his soft spot.

The door was already dropping. I clung to Jasmine for dear life, not letting go for a second.

“Don’t you want to know what happened to your parents?” Shi Huacheng suddenly spoke. “What happened twenty years ago, and again seven years ago? Aren’t you curious?”

He struck a nerve—my whole life, I’d only wanted answers about my parents, my own past. That was all I ever cared about.

In the end, I let go.