Chapter 17#
Chapter 17#
As soon as Zhao Xing finished speaking, he realized something was wrong.
Lu Mingshan wasn’t his wife, so what was he getting jealous about?
He wanted to explain himself, but noticed no one had even caught his slip.
Zhou Ming even sighed empathetically: “Ah, I get it. Men—when something like this happens, they always get impulsive.”
Lu Mingshan didn’t seem to mind at all. He looked up at Lü Zhiqiang and asked, “There’s no other way?”
“No.” Lü Zhiqiang glanced at his watch, looking worried. “I think the best course now is… to get to the repentance room as soon as possible. If you’re late, the wristband will deliver an electric shock and knock you out, and then a guard will come and forcibly escort you there.”
Lu Mingshan’s expression turned grim.
This was his fault.
He had actually realized earlier that the person behind him was Zhang Yue, not Zhao Xing. He had initially planned to tell Zhang Yue to keep his distance, but before he could speak, he heard the bathroom door handle being pressed down.
So he stayed still.
And pretended not to know, playing along.
If he had known this would be the consequence, he would never have deliberately teased Zhao Xing.
Zhao Xing casually grabbed a jacket and put it on, then changed his shoes. “A repentance room, huh? I’ve never seen one. Perfect chance to check it out.”
Lu Mingshan silently put on his jacket as well.
Zhao Xing: “What are you doing?”
Lu Mingshan: “I’ll see you off.”
Zhao Xing didn’t stop him.
After changing his shoes, Zhao Xing didn’t head straight out the door. Instead, he walked over to Zhang Yue.
Zhang Yue felt like his shinbone had been kicked out of place. He struggled to get up, but before he could stand, a tall shadow loomed over him.
Zhang Yue looked up at Zhao Xing. The spot where he’d been kicked throbbed with pain, making his leg spasm. He gasped for breath, sweat beading on his forehead, but his eyes blazed with fierce, unwavering hatred.
The next moment, he saw Zhao Xing looking down at him from above. Then Zhao Xing raised his foot and stepped on the fingers of Zhang Yue’s right hand—the hand that had touched Lu Mingshan’s damp hair, the hand that had tried to lift Lu Mingshan’s “veil.”
Zhao Xing ground down hard.
“Ahh!”
The pain shot through his fingers, connected to his heart. Zhang Yue’s forehead veins bulged as he threw his head back in a shrill scream.
Zhao Xing leaned in, never easing the pressure from his foot. His voice was cold, with a hint of ruthlessness: “Brother, is he your man? How dare you touch him?”
Zhang Yue trembled all over from the pain, his face flushed crimson, sweat blurring his vision. He stared fixedly at Zhao Xing, his teeth chattering, but he still forced out the words: “…You… you said it yourself—you don’t like men. You two aren’t in that kind of relationship.”
Zhao Xing sneered: “I really don’t like him, but he’s my slave, my property. He belongs to me, and only I can touch him. Understand?”
Zhang Yue endured the pain and turned his head to look at Lu Mingshan.
He had thought such an insulting title would hurt Lu Mingshan, but no.
Lu Mingshan showed no objection to the term.
He simply glanced briefly at Zhang Yue, his eyes cold and icy, sending chills down the spine.
“Zhao Xing, minus 15 points. Balance: -25 repentance points. Please proceed to Interrogation Center, Repentance Room 1002 within 26 minutes.”
Having too many fleas makes you stop scratching, as they say. Zhao Xing curled his lip indifferently, shoved both hands into his jacket pockets, and sauntered out with a relaxed gait.
Lu Mingshan lowered his head and followed.
.
Zhao Xing stood at the entrance of the Interrogation Center corridor, took a deep breath, swiped his electronic card to unlock the door, and walked in.
Lu Mingshan was stopped outside.
Zhao Xing didn’t look back at him. He just walked forward, head down, and casually waved his hand in the air twice, signaling Lu Mingshan to leave.
The cold gray metal door slowly closed, reflecting Lu Mingshan’s pallid face under the night sky.
.
Zhao Xing soon took the elevator down to Repentance Room 1002 on the tenth underground floor.
At first glance, the entire tenth floor was white. Pure white walls, pure white iron doors, pure white tiles.
But as Zhao Xing walked past, he noticed a line of red text written on each repentance room door.
“I have violated the Earthlings’ Code of Conduct. I repent. I acknowledge my mistake.”
The scarlet letters printed on the pure white doors were jarring and stark, like a reminder to everyone who came here: You are a sinner. You have done wrong.
Zhao Xing swiped his card and entered. He found that the “repentance room” was large—as big as an entire dormitory—but the setup was simple.
There was only a familiar lie-detector electric chair, an iron bed strapped with various instruments, a robot with a pocket full of torture devices, and an electronic light screen mounted on the wall.
Zhao Xing breathed a sigh of relief, because it didn’t look like a “children’s education room” at all.
The children’s education room had colorful walls, soft beds, heartwarming picture books, pretty toys, and small blackboards—like a warm playground.
And it didn’t have so many punishment devices, just a low-power electric discipline ruler for children, and a hysterical mother.
The electronic light screen on the wall suddenly lit up, showing the face of a cold, expressionless human guard. He spoke: “Zhao Xing, please sit in the lie-detector chair.”
Zhao Xing sat down, and the robot came over to adjust his posture, ensuring he sat upright.
Then, with a few crisp clicks, iron rings locked around Zhao Xing’s waist, abdomen, and legs.
This time, the restraints were much tighter than during the placement exam. Zhao Xing felt uncomfortable.
Then the electronic screen split in two. One side showed the guard’s cold face; the other showed surveillance footage of Zhao Xing kicking Zhang Yue in the dormitory.
Guard: “This is evidence of your first offense. Do you admit it?”
Zhao Xing: “I admit it.”
The surveillance footage switched to show Zhao Xing viciously grinding down on Zhang Yue’s fingers.
Guard: “This is evidence of your second offense. Do you admit it?”
The shackles on the electric chair were really too tight. Zhao Xing’s breathing became a little unsteady. He frowned, distracted, and his tone turned casual: “I admit it.”
The guard on the screen gave him a cold look: “Please maintain a proper attitude.”
Then he continued: “After your first assault on your roommate, you knew your repentance points were already in the negative and that you needed to come to the repentance room for punishment. Why did you commit a second offense?”
Zhao Xing pursed his lips: “Oh, because I really wanted to crush his hand right then. I couldn’t wait, couldn’t hold back. I could have waited until I had repentance points and then crushed it, but that wouldn’t have been as satisfying. I don’t like suppressing my desires.”
The guard’s voice grew even colder and more mechanical: “Zhao Xing, please maintain a proper attitude and use appropriate language.”
Zhao Xing was a bit speechless: “Boss, that’s how my brain works. If I changed my words, the lie-detector chair would electrocute me.”
The guard lowered his head and operated a device in front of him: “Three instances of improper attitude. One Level 7 warning.”
“Wait,” Zhao Xing squinted at the guard on the screen, his tone suspicious, “Do we know each other? Have I offended you? Why do I feel like you’re targeting me?”
The guard’s expression remained unchanged, but his eyes involuntarily carried a hint of arrogance and disdain: “I always follow the rules and act impartially. Mr. Zhao is just used to being arrogant, and since you’ve never been here, you’re a bit unaccustomed. Now that your repentance points are gone, after you come a few more times, you naturally won’t feel like I’m targeting you.”
Zhao Xing understood.
This idiot was definitely targeting him.
But not out of personal grudge—purely out of distaste.
His “infamy” must have spread among the guards, and this righteous little guard had long been annoyed by his domineering attitude. Now that he finally had Zhao Xing in here, he couldn’t wait to teach him a lesson and make him behave.
Once he figured that out, Zhao Xing wasn’t angry anymore.
This was actually a good thing.
It meant his reputation for being a jerk had finally spread.
How far could it be until he got selected for 101?
Zhao Xing gave a light snort, a lazy, relaxed smile spreading across his face. Even though his entire body was restrained in the electric chair, his expression was as carefree as if he were out sightseeing, and his tone carried that infuriating nonchalance: “Alright, a Level 7 warning. I’m ready.”
The guard issued the order expressionlessly.
The robot beside him began to move.
It approached, took out an electric discipline ruler, and made a mechanical sound: “Zhao Xing, one Level 7 warning. Before punishment, please recite the Earthlings’ Repentance Oath.”
Then, the electronic screen on its chest lit up.
Red text appeared—
“I am an Earthling. I am a higher life form. I should possess a soul as radiant as the sun. I should remember the Earth’s mission. I should not harm my fellow humans. I repent.”
The smile at the corner of Zhao Xing’s mouth stiffened slightly.
An electric ruler paired with a declaration.
What a coincidence.
It almost felt like a dream back to the children’s education room.
Zhao Xing licked his lips. For some reason, his throat felt dry. He grabbed the armrest with his five fingers, and his body tensed up reflexively.
Actually, Zhao Xing wasn’t afraid of rulers. When he taught Lu Mingshan martial arts, he often teased him with a ruler. He loved seeing Lu Mingshan bite his lip after being hit, not daring to speak or complain.
Actually, Zhao Xing wasn’t afraid of electric shocks either. It was just a bit painful—he’d endured plenty of pain.
Actually, Zhao Xing wasn’t afraid of the declaration either. Declarations were plastered everywhere in Sector K-13; he saw them almost every day.
But the combination of the electric ruler and the declaration was like reliving a nightmare.
It was really… disgusting.
Zhao Xing closed his eyes and let out a trembling, long exhale.
It’s okay.
It’ll be over soon.
Zhao Xing’s fingers dug tightly into the armrest as he slowly opened his eyes.
“Bam!”
The electronic screen on the robot’s chest, which displayed the declaration, suddenly went black.
Zhao Xing froze.
The guard frowned: “Zhao Xing, please rec—sksh… sksh…”
At the same time, the electric ruler in the robot’s hand clattered to the floor, and its red monitoring eyes dimmed.
The robot had malfunctioned? And what about the guard’s side?
The high-definition screen clearly showed the guard’s momentary panic. He touched the microphone on his earpiece, his hands fiddling with something. He turned his head to the left, looking anxious: “Sksh… Captain… sksh… equipment blackout… sksh… camera can’t see…”
His equipment had blacked out?
What a strange thing!
The robot was broken, the guard’s equipment was broken—so did he still have to endure the electric punishment?
“Bam!”
The large light screen on the wall suddenly went out. Then the main ceiling light, the wall sconces, the ring lights on the floor…
Three seconds later, Zhao Xing was plunged into total darkness.
But it didn’t end there.
In the pitch-black, silent room, several crisp sounds of mechanical gears turning rang out.
“Click.”
“Click.”
“Click.”
The iron rings on Zhao Xing’s arms, his abdomen, and his legs popped open one by one.
The last “click” came from the direction of the door.
Zhao Xing’s mind went blank for a moment. He didn’t even immediately understand what this meant.
Until the speaker suddenly crackled again with the anxious voice of that guard.
“Sksh… Captain! Power outage!
“The entire floor has lost power!
“No! It seems like the whole Interrogation Center has lost power! What do we do?!
“All equipment is malfunctioning… sksh… flashlights…
“Sksh…
“…”
The speaker went silent completely, becoming the last electronic device in that room to fail.
The corners of Zhao Xing’s mouth gradually lifted.
So it was a power outage.
The entire Interrogation Center had lost power.
If he didn’t leave now, what was he waiting for?
Remember, from the moment he entered the repentance room, his electronic card’s negative balance had been reset to zero.
As long as he walked out of the repentance room, it would be considered that he had already “repented.”
Zhao Xing turned on his flashlight and walked step by step toward the door.
If he hadn’t misheard, he had just heard the door lock automatically open due to the power failure too…
Zhao Xing gave it a gentle push.
Sure enough, the door opened.
A smile bloomed on Zhao Xing’s face.
Then, with a creak, the door of the room across the way opened, and a fellow inmate poked his head out.
The inmate looked completely bewildered, both incredulous and a little timid.
Soon, more doors were pushed open, and one confused head after another poked out from inside, but no one dared to step out.
Zhao Xing shone his flashlight beam randomly down the corridor, raised an eyebrow, and laughed: “What are you waiting for? Let’s go! The power’s out!”
With that, he hummed a light tune and walked toward the stairwell leading to the surface.
Behind him, the noise gradually swelled. Countless flashlight beams flickered on.
People’s tones shifted from doubt to excitement.
“…Power outage?”
“Power outage!”
“The floors above are out too! And below! The whole Interrogation Center is out!”
“Wow, really a blackout, awesome!”
“Ahhh, I was almost electrocuted just now! Is this what being reborn feels like?!”
“A once-in-a-century blackout, and I’m here for it, holy crap!”
“But will we be okay like this?”
“What’s there to worry about? The moment we entered the repentance room, our negative balances were cleared, hahahaha!”
“Ahhhh! I’m the luckiest guy in the world!”
People rushed forward, crowding toward the stairwell to the surface.
Zhao Xing maintained his unhurried pace, a faint smile on his lips, letting himself sink into the atmosphere of revelry.
Zhao Xing stepped out of the Interrogation Center’s corridor and onto the surface.
People in front and behind him ran forward frantically, ecstatically.
But amid the surging, euphoric crowd, one person stood still, looking desolate.
That person’s gaze pierced through the dense, excited, frenzied mass and settled quietly on Zhao Xing.
The moment their eyes met, all the desolation on that person faded. His face was still pale, his clothes still thin, his lips still bloodless, but his eyes curved into a very, very soft smile, gradually coloring his entire being.
Like a flower in the depths of a night pool, blooming only for him.
“Brother Xing!”
Zhao Xing heard him call out, his voice full of laughter.