Chapter 892: Dark Trial

Tao Yueyue curled up on the cold, hard concrete floor. The storage room was empty, with a drainage ditch under the window serving as a makeshift toilet. After a few uses, the room reeked of urine.

She tried to gather her thoughts. The police were probably already investigating the murder of the little boy from last night. She wondered if the neighbor would pass along the message she left for the authorities, but she couldn’t rely solely on that hope.

She needed to find a way to leave a message for Chen Shi. But how? Writing something down? If Zhou Xiao discovered it, the trust she had painstakingly built would crumble, and she would truly become a prisoner.

The message had to be hidden in plain sight, something that wouldn’t be easily recognized even if found. She didn’t know Morse code, and for any other code, she and Chen Shi would need a common reference, like a book or a dictionary. She thought about the only book she had taken when she ran away—”The Time Machine.”

Unfortunately, she had lost that book. Zhou Xiao was unlikely to buy her another one. Using it as a reference was impractical.

Frustrated, Tao Yueyue clenched her fists. She didn’t even have a pen or paper.

She got up and paced around the room. A sliver of light under the door indicated it was almost dusk. The tap water Zhou Xiao had given her was gone, and drinking it had left her stomach aching like it was filled with lead. Worse was the hunger. She thought about her usual after-school snacks with “Weizeng”: grilled meat rice bowls, fried rice noodles, pumpkin fritters, stinky tofu, cold noodles…

Saliva pooled in her mouth, and her eyes stung with tears. She fought off the wave of weakness by kicking the wall hard with her shoe. She needed to stay alert, angry, and strong.

Chen Shi once told her that the human mind wasn’t resilient at all. Hunger, control, and physical punishment could break anyone’s dignity and principles over time, whether they were a determined hero or a coward. Immersed in such an environment, surrender was just a matter of time.

Weakness was quietly taking root in her heart. With no one else to rely on, the person controlling her life, Zhou Xiao, had become her only lifeline. If she let this weakness grow, her mind’s defense mechanism would make her feel close to him.

She was like a person hanging off a cliff, clinging to the edge with her fingers, barely holding on. The abyss below was tempting her to let go, to end the pain.

Be strong, she had to be strong!

Tao Yueyue sat cross-legged and began to meditate, just as Gu You had taught her. She focused on her breathing, clearing her mind, and repeatedly told herself, “I will escape! I will escape!”

The clarity brought by meditation calmed her, and her body relaxed. Gu You had once told her that people needed something to believe in. It could be a god, a person, a TV show, a book, a house, or even money.

In the depths of suffering, thinking about what to do after overcoming it provided direction.

Tao Yueyue imagined finding Gu You and volunteering at her psychology clinic after the exams. She also thought about traveling with “Weizeng” or learning to drive with Chen Shi. Though she couldn’t get a license yet, she could practice driving in deserted places…

Footsteps approached, and Tao Yueyue opened her eyes. The door swung open.

Blinding light flooded in from outside, and Zhou Xiao, silhouetted against the light, gestured for her to come out.

A flickering incandescent bulb illuminated a table laden with food. Zhou Xiao looked exhausted, his hair plastered to his forehead with sweat, and his shirt collar stained with blood. He nodded towards the table. “Eat.”

Tao Yueyue grabbed a bag containing braised duck and pancakes and devoured them hungrily, washing it down with a gulp of soda. The rush of blood sugar revitalized her, and she ate even more voraciously.

“Don’t eat too much. There’s work to do after this,” Zhou Xiao warned.

Tao Yueyue nodded. “Uncle Zhou, did you kill that person?”

“More or less,” Zhou Xiao lit a cigarette.

“I’m full.”

Zhou Xiao stubbed out his cigarette, packed up the remaining food, and threw the cigarette butt into the bag, tying it tightly. He pulled out a switchblade and handed it to Tao Yueyue, showing her how to use it.

“…This is a reverse grip, and this is a standard grip. Usually, you use a reverse grip… Make sure to press your thumb here and keep your fist tight, or you might cut yourself…”

After the lesson, Zhou Xiao stepped back and gestured for her to try. “Stab me.”

Tao Yueyue hesitantly mimicked the moves he showed her, moving slowly. Zhou Xiao easily deflected her strikes and praised her. “You learn quickly, Tao Yueyue. Do you know why I’m teaching you this?”

“Let me out!!” A man’s voice roared from the darkness.

Zhou Xiao glanced in the direction of the shout. For a moment, Tao Yueyue considered taking the opportunity to strike at the exposed vein in his neck but hesitated too long.

“Are you ready?” Zhou Xiao asked, patting her shoulder.

Tao Yueyue nodded nervously. “What if I can’t beat him?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already broken one of his legs. Think of him as a pig.”

Gripping the knife tightly, fear welled up inside her. She should resist to the death, but she couldn’t. She feared getting beaten.

Zhou Xiao led her to a door, opened it, and revealed a man inside—a thin guy with dyed green hair, wearing a spiked denim vest. He was badly beaten, cursing weakly, “Zhou Xiao, you bastard. My boss will skin you alive!”

This was the guy who sold ecstasy. Zhou Xiao had captured him alive to use as a lesson for Tao Yueyue.

For a moment, she thought it might be easier to kill him since he was a criminal. But her rational mind warned her to resist while she still could—once she stepped into that room, there was no turning back!

“Enjoy your first killing experience!” Zhou Xiao shoved her inside and closed the door behind her.

Tao Yueyue clutched the knife with both hands, her breathing growing heavy. The man sensed her fear and began to manipulate her. “Little girl, what’s your name? You got caught by this bastard too, right? Don’t listen to him. He’s playing with our lives. Give me the knife, and we’ll escape together. I’ll give you lots of money once we get out.”

He dragged his broken leg as he crawled towards her, looking like a terrifying monster in the darkness. Tao Yueyue backed up until she was cornered.

Outside, Zhou Xiao smoked silently.