The Hand of Confession – Chapter 159

Volume 6: Days of Being Zapped in the Lab

Nutrient Solution

He didn’t come back

After finishing her meal with Lou Jingmo, the two began looking for the way back.

They rarely saw the people in white coats; most of the time, they encountered experiment subjects with mechanical movements and vacant eyes. These subjects wouldn’t initiate conversation with strangers. Shen Maomao tried talking to a few, but they were usually tight-lipped, seemingly wary of something and unwilling to say much to them.

Having gained nothing, the two could only follow the main group back, taking in the various facilities of the laboratory along the way. This lab was huge; it certainly couldn’t be openly situated on the surface. Shen Maomao suspected they might be underground, which was why they couldn’t see even a sliver of sunlight.

From an overall perspective, the part of the lab they could currently explore was an irregular rectangle. The “cages” they lived in were located in the middle or towards the back of the experimental area. Shen Maomao and Lou Jingmo were in the west, the man opposite was in the east, meaning the three labs they had visited—A, B, and C—were to the north. To the remaining south, there was a large iron gate. The miserable screams heard last night had come from that direction; there was no telling what kind of inhuman¹ experiments were being conducted inside.

In many places, there were red eyes acting as watchers; they only appeared after certain sounds were made, but what exactly those sounds included, they hadn’t yet figured out.

There were no “eyes” in the “cages,” but there were surveillance cameras active at all times. All their actions were under surveillance, filmed and transmitted to the monitoring room, making it unsuitable for discussing game matters.

Shen Maomao noticed several people who, like them, were actively approaching others to talk. She noted down their numbers; they were generally between 281 and 300.

If she wasn’t mistaken, there should be 20 players in this instance, numbered 281 to 300.

If she could figure this out, Lou Jingmo naturally could too. The two wandered around a few times before finally stopping in the dimmest corridor, exchanging the intelligence they could think of in low voices.

Lou Jingmo said, “Have you ever heard of an experiment? They tie a prisoner to a chair, announce he’ll be executed by bleeding him out, then scratch his wrist with a piece of ice and simulate the sound of dripping water. Before long, the person actually dies, and their body even shows physiological reactions of excessive blood loss.”

Shen Maomao nodded. “I’ve heard of it. He was scared to death by himself. Are they doing experiments like that here?”

Lou Jingmo replied, “Not quite sure. One of Experiments A or B should be like that, but I’m not certain which one.”

“Then—” Just as Shen Maomao was about to say something, the sound of footsteps approached from the distance.

They exchanged a look and simultaneously headed towards their own rooms, both temporarily deciding against revealing their player identities.

Just as they entered their cages, several people walked up nearby in a line, then each returned to their own place without any interaction.

Shen Maomao sat back down in the corner, leaning her head against the cool wall closest to Lou Jingmo.

After a rustling sound, a voice suddenly spoke: “Everyone present must be newcomers, right?”

He phrased it rather implicitly, but everyone understood that “newcomers” referred to the players.

Shen Maomao looked up towards the opposite side. She recognized the voice; it belonged to the man across from them, Number 290.

Number 290 was hidden in the darkness, only his unhurried voice drifting out: “What are you afraid of? Afraid they’ll spot anomalies through the surveillance cameras? I research this stuff. The surveillance here can only record video; it can’t capture sound.”

Shen Maomao was skeptical².

He continued, “Normally, surveillance cameras don’t come with built-in microphones and speakers. I looked around the camera and only found one line transmitting images…”

Number 290 went on for quite a while, his voice eventually taking on a hint of pleading: “This experiment aims to separate us, to defeat us one by one. If we don’t share information, goodness knows when³ we’ll ever get out of here!”

But still, no one responded to him.

His voice gradually faded, then he suddenly added, “I’m in Experiment A. The experimenters injected me with a drug and told me it would cause hallucinations, and that once used, it’s addictive and impossible to quit. Then they showed me a bunch of holographic projections of monsters. But I wasn’t fooled, so nothing happened.”

Shen Maomao thought to herself, This is probably a modified version of the experiment Lou Jingmo mentioned.

What Experiment A researched was rather complex; Shen Maomao couldn’t pinpoint it exactly, so she temporarily classified it as studying human psychology. Experiment C was conversion therapy for homosexuality. So, what was Experiment B?

As Number 290 finished speaking, Lou Jingmo suddenly spoke up, “Experiment C is mainly for treating homosexuality.”

Shen Maomao was somewhat surprised that Lou Jingmo would take the initiative to exchange information with him.

Number 290 excitedly continued asking, “What about Experiment B? Is anyone from Experiment B?”

With someone taking the lead, things became much simpler. A person said, “My friend was in Experiment B, but he hasn’t come back.”

What was Experiment B? What happened to those who didn’t return?

No one could tell them.

That person added, “You all should know about the bell, right? People who don’t return before the bell ends will disappear… If he couldn’t make it back in time, could he be…”

Another woman said, “Don’t overthink it. Not making it back in time doesn’t necessarily mean death. Maybe it’s because some experiment requires long-term observation, so…”

Her voice grew quieter as she spoke; she clearly wasn’t confident either.

The game didn’t need to resort to alarmist talk to frighten them, but the words of NPCs couldn’t be fully trusted either. The actual situation would need to be pieced together through the lives sacrificed by players.

No one spoke again. This instance was exceptionally different from previous ones; the players’ hearts were filled with unease, unsure of what awaited them.

The same piercing bell sound from the morning rang out again. Shen Maomao habitually covered her ears while silently counting the seconds in her mind.

289…

290…

299…

300…

The bell stopped abruptly.

The male voice from before suddenly spoke in a low tone, “He didn’t come back…”

Then, a suffocating silence fell once more.

Shen Maomao inexplicably felt that the bell just now hadn’t been so bad. Annoying, yes, but at least it didn’t make it hard for her to breathe.

After the bell ended, the corridor lights came on again. The sudden brightness made her eyes sting, and she quickly shielded them with her arm.

“Gurgle—”

Shen Maomao’s ears twitched. She heard whispers coming from afar, mixed with the sound of rolling wheels.

She paused for a moment, then climbed off the bed and ran to the bars, leaning sideways to look ahead.

A white coat was pushing a small cart filled with small bowls down the corridor. As he advanced, people in the cages reached out with empty bowls, exchanging them for full ones containing something.

Shen Maomao watched for a while but couldn’t make out what was in the bowls.

Seeing the white coats were about to reach her, she quickly ran back to the table, flusteredly grabbed her own bowl, and then squatted behind the bars, waiting to be fed.

Shen Maomao had no intention of insulting man’s best friend, but as she squatted there, she truly felt like a dog.

So she immediately stood up and began considering whether to throw down the dog bowl.

But there wasn’t much time for her to think; the white coats had already arrived between her and Number 290. Two white coats simultaneously picked up bowls and passed them to the bars on the left and right.

“Hurry up! Stop dawdling!” The white coat handing Shen Maomao her bowl said impatiently.

He seems very anxious?

Shen Maomao looked into his eyes as she handed over her bowl and took his.

The white coat’s exposed eyebrows shot up, and he spoke fiercely to her, “What are you looking at?!”

The white coat pushing the cart pulled him slightly. “Enough. Don’t waste time with her. Finish distributing quickly and get it over with.”

It wasn’t just that they seemed anxious; they really were anxious.

They wore masks, but their eyes, the most expressive feature, were exposed. When they spoke of not wasting time, the fear revealed in their eyes was very obvious.

What were they afraid of?

Shen Maomao sat on the edge of her bed holding the bowl, looking thoughtful.

Her perception last night was definitely not wrong: after a certain time, the laboratory would become extremely dangerous, while the cages were conversely safer. So, people who didn’t return in time would run into trouble. Thinking about it this way, the bell’s restriction actually seemed like it was for their own good.

She looked at the water-like liquid in the bowl, placed it on the table, and didn’t touch it for the moment.

This substance was colorless and odorless, looking exactly like water, but it was thicker, more viscous, like diluted glue.

She tipped the bowl and poured a little onto the tabletop, then carefully dipped her index finger into it.

The texture was sticky and slippery, like shower gel, like shampoo.

There was no stinging sensation on her finger, nor did it turn red or swell.

The white coats pushed the cart and soon reached the end of the cages. Shen Maomao heard the sound of a door opening, then closing again.

The white coats had entered the locked door.

A female voice suddenly spoke up: “You newcomers wouldn’t know. This is the nutrient solution they developed. Drinking one bowl can replace two meals. There might be some side effects, but if you don’t drink it, you’ll only get food tomorrow at noon.”

Judging by the information revealed in her words, this was actually an NPC actively speaking to the players!

Number 290 opposite immediately asked, “Excuse me, what are the side effects?”

The woman replied, “I don’t know. We’ll have to wait for the specific side effects to manifest in us.”

Shen Maomao: “…” These experiment subjects are really used to their full potential; even a newly invented nutrient solution has to be tested on them first.

The woman continued, “Anyway, I’ve been drinking it for a few days and haven’t died. Drink it or not, it’s up to you.”

Another player quickly asked, “What exactly are they researching here? How can we leave?”

“Whether you’re here voluntarily or involuntarily—” the woman gave a cold laugh, “—since you’re in, don’t even think about getting out again.”

After that, she closed her mouth again and refused to say anything more, no matter what the players asked.

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