Diverging Point

Zhang Chenze's eyes widened, and she couldn't utter a word; she could only unconsciously retreat.

"What's wrong?" Qiao Jiajian, whose view was blocked by Zhang Chenze, didn't know what had happened.

All of a sudden, the arrogant lawyer took several steps back and then plopped down onto the dirty ground.

"You... you..." Zhang Chenze pointed at the female clerk.

Everyone followed the sound and saw that the female clerk's open palm was holding a small piece of an arm, which was very petite and clearly not that of an adult. Moreover, the fingers were distinct, and they were definitely not those of an animal.

It seemed that the female clerk had indeed cooked something...

At this moment, the arm was emitting a tantalizing aroma.

Qi Xia saw this scene and, considering the strange environment of this peculiar room, instantly understood something.

"Is this... the 'piglet Hui'?" Qi Xia asked tentatively.

"That's right," the female clerk nodded, "Aren't you going to eat?"

Qi Xia's face darkened as he asked again, "You said if we slept with you, you could eat the piglet, and this is the piglet you're talking about?!"

"Hmm," the female clerk looked at Qi Xia blankly, "Piglets are delicious."

The smell of blood was very strong here, and there were bloodstains on the female clerk's thighs and on the bed. If Qi Xia's guess was correct, this woman had not given birth long ago.

She asked men to sleep with her just to get a mouthful of 'food'.

"I can only eat a piglet once a year..." the female clerk smiled, revealing her dry yellow teeth, "I was just wondering if any of you would like to sleep with me? I can exchange it for pig's trotters with you..."

"I, we don't eat..." Officer Li shook his head.

"Since you're not eating... then forget it..." She fumbled for a moment, stuffed the boiled food into her pocket, and wiped the oil from her hands.

Zhang Chenze saw the clothes she had draped over the other person being messed up like this and couldn't say a word.

She had never thought before that such 'ingredients' would have so much grease.

Tiantian slowly walked to the side of the female clerk, her expression complex as she said to her, "Girl, what you've eaten is not a piglet, it's... it's..."

"Not a piglet?" The female clerk's lifeless eyes turned, "Then it must be a piglet. It suddenly ran out and bumped into me, hurting me."

Everyone looked at each other, and no one could say a word.

"Hey... I'm hungry again," the female clerk raised her eyebrows, "I'm going to drink pork soup; it's great to be able to eat until full."

After speaking, she turned around and walked back into the staff rest room, closing the door behind her. Before closing the door, she seemed to remember something and said to everyone with a silly smile, "Please feel free to choose!"

Then she closed the door heavily.

Several people were silent for a long time, and the atmosphere was very oppressive.

Finally, Qi Xia broke the silence and spoke.

"Everyone, even if this broken place doesn't get destroyed ten days later, we can't return to the real world."

Qi Xia reached out and touched his forehead, "If we have to stay here forever, sooner or later we will go crazy like her."

This time, Officer Li did not object to Qi Xia.

He was also hesitant. In this city, which seemed obviously abnormal, under the dark red sky and the muddy yellow sun, how long can humans maintain their sanity?

The sound of kitchen utensils colliding came from inside the room, sounding as if the female clerk had served herself another bowl of treasure and was now feasting.

Just a door away, a woman was eating something that could by no means be called 'food'.

Everything in this place was too abnormal.

"I want to go out and have a look," Qi Xia said, "Are you not curious? What is this place? Who are these people? Does the city have an edge? What's outside? How did we get here, and how do we get out?"

More than 'curiosity,' the expressions on everyone's faces were more like fear.

"I just feel that there is danger everywhere..." Xiao Ran shook her head and said to Qi Xia, "Rather than going out to participate in those 'games,' I would rather find a safe place to stay."

"There's no food or drink here," Qiao Jiajian touched his stomach and said, "We need to survive, we can't really eat that piglet, can we?"

His position was self-evident. Rather than waiting here to die, he also wanted to go out and have a look.

At this moment, it seemed that the nine people were divided into two teams, some wanted to go, and some wanted to stay.

Dr. Zhao looked at Han Yimo beside him and said, "It's okay to go out and have a look, but the injured can't go. He is destined to stay here. As a doctor, I should also stay and take care of him."

"Then I'll stay with you..." Xiao Ran said softly.

"You're not afraid of death, are you?" Qiao Jiajian shook his head, "A patient, a weak girl, plus a doctor, are you three people going to live here?"

"I'll stay too," the school official Ren Ran said.

Dr. Zhao and the other two turned to look at him, knowing that if the physically strong Officer Li also stayed, it would naturally be safer.

Officer Li nodded to Dr. Zhao and said, "This ruffian is right. It's too dangerous for the three of you to be here alone. You can't even deal with those animal masks, let alone if the woman inside goes crazy."

Now that the number of people who chose to stay has reached four, everyone's attention turned to Tian Tian, Zhang Chenze, and Lin Qin.

These three girls have not yet expressed their positions.

"Of course, I will stay," Zhang Chenze smiled faintly, "I am a lawyer, and I will not take the initiative to attack until I have all the information. It would lead me to make the wrong judgment."

After speaking, she got up and walked to the side of Officer Li and Dr. Zhao.

At this moment, Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajian seemed to be the odd ones out, wanting to go out and explore in this world that seemed full of crisis, like children who had not grown up.

Tiantian looked at Lin beside her, then walked to Qi Xia's side, but she never spoke.

She seemed to join Qi Xia's team without needing any reason.

"Hmm?" Qiao Jiajian raised the corner of his mouth, "I thought you would stay."

"Stay?" Tiantian smiled bitterly and shook her head, then pointed to the ground and said, "Can't you see? There's a wall here, this wall forces me to leave."

"Wall?" Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajian looked down but saw no "wall."

"On one side of the wall are the police, the lawyers, the doctors, the writers, and on the other side are the swindlers, the ruffians, the prostitutes." Tiantian's tone was flat. She tucked a strand of hair from her forehead behind her ear and said again, "Our 'camp' has been determined from the start, right?"

Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajian's expressions changed, and they understood what Tiantian meant.

Yes, even if the nine of them were ordinary people forced to come here, they still had their own 'camps.'

Qi Xia, Qiao Jiajian, and Tiantian all lived in the gray area and were destined to be out of place with the others.

Now, the only person who has not chosen their own 'camp' is Lin Qin.

According to her identity as a 'psychological counselor,' she should also go to the other side of the 'wall.'

But what everyone did not expect was that she slowly walked to the side of Qi Xia and the others.

Qi Xia faintly felt that there was something wrong with this girl but couldn't say what was strange.

"You're coming too?" Tiantian looked at the girl in doubt, "You are not the same kind of person as us. If you follow them, maybe..."

"But I am very useful," Lin said, covering her mouth and nose, interrupting her with a smile, "I understand human nature and might be able to help."

Qiao Jiajian stretched and slowly said, "Alright, with two beautiful women for company, I and the 'cheater' won't be bored either."

"Stop calling me a cheater," Qi Xia frowned and said, "And I don't need you to follow."

"Okay, okay..." Qiao Jiajian nodded, "When are we leaving? Now?"

"I..."

Before Qi Xia could finish speaking, Lin said:

"The time is really getting late now. I personally suggest we go out tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Everyone turned to look out the window, and indeed,the sky had darkened.

The sky was even darker red, constantly exuding a dangerous aura.