INSIDER Chapter 42

When the others in the basement saw someone arrive and display friendly behavior toward one of them, they were momentarily excited as if they had been saved. They wanted to approach and talk, but a glance from 7 scared them into silence.

Lu Chu remained dazed, staring at 7. After speaking, 7 stood up, took Lu Chu’s hand, and with a half-smile and his bloodshot eyes half-closed, said, “Come, follow me.”

Instinctively, Lu Chu stood up, following 7’s lead, and they walked step by step up the stairs, leaving the basement.

As they exited the basement and turned a corner, they were greeted by a large living room. The bright sunlight outside made Lu Chu squint, so he used his free hand to shield his eyes. After a moment, he lowered his hand.

7 guided him to sit on a sofa, poured him a cup of hot water, and asked, “Hungry?”

Lu Chu shook his head, “Not really.”

After speaking, Lu Chu subconsciously rubbed his stomach, which was still sore from being pressed for so long.

Noticing this, 7 reached to lift Lu Chu’s shirt. Caught off guard, Lu Chu could only raise his hands in the air, smiling awkwardly, “It’s nothing, just got a bit sore.”

Lu Chu had been carried for a long stretch, and although his stomach hurt, the danger of being held captive in the basement had overshadowed this minor pain. Now that 7 had found him, he relaxed and the pain came back to mind.

As 7 lifted his shirt, Lu Chu’s pale stomach was revealed, showing a prominent bruise. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Lu Chu saw the bruise on his stomach.

When entering the “game,” everyone’s appearance remained the same, though they were sometimes assigned different roles. No matter how injured they got in the “game,” they would fully recover once back under the “rules.” So, Lu Chu hadn’t been too concerned about the bruise.

After a moment, 7 let his shirt down, stood up, and went into a room.

Lu Chu picked up the hot water from the table, took a sip, and started to look around the room while waiting for 7 to return.

Soon, 7 came back with some ointment for bruises and said to Lu Chu, “Sorry, it wasn’t me before. Lift your shirt again, I’ll apply this.”

“What do you mean ‘it wasn’t you’ before…” Although full of questions, Lu Chu waved his hand gently, smiling, “No need, it’s not a big injury, it will fade in a couple of days.”

7 pursed his pale lips and reached out to lift Lu Chu’s shirt again. Lu Chu quickly raised his hands in surrender, “I’ll do it myself.”

Slowly, Lu Chu lifted his shirt, and 7 squeezed some ointment onto his hand, warming it before applying it to Lu Chu’s stomach. Lu Chu flinched slightly. Though 7’s touch was gentle and soothing, it also tickled a bit. To distract himself, Lu Chu asked, “Do you still go by Qi Li?”

“This character doesn’t have a name,” 7 replied.

“I see—”

Lu Chu paused, wanting to discuss the task, but 7 spoke first, “Do you understand this task?”

Lu Chu straightened up, “Yes, I analyzed it a bit earlier.”

7 finished applying the ointment, carefully letting Lu Chu’s shirt down before looking at him, “Tell me about it.”

Lu Chu picked up some paper and a pen from the coffee table, wrote down the task’s requirements, clues, and hints, and then handed it to 7, “This is the requirement, clue, and hint. It seems straightforward. Given my situation here, I need to either escape within thirteen days or on the thirteenth day by killing the kidnapper, the owner of this house, and escaping.”

7 nodded, “Yes, that’s correct.”

Lu Chu was surprised. 7 seemed to know more about this game than he did. In the previous game, 7 had been composed and in control, always guiding the situation.

Sensing Lu Chu’s curiosity, 7 explained, “Because I’ve been in this game before.”

“What…” Lu Chu’s eyes widened. What did that mean? Then he remembered how 7 had found him in the game and could enter any game to find him. It wasn’t surprising that 7 had been here before. But what was 7’s identity, and why could he move between games?

7 pushed back his hair and continued, “Of course, I’ve experienced the last game too, but I didn’t have the chance to talk to you alone.”

True, Lu Chu nodded. In the last game, due to his partnership with Song Gui and Song Gui’s concern for him, he hadn’t had a chance to talk to 7 and clear up his doubts.

Holding the piece of paper Lu Chu wrote on, 7 casually flipped through it before saying, “Your analysis is correct. Your task is to, on the thirteenth day when the kidnapper plans to operate on you for his amusement, find an opportunity to kill him and escape.”

Lu Chu frowned, “Operate for amusement?”

“Yes,” 7 nodded. “The kidnapper is psychologically twisted and enjoys capturing young men and women, keeping them in the basement, and choosing people to dissect based on his mood.”

Lu Chu mused, “That’s really twisted.”

“According to the task hint and my previous experience, the kidnapped person, played by the player, will be chosen on the thirteenth day. The kidnapper will anesthetize and take them to a surgery room in the underground garage. Because the kidnapper enjoys cutting live, conscious bodies, he will wait for the anesthesia to wear off before chatting with his victim and starting the operation bit by bit.” Lu Chu couldn’t help but laugh despite the morbid story, “You’re really talkative in this game.”

7 paused, then smiled dangerously, “Just playing the role.”

Lu Chu was puzzled, “Role?”

“Yes, when I enter the game, I take over a character’s role,” 7 explained.

Lu Chu, “Like Qi Li in the last game?”

7 nodded, “Exactly.”

Lu Chu took another sip of water, soothing his dry throat, and asked, “Do you know where the kidnapper, the owner of this house, is?”

7 turned to look at Lu Chu, his eyes flickering with an eerie light, and then he smirked, his voice hoarse, “I do. It’s me.”