Never in his life had Bao expected to sit before a meal like this.
Even at a glance, he could tell—it belonged in a five-star restaurant. The steak was perfectly seared, juices glistening under the sterile white light. The vegetables were arranged with deliberate care, each color placed as if part of a painting.
It was… excessive.
Wasted on him.
Bao didn't have the palate to appreciate it.
Still—
He ate.
How could he not?
It was his first proper break since being thrown into captivity. Time had lost all meaning inside this white prison. Hours, days—he couldn't tell the difference anymore.
At least the man had kept his word.
Food. Water. Anything he asked for—granted, just like issuing a command in the game.
That alone was unsettling.
He cut into the steak.
SCRRRAAPE—
The sound made his teeth grind.
Metal against metal.
Bao froze.
Slowly, his eyes lowered to his plate.
…What?
His first thought came fast—and irrational.
They're trying to poison me.
But just as quickly, he dismissed it.
If they wanted him dead, he'd already be gone.
No—
This was something else.
Carefully, Bao adjusted his grip and began cutting around the resistance, making sure his movements looked natural. He kept his posture relaxed, his gaze neutral.
Always aware of the cameras.
A faint glimmer caught his eye.
Buried deep within the meat.
Small.
Easy to miss.
What the hell…
He leaned forward, as if reaching for his glass of water, his body shielding the plate from view.
In that instant—
His left hand moved.
Quick.
Precise.
The object slipped free from the steak and vanished into his pocket.
No hesitation.
No trace.
Minutes later, the plate was empty.
Bao forced himself to eat everything, maintaining the illusion.
Then, casually—
He moved to the toilet.
The only blind spot in the room.
Or rather—
The blind spot they wanted him to believe in.
A small partition wall shielded the area, just high enough to preserve "privacy."
Bao sat down, his hands positioned naturally.
Then—
Slowly—
He pulled the object from his pocket.
A small iron capsule.
His fingers worked quickly, unscrewing it with careful precision.
Inside—
A thin strip of yellowed paper.
His breath hitched as he unfolded it.
The handwriting was messy. Uneven. Familiar.
Too familiar.
Tonight. Midnight. The door will open.
For a split second, his expression almost broke.
A thousand questions surged through his mind all at once.
Who sent this?How did they get it in here?Is this a trap?
But outwardly—
Nothing changed.
He flushed the paper.
Dropped the capsule after it.
Gone.
Then he returned to the mattress and lay down, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Time passed.
Or maybe it didn't.
Without a clock, without a window, without anything to anchor him—
It all blurred together.
His thoughts circled endlessly.
He didn't have many people left who would risk something like this.
Not after Ning.
So who?
Who would help him?
His mind raced until it couldn't anymore.
Fatigue crept in.
His thoughts slowed.
His eyelids grew heavy.
At some point—
Darkness took him.
CREEEEAK—
A sharp, grating noise tore through the silence.
Like a fork dragged across a plate.
Bao's eyes snapped open.
Or… did they?
His body felt sluggish. Heavy. Like he was moving through water.
Am I awake?
Sleep deprivation blurred the line.
But the sound—
That was real.
He knew it.
The door.
Gears turned.
Old.
Mechanical.
Out of place in a world dominated by digital locks.
With a final metallic shift—
The door swung open.
Beyond it—
Darkness.
Bao pushed himself up.
His legs trembled beneath him as he staggered forward, every step unsteady.
The darkness swallowed him whole.
His vision barely reached beyond his feet.
Cold walls closed in on both sides.
A hallway.
Narrow.
Claustrophobic.
He paused.
Left—
Or right?
Then he saw it.
A faint blue light blinking in the distance.
To the right.
Guidance.
Or bait.
Bao swallowed.
Then moved.
His hand dragged along the wall as he walked, each step cautious, deliberate.
Then—
Footsteps.
Behind him.
Fast.
Too fast.
Not searching.
Chasing.
Bao's breath hitched.
He broke into a run.
For a brief moment, doubt flickered.
What if they're the ones who helped me?
But the voices that followed crushed that thought instantly.
"Dammit! How did he get out?!" a man barked.
"Doesn't matter!" another replied, breathless. "We catch him now—or we're the ones who pay for it!"
Not allies.
Bao ran harder.
His lungs burned.
His legs screamed.
But he didn't stop.
Behind him, the footsteps grew louder.
Closer.
Closer.
Ahead—
The blue light grew brighter.
Larger.
An exit.
With one final push, Bao lunged forward—
And burst into blinding light.
He stumbled—
Fell—
And crashed onto cold, solid ground.
The guard room.