TDU Chapter 13: Downpour

Chapter 13 Downpour

Qi Xia explained while putting all his strength into turning the table, "The positions of {Ningxia} and {Shandong} can be connected to form a horizontal line. {Inner Mongolia}, {Sichuan}, and {Yunnan} can be connected into a {left-slanting downward brush stroke}."

"And the four points—{Guangxi}, {Guangdong}, {Shaanxi} and {Jiangsu}—can be connected to form a square, which creates the character for {right(右)}."

"No matter where Han Yimo's hometown is, as long as it is in Guangxi Province or Taiwan Province, it will form the character {口}. So the answer was predetermined."

Everyone quickened their pace, exchanging peculiar glances. Qi Xia's unconventional thinking revealed the solution twice in a row, causing everyone to start to doubt.

Qi Xia understood their skepticism, so he addressed the group, "Don't misunderstand. If the next game requires abandoning you to survive, I will do so without hesitation."

Hearing this, everyone fell silent, gritting their teeth and continuing to turn the table with renewed determination.

Nine people surrounded the table, continuously rotating it to the right.

"How many rotations have we done?" Qiao Jiajin asked.

"Twenty-six," Lin Qin replied.

"You were actually able to keep count?" Qiao Jiajin blinked in surprise. "The table looks the same all around."

"I counted each time the bloodstain on the table passed by me," Lin Qin said seriously. "Counting is crucial for us counseling psychologists."

Qi Xia furrowed his brows. "We’ve only completed less than thirty rotations. We need to speed up."

Everyone fell silent and quickened their movements. However, the table grew increasingly difficult to turn, as if the internal chains were tightening.

"What the hell is happening?" Qiao Jiajin gritted his teeth. "This is too heavy."

"Jiayou[1]... maybe it's really connected to a door!" Tian Tian exclaimed through clenched teeth.

Her words sparked a glimmer of hope amid their despair.

A door. Since this room can create holes out of thin air, why can't it conjure a door in the same manner? Everyone's arms ached, yet they persevered, rotating the table circle after arduous circle.

"Don't give up, everyone! Just five more rotations!" Lin Qin shouted encouragingly.

In that pivotal moment, each individual gnashed their teeth, summoning every ounce of strength, with a collective determination that brooked no room for complacency.

{Creak, creak}.

As the final rotation drew to a close, it became unmistakably apparent that the table had become firmly embedded into something. At last, a collective sigh of relief escaped from everyone's lips, and the fatigue in their arms began to surface.

With just three minutes remaining until a quarter past one, tension filled the air.

"Where's the door?!" Qiao Jiajin's voice rang out with urgency. The walls surrounding them remained unchanged, their cold surfaces illuminated faintly by the piercing light of the harpoon in the dark abyss. 

"The hell! There's no door!" Qiao Jiajin's voice carried a tinge of despair.

"Incorrect! We guessed incorrectly!" Xiao Ran screamed, "Left was the right answer, no?! We shouldn't have trusted that swindler! We are all going to die here!!"

Qi Xia furrowed his brow. Incorrect?

Before anyone could react, the desk clock at the center of the table suddenly exhibited peculiar behavior. It trembled slightly before emitting eight laser beams. The laser beams shot forth from the clock, slowly traversing the table until they reached its end, where they came to a halt. Amidst the group's bewilderment, the clock proceeded to divide the table into nine equal sectors, akin to pizza slices.

{Thud}! With a loud noise, the table suddenly collapsed, leaving only the central clock standing atop a small wooden stake.

Time was running out, and everyone was in a state of disarray.

"What's going on?" Han Yimo exclaimed. "Why did the table break apart?"

At that moment, Police Officer Li noticed handles on the back of each triangular-shaped piece of the table. His years of professional experience allowed him to grasp the situation immediately. "Shields!" He grabbed one of the triangular-shaped table pieces and positioned it in front of himself. "We can use these as shields to deflect the harpoons!"

Upon hearing this, everyone followed suit, each picking up a table piece to use as protection. However, within mere seconds, a crucial issue dawned on everyone.

"How do we defend ourselves with this?!" Lawyer Zhang Chenze displayed a rare hint of panic. "Harpoons are coming from all directions while we can only block from one side!"

"We need to cooperate," Qi Xia said, regaining his composure. "Let's form a circle and cover each other's backs."

Upon hearing Qi Xia's words, everyone swiftly repositioned themselves, settling into the new formation in solemn silence. The only sound that permeated the air was the unsteady rhythm of their collective breaths. Nine strangers had transformed into a unified team, each member indispensable in the face of the looming threat.

At that moment, Qi Xia's gaze inadvertently fell upon Writer Han Yimo. He observed beads of sweat glistening on Han Yimo's forehead, his entire frame trembling with nervous tension.

Simultaneously, a distant bell tolled outside the room.

"Are you alright?" Qi Xia inquired.

"I—I’m fine..." Han Yimo stammered, shaking his head.

"Hey! Doctor Zhao, flip your shield over!" Zhang Chenze interjected suddenly.

"Why?" Doctor Zhao questioned, examining the table piece in his hand. His shield was positioned with the tip pointed downward and the wider part facing upward.

"My legs aren't properly protected with you holding it like that!" Zhang Chenze said nervously. "I'll get hit!"

"If I turn it upside down, I won't be able to shield my head!" Doctor Zhao retorted. "What's more important, the head or the legs?"

Hearing their argument, several others found Doctor Zhao's reasoning compelling and turned their shields around accordingly. With the pointed end at the bottom and the broad end at the top, this created an unusual predicament. Harpoons flying from all directions would only be blocked by the upper part of the shields, leaving everyone's legs vulnerable to injury.

"Is this really the best solution?" Xiao Ran asked, momentarily stunned. "Even if we can hide our legs behind the pointed end and block the front, how do we defend against harpoons coming from behind or those descending from the ceiling?"

"I'll take care of the overhead threats," Police Officer Li asserted, lifting his shield. "Everyone, gather tightly around me. I'll ensure our safety."

Lin Qin quickly devised a plan. "Everyone should alternate their shields—one up, the next down, and so on. This will minimize the gaps!"

"Yes, that makes sense!" Qiao Jiajin agreed.

"No," Qi Xia interjected, "if everyone's shields are perpendicular to the harpoons, they will be too easily penetrated..."

"What do you suggest we do, leng-zai?" Qiao Jiajin asked.

Qi Xia's gaze lingered on the goat mask lying on the ground.

"Why aren't bamboo shoots afraid of rain?" 

The final clue sent Qi Xia into a profound contemplation. "Wait... I need a bit more time," Qi Xia murmured, his brow furrowed.

The others held their breath, their eyes fixed on Qi Xia as the seconds ticked away. With only one minute remaining before the harpoons were set to launch, the tension in the room reached its peak.

"Ignore him for now!" Doctor Zhao's voice rang out coldly. "Let's just follow Lin Qin's suggestion and arrange them in alternating order!"

"Shut it, lan-joeng!" Qiao Jiajin retorted, his voice filled with frustration. "I trust what the swindler says."

"You!" Doctor Zhao clenched his teeth, but refrained from speaking further.

"That's it!" Qi Xia's eyes widened suddenly. "Everyone, position the tips upwards!"

Though initially met with skepticism, the group's collective minds were in a state of confusion, and they could only comply with the instructions for the time being. Doctor Zhao pondered for a moment and then adjusted his shield, pointing the tip upwards.

"Crouch down!" Qi Xia instructed further. "Pull the tips back so they all touch. Police Officer Li, you no longer need to guard the top; join us in this formation!"

Following Qi Xia's direction, everyone adjusted their shields, gradually forming a cone shape. To everyone's surprise, the triangular shields fit together seamlessly, effectively closing off any gaps from all directions. From a distance, the formation resembled a bamboo shoot, poised for a downpour.

In the dim space, everyone's hearts pounded nervously, the only sound echoing through the room being their collective breaths.

"It's coming..." Qi Xia silently calculated the timing and spoke softly to signal.

In the next moment, everyone heard only the rush of wind before a heavy object crashed into Qi Xia's shield.

Immediately afterward, sounds from all directions assaulted them like a violent storm. The force of the harpoons proved surprisingly strong. Everyone felt their arms ache from the impact, struggling to maintain their grip on the shields. Fortunately, at that moment, all the shields were pressed together, forming a delicate equilibrium.

"AHHH!"

Xiao Ran's scream pierced the air as a harpoon suddenly pierced the table in front of her.

Qi Xia swiftly turned around, his heart racing as he observed the harpoon halted just centimeters away from Xiao Ran's eyes. Thankfully, the table board proved sturdy enough to prevent a tragedy; otherwise, she might have met a fatal end.