Tang Song imitated me and touched my hair: “What are you talking about? Did you eat something bad? What’s wrong with your head? Why are you normal one second and crazy the next? So pitiful.”
I smacked her hand away. I hated those who pretended to know me very well even though they had known me for less than a day. I said to her, “You know, I experienced a lot in Tibet. I know my enemies. They’re not the kind of people who are interested in people’s lives and feelings. If they know there’s a trap, they won’t hesitate or struggle outside. They’ll send someone in that they can sacrifice, bring the information out somehow, and then leave the victim in the trap. But I don’t believe none of them don’t have any feelings for life and the world. Some people are naturally sensitive, and are afraid of death. In particular, the thought that you would be completely trapped here in the dark, hoarding food, staying underground for more than ten years, and eventually dying crazy… this is even more terrible than a simple death.”
Tang Song was silent.
“They sent a girl down. But after she came down, her desire for survival broke through the previous training. She chose to remain silent. She didn’t convey any information to the outside world, so the people above thought she was dead and sent another person down. The girl made a trap with the coordinates in the first room and killed this person.”
“After two consecutive people disappeared in the trap, the people above didn’t dare make another move. Things were at an impasse. After doing some calculations, we started inventory three days ago. The second person should have come down within those three days, and she would have my photo on her phone.” I pointed to Tang Song’s forehead: “She’s used to moving around with human skin masks on, but after a long time, the mask starts deforming. It’s very hot here, and she sweats a lot, so her face looks very strange.”
Tang Song bit their lower lip, and slowly moved away from me.
“Tang Song, I know this isn’t your real name. When you start talking nonsense, I also start talking nonsense. Every time I analyze it, I stop a little before exposing your lies, giving you time to make them consistent. You unconsciously made up a big, but flawed story for me.” I said. “You couldn’t help but go back to your real purpose. It was the same every time, so how could I not know what you really want to do? But you don’t see the one thing that made all your efforts a joke.”
Tang Song raised her head: “Go on.”
“My friend and I appeared in this room. At that time, the second person who was killed had just fallen into the trap. You started the trap again in a hurry, but that person was still in the trap and wasn’t dead yet. You didn’t have time to check and didn’t notice it. She wrote the bloody words that exposed you on the piano seat.”
Tang Song’s expression changed.
“In fact, you have no idea who we are, do you?” I said, “You didn’t know our identities until you got her phone.”
I looked at the darkness under the stairs.
“But you aren’t that worried. You’ve betrayed your family, so no matter who we are, it’s meaningless to you. You mean to kill us. You’ve been guiding us, hoping that we would trip the mechanism in our haste to leave here. As long as we listen to you and trigger any of the mechanisms, we’ll stay here forever, just like your first victim.”
“What’s in it for me?” She said coldly, “If it’s as you say, I’d still be trapped here alone.”
“As long as the people above don’t know the secret here, you’ll always have a chance to be rescued. But if they know the information, they’ll leave you here, and you’ll be trapped for the rest of your life. So, until your people find a way to rescue you, you can’t let anyone who enters here live.” I said. “The eleven rooms and eleven mechanism are all fake, but the eleven traps are real. You don’t know how to get out of here.”
She looked at me and her eyes turned red. “I don’t want to stay here alone. They’ll soon forget about me.”
“Tang Song, I like people who have a thirst for life. I see a lot of qualities in you. I don’t know what happened to you, but you’re different from the people in your family I’ve met in the past. Maybe you’re in love, or maybe you’re more sensitive than others.” I said. “But I don’t meaninglessly hurt others.”
She looked at me and I continued, “Actually, I know how to get out of here, but we need to make a deal.”
She looked at me in surprise and I said, “I can’t tell you how I know, but I can tell you that the first thing Uncle Three taught me when I got involved in this incident is related to this.”
I touched her hair again: “First off, my friend’s been resting this whole time. He hasn’t seen this picture or heard any of our conversation. After you go out, you should protect him in front of your people. I believe you can do it. In exchange for doing this, you can take my phone and tell them that this is what the picture looks like.” I paused. “I’ll stay here for two weeks and then leave. You have to rack your brains and use any means to keep them from attacking me. Otherwise, they’ll know through various channels that you’ve betrayed them.”
“I can do it.” She nodded her head firmly “I’ll tell them that you got lost here and are probably dead.”
I tore my T-shirt and tied it over her eyes. She suddenly hugged me for a minute before letting go.
“Do you want to see my real face?” She asked.
“Not interested.” I said.
I took her hand, and led her all the way to the middle of the stairs, before returning to the corridor. Xiao Hua came out of the darkness, carrying Tang Song on his back. I mouthed a secret code, and Xiao Hua nodded.
“Goodbye.” Tang Song seemed to feel something as she said this.
I turned and retreated into the darkness. Xiao Hua went back to the stairs and ran all the way to the bottom room. I started the mechanism and went to the room where Tang Song had been hiding above the corridor. When I saw the radio, I put it on the sofa, sat down, opened my hands, and found them covered in a cold sweat.
MereBear's Translation 
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