Lin Sanjiu and the duoluozhong quickly reached an agreement.
To ensure she could leave safely, the duoluozhong agreed to return to the glass enclosure in its display platform and stay there for five minutes before coming out again. Naturally, Lin Sanjiu didn't trust its word entirely. As soon as it disappeared behind the red cloth, she devised a safer plan to quietly leave the hall without the duoluozhong noticing.
2
Like many other buildings, the water and electrical systems within the Ziguo Tower had long ceased to function due to the apocalypse and the passage of time. The current lighting came from newly installed metal fixtures, with black metal frames crisscrossing the ceiling in a grid pattern.
Hopping away on two legs would be both too slow and likely to reveal her movements to the duoluozhong. Testing her idea silently, Lin Sanjiu found she could use her Higher Consciousness to lift herself onto the ceiling light fixtures and escape via the rafters. From up there, her view wouldn't be obstructed by the display walls, making it easier to find the exit. Sure enough, the direction the duoluozhong had given her earlier was false.
During the few dozen seconds she spent experimenting with how to use her Higher Consciousness to pull herself to the ceiling, Bee Sting Venom—or rather, the duoluozhong inhabiting her body—remained crouched behind the glass tube. Its black, navel-like hole stared at Lin Sanjiu unblinkingly. It no longer banged on the glass, as if closely observing her every move.
"Sorry," Lin Sanjiu muttered, lowering her head to avoid meeting its gaze. "This is beyond my ability to handle right now. If the duoluozhong weren't here, I could wait for you to come out, or if you were back in your own body, we could escape together. But what do you want me to do now? I can't even move properly. Do you expect me to risk my life to create an opportunity for you? I'm sure you understand my position."
The words were more for her own reassurance, as Bee Sting Venom couldn't possibly read her lips with her head down.
Suddenly, the duoluozhong inside the glass enclosure backed up, spun around the platform, and began thrashing its long arms against the glass with heavy, echoing thuds. It looked exactly like a trapped animal, frantically searching for an escape, knowing its demise was imminent.
"I don't know what that duoluozhong intends to do to you," Lin Sanjiu added one last comment before pulling herself into the air, "but maybe, since you're the same kind, it'll let you go..."
From behind the red cloth, the duoluozhong chuckled—a raspy, grating laugh. It had clearly heard her.
Even if the shriveled duoluozhong truly intended to spare Bee Sting Venom, it certainly wouldn't show mercy to her human body. That soft, vulnerable body now lay motionless beneath the platform, waiting for an unknown fate. If Bee Sting Venom never returned to her body and instead remained a duoluozhong forever, would she still be Bee Sting Venom?
In the end, none of these questions mattered.
The duoluozhong proved its lack of honor before the five minutes were up. A flattened head emerged slowly from beneath the red cloth, its semi-arched white "eye" flickering with a black dot that scanned its surroundings. It paused on Bee Sting Venom's glass enclosure for several seconds before disappearing.
What appeared to be humanlike hands and feet crawled out from the red cloth. The duoluozhong, shaped like a flattened, oversized rat but as large as a truck, slowly made its way to Bee Sting Venom's glass tube. The hall fell silent, save for the dull, repeated thuds of the black duoluozhong inside the enclosure slamming against the glass. Even though it no longer resembled anything human, one glance made it clear it was consumed by terror and rage.
"What's that?" the flattened duoluozhong rasped mockingly. "You don't want me to touch your body? Are you afraid I'll hurt it?"
The black duoluozhong housing Bee Sting Venom couldn't utter a single word. Like the earlier "Yao Han," it was trapped in a soundless performance of despair.
"Returning to your human body is actually quite simple," the flattened duoluozhong said, its voice dripping with feigned cheerfulness. "But... I just don't feel like telling you. Oh, you can't hear me anyway. What a shame."
As it spoke, the flattened duoluozhong lifted one of its human-like hands and placed it on the base of the platform. It wasn't lying when it claimed to understand the platform's structure. Without even looking, it pressed lightly, and the platform's door clicked open. ř₳ΝỖ𝖇ËŠ
The white eye on its head immediately revealed another black dot. The dot slid to the edge of the white arc and stopped, peering through the gap in the door.
"Well, well, such a beautiful young lady," it cooed in a sickly sweet tone. "Up close, I can see how young you are. Your body must be so elastic, so firm, and your blood so warm..."
But just before crawling in, the flattened duoluozhong paused and laughed again. "It doesn't do to be careless. Take that other woman, for example. Did she really get away? Why didn't she make any noise when she ran? What if she's waiting to strike while I'm distracted with you? I need to be sure before I can enjoy our time together."
It lowered its flat head close to the ground. With a sucking sound, two nostril-like black pits appeared beside its white arc of an eye, sinking deeply into its head. Clearly, Lin Sanjiu's scent had betrayed her trail. The duoluozhong lifted its head and glanced at the ceiling.
The ceiling above was empty except for the black metal light fixtures.
"So, she went up to the ceiling. Looks like she really ran away. The ceiling isn't a place to hide or ambush someone, but it's perfect for escaping." It chuckled, turning back to Bee Sting Venom. "How are you feeling? Your companion abandoned you and ran off. Do you regret not leaving her behind when you had the chance?"
Naturally, Bee Sting Venom couldn't respond. The black duoluozhong in the glass enclosure suddenly jerked its head up, the deep hole in its face widening several times over, as if letting out a silent scream.
The flattened duoluozhong was cautious. It remained still, savoring Bee Sting Venom's despair. After a few seconds, having carefully listened to the surroundings, it slowly raised one of its human-like hands. The hand extended from its wrinkled, sparsely furred body, stretching endlessly until it reached into the platform.
"There, don't be afraid. I'll pull your body out first. Even if the neural cords are severed, you won't return to it. You'll be able to stand on the platform and watch as I... prepare to do whatever I want to your body."
"And what exactly are you planning to do?"
The flattened duoluozhong practically trembled with joy. "Oh, so many things. I—" It abruptly froze.
Realizing something was wrong, it whipped around, its voice suddenly sharp. "Who's there?"
"Have you forgotten my voice after just five minutes?"
1
As the words rang out, Lin Sanjiu poked her head out from behind the platform where the flattened duoluozhong had been hiding earlier. She had apparently used her Higher Consciousness to open the red cloth and now stood entirely behind it, with only her head visible.
"No need to rush," she said calmly, her tone oddly polite despite the duoluozhong's startled screech. "I'm still curious to hear what you plan to do with Bee Sting Venom's body. Maybe I can take notes. You see, I'm pretty cowardly and wouldn't dare fight a duoluozhong as big as you. But... that young man lying motionless under the platform must be your human body, right?"