Chapter 127: Guidance

He smiled and said: "These two are full of hostility toward us, and they probably think they're surely going to die; even if we gave them poison now, they'd drink it gladly. Using them as lab rats wouldn't be scientific. Most importantly, they must not come to harm."

All right.

Chen Mu had some doubts, but in the end he didn't ask further.

"What should we do about that girl?" Lu Shanshan was more concerned about the female student who looked like she was also a first-year from their school.

"Her breathing is even; she's probably still asleep. Skipping a meal is fine—let her wake up naturally." Tang Jing finished the last bite of the noodle cake and sucked her fingers.

Although utensils like chopsticks and spoons were available, eating the cake was obviously more appropriate by hand.

After dinner.

Chen Mu had Du Jia Jia make two more portions and brought them to the two prisoners.

Since they were held separately, they couldn't see each other. When Chen Mu brought the food, they were first a little surprised, then naturally picked it up and ate.

Their reactions were quite similar.

After receiving the rolled cake, they both froze for a moment, but quickly hid it; after just one bite they could no longer pretend, and soon devoured it completely.

Chen Mu observed this and felt a bit puzzled.

Logically, Yi Zhong shouldn't lack food, especially since these two are rare combat-type ability users who wouldn't be overlooked; yet since they seem never to have eaten anything better than noodle cakes, it appears that, at least in terms of food, Yi Zhong isn't all that great either.

Or perhaps the cooking facilities are insufficient.

Chen Mu delivered the meal and left without saying a word.

This again left the two of them stunned; they had thought that even if this wasn't a last meal, these people would surely interrogate them right away. Although they knew that begging for mercy might shorten their lives, they still resolved to hold out to the end.

As it turned out, they just dropped off the food and left, and didn't pay them any more attention until night fell.

The two couldn't see each other and had no way to communicate.

Now even the enemy ignores them, giving them a sense of being forgotten.

……

Chen Mu went again to the iron cage where the girl was held; although he could easily break it open and rescue her, after discussing with Tang Jing and the others, they decided to keep things as they were for now.

First, they feared disturbing her sleep; second, since the girl knew nothing about the situation, it was safer to be cautious.

Anyone that Yi Zhong has kept around is certainly not ordinary.

At night.

Chen Mu woke up several times and went to check the three iron cages twice.

The two from Yi Zhong slept like logs.

As for the girl, she occasionally turned over, but still showed no sign of waking, and her breathing rate seemed unchanged.

……

Next morning.

Everyone got up one after another.

They had finished washing up.

Everyone, curious, came again to the girl's side.

"She really can sleep."

Du Jia Jia looked at the girl inside; she had merely shifted a few poses but was still sleeping soundly.

"She wouldn't just keep sleeping, would she?"

"Maybe she's a Sleeping Beauty—who would have to kiss her to wake her?"

"I can do that."

"Bullshit, do you look like a prince?"

"Or I'll sacrifice myself."

A few guys were joking and laughing there; when their voices got louder, the Sleeping Beauty seemed disturbed, her brows slightly furrowed.

Dong Junwei made a hushing gesture.

Everyone kept their original positions; after a while, the girl again rested her head on her hand and fell into a deep sleep.

It was a false alarm.

"Why not put something under her?"

Zhao Xiao Yan saw the girl sleeping directly on the cold iron plate and felt a bit uncomfortable herself.

This was easily solved; the "mattress" everyone was sleeping on was simply cut straight from a towel.

But when the mattress was brought over, they found it wasn't easy to place it under her.

In the end, He Ying volunteered; after Chen Mu opened the iron cage, she went up and lifted the girl, and Du Jia Jia quickly spread the mattress inside.

Despite all this fuss, the girl still didn't wake up.

Even after lying on the soft towel, she smacked her lips twice and let out a faint smile, looking as if she were sleeping even more comfortably.

Chen Mu resealed the iron cage.

Here there was no progress, so they could only turn their attention to the two from Yi Zhong.

Chen Mu followed Tang Jing to see how she would conduct the interrogation.

All they saw was Tang Xueba holding a plate of noodle cake meant for breakfast, approaching one person's birdcage.

She handed it over.

That person had already eaten once the night before; this time he hesitated even less, reaching through the gaps in the iron bars to take the noodle cake and wolf it down.

This food seemed to suit his appetite.

But just then, Tang Jing suddenly spoke.

"Your companion has more backbone than you."

The tone of those words held no mockery or contempt; it seemed merely an offhand remark.

The person's biscuit‑eating motion stopped instantly, and they froze there.

Tang Jing continued: "He hasn't eaten anything since yesterday, and just now he even threw his breakfast on the ground."

Chen Mu of course knew she was lying; clearly the two had eaten dinner last night and enjoyed it, while the breakfast over there hadn't been delivered yet.

However, Tang Jing's tone was utterly natural and innocent, to the point that even Chen Mu almost believed her.

Upon hearing this, the person raised their head and looked toward Tang Jing.

Unlike the people he had seen before, this girl was neat from head to toe, with delicate features, as if she washed her face every day, her skin very clean, the corners of her mouth naturally slightly upturned, her smile natural and pure.

The act of eating could no longer continue; even with his mouth wide open, the food fell out involuntarily.

Tang Jing put on an act of having just noticed his reaction, smiling: "It's fine, when you're hungry you have to eat—it's only right; you'd rather die than starve, right?"

After saying that, she stood up and left directly.

She had no intention of asking any questions.

Chen Mu watched the person from afar, hesitating and agonizing for a long time, then suddenly, somewhat self‑destructive, shoved all the food into his mouth.

Afterwards, Tang Jing came to the cage of another person.

Following the same script as before, she performed it again.

This person was obviously more wary; hearing that their companion hadn't eaten, they also froze for a moment, but then immediately continued eating their own food, as if unaffected.

Tang Jing still didn't say another word.

She turned and left directly.

"Is this useful?" Chen Mu wondered, a bit curious after watching Tang Jing's performance.

"Human psychology is fascinating; sometimes it's as firm as rock, sometimes as fragile as paper—it all depends on how you guide it." Tang Jing smiled faintly, making people feel like they were basking in a spring breeze.