Chapter 33: Anesthesia Awareness

"Click—"

A soft sound pulled Su Mian's thoughts back; she turned to look for the source of the noise.

Huge red numbers were projected onto the curtain, counting down.

Realizing what might happen when the countdown ended, Su Mian's heart rate accelerated, and she began searching the office for useful information.

【Mian Mian, look at the window.】

Su Mian turned back; a note had been stuck to the window, and she leaned in close.

"I'm so scared. I'm watching them cut out my organs with my eyes open, but I can do nothing about it..."

Su Mian took a photo of the note and sent it to the group. The others all indicated that this same note had been stuck to their windows as well, identical in every way.

【Zhou Ruochuan: What are we supposed to do? I'm so scared I can't even move.】

【Zhang Shuo Zhi: It looks like a Lateral Thinking Puzzle...】

This sentence gave everyone a lead.

【Chen Mo: Could it be asking us to guess what happened?】

Su Mian lowered her head, deep in thought. The sentence seemed terrifying, but in a hospital, it sounded quite normal. If they had to guess what happened... she leaned in and spoke casually.

"Surgery?"

A few seconds later, the three words Su Mian had just spoken appeared on the paper, only to be crossed out by a red mark.

It seemed she was wrong.

Time kept slipping away; the clock behind them reminded them that something terrible would happen when the countdown ended.

The sound of the wheelchair crashing against the door grew louder; it might break in at any moment.

She analyzed it word by word, then gently closed her eyes, trying hard to visualize the real scene.

I'm so scared...

I'm watching them cut out my organs.

I can do nothing about it.

A flash of light appeared in Su Mian's mind.

She found herself lying on an operating table, while blinding lights revealed several doctors in protective suits, holding scalpels with faint traces of blood visible on them.

Su Mian's breath hitched; a deeply buried memory broke through the soil, carrying bone-chilling coldness.

When she was eighteen, Su Mian suffered from spontaneous pneumothorax; she was small and thin.

According to the doctor, her lungs were under immense tension to adapt to her narrow chest cavity, making breathing difficult.

That was Su Mian's first time in the operating room. She had originally thought she would wake up in a ward, and that there was nothing to be afraid of.

But instead, she was awakened by the blinding operating lamp, unable to move a muscle due to the anesthesia.

She could clearly feel the cold instruments sliding across her chest, the sharp scalpel slowly slicing open her skin.

The doctors' muffled conversation was right in her ears, intermittent and broken.

"... the adhesions are a bit..."

"Watch the bleeding..."

"Young person, you'll recover quickly."

They were discussing her as if discussing an object that needed repair.

She wanted to scream, wanted to lift a finger, wanted to blink an eye, to send a signal.

I'm awake.

I can feel it!

That clear perception became the cruelest torture.

She could do nothing.

Su Mian opened her eyes abruptly, cold sweat instantly soaking her back.

She slowly raised her eyes, her throat dry as she spoke.

"It's anesthesia awareness."

The words Su Mian said were quickly printed on the paper; the facts proved she was right.

This time, the handwriting wasn't crossed out. Before Su Mian could even feel happy, the next paper was stuck up.

She frowned silently, deciding to post the answer to the group first. The six-person group was already in chaos.

【Su Tang: What's going on?! I just checked, there were 28 minutes left, and in the blink of an eye, it became 25 minutes.】

【Zhang Shuo Zhi: Me too.】

【Zhou Ruochuan: What does this even mean? Have you guys thought of a solution yet? Aren't you all veteran players? Is this all your strength amounts to?】

【Chen Mo: Shut up.】

Reminded, Su Mian turned her head abruptly; her own countdown showed: twenty-seven minutes and nine seconds.

How could this be?

Why did their time drop to 25 minutes, while hers was still passing normally?

Her eyes flickered, and the moment she looked at the window, she suddenly realized.

Because she answered correctly, no time was deducted. Su Mian's fingers clenched involuntarily, her breathing becoming shallow and rapid.

She quickly posted the answer to the first note in the group, adding her own speculation.

【Qingci: My time didn't decrease. There is a possibility that the time of the first person to answer the question correctly will not be deducted.】

【Qingci: If someone doesn't answer a single question, that wheelchair might break in.】

【Zhou Ruochuan: Then what do we do? Am I dead for sure?】

【Wang Zeyu: This is too cruel, making us fight for our lives against others?】

The group fell silent instantly; everyone seemed to tacitly accept this cruel rule.

After typing, Su Mian looked at the note immediately. She was safe for the moment because she had more time than all the other players.

"Hollow patterns have appeared on my bones; they are so beautiful."

How bizarre.

Su Mian muttered to herself, then pondered.

But this question had nothing to do with her experience; even racking her brains, it was hard to solve.

She began to think about another question: how to let everyone survive?

Unless there were only five questions.

One question per person, and there would be a possibility of everyone surviving. But were there really only that many questions? Su Mian couldn't be sure; she could only take a gamble now.

Holding a "try it and see" mentality, Su Mian sent her thoughts to the group.

【Zhang Shuo Zhi: One question per person? That's a good idea.】

【Su Tang: But are there really only five questions? What if more appear later?】

【Qingci: We can only try now. Let's decide the order of answering. Whoever knows the answer...】

Before Su Mian finished typing, two "beep" sounds came from behind her. She put down her phone and turned back, her pupils shrinking.

Her time had also decreased, and... it had decreased by ten minutes in one go.

Someone had answered the third question correctly too.

【Chen Mo: Who answered the second and third questions?】

【Zhang Shuo Zhi: I don't know. I didn't understand a single question. I think your method is useless. If the same person answered the last question, aren't we screwed?】

【Wang Zeyu: Is this fun for you guys?】

【Su Tang: So who is it, exactly?】

【Zhou Ruochuan: It's not me. I'm so scared I can't even move.】

So... was it the same person answering?

Su Mian didn't know, but no one sent any more messages. The trust between them collapsed in an instant.

Those who answered couldn't be sure of the number of questions. To ensure they wouldn't die, they might choose to answer two questions or even more.

And players who hadn't answered a single question would only think they were selfish and disgusting, then fall into the panic of death.

If they couldn't reach a consensus, someone would always be eliminated, and no one wanted to fall behind.

Compared to the medical Lateral Thinking Puzzle that leaned towards a "phantom thief" style, this was more like a test of human nature.

The notes ended when the fifth one was attached. ===== CHAPTER 34 =====