"Based on the confirmed animated films and the corresponding props, those corresponding to the paper-cut style animated films all received props that were the most important symbols in the film." Luo Wei pointed to the red round stone in his hand and Qin Ci's fishing rod, and then continued,
"Those corresponding to the regular style animated films can be divided into three categories. The first category receives body parts, such as cat ears, rabbit ears, and dragon horns. The person holding these props is the animal character in the animated film who possesses these parts.
The second category receives external objects related to the body, such as cat whiskers or clothes. The person holding these props is not a main character in the animated film they correspond to, but is a character with an important relationship to the main character."
"For example, Mr. Zhu is the mouse in 'Good Cat Mimi,' and Mr. Ge, although we don't know which role he plays in 'Black Cat Detective,' I believe he's definitely not a minor character, but someone with important interactions with Black Cat Detective.
"The third category is those who obtain certain items or props. For example, Ya Qing obtained the engraved copper basin, and Mr. Zhang Lifeng obtained two longan seeds. Currently, only these two are unidentified as to which animated series they correspond to.
"But based on the roles of the props obtained by the first two categories in the animated series, can we assume that these two props play a crucial role in the main plot of their respective animated series, or are closely related to the main characters? Or perhaps these two props are definitely not just background elements, but rather things with a strong presence.
"If we use this as a premise and search among these listed animated series, can we minimize the range of choices? I wonder if Mr. Mu agrees with my speculation?"
A rare hint of appreciation appeared in Mu Yiran's eyes, but his voice remained as aloof as ever: "I agree with your point of view." "
As expected of a top-notch STEM student, meow," Ke Xun swished his tail, intentionally or unintentionally wrapping his arm around Mu Yiran's trouser leg. "Your ability to analyze and summarize problems is truly impressive, meow. Based on your deduction, we can try using the process of elimination to remove the cartoons that obviously don't meet the criteria, meow. We can discuss the remaining ones later."
"You'd better hurry, time waits for no one." "Zhu Haowen offered a quiet reminder from the side.
After writing down the name of the animated film corresponding to him on the paper in the box, Qin Ci rushed over to help Ke Xun and Li Yaqing and Zhang Lifeng research the animated films they were assigned to.
Since the attribute points of Zhang Lifeng's prop, the two longan seeds, were more ambiguous, they started with the relatively easier prop in Li Yaqing's hands.
Ke Xun and Qin Ci first selected all the animated films with ancient backgrounds, then crossed out those that were certain wouldn't include things like the engraved copper basin. Next, they carefully recalled the plots step by step from the remaining animated film titles.
Time was tight. According to past practice, at 11 PM sharp, all those who entered the painting could no longer leave the area defined by the painting. Once they left the area or did not return, they would all die or be randomly selected to die.
Midnight was usually the time when the official death rule would be activated.
Now, there was not much time left until midnight. Everyone was tense, and all eyes were focused on Ke Xun and Qin Ci, who were concentrating intently and without distraction, as if the two of them were performing a life-saving operation.
"I think it must be this animated film, meow," Ke Xun looked up and pointed to a line of text on the paper for Luo Wei and Li Yaqing to see, "The Legend of the Heavenly Book, it's more likely than any other animated film, meow."
"Is there a bronze basin with engraved patterns in The Legend of the Heavenly Book?" Wei Dong tried hard to recall.
Most of the others present also made the same expression of being lost in memories. This animated film was too classic, and many people had seen it.
"There's a treasure basin in it, meow," Ke Xun reminded everyone, "What I remember most is when the magistrate's father fell into the basin, and a bunch of old men jumped out, shouting, 'I'm his father, I'm his father!' That scene made me laugh so hard."
"Let's write this one." "Luo Wei said to his girlfriend.
Li Yaqing was completely lost, doing whatever her boyfriend said, her hands trembling as she wrote the four characters 'The Legend of the Heavenly Book' on the paper.
Next was helping Zhang Lifeng select anime, but the prop attributes of these two longan seeds were too vague. Even using Luo Wei's method and the process of elimination, they still couldn't narrow it down.
Time ticked by, and with only three minutes left until midnight, Qin Ci gently shook his head, as if declaring that the rescue was unsuccessful.
Zhang Lifeng was on the verge of collapse. He pushed aside the people surrounding him, rushed to the box, and scribbled a name on the paper: 'The Nine-Colored Deer'.
'Why did you write this name?'" Ke Xun looked at him.
Zhang Lifeng wiped his face and said with a wry smile, "This is one of the few old domestic animated films I watched when I was a child. I can hardly remember what the story was about, but I remember there was a divine deer that seemed to grant people's wishes. I hope this deer can bring me some good luck..."
Ke Xun didn't say anything more. He really didn't think the two longan seeds belonged to the animated film "Nine-Colored Deer," but the name had already been written on the paper, and saying anything more now was useless.
The phone finally jumped to 12:00.
Everyone stood in front of their corresponding door, tense and waiting. The moment of impending death approached.
Ke Xun gripped Mu Yiran's hand tightly, his emotions calmer than ever before.
To live together, to die together—since this belief was planted in his heart, he had nothing left to fear.
The deep blue background on the wall, adorned with yellow stars and moons, suddenly began to flicker. The patterns blurred and distorted, as if a hazy dream had suddenly begun.
In the dream, the stars and moon lost their warm colors and lovely shapes, gradually transforming into adult faces. These faces displayed a variety of expressions: anger, sorrow, despair, numbness, greed, treachery, and lust. There was treachery, cold-bloodedness, ruthlessness, ferocity, malevolence, schadenfreude, obsequiousness, double-dealing, sneers, fake smiles, insincere smiles…
Every complex emotion imaginable was displayed on these faces without concealment.
Li Yaqing screamed in terror, burying her head in Luo Wei's arms. Wei Miao crouched down, trembling and clutching his head, too afraid to look up.
The men also stared in horror at the faces on the wall. Though these faces didn't move, though they were merely fixed to the wall like patterns in a mural, though they were all derived from the most genuine expressions of real people, it was precisely because of their realism… Instead, it was terrifying to watch.
Perhaps no one realized how horrifying it was to present human negative emotions so bluntly and nakedly.
Humans are truly terrifying.
No, or rather, adults are truly terrifying.
After all the patterns of stars and moons transformed into human faces, a playful, childlike melody suddenly emanated from the box in the center of the room, like the opening theme of an animated film.
And amidst this lively and pleasant music, Zhang Lifeng let out an extremely shrill scream. Everyone's eyes hurriedly turned to the sound, only to see Zhang Lifeng melting.
Yes, melting.
His skin melted away like liquid, flowing down his torso to the ground. His features became distorted and blurred, leaving only a gaping black hole with a mouth that continued to emit horrifying screams.
After the skin melted, his flesh and bones followed. Thick, bright red blood, like dripping candle wax, slid down his torso in layers, staining the floor beneath his feet and rapidly spreading outwards.
Li Yaqing and Wei Miao were terrified, screaming and wailing as they scrambled to get away. Wei Dong and Luo Wei turned deathly pale. Ge Lei stood frozen, as if possessed, unable to move, watching helplessly as Zhang Lifeng's blood soaked his feet and shoes.
Zhang Lifeng's screams gradually faded, his body melting beyond recognition, like an ice cream cone shapelessly dried in the sun.
A living, breathing person had melted away right before everyone's eyes. Crimson blood covered most of the room, leaving not a single hair, tooth, or even fingernail.
Wei Dong vomited in the corner, and the two girls fainted from shock. Luo Wei bit her lip tightly, afraid she would lose control and vomit as well.
Even Qin Ci, a doctor who had seen countless deaths, couldn't bear the sight and turned his head away.
Ke Xun lowered his head, resting his forehead on Mu Yiran's shoulder. Zhu Haowen, standing beside him, was probably the calmest among them, because he was colorblind, and Zhang Lifeng's blood appeared only as gray to him.
Just as everyone was stunned by the gruesome sight of Zhang Lifeng's death, they suddenly heard a "clang," followed by two "thumps," one small and one large, as if something had fallen to the ground one after another.
Mu Yiran, Ke Xun, Zhu Haowen, and Qin Ci, the few who could still maintain their composure, immediately looked in the direction of the sound. There, lying decapitated, was Qi Qiang.
His prop sword lay beside his body, and his head, after hitting the ground, continued to roll for a moment, leaving a thick trail of blood across the floor from his severed neck.
Blood splattered from his carotid artery on the walls and floor around Qi Qiang's corpse, along with the large pool of blood left by Zhang Lifeng's melted body, transformed the once dreamlike, childlike room into a living hell.
The group remained silent and motionless for a long time; the room was deathly still.
Despite being mentally prepared for death, the manner of these two deaths was still too sudden and cruel, making it difficult for anyone to accept and regain their composure.
Moreover, the cycle of death had only just begun; no one knew if a third person would die in a bizarre way before their eyes that night.
The room was filled with an atmosphere of fear, tension, and total collapse. Everyone was on edge, helplessly awaiting death's return.