Having traversed countless realms, can you possibly be as clever as me?

Then, crying, he crouched down to pick up the piece of meat. He put it in his mouth. It was cold, hard, and covered in sand, making a crunching sound as he chewed. The fat instructor watched from the side and smiled. It was a genuine, heartfelt joy, like the pure happiness a child feels after breaking a toy.

Everyone around him was eating; no one was looking at him. Everyone was engrossed in their food. The sound of chopsticks scraping against the metal plate was dense and incessant, like raindrops hitting the roof. The girl whose lips were taped shut was also eating with her head down, her face almost buried in the plate.

After he finished eating the piece of meat, the fat instructor didn't let him sit down. He just stood there and waited for everyone else to finish eating.

The fat man's surname was Ma, and he was known as Instructor Ma. Chen Yu later learned that he was thirty-seven years old and used to work as a security guard. He had been to the detention center three times, all for fighting. But in this school, he was called Instructor Ma. He wore camouflage uniforms, had a rubber baton hanging from his waist, and a stun gun in his hand. Wherever he went, people would bow and greet him as "Instructor."

He found the most comfortable and happiest job of his life here.

Chen Yu wasn't the one who was beaten the most by Instructor Ma. The boy who was sent in by his parents to correct his homosexual tendencies was beaten the most. When Instructor Ma beat him, he would laugh while hitting him, asking him, "Do you still like men?" He would hit him once for every time he asked, until he could no longer shout "No!"

878 >>

Does he really like boys? Chen Yu didn't think so; on the contrary, he felt that Instructor Ma's actions were very improper.

Stun devices are standard equipment at this school. Every instructor wears one on their waist. It's a small black box; when you press the switch, a blue arc of electricity pops out between the two electrodes, crackling and popping.

Chen Yu would sweat whenever he heard that voice; his palms would sweat, his back would sweat, and his heart would pound so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his throat.

He couldn't remember how many times he had been shocked. He only knew that the first time he was shocked for resisting the instructor, he wet his pants.

His muscles wouldn't obey him. An electric current shot through the back of his neck, down his spine to his feet, causing all the muscles in his body to contract simultaneously, making him feel like a clenched fist. He collapsed to the ground, his face pressed against the concrete, and smelled the stench of urine on himself.

Then Instructor Ma stood next to him and kicked him in the face, saying roughly.

"Alright, get up. The next class is psychology."

The psychology class was taught by an instructor surnamed Liu. Instructor Liu was tall and thin, wore glasses, and spoke slowly and deliberately. He didn't look like an instructor. He looked more like a school dean of students or a property management fee collector in a residential complex.

But he was more terrifying than Instructor Ma. Instructor Ma's beatings hurt the body, while Instructor Liu's torment hurt the mind.

He doesn't hit people, but the ways he tortures you are more painful than physical beatings.

The meditation room was invented by Instructor Liu. It was a corner restroom on the first floor of a school. The toilet and sink were removed, and the windows were bricked up, leaving only an iron door. It was a little over one square meter inside, with no lights, and the floor was always covered in water, which had seeped in from who-knows-where.

Summer was stinky, winter was freezing. Students locked up inside would be deprived of food and water for three days and three nights straight, but once released, not a single one of them would refuse to obey.

Chen Yu had cried for help before. Once again, he secretly used the dormitory's public phone to call his mother. The call connected, and his mother's voice came through the receiver. He cried and begged his mother to come and take him away, telling her how the instructors were abusing him. There was a two-second silence on the other end. Then his mother told him that if he behaved well, he wouldn't be beaten.

He stood in the corridor with the microphone in his hand, and when he heard the busy tone coming from the microphone, he felt that the sound was very much like a heartbeat, a very rapid and empty heartbeat.

That evening, he was taken to the meditation room. Instructor Liu personally escorted him. He walked in front, Chen Yu followed behind, and two teaching assistants flanked his arms. Instructor Liu pushed open the door, and a damp, musty stench wafted out.

Chen Yu stood at the doorway for a second, then kicked him in the back of the knee. He fell forward, his knee slamming into the wet tiles, his hand sinking into a puddle of water he couldn't identify. The iron gate behind him slammed shut before he could react. A loud bang. Then the sound of it locking.

Darkness. Utter, absolute darkness. No windows, no sun, no light source whatsoever. He reached out and touched the damp walls, the water on the floor, and something soft and rotten in the corner—he didn't know what it was, and dared not think about it too much.

He didn't know how long he had been inside. No one told him the time. The outside world was completely cut off; it was so quiet he could hear his own blood flowing.

He first sat, then squatted, then stood. The space was too small to lie down. He tried leaning against the wall, but the wall was wet and so cold it hurt his bones.

He started talking. Talking to himself. He said, "Mom, I want to go home," "Dad, I was wrong," "I'll never play games again," "Come pick me up, come pick me up." Then his voice trailed off. Not because he'd said enough, but because his throat was hoarse and he couldn't make a sound.

He was extremely hungry; he couldn't remember the last time he had eaten. He was thirsty. He knew the water on the ground was undrinkable, but he still knelt down and licked it twice from the wettest spot. The water tasted of rust, mold, and an even stronger, fishy odor.

Then the door opened. He was dragged out. The light outside stung his eyes, and tears streamed down his face. His legs were too weak; two people had to drag him along the ground. He heard Instructor Liu ask him, "Do you know what you did wrong?"

He said he understood. What did he do wrong? He said he shouldn't have called. What else? He thought for a long time. He said: I shouldn't have distrusted my parents.

Instructor Liu smiled and patted his head, saying he was a good kid.

Then he bit his hand back, and after a long, long time, he finally fainted from the mouthful of blood and the rain of blows falling on his head.

He was locked up again, and then again.

By the time he was locked in the meditation room for the third time, no one needed to kick him anymore. He went in by himself, squatted in the corner, and waited for the iron door to close. The water was still cold, and the walls were still damp.

878>>>>

But he didn't care anymore. He lay there in the dark, unable to see anything, but a movie kept playing in his mind. It was his favorite movie, "3 Idiots".

He watched a movie and played games at the same time. The desk lamp was yellow, and the keyboard was mechanical, making a clicking sound when he typed.

His mom called him from outside to eat. He said, "Wait a minute, I'll be right there." His mom called again. He said, "After I finish this game." His mom pushed open the door, carrying a bowl of dumplings. They were pork and cabbage dumplings. She put the bowl on his table and said, "Finish eating before you play again." He said, "Okay..."

He kept thinking about that bowl of dumplings in the dark. He thought about how the dumplings had gotten cold, and about his mother's face. Then he found himself laughing, laughing alone in a pitch-black, stinking toilet.

The door opened, and Instructor Ma stood in the doorway. Backlit, his face was obscured; only a fat, dark silhouette was visible.

"Come out. Your mother is here to see you."

He could barely stand when he came out. In the hallway, he saw his mother standing behind the glass door of the reception room, holding a plastic bag containing two changes of clothes. Her expression left a deep impression on him; it wasn't one of heartache, but a complex mix of guilt and relief.

"Xiaoyu, if you stay here and reform yourself, you won't play games anymore when you come out," she whispered.

"Mom, the people here really beat me! They abused me, didn't give me food, locked me in a dark room, shocked me, forced me into the toilet, and forced me..." Chen Yu pleaded, grabbing his mother's arm.

"Enough!" Her lips pressed into a thin line. She looked at him with disappointment.

"You're still making up lies to fool me! And even if the instructors really hit you, why can't you look for faults within yourself? It takes two to tango. If you were obedient, they wouldn't have hit you."

As the mother was saying this, Instructor Liu, who was standing next to her, added fuel to the fire, saying that he was a habitual liar and that if he couldn't change, he would be a liar in society.

So she shoved the plastic bag into his hand, ignored his almost desperate pleas to stay, and turned and left.

He stood in the hallway, holding the plastic bag, listening to her high heels on the terrazzo floor. He touched the fabric of her clothes and suddenly felt nauseous. Not disgusted by the clothes, but disgusted by himself.

He thought of death, but if they stayed here, they might face an even more tragic end than death.

Among my roommates was a boy named Zhou Hao, the one who was sent here because of his homosexuality and was often beaten by Instructor Ma.

One night, Zhou Hao was called out by Instructor Ma. Everyone in the dormitory was awake, but no one made a sound. When Zhou Hao was called out, he looked around, but no one dared to speak.

He was brought back just before dawn. He walked strangely, his legs splayed apart. He lay back on the bed, face to the wall, motionless.

Chen Yu heard a very faint sound coming from his direction, like someone biting the blanket and making noises. The sound was very thin, squeezed out from between their teeth. He pulled his head under the blanket and pressed the pillow against his ears; he didn't want to hear it.

Zhou Hao didn't go to morning exercises the next day. He didn't go the third day either. On the fourth day, a white car came in, and Zhou Hao never returned. No one knew where he went.

Chen Yu remained silent, numb as a piece of wood. He only hoped to endure these painful days and for these demons to stop paying attention to him.

But one day, Instructor Ma walked into the dormitory. The beam of his flashlight swept across the middle of the beds, finally settling on Chen Yu's face.

"You," Instructor Ma shone his flashlight in his face, "come out."

Chen Yu obediently got out of bed, his bare feet touching the concrete floor. One of the lights in the corridor was broken, casting an intermittent glow. He followed Instructor Ma into an office. Before entering, he glanced at the sign on the door. It read "Psychological Counseling Room."

The door closed behind me.

Instructor Ma sat behind his desk, his feet propped up on it. He made Chen Yu stand. He stood for a long time. So long that Chen Yu felt his knees begin to tremble.

"Chen Yu, you've been here for almost half a year now," Instructor Ma said slowly, feigning kindness. "How are things? Have you settled in?"

Chen Yu didn't know whether to nod or shake his head. He chose to remain silent. But Instructor Ma didn't like people who didn't speak. He stood up, walked up to Chen Yu, reached out and pinched his chin, lifting his face up.

"I'm asking you a question."

Chen Yu's face was being pinched, his mouth couldn't close, and saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth. He mumbled, "I'm used to it."

Instructor Ma released his grip and smiled.

“You’ll get used to it. Your parents spent 80,000 yuan to send you here. 80,000 yuan. Do you know how much 80,000 yuan is? Can you earn 80,000 yuan by playing games? Your parents scrimped and saved, living frugally, to save 80,000 yuan, all so that you could study hard.”

He walked around Chen Yu as he spoke, his hands behind his back, like someone watching an animal in a zoo. Then he stopped and stood behind Chen Yu.

878>>>>>>

"Take off your pants."

Chen Yu froze.

"Take it off." Instructor Ma's voice was completely flat, as casual as saying "Close the door."

Chen Yu didn't move. A hand reached out from behind and gripped the back of his neck. The hand was thick and strong, with short, stubby fingers and astonishing strength. He was forced down, his face pressed against the cold, hard desk. His fingers dug into the edge of the desk, his knuckles turning white. Then he heard the sound of his pants buttons being ripped open.

"Let me check your body. How's your development going? Don't be nervous, your parents will see it on the report. It's a medical report. A normal medical checkup."

He wasn't completely naked. He just pulled his pants down to his knees. Then the hand started groping him, saying something as if he were inspecting an object.

Chen Yu closed his eyes. He closed them tightly, so tightly that light began to emanate from behind his eyeballs, exploding in the darkness and turning into various colors. He focused his attention on those colors: red, green, blue, golden yellow. He didn't think about the hand. That hand was something that happened to someone else. It had nothing to do with him.

A long time passed—maybe five minutes, maybe ten minutes, maybe an hour. Then the hand stopped.

"Alright. Normal development. Go back now."

Chen Yu stood up. His pants had slipped down to his ankles, and he bent down to pull them up. His fingers were trembling, and he had to button them several times before he could finally get them on. He turned and walked towards the door. Instructor Ma called after him.

"Chen Yu, if you dare tell anyone, you'll be living in the meditation room until graduation. Don't think I'm joking. Do you know there's an enhancement room above the meditation room? That's for the most disobedient kids. Once you go in, who knows what you'll come out like?"

Chen Yu didn't turn around. He pushed open the door and walked into the corridor. The corridor lights flickered on and off. He walked barefoot on the concrete floor, each step very light.

He returned to his dorm, climbed into bed, and buried his head in the pillow. His jaw began to tremble, and all the muscles in his body were spasming uncontrollably, as if he had been electrocuted.

He felt nauseous, but dared not vomit because the instructors would make them lick themselves clean. When he woke up the next morning, his pillow was wet. He didn't know if it was saliva, tears, or something else.

He was determined to escape, by any means necessary, no matter what.

---

P.S.: The reason I wrote these three chapters is that I've recently seen a lot of news about these kinds of schools. These schools have even expanded their services to adults, and quite a few parents are sending their unemployed children there for "correctional" treatment. Good heavens, they're really exploiting an entire generation! But even if I don't talk about that, it feels like these schools are endless no matter how much they're reported on; in fact, their numbers seem to be increasing... In short, just kill them!

879

Update released! Book lovers have all gone to the book club forum to check it out!

598. Utter despair, transforming into a demon.

The school's perimeter wall is about two and a half meters high. There is barbed wire on top. However, there is a corner where the barbed wire has a tear, which was probably made by someone before and the school didn't have time to repair it.

Chen Yu observed for three days. He memorized the daily routine. There was a one-hour break after lights out at night when the instructors went to eat and relieved their new ones. Just that one hour.

Then he ran away.

At 2:13 a.m., he climbed out of his dormitory window. The window was more than a meter off the ground, and his knee hit the concrete when he landed, but he endured the pain and got up.

He ran along the wall to the corner, stepped over a trash can, and climbed onto the top of the wall. The gap in the barbed wire wasn't big, just big enough for one person to squeeze through. As he squeezed, his clothes got caught on the wire, and with a tearing sound, the fabric ripped open, leaving a gash on his back that burned with pain. Ignoring the pain completely, he jumped down.

Outside the wall were farmlands. He fell into the dirt, his mouth full of mud. He got up and ran, across the field ridges, across a ditch, up a dirt road, his adrenaline surging with each heartbeat, and he dared not stop.

He ran onto the national highway. The highway was quiet at three in the morning, with only the occasional large truck whizzing by. He stood by the roadside, waving frantically. But one truck after another passed by; no one was willing to stop.

He didn't know how much time had passed when a tricycle stopped in front of him. It was moving very slowly, sputtering and churning, and the back of the vehicle was loaded with several bundles of scallions. The driver was an old man with dark skin, wearing a straw hat.

The old man stopped his car and glanced at him.

Chen Yu looked terrifying. His camouflage short-sleeved shirt was torn in half, there was blood on his back, he was barefoot, and the soles of his feet were covered in mud and blood. His face showed signs of crying.

"Child, what happened to you?" the old man asked him in surprise.