A real killer playing a villain; the guy surnamed Zhen in Detective, run!

Ahead, a heavy iron gate stood at the end of the corridor, with several faded characters painted on its surface: Execution Chamber.

Shen Yiming paused for a moment. "The final hurdle?"

Lu Yuan reached out and pushed the door, the iron door making a screeching sound.

Behind the door is a high-ceilinged hall, with the walls designed to resemble a damp underground factory, complete with water stains, rust, and pipes.

In the very center of the hall stood an iron cage welded shut with thick steel bars.

Below the iron cage is a sewage pool; directly above the iron cage, three industrial high-pressure water tanks are suspended side by side; each tank is more than half a meter in diameter, and water drips from the valves.

Meng Ying's face turned pale. "This level...it doesn't mean we have to get soaked in that, does it?"

Da Yan looked down at his foot. "Is it too late for me to quit? My foot is already injured on the job."

He looked up at the water tank, then down at the abacus. "The upper trigram is Kan (water), and the lower trigram is Kun (trapped)."

Shen Yiming asked, "What do you mean?"

He held the torch and abacus tightly, saying, "It is not suitable for recording."

The announcement came over the loudspeaker: "Welcome to the final level—the Water Prison Apocalypse."

"The guests will be placed in an iron cage, and each person will be equipped with a specially made restraint chain containing twelve dead knots."

"Three minutes limit."

"Unlock the chains and open the cage door to pass through."

"If the escape fails to occur within the time limit, the high-pressure sewage tank above will be completely filled with sewage."

"Game begins."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hidden doors on both sides opened, and a group of NPCs wearing black masks poured out.

Just as Shen Yiming was about to speak, his shoulder was pressed down.

Big Smoke shouted, "Hey! Dude! Isn't this kind of service attitude written into the contract?"

Meng Ying was pushed into the iron cage. Her foot slipped, and she had to hold onto the railing to keep her balance.

He Rihuo cooperated, walking in himself and nodding to the black-clad NPC, "Thank you for your hard work."

The NPC ignored him and instead put a heavy chain on him.

Lu Yuan was the last one to enter the cage.

When the NPC in black chained him, his movements were noticeably slower.

He was terrified when he was assigned to work next to Lu Yuan!

After fastening the first button, my fingers slipped, and I almost failed to fasten the clasp.

Lu Yuan looked down at him. "Why are your hands shaking?"

The NPC, speaking through a mask, said in a muffled voice, "Cold."

Lu Yuan glanced at the thermometer in the hall; it read 22 degrees Celsius.

"Exercise more!"

The NPC didn't dare to reply, silently finished tying all twelve knots, and then turned and fled quickly.

The iron cage door closed, the latch fell, the water tank above began to pressurize, and a deep machine sound came from the pipes, making the iron cage tremble.

The countdown lights up; three minutes have passed, and the red numbers begin to jump.

Inside the broadcast van, Yan Ji sat up straight again in front of the control panel.

His back was still wet, his hair was messy, and he looked like he had just returned from a stock market crash.

But when he saw the scene in the execution chamber, he came back to life: "This level has no puzzle to solve."

He grabbed a bottle of mineral water and gulped it down, the water running down his chin to his collar.

"No NPCs in close proximity, no poison gas, no mirror distortion."

"It's just a knotted rope, a cage door, and a countdown timer."

Old Fang stood to the side, saying nothing.

Yan Ji stared at Lu Yuan on the screen.

"The water used to mix the environmentally friendly pigments is safe and won't harm people."

"I want to see him make a fool of himself."

"He had it too easy the whole time."

Xiao Zhao whispered a reminder: "President Yan, every time you said something like that before, you always..."

Yan Ji turned his head away, and Xiao Zhao shut up, holding the script in front of his chest.

Inside the execution chamber.

Shen Yiming had already begun to unlock the chain. His fingers moved quickly, first removing the shoulder fasteners and then finding the main knot.

As soon as he touched the second knot, his expression changed. "This is no ordinary knot."

Big Smoke yanked hard, tightening the nylon rope around his chest so much that he almost passed out. "Ouch! It's getting tighter the more I pull!"

Shen Yiming gritted his teeth: "Snake mouth knot. A type of knot used in naval special operations; it automatically locks if the direction of force is wrong."

Meng Ying's hands were in disarray; the more anxious she became, the more tangled the ropes became, and the parasol lines tightened around her wrists, chafing her skin until it turned red.

"I can't solve it..."

The red light above the water tank illuminates, signaling the start of the second pressurization cycle.

The dripping speed increased, and a few drops of murky water hit the top of the iron cage, splashed out, and landed on everyone's shoulders.

The big smoker looked up at the water tank, gave up struggling, and said, "I'm not moving anymore."

Shen Yiming urged, "Don't give up!"

Big Smoke closed his eyes: "I'm picking out a filter for my funeral portrait."

He Rihuo sat in the corner of the iron cage, his body bound by chains, his hands clasped together with difficulty, chanting, "Namo Amitabha Buddha, Namo Amitabha Buddha..."

Lu Yuan looked down at the knots binding his body.

The twelve straps, a mix of paracord, nylon straps, and metal buckles, have a very dirty structural design.

This set of restraints has no intention of expecting the guests to break free; its goal from the beginning is to punish failure.

Lu Yuan didn't react much; he figured it was fine if he got wet, he could just take a shower when he got back.

Until a drop of yellow liquid fell.

Thud! It hit the cuff of his windbreaker, leaving a yellow spot on it.

Lu Yuan stared at the stain. It was sewage!

Big Smoke was still muttering beside him, "Brother Lu, don't worry, it's eco-friendly paint anyway, we can wash it off and still use it..."

Lu Yuan looked up. "This outfit is on sale for twenty-four."

The opium got stuck.

Meng Ying sniffed: "Brother Lu, is the focus still on the clothes?"

Lu Yuan looked at the water tank. "Yes."

Inside the broadcast van, Jiang Yan sat in the back, her fingers resting on the walkie-talkie.

Seeing Lu Yuan looking down at his cuffs, her shoulder twitched.

Oh no, the production team messed with the wrong target!

If you mess with him, nothing will happen; if you mess with his cat, something might happen; but if you mess with his 24-yuan down jacket, it's hard to assess the consequences!

Inside the iron cage, the countdown reached one minute.

Lu Yuan didn't touch the knot at all. He adjusted his posture and pulled his shoulders and back inward.

The next second, a series of faint sounds rang out from inside the iron cage.

Click, clack, click.

It's the movement of bones and joints being misaligned.

Meng Ying was so frightened that she forgot to cry. Shen Yiming's hand, which was untying the rope, stopped in mid-air. He Rihuo's rebirth mantra was interrupted at the word "A".

Lu Yuan's shoulders slumped inward, and his wrists, elbows, and shoulder blades relaxed in sequence.

Angles that shouldn't exist in a normal human body briefly became possible on him. His broad frame contracted, and all the points where the chains were originally locked became ineffective.

The chain of twelve dead knots suddenly lost its meaning on him.

Lu Yuan slid forward, and the chain slid down his shoulder, elbow, and wrist, falling to the ground with a clatter.

He's out!