Death Spiral [Infinite Flow] - Chapter 66

Chapter 66 – Three People Make a Tiger 2

The story told by the president took place in a block called “Elm Street”. {Yes it’s Nightmare on Elm Street. I don’t know if the plot is accurate to the movie, I’m just translating what the author has written.}

The heroine of the story, Nancy, was an ordinary girl who lived on Elm Street. One day, she had a terrible dream. She dreamed of herself on Elm Street. Everything around her was so familiar but at the same time very strange. There was no one else on the ghostly streets. All the houses had locked windows and doors and it was completely dark. She tried to knock on the doors of several neighbors but no one answered.

Just as she was feeling very confused, she found someone following behind her. She turned her head sharply and saw a man with scars on his face and fingers like razors! The man smiled slyly and approached her step by step. Nancy screamed and turned her head to ran. But no matter where she ran to, the weird scarred man was able to find her accurately. Just as Nancy was growing exhausted and was about to be killed by the weird scarred man, she was suddenly awakened by the sound of an alarm clock. Turns out that everything was just a dream.

Because the experience in the dream was so horrible, Nancy had no energy all day. When she was walking absently around campus, she overheard her classmates discussing a nightmare they’d had. In the dream, a man with a scar face was chasing them and his hand was as sharp as a razor. It turns out that all the children on Elm Street had experienced the same nightmare!

Soon after, the friends around Nancy died one after another. They died in a miserable way, their throats or stomachs were cut with a sharp weapon. The police were helpless because the children were all sleeping peacefully in their homes when the tragedy occured. Nancy tried to tell the police that it was the strange man with the scarred face from her dream that killed them, but the police sneered at her, thinking that Nancy was daydreaming.

The pursuit in the dream continued. Nancy knew that there was only one way to survive, and that was to stay awake and not dream. Due to a long-term lack of sleep, Nancy’s physical condition was getting worse and worse. Both parents thought she had a mental problem and took her to the hospital. In the hospital, the doctor injected her with tranquilizers and forced her to fall asleep. Nancy in her dream returned to the misty Elm Street again. Although there was no one on the street, she knew that there was a pair of eyes looking at her, grinning in the dark… 

Just as the story reached this part, the surrounding lights suddenly came on with a “snap”. Everyone who was listening attentively to the story was shocked and the fluorescent lights illuminated everyone’s pale faces.

President Little Sun was astonished: “I haven’t finished the story yet. What’s going on?” The

Rock Monk held the prayer beads in one hand and muttered like an old sage: “Maybe your story was not terrifying, and ghosts cannot listen to it anymore. “

Everyone: “…” If you’re not scared then why did you take out the prayer beads for!

President Little Sun tried to turn off the light again but found that no matter how he pressed it, the light could not be turned off. According to the mission instructions, ghost stories can only be told after turning off the lights. Now that the lights can’t be turned off, he doesn’t dare to go on rashly.

Xu RenDong wanted to ask Lian Qiao what he thought but then saw Lian Qiao staring at the president, showing a thoughtful look. Not only Lian Qiao, but the three members of their film club A, B, and C also have expressions of hesitation. One of the male members, B, couldn’t help saying, “President, isn’t this the story in the movie “Nightmare on Elm Street” that we just watched?”

President Little Sun nodded. The delicate member A grabbed the president’s sleeve with a pale face and said with a trembling, “But… didn’t it say that plagiarism is not allowed on that piece of paper? Why are you…”

Lian Qiao suddenly interrupted: “No, it didn’t say no plagiarism. What the paper says is ‘stories cannot be repeated’.”

Everyone was taken aback and recalled the content on the paper. It seemed it was indeed the case.

The president touched his nose embarrassedly: “After all, I only had five minutes. If you want me to totally create a ghost story within that time, I can’t do it!”

Member A finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled weakly: “Fortunately, you are fine.”

Xu RenDong saw that the soft and lovely member A was acting coquettish while pulling the president’s sleeve. He speculated that they were also a couple. Lian Qiao suddenly poked his arm and leaned in and said in a low voice, “Look at the other woman in their movie club, that member C.”

Xu RenDong looked across and found that member C had beautiful and moving eyes. She glanced at the president a few times and her eyes seemed to have an expression of being wronged but not knowing where to vent. The president calmly pulled his sleeve out of member A’s hand and then said to the other members: “I’m sorry for worrying you guys.” 

When he said this, he was facing everyone, but his eyes were looking at the male member B.

…This relationship was a bit complicated!

Xu RenDong’s heart felt tired and turned to Lian Qiao. who was watching the show, and said, “Don’t be nosy.” 

He didn’t mean much by his words but the listener seemed to understand a whole other meaning. Lian Qiao looked at Zhong Xiu meaningfully and said with a sneer: “Indeed, our internal problems have not even been resolved yet.”

Xu RenDong felt confused: “What internal problems?”

Lian Qiao didn’t answer but just leaned in his ear. He whispered in a low voice: “That president is very cunning. Don’t just take it at face value that he jumped out to be the first guinea pig. In fact, he has already figured out the rules. This story can be copied from elsewhere but a previously told story cannot be repeated. We don’t know yet how the rules determine what is counted as “repetition”. So in fact it is safest for him to be the first to tell a story.”

Lian Qiao got too close and his lips almost rubbed against Xu RenDong’s earlobe. Every time he said a word, his hot and humid breath blew into Xu RenDong’s ears, making him hot and itchy. He wanted to duck his head and hide. But what Lian Qiao was saying was serious and so he had to listen. The wet feeling crawled along his ears, making him feel itchy.

“…Anyway, let’s just wait and see what happens.” Lian Qiao saw Xu RenDong’s ears become red and sat upright contentedly. Lian Qiao knew that Xu RenDong had thin skin {easily embarrassed} and doing this in front of everyone was already enough. Anything further would touch his bottom line, which was counterproductive.

At this time, Xu RenDong also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He thought that it was only him that had evil thoughts in his heart and did not realize that Lian Qiao was deliberately teasing him. He stabilized his mind and looked at the other people: “It’s half past twelve and the lights can’t be turned off. The story can’t be told anymore. Why don’t we all rest tonight?” 

Everyone discussed it and agreed there wasn’t anything else that could be done. So they got up and went to the guest rooms.

When it came time to divide up the rooms, Xu RenDong fell into the Shura field again. {Chinese phrase meaning romantic/dramatic entanglements… think jealous lovers fighting with each other.}

There were six rooms in total, all of which are double-bed rooms with only one quilt on the bed. Everyone rummaged through the entire villa but couldn’t find any extra beds or bedding, which meant that these fifteen people could only sleep in groups of three or two.

Zhong Xiu actively proposed: “I’ll go find another woman to sleep with.”

Xu RenDong frowned. There were all sorts of people in this team and it was quite messy. He would be worried about Zhong Xiu staying alone with others. To be honest, he didn’t intend to forgive Zhong Xiu but he didn’t hate her so much that he wanted to watch her die.

He quickly made a decision: “You live with us. You are ill, so you sleep on the bed. Us two men will sleep on the floor.”

“No.” Lian Qiao almost immediately rejected it. “You get cold easily. If you sleep on the floor, you will definitely get a cold. What’s more, there are no blankets here and the temperature is low at night. Even if it was me I may not be able to stand it.”

After Zhong Xiu heard this, she seemed to think that Lian Qiao was right and nodded with a smile. Then she turned her head and said to Xu RenDong, “So I should go sleep with someone else.”

Xu RenDong: “No, don’t worry. We will only be on the floor one night. Probably someone will be dead tomorrow and there will be a bed available.”

When Lian Qiao and Zhong Xiu heard this, they cast shocked looks at Xu RenDong at the same time. There will be a vacant bed when someone is dead. Although this statement is true, it sounds so harsh.

Xu RenDong also realized what he said was not appropriate and turned away awkwardly. However he still insisted: “Anyway, you must live with me.”

Lian Qiao pouted and said coldly: “Then in that case why don’t I move out and the two of you sleep together.”

This time Xu RenDong and Zhong Xiu cast shocked eyes at him at the same time.

Xu RenDong was so angry that his brain was sore. However he was helpless so he could only curse softly: “Why are you making things more difficult for…”

Zhong Xiu: “So I should leave…”

Lian Qiao: “No, you are welcome. You are a woman and I will take care of you, so I will move.”

Xu RenDong: “This is nonsense! Is this the time to make a joke? Don’t fight, I’m going to sleep on the floor with Lian Qiao and that’s it.”

Lian Qiao: “Who the hell is messing around? You can’t sleep on the floor!” 

The three people just pushed each other around and no one could convince anyone. Xu RenDong was so angry with them that he wanted to rush out to kill two people and grab a quilt back. They were at a stalemate like this for a while and Lian Qiao suddenly sat down on the bed with an unhappy expression: “Forget it, don’t argue anymore!” 

The other two people thought he was going to step back and their expressions loosened. But then Lian Qiao took out his pen and paper and said in a sulky manner: “Let’s Shura Field in here, isn’t there a more powerful Shura Field outside? Let’s the three of us make a bet and see what the upgraded version of Shura Field will result in. Whoever wins, we will listen to them!”

Xu RenDong and Zhong Xiu looked at each other with blank expressions on their faces, thinking in their hearts: What is a Shura Field?

Their shared confused glance at each other stirred up Lian Qiao’s feelings even more violently. He gritted his teeth to write and draw on the paper so hard that he almost pierced the white paper.

Regarding the room arrangement of the two men and two women in the film agency, the three made the following three guesses.

Zhong Xiu: Two men and two women, do I still need to guess? It must be one room for two men and one room for two women.

Xu RenDong: No, you don’t know how complicated their relationship is. The two women like the president, and they will fight if they live in the same room. The male B looked very loyal and reassuring, so I think it should be two females and male member B, two females on the bed and the male member on the floor, watching them to make sure they don’t fight. As for President Flower Heart {playboy}, he is the instigator. So he should guard an empty room alone. The ghost will haunt him in the middle of the night and scare him to death. This is just punishment!

Zhong Xiu and Lian Qiao complained silently in their hearts: In order to maintain world peace, you are also very creative.

After some careful calculations, Lian Qiao thought that President Little Sun was a central air-conditioning man with a heart-warming heart, thus he was hanging delicate girl A and glamorous girl C at the same time. He didn’t want to let go of these two girls. The remaining male member B is a simple naive follower who has no knowledge of the president’s scumbag behavior. In order to maintain his image of greatness and integrity, the president must not favor one another, then the answer is obvious- The four of them must have slept in bed together! Sleep sideways!

Xu RenDong & Zhong Xiu: “…” Your brain circuit is also very strange.

The three bet their own money and they decided to leave the result in the hands of fate. They went to the corridor together and knocked on the two rooms of the four-person group of the film agency.

They knocked on the first room and no one opened the door. Instead, a furry head protruded from another room next door.

President Flower Heart Warm Man asked: “Are you looking for us?”

Xu RenDong and Zhong Xiu sighed in their hearts at the same time: It’s over, it seems that Lian Qiao won.

Lian Qiao was triumphant but, to be fair, he asked about their four person sleeping configuration.

President Warm Man scratched his hair and seemed a bit embarrassed.  However he let them in anyway. When Xu RenDong and the three entered the room, they were shocked to find that the delicate woman A, the innocent man B, and the glamorous woman C were lying on the bed side by side. There was also a quilt on the floor, which was brought over from the next room.

RenDong’s three person group were stunned by this unexpected result.

President Warm Man explained: “In fact, we did encounter a problem when we divided the room. All three of them confessed to me…”

RenDong & Lian Qiao & Zhong Xiu: “They? Three?!”

The innocent Member B on the bed made a high pitch noise and bit the corner of the quilt before retracting behind it. {Author actually wrote “C” but I’m pretty sure she meant “B” because he’s the only guy. She also later admits she got confused with the letters. However I’ll fix it up in my translation so it makes more sense.}

President Warm Man watched the human figure bulging in the quilt indulgently, and said affectionately: “Actually, I have had a crush on Little B for a long time but I dared  not confess because I was afraid he would hate me and we would not even be able to be friends after I confessed. So I’m really happy he was able to confide his feelings to me today.”

RenDong & Lian Qiao & Zhong Xiu: “…” The three of them looked at Female A and Female C sympathetically, now understanding why they clearly slept on comfortable beds. But both of them had the expression of eating shit.

Withdrawing from the high-level Shura field, the three of them once again were in a difficult situation. This is all right, their circle is too messy and no one guessed it correctly.

But this inspired Xu RenDong. When Zhong Xiu and Lian Qiao pushed each other over who would sleep where again, Xu RenDong categorically said: “No one will move, the three of us will sleep together.”

Lian Qiao & Zhong Xiu: “???”

Xu RenDong “The four of them can all fit together in one room and so the three of us must be able to.”

Lian Qiao: “… Is this a question of whether or not we can fit?!”

However, no matter how Lian Qiao argued, Xu RenDong who had already suffered enough because of this sleep problem, resolutely rejected any further proposal he made.  Finally Lian Qiao surrendered and lay down on the bed puffed up with anger.

Xu RenDong slept in the middle. On one side was the unfamiliar biological mother, on the other side was the lover who had just confirmed the relationship. It is not appropriate for him to lean on either side. So he laid his legs together and folded his hands, lying still like an Egyptian pharaoh, stuck between the two in an absolutely centered position. He didn’t touch either side.

Zhong Xiu softly said, “Good night” and then turned off the light with a snap.

The room plunged into darkness and two even breathing sounds came from both sides. Xu RenDong stared straight at the ceiling, losing sleep.

Of course Lian Qiao also had insomnia. What is the experience of sleeping in a bed with boyfriend and boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend? Needless to say, of course you would be crazy jealous!

Although it was just a simple sleeping in the same bed and nothing would probably happen, they are still covered with the same quilt! Who knows if there will be any small moves in the middle of the night! He trusted Xu RenDong very much and knew that he was not that kind of person, but as for that woman he couldn’t tell.

Just as she was about to die, she called her ex to the bedside. Wasn’t it very clear that she wanted to be the eternal white moonlight in RenDong’s heart!

Lian Qiao was itching with anger and suddenly felt that it was necessary to take an oath of sovereignty. So he reached out quietly and tentatively touched Xu RenDong’s shoulder. Xu RenDong did not evade or show resistance. He boldly continued forward, crawling his fingers across RenDong’s shoulder, slid to the collarbone, neck… Finally, he stayed at the corners of RenDong’s lips, rubbing gently with his fingertips.

Xu RenDong still didn’t respond… No, he seemed to pursed his lips slightly.

Sure enough, he hadn’t fallen asleep.

Lian Qiao’s mouth hooked and slowly leaned towards him. The fresh smell of shower gel penetrates into the nasal cavity which smelt particularly good.

After living together, they shared the same bottle of shower gel, so Xu RenDong smelled like him. When Lian Qiao thought of this, his heart was filled with tenderness. Although the jealousy hadn’t passed yet, he was really overwhelmed at this moment and wanted to kiss Xu RenDong.

Getting closer and closer, he could feel Xu RenDong’s breathing gradually getting faster. Lian Qiao’s heartbeat was gradually becoming more violent. He closed his eyes and leaned in little by little, finally about to kiss his soft lips.

At this moment, Xu RenDong suddenly slapped his face with a slap.

Lian Qiao: “???”

With a dazed expression on his face, Xu RenDong abruptly pushed his face away. 

In the darkness, he couldn’t see Xu RenDong’s expression clearly but he could feel the same rapid breathing. Immediately afterwards, he heard Xu RenDong’s suppressed angry hiss: “Sleep!”

Lian Qiao: “Ying-ying-ying!”

Grievously Lian Qiao turned around and turned his back towards Xu RenDong. He deliberately made a lot of noise to show that he was angry and wanted the big boss to kiss him. However, RenDong ignored him.

After a while, Lian Qiao couldn’t hold it any longer, turned back and pulled the sleeve of RenDong as if he felt wronged.

Xu RenDong still didn’t respond much and Lian Qiao hooked his little finger with his finger and gently caressed him as though trying to gain favor.

 “…” Xu RenDong sighed lowly, feeling helpless. He curled up his fingers slightly and held Lian Qiao’s fingertips loosely.

Lian Qiao felt that he was holding on to the cusp of his heart and his lips felt so sweet that he wanted to laugh. He was like a large dog with a big bone, holding his beloved treasure in his arms and closing his eyes happily.

It was unknown how long it took when, just as Lian Qiao was still hovering in the happy clouds, he suddenly heard a soft female voice from the other side of the bed.

“Is he asleep?” 

In the darkness, Lian Qiao felt Xu RenDong turn his head slightly, glance at him, and then whisper, “En”.

Lian Qiao’s entire person instantly went into shock. 

***