Lu Chen's breath caught. The situation before him filled him with extreme unease.
No one occupied bed four, yet a severed head identical to his own sat there. What did that mean?
Who did those ever-approaching footsteps belong to, and what had they come for?
In a mission where information was crucial, this kind of uncertainty was the most frightening thing of all.
Lu Chen kept his eyes fixed on the head. Ignoring his precarious "sitting position," he did his best to analyze the situation.
Since no one occupies bed four, there must be a reason this head looks exactly like me.
The lights went out as soon as I arrived, and then footsteps came from the corridor. Not much time passed between those events. That timing can't be a coincidence.
In other words, how I handle this head could very well determine whether I live or die...
Lu Chen could barely sit still. He could hear the footsteps outside in the corridor. Every five to ten seconds, they stopped for three seconds before repeating the pattern.
He guessed that whoever was walking was probably one of the Inspection Personnel.
A room inspection meant checking compliance with the rules. Leaving the head sitting there was definitely not a sensible way to handle it.
Lu Chen estimated that the person in the corridor would reach his room in another half minute or so.
Just then, the rustle of fabric came from bed three, immediately drawing his attention.
"Hey, hide the head under your covers!"
A somewhat unfamiliar male voice came from that direction. A pale face emerged from beneath the covers, its owner craning his neck as he offered the urgent advice.
The sudden voice from bed three startled Lu Chen. He immediately turned to stare toward its source.
What he