That thunderous crash shattered Lu Chen's last shred of hope.
His eyes snapped open, just in time to see a dazzling beam of light shoot straight toward Ai Chan in bed three.
Meanwhile, the pounding outside grew louder and louder. The entire door shook, sending flakes of plaster tumbling down.
Whatever the Inspection Personnel actually were, letting them inside could only end badly.
Lu Chen had thought he had scraped through without drawing this unknown intruder inside, but for all his calculations, he had failed to account for Ai Chan.
Across the room, Ai Chan lay rigid on his bed, at a complete loss, as though all the blood in his body had stopped flowing.
He had never realized the danger he was in. Until now, he had thought his act was flawless.
Only when the Inspection Personnel's flashlight shone on him did he realize he had unknowingly violated one of the rules.
Yet he had no idea why he had attracted their attention.
Ai Chan could no longer afford to be cautious. He rolled over, sat up, and jumped barefoot onto the floor.
His movement made the pounding outside even faster and considerably harder.
Plaster peeled off the wall around the doorframe. It had clearly reached its limit; the door was close to giving way.
At a loss, Ai Chan instinctively turned to Lu Chen for help. Clutching the bedsheet, he pleaded:
"Mr. Lu, what should I do? What should I do?"
By then, Lu Chen had calmed down considerably, and his mind was clear again.
Reassessing the situation, he suddenly realized that whether Ai Chan lived or died would have no bearing on him.
Judging by the position of the Inspection Personnel's flashlight, Lu Chen had passed the inspection despite sleeping on a bare bedboard.
Now that they