Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• The author announces their struggle with severe headaches, which are impacting their writing efficiency.
• They decide to undergo surgery soon to address the issue.
• The surgery and recovery period will cause the update schedule for Left Wheel to be unstable and unpredictable for the remainder of the week.
• The Pope from the novel receives an official Qidian character illustration reward, and readers are voting on its design.

Character Developments

• The author: Shows responsibility and concern for their readers by announcing the potential disruption in the update schedule.
• The Pope: Receives recognition with an official character illustration, reflecting the character's importance in the story.

Significant Themes

• Health and well-being: The author's health issues highlight the importance of personal well-being, which can impact one's work and life.
• Communication and transparency: The author's open communication with readers about the situation demonstrates the value of honesty and transparency.

Character Interactions

• The author and readers: The author interacts with readers by keeping them informed about the situation and inviting them to participate in deciding the Pope's character design.
• Sister Xiaobai and the Pope: Sister Xiaobai, a member of the Silver Grand Alliance, supports the Pope by helping them receive an official character illustration.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Qian deduces that Selvis is cooperating with the Director, indulging his unusual interest in the Director's condition.
• Fu Qian sends the Unyielding Man away to create a "black box" situation, preventing the Director and Selvis from monitoring his actions.
• Fu Qian orders the Unyielding Man to evacuate the entire floor, leaving only the chief physician's office untouched.

Character Developments

• Fu Qian: Shows strategic thinking and manipulation skills, using the Unyielding Man to create a situation that will provoke reactions from the Director and Selvis.
• The Unyielding Man: Shows slight disappointment in not being able to continue his dance with Fu Qian, revealing a competitive side.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and control: Fu Qian manipulates the situation to provoke reactions from the Director and Selvis, while Selvis controls the Unyielding Man.
• Unusual illnesses and interests: Selvis's interest in unusual illnesses is a driving force behind the events in the sanatorium.

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian and the Unyielding Man: Their interaction shows a power struggle, with Fu Qian manipulating the Unyielding Man to achieve his goals.
• The Director and Selvis: Their relationship is one of cooperation, with Selvis indulging the Director's interests while setting boundaries.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Qian realizes he can disrupt the Directors' surveillance by creating a 'black box' with no light or living things inside.
• He turns off lights, closes doors, and blocks the view with curtains, making the basement nearly invisible to the Directors.
• Multiple individuals, one after another, descend the stairs and stop outside the blocked gate, seemingly under the Directors' control.

Character Developments

• Fu Qian demonstrates strategic thinking and adaptability by exploiting the Directors' reliance on surveillance.
• The Directors show they can manipulate people to follow their commands, even in the dark and without direct communication.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics: Fu Qian seizes initiative by limiting the Directors' ability to see, while the Directors assert control by sending people to the blocked area.
• Uncertainty and the supernatural: The dark environment and mysterious visitors raise questions about supernatural elements.

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian and the unknown visitors: Fu Qian sits quietly behind the blocked gate, trying to deduce the visitors' intentions, while they stand silently outside.
• Fu Qian and the Directors: Fu Qian's actions challenge the Directors' control, and they respond by sending people to investigate, demonstrating their power and influence.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Qian creates a "black box" situation by sealing off the attending physician's office, aiming to observe the directors' reactions and stir conflict between them and Selvis.
• Half the sanatorium's staff gather outside the office, seemingly waiting for a medical checkup, creating a stalemate.
• Fu Qian decides to enter the office to escalate the situation, discovering a hidden compartment behind the desk.

Character Developments

• Fu Qian demonstrates strategic thinking and patience, using the black box to manipulate the situation and gain information.
• The directors show their desperation to confirm Fu Qian's actions, pressuring Selvis in the process.
• Selvis appears to be under pressure from the directors' actions, hinting at his involvement in the conflict.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and control: Fu Qian uses the black box to control the situation and manipulate the directors' and Selvis' actions.
• Power dynamics: The directors' actions show their power and influence over the sanatorium, while Selvis' reaction reveals his position in the power struggle.
• Pressure and patience: The characters' actions are influenced by the pressure they face, and their ability to endure and act patiently is crucial.

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian vs. the directors: Fu Qian manipulates the directors' actions, using them to pressure Selvis and gain information.
• The directors vs. Selvis: The directors' actions put pressure on Selvis, forcing him to reveal his hand or endure the strain.
• Fu Qian vs. Selvis: Although they don't interact directly in this chapter, their actions indirectly affect each other, with Fu Qian aiming to provoke Selvis into revealing more about the Well of Time.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Qian discovers a hidden door and safe in Selvis's office, hinting at a larger plan by the Director.
• He deduces that the Director has been guiding him to open the safe, possibly on behalf of Selvis.
• The Director's notes and actions are revealed to be part of a complex game with Selvis, using Fu Qian as a tool.
• Fu Qian hears footsteps retreating from behind the iron door, suggesting a change in the situation inside the black box.

Character Developments

• Fu Qian becomes more perceptive and analytical, piecing together the Director's intentions and Selvis's manipulations.
• The Director is shown to be a skilled manipulator, using Fu Qian to create an opportunity to challenge Selvis's control.
• Selvis is revealed to be more powerful and perceptive than initially thought, able to detect and respond to changes in the black box.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and control: Both the Director and Selvis are shown to be manipulating Fu Qian and each other for their own purposes.
• Unpredictability: Fu Qian's unpredictable nature is seen as a valuable asset in the game between the Director and Selvis.
• Power dynamics: The struggle between the Director and Selvis highlights the power dynamics at play in their relationship.

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian and the Director: Their dynamic shifts as Fu Qian begins to understand the Director's true intentions and manipulations.
• The Director and Selvis: Their relationship is revealed to be complex and adversarial, with each trying to outmaneuver the other.
• Fu Qian and Selvis: Although they haven't interacted directly, Fu Qian's actions are seen to be affecting Selvis's plans, indicating a potential conflict between them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Qian, the attending physician, enters the director's office, which is a forbidden area.
• He opens the director's safe using a key he found earlier, revealing a notebook and pen inside.
• Fu Qian's actions are a test to understand the situation better and gain more information.

Character Developments

• Fu Qian demonstrates his cunning and strategic thinking, trying to gain an advantage in the three-way game.
• The attending physician, Selvis, is shown to be intelligent and unscrupulous, with methods that know no bounds.

Significant Themes

• The theme of a three-way game continues, with each character trying to outmaneuver the others.
• The concept of risk and reward is explored, as Fu Qian takes calculated risks to gain more information.

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian's actions are a response to Selvis's earlier moves, trying to convey goodwill and establish a united front against the director.
• The director is not present in this chapter, but his actions are referenced, showing the tension between him and the other two characters.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Qian finds a notebook and a pen in a safe in Selvis's office.
• The notebook contains information about Lei Aier, the Gullard Family, and the Blood Clan, including details from Fu Qian's own Abyss Notebook.
• Fu Qian realizes that the notebook is identical to his own, suggesting a connection between Selvis and the Blood Clan.

Character Developments

• Fu Qian becomes more determined to uncover the truth and protect his interests.
• Selvis's true intentions and knowledge about the Blood Clan are revealed.
• The Director's medical records are hinted to be a potential advantage for Selvis.

Significant Themes

• The pursuit of power and control.
• The manipulation of information and knowledge.
• The blurring of lines between allies and enemies.

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian and Selvis engage in a power struggle, with Fu Qian attempting to gain the upper hand by discovering Selvis's secrets.
• The Director's relationship with Selvis is further strained, as Selvis may have information that could expose the Director's true condition.
• Fu Qian's past connection with Lei Aier is explored, revealing her true motivations and the power she sought from him.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Qian discovers an Abyss Notebook in Selvis's safe, containing notes about Jia Keke and vampire elders' tips, with handwriting different from Fu Qian's original notes.
• The notebook has a new entry: "Lasik cannot leave the sanatorium," suggesting Lasik used the notebook and met an unfortunate end.

Character Developments

• Fu Qian becomes more intrigued by the Abyss Notebook's connection to him and its potential use in the mission.
• Lasik is revealed to have been another intruder in the sanatorium, who used the Abyss Notebook and couldn't leave, leading to his demise.

Significant Themes

• The supernatural nature of the Abyss Notebook challenges the scientific atmosphere of the mission.
• The notebook's ability to verify truth and falsehood could help guide lost souls and dispel darkness.
• The tragic fate of Lasik highlights the dangers and futility of the mission's objectives.

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian interacts with the Abyss Notebook, contemplating its origins and potential use.
• An unknown person (possibly the Director) speaks to Fu Qian, encouraging him to use the notebook.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Qian, in the office, hears a voice from a hidden compartment behind a medical cabinet.
• He discovers a secret passage and encounters Lord Selvis, the attending physician.
• Selvis accuses Fu Qian of impoliteness for sitting at his desk, but Fu Qian remains unfazed.
• Fu Qian reveals he found an acquaintance, Lasik, in the Abyss Notebook.
• Selvis expresses sympathy for Lasik's situation.

Character Developments

• Fu Qian demonstrates his cunning and adaptability, showing no fear or surprise at Selvis's appearance.
• Selvis is revealed to be rational and willing to cooperate, despite Fu Qian's trespassing.

Significant Themes

• The theme of hidden spaces and secrets continues, with the discovery of a secret passage.
• The power dynamics between Fu Qian and Selvis are explored, with Fu Qian initially taking the upper hand.

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian and Selvis meet for the first time, with Fu Qian showing no respect for Selvis's territory.
• Despite the initial tension, they engage in a conversation, suggesting a willingness to cooperate.
• Fu Qian's honesty about finding Lasik in the notebook leads Selvis to express sympathy, hinting at a shared understanding or history.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Qian and Selvis meet in the attending physician's office.
• Selvis reveals that Lasik was found in the sanatorium, not by train.
• Fu Qian learns that Lasik's arrival was similar to his own, with no memory of how she got there.

Character Developments

• Fu Qian remains calm and composed, showing no fear of the worst outcome.
• Selvis demonstrates understanding of Fu Qian's mind and plays the game of the brave, offering information to maximize gains.

Significant Themes

• The mysterious nature of Lasik's arrival and experiences.
• The power dynamics and negotiation tactics between Fu Qian and Selvis.

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian and Selvis engage in a hidden confrontation while maintaining a harmonious exchange.
• Selvis shares information about Lasik's arrival and situation in the sanatorium.
• Fu Qian expresses curiosity and interest in Lasik's experiences, finding similarities with his own.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lasik, like Fu Qian, was trapped in the sanatorium and used as a 'Tool Person' by the Director.
• Selvis, the attending physician, watched Lasik's torment, not rushing to help, but observing her.
• Lasik's experiences were similar to Fu Qian's, with no normal people encountered, leading to her distrust of everyone.
• Selvis reveals that Lasik's situation was not exactly the same as Fu Qian's regarding the Well of Time and Judgment Day.
• Selvis mentions the Harbinger, the third member of their group, who helped Lasik hide.

Character Developments

• Lasik: Traumatized by her experiences, she became aggressive and retreated deeper into the sanatorium.
• Selvis: Revealed to be more interested in observing and controlling patients than healing them.
• Fu Qian: Maintains his composure and maturity, not echoing Selvis's views to gain his respect.

Significant Themes

• The struggle to fit in and gain acceptance in an abnormal environment.
• The consequences of not conforming to the accepted norms.
• The power dynamics between the Director, Selvis, and the Harbinger.

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian and Selvis: Fu Qian remains calm and truthful, impressing Selvis with his maturity.
• Selvis and Lasik: Selvis observes and manipulates Lasik's situation, not rushing to help her.
• The Director, Selvis, and the Harbinger: Their power dynamics and roles are further revealed.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Qian meets Selvis, the director of the sanatorium, who reveals that the Harbinger's prophecies come true because he arranges events to match them.
• Selvis explains that the Harbinger won't enter the black box himself but will send others, like Lasik, to face the impact.
• Fu Qian and Selvis form an alliance to deal with the Harbinger.

Character Developments

• Fu Qian: Shows understanding and acceptance of Selvis's methods, revealing his own manipulative tendencies.
• Selvis: Reveals his manipulative nature and satisfaction in working with Fu Qian, showing a lack of empathy for patients like Lasik.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and control: Both Fu Qian and Selvis manipulate others for their own purposes.
• Lack of empathy: Selvis shows no remorse for Lasik's fate, valuing her only for her potential use.

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian and Selvis: They bond over their shared manipulative tendencies, forming an alliance to deal with the Harbinger.
• Selvis and Lasik: Selvis sees Lasik as boring and uninteresting, having no qualms about sending her into the black box.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Qian discovers the Abyss Notebook (Truth Notebook) in Selvis's office.
• The Foreseer's mental state worsens as he struggles with the notebook's implications.
• Lasik, the columnist, is chosen again as an intruder, further straining the Foreseer's sanity.
• Selvis reveals that the notebook has always been in the sanatorium and was discovered due to his passion for exploring its secrets.

Character Developments

• The Foreseer's paranoia and mental state deteriorate as he grapples with the Abyss Notebook's revelations.
• Selvis becomes increasingly absorbed in his passion for the sanatorium and the notebook, losing himself in reminiscence.

Significant Themes

• The blurring of reality and the supernatural.
• The power of passion and devotion in uncovering secrets.
• The dangers of absolute truths and the consequences of questioning one's beliefs.

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian and Selvis discuss the Abyss Notebook, with Selvis revealing how he discovered it and Fu Qian showing no interest in keeping it.
• The Foreseer's interactions with Lasik and the attending physician highlight his increasing mental instability and desperation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Qian discovers inconsistencies in the Abyss Notebook's timeline.
• Selvis (the attending physician) suggests Fu Qian lure the Harbinger into the office for a three-way exchange.
• The Harbinger appears at the doorway after Selvis calls him over.

Character Developments

• Fu Qian: Becomes more suspicious of the Well of Time's influence and the sanatorium's reality.
• Selvis: Shows confidence in his ability to control the situation and manipulate others.
• The Harbinger: Reveals his otherworldly appearance and ability to see through people's schemes.

Significant Themes

• The distorted concept of time within the sanatorium.
• The struggle for power and control among the characters.
• The blurred line between reality and illusion.

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian and Selvis: Form a temporary alliance to lure the Harbinger into the office.
• Selvis and the Harbinger: Engage in a contest of momentum, with Selvis attempting to turn the tables by drawing the Harbinger into the office.
• The Harbinger and Fu Qian: Exchange a silent, assessing gaze upon meeting for the first time.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Qian orchestrates a three-way interaction between himself, Lord Selvis, and the Harbinger, revealing their hidden intentions and putting the Harbinger on guard.
• Fu Qian invites the Harbinger into the attending physician's office, where the three form a tense triangle.
• Fu Qian praises the Harbinger's prophetic abilities, contradicting his earlier agreement with Selvis to discredit the Harbinger.
• Selvis reveals that he would have pursued the Harbinger if he had left the thornwood wall, confirming the Harbinger's prophecy.
• Fu Qian offers the Harbinger a pen, encouraging him to share his opinion, while setting a trap by moving the meeting to its next item.

Character Developments

• Fu Qian: Shows exceptional manipulation skills, playing both sides against each other. He openly praises the Harbinger's prophecies, contradicting his previous stance, and sets traps for the Harbinger while inviting him to participate.
• Lord Selvis: Remains calm and collected, revealing his plan to pursue the Harbinger if he left the thornwood wall. He subtly communicates with Fu Qian, aiming to crush the Harbinger's resistance.
• The Harbinger: Initially cautious, he becomes more cooperative, even laughing at the situation. He takes Fu Qian's offered pen, indicating a willingness to engage in the discussion despite the obvious trap.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and Deception: Fu Qian masterfully manipulates the situation, playing on the Harbinger's and Selvis's desires to achieve his own goals.
• Trust and Betrayal: The Harbinger's trust in Fu Qian is tested as he openly praises his prophetic abilities, while Selvis's trust in Fu Qian is also called into question as he sets a trap for the Harbinger.
• Power Dynamics: The three characters engage in a power struggle, each trying to assert their dominance and manipulate the situation to their advantage.

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian and the Harbinger: Fu Qian attempts to engage the Harbinger in a discussion, praising his abilities and inviting him to share his opinion, while also setting a trap for him.
• Fu Qian and Lord Selvis: The two subtly communicate, revealing their shared goal of discrediting the Harbinger's prophecies but differing in their methods and intentions.
• The Harbinger and Lord Selvis: The two remain cautious and wary of each other, with Selvis revealing his plan to pursue the Harbinger if he left the thornwood wall.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Qian hands the Truth Notebook pen to the Harbinger, signaling a direct confrontation.
• The Harbinger accepts the challenge and decides to write his prophecy in the notebook.
• Fu Qian suggests that the Harbinger write his book of prophecies on the spot, verifying his ability indirectly.

Character Developments

• Fu Qian maintains his ambiguous stance but shows empathy towards the Harbinger's genuine desire for a solution.
• The Harbinger demonstrates his desperation and willingness to gamble, seeking Fu Qian's advice.
• Selvis remains composed and allows the Harbinger to write in the notebook.

Significant Themes

• The power of imagination and its role in the Truth Notebook's functioning.
• The struggle between desperation and hope in the face of insurmountable odds.
• The importance of finding a solution and verifying one's convictions.

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian and the Harbinger engage in a tense exchange, with Fu Qian offering advice and the Harbinger seeking his opinion.
• The Harbinger kicks the question back to Fu Qian, putting him on the spot.
• Selvis remains passive but attentive, allowing the Harbinger to proceed with writing in the notebook.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Harbinger uses the Truth Notebook to predict that Judgment Day is still seven days away.
• He predicts that blood is flowing from Tong's eyes, and later clarifies that it's a metaphor for hallucinations, happening daily at the brightest time.
• Harbinger predicts that Tracy lies on her lover's bed, feeling desire while watching a sleeping woman.

Character Developments

• Harbinger demonstrates his prophecy skills, providing detailed and verified predictions.
• Fu Qian shows his analytical skills and challenges Harbinger's prophecy nature.

Significant Themes

• The ambiguity and interpretation of prophecies.
• The reliability of time and space in the sanatorium.
• The power dynamics between Harbinger and Fu Qian.

Character Interactions

• Harbinger and Fu Qian engage in a conversation about prophecies, with Fu Qian questioning Harbinger's methods and nature of his predictions.
• Harbinger remains calm and composed throughout the interaction, acknowledging Fu Qian's challenges.
• Harbinger continues to make predictions, showing his ability to provide detailed and verified information.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Harbinger continues writing in the Truth Notebook, revealing details about Mrs. Tracy's past and her lover's infidelity.
• Selvis, the attending physician, interjects and shares his knowledge about Mrs. Tracy and Old Man Recorder's history.
• The Harbinger writes about Mo Song (Old Man Recorder) waking up after three days, hinting at his knowledge of Fu Qian's encounter with Madam Tracy.
• Fu Qian realizes that the Harbinger has been manipulating events and that Judgment Day is approaching faster due to the Well of Time's influence.

Character Developments

• The Harbinger demonstrates his prophetic abilities and strategic thinking, using his writing to manipulate and reveal information.
• Selvis displays his knowledge and control over the sanatorium, asserting his dominance over the situation.
• Fu Qian remains calm and analytical, piecing together the Harbinger's manipulations and the approaching Judgment Day.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and control: The Harbinger, Selvis, and Fu Qian each attempt to manipulate the situation to their advantage.
• Prophecy and fate: The Harbinger's writing in the Truth Notebook suggests a connection to the future, while Fu Qian grapples with the approaching Judgment Day.
• Human nature: The chapter explores the primal impulses and desires of the characters, particularly in Mrs. Tracy's situation.

Character Interactions

• The Harbinger, Selvis, and Fu Qian engage in a tense standoff, each trying to gain the upper hand through their respective means.
• The Harbinger's writing provokes reactions from Selvis and Fu Qian, who both offer their interpretations and insights.
• Fu Qian and Selvis share a moment of understanding regarding Mrs. Tracy's condition and the role of Old Man Recorder in her life.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Qian, the intruder, uses the Truth Notebook to reveal that Judgment will arrive in six days.
• Selvis and another tycoon are left uncertain about the nature and target of this Judgment.
• Fu Qian's motives remain unclear, but he expresses a desire to leave before Judgment Day.

Character Developments

• Fu Qian demonstrates his ability to handle pressure and shock the world with his words.
• Selvis and the other tycoon become more wary of Fu Qian's intentions.
• The attending physician, Lasik, is not mentioned directly in this chapter.

Significant Themes

• Uncertainty and the unknown (Judgment's nature and target).
• Motives and intentions (Fu Qian's true purpose).
• Truth and deception (the notebook's ability to reveal falsehoods).

Character Interactions

• Fu Qian interacts with Selvis and the other tycoon, using the notebook to reveal Judgment's impending arrival.
• Selvis and the other tycoon question Fu Qian about his intentions and the nature of the Judgment.
• Fu Qian and Selvis pass the notebook back and forth, each writing a line that reflects their stance.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Harbinger, Selvis (the attending physician), and Fu Qian (the columnist) engage in a verbal sparring match.
• The Harbinger challenges the authenticity of the Truth Notebook by writing two contradictory statements that don't fade.
• Fu Qian questions the current timeline's validity.

Character Developments

• The Harbinger demonstrates strategic planning and assertiveness, using the notebook's contradiction to undermine Selvis's authority.
• Selvis shows initial bewilderment, hinting at vulnerability in his role-playing therapy.
• Fu Qian maintains his calm and analytical demeanor, shifting the conversation's focus.

Significant Themes

• The power of words and truth.
• The fluidity of reality and perception.
• The challenge of authority and established norms.

Character Interactions

• The Harbinger and Selvis engage in a battle of wits, with the Harbinger gaining the upper hand.
• Fu Qian acts as a neutral observer, offering praise and shifting the conversation's focus.
• The Harbinger seeks Fu Qian's opinion, indicating a level of respect or manipulation.