Game Box

D-87465 was Zhou Ze's designation as a Class-D.

As an "expendable," he naturally didn't deserve a name.

When Zhou Ze looked back, Old Yang had vanished into thin air.

There was no doubt that he was a capable man, able to come and go without a trace in such a heavily guarded place.

It really was enviable.

Musing over this, Zhou Ze slowly pulled open the door and stepped outside.

Five people stood in the corridor. Three fully armed guards held rifles, their expressions stern.

In the middle stood an unfamiliar face-a tall, straight-backed man who radiated authority without a hint of anger. He was looking down at the portable computer on his wrist, operating it with a slight frown.

The identities of the other two, who wore the same orange prison uniform as Zhou Ze, went without saying.

Zhou Ze quickened his pace and promptly took his place beside the two Class-D personnel.

A moment later, the man who appeared to be the captain raised his head. His sharp gaze swept over the three Class-D personnel, pausing briefly only when it reached Zhou Ze.

"Remember, you weren't brought here to regain your freedom. You were brought here to atone!" His voice was low and icy. "If you disobey orders, I have the authority to execute you on the spot and send you where you belong!"

The man made no attempt to hide the disgust in his tone. When the three barely reacted, he barked again, "Did you hear me?!"

"Yes, sir!" The two Class-D personnel instinctively ducked their heads, and Zhou Ze naturally joined in.

He really does hate evil with a passion... Zhou Ze thought.

Although he hadn't been in this world long, he knew that the so-called Class-D personnel were mostly recruited from death-row inmates across the world.

But before his transmigration, Zhou Ze had spent his whole life doing good deeds. He hadn't even dared to cross against a red light in the middle of the night.

Being treated as a death-row inmate for no apparent reason was far too unfair.

Still, there was no way to explain it. If he really cleared things up, he might end up being the one locked in a cage.

Zhou Ze didn't even know what the original owner of this body had done to end up here.

Fortunately, there was no need to socialize here, and no one cared about his background, which saved him a good deal of trouble.

Only when the three stood meek and silent before him did the man nod in satisfaction.

He then beckoned to a guard beside him. As they spoke in low voices, the guard cast an appraising look at Zhou Ze.

Zhou Ze faintly caught phrases like "home invasion" and "temporary agreement," leaving him utterly baffled.

Honestly, every one of his "colleagues" had some special talent, and their appearances were just as varied. Some looked vicious enough to be obvious trouble at a glance; others seemed honest and dull, but hid a sinister gleam in their eyes. Still others looked weather-beaten and cringing. People said a person's face reflected their heart, and that certainly seemed true.

Zhou Ze's harmless appearance, by contrast, made him look distinctly out of place.

But what did that matter? However little he looked like a criminal, he was already a Class-D.

The three Class-D personnel formed a single file and were escorted out of the Class-D dormitory by the guards.

Zhou Ze walked at the rear, silently observing his surroundings and trying to memorize the route.

It might not serve much practical purpose, but Zhou Ze still harbored a few unrealistic hopes deep down-if he could escape this place someday...

After changing elevators twice, they arrived in a spacious area.

Several large, conspicuous words were painted on the metal wall-[Temporary Containment Area]. The cold metal reflected the harsh white light overhead.

"Move faster!"

The guards drove the three Class-D personnel farther down the passage with their rifle stocks. A stock struck the burly man at the front with a dull thud.

The burly man grunted in pain and stumbled forward faster, not daring to show anger or utter a word.

They finally stopped before a huge, circular metal door. It was about three meters high, its surface smooth as a mirror, with a faint blue glow shimmering around its edges.

A yellow triangular warning sign was posted beside the door, its black lettering standing out clearly:

[Item designation: E-566 (Game Box)]

[Item class: Undetermined]

Zhou Ze froze.

This was certainly not his first experiment.

But on the warning signs outside the containment chambers used for his previous experiments, the item class had read either "Safe" or "Dangerous."

This was his first time seeing something as ambiguous as "Undetermined."

In those two experiments, he had been made to recite incomprehensible lines to a strange oil painting once, and stand motionless in an empty room for ten minutes the other time.

They hadn't even been frightening experiences that ended safely. They had simply left him completely bewildered.

But this time, Zhou Ze sensed something unusual about the experiment.

"Doctor, the Class-D personnel are in position."

The guard captain reported quietly into the portable computer on his wrist.

A moment later, a burst of grating static came from the speaker beside the ceiling-mounted surveillance camera, whose red indicator was blinking.

"Very good. We'll now begin the second experiment on temporarily contained item E-566."

A slightly languid voice came from the speaker, its pitch rising a little. "Once the experiment begins, the item will emit red, blue, and green light. Remember, keep moving when you're in contact with red light, and remain still when you're in contact with blue light. Avoid contact with green light under all circumstances. Is that clear?"

Zhou Ze and the other two Class-D personnel exchanged bewildered looks.

What the hell kind of instructions were these...?

Although he had no idea what any of it was meant to accomplish, Zhou Ze quickly devised a mnemonic to remember it-red, move; blue, freeze; green, don't touch!

Then he repeated it silently to make it stick.

Red, move; blue, freeze; green, don't touch...

Red, move; blue, freeze; green, don't touch...

"In case you're not taking this seriously, let me remind you..."

The voice from the speaker actually sounded a little amused. "If you don't follow the instructions... you'll die."

Those words were like a bucket of ice water dumped over their heads.

"So, do your best." With that, the voice fell silent.

"Have you memorized it?"

The guard captain stared sternly at the three Class-D personnel, who stood rooted to the spot.

"Y-yes... we have..."

The burly man and the other, thin Class-D man stammered their replies.

The guard captain then turned his gaze to Zhou Ze.

Still silently repeating his mnemonic, Zhou Ze tensed and blurted out, "Red, move; blue, freeze; green, don't touch..."

A flicker of approval crossed the guard captain's eyes. He nodded. "Very good."

Then he discreetly moved two steps closer to Zhou Ze. With his lips barely moving, he whispered in a breathy voice only Zhou Ze could hear, "Stay calm. Pay attention to what you see."

Zhou Ze froze. Was he... giving me a personal warning?

Having said that, the guard captain turned and walked to the containment chamber door. He took an orange magnetic card from his pocket and gently swiped it through the reader on the door.

With a low mechanical rumble, the massive circular metal door began to rotate slowly. Its thick metal plates parted layer by layer, like a steel flower blooming.

The guard captain tipped his chin toward the two guards. They immediately understood and raised their rifles, aiming the dark muzzles at the three trembling Class-D personnel before them.

"Enter the containment chamber immediately!"

"Don't turn around! Move!"

Amid a flurry of urgent commands, Zhou Ze and the other two Class-D personnel walked stiffly into the containment chamber.

Before the metal door closed again, the languid male voice sounded once more from the speaker outside.

"Major Lu Fei, I think you should come to my office."