Su Chen

Biodata

Power Progression

Recorded Attributes

The panel identifies 10 as the ordinary-person maximum for each attribute 46.

Background / History

Selection and Early Investigation

Su Chen enters the Horror Story World as Dragon Country’s contestant when its national fortune stands at 70 points. The previous contestant’s betrayal by Kim Xiba and Yamashita Kenichiro has already brought severe consequences to the country 1 3.

His published personal information prompts viewers to call him mentally impaired; one commenter describes him as an orphan. Xiao Li later reveals that Su Chen had not graduated from a low-ranked college. These records fuel prejudice that his performance gradually overturns 3 9 31.

Rather than immediately accepting either version of the Zoo’s visitor rules, Su Chen memorizes them and chooses an approach opposite to the other contestants, using their actions as a comparison. He subsequently cross-checks a crumpled note, a security guard’s instructions, and the Employee Handbook to understand the entity’s cognitive attacks 2 8 9 11.

Retaliation Against the Previous Contestant’s Betrayers

Su Chen deliberately destabilizes the already-contaminated Kim Xiba by questioning whether he is human, a rabbit, or an ape. Kim’s breakdown is followed by a death notification 14 15.

When Yamashita Kenichiro asks for forgiveness, Su Chen pretends to accept and sends him to the shop, where Kenichiro drinks authentic Rabbit Blood. Su Chen later persuades him to enter the Lion Enclosure, announces the fatal significance of the drink, and shuts the gates. Kenichiro’s resulting suspicion triggers another violation, and a white lion kills him 16 24.

Surviving the Elephant Area and Aquarium

The Elephant Enclosure overwhelms Su Chen’s perception and bodily control. A real elephant restores his understanding of the animal and enables him to escape. He later concludes that this rescuer was the security guard, transformed into an elephant and subsequently killed in retaliation 19 20 21 28.

Still heavily contaminated, Su Chen allows a white lion to bite his left arm. The wound begins healing, but he feels as though part of his soul has been removed. He follows the handbook’s direction to the Aquarium while refusing to wear its black uniform 23.

In the Aquarium, jellyfish light makes him feel whole again. When the entity attempts to drown him as a “jellyfish,” he challenges its understanding of jellyfish, humans, apes, and eyes. The resulting confusion creates an opening, and he escapes by toppling through the doorway before its renewed control can hold him inside 29 30 31.

Taking the Director’s Burden

During a nighttime return to the Aquarium, Su Chen steals an Employee Handbook and identifies a possible escape window before 6:00 a.m. Further investigation leads him to Old Zhou’s letter and the history of the Zoo’s sacrifices 34 35 40.

Although leaving would protect both himself and Dragon Country, he cannot dismiss the employees who saved him as lifeless NPCs. He decides to seek the Zoo Director’s position, with reloading his save as a fallback 40 41.

At the Director’s Office, he discovers that wearing the bronze badge makes him a white lion in the entity’s perception—and therefore a target it can attack directly. Four white lions arrive to protect him. With their support, he puts on the badge, receives confirmation that his appointment has been reported to an organization, and obtains a promise of financial assistance for resolving the Zoo’s supernatural problems 42 43 44.

First Clearance and Rollback

Su Chen secures the lead white lion’s trust, then bargains with the shadow to open the Zoo’s exit in exchange for taking the badge outside. His S-rated clearance, based on deciphering 98% of the rules, earns 1,000 system points 44 45 46.

After purchasing the Subconscious Amplification Device and increasing his mental power, Su Chen manually reloads his save. The other contestants return without memories of the previous run, while he retains his knowledge 46 47.

He gathers contestants from countries friendly to Dragon Country and tells them to wait outside. Using a calculated opening, he retrieves the director’s badge, wins the four white lions’ trust again, and orders employees to seal the Elephant Enclosure. His immediate aim includes preventing the security guard’s earlier sacrifice 48 49 50.

Personality

Su Chen is analytical and deceptive when necessary. He feigns confusion around Kim Xiba, tests the black-uniformed shopkeeper’s motives, and uses apparently friendly conversations to cultivate Kenichiro’s suspicions. When a problem offers no immediate answer, he can deliberately set it aside rather than exhaust himself over it 4 8 11 24.

His risk-taking is calculated rather than fearless in every situation. The save point encourages investigation, but after barely escaping the Aquarium he admits that he might not survive the same encounter twice. He also retreats from provoking the shadow when its killing intent proves genuine 10 32 43.

Su Chen’s loyalty to Dragon Country combines national pride with harsh retaliation against its enemies. He vows to bring the country to the top and prioritizes saving friendly nations’ contestants during his second run 18 49.

His compassion becomes decisive when he learns what the Zoo’s employees have endured. He bows to the dead security guard and ultimately risks an already-secured escape to help the remaining staff. At the same time, he openly refuses to become a sacrificial black-uniformed employee 26 28 40 41.

Abilities & Skills

Save and Reload

The Death Rewind Trial Coupon allows Su Chen to establish a saved moment and return to it after death. He also demonstrates a manual reload after completing the scenario 1 47.

• Retained knowledge: He returns knowing the Zoo’s rules, event sequence, and important item locations 47 48 50.
• Persistent system rewards: The system confirms that rewards purchased before reloading will not disappear 44.
• Limited safety net: The trial coupon is consumed when he sets the save point. He cannot afford another coupon with his first-clearance points and treats the next run as having only one life left 1 43 46.

Rule Analysis

Su Chen solves the scenario by comparing independently obtained instructions rather than trusting any single rule set 8 9.

• Identifies abnormal eye number and placement as warnings that the entity is watching someone 9.
• Exposes the shopkeeper’s interest in the map’s dotted-line section and bargains for handbook access 11.
• Recognizes that apparent Rabbit Blood is mineral water under the shop’s perceptual distortion 13.
• Infers the Aquarium’s relationship to the Surface World and Otherworld, and identifies a potential early-morning exit window 27 35.
• Deciphers 98% of the Zoo’s rules by his first clearance 46.

Cognitive Resistance and Manipulation

Su Chen maintains his human identity to resist contamination, then learns to exploit weaknesses in the entity’s own understanding 10 19 31.

• Repeating “I am human” helps him recover from shop contamination and regain control of his eyelids in the Elephant Enclosure 10 19.
• Temporarily cooperating with the entity’s perception reduces its attention when he is trapped in the Aquarium 27.
• Uses the entity’s inability to distinguish humans from apes, uncertainty about jellyfish, and flawed understanding of eyes to interrupt its control 31.
• After reaching mental power 10, suppresses intrusive thoughts from the Director’s Office toys while keeping his eyes closed 46 50.
• Limits: His resistance does not make him immune. Earlier attacks disrupt his memory, movement, vision, and hearing 19 20 27 43.

Deception and Leadership

Su Chen uses bluffing, bargaining, and misdirection to obtain information or prevent dangerous behavior 11 26 34.

• Bluffs visitors into keeping their black uniforms on to avoid attracting the entity by changing clothes 26.
• Fakes night blindness and a stumble to steal the Aquarium handbook 34.
• Organizes friendly contestants before entry and gives contingency instructions if they enter accidentally 49 50.
• As director, summons employees and orders the Elephant Enclosure sealed 50.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Zoo map — Carries the visitor rules and a dotted-line section sought by the black-uniformed shopkeeper. Su Chen separates that section before testing the impostor 1 7 11.
• Rule notes and Employee Handbooks — His principal investigative resources, obtained from the security office, shopkeeper, Aquarium, and earlier protectors 8 9 11 29 34.
• Mobile phone — Used to check time, read documents, and provide light. Its flashlight creates shadows along the route when the entity helps him leave 27 35 45.
• Zoo Director’s Badge — A bronze badge found on a white lion doll. Establishes his directorship but makes him a white lion in the entity’s perception 42 43 44 50.
• Subconscious Amplification Device — A palm-sized, tower-shaped item purchased for 500 points. Sounds transmitted through it strengthen subconscious retention within its coverage area. Su Chen stores it in system space for his return to the Zoo; its deployment is not shown in the supplied chapters 46.
• Black work uniform — Used as evidence during his argument that he is an ape. He avoids wearing it because doing so risks control by the entity and eventual transformation 26 28 31.

Relationships

• Elder Qin — An early supporter who judges Su Chen by his actions rather than his records. Continues believing in him during the Aquarium crisis and later praises him as Dragon Country’s hope 7 14 27 31.
• Xiao Li — Initially prejudiced against Su Chen’s education and apparent ability; becomes sincerely convinced of his courage and analytical skill after the Aquarium escape 31.
• Kim Xiba — Enemy implicated in the previous Dragon Country contestant’s betrayal. Su Chen turns his cognitive contamination against him during the first run 3 14 15.
• Yamashita Kenichiro — Another betrayer whose apology Su Chen only pretends to accept. Su Chen engineers his death in the Lion Enclosure 15 16 24.
• Security guard — Rescuer whom Su Chen identifies with the elephant that saved him. His sacrifice strongly influences Su Chen’s decision to help the Zoo 21 28 40 50.
• Old Zhou — Former Zoo Director whose letter reveals the employees’ struggle and inspires Su Chen to take up their burden 40 41.
• Four white lions — Protectors and supporters of his directorship. Their intervention enables his first appointment; they recognize him again after the rollback 43 44 45 50.
• Iron Pakistan’s contestant — Friendly contestant who thanks him in Chinese and trusts his request to delay entering the Zoo during the second run 29 48.
• The entity (“it” / black shadow) — Principal opponent. Su Chen resists its cognitive attacks, exploits its perceptual weaknesses, and temporarily bargains with it to obtain an exit 31 43 45 46.

Notable Quotes

“As long as I'm here, Dragon Country will never fail again! I'll take Dragon Country to the very top!” 18

“I'm not. Only those bitten to death by a White Lion are Jellyfish! Those who get bitten by a White Lion and then drown aren't Jellyfish!” 31

“I must emphasize, what I need is absolute trust!” 45