Genius Playground

What?

Jiang Ran’s eyes went wide.

Qin Feng?

He never would have imagined that the mysterious, irredeemably evil man—the world’s number one criminal, code-named [Magician]...

...was actually named Qin Feng!

Qin Feng.

’Could it be the same Qin Feng I know?’

’Is he... my best friend from World Line 0, the stranger whose whereabouts are unknown on World Line 1?’

”How old is this Qin Feng?”

Jiang Ran asked excitedly,

”What does he look like? Where’s he from? He—”

”Shut the fuck up!”

Sang Biao slammed his palm against the iron bars with a CLANG, glaring at Jiang Ran.

”I don’t have time to play games with a little brat! Fuck, if we’re gonna break out, then let’s fucking do it! If not, then get the hell out of my sight and go to sleep!”

Well, then.

Sang Biao was furious.

Anyone could see he was desperate to break out and just as desperate to find accomplices. But... no one dared join him in such a life-or-death gamble.

Now, Sang Biao was fuming, and no one knew what he might do next.

Discretion is the better part of valor, so Jiang Ran fell silent.

’Worst case, I’ll just wait for Sang Biao to leave and have a good chat with Bookworm in cell #4 across the way. The old man seems kind and approachable. I should be able to get some information from him.’

”Sang Biao, if you’re going to go, then go. Stop trying to scare people.”

The stupid young man in cell #2 clung to the bars of his cell, chuckling.

”We live in a society of laws, you get it? Do you really believe all that stuff about silencing witnesses and pulling off grand deceptions?”

”[He’s telling the truth.]”

???

Suddenly, the occupant of cell #5 to the right spoke up.

It was a remarkably sharp voice.

Calm, steady, chilling, and authoritative... The voice’s characteristics were distinct.

This was the first time cell #5 had spoken since Sang Biao’s round of questions. Everyone fell silent and turned to look in that direction.

Sigh.

Jiang Ran gritted his teeth and sighed.

As things stood, Sang Biao from cell #1 was in the corridor, while the stupid young man from cell #2 and Bookworm from cell #4 were on the opposite side. From their positions, they could all easily see cell #5.

Only Jiang Ran, in cell #3, was on the same wall, right next door to the left of cell #5. Even if he pressed his face against the bars, he couldn’t see a thing next door.

He could sense it from the atmosphere...

The man in cell #5 held a high status in his fellow inmates’ eyes; he was someone they trusted.

Even the arrogant and unruly stupid young man in cell #2 was instantly flustered and stood there stunned after hearing the reply from cell #5.

Bookworm pushed up his glasses and looked toward cell #5.

”Why do you say that?”

”Because the shorty from cell #3 is, in fact, dead,” the voice from cell #5 said calmly.

”How do you know?” Bookworm pressed.

”I smelled it.”

The voice from cell #5 was low and icy.

”The day the shorty was taken away, he never came back. Later, a guard came to pack up his things. There was the smell of gunpowder on his cuffs and blood spattered on his trouser leg.”

”They don’t just fire guns in here. It’s only allowed under two circumstances: one, a prison break or an attempt to bust someone out, and the other... is self-explanatory. A firing squad execution.”

...

The words from cell #5 made the damp air feel like it was freezing over, and the temperature seemed to drop.

It was as if an executioner’s blade was poised over each of their heads, just waiting for the Magician to be beheaded before it fell on them next.

”Y-You, why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Sang Biao’s face had also turned a few shades paler.

It was clear now that when he’d claimed the shorty from cell #3 was killed, it had been a half-believed guess, mostly meant to trick the others into breaking out with him.

Who would have thought his words would come true? He had actually guessed right!

”I! I told you so!”

Sang Biao spun around in place twice.

”You’re all afraid of getting caught and shot during a prison break, but listen to me! If you don’t break out, you’ll die in here anyway!”

”It’s death either way, so you might as well gamble with me and break out! If we win this bet, we live! Are you all really going to just sit here and be buried with the Magician?!”

Be buried with him...?

Buried...?

...?

Down the empty corridor, Sang Biao’s roar echoed endlessly.

The fact that this didn’t attract any guards seemed to confirm what he’d said: all security forces were at the execution grounds outside today, leaving the prison block in a state of neglect.

The stupid young man pursed his lips in thought.

He was clearly hesitating.

’It’s death either way, so maybe I should take a gamble and try to break out?’

A glint of light reflected off Bookworm’s glasses, obscuring his expression, but he was likely just as shaken as the stupid young man.

In the end, their gazes landed, in unison, on cell #5.

Jiang Ran caught the movement.

Just as he’d thought, they all trusted the man in cell #5.

Even the boisterous Sang Biao was no exception. They all respected the occupant of cell #5.

The way the stupid young man and Bookworm looked at cell #5, they were undoubtedly waiting to hear his opinion.

This prison break.

To break out, or not to break out?

After a long silence with no response, Bookworm couldn’t help but speak up.

”A moment ago, when Sang Biao asked, ’What’s the most important thing for a successful prison break?’, your answer was [Luck].’

Bookworm pushed up his glasses, staring at the bars of cell #5.

”So what do you think now? There’s only an hour left until the Magician is beheaded.”

”In an hour, all the guards and security personnel will be back, and we’ll completely lose our only window of opportunity to escape.”

”So... do you think the [Luck] you mentioned will arrive in this final hour?”

”It’s already here.”

The voice was low and full of authority.

It was followed by the soft SHUFFLE of footsteps.

A lean, capable arm extended from the bars of cell #5, moving toward Jiang Ran like a slender, coiling snake.

A long, pale index finger pointed directly between Jiang Ran’s eyebrows.