Chapter 26: Conflict

The two policemen walked into the supermarket and saw the food strewn all over the floor as their eyes lit up as they rushed forward and placed a bread as well as as instant noodles greedily into their mouths before seeming to think of something as they stopped and turned to look at the group.historical

“Can they be eaten?” The policeman in his thirties asked, it was clear that he was suspicious of the origins of the food.

Qin Jia Gui nodded as an expression of befuddlement appeared on his face, the two men dressed in police uniforms did not seem like they were rescue personnel who could help them but rather seemed as though they were people like them who were fighting for their lives within the forest.

Seeing Qin Jia Gui’s nod, the cop took a sniff and felt that the bread seemed fresh before finally placing it into his mouth and began eating, thereafter he also took a bottle of water from the ground and gulped big mouthfuls from the bottle before sighing as his face recovered some of its vigor.

The other cop who seemed slightly younger cop found the cigarettes within the glass cabinet as he opened the lid of one and took a cigarette before tossing one over to the other cop.

The older cop caught the cigarette as he placed it into his mouth before receiving a lighter and lit it, taking a puff he looked at the group of people before him and spoke: “I’m Yu Guo Zhi, he’s Sun Da. We’re police officers from the local police station of Ji Xian, you’re all students from that college? Only the few of you? No teachers?”

Qin Jia Gui looked back at Lin Shi as he said: “I’m called Qin Jia Gui, he is the only teacher within our group.”

Yu Guo Zhi looked at Lin Shi as he said: “Teacher, what are your current circumstances, can you give an account of it?” It was clear that he was unwilling to engage in a conversation with Qin Jia Gui and these younger students and seemed to feel that only the teacher had the authority to represent this group and speak equally with him.

Lin Shi stared blankly before speaking: “Yesterday around two in the afternoon, our school suddenly appeared within this forest. There are now over a thousand teachers and students stuck there, unable to advance or retreat and the food within the school will only barely last two days. The situation is very dire....”

Lin Shi seemed as though he wanted to continue but Yu Guo Zhi was already waving his hand: “I understand, the few of you have been sent out of the school to investigate the surroundings right? Ha....”

Lin Shi made an affirmative noise in response but did not know how to carry on.

Zhao Shi Chang took over: “Officer Yu, are the two of you.... could the two of you.... be the same as us? What is the reason for all that is going on?”

When Yu Guo Zhi and Sun Da had first appeared, the group was wildly elated however after some interaction, their excitement died down. Seeing the sorry figures they cut and their actions as they went at the food like hungry ghosts, it seemed that they had fared even worse than them, and looking to depend on them seemed impossible.

Yu Guo Zhi took another puff before he replied: “It’s simple, we also don’t know the reason but we have indeed been brought to this area within the forest. All means to communicate with the outside world have been cut off and it is exactly as you see it, we are like stray dogs that have no where to return to, or it could be that some superpower created this practical joke or we could all just be dreaming....”

Having said this, he suddenly fiercely threw away the cigarette in his hand as he continued: “Who the f*** can tell me exactly what is going on here? I also want to find someone to question about a reason.”

Yu Guo Zhi suddenly vented his anger at the group and Qin Jia Gui and the others became silent. At the back, Wei Zhang Ming suddenly shouted: “Practical joke? I remember, I remember something, it could possibly explain everything that is happening before us.”

“Eh?” Yu Guo Zhi’s eyes stared at him as savageness seemed to radiate within.

Seeing the gaze of everyone on him, Wei Zhang Ming coughed softly before continuing: “Has anyone watched the movie ‘The Truman Show’ before? The main protagonist of the show is a person called Truman and he lived in a world that was created by someone else. Everything that he believed to be real was actually created for him by the mega movie company of some superpower. Whatever he experienced was all part of an authentic show and everyone but him knew the truth. I think.... what we are going through right now could be the same as that of ‘The Truman Show’. We have actually been placed here by some group with certain backing and this area was created by them. In this place we have to struggle for our lives, escape or even kill and in fact.... in fact all the people in world can use their televisions to watch us perform?”

Having finished his piece, his voice had changed as he felt that this was simply too frightening.

Yu Guo Zhi looked at Wei Zhang Ming without speaking, Sun Da the younger looking cop looked had a despising expression on his face as he suddenly said: “If this place were really created artificially created, I think only aliens would have that sort of capability. On earth, no country has the scientific capabilities to create something with such an outcome.”

Wei Zhang Ming’s face was red as he thought about it. Sending an entire school into a forest within a matter of seconds and creating those green monsters, gaining strange energy when they killed the monsters, all this was simply inconceivable and definitely surpassed the limits of human knowledge. If all this were artificial, only aliens could have done it.

“In that case, I also don’t know the reason. That’s right, Su Yu has mentioned that it could be the ‘Sky Holes’. Our school as well as the supermarket could very likely have fallen into this forest due to the ‘Sky Hole’. If this is real then we currently aren’t on the world we were previously on.” Wei Zhang Ming seemed to recall something as he shouted.

Yu Zhi Guo stared blankly for a moment before speaking: “This seems to be rather logical, however, currently thinking about these things is simply f***ing useless, we need to think of how to carry on living. The food here would be enough for us to live on for ten days to half a month. With more time, we will be able to find a way out of this forest and properly understand what is going on in this f***ing place.”

Although this Yu Zhi Guo was in his thirties, his mouth constantly spewed vulgarities and came off as gangster with a foul mouth*.

[T/N*: Not exactly sure what this means 江湖痞气]

Qin Jia Gui immediately shouted: “No way! These food were found by us first and the school still has over one thousand people, everyone is waiting for our news.”

Yu Zhi Gui immediately took out his pistol as he pointed it at Qin Jia Gui’s head and said: “Young chap, do you have any f***ing objections?”

Qin Jia Gui’s fists involuntarily clenched as a layer of jet-black metal skin emerged out from the back of his right hand, covering his entire fist.

Sun Da walked forward as he waved his hands, he spoke more gently than Yu Zhi Guo: “Don’t be mistaken, we don’t have any other intentions. All of us have suddenly appeared within this forest for reasons unbeknownst to us, we should be helping one another. With Yu Zhi Guo and myself here together with all of you, we have a good chance of making it out of this forest. As for the thousand over students you were mentioning.... We naturally feel concerned for them, however, we should first find a way out before going to help them. Isn’t that right young fellow?”