Paintings of Terror

Translated by Eve

Edited by EB

“—Choose him! I choose him!” Liu Yufei stretched out his arm and pointed directly at Mu Yiran, agitated.

.

Everyone turned to look at him, a different expression on each person’s face.

“Choose him! Everyone, choose him! Choose that Mu guy!” Liu Yufei’s face was twisted from his frenzied state. “Everyone who has experienced the last two paintings all know that no matter who this guy teams up with, he always ends up leaving the painting alone! What about his teammates?! Have you guys ever wondered where his teammates have gone? Why did only he come out? Listen to me—don’t be tricked by his appearance. If our numbers keep dwindling and the remaining members are left with him, what do you think will happen? He will definitely leave all on his own and everyone else will die in this painting! So choose him! Everyone, choose him! Let him die first! Choose him!”

No one spoke. Only Liu Yufei’s roars reverberated through the air with the dust in this shabby house.

“What are you guys hesitating for?” Liu Yufei was on the brink of madness. He gesticulated with his hands widely. “Have you all forgotten? You guys don’t know, do you? If we don’t choose someone before nine o’clock, everyone will die! We’re out of time! Who can guarantee that they won’t be the next one picked to die by this painting?! Choose! Quickly, choose! Do you guys want to drag this out until nine?”

Seeing that everyone’s eyes were lowered and no one was willing to speak, Liu Yufei grabbed the jianbing vendor’s collar and glared at him, eyes protruding out of his skull. “Tell me! Who do you choose?! Choose quickly! Otherwise I’ll choose you. You’re going to die! Die! Choose quickly!”

The jianbing vendor shivered. He had completely lost all his willpower and ability to think. He only pointed at Mu Yiran subconsciously according to Liu Yufei’s words.

Mu Yiran’s gaze was serene. He looked at the crowd and then calmly opened his mouth. “You all know that we cannot go against the painting’s rules. We cannot resist them. Therefore, Liu Yufei was at least right about one thing. There’s no meaning to dragging this on to nine o’clock. Regardless, one person will ultimately die here, unless of course, no one wants to leave here alive.”

The doctor looked up at him. “That’s right. It doesn’t matter if we’re willing to do this or not. We have no choice but to follow the rules and choose someone. Although…it’s not morally right, the other option is for everyone here to die. We can only choose the better of the two options.”

“That’s right! There’s no place for fake righteousness or morals here!” Liu Yufei interrupted, irascible. “You can’t be humane here! All I know is that I don’t want to die. No one’s life is more important than my own! Don’t tell me you guys don’t feel the same? Who doesn’t know just how selfish humans are?! I’m not like you hypocrites who still want to pretend they have no other choice when you clearly look forward to seeing someone else die. Who cares about weighing your decisions?! Don’t try to justify your own selfish agendas! Time’s ticking—quickly say who you choose!”

Who knew if it was because the doctor’s thoughts had been interrupted or because he just didn’t want to pay any attention to the mad man, but the doctor looked back down silently.

Liu Yufei became even more violent. He grabbed Wei Dong and interrogated him. “Tell me! Who do you choose?”

Wei Dong was stunned. His eyes drifted to Ke Xun who was beside him.

Ke Xun was calm. He said in an insipid tone, “I abstain.”

Wei Dong promptly followed. “I also abstain. I don’t want to choose anyone. Choose whoever you want!”

Liu Yufei sneered and let go of him. “Heh, pretending to be a saint? Do you think that you guys are noble for not choosing anyone? You’re even more despicable and shameless for choosing to push the responsibility of choosing who to kill onto other people!”

Ke Xun raised his chin slightly and peered down at the other. “You’re right. I am despicable and shameless. Why don’t you choose me?”

Liu Yufei glared at him fiercely. He then questioned the doctor, “Who do you choose? Don’t try to pull some righteous bull. Choose immediately!”

The doctor regarded him peacefully. “Let me think it over. After all, this is no different from having to kill someone personally.”

Liu Yufei didn’t pester him anymore. He went to question the other two people. “If you don’t choose someone, someone will choose you. And if this drags on past nine, everyone will die. It’s better for one person to die than for everyone to die. What is there to be hesitant about? We’re voting for the good of the group. This is already the best case scenario. Someone has to be chosen. Don’t hesitate. Choose someone quickly. Time waits for no one. I chose that Mu guy. He’s the most cunning person around. When the time comes, he’ll definitely hurt others to ensure his own safety! Choose him! It’ll be advantageous for us to choose him!”

“Hey.” Ke Xun narrowed his eyes and walked over to Liu Yufei. “Don’t take things too far. You have to respect other people’s choices. I won’t accept the results of the vote if you keep meddling like this.”

Liu Yufei was shorter than Ke Xun by half a head. He had to look up to meet his gaze. He sneered. “It doesn’t matter whether or not you accept it. As soon as the results are out, the painting will acknowledge it. What do you think you are?!”

Ke Xun laughed but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Didn’t you already place your vote? How about I knock you unconscious right now? That wouldn’t be against the rules, right?”

“You—what are you doing?!” Liu Yufei roared as he backed up.

“I already made it clear.” Ke Xun raised his hand. “Who I am…you can think about it after tasting my fist.”

“You two—” Liu Yufei turned his head to the other two people, panicked. He howled, “Pick the Mu guy! Pick the Mu guy!”

“I have something to say.” Mu Yiran suddenly spoke up, gaze cast in Ke Xun’s direction.

Ke Xun walked back over. “I like to listen to you talk. Say what you have to say.”

Wei Dong: “….”

Mu Yiran’s gaze swept over the rest of the crowd. “Since we have to choose someone, then there’s no need for any superfluous words. Everyone here is a possible candidate. However, we are people, not lambs waiting to be slaughtered. The difference between people and lambs is that, at the very least, we should be given the right to explain why we are worth keeping alive. Everyone can then vote based on that. What do you all think?”

“I agree,” Ke Xun said.

“I also agree.” Wei Dong followed.

“I also think that this is a good suggestion.” The doctor was calm and rational. “At least it gives everyone one last chance to fight.”

The other two people also agreed. As for the jianbing vendor, he was still in a silent trance.

In contrast, Liu Yufei’s emotions were volatile. “I don’t agree! The Mu guy is trying to swindle his way out of this ! He’s trying to deceive you all!”

“Five people agree, one abstains and one is against it. That means that the proposal goes through.” As he spoke, Ke Xun took two steps forwards. He then swung his fist against Liu Yufei’s face.

He had held back. The impact had only caused Liu Yufei to take three or four steps back. Two lines of blood trickled out from Liu Yufei’s nose but the punch succeeded in silencing his roars.

“Let’s begin.”

No one paid attention to Liu Yufei, who had been stunned from the punch. They only exchanged glances with each other. The doctor asked, “Who wants to go first?”

One of the people who had been tasked with grave-digging last night deliberated his words and then said, “I know that everyone wants to survive. No one wants to be voted out. There’s no need to mention humanity in a situation like this.

“I just want to say that I’m just a regular person. I’ve never done anything bad in my life. Every day, I live my life honestly. My wife divorced me two years ago. She left me and my son before disappearing without a trace.

“My child is only three years old this year. My parents are old and their bodies aren’t well. They spend half the year at the hospital. If I were to die here, I don’t know what will happen to my child….

“Perhaps he’ll no longer have a next meal. Perhaps he’ll open up his puzzled eyes every morning, with no clue as to why he has no parents. Maybe he’ll fall sick and have no one to care for him. His skinny, tiny body will curl up in the corner, all pitiful and alone….

“Sorry…I didn’t mean to use my child to gain your pity. But I…I really don’t want to die here and leave my pitiful kid alone. I just hope that when we cast our votes, you will at least consider my situation. I-I thank everyone in advance….”

By the time this person finished speaking, there were tear streaks all over his face.

Everyone was silent. A moment later, the doctor spoke up. “All right. I’ll speak a few words on my own behalf now. I’m a doctor. Although there are no tools or medication inside the painting, I can at least perform first aid under some circumstances. I don’t know if there will be a next painting, or a next next painting after we leave this one. If there is, I think that my expertise and skills will be of great assistance. I hope that when we vote, everyone will consider my usefulness. Thank you.”

The second person who had been tasked with grave-digging last night promptly followed. “I’m also useful. I am. I am the boss of my own company. I have money. As long as you spare me, I will compensate every single person with a hundred thousand yuan. I promise! If you don’t believe me, I can write an IOU for a hundred thousand yuan right here! No—two hundred thousand yuan! I’ll give everyone here two hundred thousand yuan!”

Liu Yufei finally seemed to snap out of it. He didn’t bother with settling it with Ke Xun and shouted, “Don’t choose me. I can’t die! I’m a PHD candidate at a famous university situated in the capital! I’m an important talent cultivated by our country! I am useful to our country!

“Do you know how scarce talent is in our country right now? Do you know how difficult it is for our country to cultivate a talented person? This country needs me. If society wants to advance, it needs me. Whether or not your lives will improve all depends on talents like me!

“You should all understand the principle of ‘survival of the fittest,’ right? Whether it’s large-scale, like a society, or small-scale, like our group right now, the best thing to do is to retain outstanding talents and eliminate the useless, mediocre people who will only drag us down! It’s all for the sake of increasing the chances of the group’s survival!

“Therefore, you can’t choose me. We should choose useless people! For example, him. For example, them! Use your brains and consider it carefully!”

Liu Yufei pointed at the jianbing vendor, Ke Xun and Wei Dong.

Wei Dong was speechless. “Even someone like this can become a PHD candidate at a famous university? He’s kidding, right?”

Ke Xun had no expression on his face. “There is no correlation between one’s education and one’s character.”

“Tell me, what skill or strong point do you guys have to justify sparing you?!” Liu Yufei glared at the two of them, gaze sinister.

“Oh. I wasn’t going to say anything but after seeing your performance, I suddenly thought of a good point for myself,” Ke Xun said,” At the very least, I will never maul someone to death like a rabid dog to ensure my own survival.”

As soon as he spoke, everyone’s gazes twinkled in contemplation.

Mu Yiran turned to look at Ke Xun, the look in his eyes growing profound. 𝐛𝐞𝐝𝗻𝐨𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝐜𝐨𝗺

This fellow really exceeded his expectations sometimes.

The guy always seemed to act unfettered and free-spirited in front of others. He also gave off the impression of being a bad guy, like “I’m going to do things my way, what are you going to do about it?”

But his words just now…Mu Yiran didn’t know if it was intentional, but his words had carried a sliver of craftiness that was, while not sharp, enough to cause a fatal blow.

That’s right. A fatal blow.

He didn’t have to describe why he should be spared at all. All he had to do was grab hold of what people cared about the most, what people feared about the most, what people had the most misgivings about. He just needed a comparison to put him into an invincible position.

——With a selfish, frenzied Liu Yufei who would recklessly bite others here, the others would never choose him. This was because Liu Yufei was still there beneath him.

Now that he thought about it, had Ke Xun abstained in the beginning in preparation for this?

…Was he actually that smart?

People had many sides to them.

This Ke Xun…perhaps he shouldn’t underestimate him.

Eve: That’s right! Don’t underestimate my Ke Xun! He’s actually very smart! He just needs to grow into his brain cells, hmph!