Chapter 173
Chapter 173
Mr. Huo stared at the cards in surprise for a second, but immediately regained his composure.
Then he applauded.
“Excellent. Congratulations on passing. I will take you to the next level at once.”
Big Gold Tooth immediately objected.
“Mr. Huo, they cheated! This shouldn’t count!”
To his surprise, Mr. Huo looked baffled.
“Did I ever say cheating was forbidden? I don’t believe I did. This is the Nightmare Prison. Cheating is one of the behaviors we encourage.”
His eyes gleamed golden as he gazed at Liu Ye.
“As expected of Mr. Liu Ye. So devious, so cunning.”
Liu Ye was speechless.
He decided not to argue with this fool. The man would never understand Liu Ye’s good intentions anyway.
Big Gold Tooth ranted and raved for a while. When he saw there was nothing he could do, he finally accepted his fate.
Mr. Huo clapped his hands. The ceiling split open down the middle, and a staircase descended from above.
“You must travel the remainder of the way on your own. I very much hope to see you all again. May each of you soon be betrayed by your nearest and dearest!”
With that, Mr. Huo and all the dealers vanished.
The group climbed the stairs. After following a long passage, they finally reached a large door.
Liu Ye pushed it open, and a blast of piercing noise struck them head-on.
When they stepped through, they discovered a nightclub. Men and women packed the place, screaming at the top of their lungs. On the central stage, beautiful, scantily dressed dancers with stunning figures writhed beneath the lights.
“It’s so noisy.”
Liu Ye covered his ears in discomfort. He hated places like this.
“Welcome, everyone!”
A voice suddenly rang out. They turned and saw a dwarf barely a meter tall, dressed in a suit and staring at them.
“Welcome to the Chamber of Desire. Here, you will experience the ultimate pleasures. I am your host. You may call me Mr. Gao.”
“Oh, I see. People really do name themselves after what they lack,” Liu Ye said in realization.
A giant throbbing vein appeared on Mr. Gao’s forehead. This man was infuriating.
Still, Mr. Gao considered himself a man of refinement. He would not stoop to arguing.
“Since you have reached this place, I assume you passed the game in the Chamber of Betrayal. If you wish to pass through our chamber, you will likewise need to undergo one small test.”
Mr. Gao clapped his hands. More than a dozen handsome men and beautiful women approached, two taking their places beside each member of the group.
“The test here is simple. You need only remain for one night. During that night, we will not attack you in any way. This is a place of Desire, and here there is nothing but Desire. If, after one night, you still wish to leave, I will let you pass.”
He raised a microphone and shouted, “Okay! Ladies and gentlemen, it is another beautiful night! Raise your hands, move your bodies, and welcome our new friends!”
Boom, boom… Boom-boom-boom…
Heavy drumbeats pounded in their ears. Lights swept repeatedly across Liu Ye and the others. Surrounded by the cheers of handsome men and beautiful women, the group could not help swaying to the music.
“Handsome, have a drink!”
“Yes, handsome. I just love that big gold tooth of yours.”
“Come on, give me a kiss!”
Big Gold Tooth was the first to lose himself. Immersed in the atmosphere, he abruptly no longer wanted to leave.
With a beauty in each arm and another feeding him beer, Big Gold Tooth could not have been happier. He decided on the spot that he wanted to remain here forever.
Wang Weiwei was much the same. The moment she saw the muscular hunks and pretty young men around her, she fell completely under their spell and agreed to everything they said.
Li Wei and the others fared better. After losing so many treasures in the Chamber of Betrayal, they were in no mood for frivolous pleasures.
Then a voice sounded beside Li Wei’s ear, instantly shattering his composure.
“Li Wei?”
Li Wei jerked his head up. The person he had dreamed of day and night stood before him, and his emotions immediately escaped his control.
“Chen Jie?”
A young woman in a white blouse and skirt stood in front of him. Sweet and pretty, she looked like the girl next door and was utterly out of place in her surroundings.
“Li Wei, how did you end up here too?”
The woman rushed over in delight and hugged him. Li Wei’s mind grew hazy in an instant.
Before he could react, she took his hand and pulled him away.
“Let’s go over there!”
Li Wei could not resist at all. He simply let her lead him away.
Nor was he the only one. Zhang Yanyan saw her idol, Zhang Shun saw his parents, and Zhang Ru saw her family.
“They’re fake. This is all fake.”
Zhang Ru repeated the words desperately inside her mind, yet tears still welled uncontrollably in her eyes.
She missed them.
The dancers around her all became familiar faces: childhood classmates, teachers, relatives, and friends.
They beckoned for Zhang Ru and the others to join them. Everyone found themselves wondering whether they should indulge just this once. It was only for a single night, after all.
Before long, they had all been led away. Some poured out their hearts to the apparitions, while others danced with them on the floor.
Mr. Gao was extremely satisfied with their reactions. He was about to leave when he noticed someone standing rigidly in place, a terrible eyesore.
Mr. Gao narrowed his eyes. It was none other than the man who had mocked him upon entering. Worse, the illusions surrounding Liu Ye did not seem to affect him.
That did not matter. Mr. Gao had countless methods at his disposal. One of them was bound to suit the man’s tastes.
“Sir, why aren’t you joining the others?”
“It’s too noisy. I don’t like it,” Liu Ye replied, shaking his head.
“That’s easily fixed. Whatever you enjoy, we can arrange it for you,” Mr. Gao said.
“Really?” Liu Ye asked excitedly.
“Of course. Just tell me-what kind of dancing do you enjoy?”
“I like errenzhuan!”
Mr. Gao was speechless.
What distinctive taste.
“Um, sir, do you really think errenzhuan is… suitable for a place like this?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? I think it would be great.” Liu Ye looked genuinely confused.
Mr. Gao was speechless again.
Was this what they called a fusion of modern and rural culture? Such taste! This was the Chamber of Desire. Whatever a guest desired, they could provide-and therefore had to provide.
Mr. Gao clapped his hands and summoned a subordinate. After hearing the order, the man stared blankly.
“Mr. Gao, are they really supposed to dance that?”
“Dance!” Mr. Gao declared firmly.
With no other choice, the subordinate relayed the order. The handsome men and beautiful women onstage exchanged bewildered looks when they heard it.
Errenzhuan? They had never learned anything like that.