Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Because of this incident, nationalist forces in Sakura Nation began a resurgence.
Even the country’s leaders felt this was indeed an opportunity to regain their own armed forces.
With the Horror World upon them, every nation was too busy dealing with its own troubles.
If Sakura Nation took this opportunity to tear up the agreements imposed on it as a defeated nation, no country would have the leisure to sanction it.
They might as well openly deploy the army they had secretly built over the years with support from their dear old daddy, Ugly Nation.
Then they could find a fat lamb and take a bite.
As long as their territory grew,
they would have a greater margin for error even if they lost in the Horror World later.
They could also bleed their colonies dry to keep themselves alive.
That way, Sakura Nation could surely become great again.
They immediately put their plan into action.
A meeting was convened at once to select their next military target.
“I propose that Sakura Nation use Longguo’s attack on us as grounds to invade! The army of Sakura Nation is invincible. Fighting Longguo would be no harder than slaughtering dogs! We are certain to seize its vast territory!”
One person, their face flushed with excitement, slapped the table and shouted.
“Baka! With an army as pathetic as Sakura Nation’s, you still dare provoke Longguo? Can you beat Longguo? You cannot! We should follow my plan and launch a surprise attack on Ugly Nation instead. The navy of the Great Sakura Empire is invincible! Beating Ugly Nation would be as easy as killing chickens!”
Another man, equally excited, offered his own proposal.
This pair of peerless fools launched into a fierce argument.
The other members of the army and navy factions soon joined in.
The dispute gradually spiraled out of control, with every imaginable national insult flying through the room.
Some people even began shoving one another.
Sakura Nation had clearly inherited its ancestors’ fine tradition of hostility between the army and navy.
History from decades ago was playing out all over again.
There was a slight difference, to be fair. Last time, Sakura Nation’s army had proposed attacking Bear Nation.
In the end, however, that pair of fools had gone their separate ways and split their forces.
Sakura Nation’s army was brutally thrashed by Bear Nation, while its navy was smashed by Ugly Nation.
Even now, they had learned nothing from history.
The peerless fools had returned!
While the people of Sakura Nation argued among themselves,
Longguo’s livestream chat was also in chaos.
Citizens of Sakura Nation flooded into Longguo’s livestream and hurled abuse everywhere.
“That Su Chen of yours is utterly vicious! He actually plotted against a Chosen One from a friendly nation. You must make his entire family slice open their bellies to atone!”
“Exactly. The people of Longguo are a despicable race. Their Chosen One has no idea what propriety, justice, integrity, or shame even mean.”
“Fuck, can you Sakura dogs crawl back to your own livestream? And you dare talk about propriety and shame? Why didn’t you say that when that dog Yamashita repaid kindness with treachery and tried to ruin our contestant?”
“People from Sakura Nation are disgusting. They have no sense of right and wrong at all! When they hurt someone, they think a bow settles everything, and no one is even allowed to curse them. If you do, somehow you’re the unreasonable one. But the moment someone retaliates, they want to murder that person’s whole family! No wonder a country like that dumps wastewater into the sea!”
“Well done, Su Chen! This also honors the people who died in the recent disasters. What a satisfying way to vent our anger!”
“Go, Su Chen! Clear the scenario and make them die of rage!”
…
When the people in Longguo’s livestream saw Sakura Nation arrive to provoke them,
they immediately launched a human-wave attack.
They tore the other side to shreds with insults
and quickly won the argument.
Back in the zoo, Su Chen glanced at the death announcement that had appeared before him.
A brilliant smile spread across his face.
Then he strode toward the Aquarium ahead.
With his revenge complete, it was time to study how he could escape.
He refused to believe this zoo truly had no solution.
The Aquarium ahead might be the only answer!
He soon reached its entrance.
The survivors who had left earlier were now crowded to the right of the doors, apparently looking at something.
Su Chen went over as well.
He forced his way through the crowd. Thanks to his sturdy physique, he soon squeezed near the front.
A notice immediately came into view.
[If you are fortunate enough to see this notice, do not draw attention to it. Letting others discover that you can see it is taboo. You can surely tell from the rules on the map that this zoo is unsafe, even bizarre. We are an undercover government organization dedicated to protecting innocent visitors. You must follow the rules below to ensure your safety. This is your only means of escaping the zoo.]
1. Enter the Aquarium. There is no one inside. Collect a black uniform at the entrance and put it on. This is the only way to signal our personnel that you accept rescue. When you walk around outside, our personnel will notice your clothing. Do not worry about official zoo employees causing you trouble. They will ignore you.
2. Do not go to the Lion Enclosure.
3. Make sure there are rabbits wherever you are: escaped rabbits, rabbit-themed toys, people wearing rabbit-ear accessories, or “rabbit blood” from the beverage stand. Rabbits are our code. They symbolize “safety” and “protection.”
4. Do not visit the Elephant Enclosure.
5. Do not trust or obey any slogan on the map. If you have obeyed any of them, or if you feel there is a problem with your cognition, immediately examine the map issued to each visitor at the zoo entrance. A dotted line is marked on it. Tear off the section along the dotted line, go to the Rabbit Enclosure, and feed the paper to a rabbit without being discovered if possible. Then remain there. Once you hear laughter that clearly does not come from the visitors’ direction, you may leave the enclosure. Afterward, proceed to the Primate Enclosure. The safe exit is at the end of the road on the right.
Su Chen fell silent as he read the notice.
Although all its text was printed in black,
he could see far too many errors in it.
At the very least, he knew that Rules One and Five were definitely problematic.
He had seen a staff member in black run onto the right-hand road in the Primate Enclosure.
Soon afterward, a monkey wearing a black uniform had appeared on the monkey mountain.
That staff member had clearly turned into a primate.
Then there were the black uniforms themselves. Su Chen had encountered someone wearing one in the shop,
and that person had nearly tricked him.
From their conversation and the ensuing battle of wits,
he could tell that the man in black served “It.”
That meant Rules One and Five were certainly wrong.
He turned his attention to Rules Two and Four.
They warned people not to visit the Lion Enclosure or the Elephant Enclosure.
Was that because anyone wearing black would be attacked by the righteous white lions?
If so, it further confirmed that those in black were helping “It” commit evil.
As for avoiding the Elephant Enclosure, perhaps people in black had suffered severe cognitive contamination and, after being treated through the white lions’ bites, had already lost some mysterious part of themselves.
Their resistance might have fallen as a result.
On top of that, the Elephant Enclosure was exceptionally bizarre.
Returning there could easily destroy their grasp on reality and condemn them beyond recovery.
If all those guesses were correct, then there was Rule Three.
Stay close to rabbits!
No matter how he looked at it, this rule seemed designed to get people killed.
Rabbits already contaminated cognition, while those in black were damaged and incomplete.
Given enough time, they were certain to mutate.
This was deliberately sending them to their deaths.
Wait, sending them to their deaths?
Su Chen’s eyes lit up as he seized on the crucial point.
Yes. It was meant to send the staff in black to their deaths!