Chapter 27: Saw of Terror (For Recommendation Votes)

Gazing at the five copper coins, Zhang Xiaofan found himself intrigued and reached out to touch one in the middle. The patterns on each coin were distinct, their meanings unknown to him, so he asked curiously, "Shall I try one and see how lucky I am?"

Hu Xiaotian, solemn-faced, picked up the coins, muttered a few words under his breath, then tossed them into the air. As they fell, he pressed his hand down and called out, "Reveal!"

"Not bad, Xiaofan. Tomorrow you’ll encounter romance—your luck is quite good," Hu Xiaotian raised his brows, his eyes filled with envy.

"You’re not just making this up, are you?" Zhang Xiaofan replied, doubtful.

"Why would I lie?" Hu Xiaotian pointed at the pattern of a woman on the coin and explained, "Look, after I blessed it, the pattern transformed into a woman—on both sides, even. What does that mean? It means two women will be entangled with you."

Zhang Xiaofan’s eyes widened as he glared at Hu Xiaotian, "Are you trying to fool me? Everyone knows Lin Rou and Su Qianqian are always around me."

Hu Xiaotian scratched his head innocently, "I didn’t know..."

"Alright, alright, I’m already annoyed enough by the two of them. Stop teasing me," Zhang Xiaofan said.

"I'm not teasing. That’s what the fortune says. It also says both of them will have trouble tomorrow," Hu Xiaotian remarked, staring in shock at the coin, stroking its pattern and mumbling. Suddenly, the coin began to burn in midair, and soon it was reduced to a pile of ash.

The sight made Zhang Xiaofan leap to his feet, his face uncertain as he stared at the coin. He muttered, "Xiaotian, how accurate is your fortune-telling, really?"

"So far, it hasn't been confirmed..."

"Then why did it suddenly burn?"

"It revealed a heavenly secret..."

That night, Zhang Xiaofan tossed and turned, unable to sleep, his mind replaying Hu Xiaotian’s fortune-telling.

Without realizing it, morning arrived. Zhang Xiaofan hurried into the classroom, and seeing Su Qianqian already there, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He glanced around—Lin Rou hadn’t arrived yet. Zhang Xiaofan smiled wryly to himself; he and Lin Rou were no longer possible, yet he still thought of her. Perhaps he regarded her as a good friend now.

"Xiaofan, why are you here so early today?" Su Qianqian ran over and grabbed his arm, no longer caring how their classmates viewed them.

"Couldn’t sleep last night, so I got up early," Zhang Xiaofan smiled, "Are you alright?"

"I’m fine," Su Qianqian shrugged, frowning, "What’s wrong with you? Why couldn’t you sleep?"

"I was thinking about you," he said, pulling her into an embrace.

"You’re so bad, always bullying me," Su Qianqian pouted, though she nestled happily in his arms.

Just then Lin Rou entered, her gaze full of resentment as she glared at Su Qianqian, lost in thought.

Soon, the students from the first and third years arrived as well. After these days of games, they’d grown used to gathering at this hour. Oddly, their classmates seemed to consider attending lessons here perfectly normal. Even on the class roster, they now belonged to Class 2-4—the class ruled by the Red Envelope Group.

Shen Fengxing, eager for attention, stepped up to the podium. "Yesterday everyone heard about Hundred Flowers Village. Has anyone learned anything about it?"

The students exchanged puzzled looks. Shen Fengxing sighed, "Alright, when you have time, look it up online."

Xu Xiuli was absent today, replaced by a substitute—a middle-aged man, heavy with worry. Strangely, four men followed him, each carrying a machine.

The machines were covered in oilcloth, their shapes concealed, but from the way the men carried them, it was clear they were heavy.

"Teacher, what are these?" Shen Fengxing asked directly.

The middle-aged teacher adjusted his glasses, voice trembling, "Your classmates asked me to bring these for your extracurricular activities. They’ll set them up for you—I’ll be leaving now."

Without a backward glance, he hurried away, unwilling to linger even a minute longer.

His behavior left the students uneasy, their skin prickling with goosebumps. Yet with nothing to say, they watched as the four pallid, expressionless men assembled the machines.

When the oilcloth was removed, the students were shocked. The machines were four modified aluminum alloy cutting saws, painted green, each fitted with a ten-inch circular blade that gleamed menacingly.

The four men operated three machines each, securing them atop four desks. Once powered on, the blades spun, emitting a piercing, chaotic noise.

But the setup wasn’t finished. Next, they removed the blade guards, exposing the blades to the open air. Now, if anyone touched a blade while it spun, they would surely be cut.

Finally, the men installed push-pull levers at the front and back, affixing handles and testing their movement. Only then did the students realize the blades could slide along the levers, moving forward and back.

In other words, from the front, pushing the lever would drive the blade forward; from the back, it worked the same way.

The four men pressed the switches again, fine-tuned the machines, nodded solemnly to indicate the setup was complete, and left the classroom without uttering a word.

"What are these for? Why do we need four machines?"

"Who knows? Look carefully—these machines remind me of something I saw in a movie."

"What movie?"

"Take a closer look—don’t they resemble the machines in one of the Saw films?"

"I remember now! At the start of that film, a woman toyed with two men’s affections, and then the villain tied them to these machines, ordering them to push with all their strength. Whoever pushed farther survived—the other was killed by the blade," someone recalled.

Ding:

Bao Lei: Classmates, you’ve enjoyed the previous games, haven’t you? I believe you’ve all had a wonderful time. Well, today we’re playing a competitive game.

Saw!

The rules are simple. Before explaining them, as usual, I’ll send a big red envelope. I hope you’ll continue to strive bravely and survive through the game.

Sun Yang sent a big red envelope as usual. Zhang Xiaofan felt uneasy, not wanting to claim it, but remembering past consequences, he obediently joined in.

Now, with more participants and the game upgraded, the envelope was substantial—fifty thousand. The first and third-year students had no clue what it was for, and after claiming it, exchanged bewildered glances.

Ding!

Bao Lei: Now announcing the game rules...