In the almost frozen darkness, Shang Jianyao and Jiang Baimian sat opposite each other. Neither spoke.
Unknowingly, it felt like the first person to speak would lose.
Finally, Jiang Baimian broke the silence and laughed self-deprecatingly. “Why should I compete with you?”
As she spoke, she stood up, covered her mouth, and yawned. “I’ll go lie down on the sofa and sleep for a while. As for you, you can count your heartbeats and seriously feel the circulation of every part of your body. You can also mentally go through all the oral histories you’ve previously read and do a brief summary and inspection.
“Try to see if you can get some inspiration or comb through the matter regarding Wang Yafei and Shen Du from beginning to end to see if you have missed any key points. Additionally, you can also get up and walk or stroll. As long as you can see, dancing won’t be a problem.”
After giving her instructions, Jiang Baimian strode forward and nimbly circled around the different obstacles in the darkness before successfully arriving at the sofa.
Shang Jianyao regretfully said, “You actually didn’t trip.”
Jiang Baimian immediately smiled. “You sure are cooperative. You know how to bring this up.
“When I switched on the flashlight just now, I observed my surroundings and memorized most of the items’ exact locations. At the same time, I can also sense the electric signals from my motion. From there, I can adjust my direction and not deviate from the designated landing spot.
“Remember, you have to grasp the surrounding layout and terrain quickly, no matter where you are. It can save lives at critical moments.”
Jiang Baimian was clearly very pleased with herself.
After educating her team member, Jiang Baimian sat down and retracted her legs. “I’m sleeping.”
Just as she said that, she laughed again. “You can wake me up if you’re afraid, but don’t wake me up with singing!”
Shang Jianyao’s words were stuck in his throat.
Jiang Baimian deliberately pretended to fall asleep. After waiting for a while, she gradually heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that Shang Jianyao did not exhibit any signs of his previous state.
As she feigned sleep, Jiang Baimian eventually fell asleep.
Jiang Baimian was woken up by a sudden beam of light shining at her. She abruptly stood up, lifted her thick cotton coat, and looked around in confusion. “What time is it?”
“It’s 6:30.” Shang Jianyao’s voice sounded from nearby.
Jiang Baimian subconsciously looked over and realized that the fellow was actually doing a handstand with his back against the wall.
“W-what are you doing?” Although Jiang Baimian had recently been able to grasp Shang Jianyao’s responses and deter him from saying weird stuff in advance, she really couldn’t understand why he was doing a handstand.
Shang Jianyao maintained his posture and calmly replied, “A way to change the way I consider things. I’m looking at the problem from a different perspective.”
“...This angle is indeed extraordinary.” Jiang Baimian praised him against her true beliefs. “Then, did you gain anything?”
“No.” Shang Jianyao exerted strength with his waist and abdomen, and with a push off the floor with his arm, he stood up properly.
Jiang Baimian decided not to continue the topic. She took two silent breaths and asked, “How was it last night?”
“I just couldn’t use the bathroom,” Shang Jianyao replied frankly.
Jiang Baimian relaxed and smiled. “You can go. There are sensor lights in the public bathroom here at night.”
“It’s mainly because it’s easy to bump into something before leaving,” Shang Jianyao explained seriously.
Jiang Baimian was just about to reply, “What’s the big deal? It’s not like you’ll kill yourself by bumping into things.”
However, she suddenly had a thought and smiled. “Were you worried that you’ll create a commotion and wake me up?”
“That’s impolite.” Shang Jianyao did not show any signs of having his thoughts seen through.
Jiang Baimian then praised, “That’s not bad.”
She stretched her waist and limbs and smiled. “You’ve adapted well. Continue reading the oral histories this morning. You can go back and rest in the afternoon. You don’t have to participate in the training session.
“In the future, you just need to stay here when it’s your turn. Don’t be too anxious. Take things one step at a time. As long as you can take every step steadily, trust me; this fear of yours isn’t a big problem. You will definitely emerge victorious.”
At this point, Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and said, “I’ve read an Old World book, and there’s this sentence in it: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger[1].”
Shang Jianyao nodded solemnly, indicating that he would keep it in mind.
As Jiang Baimian walked to the door, she casually said, “I’ll go wash up. Yes... I have to rest well tonight.
“No, what if Bai Chen has a similar fear? What if Long Yuehong is more afraid of the dark than you are and is more afraid of the silent and relatively sealed darkness? Sigh, I have to watch over them for the next two nights. I mustn’t have anything go wrong...
“It’s so tiring being a team leader!”
Shang Jianyao quietly listened to Jiang Baimian’s complaints and volunteered. “I can help you watch over them.”
Jiang Baimian frowned and asked rather vigilantly, “Are you trying to scare them?”
“Since we are training our courage, how can we be missing that?” Shang Jianyao said boldly and confidently.
Jiang Baimian’s eyes slightly flickered as she smiled. “This suggestion can be considered, but it can’t be done during the first few times. What if they get spooked?”
Hehe, when the time comes, it’s still not certain who will be the one doing the scaring.
Shang Jianyao didn’t say anything else and rushed out to the public bathroom.
...
At 7 p.m., he went to the small canteen on the 647th floor for dinner after waking up. He then returned to the 495th floor’s Rec Center.
He found an empty corner as usual and sat there, observing everyone coming and going.
As expected, he saw Long Yuehong and his blind date.
Unlike before, Long Yuehong spent a large sum of money on buying sweets, pumpkins, and glass bottled beverages from the Supplies Allocation Market next door. After receiving the compensation and bonuses, Long Yuehong had been doing well recently.
“How extravagant...” Shang Jianyao evaluated softly.