I sat in the chair, took out my phone, but there was no signal. I couldn't use it. I got up and moved to several other spots, but still nothing. Perhaps there were no cell towers nearby, and the room wasn't shielded. I was still wearing the watch lent to me by Chen Jianguo's assistant, so I didn't need my phone to tell time. It had twenty percent battery left, already a warning amber light. I decided to turn off my phone to save power, as there were no outlets or charging cables in the room, rendering charging impossible.
After turning off my phone, I lay on the bed, occasionally activating my Xiang Qi Shu to observe my surroundings.
Long Yue remained on the first floor, likely resting due to her injuries.
About twenty minutes later, two red glows ascended from the basement. They reached the first floor, then the second, and finally arrived at my door.
"Hello, Mr. Wu, time for dinner," someone called from outside the door.
"How can I eat if the door is locked!" I complained.
"There's a loose brick at the bottom of the door. Please remove it. We can't operate it from the outside," another voice called.
I got up, went to the door, and crouched down. Indeed, one of the stone bricks had a wider gap than the others, allowing me to insert my fingers. However, the brick was incredibly heavy. It took me a long time with both hands to pull it out, much like pulling a radish from the ground. Immediately, two aluminum lunch boxes were passed through.
I took the lunch boxes out of the brick cavity. They then handed me a bottle of wine and a cup.
"What's this? Poisoned wine?" I asked with a smile, finding my state of mind surprisingly good.
The two men said nothing. After I brought the wine and cup inside, they passed me two disposable plastic lunch boxes. I could see they contained two servings of cooked salmon, orange-red in color and looking appetizing. It appeared to be baked in an oven after being coated in salt, known as "salt-baked" in scientific terms.
Or perhaps not; I had never eaten it prepared this way.
"Anything else?" I asked.
"That's all, Mr. Wu. It should be enough to eat, right? If not, just call us. We're in the next room and ready to serve you anytime."
"Thanks." I stood up, arranged all the food on the table, and opened the two aluminum lunch boxes. One contained rice, and the other contained mixed vegetables, which seemed steamed. I hadn't expected them to be so particular about food. This combination and cooking method were both nutritious and healthy.
I picked up the bottle of wine. It was likely from Seryosha, with Russian text all over the bottle, which I couldn't read. However, I found the alcohol content: 42 percent.
I poured myself a glass and tasted it. It was vodka. Though a type of white spirit, it was different from Chinese liquors, possessing a peculiar aroma. Still, it was acceptable, not entirely unpalatable.
Just as I was about to start drinking, the clanking sound of a chain was heard from outside the door. The lock was opened, and Long Yue entered.
I glanced at her. "You have a key? Then why did you have them deliver food to me from below?"
"Just to test the passage," Long Yue said with a smile. She walked directly over and sat on the edge of the bed on the other side of the table. As if by magic, she produced a wine glass and squatted on the table. "Don't be angry. Come, I'll drink with you."
"I'm not angry," I said with a wry smile. "How could I be angry? I..."
Gurgle, gurgle. I poured her a full glass. Long Yue raised her cup and clinked it against mine. "Here's to... here's to a pleasant stay here."
Imprisoned, how could I possibly have a pleasant stay?
"How should we drink this? Straight?" I asked.
"Straight," Long Yue replied, tilting her head back and downing the entire glass.
As she tilted her head, I pretended to do the same, but secretly spilled the wine onto the floor behind me.
"How was it?" she asked me.
I smacked my lips. "This wine is a bit spicy, but it's okay! Another round?"
"Sure, I'm not afraid of you. I can hold over half a jin of alcohol!"
"I can only manage two liang. Let's go." I poured her another full glass, and she drank it down. I, as before, played a trick...
Back and forth, the bottle of wine was finished. Long Yue was already slurring, speaking in some language I didn't understand. I merely went along with it until she lost her strength, unbuttoned her collar, and lay down on the bed...