CH 266

Lin Chen fell silent.

At this moment, Xing Conglian was afraid that he might ask in return, “What choice would you make?”

However, Lin Chen said, “Fu Hao set a trap for you.”

“Isn’t that so?” Xing Conglian felt dizzy. “Fu Hao was so secretive at that time, not saying this or that. Can I still catch up with him now and confront him?”

Lin Chen touched his hand, signaling him to calm down.

“Situational questions have their situational nature, but due to the influence of perceptual gestalt, people tend to subconsciously consider macroscopic issues in the cognitive process, neglecting the obscured details. However, in real situations, the details often determine everything.”

Xing Conglian frowned, becoming nervous. “For example, why were those children on the railroad tracks? Why couldn’t they freely leave the tracks, and how did you become the person who had to pull the lever?”

Lin Chen interrupted him, “The real trolley problem is as follows: A madman has tied five innocent people to the trolley tracks. An out-of-control trolley is coming towards them, and it will crush them in a moment. Luckily, you can pull a lever to switch the trolley to another track. However, the problem is that the madman has also tied one person to the other track. Considering the above situation, would you pull the lever?”

“I would pull it,” Xing Conglian answered without hesitation.

“Congratulations, your choice aligns with approximately 89% of people. The survey results come from psychologist Mark Hauser’s test conducted on 200,000 people worldwide,” Lin Chen said. “Now, you can understand why the details are crucial. Now, I’ll complete the missing details for you.” Lin Chen closed the book, his tone firm without any hesitation.

He said, “Four years ago, I worked at a provincial police station, and Huang Ze was my superior. On November 11th, we received reports from four families, reporting that someone in their homes had gone missing. They were all outstanding young people, including Director Chen’s younger brother, Chen Yujun, Director Wu’s nephew, Wu Shanshan, a young master from the Zhou family, and Huang Ze’s sister, Huang Weiwei. I knew Huang Weiwei from before, and she used to call me Lin Gege.”

“Children from influential families,” Xing Conglian said. “Kidnapped?”

Lin Chen nodded. “My experience at that time was similar to today. During the investigation, we were led to the library…”

Xing Conglian froze; the current scene was too similar to what happened back then.

Lin Chen continued, “I found a book in the gap of a bookshelf, and the words ‘Blind Arbiters’ were circled on the pages, leaving a clue.” Lin Chen said, “Due to some of the criminals’ schemes, in the end, the only one who appeared in the factory was me, and I was stripped of my positioning and communication devices. What Huang Ze, including Fu Hao, saw was the result. None of the case files recorded the truth of the event because I concealed the truth.”

“I believe you,” Xing Conglian said.

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen glanced at him. “Your trust is based on your understanding of my morals and character. In fact, this story conceals the truly dark, despicable, cowardly, and helpless parts of my humanity. I have wanted to gather the courage to tell you countless times, but I failed. I hope you can hear the whole story and then draw your conclusions.”

Lin Chen was very sincere, and Xing Conglian sat up straight, nodding.

“After arriving at the factory, I followed the instructions and entered the first room. There was a note posted on the door.”

“What did the note say?”

“Experimental instruction.” Lin Chen lowered his eyelids, self-deprecatingly saying, “To be honest, I have participated in countless experiments and devised many of them myself, but I never thought that one day someone would conduct such a test on me.”

Lin Chen choked for a moment, trying to stay composed, but Xing Conglian couldn’t sense any abnormality in his tone.

He continued, “The instruction was as follows: ‘Sincere thanks for participating in this experiment. Please read the instructions carefully. This is a decision-making experiment. In the following tasks, you will have the opportunity to enter three rooms, each containing some materials. Please read the materials carefully and then make a choice. After understanding the above instructions, please enter the experiment. Good luck:)’.”

“You went in,” Xing Conglian stated.

“Yes, I went in,” Lin Chen replied. “Behind the door was an ordinary factory room with countless photos and materials on the walls. Apart from the four kidnapped individuals, I saw 16 other people.”

“16 criminals?”

“No, since it’s a difficult problem, the question wouldn’t be so straightforward and crude.” Lin Chen squinted at the sun. Until today, he seemed to recall the life stories of each of those 16 people effortlessly.

Lin Chen continued, “Among the 16 people, five had minor theft-related records, five were ordinary workers from various industries, and the remaining six were social idlers.”

“On one side were a few elites and wealthy children, while on the other side were mostly the disadvantaged in society.” Xing Conglian took a deep breath. “Devious.”

“Later, I went to the second floor and entered the second room, where I saw two video recordings.” Lin Chen’s tone remained calm, as if he had completely detached himself from the whole event. He spoke like a ghostly figure recalling a distant past. “The first video showed the scene of the abduction of the four elite children. The criminals must have observed them for a long time, so they were swift and accurate when they struck.”

“What about the second video?”

“The second video was long and explained why the remaining 16 people appeared in that factory. It was quite consistent—all of the remaining 16 people came due to their greed and were lured there, believing that the criminals were just conducting a psychological experiment.”

“So, the reason why the remaining 16 people didn’t listen to the advice was because they didn’t believe it?” Xing Conglian shivered, unable to imagine how Lin Chen continued after seeing the first room. He couldn’t fathom Lin Chen’s state of mind.

“You don’t have to immediately jump to the third room,” Lin Chen said.

“What else is in the second room?”

“A choice.”

“A choice?”

“At the end of the video, there was another prompt. The gist was that I could now choose to leave the room and seek help on my own, and no one would stop me, but the consequences would be on me. Alternatively, I could choose to go to the last room and complete the experiment.”

Xing Conglian held Lin Chen’s hand, and the latter turned to look at him, only saying, “You actually had no choice—you knew.”

“I knew,” he replied.

“The third room was on the third floor, and there was a black cloth in front of the room. As I climbed higher, I could probably guess what I would see.”

“What’s there?”

“Before pulling the black cloth away, I saw the final video.” Lin Chen paused for a moment; his breath steady. “The last video was very blurry, the camera was shaky, and the image was dark. All I could hear was the voiceover.”

“That’s the part where they try to persuade the participants?” Xing Conglian asked.

“Yes,” Lin Chen said. “The person speaking should be the younger brother of Director Chen’s family, the one you’ve met before. He’s quite different from his brother; Young Master Chen is a mechanical engineer—very talented—and an intelligent tech enthusiast. That’s probably why the culprit chose him. He told the others that they must move to the other side because it was dangerous here.”

“But except for the elite children who knew him, no one else believed him?”

“You can totally imagine that the 16 people lured here believed they were only participating in a psychological experiment, and the examiner asked them to stay in this position until the experiment was over. They naturally regarded those four extremely panicked young people as part of the test.”

“I finally understand why you said details are crucial.”

“That’s probably the most important thing I learned in college. No matter what research results you see, trace their sources, subject selection, experimental processes, data processing methods, and so on, instead of just looking at the results.” Lin Chen pursed his lips and laughed. “But this brings about a problem—once you understand the whole process, you’d rather not have seen anything from the beginning.”

“Then what happened?” Xing Conglian was afraid that Lin Chen might be affected emotionally, so he asked cautiously.

“Like all psychological experiments, after the video ended, a final instruction appeared, but this instruction was broadcasted through a loudspeaker. The voice was clear and calm, and I still remember every word to this day.” Lin Chen crossed his legs, sitting on the stool, imitating the tone he had heard back then, even with a slightly eerie smile. “Congratulations on reaching the final phase of the experiment. You have five minutes to think. Behind the black cloth, you will see two groups of people. Based on the materials you obtained earlier, pull the lever and choose the group that you believe should survive. If you give up the choice, the group with more people will be executed immediately. I sincerely wish you good luck again.”

“After the voice stopped, the factory was initially very quiet. As the black cloth was pulled away, the echoes in the empty factory amplified the screams infinitely,” Lin Chen said almost without any pause. “There were two platforms suspended in mid-air. On one platform stood the four young people I was supposed to rescue—the ones who had been kidnapped. On the other platform lay the other 16 people.”

“Lying down?”

“Yes, one group could speak and beg for help, while the other group was completely unconscious.” Lin Chen blinked slowly. “How fair it was, because they were outnumbered, they got a chance to persuade me using words.”

Xing Conglian took a deep breath and asked, “What else happened?”

“Then…” Lin Chen looked up at the sun in the sky, speaking calmly, “You know, it’s a steel plant, so there was enough molten steel to wipe everyone out. It couldn’t be described as scalding hot anymore.”

Lin Chen tried to maintain calmness from beginning to end, but at this point, he couldn’t restrain himself any longer, and his voice trembled. “It was a balancing system, and my task was to spend five minutes contemplating who to pour the molten steel over. But who, among them, deserved to die?”

Xing Conglian looked sharply at Lin Chen. Since he had heard Fu Hao’s story, he had also tried to simulate the situation Lin Chen faced. However, the reality was always crueler than any simulation.

“To be honest, I really wanted to leave at that moment. The countdown in the broadcast continued, and the numbers were ticking away. I had already listened to terrified cries for almost half a minute. Then, someone’s voice overwhelmed all the others, and he was the first to speak,” Lin Chen said lightly. “The one who spoke first was the young master from the Zhou family. Young Master Zhou is a lawyer, and his persuasiveness was evident at that moment. He pleaded for me to save them, and he had also listened to the instructions. He said those 16 people were supposed to die anyway, and if I pulled the lever, I would be the one killing them. He said that Chen Yujun had already advised them, but they didn’t listen, and they had to take responsibility for their choices!” Lin Chen said, “I felt he made a compelling argument. Why should a few people pay for the foolishness of the majority? But, those were 16 living human beings. Just because they had a lower education, couldn’t understand bearing systems, and were easily misled, did they deserve to die? Young Master Zhou’s words made sense, but I didn’t agree. I truly couldn’t agree with that perspective.”

Xing Conglian couldn’t intervene and could only say quietly, “Mm.”

“He talked about the law, the social system, rules, and human nature. He said so much… You could call him selfish, but I don’t think it was selfish. Everyone has the right to survive, right?”

Xing Conglian felt as if he too was standing high in the factory, watching those young people standing in mid-air, desperately begging for survival. “This is the ultimate moral test. No matter how you choose and no matter which side dies, once the video of the scene is released, it will trigger a massive public outcry. Everyone will start discussing rules, morality, good, and evil. If the elites survive, it will show that the lives of the privileged are more precious than those of the common people. If the majority of commoners survive, it will demonstrate that life can be measured by quantity, not quality.”

“Yes, so at that time, my mind was in chaos. I couldn’t even calm down. I knew what the culprit was trying to do, so I was very panicked. At that moment, I even turned around.” Lin Chen analyzed himself calmly. “My nature isn’t as strong as you think; I’m really a coward. I thought it would be great to stay out of it. I wouldn’t violate the law, and it would seem like I wasn’t responsible for anyone’s death.” Lin Chen looked at him with a mix of despair and desolation, yet still clear-headed. “But as you said, not making a choice is also a choice. If it wasn’t for Young Master Wu starting to curse, I would probably have collapsed and run away.”

“Young Master Wu scolded you?”

“No. Young Master Wu pointed at Young Master Zhou’s nose and called him an idiot, telling him to shut up. They were forcing me to make a decision. Once they miraculously survived, they would become murderers, and their consciences would haunt them for the rest of their lives.” Lin Chen paused for a moment, somewhat relieved. “I read Young Master Wu’s profile; he is an athlete, full of youthful vigor. Even at that moment, he was fighting for fairness for the other side. He’s kind-hearted and will have a very good and fulfilling life. Such a young person shouldn’t die in such a cruel and unreasonable situation.”

Xing Conglian corrected him, “Don’t forget, at that time, you were also very young.”

“I’m different; I held a public office,” Lin Chen said firmly.

Xing Conglian thought Lin Chen probably felt this way.

The sun outside the window had descended further, and the green trees swayed in the wind. It should have been a beautiful afternoon, but because of the story that could only be told while drinking, it became brutal and bloody.

At this moment, neither of them spoke. They just raised their beer cans to each other and lightly tapped them, as if encouraging each other so they could finish telling and hearing the story.

“So, after this, what happened to you as a public official, Consultant Lin?” Xing Conglian asked.

“Time was slow, yet fast; the passage of time in physics isn’t affected by the perception of time in psychology. By then, it had been about three minutes, and the molten steel in the sky began to tilt towards the unconscious 16 people,” he self-derisively said. “The experimenter was forcing me to make a choice, and I was forced to walk up to the lever and reach out my hand for the first time…”

Xing Conglian realized that the molten steel in the sky was the train rushing towards the 16 people, and at this moment, Lin Chen was truly in the operator’s position. He thought for a moment and said to Lin Chen, “The story you’ve told so far is very similar to what Fu Hao said. So, what happened next that even he didn’t know?”

“You can guess,” Lin Chen said.

“Up to now, two people haven’t spoken, Chen Yujun and Huang Weiwei,” Xing Conglian said.

“Yes.” Lin Chen nodded. “Chen Yujun and Huang Weiwei had been sitting quietly in the corner, not saying a word. At the moment I touched the lever, Young Master Zhou grabbed Huang Weiwei and made her answer a question.”

“What question?”

“He pointed to the unconscious people on the other side and raised a possibility. He said it’s possible that the culprit had already killed those 16 people with the so-called sleeping pills. So even if I killed a few to save the majority, it would be in vain. He asked Huang Weiwei to tell me that those people were already dead.”

Xing Conglian finally sensed something abnormal and became nervous. “Why did Young Master Zhou single out Huang Weiwei to ask?”

“Because Weiwei is a doctor.” Lin Chen’s tone was gentle, like an older brother addressing an adored younger sister.

Xing Conglian’s hand holding the beer can couldn’t help but tremble. Lin Chen said that he and Huang Weiwei were old acquaintances, and Lin Chen mentioned that she called him “Lin Gege”.

Of course, Xing Conglian knew that there was only a pure sibling relationship between Lin Chen and Huang Weiwei, but precisely because of its purity and affection, it made everything even more difficult.

“Since I appeared in front of them, Weiwei didn’t say a word to me, and I was like a coward, even afraid to look at her.” Lin Chen sniffled, then laughed. “Actually, we had a lot of fate together. She was my classmate in elementary school, and later, we attended the same university. I got to know Huang Ze because of her. Of course, I’m gay and not Weiwei’s type. She likes guys who are obedient like little dogs, have good muscles, and treat her well. She’s probably the most assertive girl I’ve ever seen. Her parents wanted her to study business and inherit the family business, but she insisted on becoming an obstetrician because she said she loved the joy of welcoming new life. She is very capable and has become a resident physician, so when Young Master Zhou asked her that way, she stood up and clearly told me that the chests of those people were still rising and falling, indicating they were still breathing. Those 16 people were still alive.”

When Lin Chen spoke of Huang Weiwei, he became a bit chatty. Xing Conglian even felt a moment of envy, but he was also happy. A girl whom Lin Chen admired would undoubtedly be upright and brave, making others admire her.

“What a great opportunity to survive! If the molten steel were poured down, who could tell if she was telling the truth? She’s so stubborn, as expected of Huang Ze’s little sister,” he said.

“Huang Ze is probably worlds apart from her.” Hearing this, Lin Chen curled his lips. “For example, if the kidnapped person was Huang Ze, he wouldn’t have noticed the abnormality of the only person who didn’t speak after answering the question.”

“What’s wrong with Chen Yujun?”

“In fact, there is a loophole in the culprit’s experiment, and as a mechanical engineer, Chen Yujun knew exactly where the loophole was. So he sat in the corner the whole time, and I think at that moment, he must have been struggling internally.”

“Did Huang Weiwei also notice the loophole?” Xing Conglian recalled Lin Chen’s experiences.

The balancing game, the suspended platform, and the thousand-degree molten steel overhead. The culprit had to ensure that everyone would obediently play the game. Therefore, there must be something intimidating the clear-minded young elites, making it difficult for the police to save them in a short time, even if they arrived on time.

Xing Conglian felt an icy chill throughout his body and suddenly understood everything.

He looked at his lover, sitting cross-legged beside him, and no longer wanted to hear any more.

He stood up abruptly and said to Lin Chen, “Alright, I already know. You don’t need to say anything more. Now let’s go solve the clues left by the culprit or anything else. You must not speak of this anymore; it’s all in the past!”

“It’s not in the past, and it can never be in the past.” Lin Chen gazed into the distance, almost speaking to himself. “When there was one minute left, Huang Weiwei crouched down and patted Chen Yujun’s face. Just like Young Master Zhou asked her a question, she also asked Chen Yujun a question. This question was short, she asked him, ‘Are we standing on a landmine?'”

“Lin Chen, stop talking!” Xing Conglian’s eyes were bloodshot, and he sternly interrupted.

“The experimenter must have an antisocial personality; he may never experience human emotions like love and kindness in his lifetime. Therefore, he inherently has a mistaken estimation of human nature, and that’s where the loophole lies.” Lin Chen looked straight at the sun in the sky without even blinking. “Human nature—the loophole is merely in human nature. There are too many people in this world who are inherently kind; they are willing to sacrifice their own lives for strangers.”

When Lin Chen reached this point, he finally turned his head. His eyes were red, but he held back his tears firmly. “You keep asking me about the choices I made back then. So, now I tell you, back then, I was a complete coward. I didn’t step forward to take the responsibility I should have borne; instead, someone stepped up and stood in front of me, protecting me with her life and soul. When there were 48 seconds left, Huang Weiwei jumped down from the sky, the balance board shifted, the landmines were triggered, and the molten steel fell from the sky, merging the four of them together…”

“Huang Weiwei pulled the lever for me.”

Lin Chen enunciated clearly and decisively, completing his statement word by word.

Xing Conglian wanted to take out a cigarette, but his hands trembled, and he couldn’t control himself. No matter how the truth was covered up, no matter what choices Lin Chen made, none of it mattered at all. He regretted listening to this story and regretted making Lin Chen relive the events of that year.

“You’re not a coward,” he said firmly, but he found himself choked up for the first time.

Lin Chen laughed at himself, finished the last sip of his drink, and looked up at the sky. “Huang Ze always asks me why I didn’t die. At the beginning, I was also thinking, yes, the one who should die should be me.” He clenched the beer can tightly but spoke calmly. “Huang Weiwei is also my sister, but I not only failed to fulfill my responsibility to protect her but also was taken care of by her. She didn’t even say a word to me until her death because she knew that whatever she said would become the words echoing endlessly in my nightmares. So, the smart girl smiled at me before she died, put a finger to her lips, telling me to keep my mouth shut, and then she jumped.”

Lin Chen turned his head and said with certainty, “That’s the covered-up truth. The radiant brilliance of human nature, both foolish and magnificent, shattered my desperate situation, broke the culprit’s carefully planned schemes. The video cannot be made public, and the hoped-for public opinion frenzy that the culprit wanted cannot continue—all because of human nature, which is truly beautiful.”

“I don’t know how much time she spent thinking and making up her mind, but it must have been very brief. But she even thought of the best way to handle things after this. It was something I couldn’t refuse and could only do it this way,” Lin Chen said. “So, I put my hand on the lever and replaced her as the murderer. I was criticized by four families, but I luckily escaped legal punishment. But only in this way, Weiwei wouldn’t become a saint in the eyes of the rational, nor would she become the noble murderer who callously deprived others of their lives to fulfill her own righteousness. She could quietly die as she wished, and this was what she wanted—the only thing I could do for her after being protected.” Lin Chen paused and calmly said, “That’s why the truth was covered up.”

Kinky Thoughts:

We’re getting into Saw territory here…