Chapter 19: Breaking the Deadlock

The crucifix and the vintage ceiling fan were like two dead-end alleys facing each other; no matter which way you tried to break through, it would end in ruin. There was only one path left now—the fish tank filled with green mamba snakes!

Truths and lies, lies within truths, truths within lies, from the human meat grinder at the start, to the inferno and ice, to Ji Haifeng’s explosive cellphone—none of these traps were flawless. With careful analysis, perfect solutions could be found. But what about this terrifying fish tank? Was there a specific solution hidden here as well?

“Zheng Yan! We could smash the fish tank, the water is clean, then grab the key. What do you think?”

I shook my head. Smashing the tank would only unleash the green mambas. It wouldn’t just be Xu Jiaojiao in danger; neither of us would leave this seaside room alive.

“Or maybe…” Xu Meijing pointed at the mambas in the tank. “I’ll find something big to distract them, and while their attention is diverted, you use something long to hook the keychain?”

I shook my head again. “That’s like performing a circus act. The chances of success are almost nil. One slip and it’s all wasted effort.”

A harsh creak sounded from the rope twisted around Xu Jiaojiao’s neck—a warning that there was no space left, no slack. The rope would now squeeze her throat, and from this moment, her life would be counted in seconds.

Xu Meijing was still trying to offer ideas. I told her, “Stop talking. Let me think quietly for a moment.”

I squatted down, forcing myself to calm. I abandoned any thoughts of dealing with the fan or the crucifix, and began to rapidly simulate the fish tank’s structure in my mind: the mambas, the water plants, the artificial rocks, the fish food, the lights—every visible detail, all woven into my logic.

“Zheng Yan, we’re out of time! Jiaojiao can’t speak anymore, her veins are bulging, her tongue is forced out! If nothing works, let me trade my life for hers! I’ll go for the key!”

“Wait!” Suddenly, a light flashed in my mind. I jumped up, grabbing Xu Meijing’s shoulders in excitement. “What did you just say, Xu Meijing? Say it again!”

“Uh?” Xu Meijing winced in pain, bewildered by my grip. “Zheng Yan, do you have a solution? I said Jiaojiao’s tongue is sticking out, we’re out of time…”

“No, not that! The last thing you said!”

“Yes, I said if nothing works, I’d trade my life for Jiaojiao’s. Why, Zheng Yan? Did you think of something?”

“Yes! Exactly! It’s about exchanging lives…” I moved to the fish tank, inspecting every plant and ornament. Suddenly, an unexpected discovery emerged—a perfect solution appeared before me.

I dragged Xu Meijing to the tank and quickly explained my idea. Hearing it, she drew in a sharp breath. “Zheng Yan, are you insane? That’s not a solution, it’s suicide!”

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I gripped Xu Meijing’s shoulders. “Trust me! It’ll work! We don’t have time to argue—if we delay any longer, Xu Jiaojiao won’t make it!”

“Zheng Yan, are you sure? Don’t lie to me… I’m terrified…” Xu Meijing’s eyes reddened, her hands clutching mine desperately.

I had no time to explain. I turned to the bubbling fish tank. The mambas sensed my presence, raising their triangular heads and flicking their tongues at me.

Truthfully, I never liked snakes, especially deadly ones like these. Maybe Xu Meijing was right; what I was about to do was nearly suicidal. But my knowledge told me it was the only way.

“Go!”

I took a deep breath and thrust my right hand into the water.

The instant my hand touched the water, I felt the cool temperature, then a swarm of mambas coiled tightly around my arm. My mind went blank. I didn’t dare look at my arm—I held onto a single conviction: I had to retrieve what I needed. Failure was not an option.

“Got it!” My fingers closed around the ring of the keychain, pulling it, the water plants, and two mambas clinging to my arm out of the tank.

The moment I pulled out the keychain, my arm lost strength. A stabbing pain spread rapidly through my body. My vision blurred, I began to tremble, blood surged upward, and I felt myself collapsing, unable to hold on.

...

During my faint, I dreamt of my late father. He wore a white plaid shirt, holding a book, standing by a cliff where the car accident had happened, waving at me.

I called out, “Dad… Are you here to take me away?”

He smiled warmly. “No, I’m here to congratulate you. I’m proud you didn’t disappoint me. You did well. I’m proud of you, son.”

I reached for his hand. “But I failed. In the end, I lost to Du Jiang. I couldn’t save Xu Jiaojiao and lost my own life!”

He gently stroked my hair. “Zheng Yan, do you remember what I told you when you were ten? There’s no absolute perfection in this world, only people who haven’t figured things out. Every puzzle can be solved if you have the courage. No one can defeat you. You’ll always be your father’s pride…”

He opened the book in his hands. I saw his cherished design sketchbook: the template for the human meat grinder, the wiring diagram for the inferno and ice, the design principle for the death bicycle, and a fish tank filled with water. Green mambas bared their fangs, lunging at me.

“Snakes! No!” I shouted, waking up to find myself lying in the corridor of the ship, cradled in Xu Meijing’s arms. Sweat drenched me, my ears still ringing.

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“Zheng Yan, you’re awake! You’re awake!” Xu Meijing hugged me tightly from the front. I saw Xu Jiaojiao, safe from the gallows, sitting on the ground, handing me a bottle of water. “Zheng Yan, thank you. Thank you for saving me, for giving me a second chance at life…”

Xu Meijing sobbed uncontrollably. “Zheng Yan, I really thought the snakes had killed you. I thought you’d never wake up. Look at your arm—these wounds are from the mambas…”

I glanced at my arm. Black wounds covered it, countless snake tooth marks, dozens of punctures, the worst the size of a coin with rotting skin.

Luckily, Xu Meijing had followed my instructions. On each poisoned bite, she had applied the ‘antidote.’ Without it, my life would have ended here.

Xu Meijing picked up the so-called ‘antidote,’ exclaiming, “Zheng Yan! What is this? Isn’t it just water plants? How did this save your life?”

I spread the supposed water plant on my palm. “Look closely. This isn’t water grass, but a green weed known in our rural village as horse purslane—scientific name Portulaca oleracea. It’s a herbaceous plant that grows on dry ground, with tiny leaves and slender, emerald petals. At first glance, it looks exactly like water grass in the tank. If I weren’t so familiar with purslane, I wouldn’t have recognized it.”

“When I was a child in the countryside, I was bitten by a fire snake (red chain snake). Grandpa used purslane as a remedy, applying its leaves and stems to the wound. My calf had two blood blisters the size of bells, but the purslane worked instantly—the blisters faded quickly. Grandpa said it might look ordinary, but purslane is remarkable: it disinfects, reduces inflammation, clears heat, detoxifies, and women who eat it can beautify their skin.”

“But Zheng Yan, you were reckless!” Xu Meijing scolded. “Purslane is just a common herb, but green mambas are the most vicious snakes. How could you be sure it would counter their venom? What if it didn’t work? You’d have died for nothing!”

I corrected her. “You missed an important detail. The key fell in the right corner of the tank, and purslane was clustered around it. The mambas, though fierce, never approached the key, always keeping their distance. What does that tell us? That purslane and mambas are natural adversaries, mutually repellent. That detail convinced me to take the risk—it was the only way to break the deadlock.”

“But Zheng Yan,” Xu Jiaojiao asked, puzzled, “didn’t you say purslane grows on dry ground? Why was it in the fish tank?”

I told her, “You don’t understand the mind of a designer. Clearly, purslane was deliberately placed there as a test—to see if I could see through the puzzle, and whether I had the courage to gamble with my life. It was the designer’s last hope for you.”

“Zheng Yan, does Du Jiang really know you so well? He even remembers you were bitten by a snake as a child? Isn’t that strange?” Xu Meijing scratched her head.

Her words startled me. My relationship with Du Jiang was decent, but not so close that I would share childhood secrets. He certainly didn’t know I’d been bitten by a snake. So how did he think of purslane for the test? Unless…

Suddenly, I recalled a chilling coincidence: only two people knew about my snake bite. The first was my grandfather, dead for over a decade. The second was my father, who died unexpectedly two years ago.

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