Trembling in the Skies

Chapter 12: It’s All Down to Luck

“Once the countdown ends, where do I go to take on a role and earn points?” Li Teng looked up at the wall clock—it was already 11:45, leaving only fifteen minutes on the countdown. If everything Gao Fei had said was true, Li Teng needed to hurry now. “Bro, let me go. I’m rushing to the set too—I can take you with me. We’re in the same boat now, in this together. We’re co-stars in that 12:00 scene. I’ve already apologized for my joke earlier. You’re a big-hearted guy—please don’t hold it against me.” Gao Fei pleaded with Li Teng. Li Teng glared at Gao Fei menacingly a few more times before finally letting him go. After getting to his feet, Gao Fei grinned widely, seemingly not at all upset about the beating Li Teng had just given him—if anything, he looked quite pleased. Does this guy have a masochistic streak or something? “How do we get out of here?” Li Teng looked around, then turned to Gao Fei. “These wax figures are all controlled by mechanisms,” Gao Fei said as he walked over to a painting hanging on the wall near the door. He fumbled around the edge of the frame for a moment and found a hidden button. After pressing the button, the wax figures in the museum automatically began to move, each returning to the position it had been in when Li Teng first entered, no longer blocking the entrance. “What’s your name, buddy? How should I address you?” After opening the door, Gao Fei continued to strike up a conversation with Li Teng. “My surname is Tang, and my name is Donald,” Li Teng replied to Gao Fei before quickly walking out the door and back onto the street. Everything inside the wax museum made him feel very uneasy; it was better to stay outside. “Donna? Are you sure your name isn’t Donald?” Gao Fei chuckled awkwardly. “Which way is the film set?” Li Teng changed the subject. “That way—there are signs pointing the way. It’s very close to here. Don’t worry; it’s only a ten-minute walk,” Gao Fei replied to Li Teng. “So this place is kind of like the ‘World of the Supreme God’ from those online novels, right?” Li Teng asked Gao Fei as they walked. If Gao Fei had read online novels too, he should be able to understand what Li Teng meant. “It’s somewhat similar, but there are no superpowers here. All the scenes and characters have to be portrayed with our own flesh and blood. If the character you’re playing dies—if they ‘get the boxed meal’—you’ll pretty much die along with them.” “Also, in the ‘World of the Supreme God,’ you can usually improvise and forcefully change the plot. It’s different here. We’re actors, so we have to follow the pre-set plot and lines. If the plot calls for your character to die, you have absolutely no choice—you just have to accept your fate.” “In the vast majority of cases, whether you live or die comes down to pure luck.” “Take my girlfriend, for example. We were both trapped on top of that stone pillar together. When the helicopter arrived, I thought it was a rescue mission, so I let her go first. As it turned out, she ended up here and, without really knowing what was happening, got cast in that movie *Raging Tsunami*.” “Once filming started, everyone else scrambled for life jackets and life rings, but she was so terrified she froze in place—and was swept away by the waves before she knew it. Later, five people were rescued, but she and two other unlucky souls died on the spot and were turned into wax figures.” “If I’d known this place was like this, I should’ve gotten on the helicopter first,” Gao Fei said, glancing back at the wax museum behind him with a complex look in his eyes. “Is your girlfriend in that wax museum too?” Li Teng glanced at Gao Fei with a touch of sympathy. It seemed the stone pillars trapped people based on which bed they were in; since Li Teng had slept alone in his bed, he was the only one trapped atop a stone pillar. Gao Fei had been a bit luckier—he’d been trapped on the bed with his girlfriend. When they were bored, at least they could often find things they liked to do together, unlike Li Teng, who was bored out of his mind all by himself. “Yes,” Gao Fei nodded. “Is turning into a wax figure the same as being dead?” Li Teng asked. “Not exactly. A wax figure contains a living person sealed inside, and it takes a thousand points to unseal it. If I can save up a thousand points, I can bring her back to life,” Gao Fei shook his head. “Oh? A thousand points? If you managed to save up a thousand points, would you choose to lower the stone pillar so you could safely return to the surface, or would you go save your girlfriend?” Li Teng gave Gao Fei a sidelong glance. Having a companion on the bed wasn’t just about having someone to keep you company or avoiding boredom at the top of the stone pillar—it also meant they could save each other. Li Teng was indeed pretty unlucky; he had to rely on himself. Once he turned into a wax figure, he’d be stuck that way forever. “Um… heh, hard to say. Once you’re an actor, there’s no turning back—when a role comes along, you have to take it. Even if I saved her, with her IQ, what if she takes on another role and turns into a wax figure again? I wouldn’t have enough lives to save her that many times. I might as well lower the height of the stone pillar first. Once I’m back in the real world, maybe I can find someone to figure out a way to break this curse… Of course, first I’d have to earn enough points to reach a thousand.” “Points aren’t that easy to earn. For us newcomers—extras and bit players—we could get killed off at any moment due to the plot. I’m not confident I can last that long or earn enough points to get back down to the surface,” Gao Fei said, shaking his head with a bitter expression. “How many points can you earn from a single scene?” Li Teng asked Gao Fei. “For newcomers like us—extras and bit players—we only make about 10 points per scene.” “Only 10 points per scene?” Li Teng couldn’t help but furrow his brow. Earlier, he’d spent a total of 18 points on food, clothes, and a shower. If today’s scene only earned him 10 points, wouldn’t he end up with a negative point balance when he left—and turn into a wax figure right on the spot? “Hahaha… Worried about going into the red, are you?” Gao Fei clearly had experience with this; he could tell exactly what Li Teng was thinking. Li Teng said nothing. “Don’t worry. They’re lenient with newcomers on their first visit to the island. After a newcomer finishes their first performance, they get a chance to enter a newcomer raffle. There’s a 60 percent chance that all expenses on the island will be waived, a 30 percent chance of winning 100 points, and only a 10 percent chance of winning nothing at all,” Gao Fei said, trying to reassure Li Teng. “Oh?” Hearing Gao Fei say this, Li Teng didn’t feel much more at ease. He’s always had terrible luck with raffles—what if he ended up in that 10 percent group that doesn’t get a single point? If he really did end up in that 10 percent, he’d be doomed. Of course, if he drew the 60 percent chance of getting a free meal, then all his careful spending up to that point would seem like a huge loss. “By the way, buddy, back at the wax museum, I felt like I wasn’t any different from those wax figures—and I was really well-disguised. How did you spot me? Can you tell me?” Gao Fei asked Li Teng a question that had been puzzling him. “Answer me one question first: why were you so happy after I beat you up? Are you hiding something from me?” Li Teng didn’t answer Gao Fei’s question; instead, he asked him one of his own.