Awakening the Daily Intelligence System-Chapter 842 - 362 Central air conditioning is having problems_2

Soon after, the contestants appeared in threes and fours at the doors of their respective rooms. They maintained a subtle distance, with no intention of gathering together nor closing their dorm room doors. This arrangement was clearly well thought out—the open doors acted as windows into the rooms, ensuring they wouldn’t easily fall into the traps meticulously set by the ’Perfect Escape’ program team.

At this moment, seven or eight staff members, dressed in program uniforms, moved quietly and orderly in the corridor. Without a word, they opened large thermal boxes they had brought, filled to the brim with all sorts of colorful cold drinks, overwhelming to the eye. More conspicuous were the pots of freshly cooked green bean soup, the steam rising visibly, making them particularly noticeable on this summer night.

Seeing this scene, many contestants couldn’t help but furrow their brows. They wondered internally: Good heavens, did the program team really predict the air conditioning failure in advance and prepare these cooling drinks ahead of time? This series of actions practically announced to the contestants without any concealment: we’re about to start something. This indeed aligns with the consistent style of the program team—not in the business of shady conspiracies, only open and straightforward strategies. However, even knowing the program team was going to make a move, how they would execute it and who they’d target remained a mystery, shrouded in fog and difficult to discern.

"Nothing good is offered without ulterior motives, either evil or thievery!" This thought flashed through most contestants’ minds like a bolt of lightning. They speculated in unison that the program team might have hidden poison in the cold drinks or green bean soup.

The host, Bingbing, wearing a bright red suit, stood out vividly in the dimly lit corridor. Her face bore a professional sweet smile, and her gentle gaze swept over the contestants standing at each door. After confirming no contestant was absent, she slightly bowed and softly said, "I sincerely apologize, contestants. Our air conditioning system has encountered some issues and requires a comprehensive maintenance check. So, we kindly ask you to temporarily leave your rooms to facilitate the maintenance work.

Additionally, please remember to open the windows for ventilation to ensure good air quality indoors. We apologize for any inconvenience caused." Saying this, she bowed deeply, expressing her apology with politeness and sincerity.

But the contestants present were fully aware, like mirrors reflecting clearly, that they must strictly comply with every demand Bingbing made because these were the rules of this game world. If told to open the windows, they must do so immediately; if asked to leave the room, they should close the door and leave without hesitation. After all, if it’s merely an air conditioning fault, why summon the host to notify them in the middle of the night? Obviously, there was a deeper motive hidden behind this. Moreover, the sharp-eyed contestants noticed that the program’s staff were wielding cameras, likely indicating that a live broadcast had already quietly started. Thus, after hearing Bingbing’s instructions, the contestants offered no protest or extra words and turned back to their dorms, opening the windows as required.

Among the 19 groups of contestants surviving in this ruthless competition, none were ordinary. They were all keenly perceptive and exceptionally clever. The only distinction was in the battle of wits, who could outsmart whom, and in terms of fame, who could become more renowned.

As soon as Lin Mo stepped into the room, the elementary student Kudo hurried over, lowering his voice and asking with a puzzled expression: "Mr. Clown, what do you think the program team is up to? They wouldn’t be so blatant as to poison us, would they?" Kudo quickly flashed on the idea that the program team might have poisoned the cold drinks, but on second thought, since this was a show centered on intellectual competition with the strong backing of the National Security Bureau and an 8-member panel of heavyweight expert judges, it didn’t seem likely they would set up such a lowly test.

Lin Mo’s lips curled into a meaningful smile; he didn’t immediately answer Kudo’s question but instead walked to the window. He reached out with both hands, gently pushing the windows open to their fullest extent. In an instant, the cool nighttime breeze of summer, like a mischievous sprite, joyfully rushed into the room, dispelling some of the indoor heat. After completing this series of actions, Lin Mo shrugged his shoulders, took strides towards the door, and said as he walked: "Who knows? Maybe it’s just some whim of the program team." Knowing Lin Mo’s character well, Kudo understood that once Lin Mo didn’t want to answer a question, no amount of probing would help, so he suppressed his curiosity for the time being and silently followed Lin Mo out of the room.

In another room, Sister Ji from the Major Crimes Unit and An Xin also returned to their quarters, preparing to open the windows as instructed. An Xin showed a worried look on her face and softly asked Sister Ji: "Sister Ji, what do you think the program team wants to do this time? I guess maybe they put something special in the cold drinks, and whoever eats it gets eliminated?" Although An Xin performed outstandingly as a policewoman, in the uniquely challenging and unpredictable setting of ’Perfect Escape’, she could only just about hold her own. She understood well that luck played a significant role in her survival till now.

Sister Ji nodded slightly, responding in a low voice: "I can’t rule out that possibility. So, no matter what happens later, under no circumstances should we consume those cold drinks. Even if we see others eating them, we mustn’t lower our guard; we have to prevent any accidents."

An Xin frowned and continued to ask: "But what if the program team insists we eat them, what should we do then?"

After pondering for a moment, Sister Ji said: "They won’t. The program team won’t force us to do anything; otherwise, the show would lose its original meaning. But if that extreme scenario really arises, we’ll have to leave it to fate. In fact, for us to have lasted this long, it’s already somewhat of a miracle."

An Xin couldn’t help but pout, dejectedly complaining: "I always thought I was quite smart at work, but since coming here, I feel as if every random dog in ’Perfect Escape’ is smarter than me; it’s really damaging to my self-esteem! These contestants are practically all prodigies! Especially that Sherlock Holmes and Lin Mo with the clown makeup, they’re incredible."

Sister Ji gently patted An Xin’s shoulder, comforting: "Don’t belittle yourself; we just need to do the best we can." Despite saying this, Sister Ji too felt deeply frustrated internally, silently lamenting: In this world full of experts, it’s truly challenging for ordinary people to keep pace.

Meanwhile, in the live streaming chat rooms on the internet, audience discussions were in full swing.

"Is there any expert who can analyze what on earth the program team is scheming?"

"Who can really say? Could it be they’ve really poisoned the cold drinks?"

"I think it’s not that simple. Perhaps the program team first heated the contestants to sweat excessively with faulty air conditioning, then let them rapidly cool with cold drinks, thus lowering their physical resistance. Finally, they use some mysterious drug to make them faint and can announce someone’s elimination by tomorrow morning."

"Your imagination is wild! So by your logic, the program team also has genetic weapons to administer precise drugs based on each contestant’s different situation?" free𝑤ebnovel.com