“Hee-hee…
Hei-hei…
Fun…
So much fun!” Wang Helin cackled unnervingly at the three inside the cabin, seemingly delighted by their reactions.
“He changed!!” The woman let out a blood-curdling shriek, scrambling on all fours toward the back of the cabin.
Trembling like a leaf in the wind, she stared intently at the cracked window, looking ready to hurl herself out the car the moment Wang Helin came in.
Li Chengyu was scared out of his wits as well.
Instinctively raising the wooden chair leg stuck with nails, he pointed it trembling at the creature outside that was no longer Wang Helin, turning to Chen Yexun in utter despair.
“Yexun!
What do we do?!
What do we do?!” Chen Yexun didn’t answer.
His face was cold as iron, his eyes locked onto Wang Helin’s head, which was slamming against the window frame over and over!
*BANG!* “Hei-hei-hei!” *BANG!!* “Fun!
Smash it!!” *BANG!!!* Spiderweb cracks spread rapidly across the remaining windshield.
Every impact sent a vibration through the cabin, pounding heavily against the fragile hearts of Li Chengyu and the woman.
Next time, the glass might shatter completely!
Wang Helin…
no, the maniac, giggled as if enjoying the destruction.
Taking a deep breath, he gathered all his strength and slammed his head viciously into the overwhelmed glass!
*CRASH—CLATTER!!!* The glass shattered completely at last, sending shards flying everywhere!
And at the exact instant the glass exploded—just as the monster’s momentum carried half its head through the window, its malicious grin reaching its peak— A cold glint flashed!
Chen Yexun threw his entire weight forward, the fruit knife in his right hand plunging with terrifying precision straight into the monster’s bloodshot eye socket!
*Pfft!* The blade went in all the way to the hilt, producing a faint, sickening scrape against the skull!
Without a second’s hesitation, Chen Yexun twisted his wrist violently, pulverizing everything inside!
The grin on the maniac’s face instantly froze.
Its body convulsed violently before all movement and sound ceased.
Chen Yexun yanked the blade out, drawing with it a splatter of thick red and white matter.
The lifeless corpse slacked its grip on the frame, hung in midair for a brief second, and then plummeted straight down, swiftly disappearing into the mist below.
It had all happened too fast—from mutation to execution, barely a dozen seconds had passed.
A weird dead silence fell over the cabin, broken only by the howl of the rushing cold wind.
Panting heavily, Chen Yexun wiped his blade expressionlessly on a rag clinging to the window frame, clearing off the blood and gore.
He turned to look at Li Chengyu and the woman, who were deathly pale and shaken to their core.
His voice was raspy from the sudden exertion, yet extraordinarily calm: “We still have a chance.” He pointed out the window toward the approaching support tower.
“See that tower?
If we jam the sheave up there, we can still stop the car!” The two followed his finger and indeed saw the massive steel structure looming in the mist.
Yet no sooner had the spark of hope ignited than it was extinguished by an even greater terror.
The tower was barely twenty meters away from the roaring, chaotic platform on the other side!
“Y-You’re going?” Li Chengyu’s voice trembled.
“This is our only option.” Chen Yexun bent down and picked up the wooden chair leg Li Chengyu had dropped in his terror.
He tucked the chair leg into his waistband and grabbed his backpack.
He turned to the woman and commanded, “Get over here.
Use my brother’s pack to cover your head and his, crouch in the middle of the cabin, keep your center of gravity low, and keep the car stable for me!” Then he said to Li Chengyu, “No matter what you hear or how badly the car shakes, do not raise your heads unless I call you!” Li Chengyu stared at Chen Yexun and opened his mouth.
The words *It’s too dangerous, let me go* churned in his throat, but he swallowed them back down.
He remembered Wang Helin’s instant mutation, and even more so, how Chen Yexun’s cold, decisive judgment and action had saved them time and again since the disaster began.
What came out instead was a worried plea: “Be…
be careful!” Chen Yexun looked at him and pulled his lips into a faint, almost imperceptible ghost of a smile.
“Remember when we pulled all-nighters to beat *It Takes Two*?” Li Chengyu blinked.
“We have good chemistry,” Chen Yexun said quietly.
“In the game, and right now.” He took the bag containing a few supplies that Li Chengyu handed over, slung it over one shoulder, and picked up the wooden chair leg that held their fate.
“So I trust you to keep the car steady.” He gave Li Chengyu one last look.
“Wait for my good news.” Li Chengyu took a deep breath and nodded heavily without another word.
Pulling the trembling woman close, both crouched down, using the backpack to shield their heads and necks as best as they could.
Chen Yexun turned toward the broken window and the howling wind.
He drew in a cold breath and, without hesitation, climbed carefully yet nimbly out the window using the same path Wang Helin had taken!
Icy rain instantly soaked his hair and clothes.
Clinging to the freezing frame with one hand, he felt around with his other hand and feet, hauling himself up onto the roof.
The cable car swayed gently in the wind over a dizzying drop.
He stayed low, almost prone on the roof.
One hand gripped the thick main haulage rope tightly to stay grounded, while the other held the backpack in front of him as a shield.
The maniacs on the far shore caught sight of him immediately!
“Hee-hee!
Another idiot!” “Come down and play!” Crazy shrieks and vulgar slurs surged toward him like a tide!
Rocks, wooden sticks, and unknown debris rained down from the opposite platform!
*Pitter-patter!
Clatter!* Most projectiles pelted the car body with deafening noise, causing it to shake violently.
Inside, Li Chengyu and the woman kept their heads clamped down, relying on the backpack and each other for support.
Nontheless, plenty slammed into Chen Yexun on the roof!
Hits rained onto the backpack in his hand, numbing his arm from the impacts.
Gritting his teeth, he didn’t dare peek out, pressing himself even lower.
*There seem to be fewer things thrown this time…?* Chen Yexun managed to reflect amidst the chaos.
They had likely used up most of their handy projectiles when throwing at Wang Helin.
*A stroke of luck amid misfortune?* Just then, *BANG!* A heavy object slammed hard into the backpack shield, nearly knocking it from his grasp!
The cable car under his feet swayed harder.
The sinister laughs and curses from the platform grew clearer and denser, ticking like a countdown to death.
He felt himself sliding inexorably toward the edge of death, but he had no choice—he had to fight for a way out.
The barrage thinned out a bit—perhaps the maniacs ran out of easy ammo.
Taking a gamble, Chen Yexun peeked out from behind the edge of his backpack— *Now!* The massive steel framework of the support tower was right in front of him!
The spinning haulage sheave that held their fates was within reach!
His heart racing wildly, he snatched the wooden chair leg from his waistband!
With a flash of desperate resolve in his eyes, Chen Yexun aimed for the narrow gap between the sheave and the frame and slammed the wooden chair leg in with all his might!
*SCREECH—!!!!!!* A piercing, ear-splitting screech of grinding metal exploded through the air, as if the cable car itself was screaming in agony!
Immense impact and friction surged through the chair leg and into Chen Yexun’s arm!
He felt like his arm was about to be torn off!
The force threatened to fling him off the roof, but at the critical moment, his other hand—gripping the main cable for dear life—held fast and anchored him!
Under the crushing force, the wooden leg groaned, nearly getting squeezed out!
His eyes bloodshot, Chen Yexun gritted his teeth and used sheer willpower to throw his body weight against it, shoving the popping leg back into place!
*SCREECH—BANG!!* Another strange noise echoed as the haulage sheave shuddered violently, and then…
It ground to a sudden halt!
Immediately, the entire cable groaned with a loud metallic hum as if yanked back by an invisible titan hand!
The cable car lurched forward with momentum, and then…
Amid violent swaying and ear-splitting noise, the cable car shivered and shuddered, finally grinding to a halt mere feet from the insane platform!
It had stopped, for now…
Ahead was a revelling hell.
Above was icy rain and mist.
In his grip was the lifesaving cable.
Beneath him was a creaking cage that could plunge into the abyss at any second.
Lying flat on the cold, slippery roof, Chen Yexun gasped for air, his heart pounding so hard it felt ready to burst.