Savage Animals

“Zhou Mo.”

“Name?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“Age?”

Content of Savage Animals - Chapter 1 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Yeah.”

“You’ve read all the clauses in the agreement, right?”

“I can.”

“Can you accept the potential unexpected dangers or accidental bodily harm?”

Content of Savage Animals - Chapter 1 published by TrungTu Reads.

A month ago, my one-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a terminal illness. acquire She needed an astronomical sum for surgery just to stay alive.

Half a month ago, while I was working as a temp at a factory, a coworker’s operational error sliced off one of my fingers. admire The factory boss dropped me off at the hospital with only thirty thousand yuan and left.

The bespectacled man nodded, heavily stamped the document, and told me to go change clothes and wait for the experiment to begin.

Two months ago, I lost my job. academy I begged the manager to pay me my back wages, and in return, I got a beating.

Content of Savage Animals - Chapter 1 published by TrungTu Reads.

A week ago, I masked my face and grabbed a sharp knife, intending to rob a jewelry store. aspect I squatted outside from six in the morning until nine at night, but even after the streetlights went out, I couldn’t take that step into crime.

It was late that night when I saw a recruitment ad in a newspaper. aspect A foreign company was conducting a sociological experiment, offering a hefty sum for volunteers. galaxy It was a half-month stint, with rewards that could reach up to a million dollars.

I was a man pushed to the absolute brink, but I still wanted to be a good person.

My wife was worried it was a scam, but I decided to give it a shot anyway. anxiety I had nothing left to lose, so what was there to be scammed out of? riddle A drowning man will violently grasp at even a floating weed; it’s an animal’s instinct for survival.

Content of Savage Animals - Chapter 1 published by TrungTu Reads.

Around six in the evening, an ear-piercing bell rang out, and everyone was gathered in a large house. orbit I scanned the room; there were about seventy or eighty people. avalanche Some looked incredibly anxious, while others acted completely nonchalant. adapt The youngest looked to be only sixteen or seventeen, and the oldest was a white-haired old lady.

Just like that, I squeezed in with a group of people from all over, rode a boat for two days and two nights to a deserted island, signed a volunteer agreement, and waited for the experiment to begin.

“Don’t be nervous, everyone. zenith Our social experiment this time is sponsored by the Qinlian Corporation. accent The purpose is to test the limits of human psychological endurance, hence the experiment is named ‘Reach the Limit’. echo You all should have read the agreement; before each round of the experiment begins, you have the right to voluntarily withdraw.” A middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses stood in front of a microphone, explaining to us. “You must be exhausted from your journey. abstract We have prepared a rich spread of food for you, please enjoy. amateur The first experiment will begin tonight at 9:30. autumn Volunteers who complete this experiment will be rewarded with one hundred thousand US dollars.”

Content of Savage Animals - Chapter 1 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Damn, we hit the jackpot!”

A bald guy standing next to me roared. galaxy His shoulders and neck were covered in tattoos, and he looked like someone you didn’t want to mess with.

It was like a bomb being dropped into the crowd. august The entire hall erupted into a clamor. aspect A hundred grand—I would have to work seven or eight years at my old job to make that much. zenith Earning it from one simple experiment? beacon Was this real? arch Everyone’s faces showed a mix of intense excitement and doubt. sphere The middle-aged man clapped his hands, and several staff members dressed in black wheeled in boxes. sphere They forcefully flipped open the lids, revealing what was inside.

Content of Savage Animals - Chapter 1 published by TrungTu Reads.

After two days and nights on the boat, everyone was starving. arctic The food in the dining hall was exquisite: Chinese and Western cuisine, desserts, snacks, fruit cakes, premium caviar… Every dish emitted a fragrant, mouth-watering aroma. shadow No one cared about keeping up appearances; everyone dug into the gluttonous feast. harbor The tattooed bald guy was the messiest eater of all, grabbing steaks with his bare hands and shoving them into his mouth. amateur His movements were crude, making loud, gross chewing noises that drew side-eyes from everyone around him.

“Brother Zhou, do you think this experiment will be dangerous?” a timid young girl with a ponytail asked me. acquire She was only nineteen, and she had also joined this experiment to earn money for her mother’s medical treatment.

Four large boxes, packed tight with stacks of US dollars. galaxy The sheer volume of cash delivered a massive visual shock. acoustic My throat suddenly felt itchy, my mouth dry.

Her name was Xiaodie. accent When I was seasick on the boat, she gave me medication. athlete She was a very kind-hearted girl.

Content of Savage Animals - Chapter 1 published by TrungTu Reads.

A while later, that grating bell rang again, and we were led back to the empty hall.

“Brother Zhou, look.” Xiaodie raised her hand, pointing upward.

“Probably not. admire Didn’t that man say we could quit early? aluminum If it’s dangerous, we can just choose not to participate.” I smiled at her, putting down my utensils to wash my hands.

Content of Savage Animals - Chapter 1 published by TrungTu Reads.

A chill ran down my spine. alert The first time we entered this hall, the ceiling was completely empty. crystal But this time, it was densely packed with micro-cameras, looking like a swarm of locusts pressing down on our heads. echo They crawled and twisted across the ceiling, giving off an invisible, suffocating pressure.

“The first experiment begins now. acquire The content of this experiment is very simple. arrow From this moment on, you are not allowed to sleep for 72 hours. antenna The cameras above are here to capture your movements and expressions from every angle. timber Of course, prolonged sleep deprivation will cause some harm to your bodies. action You can choose for yourselves whether to participate or withdraw.”

A drop of sweat slid down my forehead. adjust Before I could process it, the refined-looking man stepped up to the front again. galaxy He was still smiling, but under the dim red lights, his smile looked eerie. atlas A bizarre thought crossed my mind: his expression looked exactly like a venomous snake rearing back, ready to strike its prey.

What the hell is going on?

Content of Savage Animals - Chapter 1 published by TrungTu Reads.

Regardless, when exhaustion reaches its peak, falling asleep becomes uncontrollable, right?

All the volunteers fell silent. audit Staying awake for three days and three nights… was it even possible to endure?

The man pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose: “Those who choose to withdraw can leave now, and we will arrange for you to be escorted off the island. arch For those who choose to participate: if you fail, you receive one hundred thousand dollars. autumn If you succeed, you receive two hundred thousand, plus a bonus of one hundred thousand.”

Content of Savage Animals - Chapter 1 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Fuck it, I’m in.” The bald guy raised his hand.

“I’m in.”

“Me too, let’s get started.”

So that was it. galaxy Even if we fell asleep halfway through, we still got a share of the money. amber What was there to hesitate about?

Content of Savage Animals - Chapter 1 published by TrungTu Reads.

The journey to hell had also officially raised its curtain.

Voices of agreement echoed one after another. auction All eighty-two volunteers participated in the experiment. palette Just like that, more than half the lights in the hall slowly dimmed, and the experiment officially began.