ATPnovel Chapter 177 Steady as an Old Dog
Chapter 177 Steady as an Old Dog
This number might be considered good for an average person, but for Lin Feng, it was significantly higher than his usual level of around 60 when he was at rest.
Unlike Tom before him, he didn't panic, and didn't even glance at the decreasing countdown.
His gaze swept quickly across every corner of the room, especially the speakers and the ceiling, as if he were assessing something.
Then, he took action.
First, he took out a pair of dark gray, uniquely textured soft earplugs from his uniform pocket.
This powerful soundproofing equipment, originally prepared to deal with the "Prisoner No. 11 Diva" underground, is now proving useful here.
He carefully inserted the earplugs into his ear canals, instantly blocking out most of the external sounds, leaving only his amplified breathing and heartbeat—which helped him to better introspect and control himself.
Then he walked over to the brown leather sofa, but did not sit down immediately.
Instead, she reached into her personal space and took out a luxurious women's handbag made of fine leather, as well as a set of exquisitely packaged, high-end skincare products that were clearly very valuable.
He bent down and placed the two items side by side on the dark gray floor in front of the sofa.
After doing all this, he turned around, faced the empty space in the room, and spoke clearly into the air in a calm tone:
"Take it if you like, don't disturb my meditation!"
After saying that, he ignored any possible changes and sat down on the sofa.
Instead of lying down, he adopted a more conducive cross-legged sitting posture, which is more conducive to concentration. His legs were crossed, his back was straight like a pine tree, and his hands were naturally placed on his knees with his palms facing upward.
Then, she slowly closed her eyes.
The world, in his perception, quickly came to a close.
With the earplugs blocking out the sound, all that remained was the faint sound of my own blood flowing and my breathing, which gradually became the sole focus.
Lin Feng's consciousness gradually sank into a clear, empty space.
Heart rate, an indicator closely regulated by the autonomic nervous system and emotions, began to show a stable and rapid downward trend under his deliberate guidance and with the support of his solid physical fitness.
On the screen, the fluctuating number faithfully reflected this change:
Heart rate: 77…[73]…[69]…[66]…
The number eventually stabilized around 63, fluctuating slightly, and never exceeded 65 again.
Just then, not far in front of Lin Feng, above the floor where the handbag and skincare products were placed, the dark gray coating on the ceiling suddenly rippled like water.
Immediately afterwards, a viscous, dark "liquid" dripped down silently.
Instead of splashing on the floor, it rolled and gathered as if it were alive.
More "liquid" dripped and connected from the same spot on the ceiling, merging, stretching, and bulging together... eventually coalescing into a blurry, constantly writhing and changing human-shaped outline.
It "stood" in front of luxury handbags and skincare products, its outline seemingly glancing in the direction where Lin Feng was sitting cross-legged—although there were no eyes there.
Then, its slimy arms stretched out and carefully picked up the handbag and skincare products from the ground.
The humanoid silhouette held the object in its arms, and then the entire shape began to sink downwards, as if sinking to the bottom of water, slowly merging into the dark gray floor without leaving a trace.
In the room, only Lin Feng, with his eyes closed in meditation and a steady heart rate, and the silent countdown on the screen remained.
........................
Studio:
"66666! Offering something bizarre? Luxury bags and skincare products? I never expected this..."
"Seriously, 'He who takes a bribe is beholden to one who doesn't deserve it!' They stop being scary once they've accepted the gifts? This weirdo actually has a sense of 'morality'?"
"66666! Physical soundproofing, meditation, and material bribery—a flawless combo!"
"Weird: I was going to scare you, but your gift... is pretty trendy. Never mind, maybe next time. (hides the gift and runs away)"
"Compared to the previous Tom, it's like night and day. One was scared to death by sheer force, while the other is as steady as an old dog thanks to strategy and experience."
"The way that slimy thing handles things is kind of comical... So even weird things have their own preferences?"
"Strategy for clearing the level +1! Next time I enter the Ghost Stories, I don't need to bring anything else, but I absolutely must bring 'toll money'! Lin Feng has taught the world's chosen ones a lesson!"
........................
Three minutes pass almost imperceptibly in a state of absolute concentration during meditation.
The silence in the quiet room was broken by a crisp "ding".
On the screen, the blood-red rule text faded, and the jumping numbers and countdown disappeared as well, replaced by a line of soft green text:
[Objective achieved; please leave.]
Behind me, the heavy metal door clicked as it unlocked, then automatically opened a crack, letting in the light from the corridor outside.
Lin Feng slowly opened his eyes. His deep eyes showed no signs of fatigue or confusion, only a clarity as clear as an ancient well.
The first thing he did was take out his earplugs, and the sounds of the outside air and the faint background noise of the prison in the distance flooded back into his ears.
Then, his gaze fell on the floor in front of the sofa.
It was completely empty.
Luxury handbags and top-tier skincare products have vanished without a trace, leaving not even a hint of their existence.
Lin Feng's lips curved upwards almost imperceptibly, not out of smugness, but more like a knowing smile that a certain "unspoken rule" had been validated.
He stood up briskly, straightened his uniform, and without glancing at the oppressive room again, strode out.
........................
At 8:45 PM, Lin Feng was resting on his dormitory bed when he heard the sudden, intense sound of raindrops hitting the floor outside the window.
Immediately afterwards, a rumbling thunder rolled across the sky from afar.
Wasim walked to the window, looked at the increasingly heavy rain outside, and muttered, "This rain is really heavy."
Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat, and he sat up abruptly, looking at Wasim: "Are there any umbrellas in the dormitory?"
He suddenly remembered that Vivian was still in the infirmary.
At this moment, presenting her with an umbrella would undoubtedly be an excellent opportunity to improve your relationship with her.
Wasim glanced around behind the door and in the corner, then shook his head: "I didn't see it. It doesn't seem like we usually need it."
Lin Feng immediately got out of bed and put on his shoes: "I'll go to the convenience store to buy one."
"Now?" Wasim glanced at the dark sky and flashing lightning outside the window, hesitating slightly. "It's getting late, and the rain is so heavy..."
Lin Feng straightened his collar and turned to look at him, saying in a matter-of-fact tone, "I'll go buy an umbrella and take Vivian back to her dorm."
Wasim was taken aback at first, then smiled knowingly and teased in a low voice:
"I think it's best to just stay at her place tonight. Good luck, bro!"
Lin Feng smiled and said, "Let nature take its course," then quickly opened the door and disappeared into the corridor lights and the sound of wind and rain outside.
The convenience store wasn't far away, and Lin Feng quickly picked out a dark blue long-handled umbrella from the shelf.
After paying, he turned and walked towards the infirmary without hesitation...