The others gradually calmed down after being comforted by Du Ruoxi.
Some people were searching for clues, while others were somewhat at a loss.
Cao Mingxian felt a bit bored and didn't have a phone to play with, so she turned her attention to the slot machine.
He'd only ever seen this slot machine in movies before; the others didn't seem very interested.
He secretly took one of the tokens he had earned and put it into the slot machine. Lights and music effects started playing the second after the coin fell in.
He touched his nose, looked at the others, and found that no one had noticed him. Perhaps it was because the environment here was so exciting and decadent that he began to play around cautiously.
While playing, he suddenly discovered that one of the prizes in the slot machine was a key.
"Here is a key."
Everyone else crowded around, looking at the slot machine.
Yang Hao had just searched the area around the VIP rooms and noticed that the color of the key handle was very similar to the color of the VIP room door. "This key looks like it belongs to a VIP room?"
Xiao Bai shook his head and hurriedly stopped him. Last time, he was eliminated for no reason, and he did not agree with taking the key. "I think it's better not to take this key. Last time, I went through a lot of trouble to get the key, and the door opened, but I was eliminated in the end."
Sena pondered, "This slot machine works, and it hasn't triggered an elimination yet. It seems like it has a purpose, right?"
Xin Xiulan glanced at the countdown on the wall. "Wait, the time has been shortened?!"
Cao Mingxian panicked a little, "How could the time be shortened?! I already put tokens in this slot machine!"
"It should be that the time flow speeds up after the slot machine is activated."
After discussion, half of the group disagreed with taking the key, while the other half thought they should still give it a try.
Xin Xiulan pursed her lips, hesitating. Could the glimmer of hope that Xiaobai had calculated be this key? She wanted to believe it, but she was also hesitant, after all, the key she had painstakingly found last time had ultimately been rejected.
But her reason told her that this key could very well be a breakthrough.
Du Ruoxi disagreed. "This scene is supposed to be a simulated casino, and the slot machines are probably of that type. I don't really agree with getting clues through gambling. I feel like this scene has a deeper meaning."
After listening, Xin Xiulan had a flash of inspiration, but she quickly slipped away before she could even grasp it.
"Yes, this scene must have a purpose. Oh, I see. In the last episode, the key to the library was a restricted area. A restricted area appearing in that scene clearly doesn't fit the setting of a locked room. That's why it was eliminated after the restricted area was opened."
Xiao Bai was a little confused. "Then why was the book I picked also rejected? It must have been in line with the library's atmosphere."
Xin Xiulan fell into thought again.
Sena spoke up, "Is it possible that the book was used as a cover because it led to a secret room? Other games like Go and other mini-games can be distracting. The library setting might require more immersive reading, so you shouldn't do things unrelated to reading."
Yang Hao thought this might be the logic behind the show's escape room setup, "It makes sense."
Cao Mingxian felt like she only vaguely understood. "So, could it be that this casino wants us to do something related to the casino?"
Xin Xiulan interrupted, "Impossible, absolutely impossible. If that were true, how could the show have been canceled last time?"
Du Ruoxi looked around and concluded, "It seems this escape room is meant to help us escape this casino."
After figuring things out, everyone looked at the casino again. It looked ornately decorated, but it had a slightly dilapidated feel. The entire hall was circular, or rather, it looked like a birdcage, because the roof was also circular, as if the walls converged at the top.
Where there should have been a gate, there was no gate, but it was magnificent and even had a small fountain with a sculpture.
The warm-toned lighting and the arched roof create a comfortable atmosphere that makes you feel right at home. You won't even see any sharp edges; there's only a warm, rounded feel.
The reddish light above the table, like candlelight, was warm and comfortable, yet it also made one's heart rate quicken, filled with energy and excitement. It had a strong visual focus and was full of drama, like a detective movie, mysterious, exciting, and with a dangerous atmosphere that lured people to delve deeper.
The carpet beneath their feet was filled with dizzying patterns, tightly packed and swaying, making one wonder if their eyes were playing tricks on them. It was so captivating that one dared not look too closely, yet it felt as if they were trapped within the carpet's cyclical patterns.
Sena noticed that the pattern seemed familiar. "This pattern is very similar to the mandala drawing therapy pattern we used in school."
"Mandala painting therapy?"
Sena explained, "I studied psychology. Mandala drawing therapy is a special therapy that can help patients enhance self-awareness and reduce anxiety, among other things."
It is a simple and effective way for artists to naturally express their inner feelings through painting and to rebuild order and balance. Initially, the paintings often appear chaotic and disordered, but gradually, they form orderly patterns reflecting the artist's inner world.
It can also be used for therapeutic assessments. The pattern on this rug is similar to the patterns used in this type of therapy. Generally speaking, circles are more likely to eliminate a sense of hierarchy, promote equality, and make people more relaxed and at peace.
Xin Xiulan and Du Ruoxi both looked rather uneasy. The layout of this secret room, from its overall shape to the lighting and carpet, seemed to be filled with an irresistible allure that made people want to immerse themselves in it.
The surrounding lights shone brightly, making those who were immersed in it feel as if they were members of this glittering high society. The overnight riches that they once dared not dream of seemed not so unattainable under the lights at this moment.
Despite the complimentary drinks at the bar, the scent of perfume emanating from the slot machines, and the fact that it was a dark, enclosed room, none of the six people felt sleepy.
Du Ruoxi only noticed the tricks used in the secret room at this moment. She had initially thought it was because she had rested well, which explained her high energy. However, the others, with obvious dark circles under their eyes, were still enthusiastically searching for evidence without showing any signs of fatigue. She should have noticed it earlier.
The loud and chaotic music should have made people feel uneasy, but the surrounding scenery was so captivating that it was impossible not to start using self-suggestion, and physical fatigue seemed to be forgotten at this moment.
"The oxygen level in this sealed room is wrong; we need to crack it as soon as possible."
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