HBWMA -Chapter 277 The Black Room Scores Reset to Zero

The day after, the sky was bright and sunny, a beautifully clear day.

The gates of the three courtyards opened almost at the same time. The three of them met each other’s eyes for a moment, then each fell silent and walked toward the covered corridor.

In order to discipline his three grandsons as quickly as possible, Shen Zhuang had specially reclaimed another piece of land on the back mountain of Shen Garden and built a wellness hall there. Inside were three secret little rooms. Other than the specific owner assigned to each one, ordinary people were not allowed to enter casually.

The wellness hall was built in the style of a traditional siheyuan. In the middle was a courtyard garden covering about half a mu. At the four corners of the garden stood four qilin water jars, used to collect the heavenly rainwater dripping from the eaves.

A pot of tea had been set out in the garden. Shen Zhuang, changed into casual clothes, was practicing tai chi in front of the flower trellis, while Shen Zhi stood at the side with his hands lowered.

The three of them stopped under the corridor.

“Grandpa.”

Shen Zhuang completed the circular motion of his hands and withdrew his stance. Taking the towel Shen Zhi handed him, he smiled and beckoned to the three of them.

“Oh? You all look pretty energetic. Seems like you rested well yesterday. That puts my mind at ease.”

At ease?

All three immediately caught that key phrase and looked at Shen Zhuang with varying expressions.

Shen Zhuang was amused by the way his little grandsons looked as if every blade of grass and every tree hid an enemy. He lifted the teapot and took a sip, smiling as he said, “Don’t be so nervous. You’re all my own grandsons. Could Grandpa really harm you?”

The moment he finished speaking, Doctor Meng walked in with a group of research staff. Every one of them carried a case in hand.

Shen Zhuang said, “Come sit down. Doctor Meng, explain the procedure to them.”

There was even a procedure?

Shen Lanxi showed nothing on his face and took a seat first. Shen Guiling swept his gaze over the group, his expression as mild as a spring breeze. Only Shen Qingyu looked gloomy and irritable, as if he wanted nothing more than to turn around and leave.

Once the other two had also sat down, Doctor Meng opened the medical case and took out a blue test tube.

“Old Master, Young Masters, this is our laboratory’s latest research result: Dopaphen, a happiness molecule. As long as one milliliter is injected into the body, it can control your body and make you sink into your most primitive desires.”

“…”

Shen Qingyu laughed from sheer anger. “So this is how you treat your own grandsons?”

Before, at most, they used things like brainwaves and stream-of-consciousness methods. Using drugs now was going too far, wasn’t it?

Shen Zhuang remained as calm as ever. “You all experienced what happened in South Bay firsthand. I may show you mercy, but would your enemies? A real enemy would use every possible means to destroy your will.”

For a moment, Shen Qingyu had no way to refute him. He turned to look at the other two. “Say something.”

“Grandpa is right.”

Shen Lanxi’s expression remained indifferent. Ever since the South Bay incident, he had been reflecting on himself. If he had been the one kidnapped, if their positions had been reversed, would he have been able to do what Shen Guiling did—protect himself without hurting others?

Shen Guiling said, “I’ll listen to Grandpa.”

His opposition was useless, so Shen Qingyu could only shut up.

Doctor Meng continued explaining, “Young Masters, don’t worry. We’ve already calculated the dosage precisely. Each use of the drug may cause a brief withdrawal reaction, but as long as your bodily functions adapt, you will slowly develop resistance. As time accumulates, that resistance will grow stronger. In the future, similar drugs will no longer have any effect on you.”

So this was the old master’s true intention.

Shen Qingyu glanced at Shen Zhuang, then stood up with both hands in his pockets. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get this over with.”

The sooner dead, the sooner reborn.

Shen Lanxi and Shen Guiling stood up as well, and just as usual, the three of them entered their own respective little black rooms.

Calling them “little black rooms” was actually not very accurate. The rooms were tastefully furnished and spotless, with a bed, sofa, recliner, bathroom, and all the necessary living facilities.

At the same time, in three different scenes:

Shen Guiling lay on the bed.

Shen Lanxi sat upright on the sofa, one leg crossed over the other.

Shen Qingyu completely gave up and sprawled face-down across the recliner.

The assistants attached brainwave sensors to their temples, then simultaneously opened the blue reagent.

“You may begin now.”

Shen Guiling, Shen Lanxi, and Shen Qingyu each took the test tube at the same time and drank it down in one gulp.

Beep—

The brain current activated, and the timer began.

“Ah~~~”

Jiang Huashan slept soundly until morning. She woke up refreshed, shuffling downstairs from the embroidery building in her turtle slippers.

“Aunt Zhang, is there anything to eat?”

Zhang Ru poked her head out from the kitchen. “I made Huaiyang soup dumplings. Wash your hands and I’ll bring them out for you.”

Jiang Huashan walked into the flower trellis area. With nothing better to do, she idly teased the little “poor thing” pet. Soon, Zhang Ru brought out a steaming basket of dumplings—the aroma could be smelled from far away.

She sniffed and glanced toward the courtyard entrance.

It’s unusually quiet today. Did the three “fools” all go for exams?

Zhang Ru set down the bowls and chopsticks. Noticing her gaze, she smiled and said, “The three young masters left early for the back hall. It looks like the competition is very intense. Miss Jiang, who do you think will win in the end?”

Jiang Huashan shook her head. “No idea.”

It wasn’t written in the book either.

But…

Her chopsticks suddenly paused mid-air while picking up a dumpling.

Going to S Country was definitely an important plotline, and the trigger for it was Bai Zheng’s death—in other words, it was something initiated by both her and Shen Guliang.

Could it be that the S Country storyline is related to Shen Guliang? Is he the one who will come out on top this time?

At the same time, Shen Guliang had fallen into a state of turmoil.

A drug had stirred up his desires, and the entanglement from that night in Nanwan had taken root deep in his consciousness.

There was no Bai Zheng in his mind—only her.

In the heat and chaos beneath the blankets, everything became blurred. In the darkness, emotions and sensations were magnified countless times. His rationality was constantly being eroded as he struggled between control and surrender, his awareness flickering in and out.

At one point, he briefly regained clarity, touched something sharp, and memories of a past killing intent surfaced. But the confusion and intensity quickly overwhelmed him again, dragging him back into an unstable, dreamlike struggle where desire and restraint collided.

Eventually, the scene dissolved into a chaotic blur of overwhelming emotion and tension, until consciousness slipped again.

“Ah~”

Jiang Huashan bit into half a soup dumpling, leaning back casually with her legs crossed, looking completely at ease.

So boring. She really needed to find a way to trigger a new storyline faster.