Chapter 2 — When He Believes the Outsiders

For twenty minutes, I had not emitted a single movement that a living being should possess.

"Captain, the situation is genuinely dire," the teaching assistant to my left whispered, reaching out as if to untie the ropes. "The pool of liquid beneath her is not sweat, and the odor is… Perhaps we should summon the school physician first. If something truly goes wrong, it will be a grave matter."

"Summon the physician for what?"

To Lam spun around abruptly, raising his leg to deliver a violent kick against the iron pole of the flagpole. The dull, heavy thud caused my lifeless body to sway, dislodging another thick, murky surge of blood that splattered onto the ground.

"Something go wrong? What could possibly happen to her?"

The veins in To Lam’s neck bulged. He pointed a ferocious finger at me, screaming, "To Van, playing dead at home was one thing. But now you put on this disgusting display—isn't it just to stir up pity and make me, your head instructor, lose face? Let me tell you, keep dreaming!"

He grabbed the loudspeaker and bellowed at the students below. "Who was pleading for her just now? Who thinks she is pathetic? All of you, listen to my command! Attention!"

To Lam’s voice turned hoarse as he commanded, "Everyone, form a circle around her! Stand in the formation under the blazing sun for me! Not one of you is allowed to rest until To Van bows her head and admits her fault!"

Once the collective punishment was issued, the atmosphere on the parade ground shifted instantly. The sweltering heat, the exhaustion, and the searing pain in their legs quickly eroded the remnants of their cautious sympathy. Ten minutes passed, then twenty. Soon, someone broke the silence.

"To Van, are you insane? If you want to die, go die somewhere else, but stop dragging us down with you!"

"Stop this fake act! Must you torment everyone to death before you are satisfied?"

"Hurry up and apologize, you wretch!"

The insults grew louder, sealing the flagpole in a wall of hostility. No one cared about the color of the fluid dripping from my body anymore. To Lam stood on the high platform, watching as I was pilloried by thousands. The corners of his mouth finally curled into a satisfied smirk. Just then, the piercing screech of tires braking hard echoed from the training ground entrance.

Several black cars pulled up to the perimeter of the field. The principal stepped out, a fixed smile on his face. Behind him followed reporters from the provincial television station, laden with cameras, accompanied by several "distinguished parent representatives" wearing bright red ribbons on their chests. My parents, always consumed by their work, walked at the head of the group. Today was the day the model military training would be broadcast live across the province. Red lights blinked incessantly on the cameras. The lenses tracked the bizarre atmosphere on the field, zooming in directly on the flagpole.

"Van Van?!"

A mournful, piercing shriek tore through the stifling air. My mother shoved through the crowd, rushing forward like a woman possessed. When she clearly saw me bound tightly to the metal pole, her legs buckled, and she collapsed backward. I am sorry, Mother. I must look truly hideous right now. My father hurriedly steadied her as she fainted. His eyes were bloodshot, and he lunged toward the platform, roaring, "To Lam! What are you doing? Release your sister at once!"

"Stand back!"

To Lam shouted. Two assistants immediately stepped forward, pinning my father down beneath the steps. To Lam turned, purposefully positioning himself to face the high-definition live-broadcast camera, and pointed squarely at me. "Mr. and Mrs. To, there is no daughter of yours here, only my soldier!"

"It is because you two have spoiled her without limits since she was a child that she has become a useless wretch who knows only how to play dead to escape responsibility!"

He dragged Chu Man from the sidelines before the lens. "Look at her! This is true fortitude! Both are girls, so why does To Van deserve special privileges?"

Chu Man, pulled before the camera, stumbled. She hung her head, wiping the corners of her eyes with her sleeves, her shoulders trembling slightly. But the moment the camera swept toward her, she spoke up: "In the dormitory, I already tried to advise Van Van… I told her not to pull such malicious tricks to scare everyone. But she always said that as long as she played the sickness well enough, no one would be able to do a thing to her…"

The students, initially frightened by the arrival of my parents, felt a surge of renewed hatred upon hearing these words. The ruthless midday sun had heated the metal pole until it felt like a branding iron. I hung my head, staring at my own body tied to the steel. The skin on my arms and cheeks had already begun to fuse with the iron.

"This is madness! Pure madness!"

The principal finally managed to shove through the crowd. Upon seeing the tragic state of the scene on the platform, his face turned deathly pale. "Release her! To Lam, I order you to release her immediately! She does not look well!"

"Principal, have you been deceived by her as well?" To Lam sneered with utter contempt, looking down at me from above. "She has been like this since she was a child; she acts more convincingly than anyone. What if everyone chooses to believe this fraud?"