But now it wasn't Ganda anymore; it swiftly moved Ma Xiong’s body toward its own mouth. To call it a mouth was an oversimplification; it was merely an opening the size of a bowl, stretched wide like a gaping maw of blood.
Ma Xiong screamed in terror as the vine inverted him. He felt blood rush to his head, his breathing labored.
The Fatty watched Ma Xiong’s suffering, but strangely, his pity vanished, replaced instead by envy. Lu Zong caught the look of covetousness in the Fatty’s eyes and asked, “Fatty, what’s with that expression? Our brother is about to die, and you look like you’re gloating?”
The Fatty cut Lu Zong off. “If dying was like how Ma Xiong dies, it would be worth it. But look at us—we’ll end up suffocating to death, bones not even cold. I genuinely envy this kid Ma Xiong.”
Lu Zong said, “Fatty, surely you’re not suggesting we just sit here and wait to die.”
The Fatty replied without hesitation, “That’s exactly what I’m doing. Do you have another way? Look at our feet—can you even move them?”
Lu Zong tried to lift his foot but found he couldn't muster any strength. He looked down and saw that he was completely fixed in place. Yet, strangely, he felt no sensation there.
Lu Zong immediately panicked; he didn't want to perish like this. But with waiting for death being the only option, he scanned the ground, then looked up at Ma Xiong dangling mid-air. With grim determination, he declared, “Since I can’t choose life or death, I can at least choose how I die.” With that, he threw the vine he held upward and shouted to Ma Xiong, “Ma Xiong, tie my vine to Ganda’s vine! I’m going to try and pull myself up to join you.”
Ma Xiong caught the vine Lu Zong tossed, saying, “This isn’t heaven up here. You’re better off down there. Even if you consider this heaven, you might not even be able to climb up.”
Lu Zong retorted, “I can’t worry about that now. As long as I have breath left, I will struggle. I’m not going down that easily.”
With that, he fished a dagger from his pocket and began digging into the rock-oil below. The substance looked hard, but it was surprisingly yielding. The knife slid in three centimeters immediately. He dug excitedly, and in no time, he had freed one of his feet.
The Fatty watched Lu Zong’s actions in astonishment, finally seeing a sliver of hope. He started digging his own foot free. By the time the Fatty had freed one foot, Lu Zong had already started climbing the vine.
A short while later, the Fatty managed to break free from the grip of the rock-oil. With the combined effort of the Fatty, Lu Zong, and Ganda, the Fatty was finally lifted into the air. At this moment, the three of them hung suspended, like prey, unable to move, held fast by the carnivorous plants. They had no idea what to do.
Perhaps it was because the three of them were too heavy, especially with the Fatty included, that their combined force managed to counterbalance Ganda’s massive carnivorous plant. They hung suspended, unable to ascend or descend, locked in this stalemate.
Ma Xiong called out, “Guys, please flip me over. I’m about to pass out.”
The panting Fatty and Lu Zong finally noticed Ma Xiong’s head was pointed down—no wonder the air smelled of foul feet. They scrambled to invert Ma Xiong, both still gasping for air.
Because Ma Xiong had been resting above for a while, he was surprisingly energetic. “We’re finally back together again,” he chuckled. “Even if we die, we’ll have company. Haha.”
Lu Zong and the Fatty looked at Ma Xiong helplessly and sighed in unison, “Honestly, such low expectations. Is dying alongside other men really so fulfilling?”
The Fatty was particularly aggrieved. “Since childhood, I dreamed of dying alongside a woman I adored, suspended in mid-air no less. Who knew fate would deal me this hand? Life is truly capricious.” Ma Xiong was speechless. Lu Zong was speechless.
Ma Xiong scanned the surroundings, looking for any path of escape, but there was nothing but that melted, ear-shaped hole; no other exit. He helplessly pointed toward the large opening. “Comrades, our only way out is that ear-hole. Let’s head there now.”
The other two looked toward the hole and noticed the rock-oil was rapidly creeping up to submerge the entrance. Lu Zong panicked. “Hurry up, or we’ll have wasted all this effort if the oil seals the opening!”
Ma Xiong suggested, “How about this: you two manage to throw me over there. Once I’m inside, I’ll figure out a way.”
Lu Zong and the Fatty exchanged a look, then nodded. “It has to be this way now. Throwing the Fatty is impossible due to his weight, and throwing Lu Zong isn’t worth the effort, so it has to be Ma Xiong.” With that, the two grabbed an arm each and asked, “Ma Xiong, are you ready?”
Ma Xiong hadn’t expected them to agree so readily. He knew being thrown over meant salvation, but the fact that neither of them argued or fought over who went first truly surprised him.
Ma Xiong turned back to them. “Alright, you two put some muscle into it, or I’ll be sacrificing myself here.”
The Fatty and Lu Zong nodded, then put all their strength into hurling Ma Xiong toward the hole.
Ma Xiong’s body arced through the air, flying toward the entrance. Just two or three meters shy of the opening, he quickly unfastened the vine tied around his waist and crashed heavily inside the hole.
Ma Xiong stood up, rubbing his waist, and looked at their expectant faces before cursing loudly, “Damn it, why did you throw so hard? You’ve left me bruised and battered! Okay, how do you two plan on getting across now?”
Lu Zong shot back, “Hell, the point of throwing you over was for you to figure that out! Do you have any conscience asking us now?”
Ma Xiong replied, “My only option now is to transcend you both. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re transcended once I get out.”
The Fatty fumed, “Ma Xiong, can you be serious for once? Is my life something to joke about?”
Ma Xiong sobered instantly. He saw the distress on the Fatty’s face and the constant downward slide of his body, realizing the Fatty was close to losing his grip. He said, “Lu Zong, swing that vine that was tied to my waist over here. I’ll secure it here, and then you two can climb down the rope.”
Lu Zong slapped his forehead. “How could I not think of such a clever solution?” He swayed his body, managing to swing the vine over. Ma Xiong caught it, found a relatively sturdy-looking rock, tested it with a tug, found it secure, and tied the rope fast. He then told Lu Zong, “Alright, Lu Zong, you can climb down now.”
Lu Zong gave it a tug—it felt secure enough. He gripped the vine with both hands, looped his legs over the rope, and slowly began descending. In less time than it takes to smoke a cigarette, he smoothly arrived at Ma Xiong’s ear-shaped hole.
Only the Fatty remained fighting above the rock-oil. Now, his apparent weight seemed reduced, and the vine was pulling him upward. If he didn't cross soon, he risked being consumed by Ganda’s maw.
Lu Zong frantically signaled the Fatty to come down, but the Fatty refused to move. He only pointed at the rock-oil beneath him, which was bubbling violently as if boiling. If he fell, who knew what horrors awaited him.
Ma Xiong cursed, “Damn it, Fatty, are you joking with your life at a time like this? Relax! We’ve got a firm hold here. Just climb over, you’ll be fine. Unless the carnivorous plant’s vine snaps, we won’t let you fall. Don’t worry, the vine plants are afraid of the rock-oil too; they won't venture close to it, and they definitely won't drop you in there carelessly.”
Finally, the Fatty started to climb. His large body bent into a semi-circle, his feet gripping the rope, and his hands holding fast. When he fully released his hold below, his body dropped straight down—and the vine actually slackened. The Fatty’s immense weight had stretched the tendril.
The Fatty screamed, terrified his body would touch the rock-oil. When he was about half a meter above the surface, his descent stopped. The vine was now horizontal; he couldn't slide down any further.
The Fatty looked at the other two in despair, his eyes filled with sorrow. The very lifeline he had just grasped had turned into a weapon of murder, a weapon that had saved two other lives, yet only revealed its true function when it was his turn. He was deeply disappointed.
Lu Zong and Ma Xiong were also terrified. Only after the Fatty’s body stopped its plunge did they regain their composure and try to comfort him. “Fatty, don’t be scared. Climb slowly; don’t panic. You’ll make it if you climb steadily. God is fair to everyone. Since we were saved, God must have a destiny planned for you too.”
The Fatty’s voice trembled. “Yes, God arranged for my destiny to stop dead when the vine went horizontal. What else can I do?”
Ma Xiong tried to encourage him. “Fatty, inch your way over here, little by little. I’ll tell you a secret you never noticed: you’re not actually fat. It’s just your own psychological perception.”
The Fatty glanced painfully at the rolls of fat on his arm and gave Ma Xiong a look. “Oh? Then what do you call this fat?”
Ma Xiong didn’t hesitate. “That’s called strength, sex appeal, and fullness! Did God give you such sensually full hands just so you could eat? No! God intended for you to climb walls!”
The Fatty looked mournfully at his ‘sexy’ hands and conceded, “Fine. Since you can use my flaws to comfort me, I have nothing more to say. Right now, all I want is to climb over there and beat you senseless to relieve the anger in my heart.”
With that, he slowly began to move his arms, inching his way toward them. Lu Zong and Ma Xiong watched the Fatty’s clumsy movements, suppressing the urge to laugh, feeling it would be unfair to him. They decided to hold back until he arrived, intending to laugh their fill then.