The Twisted Clock

In the dimly lit grand bedroom, two middle-aged men with nefarious intentions were plotting against an innocent. One, a balding, bespectacled man named Mr. Smith, inquired of his obese counterpart, Mr. Johnson, "Have you found the right man for the job?"

Mr. Johnson, grinning wickedly, assured him, "Rest easy, everything is set according to your specifications. Weve arranged for our most popular entertainer, strong and skilled, to ensure shes utterly captivated."

"And the cameras?" Mr. Smith pressed on.

"Installed discreetly, state-of-the-art pinhole cameras guaranteeing a flawless capture of the event!" Mr. Johnson boasted.

Entertainer?

Cameras?

What on earth?

Lisa, feeling groggy and with her head spinning from the strong liquor, struggled to make sense of her surroundings. Wasnt she supposed to be at the karaoke bar with her client, Mr. Smith, discussing business over a song?

But the silence in this place was eerie, and the softness beneath her suggested she was on a bed.

Oh no, it was indeed a bed!

Lisa jolted awake, trying to sit up, but her body betrayed her, unresponsive to her commands.

The door swung open, and the loud music from outside seeped in.

The two men left, and a young man in his early twenties, wearing an earpiece, entered.

"Xiao Guo, use your charm to make the woman on the bed fly high, and Ill give you a hefty. Remember, keep her face in the cameras view at all times," Mr. Smiths voice echoed through the earpiece.

Lisa realized the gravity of the situation; the old man was planning to take advantage of her.

This Mr. Smith, who owed her company a significant payment, had lured her here under the guise of settling the account, only to betray her.

At that moment, Xiao Guo, methodically undressing, was preparing to follow through with Mr. Smiths devious plan.

Lisa mustered all her strength and warned, "Stay away from me."

Xiao Guo paused, activating the microphone, "Mr. Smith, shes still conscious?"

"Fear not, theres vodka by the bedside, make her drink more," Mr. Smith instructed nonchalantly.

Xiao Guo picked up the vodka, and as Lisa clenched her teeth, he pinched her cheeks, forcing the fiery liquid down her throat.

The vodka, known for its high alcohol content, quickly robbed Lisa of her ability to resist.

Xiao Guo, feeling more at ease, began to remove Lisas dress.

Lisa felt the cool air on her exposed chest as her outer clothes were pulled down to her waist, leaving only her half-cup bra.

Heaven help her, this was her precious virtue, guarded fiercely for over two decades...

Was she to lose it now?

Lisa felt an urge to vanish into thin air!

Suddenly, with a loud crash, an object fell from the sky, landing right on the table hiding the surveillance equipment.

The monitor hit the floor, splitting into two pieces.

Beside the monitor lay a man dressed in traditional royal robes, his hair neatly coiled in a bun.

What sorcery was this? Where had this man in ancient attire come from?

Xiao Guo rose from Lisa and approached the man in royal attire, ready to report to Mr. Smith and the others via the microphone.

Another hard object fell from above, striking Xiao Guo on the back of his head, rendering him unconscious.

Lisa, barely keeping her senses, looked over to see what had caused the commotion鈥攖he object was an antique sword.

She glanced at the intact ceiling and the still-closed doors and windows, puzzled by the sudden appearance of the man and the sword.

At that moment, the man in royal attire had regained his senses. He stood up unsteadily and looked at Lisa on the bed with a piercing gaze that sent shivers down her spine.

Lisa instinctively shuddered.

Xiao Guo on the floor groaned and woke up as well.

The man in royal attires eyes narrowed, and he picked up the sword beside him, placing it against Xiao Guos neck.

"Confess! Who sent you to assassinate me?" he demanded.

Your Highness?

Assassination?

What drama was this?

Lisa wondered if she was hallucinating.

Xiao Guo, dazed from the blow, pushed the man away, exclaiming, "Youre insane."

"How dare you, a mere nobody, insult me, seeking death," the man in royal attire retorted, drawing his sword as if to strike Xiao Guo.

Xiao Guos face turned pale with fear, but the sword stopped just a centimeter from his chest. "Killing you would sully my mystical sword," the man in royal attire sneered, looking down at him. "I shall deal with you later."

With that, he sheathed his sword and struck Xiao Guo on the neck with the hilt, knocking him unconscious once more.

What was happening?

Was she hallucinating from the alcohol, or had sheed?

Lisa, in a daze, watched as the man in royal attire approached her, her head spinning.

The man stood by the bed, looking down at Lisa with a condescending air, his judgmental gaze falling on her half-naked upper body. He used the hilt of his sword to lift her bra, expressing his disgust. "What kind of attire is this? Its indecent!"

The alcohol in Lisas stomach surged to her brain, and she could no longer stand it, fainting once again.

When she awoke, her head throbbed, and for a moment, she was disoriented, unsure of where she was. But when she turned her head, she saw a mans face right next to her.

"Ah!" Lisa screamed immediately, but he covered her mouth.

She struggled, kicking off the blanket, only to discover she was naked beneath it.

What happened last night?

Lisas mind instantly conjured images from certain Japanese films.

The memories of the night before came rushing back鈥擷iao Guo, the strange man in royal attire...

Oh no, this perverted scoundrel...

Lisa wished she could just die.

"Enough noise," the man in royal attire released her, clearly annoyed. "Stop screaming. I have no interest in a woman who sleeps like a log."

So, he hadnt taken advantage of her. Relief washed over Lisa, and she stared at the handsome man before her, wondering what it would feel like to be with someone so attractive and well-built.

But if they hadnt been intimate, why was she undressed?

"You vomited all over the place last night, it was filthy. I didnt throw you out, and you should be grateful," the man in royal attire rose from the bed, glancing at her exposed body, and stated indifferently, "Considering your passable looks, decent figure, and the fact that youre still pure, I shall condescend to take you as a concubine..."

What?

No intimacy, yet he had seen her body in full, enjoying the view while she got nothing in return?

He also discovered that she had never been with a man鈥攑lease, she prided herself on having experienced many men, and this would be a blow to her reputation.

But all of that could be ignored; the most intolerable part was his statement, "I shall condescend to take you as a concubine."

What? A concubine, and reluctantly at that?

Was this man in royal attire delusional?

She was a beautiful, self-reliant woman, and he was offering her a position as his secondary wife, as if it were a favor!

Lisa could not stand it any longer; she leaped up, lunging at the man in royal attire by the bed, punching and kicking furiously, shouting, "Die, you pervert, you old, you delusional maniac!"

"Have you finished causing a scene?" he caught her wrists, lifting her like a chicken, and tossed her back onto the bed.

The man in royal attire looked at her, expressionless, but his eyes held a cold glint. "I am willing to take responsibility; offering you a position as a concubine is already generous. Do not push your luck."

Lisa was about to retort when a knock on the door interrupted them; it seemed Mr. Smith and the karaoke manager had come to check on their handiwork.

Lisa suppressed her anger, calmly observing the unconscious man on the floor, and resolutely dialed from her bag that had fallen in the corner: "911".

Exiting the police station into the blinding sunlight, she realized that despite reporting the incident, the karaoke bar