As the walrus performed its act, everyone got a clear look at the human head.
Its eyes were wide, as if witnessing something unbelievable.
Its mouth was agape, as if silently pleading for help.
Beneath the head was a short section of neck, still dripping blood.
The walrus treated the head like a ball, tossing it around with its own head.
A human head that refused to close its eyes, coupled with the seemingly innocent, slippery head of a walrus below, created a pairing that would be unforgettable for a lifetime.
Zhang Haiyang stood by, observing the walrus's performance while simultaneously gauging the reactions of the audience.
The more surprised, the more terrified, the more fearful they were; the more excited, the more thrilled, the more fulfilled he felt.
Some could no longer bear the disharmonious sight and averted their gaze slightly, not daring to do so too obviously, for fear of provoking the madman on stage.
The walrus, with its bulky physique, had performed many actions and seemed to be losing stamina.
As it tossed the head into the air again, Zhang Haiyang whipped it directly into the water.
With a gulp, the head slowly sank.
Everyone's eyes followed the head downwards until it disappeared from view.
The walrus, thinking it had made a mistake, resumed its pleading posture.
Judging by its practiced movements, it had likely been beaten many times.
"Alright, the walrus's performance has ended. Are you all satisfied?"
Since the walrus had performed with a human head, would anyone dare say they were not satisfied?
Everyone nodded in unison.
Satisfied, Zhang Haiyang led the walrus backstage.
It seemed the performances were escalating, as a human head had even been used as a prop.
However, Ning Wei strongly suspected what prop the walrus would have used if the young man had not heeded Zhang Haiyang's advice and gone to the pool to wash off the blood.
Perhaps, regardless, the walrus would always have used a human head as a prop, as there were so many people present, and it would have been easy to procure one.
"How much longer will this performance last?"
"Can we leave smoothly once the performance is over?"
While Zhang Haiyang was away, questions poured out, but no one could provide an answer.
They began to console themselves: "Let's hope we can leave this godforsaken place safely."
Some even tried to check if there were indeed steel poles beneath their seats.
Earlier, they had all tried to focus only on the performance, not wanting to turn their heads to look at the other side, the human skewers.
This person's body had been pierced by a steel pole, and blood was slowly seeping from the edges.
After two performances, the blood had already flowed onto the aisle.
Those sitting closer stood on tiptoe, not wanting their shoe soles to touch the blood.
Ning Wei glanced over; the blood was not only flowing down the aisle but was even dripping to the audience seats below.
Unfortunately, she and Li Ye were seated on the level below.
"I wonder how much blood one person can lose. I hope it doesn't flow our way," people whispered, and Ning Wei murmured to Li Ye.
"Don't worry, it won't reach us," Li Ye whispered in reassurance.
As Li Ye had said, the blood from the human skewer did not flow to their feet later, but that was all in hindsight and not worth mentioning now.
Zhang Haiyang had only presented two acts, but the head used as a ball had already left a deep impression on everyone. They wondered what other astonishing performances awaited them.
Footsteps slowly emerged from backstage, and everyone turned to look, only to see Zhang Haiyang alone.
He spread his arms wide, "I'm sure you are all eagerly anticipating the next performance. I can guarantee with my life that it will be absolutely spectacular and unprecedented! Prepare your enthusiasm and your applause for our next guest performer!"
As he spoke, Zhang Haiyang walked to the edge of the pool and stirred the water, creating ripples.
These ripples acted like a signal, and the water below began to respond, indicated by bubbles, large clusters of them.
For some reason, seeing these bubbles made one think of someone struggling for survival at the bottom of the water.
These weren't bubbles made by fish but by a person submerged, exhaling forcefully through their nose and mouth.
Zhang Haiyang slowly stood up and retreated, his hands still waving excitedly.
Before the creature in the water had emerged, he began to introduce it, "This is my most successful scientific research. It is the most beautiful and mysterious marine creature in the world. Open your eyes wide, and you'll regret it for a lifetime if you miss even a glance!"
Hearing him say this, the audience actually felt a hint of curiosity.
Ning Wei leaned forward even more, knowing exactly what this exquisite creature Zhang Haiyang spoke of was.
"It must be a mermaid!" she whispered to Tang Tang.
Tang Tang nodded and gripped her wrist, "Don't get so excited, I'm afraid you'll fall in."
The words sounded familiar. Ning Wei glanced at Li Ye, who was sitting on the other side. The principal character was staring intently at her.
Although Li Ye remained silent, Ning Wei could read his unspoken words from his gaze.
If nothing else, he was reminding Ning Wei not to get carried away and to stay in her seat, lest she become a human skewer or fall into the pool and become a human head toy. In any case, her fate would be dire.
Ning Wei sat back properly, her eyes fixed on the bubbling surface of the water.
Ning Wei was the only one present who showed enthusiasm, which greatly attracted Zhang Haiyang's attention.
He looked at Ning Wei with great satisfaction and then flicked his whip into the water.
One had to admit that Zhang Haiyang was a master at wielding a whip. This whip could be used not only on the ground but also on water.
No wonder his physical condition was so good; it seemed playing with the whip had helped him maintain his fitness.
Ning Wei recalled seeing old men with whips in the town square, some whips at least two to three meters long, creating a zone of no-fly for anyone within a five-meter radius.
The sound of the whip striking the water surface was like a signal flare.
The next second, a dark head slowly rose from the water, followed by a fair and delicate back.
This creature had whetted everyone's appetite. Just its back alone was enough to make all the men drool, let alone when it turned around.
Ning Wei became even more expectant, and the others were also filled with curiosity.
At this point, only the complete back of the creature was visible, with the rest hidden beneath the murky water.
As if afraid of revealing its identity, the water below churned as if stirred by a small fan, making it extremely turbid.