When Darwin tries to escape through the stairs, he sees the number 4 written on the floor sign attached to the wall, but he keeps going in circles on the fourth floor. The number 4 in Mandarin (si) is pronounced with the fourth tone (a sharp falling tone), which sounds similar to (si) pronounced with the third tone (a falling-rising tone), meaning "death." As a result, this number is often avoided in daily life-for example, it is not used for floor numbers, room numbers, or phone numbers. This belief makes the number 4 considered unlucky, even though in Western culture it is viewed as neutral or symbolizes stability.
