Chapter 17: Sheep and Dogs
"Sheep and dogs..." Qi Xia narrowed his eyes, carefully pondering everything.
The person who initially called himself "Human Sheep" wanted them to kill each other, but now this same "Human Sheep" claimed to be very worried about them and couldn't just watch them die.
"Isn't that a lie..."
Suddenly, a flash of light flickered in Qi Xia's mind.
That's it!
This was it!
Lying!
Everything aligned with Qi Xia's expectations. "Sheep" and "Dog" weren't people's names at all—they were "game types"!
Could "Sheep" represent the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"? The shepherd boy who lied multiple times until no one would save him. So in the "Sheep" game, there must be "lies"—it's a game of "deception."
Could "Dog" represent loyalty? Just like in the harpoon game earlier—if they hadn't cooperated together, none of them would have survived. So could it mean "cooperation"?
Qi Xia picked up the harpoon again, examining it. He knew that "Sheep" might have lied while explaining the rules.
But which sentence in those few short words was the lie?
"I can't just watch you die." If that sentence was a lie...
"Wait..." Qi Xia's eyes slowly widened. "That statement wasn't the 'answer'—it was a trap meant to kill everyone."
"What are you talking about?" Qiao Jiajin asked, confused.
"That entire statement was a lie!" Qi Xia said decisively. "Standing by the wall leads to 'death,' and standing beneath the holes is 'survival'!"
Doctor Zhao and Officer Li exchanged glances, not understanding what Qi Xia was trying to convey.
"Everyone, remember? 'Sheep' can lie!" Qi Xia stood in the center of the room, trying to get everyone to move closer to him. "If we follow the rules as he explained them, we'll end up killing ourselves. That's the difference between 'Sheep' and 'Dog'!"
"But is that really reasonable?" Xiao Ran asked timidly. "You're the only one in the entire room with a hole directly above your head. Logically, that seems like the most dangerous place..."
Qi Xia hadn't figured out that part either.
What could possibly fall from the hole above to kill someone standing by the wall?
"Hmm..." Qi Xia thought for a moment, then revised his statement. "It doesn't matter. After this round ends, there's a good chance we can get out. So just choose whatever you think is best."
"How do you know we can get out?" Officer Li asked warily.
"Because this time, the instructions didn't include any 'preview' of the next game," Qi Xia replied. "That suggests two possibilities: either this is the last game, or the organizers are very confident they can kill all of us in this round."
Everyone's faces darkened, but no one could refute his logic.
"In any case, I'll stand here." Qi Xia pointed at the spot beneath his feet. "As for what you choose to do—that's up to you."
After hearing Qi Xia's words, Qiao Jiajin slowly walked over to stand beside him. "Like I said, I trust you."
"But I'm a liar," Qi Xia replied coldly.
"Doesn't matter."
Lin Qin thought it over carefully, then also walked toward the center of the room, covering her mouth and nose.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Xiao Ran shouted from against the wall. "You actually believe him?"
Lin Qin nodded slightly. "Yes. Think about it—who's the reason we've survived this long?"
Xiao Ran was momentarily stunned. She realized Lin Qin made a good point. After a brief internal struggle, she followed.
Han Yimo pressed his hand against the wound on his shoulder and also walked over.
"Your name is Qi Xia, right? I believe you too."
Tiantian and Zhang Chenze followed as well.
Now only Doctor Zhao and Officer Li remained pressed against the wall.
"Hey, aren't you coming?" Tiantian called out.
"I..." Doctor Zhao seemed hesitant, still undecided.
"There's no need to force anyone," Qi Xia said, waving his hand. "This round doesn't require cooperation. As long as you can survive, that's enough."
The clock on the floor slowly reached 1:28.
Officer Li narrowed his eyes, staring at Qi Xia.
He didn't think this liar would choose to die right now, but why was he leading everyone to stand beneath the holes?
Lin Qin noticed their hesitation and called out to them, "Qi Xia doesn't seem to be lying. Are you coming?"
"You can tell?" Officer Li asked quietly.
"That's right," Lin Qin nodded. "Because of my work, I can usually tell whether someone is lying or not."
"In that case..." Officer Li and Doctor Zhao exchanged glances, then silently walked forward. "Since a professional says so, we'll trust you."
Even as they said this, they still held onto the shattered table boards.
When they reached the spot beneath the holes, they raised the boards to shield their heads. That way, whatever fell from above, they'd have some protection.
"You two are pretty cunning," Qiao Jiajin grumbled as he bent down to grab a piece of table board from the floor.
Qi Xia glanced at the time and grabbed Qiao Jiajin's arm.
"Don't bother. There's no time."
As he finished speaking, the clock struck 1:30. A loud chain sound echoed from the ceiling, as if something invisible was being wound up.
"You sure about this, liar?" Qiao Jiajin looked up nervously. The whole scene felt like gambling—except the stakes were nine lives.
Qi Xia shook his head. "I'm just guessing. We'll see if I'm right."
Suddenly, the entire room trembled slightly, making everyone's heart clench.
Tiantian instinctively moved closer to Officer Li and Doctor Zhao.
Qi Xia looked up, staring intently at the nine clustered holes. His eyes seemed to pierce through the darkness, searching for the hidden mechanism within.
The next second, dark, shadowy objects shot out from the nine holes. Everyone shut their eyes in terror.
Only Qi Xia saw what those dark objects really were.
Nine old, filthy hemp ropes.
He reached out and caught one in his hand.
These ropes were about two fingers thick, sturdy enough to grip firmly.
"Damn..." Qi Xia's expression changed. "This is worse than I expected."
The others slowly opened their eyes, finding themselves staring at rotting, foul-smelling ropes dangling before them.
"What's going on?"
Before anyone could figure out their situation, Qi Xia shouted, "Grab the ropes!!"
The quicker three or four people immediately grasped the ropes. The rest followed suit.
Qi Xia turned his head and saw that Han Yimo, due to his injured right shoulder, could only weakly hold onto the rope with his left hand.
"No, you..."
Before Qi Xia could finish, the floor beneath them shattered into powder.
"Ah!"
"Shit!"
Screams erupted simultaneously.
Everyone's body plummeted downward. Only thanks to the ropes in their hands did they manage not to fall completely.
Han Yimo gritted his teeth, gripping the rope tightly with his left hand. But he was already losing blood, and his strength was fading. Qi Xia watched helplessly as his left hand slowly began to slip.