# Chapter 17: Sheep and Dog
"Sheep and Dog..." Qi Xia squinted, carefully pondering everything.
The person who initially called himself "Human Sheep" wanted them to kill each other, but now this "Human Sheep" said he was very worried about them, and that he couldn't just watch them die.
"Isn't that a lie..."
Suddenly, a flash of light streaked through Qi Xia's mind.
That's it!
Exactly this!
Lying!
Everything was heading in the direction Qi Xia had predicted. "Sheep" and "Dog" weren't 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 and was left without rescue. So in the "Sheep" game, there is "deception"—a game of "lying."
Could "Dog" represent loyalty? Just like in the previous harpoon game, if they hadn't cooperated, none of them would have survived. So could it be "cooperation"?
Qi Xia picked up the harpoon again and looked at it. He knew that when "Sheep" explained the rules, there was a possibility of lying.
But among these few short sentences, which one was the lie?
"I can't just watch you die." If that sentence were a lie...
"Wait..." Qi Xia's eyes slowly widened. "This explanation isn't the 'answer'—it's a trap meant to kill everyone."
"What are you talking about?" Qiao Jiajin asked in confusion.
"Every single word is a lie!" Qi Xia said decisively. "Standing by the wall means 'death'! Standing beneath the hole means 'life'!"
Dr. Zhao and Officer Li exchanged glances, unsure what Qi Xia was getting at.
"Everyone, remember? 'Sheep' can lie!" Qi Xia stood in the center of the room, trying to get everyone closer to him. "If we follow the rules he gave us, we'll end up killing ourselves. That's the difference between 'Sheep' and 'Dog'!"
"But does that really make sense?" Xiao Ran asked timidly. "In the entire room, only you have a hole above your head. Logically, that's the most dangerous place, isn't it..."
Qi Xia hadn't figured that out either.
What could possibly fall from the hole above them that would kill those by the wall?
"Hmm..." Qi Xia thought for a moment, then changed his approach. "It's fine. After this round, we have a high chance of getting out. So just choose according to your own judgment."
"How do you know we'll get out?" Officer Li asked warily.
"Because this time, there's no 'preview' of the next game in the prompt," Qi Xia replied. "That suggests one of two possibilities: either this is the last game, or the host is very confident that this game will kill all of us."
The others' faces turned grim, but they had no argument.
"In any case, I'm standing here." Qi Xia pointed at his own feet. "As for the rest of you, the choice is yours."
After hearing Qi Xia's words, Qiao Jiajin slowly walked over to him and said, "I told you, 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 carefully—who's the reason we're all still alive?"
Xiao Ran was taken aback. She suddenly felt that Lin Qin made sense. After a brief internal struggle, she followed.
Han Yimo pressed his hand against the wound on his shoulder and also walked over.
"You're called... Qi Xia, right? I trust you too."
Tiantian and Zhang Chenze followed.
Now only Dr. Zhao and Officer Li remained pressed against the wall.
"Hey, aren't you coming?" Tiantian called out.
"I..." Dr. Zhao seemed hesitant, as if he hadn't made up his mind.
"There's no need to force anyone." Qi Xia raised a hand and waved. "This round doesn't require cooperation. As long as you survive, that's enough."
The clock on the floor slowly approached 1:28.
Officer Li squinted at Qi Xia.
He didn't think this liar was choosing death at this moment. But why was he leading everyone to stand beneath the holes?
Lin Qin noticed their hesitation and said to them, "Qi Xia doesn't seem to be lying. Are you coming over?"
"Can you tell?" Officer Li asked quietly.
"That's right." Lin Qin nodded. "Due to my work, I can usually tell whether someone is lying."
"In that case..." Officer Li and Dr. Zhao exchanged a glance, then silently walked forward. "Since a professional has spoken, we'll trust you."
Even as they said this, they still held onto the broken table boards in their hands.
They walked beneath the holes, then raised the boards to cover their heads. That way, no matter what fell from above, they'd have some protection.
"You guys are pretty cunning," Qiao Jiajin grumbled, about to pick up a board from the floor himself.
Qi Xia glanced at the time and grabbed Qiao Jiajin's arm.
"Don't bother. There's no time."
As soon as he finished speaking, the clock reached 1:30. From the ceiling came the loud sound of chains—as if something invisible was being wound up.
"You sure about this, Liar?" Qiao Jiajin looked up timidly. The whole scene felt like gambling, except this time the stakes were nine lives.
Qi Xia shook his head. "I'm just guessing. We'll see if I guessed right."
Suddenly, the entire room trembled slightly, making the nine people tense up.
Tiantian instinctively moved closer to Officer Li and Dr. 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.
The next second, something dark shot out from the nine holes. The others shut their eyes in fright.
Only Qi Xia saw clearly what those dark things were.
Nine old, filthy hemp ropes.
He reached out and caught one.
The ropes were about two fingers thick, just enough to grip firmly.
"Oh no..." Qi Xia's expression shifted. "It's worse than I imagined."
The others slowly opened their eyes and saw the ropes emitting a rotting smell.
"What's going on?"
Before they could understand the situation, Qi Xia immediately shouted, "Grab the rope!!"
Three or four of the faster ones immediately grabbed hold. The rest followed suit.
Qi Xia turned his head and saw that Han Yimo, due to his injured right shoulder, could only weakly grip the rope with his left hand.
"No, you..."
Just as Qi Xia was about to say something, the floor beneath them shattered into powder.
"Ah!"
"Damn!"
Screams erupted at the same time.
Everyone's bodies dropped sharply. If not for the ropes in their hands, they would have fallen straight down.
Han Yimo gritted his teeth, gripping the rope tightly with his left hand. But he was already losing blood, his strength draining away. Qi Xia watched helplessly as his left hand slowly slipped.