Chapter 62: A Deadly Question?
"Walk out openly and honestly...?" Qi Xia wore a contemplative expression, unsure of what he was thinking about.
"I've already distributed them. Your turn." Human Pig pushed both bowls forward. "Choose. Choose the one among you and me who will survive."
Lin Qin and Old Lyu frowned at this scene.
Human Pig had shuffled all the chess pieces evenly, each bowl containing half black and half white.
Everything from now on truly relied on 'luck'.
Qi Xia didn't move at all. He tilted his ear, as if trying to determine the color of the pieces by hearing alone.
After a moment, Qi Xia spoke: "Human Pig, you pick for me."
"Wh...?" Human Pig was stunned. "What did you say?"
"I said, you pick for me." Qi Xia said seriously. "Pick two for me, and I'll pick one from those."
"Qi Xia, this is a 'life gamble.' Don't you want to control your own fate?"
"It's fine." Qi Xia didn't seem to care. "You said you wanted to participate in the 'life gamble' to make yourself feel like you once 'lived,' but if you think about it carefully, this game has been played by me the whole time. You didn't participate at all."
Human Pig remained silent; the fact was indeed so.
"So I'm giving you the chance to 'participate.'" Qi Xia pointed at the bowl in front of him. "This game is a contest between you and me, so I'm very curious to know how you would choose."
Human Pig reached out and slowly stroked his chin.
On his chin grew unclean pig bristles, so he stroked them as if stroking a beard, giving off a strange aura of wisdom.
He thought for a long time, never able to guess Qi Xia's motive.
This was originally a game with a fifty-fifty chance of winning or losing, but if he himself chose the pieces, it would make the outcome even harder for Qi Xia to predict.
In such a tense moment of 'life gamble,' the man before him had handed over life and death to his enemy to decide...
Was he giving up? Or was he trying to be clever?
"Don't hesitate, Human Pig. It'll be easier for me to choose once you've finished picking, won't it?" Qi Xia said.
"It'll be easier for you to choose once I've finished picking...?"
After a moment, Human Pig finally nodded. "I understand. Then let me send you on your way."
Qi Xia nodded and said no more.
Human Pig reached toward the bowls on the table, decisively picking up two white pieces.
For Qi Xia, these two white pieces were tickets to hell. No matter how he inquired in the end, white could never turn into black.
Just as he was about to hand these two white pieces to Qi Xia, something suddenly flashed through his mind.
Human Pig abruptly raised his head, thinking to himself: "Wait... no."
Did Qi Xia not anticipate that he would pick two white pieces for him?
This was a 'gamble' — a match where if the opponent won, he would lose his life. Why would he so confidently let him choose?
"Ah..." Human Pig realized suddenly, slowly withdrawing his hand. "He's trying to trick me..."
What did he mean by 'It'll be easier for me to choose once you've finished picking'?
Human Pig's thoughts became clear.
Once these two white pieces were handed to Qi Xia, Qi Xia would immediately go back on his word. He would set those two white pieces aside and then pick pieces again from the remaining bowl.
This small act would break the balance within the bowl, leaving forty-eight white pieces and fifty black pieces.
Qi Xia's chance of winning would directly increase by a bit.
After all, Qi Xia was not a 'Zodiac.' His words during the game were not 'rules,' only his own suggestions.
Since they weren't 'rules,' Qi Xia himself didn't need to follow them.
So 'going back on his word' was highly likely.
"You're really calculating..." Human Pig felt a lingering fear; he had nearly fallen for Qi Xia's scheme. He thought for a moment, then took out two black pieces.
But then he hesitated again.
Handing two black pieces directly to the other party would be even more dangerous.
What if the other party had anticipated his anticipation? Wouldn't that mean handing over victory directly?
Human Pig lowered his head, looking at the pieces in his hands — two white in his left, two black in his right.
He realized that no matter which choice he made, it would actually increase Qi Xia's chance of winning. The situation was absurd.
Was all of this calculated by Qi Xia in advance?
"Should I just give him two white pieces...?" He squinted, thinking again. At least white pieces would slightly increase Qi Xia's winning chance, but black pieces would greatly increase it...
No, that's not right.
Human Pig shook his head again.
Neither two blacks nor two whites would work, since he didn't know what Qi Xia's strategy would be.
Human Pig was forced to adjust his strategy, abandoning the two-black-two-white tactic, and instead took one black and one white in his hand.
He only had one thought now — since he couldn't lower the opponent's winning chance, he would keep it as it was.
Let everything return to a one-in-two state. This situation should be more troublesome for Qi Xia.
"Yes... that's it..." Human Pig nodded and placed one black and one white into Qi Xia's hands.
"Qi Xia, I've picked them." Human Pig said. "This deadly question is back in your hands."
"Deadly question..." Qi Xia felt the two pieces in his hand, his expression quite complex.
Human Pig finally breathed a sigh of relief. At least at this stage, he had made the optimal choice.
For Qi Xia, one black and one white should be the hardest to handle. He had to pick one of them to ask the color of those two pieces.
He didn't know what color the piece he picked was, nor whether the person he asked would tell the truth or a lie.
Under this double fog, Qi Xia's chance of winning would be infinitely reduced.
Old Lyu and Lin Qin, seeing the one black and one white in Qi Xia's hand, broke out in cold sweat.
These two were not fools and naturally understood the stakes.
It seemed all of Qi Xia's earlier strategies had completely failed, and everything was back to square one.
Now the pieces were still one black and one white, and the two people were still one truthful and one lying.
Without extremely strong 'luck,' how could he possibly survive?
Old Lyu pursed his lips, wiped the fine sweat on his forehead, his hands already cold from tension.
"Qi Xia, who will you ask?" Human Pig asked.
Qi Xia turned his head toward Old Lyu's direction, then turned toward Lin Qin, thinking with a heavy expression.
Who was the one telling the truth?
After about thirty seconds, Qi Xia made his choice: "I choose Lin Qin..."
Lin Qin trembled upon hearing this, as if frightened.
"Good." Human Pig turned around and waved at Lin Qin. "Come here, little girl. Remember the rules: you can only answer 'white' or 'black.' If you dare to say anything else or give any hint, you'll die on the spot."
Lin Qin nodded with a pale face.
Human Pig turned back to Qi Xia: "Start, Qi Xia. You only have one chance to ask. Whether you can save your life depends on this one question."