Chapter 73: The Spy
"Spy?" Qi Xia thought carefully but couldn't understand the meaning of this identity card.
If there was a spy among four people, logically their identity should be kept secret. But Earth Dog had everyone check each other's identities right at the start, even allowing them to swap cards—what kind of game was he trying to play?
"Everyone, do you want to exchange identities?" Earth Dog asked from behind the front desk of the hotel.
Qi Xia looked at the cards in everyone's hands and felt troubled.
Without even knowing what game was about to come, how could he figure out which identity was the most important?
If the "Spy" identity was meant to sabotage teamwork, then this card was perfect for Old Lü.
He wasn't particularly clever, so Qi Xia wouldn't have much trouble dealing with him.
But what were "Sender" and "Receiver" supposed to do?
"Qi Xia, let's swap." Lin Qin held out her "Receiver" card toward him. "I haven't quite figured out what these two identities mean, but from the literal meaning, 'Sender' comes first and 'Receiver' comes after. I'll go first, and if you're the 'Receiver,' at least you'll have some room to maneuver."
Qi Xia thought what Lin Qin said made sense.
He truly needed to be the "backup."
"Alright, let's swap."
The two exchanged cards. Lin Qin became the "Sender," and Qi Xia became the "Receiver."
"Um..." Old Lü looked at the card in his hand, at a loss. "I, I've got this..."
Qi Xia patted his shoulder and said, "Old Lü, no matter what the 'Spy's' mission is, just do your part. Remember, we're a team. When necessary, think things through."
Old Lü nodded with a half-understanding look. Qi Xia turned his gaze to Zhang Chenze.
She was staring blankly at her "Hostage" card, her body still dripping wet. Qi Xia could imagine how cold she must be.
"Lawyer Zhang, are you alright?" Qi Xia asked.
"This 'Hostage'..." Zhang Chenze's lips barely moved. "Could it be the kind of hostage 'tied up inside a fish tank'?"
Qi Xia pondered the question seriously for a moment, then nodded. "That's possible. Want me to swap with you?"
"No need..." Zhang Chenze shook her head and forced a bitter smile. "Maybe none of you are as experienced as I am. It's best if I'm the 'Hostage.'"
Seeing the feigned strength on Zhang Chenze's face, Qi Xia didn't know how to comfort her and could only say calmly, "Don't worry, I'll save you."
"I'm not worried about my situation. I just hope you don't end up breaking your own hand too."
Qi Xia and his team had confirmed their identities, and across from them, the opposing team had also finished swapping cards.
Green Hair, Blond Hair, and Baldy were the "Sender," "Receiver," and "Hostage" respectively. The only girl in their team was the "Spy."
The girl didn't seem satisfied with her identity, as if someone else had forced the swap on her.
"Both sides have chosen your identities. Please line up." Earth Dog said with a grin.
Qi Xia was slightly startled. He noticed that when Earth Dog smiled, every muscle on his face moved, as if he wasn't wearing a dog-head mask but actually had a real dog's head.
"First, players who drew the 'Spy' card, please step forward." Earth Dog gestured with his hand.
Old Lü and the girl hesitated for a moment before stepping out.
"Everyone, give them a round of applause!" Earth Dog clapped his hands on his own.
No one moved. They silently listened to the muffled sound of his clapping echo in the air.
"First, I want to congratulate you two. In this game, you've drawn the identity with the highest survival rate."
"Highest survival rate?" Both of them frowned at the same time.
"That's right. Starting now, due to the special nature of the 'Spy' identity, the two of you will operate within the opposing team." Earth Dog gestured with his hands as he explained. "You have two ways to complete the mission. First, be a good 'Spy'—help your original team win, so your entire team survives. Second, you can also abandon your original team, help your current team win, and as long as your current team is willing to accept you at the very end, you may survive with a new identity."
Old Lü mulled over these words for a moment, then asked, "So we're not 'spies'—we're 'double agents'? No matter which team we help win, we still win?"
"Exactly. As long as your new team is willing to accept you, you win." Earth Dog nodded with a smile.
Qi Xia felt there was a flaw in this rule and asked, "Then why are there two spies? Wouldn't one fence-sitter be enough?"
"Great question." Earth Dog nodded. "This is exactly the most interesting part of the game. If a new team wants to accept a 'Spy,' they have to abandon the 'Spy' they sent out. In other words, a team can only have four people at most. It's impossible for both 'Spies' to join the same side."
After hearing this, Qi Xia's expression turned grim.
So nothing that happened in this place ever went according to plan.
So the "Spy" could defect?
Before Qi Xia could say anything, Old Lü turned around and asked, "Kid, you're not going to abandon me, are you?!"
Qi Xia stared into Old Lü's eyes for a moment, then asked in return, "What about you?"
"What good would come from abandoning you?! I paid the entrance fee of four 'Tao' tokens." Old Lü said anxiously. "The winning team gets five 'Tao' tokens per person, plus the spoils from the other team, right? But you guys are dead broke. That lawyer's got a few 'Tao' tokens on her. If I help the other side kill you all, I'd only get five 'Tao' tokens at most. Meaning after all that trouble, I'd only net one 'Tao' token."
Qi Xia nodded. "Good. As long as you understand that, I won't abandon you either."
"Then we've got a deal." Old Lü grabbed Qi Xia's hand. "I'll do my best to mess things up for the other side and help you win this game."
"Hold on." Qi Xia pulled Old Lü closer and lowered his voice. "I need to tell you a few things."
...
On the other side, the girl who was also a "Spy" was equally troubled after hearing the rules. She went to her boyfriend Green Hair and said reluctantly, "What the hell? I have to go to their team now?"
"Don't worry, babe." Green Hair wrapped his arm around the girl's waist. "It's just a formality. How could those weaklings and cripples possibly beat you?"
"You're not going to ditch me, are you?" the girl asked.
"What kind of talk is that? Ditch you for that old man?" Green Hair pulled her closer until their faces were almost touching. "In some ways, you're way more important than him."
"Shameless..."
After saying that, the two embraced and started kissing, completely ignoring where they were.