Chapter 74: Lawyer Zhang's Choice
"Dig Dog, what about the remaining rules?" Qi Xia asked. "What exactly is this game about?"
"Please follow me, everyone. I'll explain as we walk."
With that, Dig Dog led the group into a corridor of the hotel and said, "This hotel has two parallel corridors, both identically arranged. Each team occupies one corridor to start the game. Whoever completes the task first will be declared the winner."
After speaking, he pushed open the first door in the corridor, which had "Sender" written on it.
"This is the sender's room," Dig Dog said. "Once the game starts, the two 'Senders' can only stay in their respective rooms and cannot leave. Your task is to deliver a letter containing a password."
The empty room contained only a table, and what was on the table was clear at a glance: a letter, an iron box, a golden key, and a golden lock.
Lin Qin thought for a moment and asked, "If we can't leave this room, how are we supposed to deliver the 'letter'?"
"Simple—give the letter to the 'Spy,'" Dig Dog said. "Please follow me."
He led everyone out of the room and back into the corridor.
"The corridor is the activity area for all 'Spies.' You shuttle through your own corridors and handle the delivery."
"Have the 'Spy' deliver the letter?!" Everyone was taken aback.
"Have any of you watched spy dramas?" Dig Dog said with a smile. "Sometimes, even when you know the messenger is a spy, you still have no choice but to send the letter out."
Everyone didn't know what to say. Most of those present were young people; how many of them had studied spy dramas?
"What's this?" Lin Qin noticed a small machine in the corridor.
The machine looked like an electric heater, with a palm-sized hole on top.
"This is a shredder," Dig Dog said. "The 'Spy' can throw anything into it as they wish—letters, keys, locks. But it's worth noting that due to size limitations, the 'iron box' cannot be thrown in."
"So we can have the 'Spy' deliver anything?" Lin Qin asked. "Even just a key by itself?"
"That's right. If you're willing, you can have the spy make multiple trips back and forth in the corridor."
Everyone faintly felt that this game was not simple, and the upcoming situations were completely unpredictable.
"That's all for the first half of the rules for now," Dig Dog said with a smile. "Please, 'Senders,' return to your rooms. The next part of the rules does not require your participation."
Lin Qin glanced at Qi Xia, then slowly walked toward the room.
The Golden Fur from the opposing team also went to the other corridor and entered his room.
Qi Xia looked at the shredder in the corridor and suddenly felt a bit of regret.
It seemed that the 'Spy' was the most variable role in this game.
"You two 'Spies,' no matter what you receive, you must deliver it within three minutes, unless you have already destroyed it." Dig Dog pointed to an electronic clock in the corridor, which had a three-minute timer. "If the time reaches zero and the item still hasn't been dealt with, there will be a punishment."
Old Lü and the girl were startled. "Weren't we told our roles are the safest?"
"Of course, you'll be safe as long as you deliver or destroy the item," Dig Dog said with a smile. "This rule is to prevent anyone from stalling for time."
Seeing that everyone fell silent, Dig Dog said, "Please, 'Spies,' stay here. The rest of you, follow me."
Old Lü and the girl stayed behind.
Dig Dog led the remaining people forward.
At this point, both sides only had the 'Receiver' and 'Hostage' left.
At the end of the corridor was another room, with "Receiver" written on the door.
Dig Dog pushed it open, revealing another table inside. On the table were only a silver key and a silver lock.
In the corner of the room was a large device that looked like a refrigerator.
"This is the activity space for the 'Receiver,'" Dig Dog said. "You cannot communicate with anyone except the 'Spy.'"
After speaking, he walked over to the large device and said, "This cabinet is where the 'Hostage' needs to stay. Once the game starts, you will be trapped inside it."
Qi Xia was the first to go up and inspect the cabinet. The cabinet door had an electronic display that currently read 'Unlocked.'
The internal structure of the cabinet was quite strange. The walls were made of metal, with many holes in them, making it look like...
"This is a custom-made large microwave oven," Dig Dog said. "After half an hour, if no one opens the cabinet door, the person inside will be turned into meat."
The big bald man beside him gasped upon hearing this. He was the opposing team's 'Hostage.'
"Microwave?! What the hell?!" He yelled and stepped back. "I'm not getting in there!"
"Hey!" The blonde man grabbed him. "Don't make a scene. If you chicken out here, A Mu will kill you when he gets out."
At these words, the bald man was clearly frightened.
"But, but I can't get into a microwave..."
"Don't worry, how could these people be a match for A Mu?" The blonde man gripped the bald man's shoulder. "Trust in his methods."
The bald man pondered for a moment, then nodded with some hesitation.
"As for the 'Receiver,' your rules are no different from the 'Sender's," Dig Dog continued. "The only thing to note is that if you successfully receive the letter, you must immediately open the envelope, decipher the door-opening password inside, and rescue your teammate. The team that rescues their teammate first will be considered the winner."
Qi Xia saw that Zhang Chenze beside him remained silent, so he asked calmly, "Do you trust me?"
Zhang Chenze pondered for a moment and said, "Qi Xia, I trust you, but there are too many variables in this game. In this room, you can't communicate with others, let alone discuss tactics. Even if I trust you, that doesn't mean you'll definitely be able to save me."
"This..." Qi Xia was momentarily speechless.
Seeing the two talking, Dig Dog approached very inappropriately and said with a smile, "Even now, if you want to exchange roles, I won't object."
Hearing this, Qi Xia was taken aback. He took out his own 'Receiver' card and looked at it.
Zhang Chenze had just escaped from a fish tank and was now about to enter a microwave oven. Wasn't this too cruel to her?
"Lawyer Zhang, logically speaking, I really should exchange with you..." Qi Xia said with some difficulty. "Making you the hostage twice in a row, it's too much for you..."
"It's fine," Zhang Chenze said. "Qi Xia, from a perspective of maximizing benefits, you should take this 'Receiver' card. Being in the middle zone of the entire game, you'll have an easier time controlling the overall situation. Compared to others, I'm more assured letting you open the lock."
"Don't you think it's cruel to you?" Qi Xia asked.
"Cruel?" Zhang Chenze forced a slight smile. "As long as it's the right thing to do, it should be executed unconditionally. It just so happens that my clothes are still wet; I'll treat it as going in to dry."