Chapter 75: Psychological Warfare
"If everyone understands the rules, please take your positions. The next instructions will come from the room's broadcast."
Earth Dog arranged the group and then walked alone to the front desk.
In the two corridors, everyone had already taken their positions.
The "Senders" sat in the first room of the corridor, with the opponents' "Spies" standing in the hallway, while the last room held the "Recipients" and the "Hostage."
The rules of this game seemed very simple: the "Sender" would pass the code to the "Spy," the "Spy" would deliver it to the "Recipient," the "Recipient" would check the code, and finally open the door.
But these straightforward rules left everyone uneasy. After all, the most critical part of the game was in the hands of the opposing team.
"Everyone," Earth Dog said into a microphone at the front desk.
At the same time, his voice came through the broadcasts in every room and hallway.
"The game will begin in ten minutes. Spies, please make contact with your Senders now."
Lin Qin looked at the various props in her room, her mind racing with strategies.
A box, a lock, a key, and a letter.
Three out of these four items could potentially be destroyed by the shredder.
To avoid the shredder, she had to place the letter inside the box and lock it.
That way, the entire box couldn't be thrown into the shredder, and the "Spy" would have no choice but to deliver it to the other side.
But the real problem was the key?
Even though she didn't know what tools Qi Xia had, based on the game's setup, there was no way he could have a matching key or any lock-picking tools.
So how would he open the box once he received it?
*Knock knock knock*—
A soft knock sounded at the door, and the "Spy," a young woman, opened it from the outside.
"Are you ready?" she asked expressionlessly.
Lin Qin looked at the woman and asked, "What's your name?"
"Jiang Ruoxue. Are you ready?"
"Ruoxue, would you like to join us?" Lin Qin asked directly.
The woman named Jiang Ruoxue thought for a moment and said, "Joining you is too risky. I can't gamble on it."
"Risk?"
"Exactly." Jiang Ruoxue nodded. "If I help you win the game and you choose not to accept me at the last moment, I'll die anyway."
Her expression was serious, as if she had already considered this problem before.
"Your concern is not unreasonable." Lin Qin nodded and began her most skilled method of conversation. "But let's make a hypothesis. From what you know, what method would your team use to win the game?"
Jiang Ruoxue frowned slightly and said, "You mean... they might also cooperate with the 'Spy'?"
"Yes, that's exactly it." Lin Qin said. "It's like an interview—right now we're in a 'two-way selection.' You need to consider not whether we will abandon you, but whether your original team will abandon you."
"They won't." Jiang Ruoxue said firmly. "Abandoning me for an old man? No matter how I think about it, it's impossible."
"They're not doing it 'for an old man'; they're doing it 'to survive.'" Lin Qin tried to keep her tone gentle, which would steadily lower the other's psychological defenses. "Most people would rather hold their fate in their own hands than in someone else's, right?"
This time, Jiang Ruoxue was clearly hesitant.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but remained silent.
"And my cooperation with you is also just to survive."
"What about the 'Spy' you sent out?" Jiang Ruoxue said. "He's clearly your teammate, but you're willing to abandon him?"
"I've known him for less than four hours. There's no way I'd bet my life on that short acquaintance." Lin Qin said seriously. "And how long have you known your teammates? Would they risk their lives for you?"
Jiang Ruoxue was stunned for a moment.
After thinking it over several times, she still didn't agree to Lin Qin's request.
"I can't trust you. Just prepare the letter quickly. I suggest you make it sturdy, and I'll do everything I can to destroy the letter inside." Jiang Ruoxue shook her head. "Don't say another word."
"Can I ask why you're so insistent?" Lin Qin asked one last time.
"A Mu is my boyfriend. Do I need any other reason?"
As a psychological counselor, Lin Qin knew it was nearly impossible to break down someone's psychological defenses in just a few minutes. That was something that only happened in science fiction novels.
Normal people had extremely strong defenses against strangers, especially in life-or-death situations like this. Every word spoken could mean life or death, making them even more cautious than usual.
Lin Qin didn't waste any more time. Instead, she focused her attention on the box in front of her.
If she completely ruled out cooperating with the "Spy," was there any way to get the letter to Qi Xia?
On the other side, in the "Sender's" room, A Mu met the "Spy," Old Lyu.
"Hey, young man, just give me the thing already," Old Lyu said, leaning on the doorframe with one hand, looking very impatient.
A Mu scratched his emerald-green hair and shot Old Lyu a contemptuous glance.
He didn't look at the items on the table but thought for a moment before saying, "Old man, ten 'Dao' for your teammate's life. What do you think?"
"What the hell...?" Old Lyu was stunned. "Ten 'Dao'?"
"You don't seem stupid. You must know the survival rules around here, right?"
Old Lyu thought for a long time before slowly speaking, "What nonsense are you talking about, young man? How can I betray a teammate for ten 'Dao'? Besides, I paid the entrance fee..."
"Fifteen 'Dao,'" A Mu continued. "On top of the rewards from this game, I'll give you an extra fifteen 'Dao.'"
Old Lyu's eyes slowly moved to the ground, his face full of hesitation.
"Don't overthink it, old man. You should know how to 'guarantee survival.'" A Mu tapped the table with his finger, his voice full of warning. "We'll accept you and let you live. After we leave, we'll go our separate ways."
Old Lyu asked cautiously, "If you give me fifteen 'Dao'... won't you end up with nothing?"
"That's fine." A Mu shook his head nonchalantly. "We'll take the other side's life and claim the spoils on their corpse. It's not like we're getting nothing."
"And that woman?" Old Lyu asked again. "Isn't she your girlfriend?"
"A woman is just a woman!" A Mu leaned in and glared at Old Lyu. "If a woman dies, I can find another one. But if I die, things get a bit tricky..."
Old Lyu felt a dangerous and indescribable aura from this man.
But when he thought about it, Qi Xia and his group couldn't scrape together fifteen 'Dao' even if they emptied their pockets. Accepting this offer here would make him a fortune.
"I want a deposit," Old Lyu said. "Give me five 'Dao' right now."
"What...?"
"That way, you can't kill me." Old Lyu showed a smile, cold sweat dripping down his face. "'Killing for Dao' isn't allowed, right?"