Chapter 99: Harpoon?
If it were possible, Qi Xia would very much like to ask the Human Sheep for clarification.
Why was the card he received inscribed with such a sentence?
But if the Human Sheep survived, then the "participants" in this game would lose.
In other words, there was no way he could ever understand the Human Sheep's thoughts, nor could he determine if Officer Li had received the same card.
While everyone else was ecstatic at being able to stand up again, Qi Xia remained focused on another issue.
"What was the crucial information the Human Sheep was trying to convey?"
Wait—the Human Sheep was capable of lying. Was it possible that he had passed along false information?
Qi Xia still couldn't figure out whether to believe him or not.
Now that the "Liars" game was over, if others found out that he possessed the subsequent "game guide," would that cause any problems?
To be safe, Qi Xia decided to temporarily follow the Human Sheep's instructions. After all, it cost him nothing.
Even if he concealed everything, he could still lead the group out of this room.
Qi Xia tried his best to act as he had the previous time, guiding the others to discover the text hidden beneath the Human Sheep's mask.
But this time, Qi Xia also intended to gather as many clues as he had missed before.
While the others examined the Human Sheep's mask, he and Officer Li approached the corpse simultaneously.
Officer Li gave Qi Xia a meaningful look, opened his mouth as if to speak, but said nothing.
Qi Xia remained silent as well. As if acting on some unspoken understanding, the two of them began searching the Human Sheep's body together.
Last time, they had only looked at his mask; they hadn't searched his remains.
To Qi Xia's surprise, the Human Sheep didn't have a single "Dao" on him.
This further convinced him that Officer Li remembered everything—after all, the pistol the Human Sheep had used to kill himself was lying right there, yet Officer Li hadn't even glanced at it.
"What's this?" Officer Li pulled a piece of paper from the Human Sheep's pocket. He skimmed it briefly and handed it directly to Qi Xia.
Qi Xia took it naturally and read it carefully, a look of confusion instantly spreading across his face.
It was a signed contract.
The document began with the title: "Zodiac Ascension Gambling Contract."
"This is..."
"Put it away for now." Officer Li patted Qi Xia's hand. "Look at it later when we're out."
Qi Xia knew this wasn't the place to discuss it, so he folded the contract and slipped it into his own pocket.
It seemed he had stumbled upon something extraordinary this time. That this zodiac possessed this contract but no "Dao" indicated a fundamental difference between him and the other zodiacs.
When the harpoons came, everything in the room would be destroyed.
Last time, Qi Xia had been too focused on figuring out how to escape, neglecting these clues.
"What does 'spring up like bamboo shoots after rain' mean?"
"And what does 'turn one hundred circles toward home' mean?"
The others were chattering in the distance.
For Qi Xia, what he needed now was impeccable acting, allowing him to lead the group to escape as calmly as before.
"If it's too much trouble, I can give out the answers for the next game," Officer Li said in a low voice.
"It's not that I don't trust you," Qi Xia replied quietly, "but you can't handle those 'moral high-ground players.' I don't have any baggage—I'm better equipped to deal with them."
Qi Xia walked over to the table and stood beside Qiao Jiajin.
"Brother Qiao, I need your help," Qi Xia said.
"Brother Qiao...?" Qiao Jiajin was startled, then a look of immense pride spread across his face. "You sure know how to talk, kid. From now on, I've got your back. What kind of help do you need?"
Hearing this, Qi Xia felt strangely reassured. "Later, give it your all and help everyone survive."
"Oh?"
At that moment, everyone noticed the surrounding walls shifting like clay, revealing rows of holes. They were about to examine them when Qi Xia stopped them.
He turned to the group and said:
"Everyone, forget about the walls for now. I've found the answer. 'Turn one hundred circles toward home' means finding something and turning it one hundred times to the right."
"To the right?" The others turned their heads toward him. "Why the right?"
Qi Xia picked up a blank sheet of paper, quickly sketched a diagram, and patiently explained it to them.
"I see. You're really clever," Lin Qin nodded. "But what exactly are we supposed to turn a hundred times?"
"Could it be ourselves?" Tiantian blinked and asked. "Turn ourselves a hundred times to the right?"
Qi Xia shook his head. "Everyone look around the room. Is there anything besides yourselves that can be turned?"
Han Yimo was the first to notice that the tabletop in front of them could actually rotate. He quickly informed the others.
Under Qi Xia's guidance, they began systematically turning the tabletop to the right. Everything seemed to be under control.
This time, Qiao Jiajin was especially enthusiastic, shouting out a rhythm to lead the group in spinning the table.
After they finished turning it a hundred times, the tabletop was once again cut into nine pieces by lasers. This time, they had the boards in hand nearly five minutes earlier than before.
"Now I'll explain the second half of the hint: 'spring up like bamboo shoots after rain.'"
He had everyone hold their boards and explained how to form a cone shape. Having learned from experience this time, he warned them in advance not to let any gaps appear between the boards, no matter what happened.
Qi Xia was still a bit worried. Last time, a harpoon had directly killed Han Yimo. If possible, he wanted to save that person's life.
While the others marveled at Qi Xia's intelligence, they couldn't help but feel some suspicion.
Why was this man so methodical?
Not only had he cracked the game, but he also seemed to predict what was going to happen next. It was almost as if he had designed the game himself.
"What are we setting up the boards like this for?" Qiao Jiajin asked. "Is it really going to rain?"
"Not exactly. Once we have the boards set up, we'll..."
Before he could finish, Qi Xia glanced inadvertently at Han Yimo and noticed cold sweat beading on his forehead. His body was trembling uncontrollably.
"Han Yimo... are you alright?"
Han Yimo forced a smile and shook his head. "I'm fine... I'm just a little scared."
Qi Xia frowned. "What are you afraid of?"
"I..."
Before Han Yimo could answer, a loud bell rang in the distance.
*Dong!!!*
Qi Xia's eyes widened instantly. This experience was all too familiar.
Han Yimo's Echo had triggered.
He grabbed Han Yimo by the shoulder and asked urgently in a low voice, "Han Yimo, I've already explained everything to everyone in advance. What the hell are you afraid of?"
"I... I..."
"Tell me!" Qi Xia was genuinely anxious. He had a very bad feeling about this.
"I'm afraid of those harpoons..." Han Yimo seemed truly terrified, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. "I feel like those harpoons are going to pierce right through me..."
Hearing this, Qi Xia's expression gradually turned cold and grim.
"Han Yimo... when did I ever say that what comes out of those holes are harpoons?"