Chapter 6: Rules
Just as he was pulling the door open, Xu Huo suddenly asked, "Can I run a tab if I don't have any White Notes?"
The flight attendant replied amiably, "Of course, running a tab is welcome."
Xu Huo pocketed his three hundred White Notes and, under everyone's gaze, went to press the doorbell for the first-class car.
This time, it was Nie Xuan who opened the door. He had anticipated Xu Huo would return to the first-class car, so he had been waiting by the door.
Seeing the identical coaster paper, he smiled and said, "Selling information?"
Unfortunately, there were quite a few clever rich people in the first-class car, and several of them had already obtained the tidbits from the flight attendant.
"Two hundred White Notes for the information I have. You can also trade with your own information."
"Three hundred White Notes for one hidden rule. Can also be exchanged for a hidden rule."
Nie Xuan wasn't very interested in the message on the note. He had also gotten the flight attendant's napkin earlier, but it only contained a useless piece of information.
Nie Xuan quickly made a decision, closed the car door, and spoke privately with Xu Huo in the transition car.
"How many hidden rules have you found?"
"Two." Xu Huo exchanged glances with him as they looked at each other's papers, then raised an eyebrow. "How much did you pay for that piece of information?"
"Three hundred White Notes." Nie Xuan folded Xu Huo's note that said "Stay awake at night" and handed it back. "How about yours?"
"One hundred." Xu Huo also handed over the "Don't turn on the lights" note.
Nie Xuan paid him five hundred White Notes. "Give me a discount. I'll buy both of your pieces of information."
Xu Huo accepted the money readily, using the gesture of lighting a cigarette to cover his mouth and nose, lowering his voice. "Lower-class cars can't enter higher-class cars unless someone opens the door."
Nie Xuan understood immediately. In this transition car, the second-class car door didn't have a doorbell, but the first-class one did. Xu Huo had just pressed the doorbell.
"Are you sure?"
"The third-class car doesn't have a doorbell. The second-class car's rear door has one." Xu Huo raised his cigarette again. "Second, you can run a tab for ordering food in the cars."
First-class players weren't short on White Notes and could easily manage three days. But if people in second and third class were running tabs, it meant they had no White Notes. What would they use to settle the bill after three days?
The broadcast had already mentioned that players would be graded and classified based on their performance. Running a tab was likely deducted from this aspect, making it the worst possible option.
Not only that, but most people boarded the train hungry. If everyone ate their fill, what would be the basis for grading? What was the point of the preliminary assessment?
This piece of information was very important, implying other potential rules.
Nie Xun also understood the implications. He looked at Xu Huo, who remained indifferent, and warned, "The train is relatively safe for players."
Xu Huo turned his head to look at the scenery outside, once again feeling wary of the seemingly unobstructed view. The flight attendant had the authority to expel players. Did that mean leaving the train meant certain death?
"Don't sell the first piece of information to anyone else either," Nie Xuan added.
If there was no restriction on higher-class cars entering lower-class cars, didn't that mean people in first class could attack those in second class at will?
Xu Huo didn't respond. Players were assigned to cars based on their assets. A higher-class car didn't necessarily mean stronger abilities.
Abilities weren't necessarily stronger, but penalties might exist. Rational people would hesitate and think twice. Those without brains would be driven by instinct regardless of whether they knew the rules or not.
After the exchange, Xu Huo didn't leave immediately. Soon, another person came out from first class. "I want to buy the information you have."
Although there were many wealthy people in first class, only a few came out to buy information. But that was enough.
When he returned to the second-class car, he had two thousand seven hundred White Notes in his pocket. The ordering time hadn't passed yet, so he called the flight attendant and ordered two more bowls of noodles—one for himself and one for the old man.
The old man hesitated before thanking him and called Yan Jiayu over to eat together.
"Good deeds bring good rewards." Yan Jiayu slurped the noodles and said to Xu Huo, "Benefactor, you're a good person too."
Xu Huo quickly finished his noodles, leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes to rest, and slowly organized the information he had gathered.
For one hundred White Notes, he got the reminder to "stay awake at night." The three hundred White Note tip was "don't turn on the lights." The rule "lights out at eight PM" was written in the train regulations, which meant the consequences of turning on the lights at night were at least more severe than falling asleep.
The light switch in the car was a trap.
As for the players in first class, their purchasing power was generally stronger than those in second class. What the heavily made-up woman said was likely true—players were assigned to cars based on assets—but she probably didn't have much more information.
She didn't seem to care about the information she bought from the flight attendant. It could be a bluff, or it could mean she was confident of victory.
But the preliminary assessment train was clearly a survival game full of hidden traps. More security meant less risk. There were also cannibal players on board, and too many uncertain factors made the latter possibility unlikely.
When the commotion broke out in third class, she was the first to block the door. Was she unaware of the rules, or did she do it deliberately?
Xu Huo paused his thoughts briefly before moving on to the next piece of information.
The seemingly hidden but actually obvious rule that higher-class cars could enter lower-class cars was also a trap. The train regulations stated that players couldn't enter other cars. On the surface, it seemed to assume that players in higher-class cars were stronger than those in lower-class cars, but in reality, the strength disparity wasn't that clear.
Under these circumstances, entering another car was definitely unwise, unless all the players in your own car were dead, or only cannibal players remained.
Cannibal players were the known threat.
From the courier girl's revealed information, the preliminary assessment train would definitely separate cannibal players into their own group. But that didn't mean ordinary players wouldn't be tempted. If they couldn't get food on the train, players who had never eaten human flesh before might also resort to cannibalism.
However, since players could run a tab, as long as no one went hungry, it would be impossible to grade and classify players. So the effect of food likely wouldn't last more than twenty-four hours.
The difference lay in whether the effect of food on ordinary players was the same as on cannibal players.
This meant that the first day's incident would likely happen after lights out.
Xu Huo squinted, observing everyone in the car.
With the torment of gluttonous desires gone, the atmosphere in the car wasn't as tense as before. The oval-faced woman and Li Fei were flirting, Chen Yi was fiddling with his toothbrush, and the square-faced man had his hands in his pockets.
He Yang and the ponytailed female student were playing a mobile game. Professor Han was constantly typing on his phone. The middle-aged woman sat motionless with her hands folded over her stomach. The heavily made-up woman rested with her eyes closed. Yan Jiayu and the old man were chatting.
Until three in the afternoon, there was no broadcast on the train.
The four people at Li Fei's table muttered among themselves for a while before he stood up, looked around, and cleared his throat. "We're all in the same boat now. Whether you trust me or not, if we start fighting among ourselves, we'll die faster. Tonight, we'll take turns guarding the door... Does anyone have any objections to that?"
With the torment of gluttonous desires gone, it was time to think about practical matters.
Seeing no one objected, he continued, "The rest of us don't know much about the preliminary assessment train. I suggest we share information. That way, we'll be better prepared for emergencies."
A few scattered glances fell on the heavily made-up woman and Xu Huo.