Chapter 872: Reducing the Numbers
This speed was a bit fast. Not only was Player No. 29 stunned, but everyone else present was also taken aback.
Previously, several people had taken on the black ball tasks. Non-players who entered were guaranteed to die, but players didn't fare much better either.
Shaka, however, made it look like there was no difficulty at all.
"What's this supposed to be?" Player No. 29 protested loudly. "Why is his black ball task so easy? Is there some kind of rigging?"
Boos erupted from the audience outside the arena. The host patiently explained to everyone: "For the surgery observation task, the person undergoing the surgery is supposed to be anesthetized beforehand. However, it seems the anesthesia work this time was inadequate. Thank you to this guest for the reminder. The program crew will be more meticulous in completing the preparatory activities."
Player No. 29 was immediately met with glares from those around him. A non-player stepped forward and shoved him. "If you're so bored, go find a corner and play with yourself. Stop stirring up trouble!"
Killing was not allowed within the square, as it might affect the subsequent scoring. Player No. 29 didn't start a fight with this person either, but warned, "You'd better watch yourself."
"Come on, kill me then," the man said, patting his own head. "Let's see if you dare to actually kill someone!"
Player No. 29's face was filled with murderous intent. He reached out and grabbed the man's shoulder, then lifted his foot and kicked, breaking his shin. Using both hands, he pressed down on the man's head and jaw, forcing him to swallow his screams.
"I can afford to fail the clearance. Can you afford to lose your life? Let's see how you die later."
That non-player had surprisingly tough bones. Instead, he laughed out loud. "Do you think you'll survive the next round?"
Player No. 29 released him and looked over at Shaka, who responded with a smile.
Player No. 29's aura faltered. He turned and walked a bit further away.
"It would be fun if they were thrown into the same arena," Xiao Xianglin said with schadenfreude.
Xu Huo looked up at the next set of projections.
The task range and difficulty differed between players and non-players, but based on current observations, the task arenas for each group were not completely isolated.
However, whether the player and non-player arenas were separated was uncertain.
Aside from the woman who had teamed up with the female player earlier, he hadn't encountered any other non-players in the zoo. There were two possibilities for this: first, the task arenas for players and non-players were actually the same, just with the drop zone being relatively safer; second, the two sides' arenas were clearly demarcated, but if a player was present in a team, the task arena would change to the player's task zone.
Whether it was choosing a ball or completing a task, the purpose of the show "Hello, I'm Good Too" was ultimately for entertainment. The few people who might eventually be selected to settle in the Sea World were almost negligible. Out of these three hundred and eighty-one people, it was highly likely that only a few dozen would survive in the end.
And as time went on, more and more people would choose to kill their teammates.
It was extremely difficult to gain friendship from the three-color competition. Without a foundation of trust between the two sides, they might look out for each other temporarily, but when faced with life-or-death situations, this state was very easily broken.
Whether it was players taking care of non-players or non-players taking care of players, once everyone realized that this process couldn't build friendship, their thinking would shift in another direction—reducing the number of participants.
Since the number of people selected by the program was limited, wouldn't rapidly reducing the numbers increase the chances of obtaining "friendship recognition"?
Even if the program had no such fallback plan, after the numbers were reduced, the remaining people, whether to survive or to clear the instance, would have to cooperate. Their mindset at that point would be completely different from now.
"It's my turn," Xiao Xianglin said at that moment. He straightened his clothes and stepped forward, saying to another player, "Brother, what do you think? Should we go for the white ball or the yellow ball?"
"Instead of wasting energy on completing tasks, it's better to save some effort and figure out how to gain friendship. What do you say?"
Player No. 117 also said, "Since we're supposed to cultivate friendship, why not do the tasks together?"
"Alright, let's pick the yellow ball." Xiao Xianglin paused and added, "But let's agree beforehand—no changing your mind halfway."
Player No. 117 scanned the people around them with a relaxed expression. "Look, there are still so many people here. If I screw you over, no one will genuinely want to be friends with me later. Don't worry, I won't do something that's not worth the gain."
After the two sides negotiated, they jointly chose the yellow ball, then selected the option to complete the white ball task together. In the end, they drew "Facial Plastic Surgery."
"Everyone has the desire to become more beautiful, and everyone has the right to become more beautiful. So, the task for Guests No. 340 and 117 is to complete a facial micro-adjustment. The scope of the micro-adjustment will be written in the operating room. Please feel free to choose," the host said, winking at them. "Friendly reminder: only one person needs to undergo plastic surgery to complete the task."
Xiao Xianglin and Player No. 117 both dropped into the capsule simultaneously. In just a few seconds, the onlookers witnessed a shift from "discussing amicably" to "turning hostile faster than flipping a book." When the projection started, the two had already exchanged a round of blows, both vying for the position of "surgeon."
"And they think they can become friends and gain friendship like this?" Pu Donghai, standing not far from Xu Huo, said speechlessly. "They might as well just come out and say they want us to kill each other!"
In fact, from the very beginning, the show hadn't hidden its intentions. Just like it appeared on the surface, it was merely a program to entertain the audience. No one cared about the lives or deaths of the participants.
At least for now, "gaining friendship" on "Hello, I'm Good Too" could be put on the back burner.
Xu Huo observed the people around him and took the initiative to greet You Si.
You Si's alcohol addiction was acting up again. He had long since finished the half-pack of cigarettes Xu Huo had given him. After greeting him, he asked, "Do you have any more cigarettes?"
"No," Xu Huo said. "I've been trying to quit smoking lately."
You Si rubbed his fingers together. "This life is really boring."
"Just tough it out," Xu Huo said. "Everyone's the same."
You Si's addiction was a bit deep. He didn't even care much about the three-color competition anymore. Instead, he said regretfully, "If I'd known, I would have quit earlier. Now it's fucking unbearable!"
"Is there a specific reason you have to quit drinking?" Xu Huo asked.
You Si looked up at him, a hint of what could be called warmth appearing on his stubbly face. "I'm planning to have a child."
"Congratulations," Xu Huo said without surprise. Players also had normal human lives. "But if you quit drinking only to get addicted to smoking, isn't that pointless?"
"I'll figure out another way then," You Si said. "My wife gave me an ultimatum. If I don't quit drinking this time, she'll divorce me... Fuck, we're in a game world now. Why hasn't the marriage law been abolished yet?"
Xu Huo laughed at that. "It hasn't come to that point."
The two chatted for a while before Xu Huo saw a man with a scarred face walk up to the glass screen. "That's the guy who was wearing the raincoat on the train, right?"
After coming in from outside, the man had taken off his raincoat. His heavily scarred face was quite intimidating, and with his long hair completely obscuring his eyes, he seemed even more dangerous. As a result, almost no one approached him. He stood alone in a corner, only stepping out when his number was called.