If the phrase "the rules are absolute" still applies to this second "game," then what is written on the mask is the solution to cracking it.
But how to crack it?
And when is the harpoon supposed to be launched?
"The clock never stops."
Does that mean at one fifteen?
Qi Xia turned to look at the clock on the desk, and it was already five minutes past one. If "one fifteen" is the time the harpoon is set to launch, then there are less than ten minutes left.
"Turn in the direction of your hometown for a hundred circles."
There are nine people present, each with a different hometown, and "a hundred circles" is no small number.
If they think in the wrong direction, they could easily waste these ten minutes.
But in this room, aside from themselves, what else could be "turned"?
Qi Xia's gaze fell on the clock in the center of the table.
He leaned forward and gently touched the clock, only to find that it was firmly fixed to the table and couldn't be moved at all.
"The clock can't move, so is it the chair?"
Qi Xia looked down at the chair he was sitting on. It was an old chair with a musty smell, casually placed on the ground without any mechanism.
If that's the case, then there's only one thing left.
Qi Xia looked at the round table in the center of the room and realized that it was a bit strange.
This table can't really be called a "round table" because it seems to be a polygon with so many sides that it gives the first impression of being "round."
He reached out and turned the table surface, and indeed, there was a faint sound of chains coming from inside the table.
But the table was very heavy, and Qi Xia could only manage to turn it a few centimeters with considerable effort.
"A hundred circles...
This number is definitely not something that can be achieved by just two or three people. The nine people present need to work together to turn the table to have a chance of survival.
Lin Qin, with his keen observation, noticed Qi Xia's action and called for everyone to stop.
Everyone gathered around the table and saw that it could indeed be turned.
"Nice one, trickster," Qiao Jia said with a nod, "If we turn this table a hundred times, we should be able to open that invisible door."
Qi Xia glanced at the clock again. Although time was running out, the problem had now become more straightforward.
To turn the round table a hundred times in the direction of "hometown" essentially comes down to two answers.
Turn left, or turn right.
But with everyone's hometowns located in different directions—southeast, northwest, and so on—how can they determine whether to turn left or right?
"Qi Xia, do you already know when the harpoon will be launched?"
Lin Qin asked, covering his mouth and nose.
"The hint says the time 'never stops,' probably at one fifteen," Qi Xia said softly.
Qiao Jia's face changed upon hearing this: "That means we have less than ten minutes left? Let's start turning now!"
Dr. Zhao moved the body lying on the table to one side, slowly sat down, and tried the weight of the table, saying, "But we only have one chance to turn it in the right direction. Even if we guess, there's a fifty percent chance of survival."
Qiao Jia said anxiously, "If we don't do anything, we're dead anyway. If we turn it, there's a fifty percent chance of survival. Let's make the most of the time!"
With that, he began to turn the table to the left with all his strength.
Although Qiao Jia looked thin, he was very strong and managed to turn the table half a circle by himself.
"What are you waiting for?! Help me out!" Qiao Jia shouted to the others.
The rest of the people knew Qiao Jia was right, so they could only help him turn the table for the time being.
Now there was no correct answer; they could only take a gamble.
But Qi Xia remained still.
He didn't know where the direction of thought was.
Left, or right?
Why is the keyword "hometown"...
Everyone is Chinese, so is it "east"?
North is up, south is down, left is west, and right is east, so the answer is "right"?
But what about those who live in the west?
Or is it that everyone's hometown is related to the "Zuo Zhuan" from the Spring and Autumn period, and the answer is "left"?
Qi Xia's eyes narrowed slightly. He wanted to use the two bodies to shield himself, but if everyone else died, how would he fare in the next game?
It's not time to give up on them yet.
Qi Xia murmured to himself, then reached out, grabbed a piece of white paper from the turning table, picked up a pen, stood up, and walked to one side. He found an empty spot to sit down and began to write something.
Although the others were a bit puzzled, they continued to turn the table, having already turned it more than a dozen times.
If he hadn't introduced himself as a "cheater," I would have thought that guy was a mathematician," Qiao Jia said to Tian Tian beside him.
Tian Tian, who had been spinning a bit dizzy, could only nod perfunctorily.
This time, Qi Xia did not write out a vertical formula but roughly drew a national map on the paper.
"Homecoming"
His mind raced, and he suddenly thought of something.
"Wait a minute..." Qi Xia's eyes widened, "If the 'organizer' is so powerful that they can find people with similar experiences from so many provinces, then 'provinces' are also a key point?"
He turned around and looked at the people who were spinning the table, asking seriously:
"Did anyone lie about the 'hometown' question just now?"
Everyone shook their heads.
After all, "hometown" involves accent and expression habits, and lying could easily expose one's deception.
"Good," Qi Xia nodded slightly, "Now, please tell me your hometowns again, one by one."
Officer Li spoke first: "I'm from Inner Mongolia."
Qi Xia drew a black dot at the position of Inner Mongolia on the map.
"I'm from Sichuan," Lawyer Zhang Chenze said coldly.
"I'm from Shaanxi..." Tian Tian said.
"Dali, Yunnan," said Xiao Ran, the preschool teacher.
"Guangdong," Qiao Jia said.
"I'm from Ningxia," said the psychologist Lin.
"I work in Jiangsu," Dr. Zhao said.
Qi Xia marked everyone's hometowns on the map and added his own "Shandong."
At this moment, all eyes were on the writer Han Yimo, who had not mentioned his hometown from the beginning.
"Han Yimo, are you from Guangxi or Taiwan?"
Han Yimo was taken aback and asked, "How did you know?"
"There's no time to explain, just answer me."
"I'm from Guangxi."
Qi Xia nodded, and there were only two provinces left for Han Yimo.
The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Taiwan Province.
If his answer was not one of these two, then he would have been lying through his teeth.
Fortunately, he told the truth.
Qi Xia marked the last province on the map, and now there were nine black dots on the sketch.
"As I thought.
Qi Xia said in a low voice: "Stop, turn to the right."
"Right?"
Qi Xia quickly ran to the side of the table, threw the white paper on it, and began to turn the table in the opposite direction.
Although the others were puzzled, they followed his lead and turned the table as well.
Dr. Zhao glanced at the map on the table and the nine black dots.
"Why is it 'right'?"