"Sheep and dogs…" Qi Xia squinted, deep in thought about everything that had transpired.
From the beginning, the so-called "Human Sheep" wanted them to turn on each other. But now, this "Human Sheep" claimed to be deeply concerned about their well-being, saying he couldn't bear to watch them die.
"Isn't this a lie…"
Suddenly, a spark lit up in Qi Xia's mind.
That's it!
A lie!
Everything was in line with his theories—"Sheep" and "Dogs" weren't names but types of games!
The "Sheep" most likely symbolized the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," where repeated lies led to no rescue, making "Sheep" a deception-type game.
"Dogs" stood for loyalty, which meant a cooperative game. Just as in the earlier harpoon challenge, they would have all perished without teamwork.
Qi Xia looked at the harpoon again, realizing that the "Sheep" could lie when explaining the rules.
But which of those brief sentences was the lie?
"I can't watch you die"—if that was the lie…
"Wait…" Qi Xia's eyes widened. "This message isn't an answer; it's a trap meant to kill us."
"What are you talking about?" Qiao Jiajin asked, confused.
"Every word here is a lie!" Qi Xia declared. "Standing by the wall will kill us. Standing under the holes is survival!"
Dr. Zhao and Officer Li exchanged glances, unsure what Qi Xia was trying to convey.
"Everyone, remember this—'Sheep' can lie!" Qi Xia stood in the center of the room, trying to draw everyone closer. "Following its instructions will lead to our deaths. That's the difference between 'Sheep' and 'Dogs'!"
"But does that really make sense?" Xiao Ran asked hesitantly. "Only under the holes in the ceiling? That seems the most dangerous…"
Qi Xia hadn't fully figured out why.
What could fall from the ceiling to kill those by the walls?
"Hmm…" Qi Xia reconsidered. "It doesn't matter. After this round, there's a high chance we'll be free, so choose for yourselves."
"How do you know we'll be free?" Officer Li questioned, wary.
"Because there's no hint for the next game in this message," Qi Xia replied. "That leaves two possibilities: either this is the last game, or the host is confident we'll all be eliminated in this round."
Faces turned grim, but no one could argue with his reasoning.
"I'll stay here." Qi Xia pointed at the ground beneath him. "Choose what you believe."
After Qi Xia's speech, Qiao Jiajin slowly moved to stand beside him. "I said I trust you."
"But I'm a liar," Qi Xia responded coldly.
"Doesn't matter."
Lin Qing thought it over before walking to the center, covering her nose.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Xiao Ran shouted from the wall. "You really trust him?"
"Yes," Lin Qing nodded. "Think about it—who's the reason we're still alive?"
Xiao Ran froze, admitting Lin Qing had a point. After a moment of inner conflict, she followed.
Han Yimo, clutching his wounded shoulder, also joined.
"Your name… it's Qi Xia, right? I trust you too."
Sweetie and Zhang Chenze stepped forward.
Only Dr. Zhao and Officer Li remained by the wall.
"Hey, are you coming or not?" Sweetie called out.
"I…" Dr. Zhao hesitated, visibly torn.
"Don't pressure them," Qi Xia waved dismissively. "This round doesn't need cooperation; it's about individual survival."
The clock ticked toward 1:28.
Officer Li narrowed his eyes at Qi Xia.
He didn't think this liar was opting for suicide, but why was he positioning everyone under the holes?
Lin Qing noticed their hesitation and called out, "Qi Xia isn't lying. Are you joining us?"
"You can tell?" Officer Li asked lowly.
"Yes," Lin Qing nodded. "My job requires me to read people's lies."
"Then…" Officer Li and Dr. Zhao exchanged glances, stepping forward. "If an expert says so, we'll trust you."
Despite saying this, they held broken table planks, just in case.
"Clever," Qiao Jiajin grumbled, picking up a plank too.
Qi Xia checked the time and stopped him.
"Don't bother, we're out of time."
As the clock struck 1:30, the ceiling emitted a loud chain sound as if something unseen was being wound up.
"This is really okay, right?" Qiao Jiajin looked up nervously. It felt like gambling, except the stakes were nine lives.
Qi Xia shook his head. "It's just a guess. Let's hope it's right."
The room trembled, making hearts race.
Sweetie instinctively moved closer to Officer Li and Dr. Zhao.
Qi Xia lifted his gaze, eyes boring into the nine holes, trying to decipher the secret within.
In an instant, dark, coarse ropes shot down from the holes, and everyone shut their eyes in fear.
Only Qi Xia saw the truth.
It was nine old, filthy ropes.
He grabbed one as it swung past him.
The ropes were thick, just enough to grip firmly.
"Damn…" Qi Xia muttered, "Worse than I thought."
The others opened their eyes, taking in the sight of the putrid, foul-smelling ropes.
"What's going on?"
Before anyone could react, Qi Xia shouted, "Grab the ropes!"
The faster ones reached out, grasping the ropes. The others followed their lead.
Qi Xia turned to see Han Yimo, struggling with his injured right shoulder, holding the rope weakly with his left hand.
"No, you—"
Before he could finish, the floor beneath them shattered into dust.
"Ah!"
"Oh, hell!"
Screams erupted.
Everyone fell, saved only by the ropes in their hands.
Han Yimo, teeth clenched, clung on with his left hand as blood loss sapped his strength. Qi Xia watched as his grip weakened bit by bit.