"Sheep and dogs…" Qi Xia squinted his eyes, carefully analyzing everything.
At first, the self-proclaimed "Sheep" tried to make them turn on each other, but now this "Sheep" was claiming to be concerned for their well-being and said they couldn't just watch them die.
"Isn't this a lie…"
Suddenly, a flash of insight sparked in Qi Xia's mind. That's it! Lying!
Everything aligned with his earlier suspicions: "Sheep" and "Dogs" weren't names—they represented game types!
Could "Sheep" symbolize the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf? In that tale, the boy's lies led to him losing help when he truly needed it. So, in a "Sheep" game, the focus would be on deception—it was a lying game.
As for "Dogs," could they represent loyalty? Just like in the harpoon game earlier, where cooperation was necessary to survive. Without teamwork, none of them would've made it out alive. So could "Dogs" stand for cooperation?
Qi Xia glanced at the harpoon again. He realized that the "Sheep" could have lied during the rule explanation.
But among those few short sentences, which one was the lie?
"I can't stand by and watch you die." If this statement was a lie…
"Wait a second…" Qi Xia's eyes widened. "This statement isn't an answer—it's a trap to kill us all."
"What are you saying?" Qiao Jiajin asked, confused.
"This whole statement is a lie!" Qi Xia declared firmly. "Standing by the wall means death, and standing under the hole is life!"
Dr. Zhao and Officer Li exchanged uncertain glances, not understanding what Qi Xia was getting at.
"Everyone, remember? 'Sheep' can lie!" Qi Xia stood in the center of the room, trying to draw everyone closer. "If we follow the rules as they've been given, we'll end up dead. That's the difference between the 'Sheep' and the 'Dogs'!"
"But… is that really reasonable?" Xiao Ran asked timidly. "The only hole is right above your head, and no matter how I look at it, that seems like the most dangerous spot…"
Qi Xia hadn't figured that part out either. What kind of danger could come from above to kill those by the wall?
"Hmm…" Qi Xia pondered, then adjusted his statement. "No matter. Once this round ends, there's a high chance we'll get out of here, so just make your own decisions."
"How do you know we'll get out?" Officer Li asked, skeptical.
"Because the hint this time didn't include a 'preview' of the next game," Qi Xia explained. "That implies two possibilities: either this is the final game, or the host is confident that this game will kill us all."
The group's faces grew heavy with the weight of his words, but they couldn't refute his reasoning.
"In any case, I'll stand here." Qi Xia pointed to the ground beneath the hole. "What you choose is up to you."
Knowing that much of his reasoning was speculative, Qi Xia picked up a square wooden panel from the floor just to be safe.
After his speech, Qiao Jiajin slowly walked over to Qi Xia and said, "I told you, I trust you."
"But I'm a liar," Qi Xia replied coldly.
"Doesn't matter."
Lin Qin also deliberated for a moment before covering her nose and walking to the center of the room.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Xiao Ran shouted from the wall. "Do you really believe him?"
Lin Qin nodded slightly. "Yes. Think about it. Who's kept us alive so far?"
Xiao Ran froze, suddenly feeling Lin Qin made sense. After a moment of internal struggle, she joined them as well.
Han Yimo, clutching the wound on his shoulder, also walked over.
"Your name's Qi Xia, right? I trust you too."
Sweet Sweet and Zhang Chenze followed suit.
That left only Dr. Zhao and Officer Li clinging to the walls.
"Hey, aren't you coming?" Sweet Sweet asked.
"I…" Dr. Zhao hesitated, still undecided.
"There's no need to force anyone," Qi Xia said, waving his hand. "This round doesn't require cooperation. As long as you survive, that's enough."
The clock on the ground ticked toward 1:28.
Officer Li squinted at Qi Xia. He didn't think this liar would willingly choose to die, but why would he lead the others to stand under the hole?
Lin Qin noticed the two men's hesitation and said, "Qi Xia doesn't seem like he's lying. Are you coming?"
"You can tell?" Officer Li asked.
"Yes," Lin Qin nodded. "Because of my job, I can usually tell when someone's lying."
"Well then…" Exchanging a glance, Officer Li and Dr. Zhao reluctantly stepped forward. "If a professional says so, we'll trust you."
The group picked up the nearest wooden panels and held them over their heads, preparing for whatever might come from above.
"You're all so cautious," Qiao Jiajin said, shaking his head. He, too, picked up a panel. Upon closer inspection, the panel now resembled a shield—approximately 50 cm square, with a sturdy handle.
Qi Xia glanced at the clock and grabbed Qiao Jiajin's arm. "Get ready—it's starting."
Just as he finished speaking, the clock struck 1:30. A loud sound of chains echoed from the ceiling, as if something unseen was being wound tightly.
But nothing happened at the hole. The anticipated "life" or "death" hadn't appeared.
After a few seconds, the floor beneath them began to rise.
"Damn it…" Qi Xia's face darkened. "It's worse than I thought."
Panic erupted among the group. None of them had expected the "host" to try crushing them all into paste in this low-ceilinged room.
"What's going on?"
Before anyone could make sense of the situation, Qi Xia shouted, "Crouch down!"
The quicker ones immediately crouched, though despair was evident in their faces. They knew the ceiling and floor would likely meet, leaving no room for escape.
Qi Xia crouched, his mind racing. He knew his earlier reasoning must be correct—the hole was the path to survival. But how?
The floor continued to rise, cutting the room's height in half within moments. Everyone had to crouch completely to move at all.
Looking up, Qi Xia realized the rectangular hole above was now within reach.
While others panicked, Qi Xia acted decisively. Reaching into the hole, he found it to be ordinary—spacious, with the ceiling made of some kind of sturdy metal.
"Could it be…"
Qi Xia crouched and grabbed his square wooden panel from the ground. If the hole was the "path to life" and the panel their only tool, what was the connection?
He turned the panel upright and inserted it into the hole. Once inside, he rotated it horizontally and pulled it downward. The panel locked securely into the hole, leaving only a handle sticking out below.
"This… is the way to survive?" Qi Xia's eyes widened as realization dawned.
Seeing Qi Xia's action, the others quickly followed suit, securing their panels in the holes above them.
"Be careful. Something's coming…"
Before Qi Xia could finish his warning, the rising floor suddenly crumbled into dust.
"Ah!"
"What the hell!"
Cries erupted as everyone fell. Instinctively, they grabbed onto the handles of their panels, preventing themselves from plummeting further.
Han Yimo, gripping his handle with his left hand, was struggling. Blood loss had drained his strength, and his fingers began to slip.