Lin Yu had no reason to refuse Xia Yue's request.
The two naturally formed the first team.
Among the remaining four, Chen Zhuo and Xu Xiumei didn't want to team up with Bao Liu and Yao Zhengye.
Thus, after Xia Yue invited Lin Yu, the seven-person grouping was effectively complete.
First team: "Detective" Lin Yu and "Veterinarian" Xia Yue.
Second team: "Ruffian" Bao Liu and "Thief" Yao Zhengye.
Third team: "Otaku" Chen Zhuo and "Teacher" Xu Xiumei.
Fourth team: "Soldier" Yu Longguo operating alone.
After grouping up, everyone took turns selecting tasks from the schedule.
After all, they didn't have much time to complete their first assignments.
Lin Yu and Xia Yue hurried to find the "engineering room" mentioned in their first task.
The corridor outside the conference room continued the slightly extravagant decor - iron candelabras with wolf-head carvings, deep red carpets woven with golden threads.
Through the corridor's damaged windows, they could see exterior walls of stacked stone - likely part of an ancient castle.
The conference room was at the far end of the castle's first floor. After leaving it, they soon encountered a spiral staircase.
Lin Yu and Xia Yue quickly ascended to the second-floor corridor.
Right beside the staircase, Lin Yu spotted a wooden door with a metal plaque.
Lin Yu read the plaque aloud.
From behind the door came the source of the alarm they'd heard downstairs - sharp, incessant beeping.
"We found it so quickly... we still have plenty of time."
Xia Yue sighed in relief, then reached for the doorknob and turned it gently.
The unlocked door opened easily, admitting them into the engineering room.
Inside the spacious room, an old-fashioned generator hummed slowly, surrounded by numerous halogen lamps.
One lamp had turned red, emitting loud beeping alarms.
The generator connected to other equipment, all functioning normally without apparent need for repair.
Lin Yu and Xia Yue approached the generator.
As a gentle woman whose profession was veterinarian, Xia Yue clearly knew little about machinery.
"How do we fix this?" she asked worriedly. "Isn't there an instruction manual or something?"
Though called a "game," the Death Game didn't let players progress by holding buttons - the "repair generator" task required actual troubleshooting!
But Lin Yu remained calm.
"The estimated completion time is 10 minutes, meaning it's not a major malfunction... probably just a minor issue..."
"Besides, this is essentially a werewolf-style game. These 'tasks' are likely just ways to separate us - they shouldn't be too difficult."
As he spoke, Lin Yu's gaze fell on a storage cabinet beside the generator.
A toolbox sat atop the cabinet containing wrenches and screwdrivers.
Beneath the toolbox lay a booklet.
Lin Yu lifted the toolbox and pulled out the booklet.
The thin manual's pages were dog-eared, its cover stained black with oil, bearing the title "Wolf III Generator Instruction Manual."
Lin Yu flicked the booklet confidently with his fingers.
Xia Yue sighed in relief, looking at Lin Yu with admiration. "No wonder you're a real detective. Even without special abilities, you're incredibly sharp."
Lin Yu shrugged noncommittally and opened the manual.
"Three indicator lights... if this light turns red, it means insufficient engine lubrication - requires adding oil stored in the first-floor storage room."
As Lin Yu expected, the manual straightforwardly identified both problem and solution.
"So we need lubricant from the first-floor storage room? I'll go get it," Xia Yue offered. "I saw where that room was on our way here."
Lin Yu frowned slightly at her suggestion, his expression turning stern. "But the whole point of pairing up is to avoid solo movement."
Xia Yue smiled. "But time's limited. You stay here studying the machine - what if we get the oil but can't find where to pour it, failing the task?"
"Don't worry about me. This is a dangerous game anyway... and like I said, this life is already borrowed."
She tilted her head playfully, hands behind her back, her tone light.
Hearing this, Lin Yu nodded. "Fine. According to task assignments, only the otaku and teacher team should be on the first floor. Be quick and you should be safe."
"Try to return within five minutes thirty seconds. Beyond that, you'll be in greater danger."
He didn't explain why five and a half minutes specifically.
"Of course I'll hurry! There's a countdown after all!"
Xia Yue laughed as she left the engineering room, closing the door behind her.
Leaving Lin Yu completely alone.
His composed, confident expression instantly vanished.
He rubbed his face vigorously.
Even during those private moments with Xia Yue, he'd still been "acting" - playing the role of a smug, intelligent "detective" who liked controlling situations.
Why five and a half minutes?
Complete nonsense - he just wanted Xia Yue back as soon as possible.
"If only pretending to be a 'famous detective' could actually give me super observation and analytical skills..."
Lin Yu massaged his temples in frustration.
He considered himself reasonably smart - after all, Jiangcheng University's acting program ranked top three nationally with high admission scores.
He'd always found acting courses and self-studied psychology relatively easy.
Frequent stage performances with the drama club had also strengthened his mental resilience, enabling quick calm under pressure.
In fact, Lin Yu believed he had some talent for "analyzing people."
But in this lethal game, he keenly felt his intelligence and composure... were woefully inadequate!
Lin Yu was just a sophomore acting major whose greatest asset was theatrical experience.
He couldn't track everyone's movements, couldn't truly see through people's minds to identify the werewolf, and certainly couldn't remain completely calm facing life-or-death situations!
Since earlier, Lin Yu had vaguely sensed something "off" about this game - from its rules to other players' reactions, numerous details seemed abnormal!
Yet he couldn't decipher what these anomalies meant.
Even without sufficient cleverness, he had to keep playing desperately.
Lin Yu adjusted his mindset.
"Unsolved problems can wait."
"I should make good use of these five minutes alone..."
With this thought, Lin Yu began carefully examining the room.