Starting from the second round, the game would only grow more ruthless. Zi Chen’s {remorse} had dulled some of his initial {bewilderment}, leaving behind a simmering frustration. If Su Shan had another {knife} card up her sleeve this round, there was a real possibility that Zi Chen might act—perhaps not to kill Doctor Zhao, but certainly enough to injure him.
Qi Xia’s immediate concern was clear—he needed to exhaust all the {ropes} in his hand as quickly as possible. Otherwise, he risked falling into a progressively untenable position.
"Please draw a card," Terrestrial Chicken announced.
Su Shan showed no trace of hesitation this time. Abandoning all pretense of modesty, she reached out, drew a new card, and slid it into her hand without uttering a single word.
Qi Xia reached out and drew a new card after Su Shan.
His fingers tightened slightly around the card as a flicker of unease stirred within him. ‘This is worrying…’ The thought crossed his mind, but outwardly, his expression remained as composed as ever. He slipped the {stone} card into his hand.
Even if Doctor Zhao had a {knife} to counter Zi Chen's {rope}, there was no guarantee he could land a fatal blow. And yet, Qi Xia hadn’t even managed to draw a {knife} so far. The odds were beginning to stack against him.
"Why did you play a {rope} just now?"
Qi Xia arched an eyebrow, his expression calm yet deliberate. "Didn’t we just discuss the prospect of ending in a {tie}?" he said evenly. "To demonstrate sincerity, I had no choice but to play a non-lethal card."
Su Shan hesitated for a moment before asking, "What about this round? Are you still playing {rope}?"
"Yes," Qi Xia replied without missing a beat. "I’ll stick with {rope}." He selected a card from his hand and held it up. "Su Shan, this card represents my intention for {cooperation}."
"Is that so?" Su Shan murmured, her eyes narrowing slightly. After a brief pause, she picked out a card of her own and set it down.
Doctor Zhao and Zi Chen watched the exchange nervously, their eyes darting between the two as they placed their cards. Anxiety hung heavy in the air as they braced for what might happen next.
"Please reveal your cards," Terrestrial Chicken instructed with a wave of his hand.
Qi Xia turned his card over—it was still {rope}. But Su Shan? She had chosen {stone}.
Doctor Zhao lingered near the edge of the room, too far from the table to see Qi Xia’s move. But the moment the opening in the ceiling shifted, he rushed back to retrieve his {props}.
When another worn hemp rope dropped down, his face twisted with frustration. Gritting his teeth, he stomped his foot. "Qi Xia... do you seriously want me dead?!"
He snatched up the rope and turned around—only to find the other man clutching a brick in his hand.
"F*ck!" Doctor Zhao’s voice cracked as he scrambled backward into the corner, his eyes wide with terror.
The tension thickened, the two locked in an uneasy standoff. Neither dared to make the first move, and before they knew it, half their allotted time had slipped away.
Zi Chen knew he couldn’t afford to disappoint Su Shan again. Gritting his teeth, he stomped hard on the ground, then charged forward a few steps and hurled the brick at Doctor Zhao with the force and form of a baseball pitch.
Doctor Zhao, trembling in the corner, instinctively curled up. He shielded his head with his arms and bent one leg inward to guard his vitals.
A panicked scream tore from his throat just as the brick struck his thigh. The impact sent a sharp jolt of pain through him, but it wasn’t enough to leave a serious injury.
Clutching his leg, Doctor Zhao wailed miserably as the brick clattered onto the floor.
"Time’s up. May the {Combatants} cease all action and place their props into the opening."
Zi Chen, who had just managed to work himself into a frenzy, seemed to deflate the moment the announcement rang out. Lowering his head, he cast an awkward glance at Doctor Zhao before stepping forward to retrieve the brick from the floor.
It was then that Doctor Zhao’s expression shifted, turning cold and calculating. His fingers tightened slowly around the rope in his hands as a dangerous thought crept into his mind—could he strangle him here?
This was the only way the {rope} could be lethal.
His pulse quickened. For a moment, he imagined acting on the impulse, overpowering Zi Chen and turning the game on its head. But then, the weight of the {rules} loomed over him.
In the end, he didn’t follow through.
The two men exchanged sour looks before grudgingly stepping back, each gathering their props and tossing them into the opening above.
Qi Xia’s gaze lingered on the taller man, and the corners of his lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. Inwardly, he recited, ‘Spirits rise on the first strike, falter on the second, and collapse by the third [1].’
Meanwhile, Doctor Zhao winced as he rubbed at his bruised thigh. He pressed the tender spot a few times, testing it carefully. Finding no signs of a fracture—only a nasty bruise—he let out a shaky breath of relief.
But the reprieve was short-lived. With his face twisting into a scowl, he snapped his head up and glared daggers at the man across from him, seething with indignation.
"Young man... so you're truly intent on going through with this?"
"Da ge... I’m sorry, but I can’t die here. And I can’t let Su Shan die either..."
"You..." Doctor Zhao’s fists clenched, his teeth grinding as he muttered a string of curses under his breath, barely coherent in his frustration.
Meanwhile, outside the glass room, another scene unfolded. Qi Xia and Su Shan sat silently, their eyes meeting across the space. Beneath the calm surface, however, there was a deadly intent simmering in each of their gazes.
"I’ve shown my {sincerity} twice," Qi Xia said, his voice sharp with quiet reproach. "And all I’ve received in return is a {knife} and a {stone}." He shook his head slowly. "I’m very disappointed."
"Sincerely? Really?" Su Shan’s fingers tapped thoughtfully against her chin. "Let me guess, Qi Xia—could there be another possibility?"
Qi Xia raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "I’m all ears."
"Could it be that you have a surplus of {ropes} in your starting five cards, which led you to play {rope} for two rounds in a row?"
At her words, Qi Xia’s pupils contracted imperceptibly.
"Because you had to play {rope}, you devised a plan and suggested {cooperation} to me. If I agreed, you'd be able to safely use the {ropes} in your hand, eventually finding an opportunity to take me down. If I didn’t agree, you could use the excuse of {showing sincerity} to influence my next move." Su Shan’s bright eyes locked onto Qi Xia. "Am I getting close? Or is my guess a bit too much for you?"
"Not at all." Qi Xia smiled, his expression one of genuine pleasure. He reached up and tapped his temple. "I enjoy facing smart opponents. If I don’t die, I’ll only grow stronger."
"Thank you for the compliment," Su Shan replied with a tight-lipped smile. "Let’s continue." With that, she reached forward, drew a card, flipped it over, studied it for a moment, then added it to her hand.
Qi Xia couldn’t discern anything useful from Su Shan’s expression, so he lowered his gaze and drew his own card.
‘Please, let it be a {knife}.’ He silently hoped.
Slowly, he lifted the card and examined it, a slight tremor flickering across his brows.
Su Shan’s sharp eyes caught the faint shift in Qi Xia’s expression, and a small, knowing smile tugged at the corner of her lips. This man had revealed a flaw.
Qi Xia took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He slowly placed the {knife} into his hand and stared at it, contemplating. With this card, his next move would need to be rethought.
After a moment, Qi Xia lifted his gaze, his expression steady. "Su Shan, I ask you again, very earnestly—are you truly not going to cooperate with me?"
"No," Su Shan replied, her tone unwavering. "The {rules} never said the two teams could cooperate. Besides, I can't fully trust you."
Qi Xia’s lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. "If that's the case, then don't regret it." With a deliberate motion, he slapped a card onto the table.
"Heh, we'll see who regrets it in the end." Su Shan didn’t hesitate. She picked up a card of her own and placed it down, her eyes narrowing with determination. "This is my choice."
Terrestrial Chicken stepped forward, "Please reveal your cards."
The two of them flipped their cards almost simultaneously.
In front of Su Shan lay a {shield}.
She glanced at Qi Xia, a cold gleam in her eyes. "You want to fight to the death, but I won’t let you get what you desire."
Qi Xia nodded, his face betraying little emotion as he turned over his own card.