Chapter 37 Team Assignments
"Here he comes!" Specs exclaimed jubilantly. "You’re finally here!"
The towering man, approximately 1.9 meters tall with a buzz cut, moved towards them with deliberate slowness. He yawned, then rummaged through his pocket before asking the ox-headed figure, "How much?"
"Admission is one {Dào}."
The towering man fished a small orb from his pocket and flicked it to the ox-headed figure, who deftly caught it with one hand.
"I've had a good nap... We can begin now." The towering man stretched, cracked his neck, and said in a bored tone, "Let's see what tricks you all have up your sleeves this time."
Qi Xia and the others eyed the fierce, tough-looking man warily, sensing he was far from benevolent.
Qiao Jiajin, however, paid little heed to the towering man. He had encountered many like him on the streets—those who relied on their strong bodies to bully others. In fact, Qiao Jiajin had even reduced a few of them to tears with his own fists.
He couldn’t help but wonder if this towering man was merely another paper tiger[1].
Qi Xia pondered for a moment before producing four {Dào}. This was a significant amount for them. After surrendering these four, they would be left with only one {Dào}.
"Are we sure we want to go through with this?" Qiao Jiajin asked. "What about our strategy?"
"I'm grappling with that myself," Qi Xia admitted. "While it's undeniably risky, a game involving twenty participants is a rare opportunity and worth the gamble."
With the group's agreement, Qi Xia deposited four {Dào} into the box in front of the ox-headed figure.
"Excellent," the ox-headed figure said with a nod. He then turned and opened the door behind him, revealing a staircase descending into the basement.
"All participants, please proceed."
He then began his descent down the stairs, moving with deliberate slowness.
The participants, with wary expressions, followed him into the depths of the underground.
"This venue is enormous... It’s a whole different scale compared to the game hosted by {Mortal Mouse}," Tian Tian murmured.
"Stay vigilant," Qi Xia advised. "I have a foreboding feeling."
The middle-aged man's mention of potential {death} in this game had stirred deep concern within Qi Xia.
At this moment, he wasn't merely afraid of dying; he was terrified of being entombed in this bizarre place forever.
As a seasoned swindler, Qi Xia had navigated countless high-risk ventures, emerging unscathed each time.
Reflecting on it, he realized this situation was no different from those he had faced before—merely another perilous challenge.
Soon, they reached the bottom of the stairs.
The room was small, its musty odor lingering under the dim lighting. Twenty chairs stood in the center, awaiting occupants. On either side of the room were two doors: one painted yellow and the other green.
"Everyone, please take a seat," the ox-headed figure instructed. "Do not worry; the game has not yet begun."
Upon hearing this, the participants took their seats with a mix of skepticism and belief, including Qi Xia and his group, who chose to sit in the same row.
It was then that they noticed a small light on each armrest of the chairs: one yellow and one green.
"Since this is a team game, we will conduct {random team assignments} to ensure fairness. Please remain in the seats you are currently occupying; any movement will result in {penalties} for everyone."
The participants’ faces fell as the implications of the announcement became clear.
Specs and the middle-aged man reacted most strongly, exclaiming, "Huh?! Random team assignments?!"
Qi Xia stroked his chin thoughtfully, recognizing that this setup primarily benefited the organizer.
In a {wagering} game, the organizers would aim to minimize the participants' chances of winning. Disrupting established teams was a strategic move to achieve that goal.
The ox-headed figure moved to a corner of the room, located a button switch, and then turned to face everyone with a knowing look. “The game has officially begun.”
He pressed the button, and the lights on each armrest flickered. The yellow and green lights alternated rapidly, creating a disorienting and eerie spectacle in the dimly lit room.
Qi Xia eyed the small lights on his armrests, feeling a surge of unease.
If {ox} truly signified a game centered on physical strength, it would be well outside his area of expertise. This was a situation where he would need to rely on Qiao Jiajin’s brute force.
Yet, if he had deduced this, so had others. For instance, the man with glasses and the stout middle-aged man, who had also enlisted the towering man’s assistance.
However, it appeared that everyone's thoughts were being orchestrated by Terrestrial Ox. He was likely doing everything in his power to prevent the participants from forming effective strategies, which is why the game included {random team assignments}.
Qi Xia knew that if he was extremely unlucky and ended up not being paired with Qiao Jiajin, the spoils of this game would elude them.
Before he could devise a comprehensive strategy, the two-colored lights ceased their flashing.
Some chairs had yellow lights illuminated, while others displayed green. It was evident that this was indeed a random team assignment.
Qi Xia glanced at the lights on his chair and those of the other three, feeling a blend of relief and apprehension.
The good news was that both he and Qiao Jiajin had yellow lights, indicating they were on the same team. The bad news was that the two women were assigned green lights, placing them on a separate team. If the game proved to be physically demanding, their team would be at a distinct disadvantage.
Sighs and murmurs of discontent filled the room, revealing that Qi Xia and his group were not alone in their dissatisfaction. Many participants were clearly unhappy with their team assignments.
"I will now announce the rules of this game," the ox-headed figure declared with indifference. "Both teams will operate in separate, unrelated arenas. Each team must endure in their respective venue for ten minutes without being eliminated to pass. At the conclusion, every remaining player will receive a number of {Dào} equal to the number of players who have successfully avoided elimination."
Upon hearing the rules, many participants grew restless.
"Hey!" The middle-aged man abruptly stood up, "The load of crap you said explained nothing at all! What type of game is this? What exactly are we going to face?"
Everyone stared quietly at Terrestrial Ox, anticipating an explanation of the game rules. However, he simply looked at the middle-aged man and said calmly, "Team yellow, please follow me."
"You...!" The middle-aged man gritted his teeth but dared not escalate the situation further.
He wasn't assigned to the same team as his comrades, which already irked him. Now, unable to grasp the rules, his frustration only grew. Specs, standing beside him, tugged at his clothes, attempting to calm him down.
Qi Xia turned to Tian Tian and Lin Qin, saying, "No matter what awaits behind that door, be cautious. Remember, survival is paramount."
The two women nodded nervously.
"Let's go," Qi Xia said, as he and Qiao Jiajin moved forward.
The two surveyed their assigned teammates and found the situation less than ideal. Out of the ten people, six were women.
Besides Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin, the other two men were Specs and the middle-aged man. The opposing team comprised only two women: Tian Tian and Lin Qin.
"Fuck..." Qiao Jiajin muttered under his breath as he looked at their male teammates, "One’s a skeleton, and the other’s a fat lou[2]..."
“Don’t waste your energy,” Qi Xia said. “We can only depend on ourselves.”
The ten people stood in front of the yellow door, while the other group gathered in front of the green door under the ox-headed figure’s direction.
With a clinking sound of chains, both doors creaked open, revealing staircases descending into darkness.
Without hesitation, Qiao Jiajin led the way down the staircase, with the rest of the team following quickly behind him.
The descent was brief but steep, and they emerged into an open area roughly half the size of a basketball court. In the center of the area stood a round iron plate, approximately the size of a table.
Qi Xia took a swift assessment of their surroundings. High walls enclosed the area on all sides, and directly in front of them was a large iron gate. Above the gate, an electronic clock displayed a countdown set to ten minutes.