Chapter 69 Act of Selflessness
It was a pain that burrowed deep, as if it coursed through his very marrow.
Qi Xia clenched his teeth, crouching on the ground, stifling groans of torment. He couldn’t help but wonder if something was truly wrong with him psychologically, if not physically.
Every time someone perished near him, an excruciating headache would seize him.
Why? What could be causing this?
Did it happen every time he encountered death?
No. He had seen death many times throughout these games, yet not every death triggered this unbearable agony.
After half a minute of enduring, Qi Xia finally exhaled a long, weary breath and rose to his feet, his face now a mask of cold detachment.
Zhang Chenze clasped her hand over her mouth, stifling a sob, too overwhelmed to cry out.
"Son of a gun…" she muttered, her voice trembling as she slowly retreated to a corner. She grabbed fistfuls of her own hair, squatting down as though the weight of the moment crushed her. Her typically impeccable Mandarin now slipped into her native topolect, "What the heck is goin’ on... What the heck…"
Her emotions spiraled out of control, visibly shaken by the scene before her, as though the events had pushed her past a breaking point.
Before Qi Xia could utter a word, the bell tolled once more, its somber echo resounding in the distance.
Lin Qin and Ole Lu froze, instinctively turning toward the source of the sound. Though neither fully understood its meaning, they had come to associate this ominous chime with the passing of a life.
Steeling herself, Lin Qin approached Lawyer Zhang, whose fragile composure had crumbled entirely. She placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, her voice soft yet firm. "Lawyer Zhang, you must hold yourself together."
"How the heck am I supposed to pull myself together?" Lawyer Zhang raised her face, pale and gaunt, her eyes brimming with despair. "Officer Li... he died to save me…"
"What exactly happened?" Lin Qin asked gently, taking Lawyer Zhang’s cold, trembling hand in hers. "In moments like these, it’s better not to keep things bottled up. Please, talk to me."
Her calm, empathetic tone seemed to resonate with Lawyer Zhang, who had been teetering on the edge of emotional collapse. Slowly, the tension in her demeanor began to ease, and her defenses lowered.
"It was that rabbit..." Lawyer Zhang muttered, shaking her head as if the very memory haunted her. "That deranged rabbit... She wanted us dead. If it weren't for Officer Li, we wouldn't be here. We'd both be dead... They're all mad... They don’t care about the law, none of them..."
Her voice quivered with each word as she began to recount, piece by piece, what had unfolded after Qi Xia and the others had departed.
The experiences of Lin Qin and Lawyer Zhang diverged significantly from Qi Xia’s earlier assumptions. Contrary to what Qi Xia had predicted, it was not Officer Li who uncovered the nature of these wretched games, but rather Lawyer Zhang.
After Qi Xia and the others departed, Lawyer Zhang had made a resolute decision. She engaged in a decisive conversation with the ox-headed figure across the street from the convenience store.
Her earlier assertion had proven true—she needed to gather sufficient information to make an informed judgment.
Upon discovering that the game did not guarantee death but potentially offered a reward of additional {Dào}, Lawyer Zhang conveyed her findings to Officer Li, Xiao Ran, and Doctor Zhao. However, only Officer Li aligned with her perspective, choosing to place a gamble on their sole {Dào}.
This approach met with strong resistance from Xiao Ran. Fully aware that {Dào} was the essential {stake} in their participation, she vehemently opposed using it for gambling, even if it meant letting a slim opportunity slip by rather than risking it in a gamble.
Officer Li, demonstrating his usual kindness, had attempted to persuade Xiao Ran gently, recognizing her vulnerability as a weak woman. In contrast, Lawyer Zhang did not exhibit such leniency. Through a series of clear, logical arguments and incisive rebuttals, she left Xiao Ran stunned and unable to respond.
Indeed, when it came to {verbal altercation}, a kindergarten teacher was no match for a seasoned lawyer.
The game host, known as {Mortal Ox}, had devised a remarkably straightforward challenge—an obstacle race.
The course, set within the confines of the restaurant, was littered with old tires and wooden barriers. Completing the race within the allotted time would earn one an additional two {Dào}.
This challenge was seemingly tailored for Officer Li, who had graduated from the police academy and had considerable experience with obstacle courses. Although some rust had accumulated over the years, his skills were more than sufficient to navigate the track within the given timeframe.
The game’s structure was simple: one {Dào} was required to enter, and successful completion of the race would yield two {Dào} as a reward.
Officer Li seemed to have discovered a loophole in the game. He participated three times consecutively, and their {Dào} reserves grew to four.
Only when he was thoroughly exhausted did they finally leave the game venue.
This success bolstered their confidence, and they were optimistic about collecting enough {Dào} before reuniting with Qi Xia.
However, their luck took a turn when they stumbled upon the {Mortal Rabbit} game venue.
It was an {escape} type of game, and they assumed it would be manageable.
In a confined space, the two found themselves ensnared in a perilous situation.
Lawyer Zhang was bound inside a large transparent fish tank, which was gradually filling with water. On the opposite side of the room, Officer Li was shackled to the wall, his only companion a slender wooden club.
The key to Officer Li's handcuffs was submerged within Lawyer Zhang’s fish tank, while the switch to halt the water flow was situated not far from Officer Li.
In this grim scenario, each had a means to rescue the other.
However, Lawyer Zhang was tightly bound with wire, rendering her unable to free herself or toss the handcuff key from within the fish tank. Meanwhile, although Officer Li was just a couple of steps within reach of the water valve switch, his right hand was shackled, preventing him from accessing it.
Neither could immediately assist the other.
Such cruelty—what appeared to be an {escape type} game was, in truth, a brutal test of human nature.
At first glance, both appeared trapped, each seemingly in need of an escape, but a closer examination revealed a stark difference in their situations.
While Zhang Chenze faced certain death as the water level rose, Officer Li’s predicament was less dire. Even if he remained in his position for an entire day, he would remain safe.
Zhang Chenze, her voice tinged with despair, said without hesitation, "In that moment, I truly believed I was going to die."
Meanwhile, Officer Li exhausted various methods to free himself from the handcuffs. Although he was adept at unlocking ordinary restraints, the absence of proper tools made the task nearly impossible. The only implement at his disposal was a thin wooden club.
"Officer Li was really foolish…" Zhang Chenze muttered, her voice trembling. "Why didn’t he try to break the fish tank with the wooden club instead of destroying his own…"
Qi Xia sighed deeply in resignation. "He was grappling with an inner conflict."
"What do you mean?" Zhang Chenze’s eyes, hollow and devoid of hope, sought clarity. "Are you saying this was his deliberate choice?"
"Yes," Qi Xia affirmed. "He must have realized that breaking the fish tank with the club was not a practical solution."
"But he didn’t even attempt it…" Zhang Chenze’s eyes filled with tears again, her voice breaking. "He could have at least tried…"
"What if he had tried?" Qi Xia asked, his tone steady. "If the club failed to break the glass and merely landed beside the fish tank, what then?"
Zhang Chenze’s breath caught in her throat as Qi Xia's question struck a painful chord.
Had Officer Li’s attempt to break the tank with the wooden club failed and the club ended up far from the fish tank, their chances of escape would have been utterly dashed.
Amidst Zhang Chenze’s dismay, Officer Li, in a final, desperate act, brought the club down upon his own palm.