Chapter 7 Likelihood of Winning
"Copper, you lying!" Qiao Jiajin shouted coldly.
"Hmph, I anticipated you would say that, but what evidence do you have to prove that I'm lying? Just because someone attacked me?"
"Of course not," Qiao Jiajin replied with a slight smile. "Although I don't know the reason, the stories told by everyone before are more or less related. There are many shared personas in these stories. Ignoring the geographical differences, everyone’s stories all make sense."
“That’s where the problem lies.” Qiao Jiajin retorted, pointing at the lawyer, Zhang Chenze. "There's a shared persona in both your and the lawyer's stories—the {swindler who defrauded two million}. But your stories contradict each other, which means one of you is lying."
Police Officer Li paused before asking, "Where is the contradiction?"
Qiao Jiajin shook his head, turning his gaze towards Police Officer Li. "Lawyer Zhang is already preparing for trial. This means that in her story, the suspect {has been caught}, but you are still at stakeout. Which means that in your story, the suspect {has not yet been captured}. Isn't this a contradiction?"
Police Officer Li pondered for a moment before responding, "I must admit there is some validity to your observation, but I believe you've been influenced by this {game}. Firstly, you must recognize a basic fact: we all come from different cities. So, no matter how similar our stories sound, they can't be about the same events. Because they're different incidents, naturally, there will be divergent outcomes."
As long as one of them votes against the other, the liar prevails. After all, the rules are absolute. Except for the liar, if anyone votes incorrectly, the rest of the group will be condemned alongside them.
Despite Police Officer Li's explanation, Qiao Jiajin's words lingered in everyone's minds.
Indeed, it was the first instance where conflicting narratives had been identified in their stories.
Qi Xia couldn't help but take notice of this delinquent named Qiao Jiajin. Despite his seemingly unruly appearance, he proved to be more intelligent than expected.
"Uhh... I suppose it's my turn..." the next female began hesitantly.
Everyone then set aside their thoughts and directed their attention towards her. This woman was the one who had screamed violently when the first victim was murdered. Although she appeared to have calmed down at this moment, she avoided looking around the room.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Lin Qin(林檎), and I am a counseling psychologist."
Qi Xia paused momentarily, finding the name {Lin Qin} rather intriguing. Prior to the Tang Dynasty, {Lin Qin} was used to refer to the fruit {apple}. These two characters exuded a poetic quality and left a lasting impression.
Perhaps her parents had intended for their daughter to have a distinctive name, but in this situation, that name might prove to be her downfall. Among the individuals present, there was an author, teacher, lawyer, doctor, and police officer, any of whom might be familiar with the meaning of {Lin Qin}. As long as one were to mull over her name a few times, Lin Qin's story would likely imprint itself in their minds.
Noticing the lack of response from the others, Lin Qin proceeded to cover her mouth and nose before continuing, "I am from Ningxia (Hui Autonomous Region). Before arriving here, I was awaiting a client. She is a kindergarten teacher."
Everyone cast a glance at the kindergarten teacher named Xiao Ran, maintaining their composure despite the unexpected connection. Once again, the stories intertwined.
"According to her, the current kindergarten teaching profession is incredibly challenging. Teachers are not permitted to use physical punishment or harsh language with the children. Parents often view kindergarten teachers as babysitters, while children regard them as servants. Each classroom is equipped with surveillance systems, allowing parents to monitor them in real time. If a teacher's tone is even slightly stern, parents will not hesitate to contact the principal."
"But aren't the parents sending their children to kindergarten to instill fundamental values?"
"If teachers cannot enforce discipline, how will children learn from their mistakes?"
"For a while, she felt bewildered and stifled."
"So, I devised a month-long therapy plan for her."
"But for some reason, the client never showed up for the appointment, so I continued to wait in my studio."
"When the earthquake struck, I had no opportunity to flee. After all, my studio is located on the 26th floor."
"The higher the floor, the more intense the earthquake's tremors. It felt as though the entire building was shaking."
"I never imagined there could be earthquakes in Ningxia; it was truly an extraordinary experience."
"Then, I faintly recall the ceiling collapsing. After that, my vision went dark, and I can't remember anything else."
Following Lin Qin's narrative, everyone seemed to have come to a realization.
Qiao Jiajin took the initiative and said, "I have two questions."
"What is it?" Lin Qin asked, still covering her mouth and nose.
"What do you mean by saying that every classroom is equipped with a {surveillance system}?"
No one anticipated Qiao Jiajin's line of questioning, but Lin Qin, demonstrating her expertise as a counseling psychologist, responded patiently, "I believe the reason for installing the {surveillance system} is to allow parents to monitor the classroom environment at any time."
"So it’s a {closed-circuit television}...what an upscale kindergarten..." Qiao Jiajin muttered to himself, then inquired, "Was the kindergarten teacher you had the appointment with Xiao Ran?"
"I don't know," Lin Qin shook her head. "We only connected on WeChat; the details we planned to discuss in person."
"WeChat?" Qiao Jiajin seemed momentarily perplexed, as if he had trouble comprehending.
Police Officer Li interjected, "You delinquent, here you go again. Xiao Ran is from Yunnan, and Lin Qin resides in Ningxia. Who would travel such a distance for counseling?"
Qiao Jiajin stood his ground. "I just feel this is a doubtful point. This is the first time someone's story mentioned another participant."
Doctor Zhao found Qiao Jiajin's observation compelling and nodded before inquiring, "Xiao Ran, do the reasons why you sought counseling align with what Lin Qin described?"
"Well..." Xiao Ran muttered irresolutely before shyly replying, "It's not exactly the same... I was feeling somewhat down because I had been enduring constant criticism from one of the parents for quite some time..."
"In that case, it seems this is merely a coincidence," Doctor Zhao agreed, nodding. "After all, it pertains to two different regions, and there's no need for us to force a connection."
There was a moment of silence when Lawyer Zhang suddenly spoke out, "Ms. Lin, half of your story was about the {kindergarten teacher}. Doesn't this violate the rule?"
"Huh?" Lin Qin was taken aback for a moment. "I mentioned the kindergarten teacher to provide context for my work..."
"Don't misunderstand; I don't imply anything else," Zhang Chenze clarified with a smile. "What I mean is, if you fabricated the experience of the kindergarten teacher, it would naturally differ from Xiao Ran's story, which could indicate you're lying."
"You...!" Lin Qin was taken aback by the woman's imperiousness. Under the spotlight, she felt compelled to defend herself, "Doctor Zhao and Police Officer Li already mentioned that we're all from different provinces. This is just a coincidence!"
"Coincidence? Are you sure about that?" Zhang Chenze crossed her arms, continuing, "Think about it carefully. Why were the nine of us specifically chosen to gather here? Remember, we're all strangers. If we're supposed to find flaws in each other's stories, there must be some clues, and this {clue} lies in the fact that everyone's stories are interconnected. After hearing everyone's accounts, I sense that we are a specially selected group. Only in this way can we successfully uncover inconsistencies in the stories and identify the liar. Otherwise, this game would be exceedingly unfair, as the {Liar} would have an overwhelmingly high chance of winning."