Chapter 75 Psychological Tactics
"Everyone, if you understand the rules, please take your positions. The next instructions will be given through the room’s broadcast."
Terrestrial Dog, after making sure everyone was in their proper places, made his way to the front desk.
In the two parallel corridors, everyone had settled into their places.
The {Correspondents} sat in the first room of the corridor, while the opposing team's {Infiltrator} stood in the hallway. The last room housed the {Recipient} and the {Hostage}.
The game’s rules appeared deceptively simple: the {Correspondent} would pass the secret code to the {Infiltrator}, who would then deliver it to the {Recipient}, allowing them to examine the code and ultimately unlock the door.
Yet, despite the simplicity of the rules, a sense of uncertainty loomed over everyone. After all, the most crucial aspect of the game rested in the hands of the opposing team.
"Everyone," Terrestrial Dog announced into a microphone at the front desk.
Simultaneously, his voice echoed through the various rooms and corridors.
In the room, Lin Qin examined the assortment of items, her mind racing with possible countermeasures.
Box, lock, key, letter.
Among these four items, three could potentially be destroyed by the pulverizer.
To avoid the pulverizer, the letter must be placed inside the box and locked.
This way, the entire box cannot be thrown into the pulverizer, and the {Infiltrator} can only deliver it to the opposing side.
But what about the {key}?
Although she had no idea what tools Qi Xia had at his disposal, the game’s setup clearly indicated that there would be no duplicate keys or any unlocking tools. So how would he open the box once he received it?
{Knock, knock, knock}—
A faint knocking sound echoed as the {Infiltrator} girl opened the door from the outside.
"Ready?" she asked, her expression impassive.
Lin Qin glanced at the girl and inquired, "What’s your name?"
"Jiang Ruoxue(江若雪). Is it ready yet?" she replied.
"Ruoxue, would you consider joining us?" Lin Qin asked directly.
Jiang Ruoxue contemplated for a moment before responding, "The risks of joining your team are too great. I can’t take that gamble."
"Exactly," she nodded. "If I help you win and you choose not to accept me at the last moment, I would still face death."
Her expression was serious, as if she had pondered this dilemma long before.
"Your concerns are valid," Lin Qin nodded, employing her most effective conversational technique. "But let’s consider a hypothetical scenario: in your understanding, what methods would your team use to win the game?"
Jiang Ruoxue furrowed her brow slightly. "Are you suggesting… that they might collaborate with the {Infiltrator}?"
"Exactly," Lin Qin affirmed. "Think of it as a job interview; we’re currently in a {two-way selection} scenario. You should consider not just whether we would abandon you, but whether your original team might choose to forsake you."
"They wouldn’t," Jiang Ruoxue replied resolutely. "There’s no way they’d abandon me for some wrinkly old man."
"They're not abandoning you {for some wrinkly old man}, but {for their own survival}," Lin Qin said, deliberately softening her tone to lower the other party's mental defenses. "Most individuals prefer to retain control over their own lives rather than relinquish it to others, wouldn’t you agree?"
Jiang Ruoxue hesitated visibly this time. She opened her mouth, seemingly poised to retort, but ultimately fell silent.
"And my collaboration with you is solely for survival."
"What about the {Infiltrator} you sent out?" Jiang Ruoxue countered. "He’s clearly your teammate, yet you could abandon him so easily?"
"I’ve known him for less than four hours; I cannot gamble my life for someone I’ve only just met," Lin Qin replied earnestly. "And how long have you known your teammates? Would they genuinely risk themselves for you?"
Jiang Ruoxue stood there, momentarily stunned.
After mulling over the words several times, she still did not concede to Lin Qin's request.
"I can’t trust you. Just focus on preparing the letter; I suggest you secure it well. I’ll do everything I can to destroy the contents," Jiang Ruoxue shook her head. "As for the other matters, there’s nothing more to discuss."
"May I ask what’s driving your insistence?" Lin Qin pressed one last time.
"A'Mu is my boyfriend. What other reason do I need?"
As a trained counseling psychologist, Lin Qin understood that dismantling a person's mental defenses in just a few minutes was nearly impossible; such scenarios only appeared in science fiction.
Normal individuals were extremely guarded against strangers, especially in life-and-death situations. Every word exchanged could potentially lead to fatal consequences, prompting even greater caution than usual.
Lin Qin no longer wasted time and instead focused on the box in front of her.
If she completely disregarded the possibility of collaborating with the {Infiltrator}, was there a way for Qi Xia to obtain the letter?
Meanwhile, in the {Correspondent}'s room, A'Mu encountered the {Infiltrator} Ole Lu.
"Hey, punk, hurry up and give me the stuff," Ole Lu said, leaning against the door frame with evident impatience.
A'Mu scratched his vibrant green hair and cast a scornful glance at Ole Lu.
Instead of looking at the items on the table, he pondered for a moment and said, "Old man, how about ten {Dào} for your companions’ lives? What do you say?"
"What the heck...?" Ole Lu blinked in surprise. "Ten {Dào}?"
"You don’t look like a fool, so you must understand the survival rules here, right?"
Ole Lu pondered for a long while before slowly replying, "What nonsense are you talking about, punk? I can’t betray my teammates for just ten {Dào}. Besides, I paid for the admission..."
"Fifteen," A'Mu continued, "In addition to the rewards you should receive after winning this game, I’ll give you an additional fifteen {Dào}."
Ole Lu's gaze slowly dropped to the floor, his face etched with hesitation.
"Don’t overthink it, old man. You should know how to {completely ensure} your survival." A'Mu tapped the table, his voice laced with a warning. "We will accept you and keep you alive; once we step outside, we’ll go our separate ways."
Ole Lu cautiously asked, "If you give me fifteen {Dào}, won’t you all end up with no gains?"
"It doesn’t matter," A'Mu shrugged dismissively. "Once we take out the opponent team, we can claim their spoils. It’s not as if we’ll truly be leaving empty-handed."
"What about that woman?" Ole Lu pressed. "Isn’t she your partner?"
"She’s just a woman!" A'Mu leaned in, glaring malevolently at Ole Lu. "A woman can be replaced. But if I die, that’s a whole different problem…"
Ole Lu felt an indescribable danger radiating from the man before him.
But upon further reflection, Ole Lu realized that Qi Xia and the others couldn’t possibly come up with fifteen {Dào} either. Agreeing to the other party's request would leave him with a hefty profit.
"I want a deposit," Ole Lu declared. "Give me five {Dào} now."
"This way, you can’t kill me," Ole Lu said with a smile, beads of nervous sweat trickling down his face. "{Killing others for Dào} isn’t allowed, no?"