Chapter 9 Tough Reality
The sight left everyone visibly stunned.
"I drew the {Liar} card," Qi Xia disclosed slowly, "but the specific card isn't of consequence." He casually tossed the card into the center of the table. "If my deduction is correct, each of you possesses a {Liar} identity card."
No one stirred at this revelation. After a moment, Police Officer Li inquired, "So... you're suggesting that everyone here has lied?"
Qi Xia affirmed, "Exactly. You're all more astute than I initially presumed. Each of you injected a small lie into your narrative to fully construct the storyline without disrupting its logical coherence."
Police Officer Li pondered for a moment, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "If your guess is accurate..." he sighed deeply, "The problem will be even more challenging."
All eyes turned to Police Officer Li, each one reflecting confusion.
Police Officer Li continued, "According to the rules, our collective survival depends on whether we can all correctly identify the liar. However, in this case, the liar loses. So we..."
Doctor Zhao was the first to grasp Police Officer Li's implication. "You're suggesting... we could vote for anyone and emerge victorious because everyone was lying. It's a {game with no losing outcome}, but the individuals we vote for will meet their demise?"
His words hung heavily in the air, suffocating the atmosphere, yet the goat-headed figure remained motionless. So... did that imply they needed to decide on killing one individual from the group?
Qi Xia sighed in frustration, directing a pointed gaze at Police Officer Li. "Officer, is it your hobby to interject when others are speaking? Does it gratify you?"
"What do you mean?" Police Officer Li frowned in response. "Aren't I helping in proposing plans and suggestions?"
"I don't need your assistance," Qi Xia asserted without hesitation. "Your proposal will lead to everyone's demise."
"What?" Police Officer Li was taken aback. "How could my suggestion result in everyone's demise? Where did I not make sense? If everyone was lying, wouldn't any vote be valid?"
"Police Officer Li, remember when that Goat Head mentioned {the rules are absolute} and that only {one person will not be telling the truth}? Do you recall?"
Police Officer Li paused, reflecting for a moment, acknowledging that the goat-headed figure had indeed uttered those two sentences.
"Allow me to elucidate my perspective to everyone," Qi Xia stated coldly. "In this game, it appears that the {Liar} stands a significant chance of prevailing. Consequently, everyone harbors the belief that victory is within reach. However, if we cast our votes indiscriminately, it will lead to the demise of us all in the end."
Qiao Jiajin, seated near Qi Xia, lightly touched his tattooed arm and murmured, "Because we broke the {rules}..."
"Yes." Qi Xia nodded. "But what makes this game intriguing is that we cannot ascertain whether the other party is lying at all. As Lawyer Zhang pointed out, our only recourse is to deduce based on our individual experiences, attempting to discern any inconsistencies in others' narratives. However, we come from different locations. Even if the recounted events don't align perfectly, there's still no absolute certainty that the other party is being untruthful."
Qi Xia surveyed the pensive faces around him before resuming, "The organizer deliberately selected nine of us for a reason. It was to foster a sense of absolute confidence in ourselves and to encourage us to uncover the 'inconsistencies' in the seemingly intertwined narratives."
"But is that truly the case? How certain are we that the other party must be lying?" Qi Xia scoffed. "In this game, there is only one {liar} we can unequivocally identify based on the known clues. What they've stated diverges entirely from our present circumstances." He picked up the pen and inscribed the words {Mortal Goat} on his paper. "I always found it peculiar why he introduced himself with such an unusual moniker as {Mortal Goat} initially. It seemed rather superfluous. Now, upon reflection, it's clear that this was a component of the game."
Everyone turned their heads slowly, their gazes settling on {Mortal Goat}, yet the latter remained motionless.
Police Officer Li paused for a moment, then shook his head. "Qi Xia, I have a question. Among the rules outlined by Mortal Goat, he mentioned {among all the storytellers, one person will not be telling the truth}, but he himself didn't share a story."
"Did he not?" Qi Xia shrugged noncommittally, "I remember him stating explicitly that he assembled us here to create a {God}, isn't that an outrageous story?"
Police Officer Li remained silent, his head bowed in contemplation. While he found Qi Xia's argument compelling, a nagging sense of doubt lingered within him.
"But..." Doctor Zhao interjected, "All your conjecture is based on the premise that {everyone is lying}. But how can you assert that we are all liars? What if we reveal our cards and discover that you're the sole individual assigned the {Liar} identity?"
"It's impossible that all of you spoke the truth," Qi Xia forced a smile, his countenance betraying a sense of despair. "I've dedicated some time debating this matter. Not only am I aware that you've all lied, but I've also pinpointed the exact instances." He slid his scrap paper forward, then turned to Tian Tian beside him. "Tian Tian, while you were {working} in the car, with your head protruding outside, did the billboard truly strike the vehicle and render you unconscious?"
Tian Tian pursed her lips, hesitant to respond.
"Qiao Jiajin," Qi Xia addressed, "you plummeted from such a height onto the billboard. Do you genuinely have no recollection of what happened afterward?"
Qiao Jiajin remained silent.
"Teacher Xiao Ran," Qi Xia continued, "did you and the child truly evade the oncoming car?"
Xiao Ran avoided his gaze.
"Doctor Zhao, given the reinforced construction of operating rooms for stability, your claim that the ceiling collapsed appears questionable. Were you really rendered unconscious?"
Doctor Zhao turned his head to the side, offering no response.
"Han Yimo, you claimed to have no knowledge of what occurred. Yet, when fully engrossed in writing, even the slightest disturbances can be notable. Are you genuinely unaware of how you ended up here?"
Han Yimo sighed softly, offering no further comment.
"Lawyer Zhang," Qi Xia questioned, "your vehicle was shoved into the crevice. Just how deep is this crevice?"
Lawyer Zhang crossed her arms, her expression impassive, offering no response.
"Police Officer Li, what brand of car were you driving? Couldn't you swiftly recline the seat and liberate yourself from the restraints of the person behind you?"
Police Officer Li touched the red marks on his neck, hesitating to respond.
"Lin Qin, your studio's ceiling also collapsed, yet you mentioned it's situated on a high floor. If a high floor were to collapse, wouldn't the entire building cease to exist?"
Lin Qin lowered her head and stared at the ground silently.
Observing everyone's reactions, Qi Xia clenched his teeth and uttered with conviction, "Everyone, let's face it. We all have already died, myself included."