Chapter 17

"Goats and dogs..." Qi Xia narrowed his eyes, carefully pondering everything.

At first, the person who called himself a "human goat" wanted them to kill each other, but now this "human goat" is saying he is very worried about them and cannot just watch them die.

"Isn't this a lie..."

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Qi Xia.

That's it!

This is it!

Lying!

Everything aligns with Qi Xia's expectations. "Goats" and "dogs" are not names but "game types"!

Could "goat" represent the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"? The shepherd boy, due to his repeated lies, received no help, so the "goat" game involves "lying," a game of deception.

Could "dog" represent loyalty? Just like in the spear game earlier, if they hadn't cooperated, none of them would have survived. So, could it be about "cooperation"?

Qi Xia picked up the spear and examined it again. He knew that the "goat" had the possibility of lying when explaining the rules.

But in these few short sentences, which one is the lie?

"I can't just watch you die," if this is a lie...

"Wait a moment..." Qi Xia's eyes slowly widened. "This statement isn't the 'answer,' but a trap that will lead to everyone's death."

"What are you talking about?" Qiao Jiajin asked, puzzled.

"These words are all lies!" Qi Xia said decisively. "Standing by the wall will lead to 'death,' while standing under the holes will lead to 'life'!"

Doctor Zhao and Officer Li exchanged glances, unsure of what Qi Xia was trying to convey.

"Everyone, remember? The 'goat' can lie!" Qi Xia stood in the center of the room, trying to get everyone to gather around him. "Following his rules will ultimately lead to our own demise. This is the difference between 'goat' and 'dog'!"

"But is this really reasonable?" Xiao Ran asked timidly. "In the entire room, only the area above your head has a hole. Isn't that the most dangerous place...?"

Qi Xia hadn't figured this out either.

What could fall from the hole above to kill the people by the wall?

"Hmm..." Qi Xia thought for a moment and changed his approach. "It's fine. After this round, we have a high chance of getting out, so you can choose based on your own judgment."

"How do you know we can get out?" Officer Li asked warily.

"Because in this round's hint, there is no 'preview' of the next game," Qi Xia replied. "This suggests two possibilities: either this is the last game, or the organizer is confident they can eliminate us all in this game."

Everyone's faces turned grave, but they couldn't refute his argument.

"In any case, I will stand here." Qi Xia pointed to his feet. "As for what you choose, it's up to you."

After hearing Qi Xia's words, Qiao Jiajin slowly came to his side and said, "I told you, I trust you."

"But I'm a liar." Qi Xia replied coldly.

"It doesn't matter."

Lin Qin thought carefully and also covered her nose and mouth as she walked to the center of the room.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Xiao Ran shouted, clinging to the wall. "Do you really believe him?"

Lin Qin nodded slightly and said, "Yes, think about it. Who has kept us alive until now?"

Xiao Ran was taken aback, suddenly finding Lin Qin's words quite reasonable. After a moment of internal struggle, she followed.

Han Yimo, covering his shoulder wound, also walked over.

"You're called... Qi Xia, right? I also trust you."

Tian Tian and Zhang Chenze followed.

Now, only Doctor Zhao and Officer Li were still clinging to the wall.

"Hey, aren't you coming over?" Tian Tian called out.

"I..." Doctor Zhao looked hesitant, unsure of what to choose.

"There's no need to force anyone." Qi Xia waved his hand. "This round doesn't involve cooperation; you just need to survive."

The clock on the ground gradually reached 1:28.

Officer Li narrowed his eyes, staring at Qi Xia.

He didn't think this liar would choose to die, but why was he leading everyone to stand under the holes?

At this moment, Lin Qin saw through their thoughts and said to them, "Qi Xia doesn't seem to be lying. Do you want to come over?"

"You can tell?" Officer Li asked in a low voice.

"Yes," Lin Qin nodded. "Because of my job, I can usually tell if someone is lying."

"Since that's the case..." Officer Li and Doctor Zhao exchanged glances and silently walked forward, saying to Lin Qin, "Since a professional has spoken, we trust you."

Although they said this, they still held onto the broken pieces of the table.

They walked under the holes, raising the table pieces above their heads to guard against whatever might fall.

"You're quite cunning," Qiao Jiajin muttered, also reaching for a piece of the table.

Qi Xia glanced at the time and held back Qiao Jiajin.

"Don't go, it's too late."

As he spoke, the clock reached 1:30, and a loud chain sound came from the ceiling, as if something invisible was being wound up.

"Is it really okay, liar?" Qiao Jiajin looked up, feeling a bit nervous. The current scene felt like a gamble, but the stakes were high—nine lives.

Qi Xia shook his head: "I'm just guessing. We'll see if I'm right."

Suddenly, the entire room trembled slightly, making the nine people tense up.

Tian Tian instinctively moved closer to Officer Li and Doctor Zhao.

Qi Xia lifted his head, staring intently at the nine holes, his eyes trying to pierce the darkness and uncover the hidden mystery.

The next second, dark, black objects suddenly shot out from the nine holes, and everyone quickly closed their eyes in fright.

Only Qi Xia saw the true nature of these dark, black objects.

They were nine old, dirty ropes.

He reached out and grabbed one of the ropes.

These ropes were about two fingers thick, just right for a firm grip.

"Trouble..." Qi Xia's face changed. "It's worse than I imagined."

The others slowly opened their eyes and saw the ropes emitting a rotten smell.

"What's going on?"

Before they could fully understand the situation, Qi Xia immediately shouted, "Grab the ropes!!"

The quicker ones immediately reached out and grabbed the ropes, and the others followed suit.

Qi Xia turned and saw that Han Yimo, due to his injured right shoulder, could only weakly hold the rope with his left hand.

"No, you..."

Before Qi Xia could say more, the floor beneath their feet crumbled into powder.

"Ah!"

"Damn!"

Shouts of surprise erupted simultaneously.

Everyone's bodies plummeted, but fortunately, the ropes in their hands prevented them from falling directly.

Han Yimo gritted his teeth, holding the rope with his left hand, but he was losing blood and strength, and Qi Xia watched helplessly as his left hand gradually loosened.