Chapter 62

"Walk out with integrity...?" Qi Xia wore a thoughtful expression, seemingly lost in thought.

"I have already divided them, it's your turn now." The Pig-Man pushed both bowls forward, "Choose, choose the one who will survive between you and me."

Lin Ge and Old Lü frowned at the scene.

The Pig-Man thoroughly mixed all the pieces, ensuring each bowl had an equal mix of black and white.

Everything from here on out really depended on "luck."

Qi Xia made no move; he tilted his head, as if trying to determine the color of the pieces by sound.

After a while, Qi Xia spoke, "Pig-Man, you choose for me."

"What...?" The Pig-Man was taken aback, "What did you say?"

"I said, you choose for me," Qi Xia said seriously, "Choose two, and I'll pick one from those."

"Qi Xia, this is a 'bet on life,' aren't you going to take control of your fate?"

"It's fine." Qi Xia didn't seem to care, "You said you wanted to participate in the 'bet on life' to feel like you've 'lived,' but if you think about it, I've been the one playing the game all along, and you haven't been involved."

The Pig-Man was silent, for it was indeed true.

"So I'm giving you the chance to 'participate.'" Qi Xia pointed to the bowls in front of him, "This game is a battle between you and me, so I really want to know what you will choose."

The Pig-Man slowly stroked his chin.

The chin was covered with untrimmed bristles, and he stroked them like a beard, looking strangely wise.

He thought for a long time, unable to fathom Qi Xia's motives.

This was originally a game with a fifty-fifty chance, but if he chose the pieces, the outcome for Qi Xia would become even more unpredictable.

In such a tense 'bet on life' moment, the man in front of him was entrusting his life and death to his enemy...

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Was he giving up? Or was he being clever?

"Don't hesitate, Pig-Man. You choosing will make it easier for me to choose, right?" Qi Xia said.

"You choosing will make it easier for me to choose?"

After a while, the Pig-Man finally nodded, "I understand. Then let me send you on your way."

Qi Xia nodded, saying no more.

The Pig-Man reached out to the bowls on the table and decisively picked up two white pieces.

For Qi Xia, these two white pieces were tickets to hell; no matter how he asked, white could never turn into black.

Just as he was about to hand the two white pieces to Qi Xia, something flashed in his mind.

The Pig-Man suddenly looked up, thinking to himself, "Wait... something's not right."

Could it be that Qi Xia didn't anticipate he would choose two white pieces for him?

This was a 'bet on life,' a game where the other's win meant his death. Why would he be so confident in letting him choose?

"Ah..." The Pig-Man suddenly realized, slowly pulling his hand back, "He's bluffing..."

What did he mean by "You choosing will make it easier for me to choose"?

The Pig-Man's thoughts suddenly became clear.

Once these two white pieces were handed to Qi Xia, Qi Xia would immediately back out. He would set these two white pieces aside and pick another piece from the remaining bowl.

This small action would break the balance in the bowl, leaving 48 white pieces and 50 black pieces.

Qi Xia's chances of winning would increase.

After all, Qi Xia was not a 'zodiac,' and the words he spoke in the game were not 'rules,' just his own suggestions.

Since they were not 'rules,' Qi Xia didn't have to follow them.

So backing out was entirely possible.

"You really are a cunning one..." The Pig-Man felt a chill of fear, almost falling for Qi Xia's trick. He thought for a moment and took out two black pieces.

But he hesitated again.

Handing over two black pieces to the other side would be even more dangerous.

If the other side anticipated his anticipation, wouldn't they win directly?

The Pig-Man lowered his head, looking at the pieces in his hands. His left hand held two white pieces, and his right hand held two black pieces.

He realized that no matter which choice he made, it would increase Qi Xia's chances of winning, which was absurd.

Could it be that Qi Xia had calculated all of this in advance?

"Should I still give him two white pieces...?" He narrowed his eyes, thinking again. At least the white pieces would slightly increase Qi Xia's chances of winning, but the black pieces would greatly increase them...

No, that's not right.

The Pig-Man shook his head again.

Two black or two white wouldn't work, as he didn't know Qi Xia's strategy.

The Pig-Man was forced to adjust his strategy, abandoning the two-black and two-white tactics and holding one black and one white piece in his hand.

At this moment, he had only one thought—since he couldn't reduce the other's chances of winning, he would keep things as they were.

Returning to a fifty-fifty state would make things more difficult for Qi Xia.

"Yes... that's right..." The Pig-Man nodded, placing one black and one white piece in Qi Xia's hand.

"Qi Xia, I've chosen." The Pig-Man said, "This life-or-death question is back in your hands."

"Life-or-death question..." Qi Xia touched the two pieces in his hand, his expression complex.

The Pig-Man finally breathed a sigh of relief, at least for now, he had made the best choice.

For Qi Xia, the situation with one black and one white piece should be the most difficult to handle. He had to choose one and ask the two people about the color of the pieces.

He didn't know the color of the piece he chose, nor did he know if the person he asked would tell the truth or lie.

Under this double uncertainty, Qi Xia's chances of winning would be infinitely reduced.

Old Lü and Lin Ge, seeing the one black and one white piece in Qi Xia's hand, broke out in cold sweat.

These two were not fools; they understood the gravity of the situation.

It seemed that Qi Xia's earlier strategies had all failed, and everything was back to square one.

Now the pieces were still one black and one white, and the two people were still one truth-teller and one liar.

Without extremely good 'luck,' how could they survive?

Old Lü pursed his lips, wiping the fine sweat from his forehead, his hands trembling with cold.

"Qi Xia, who will you ask?" the Pig-Man asked.

Qi Xia turned to Old Lü, then to Lin Ge, his face heavy with thought.

Who was the truth-teller?

After about thirty seconds, Qi Xia made his choice: "I choose Lin Ge..."

Lin Ge trembled all over, as if scared.

"Alright." The Pig-Man turned to Lin Ge, waving his hand, "Come on, little girl, remember the rules. You can only answer 'black' or 'white.' If you say anything else or give any hint, you will die immediately."

Lin Ge nodded, her face pale.

The Pig-Man turned back to Qi Xia, "Begin, Qi Xia. You only have one chance to ask. Whether you can save your life depends on this one question."