“The Lottery Room’s second rule should involve predicting whether the other two teams will ‘Betray.’ So when each team enters the Lottery Room, they probably don’t just choose between ‘Cooperate’ and ‘Betray.’ There’s likely a third option: ‘Predict.’”
Silver-Masked Woman’s second point was more closely tied to the game itself. Master Appraiser nodded again.
“Whether you’re right or not, we’ll find out when we enter the Lottery Room this afternoon.”
Instead, Silver-Masked Woman told him, “No. What I’m saying is, when you enter the Lottery Room this time, there’s something you need to do.”
Master Appraiser stared at her in surprise.
Silver-Masked Woman continued, “Unless you don’t want to win.”
“Don’t you want to win?”
“Or do you want someone else to win?”
No. Of course he didn’t.
Who wanted to lose? In a game where your life was on the line, who wouldn’t want to win?
Master Appraiser’s expression turned serious. “Then what’s this Guaranteed-Win Method of yours?”
Silver-Masked Woman spoke slowly. “This afternoon, do exactly as I say.”
……
18:00
After Team Three entered the Lottery Room, Master Appraiser saw the new rules on the wall and remembered what had happened three hours earlier. He was stunned.
The other two, the Blonde Woman and the muscular man, were still reading every word of the new rules.
Once everyone had familiarized themselves with the Lottery Room and was about to take their seats at the voting console—
Team leader Master Appraiser suddenly stepped forward and stopped them.
“Hold on. I’ve read the rules, and I have something to say.”
The muscular man looked at him. “What is it, Leader?”
“Listen to what I have to say before you decide.”
Master Appraiser spoke with grave seriousness, sharing his thoughts after reading the new rules.
If the game included a “Prediction” option, that meant it would be harder to “Betray” the other teams later.
The Blonde Woman frowned, confused and skeptical. “Why would we ‘Betray’ them? Didn’t we agree to keep choosing ‘Cooperate’?”
From the way Master Appraiser spoke, he’d already considered choosing “Betray” in the future! The Blonde Woman frowned at the thought.
Master Appraiser shook his head. “We can’t keep choosing ‘Cooperate’ forever. Can you guarantee that nobody has selfish motives? You’ve seen the voting rules. If a team leader and one other teammate have their own agenda, they can ‘Betray’ everyone else. Understand? It takes as few as two people to shatter the peace in this game.”
The Blonde Woman clenched her teeth.
“If we don’t ‘Betray’ someone else, ‘someone else’ will Betray us. Heh… This is a dog-eat-dog game. The one who strikes first has the advantage.”
The Blonde Woman snapped, “Stop saying that!”
The game only fell apart because people thought that way!
The muscular man asked uncertainly, “Are we really going to ‘Betray’ them now? We shouldn’t, right…?”
If someone wanted to strike first, the prize money was still small. No one else would make a move yet.
The muscular man thought they should wait another round before choosing “Betray.”
“No.” Master Appraiser shook his head. “Listen to me. I don’t actually mean ‘Betray.’ I mean using ‘Betray’ to make everyone ‘Cooperate.’”
That was what Silver-Masked Woman had told him: life came from death; only by facing death could one find life.
Even though Team Three was the last to make its choice, it still had a chance to strike first.
Master Appraiser smiled as if he had everything under control. “Think carefully about the rules. The first condition for an All-Player Victory in the Lottery Game is that ‘the total prize money for all three teams must be at least 24 million.’”
“If we don’t ‘Betray’ everyone now, we’ll only let them turn into monsters later. But if we become the monsters now and take this 2.5 million, we’ll actually be forcing everyone to ‘Cooperate’ for the next two rounds.”
“If there’s only one path left, everyone will take it without hesitation.”
The logic was simple. After nearly wasting the first round’s prize money, everyone would have to cooperate for the next two rounds to win and survive. No one would dare “Betray” anyone along the way.
Master Appraiser smiled warmly. “If I don’t go to hell, who will? Everyone, choose ‘Betray.’ It’s for the good of us all.”
“That’s just a self-righteous excuse!” the Blonde Woman said indignantly.
What made her even angrier was that the muscular man beside her had already been persuaded. His expression wavered.
She couldn’t read Silver-Masked Woman’s expression, so she turned to her and pleaded, “Don’t listen to him. This will destroy everyone’s trust. Trust is the key to winning this game!”
Silver-Masked Woman nodded at her.
The Blonde Woman let out a breath of relief and turned to the muscular man.
If all three of them chose “Cooperate,” they still had a chance!
Master Appraiser narrowed his eyes slightly. “Choose what you like. I won’t force you. But I’m choosing ‘Betray.’”
“One more thing. If we do nothing, as you suggest, and the others ‘Betray’ us and take the prize, we could end up with nothing—and get thrown into the sea to feed the fish. Decide for yourselves whether you want to play it safe or take a risk.”
The muscular man stammered without looking at either of them. “I-I’ll think about it…”
Silver-Masked Woman patted the Blonde Woman’s shoulder and gave her an approving nod. “Don’t worry.”
What she meant was that she’d choose “Cooperate.”
The Blonde Woman looked at her gratefully. “Thank you.”
The four of them took their seats at the voting console, and the vote began.
Master Appraiser did exactly as he’d said. Without hesitation, he pressed the “Betray” button.
The Blonde Woman looked at Silver-Masked Woman. After they exchanged glances, they both pressed “Cooperate.”
But when it came down to the crucial final vote, the muscular man squeezed his eyes shut, reached for “Betray,” and pressed it hard.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! The leader makes sense. We’ll be the bad guys this time! It’s all for the win!”
Team Three’s collective choice was: “Betray.”
He apologized to the Blonde Woman and Silver-Masked Woman, then hurried behind Master Appraiser to hide.
Master Appraiser smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. Just this once. We absolutely won’t ‘Betray’ again.”
After all that, the four of them emerged to find the players outside staring at their varied expressions.
The first day’s result was now final.
No amount of regret could turn back time.
That evening, Chi Wei found Hearts Girl drinking alone in the bar area.
She walked over, took the stool beside her, and greeted her with a smile. “All by yourself? Getting bored?”
Hearts Girl glanced sideways at her. “Isn’t that why people drink?”
Chi Wei summoned a service robot and ordered the same cocktail.
After they clinked glasses, Chi Wei spoke first.
“There’s something I kept from you. Sorry.”
“Hm? You don’t have to tell me anything out of the blue. There’s no need to apologize.”
“No, I want to tell you now.” Chi Wei said, “That player, Deathweed—we’ve met in a game before. We were in the same game last time.”
Hearts Girl held her glass and replied coolly, “Oh…”
It didn’t interest her much.
Still, she took the chance to tell Chi Wei, “That’s normal. Players who survive Lucky Game are very likely to run into each other again. You don’t need to be surprised. I guess you haven’t played many games yet.”
“That’s right. This is my second.” Chi Wei admitted it without embarrassment. “Then let me ask you, senior: what are you planning to do in the next game?”
“Cooperate,” Hearts Girl replied, succinctly.
She’d keep choosing “Cooperate,” as always. There was no other way forward.
“Because there’s no other choice, right? Team Three’s move shut down every other possibility.”
“Yes, you’re right…” Hearts Girl had sobered up a little. She seemed to sense something and turned to ask, “You have a problem with them?”
“Wait, senior. You don’t?” Chi Wei asked innocently.
Hearts Girl laughed. “If you think I do, then I do.”
After being threatened like that for no good reason, how could she not have a problem with Team Three?
Anyone would have been annoyed by what they’d done.
But even if she was annoyed, there was nothing she could do about it.
There was only one path left: take part in the forced “Cooperate.”
Now that she knew where the other woman stood, Chi Wei said, “Even if it’s the second or third round, they might not choose ‘Cooperate’ honestly.”
“As long as there’s still a chance to ‘Betray,’ there’ll always be a temptation.” Chi Wei asked, “You think so too, don’t you, senior?”
Yes. When the team entering the Lottery Room made its eleventh or twelfth choice, it would still have the option to “Betray.”
Hearts Girl was well aware of that obvious opportunity.
Naturally, she would choose to “Predict” one of the other teams then.
That had been her plan, anyway.
Now she looked at Chi Wei. “If you came to drink with me, say what you have to say over a drink.”
The bar’s colored lights painted the room in shifting, garish hues. Hearts Girl looked a little drunk, but her eyes were clear.
Chi Wei smiled. “A single team might not win, but two teams definitely won’t lose. I have a Guaranteed-Win Method. Let’s work together from here on.”
Hearts Girl asked, “Why should I trust you?”
“Because Team Three has already become a team of betrayers. Betrayal is like a man cheating: it happens either never or endlessly. Don’t you agree, senior?”
Chi Wei had a way of talking. She often asked questions in a way that invited agreement, nudging the other person into thinking they shared the same view. Before long, the other person would find themselves following her lead.
Hearts Girl gave a dry laugh. “You’re right.”
“Two teams together have a way to guarantee victory. And since we can’t trust the other team, wouldn’t you rather work with us, the ones who’ve reached out to you in good faith, than risk getting ‘Betrayed’ by Team Three?”
Chi Wei held out her hand, wearing a sincere smile.
Hearts Girl took it, and the two reached an agreement.
“In that case, let’s cooperate.”
