I Want To Play A Game

Throughout his life, few things had ever escaped his meticulous planning.

He maintained absolute control through rigorous strategizing.

Yet since arriving here, he'd repeatedly tasted powerlessness.

Nothing in this place seemed to adhere to his carefully laid blueprints.

Initially, Jack Li had devised tactics to obtain "Tao" through life-risking gambles, only to immediately encounter the lethal "Earth Ox" in the games.

Later, he'd watched Barrett and Candy die before his eyes, his fists clenched in helpless frustration.

Now he'd come to form an alliance with Officer Liu, only to find the man already dead.

This forced partnership with Lawyer Liu left him uneasy.

What kind of person was Lawyer Liu truly?

"This loss of strategic control... it unsettles me," Jack Li murmured, turning to his new companion. "Lawyer Liu, may I ask you something?"

The woman adjusted her damp collar. "Questions? As long as they're not personal."

"What compels you to escape this place?"

Lawyer Liu's lips twitched. "Even without specific reasons, who would choose to remain in this hellscape?"

Jack nodded. "Do you believe 'killing to seize Tao' is viable?"

"Killing for Tao..." She weighed the words carefully. "Technically feasible. But legally and morally reprehensible."

"Final question." Jack's gaze sharpened. "Have you ever committed grave errors? The life-altering kind that haunts your every waking moment?"

The temperature between them plummeted. Lawyer Liu's eyes turned glacial. "What relevance does that bear to our partnership?"

Her non-answer spoke volumes. Jack extended his hand. "Let's proceed."

As their hands clasped, Old Lü hovered awkwardly at the periphery. The streetwise vendor recognized Jack's strategic brilliance - aligning with him promised better odds at obtaining Tao.

"Since you've found your team..." Lü began with forced cheer, edging toward the exit, "perhaps I should..."

"Don't let the door hit you," Jack replied without looking up from examining his lighter.

Lü's hopeful glance at Taylor met stony silence. When he tried adjusting Lawyer Liu's coat, she recoiled. "Unless medically necessary, keep your hands to yourself."

Red-faced, Lü reached the threshold when inspiration struck. "Wait! This morning I found a four-player game... with a dog symbol."

Jack's head snapped up. "What breed?"

"Bulldog! Perfect for team-building!"

"Earth Dog..." Jack's brow furrowed. Unlike human-level games, Earth-level meant mortal stakes. Yet the promised reward - five Tao per survivor plus opponents' loot - proved irresistible.

As teams paid entry using glowing Tao stones, Earth Dog's demeanor transformed from menacing to obsequious. "Welcome to my espionage challenge!" The anthropomorphic bulldog gestured grandly at a dilapidated hotel.

Identity cards revealed their roles:

Jack - Message Sender

Taylor - Message Receiver

Lawyer Liu - Hostage

When Old Lü hesitated revealing his card, Jack forcibly flipped it - "The Mole" glared up in crimson text.

"The Mole?" Jack Li studied the card, perplexed. If a traitor existed among the four, identities should logically remain secret. Yet Earth Dog had openly allowed them to inspect — even *swap* roles. What kind of game was this?

"Will any teams exchange identities?" Earth Dog called from the front desk, his bulldog mask twitching unnaturally as he spoke.

Jack scanned the cards. Without knowing the game's objectives, how could he determine which role mattered most? If the Mole's purpose was sabotage, Old Lü's bumbling nature made him an ideal candidate. But what of the **Sender** and **Receiver**?

"Jack," Taylor offered her **Receiver** card, "by title alone, the Sender acts first. If we swap, you'll retain flexibility as the Receiver."

A sound strategy. Jack accepted.

Old Lü fidgeted with his **Mole** card. "I-I don't—"

"Listen," Jack gripped his shoulder. "Whatever your objectives, *act* as our teammate. Think before you move."

Lawyer Liu stared at her **Hostage** card, rainwater dripping from her sleeves. "Will this involve… another aquarium?"

"Possibly." Jack frowned. "Want to trade?"

"No." Her laugh held no warmth. "After surviving drowning, a microwave oven might dry my clothes."

---

**Game Rules Unveiled**

The teams regrouped in parallel corridors. Earth Dog's wagging tail (or was it part of the costume?) gestured toward numbered doors:

1. **Sender Rooms** (Taylor vs. opposing team's blond punk)

- Contains: Sealed letter, iron box, golden lock/key.

- **Rule**: Senders cannot leave. Must pass items to **Moles**.

2. **Corridor Shredders**

- Moles can destroy any item *except* iron boxes.

3. **Receiver Rooms** (Jack vs. green-haired混混)

- Contains: Silver lock/key.

- **Win Condition**: Decrypt letter, unlock **Hostage**'s "microwave" prison.

4. **Hostage Chambers**

- Industrial-grade metal cabinets. Digital countdown: 30 minutes until "cooking."

---

**Psychological Warfare**

As Lawyer Liu stepped into the suffocating chamber, Earth Dog's voice boomed:

"Moles may defect! Final teams max at 4. Choose wisely!"

Old Lü paled. "Jack-boy, you'd never ditch me, right? I paid the entry fee!"

Jack's reply cut through tension: "Betray us, and you'll gain *1 Tao*. Help us win, you'll split *20+*. Do the math."

Across the hall, Luna Snow (opposing Mole) whispered to her混混 boyfriend: "Why keep me? That old man's useless!"

"Play along, babe." He squeezed her waist. "After we win, I'll…"

"*If* you win." She eyed Jack's team. "Your 'genius leader' reeks of prison tattoos. Mine wears a lawyer's blazer. Let's reassess."

---

**Zero Hour**

Senders sealed letters into iron boxes. Moles paced corridors like caged animals.

Taylor's voice crackled through Jack's earpiece (hidden rule: Senders could *once* broadcast):

"Golden key inside. Lü must deliver box *unopened*. But—"

*Crunch! *

Luna Snow's shredder devoured her team's box. "Oops. Guess your 'genius' didn't foresee this?"

Old Lü froze, box in hand. Every shredder hummed with temptation.

Jack's fingers brushed the silver key. *Think. Why two locks? Why—*

Microwave timers flashed: 29:59… 29:58…