Ten Day Ultimatum

Qi Xia's expression darkened slightly, and he let out a weary sigh. "Aren’t you being overly optimistic? I don’t even know how to escape this cursed place."
"Officer Li believed," Lawyer Zhang replied steadily, "that if anyone could find a way out, it would be you, Qi Xia."

At her words, Qi Xia fell silent.
In his life, rarely did things unfold beyond his expectations. He was accustomed to controlling situations with meticulous precision. But ever since entering this twisted realm, he had faced powerlessness again and again.
Here, nothing seemed to follow the careful plans he had always relied upon.

Initially, Qi Xia had devised a bold strategy—intending to {stake his life} in pursuit of {Dào}. However, his plans were swiftly upended by {Terrestrial Ox}, the host of games that could claim the lives of participants.
Then came the traumatic deaths of Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian, unfolding right before his eyes and leaving him with a torrent of grievances—yet he felt utterly powerless to intervene.
He had hoped to collaborate with Officer Li on their next move, but fate had decided otherwise. Officer Li was gone.

Now, he found himself compelled to align with Lawyer Zhang. But how could he truly discern her character?
‘I find this sense of helplessness in strategizing utterly detestable,’ Qi Xia murmured inwardly, then turned to Lawyer Zhang. "May I ask you a few questions?"
"Questions?" Lawyer Zhang considered for a moment before replying, "Certainly, as long as they don't encroach on my privacy."

"What compels you to escape?"
"I..." Lawyer Zhang found the question intriguing. "Even without a specific reason, I refuse to accept a life confined here."
Qi Xia nodded, pressing on. "Do you believe that {killing others for Dào} is acceptable?"

"Killing others for {Dào}..." Lawyer Zhang rested her chin on her hand, thinking carefully before answering. "While I acknowledge that this method could be effective, I personally would refrain from such actions. It fundamentally contravenes the law."
Qi Xia thought for a moment before asking, "Alright, final question... have you ever committed a transgression?"
"Committed a transgression?" Lawyer Zhang was taken aback. "Do you mean committing a crime?"

"It has nothing to do with the {law}," Qi Xia clarified. "It’s the kind of {transgression} that alters the course of your life, fills you with endless remorse, deep regret—an error so profound that you spend the rest of your life paying for it."
Suddenly, Lawyer Zhang's demeanor shifted. Her eyes turned icy as she locked her gaze on Qi Xia. "What are you implying? How does this question pertain to our alliance?"
Though she refrained from answering, Qi Xia could sense the truth beneath her silence. It seemed everything stemmed from that very first game.

Everyone had lied.
"Very well, I understand. Let us act in concert," Qi Xia said, extending his hand toward Lawyer Zhang.
With a hint of suspicion in her eyes, Lawyer Zhang hesitated, then gradually reached out, sealing their alliance with a firm handshake.
Watching the exchange, Ole Lu felt a wave of isolation wash over him, as if he were an outsider to this newly formed unity. He recognized that Qi Xia was no ordinary individual—joining forces with him could significantly enhance his chances of acquiring {Dào}.

Determined to bridge the gap, Ole Lu stepped forward with a big smile. "Since they’ve been found, is it my time to leave?"
Qi Xia nodded expressionlessly. "Then I won’t see you off."
"Huh?" Ole Lu blinked. "Punk Qi, you don’t intend to keep me around?"

"There’s no need," Qi Xia replied, turning away and sitting down slowly, his attention returning to the lighter in his hand.
Ole Lu stood there awkwardly, wanting to put on a poignant show of {Reluctant Parting, Forced to Remain}, but the young man before him was entirely unmoved. Now what?
He glanced over to Lin Qin, eyes full of hope.

But Lin Qin understood Qi Xia all too well—he would never choose to keep a stranger close. The recent misfortunes surrounding Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian had stemmed from an outsider named Xiao Xiao, and so Lin Qin ignored Ole Lu entirely.
Seeing no reaction, Ole Lu turned to Zhang Chenze, hoping she might be kinder.
She seemed nice enough—surely she ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) wouldn’t be that heartless. Leaning closer, he adjusted the jacket around her shoulders and said, "Girly, I’m leaving now. Take care of yourself, okay?"

What he didn’t expect was that Zhang Chenze turned out even colder than Lin Qin. "Sir, your concern is unnecessary," she said sharply. "Let me be clear: unless it’s an emergency or a medical issue, please don’t touch me."
"You people..." Ole Lu muttered, frustrated. He wanted to argue but realized there was little more to say—it was he who insisted on leaving.
He had seen others walk themselves out of awkward situations, but this time he had managed to leap out of the frying pan and straight into the fire.

For once, Ole Lu felt the sting of true reluctance. As he made his way to the door, he kept glancing back every few steps, hoping someone would stop him—but no one did. With a mix of helplessness and resentment, he stepped outside.
Just as he was about to leave, an idea struck him. He turned around and rushed back inside. "This morning I came across a game that requires a team of four... Are y’alls interested?"
At this, Lin Qin and Zhang Chenze both turned their gazes toward Qi Xia.

Qi Xia slowly lifted his head, paused for three seconds, then asked, "What animal?"
Seeing that Qi Xia was genuinely considering the opportunity to gain {Dào}, Ole Lu took a seat.
"Heh heh, it’s {dog}!" he said excitedly. "Their games test team compatibility—we’ll do great!"

"Dog?" Qi Xia was momentarily surprised, then lowered his gaze in thought.
The {dog} games focused on {team coordination}. Lin Qin and Zhang Chenze were level-headed and cooperative, so there shouldn’t be an issue there. The only question mark was Ole Lu.
Qi Xia studied Ole Lu, his expression complicated—he was weighing whether a team game was truly feasible.

"Punk Qi, what’s with cha? Don’t you trust me?" Ole Lu asked nervously. "Didn’t I say? The more critical it gets, the smarter I become!"
"Ole Lu, can you promise me one thing?" Qi Xia asked.
"Of course! Just name it!"

"During the game, follow my instructions exactly."
Ole Lu considered it, then nodded. "Alright. What else?"
"That’s it. Just that."

"Ai, and here I thought it was something import’nt!" Ole Lu laughed and waved it off. "Don’t worry, Punk Qi—I’ll listen when it counts."
Qi Xia wasn’t entirely reassured and added, "I might make unconventional decisions. But if we’re going to win, you have to follow my lead."
"Ai, I got it!" Ole Lu nodded seriously this time.

Seeing his earnestness, Qi Xia chose not to press further. He turned back to Lawyer Zhang and asked, "Have you eaten enough?"
"Yes," she replied, picking up a relatively clean piece of discarded paper and carefully wiping the grease from her hands.
"I realize this may seem a bit inappropriate, but would you like to change into Officer Li’s clothes?" Qi Xia offered.

Lawyer Zhang paused, looking down at her soaked clothes, then at Officer Li’s bloodstained T-shirt. After a moment’s thought, she shook her head firmly.
"I have a fixation with cleanliness—so I’ll stick with what I’m wearing."