Chapter 33: The Game Begins

"After winning the game, participating players will receive three talent points, while those who entered the game as a team but didn't get a chance to participate will receive one talent point."

"If you are sure about forming a team and participating in the game, please sit at the round table inside the store. The game will start soon."

Zhao Yi stepped into the grocery store, which was quite spacious and could be considered a medium-sized supermarket. In the middle were various entertainment facilities, and shelves were filled with all kinds of cards.

Those cards were still sealed and it was evident that no one had played with the joker.

After all, everyone who played with him had died.

Zhao Yi sat down, and the adorable girl Tian Tian also sat next to him, holding her teddy bear. She looked around, seemingly curious about everything around her.

The remaining trio of Fang Bai and the others looked at each other hesitantly.

By participating in the game, it meant that if they didn't win... they would die!

And it would be a complete death, with no chance of revival!

But if they participated in the game and Zhao Yi happened to win, then they would gain a talent point for free.

This thing was precious, especially in the early stages when every point of strength brought visible improvement!

To go or not to go?

That was the question.

Fang Bai took out a bronze divination disk and made a prediction.

"How is it?" Liu Han asked.

Fang Bai replied, "It's a bad omen."

Liu Han's face turned pale.

White Shui Ji, who was on the side, glanced at Zhao Yi and gritted her teeth, saying, "I'm going to take a gamble!"

Fang Bai scratched his head and asked, "Have you thought it through?"

White Shui Ji raised her willowy eyebrows and said, "For a woman like me to establish a foothold in this place, I must make an investment."

"That's obvious."

"Besides, we've already given 1000 points. If we don't go, won't that be a loss?"

She took a deep breath and sat down.

Fang Bai and Liu Han glanced at each other, determination flickering in their eyes.

"Damn it!"

"Let's go all out!"

"Whether we become masters or grandsons, it's just this one time!"

In the end, all five of them sat at the round table, with the joker also sitting across from them.

At this moment, people outside couldn't see what was happening inside the grocery store anymore. Everything was shrouded in darkness.

They knew that either everyone inside would complete the game or they would all die. The grocery store would only reopen after the game ended.

And this process... wouldn't last too long!

...

In an elegant and exquisite room.

The warm yellow light was gentle, and there were surveillance cameras in the corners.

On the round table, there appeared a strange machine stained with blood, resembling a sewing machine but with blades instead of needles.

No need for guessing, this must be the tool for cutting fingers.

"The clown took off the flower-patched cotton jacket made by his grandmother and put on a formal suit. With one hand resting on the back of the chair, he smiled at the crowd and said:

'Gentlemen, the game is about to begin.'

'To prevent any foolish actions, let me repeat the important instructions for the game.'

'During the game, you will have three minutes each round to think about what move to make and you can discuss it with each other.'

'However, in the process of the game, do not attempt to escape the room or harm me by cutting off my fingers or killing me. Any such attempts will be considered as breaking the rules and will result in execution.'

'Furthermore, you can only use one hand for rock-paper-scissors, and you cannot switch hands regardless of how many fingers remain.'

'If we have the same outcome in rock-paper-scissors three times in a row, I will declare myself the winner.'

At this point, the clown pulled out a remote control from his pocket and turned on the surveillance.

On the hanging television, various players who had violated the rules before were shown in gruesome deaths, accompanied by chilling screams. The spirits of the other three individuals slowly declined, while Zhao Yi and Tian Tian remained relatively stable.

Even the cute little girl, Tian Tian, giggled upon seeing the players on the TV being dismembered alive!

Zhao Yi glanced at the girl with surprise but said nothing.

'Alright, now... who wants to play with me first?'

The clown invited the crowd, but after witnessing everything on the TV, a heavy shadow cast over the minds of Fang Bai and the others, making them hesitate to take the lead.

Tian Tian seemed completely unaffected, just continuously clutching the teddy bear in her arms.

So, in this situation, Zhao Yi raised his hand and smiled, saying:

'Mr. Clown, I'll play with you.'

The clown let out a delighted laughter.

'You are truly an honest person. Honestly, I really like you.'

With a wave of its hand, the seats of the others naturally moved aside, while Zhao Yi sat facing the clown at the opposite side of the round table.

'So... the game begins.'

'For the next three minutes, you can discuss and decide what move to make.'

'Once you've decided, you can place your hand in the black bag in front of you, and then the bag will be opened simultaneously by a machine... Of course, I can assure you all that there are no surveillance devices inside the bag. I am not interested in doing such things.'

Zhao Yi nodded and said, 'I trust you.'

Then he looked at Fang Bai beside him and asked, 'What should I choose?'

Fang Bai was momentarily stunned and remained silent for a moment.

'Ah?'

'You're asking me... me?'

Zhao Yi nodded.

Fang Bai fell into contemplation.

Asking for outside help right at the beginning, this doesn't seem like Zhao Yi's style, does it?

Could it be that he has some special strategy in mind?

Hesitating for a moment, Fang Bai hesitantly said, 'I warned you, don't blame me if you lose!'

Zhao Yi replied, 'Of course!'

Fang Bai glanced at the clown with a smirk on his face, gritted his teeth, and whispered, 'Scissors.'

Zhao Yi placed his hand into the black cloth and said to the clown across from him, 'I'm ready.'

"The Joker also reached into the black cloth, following suit. They decided their game of rock-paper-scissors.

The mechanical arm above them descended, gently grabbing the black cloth held by both individuals and swiftly lifted it up!

Zhao Yi had scissors while the Joker had rock. The faces of everyone turned pale, and the Joker expressed sincere regret to Zhao Yi, saying, 'I'm sorry, sir, it seems luck is not on your side.'

'Well then...,' Zhao Yi didn't say much but directly inserted his index finger into the adjacent cutting machine.

A flash of blood appeared as Zhao Yi bid farewell to the finger that had accompanied him for more than twenty years, picking his nose and scratching cats. 

'Fang Bai, what should I play for the second round?' Zhao Yi turned his head, smiling at the chubby Fang Bai, whose cheeks trembled with fear.

He was utterly dumbfounded!

The other teammates standing by had no idea what Zhao Yi was planning.

'I-I-I... I don't know, you decide!' Fang Bai, completely clueless, dared not speak further.

Zhao Yi nodded and smiled at the Joker, 'Next, I choose rock.'

The Joker looked at Zhao Yi with a curious gaze. Frankly speaking, it felt that this man in front of it was different from its usual prey.

Zhao Yi gave it a sense of... unease.

Of course, the Joker knew that Zhao Yi couldn't harm it. It was precisely because of this that it grew even more curious about the source of this uneasiness.

Both were ready for the second round. Zhao Yi with rock and the Joker with paper.

Once again, Zhao Yi cut off his own finger.

Throughout it all, Zhao Yi didn't even blink.

Clearly, Zhao Yi had never intended to win against the Joker in the first two rounds.

His eyes flickered with an extremely faint red light.

No one noticed.

Not even the Joker sitting directly in front of him."