God's Imitator

After lunch.

Everyone spontaneously completed the cleanup work, putting leftover food in the refrigerator, throwing away garbage, and washing dishes clean.

After everything was tidied up, some people were obviously still in high spirits, chatting in small groups on the hall sofas.

Others chose to return to their rooms to rest.

Although the red wine wasn’t very strong and no one got drunk, today they had just gone through a game after all. Everyone’s nerves had been highly tense then relaxed, so they inevitably felt tired.

Yang Yuting yawned, feeling somewhat tired herself, so after greeting Li Renshu and Xu Tong, she left the hall to return to her room for an afternoon nap.

”The entire second floor is just like a maze.”

Yang Yuting couldn’t help but complain again.

She had made the same comment when she first arrived.

The community’s small building didn’t look large from the outside, but it actually had hidden depths. Especially the second floor, which had twelve different rooms with each room’s entrance cleverly separated, making the entire second floor’s structure extremely complex and winding.Even now, Yang Yuting still had some difficulty finding her room.

However, when she walked near her door, she suddenly froze.

Because Wang Yongxin was standing not far away, seemingly waiting for her.

”Sorry to bother you, but I have some questions I’d like to discuss with you privately.”

Wang Yongxin was quite polite, and this politeness made Yang Yuting feel that even if she refused, Wang Yongxin wouldn’t pester her too much.

However, after brief consideration, Yang Yuting still nodded, ”Sure, where should we talk?”

Wang Yongxin pointed to the stairs going up nearby, ”Let’s go to the third floor, there are many separate small rooms.”

The two followed the stairs to the third floor and randomly found a secluded small room to enter.

Wang Yongxin looked around to confirm no one was nearby and casually locked the door from inside.

This action made Yang Yuting somewhat nervous, but she didn’t panic too much.

After all, the community rules absolutely prohibited any harmful or violent behavior between players.

Yang Yuting felt Wang Yongxin was a smart person and shouldn’t be foolish to that extent.

Of course, the rules seemed not to prohibit deception or mental control and other soft control methods, but such methods had very limited usage scenarios and weren’t very successful, so there was no need to worry excessively for now.

Sure enough, Wang Yongxin didn’t make any extreme moves. He just sat down on a nearby single sofa and explained, ”After all, walls have ears. For safety’s sake, it’s better to be careful.”

Yang Yuting was somewhat curious, ”What do you plan to discuss? Being so cautious.”

Wang Yongxin had also drunk quite a bit of red wine during the group dinner, but at this moment he showed no signs of intoxication and was quite sober instead.

”I want to discuss the future of our community.”

This statement surprised Yang Yuting somewhat.

She really didn’t understand why Wang Yongxin would bring up such a topic.

This community... was there any future to plan?

So far, most people had reluctantly accepted the fact that they had come to such a ”New World.”

What they needed to worry about was only how to get through the next game, how to earn as much visa time as possible, how to survive longer in this place.

The community, compared to the dangerous Gallery, was more like a simple safe zone.

Everyone chatted with each other here, helped each other, reviewed previous games together, and prepared for the next game together.

Or occasionally, like tonight, they could have a big meal, relieve tense nerves, and support each other to continue on.

Although everyone had safely passed this game, what about next time? The time after that?

Perhaps this community would soon experience casualties or other unexpected situations. In such circumstances, discussing or planning the community’s future was really a meaningless activity.

After considering for a moment, Yang Yuting said, ”I feel that even if such things need to be considered, it’s not our turn to worry about them, right?”

Wang Yongxin smiled, ”From the current situation, it’s indeed not our turn to worry. But this is precisely the problem, isn’t it?

”Haven’t you noticed?

”Today’s proposal added a new rule to the community, and this rule will directly change how we survive in the community in the future.

”Such an important proposal was discussed by five people in a small room.

”The remaining seven of us were actually completely excluded.”

His expression became serious, ”This time’s proposal could be said to be a win-win situation.

”But what about next time? The time after that?

”Suppose a proposal is now made to divide all your remaining visa time equally, or that you must surrender 70% of all visa time earned from each game, and this proposal receives 7 votes and passes.

”What would happen?

”Don’t think this is impossible. This is completely feasible within the rules.”

Yang Yuting was stunned, ”You mean... tyranny of the majority?

”But... whether it’s Fu Chen or Li Renshu, they both seem quite friendly and responsible. They shouldn’t propose such extreme plans.

”And even if proposed, it would be difficult to get seven votes. After all, everyone wouldn’t be short-sighted to that extent.

”If we can vote today to divide my visa time, tomorrow we can vote again to divide someone else’s. Continuing like this, everyone would feel insecure, and the entire community’s mutual trust would cease to exist.

”We are a community of shared interests. As long as we can figure out this simple logical relationship, we won’t take the first step down the slippery slope.”

Wang Yongxin asked meaningfully, ”In this ’we’ you mentioned, am I included?”

Yang Yuting nodded, ”Of course.”

Wang Yongxin pressed further, ”Then are you sure that in others’ ’we,’ you are also included?”

Yang Yuting hesitated, ”Should be?”

Wang Yongxin smiled and asked again, ”Then why weren’t you in that small room this morning?”

Yang Yuting was momentarily speechless.

Wang Yongxin stared at her calmly, ”All you’ve said amounts to one thing: placing hope in others’ conscience.

”But how do you know what Fu Chen’s or Li Renshu’s true faces are?

”A very simple question: you wouldn’t think the five people who discussed the proposal were randomly picked, would you?”

Yang Yuting fell into thought.

”These five people...”

Fu Chen, Li Renshu, Cai Zhiyuan, Cao Haichuan, Lin Sizhi.

”You mean that Fu Chen, Li Renshu, Cai Zhiyuan, and Cao Haichuan were in the same group in the previous game, so they have deeper trust among themselves and thus formed some kind of small clique first?” Yang Yuting guessed.

Wang Yongxin shook his head slightly, ”That’s only one aspect, but there are actually other factors.

”Li Renshu is a civil servant, Cao Haichuan is a police officer, Lin Sizhi is a lawyer.

”Do you understand? Their professions are natural ’managers.’

”Moreover, do you remember when we first discussed ’Redemption Roulette’ and other games, these people’s speaking frequency was obviously higher than others.

”This means they not only have better mutual trust among themselves, but also have recognition from professional and ideological perspectives. Most importantly, they are all quite influential people in this community.

”So, as long as it’s a proposal unanimously agreed upon by these five people, it can most likely be implemented.

”The opinions of the remaining seven people are actually irrelevant. They either closely follow behind one of these five people, or become marginalized people whose opposing votes have no meaning.

”Tonight’s incident has already proven this point well.

”These five people are actually the ’power core’ of our entire community.

”This power core formed within just two or three days. Do you think this would be a coincidence?”

Yang Yuting frowned slightly and lowered her head in thought.

”But your perspective is... perhaps too... too political.”

Wang Yongxin smiled, ”Is politics a bad word?

”Where there are people, there will be politics.

”Moreover, we are currently in a very special environment. Twelve people, each can propose motions, each can vote on motions.

”And the content of motions is closely related to everyone’s vital interests.

”In such an environment, if you don’t care about politics, then politics will definitely come to care about you.”