Players, Please Board the Train

Separated by a screen, neither side choosing a ball could see the other’s selection. Number 73 called out loudly: ”Friend, let’s both pick the white ball. If we pick white, we’re both safe. Whoever goes to do the task this round is up to luck!”

The black, white, and yellow balls represented difficulty levels of 75%, 25%, and 50% respectively.

If both sides chose the white ball or black ball simultaneously, the task difficulty would be identical, and who went first would be decided randomly. In that scenario, choosing the white ball together was the safest option.

First, the task difficulty was the lowest. Second, each person’s first-round ball choice set the baseline for all subsequent matches. If the baseline was set too high, then when teammates rotated, they could end up in a situation where mutual slaughter was the only outcome. If Number 73 chose the black ball in the first round, then every subsequent round he could only choose the black ball. Even if he got lucky this round and eliminated his teammate, whoever replaced that teammate would have no choice but the black ball, and he would be the second to die.

But there was also an exceptional option, the yellow ball. Although the yellow ball’s task difficulty corresponded to 50%, if both sides chose to complete the task together, the difficulty would drop to 25%, equivalent to a white ball task, and it would be completed by two people simultaneously.

Based on the known game rules, choosing the yellow ball and then opting to complete the task together was the safest approach.

But this also had a problem. The two people would have to share the risk in the very first task of the first round. Choosing randomly, on the other hand, might let someone dodge the first round’s risk entirely. By the second round, how many people would remain was anyone’s guess.

Xu Huo stood to the side of the glass screen, arms crossed, watching the two making their choices.

Number 164 didn’t answer his teammate’s question. His eyes were fixed on the three balls, visibly nervous.

”Brother, say something!” His silence made Number 73 anxious. He slowly shifted from in front of the white ball toward the yellow ball.Number 164 opened his mouth to speak, his voice a bit hoarse. He coughed once before saying: ”I... I’ll also pick the white ball...”

Number 73 let out a long breath of relief and glanced at the countdown on the screen. ”Then we’re agreed, right? Both pick the white ball!”

Although he said that, he didn’t move from his position. His eyes were locked on the yellow ball in front of him.

The three-minute countdown quickly neared its end. In the final five seconds, both people reached out their hands in succession. Number 73’s side touched the projection ball first. Someone among the spectators let out an inadvertent ”huh,” and across the way, Number 164’s expression shifted. He immediately changed course and grabbed the black ball!

After the countdown ended, both selections were projected into the air above the plaza. The Host’s voice appeared beside the projection, speaking with riveting charisma: ”Today’s first group of guests hasn’t set a good example for everyone. Number 73 guest chose the yellow ball for his teammate, while Number 164 chose the black ball for his teammate! From the projection record, we can see that Number 164 guest had originally intended to choose the white ball. Who knows what caused him to change his mind in the final two seconds. What a pity.”

He spoke lightly, as if it were nothing, but Number 73 and Number 164 were about to come to blows. The former roared in fury: ”Treacherous snake!”

Number 164 refused to back down either, retorting with sarcasm: ”You’re the one who said you’d pick the white ball, but you ended up choosing the yellow ball. If I hadn’t changed my mind at the last second, I’d probably be the one dying!”

”Pretty words! You had clearly already planned to pick the black ball. Who were you trying to fool with that act?” Number 73 shot back. ”This round it’s me, next round it’s you. You think just because you picked the black ball, anyone afterward will bare their neck for you to cut?!”

What Number 73 said was true. Number 164 had dodged the first round, but when the venue rotated in the next round, it would be his turn.

His face went pale. He forced himself to say: ”Since the teammates have changed, it’ll definitely be a new random draw...”

”Unless both parties are guests who haven’t been randomly selected, the next round’s task will be completed by whoever remains in the plaza from the previous round.” The Host shattered his fantasy, then passionately declared: ”Now let’s see where the first task randomly assigned to today’s first guest is located!”

The screen on the dome ceiling above the plaza flickered between light and dark, and finally a square tile above Number 73’s head blazed with light, projecting the shadow of a tree.

”Congratulations to our Number 73 guest, the selected task location is the botanical garden!”

”The botanical garden?” Number 73 forced himself to stay calm. ”What kind of place is the botanical garden?”

”It seems our Number 73 guest can hardly wait!” The Host laughed heartily. A screen that couldn’t be seen through appeared beside him. He glanced at it as he spoke: ”As all our viewers know, all the adventure tasks on the ’You’re Well, I’m Well’ program are proposed by the children of Sea World. The innocent imaginations of children regarding friendship are wildly creative and truly admirable... But today’s viewers don’t seem to like Number 73 guest very much. More than half of the audience has already voted to increase the task difficulty. As of now, that number is still rising.”

Below, the color drained completely from Number 73’s face. But in the next instant, the Host pulled him back from the brink: ”As the Host, of course I want all our viewers to enjoy themselves thoroughly. But a guest from afar should be treated as a guest. Although this guest may not be the friend we hoped for, Sea World has plenty of magnanimity. Besides, even someone who betrays friendship deserves a chance to turn over a new leaf.”

Amid applause and booing from offstage, the Host announced the task title: ”The task Number 73 guest randomly drew is: Plant a Hand-in-Hand.”

The moment he finished speaking, the ground beneath Number 73’s feet gave way. He plummeted underground, not even having time to cry out before the floor sealed back over him.

Seconds later, a new projection appeared above the plaza. The just-vanished Number 73 had appeared in a dense forest of plants. The projected area wasn’t large, so the full appearance of the surrounding trees couldn’t be seen clearly, but just from the plant’s leaves and branches, it was obvious this was an enlarged version. Number 73 stood within it, nearly half-buried by the grass. He took barely two steps before he suddenly sank down. Then the plants beside him swayed, like a small ripple on water’s surface, and in a very short time it was gone without a trace.

”What a pity. Number 73 didn’t complete his task.” The Host cut the projection, and the image of a giant python feeding appeared above the plaza. A python thicker than a human swallowed an adult with ease. By this point, only a pair of shoes remained of Number 73 on the outside.

”The botanical garden! What the hell kind of botanical garden is that?!” Someone shouted loudly. ”Who could survive going in there! Why are even ordinary people’s tasks this hard! Isn’t this kind of place supposed to be for players?!”

”If the guests have any complaints, they can file them with the relevant departments after the program ends.” The Host was courteous. ”The tournament continues.”

Then a new pair of numbers appeared on the central large screen.

No matter how unwilling, someone still walked up. This time it was a player versus an ordinary person.

Number 229 said to the player: ”Players’ task difficulty is different from ordinary people’s. You don’t have an advantage either.”

The player appeared to be a refined person: ”I’m well aware of that. You don’t need to worry that I’ll change my mind at the last second like the person before. We can choose the yellow ball. If we complete the task together, our chances of both surviving are higher.”