Chapter 43: The New Videotape

Cai Zhiyuan dragged his exhausted body into Cell No. 1, and Ding Wenqiang personally closed the iron door of the cell.

*Click!*

After the lock engaged, Ding Wenqiang pressed the button to begin the trial, and the mechanisms within the cell automatically activated.

It was a very simply designed mechanism: in the center of the room stood a massive iron pillar connecting the ceiling to the floor, featuring a crude and complex gear structure.

At a height of about one meter, there was an protruding horizontal bar that could be pushed to rotate around the iron pillar.

【The game begins in 30 seconds. Please push the bar for 10 minutes.】

【Each full rotation earns 10 minutes of visa time. If you stop, you will receive an electric shock punishment.】

Cai Zhiyuan took a deep breath, gripped the bar with both hands, and leaned his body forward.

As the countdown neared its end, he moved his legs. The mechanism emitted a piercing "creak" as it began to move slowly.

Cai Zhiyuan did not push very fast, but fortunately, the game placed no requirement on speed; one simply could not stop.

Of course, if one were to be precise, the speed of pushing would affect the number of rotations, and the number of rotations would affect the yield of visa time.

However, considering that one rotation only yielded a mere 10 minutes of visa time, such a meager reward was not worth overexerting his physical strength.

After all, in this game, survival was the most important thing.

...

As the trial game in Cell No. 1 neared its end, a prompt box appeared on the screen in front of Lin Sizhi, and a prompt was simultaneously broadcasted.

【Please vote on the fairness of the King's actions.】

The '√' and '×' buttons below began to flash.

The countdown was very short, only 10 seconds.

Clearly, this question involved value judgments, and it had no absolutely correct or absolutely wrong answer.

According to the rules, this fairness vote would not bring any benefits to the audience, but one had to choose an answer that came from the heart.

If the choice was severely inconsistent with one's inner thoughts and triggered a lie detector, 10,000 minutes of visa time would be deducted—which was no small amount.

After considering for a moment, Lin Sizhi pressed '×'.

The countdown ended.

【Voting results: ×√√√×√√√√√】

【Viewer No. 1 has been deducted 10,000 minutes of visa time.】

【Viewer No. 5 has been deducted 10,000 minutes of visa time.】

【Final Fairness Score: 60】

【Thank you for your evaluation!】

Lin Sizhi looked at the voting results thoughtfully. "The lie detection in this game is quite accurate."

He had intentionally pressed '×'. While pressing it, he had also continuously tried to convince himself in his mind—for example, that Cai Zhiyuan was innocent and should not face trial, or that the trial Cai Zhiyuan received was too light, and so on.

But clearly, such thoughts could not deceive the game's lie detection mechanism.

Although he had lost visa time, it was worth it.

Because the accuracy of the lie detection mechanism would likely affect the accuracy of the entire vote, which in turn would affect the audience's game strategy.

Now, at the very least, he could be certain that the lie detection was highly likely to be perpetually accurate.

It was worth noting that Viewer No. 1, just like Lin Sizhi, had conducted a similar test.

This also caused the fairness score to drop to 60.

"In other words, each 'agree' vote counts for 10 points, and each 'disagree' vote counts for negative 10 points; the final score is the sum of the two.

"Voting against one's conscience only deducts visa time; it does not change the voting result."

Lin Sizhi turned his gaze back to the arena.

...

The other four people outside the cell remained silent, merely watching in silence as Cai Zhiyuan struggled to push the mechanism.

Finally, the 10-minute countdown ended.

Cai Zhiyuan was already panting heavily from exhaustion, lying completely on the ground, gasping for air.

【150 minutes of visa time have been settled to the player.】

This truly was a game exclusive to beasts of burden.

Toiling away to complete one rotation took nearly 40 seconds at a slow pace, only to be rewarded with 10 minutes of visa time. The total visa time given for the entire game was less than a casual tip from a viewer.

Ding Wenqiang looked at Cai Zhiyuan through the iron bars. After confirming he was in no great harm, he immediately proceeded with the game.

Arriving at Cell No. 3, the game here had also been unlocked.

【Cell No. 3: Punishment and Redemption】

【For every finger the criminal breaks using the mechanism, any game in any cell can be completed immediately. In each trial, at least one finger must be broken; otherwise, visa time will be deducted at a rate of 30 minutes per second.】

【In subsequent games, the rate of visa time deduction will double.】

Seeing the game description for Cell No. 3, Wang Yongxin's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Although Cells No. 1 and No. 2 carried a risk of death after multiple games, they were relatively safe at the beginning.

In contrast, the game in Cell No. 3 required breaking fingers right from the start.

Setting aside whether there were any drugs in the community capable of treating fractures, the sheer excruciating pain of breaking a finger was likely something an ordinary person would not be willing to endure.

Of course, Cell No. 3 had one advantage: the possibility of "paying to avoid disaster."

If one did not break a finger and instead paid at a rate of 30 minutes of visa time per second, a 10-minute game would cost 18,000 minutes of visa time.

As long as one was willing to spend visa time, this cell actually became the safest in the game.

Of course, the next round would be 36,000, the one after that 72,000... it was a bottomless pit; the deducted visa time far exceeded the gains that could be obtained from this game.

Ding Wenqiang could not make a decision immediately. After considering for a moment, he returned to the center of the arena, deciding to take out another new videotape to review.

According to the game rules, he could review the tapes of two people at this time.

After consideration, Ding Wenqiang chose the tapes of Wang Yongxin and Zhang Peng first.

After the static on the large screen disappeared, the image appeared.

It was still from a first-person perspective, but compared to that narrow, cramped truck cabin, this place was clearly much more spacious and bright.

It was an office, estimated to be over 50 square meters.

The owner of the footage was sitting behind a desk, flipping through documents in hand.

【As the CEO of a listed company, you are a successful person in everyone's eyes.】

【You claim to work more than ten hours every day, with an unshakeable routine: waking up at 6:00 AM and returning home to sleep at 10:00 PM. You use this to educate your employees that they must work hard, and that as long as they strive, they too can be successful like you one day.】

【But in reality, after waking up at 6:00 AM, you arrive at the golf course before 7:00 AM to take your first swing, and then catch up on sleep in your luxury car until you arrive at the office at 10:00 AM.】

【You start your massage at 11:30 AM, eat lunch at 1:00 PM, have another massage at 4:00 PM, start playing cards with business partners at 6:30 PM, and finally attend banquets before returning home by 10:00 PM.】

【This is your so-called "working more than ten hours every day."】

【When the crowdsourced delivery drivers of your company die suddenly from overwork, you have just undergone a comprehensive physical examination, with all health indicators being excellent. You attribute this to your abundant energy, healthy routine, and never-say-die spirit of struggle.】

【You never worry about seeing those delivery drivers who died suddenly in your midnight dreams, because you have never seen their faces, and they have never had the right to appear in your dreams.】

Then, Wang Yongxin's file appeared on the large screen.

【Wang Yongxin, Male, 36 years old.】

【Occupation: CEO of "Speedy Delivery."】

【Through big data algorithms, he ruthlessly exploits crowdsourced delivery drivers, leading to several serious traffic accidents and three incidents of delivery drivers dying suddenly from overwork.】

【Verdict: Not tried.】

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Wang Yongxin appeared very composed.

He spread his hands. "Fine, I admit I am a somewhat hypocritical person, not at all hardworking, let alone possessing a never-say-die spirit of struggle.

"That was all a lie, a carefully crafted persona.

"From the very beginning, I was a profiteer who liked to exploit loopholes.

"I accept any moral judgment, but I must also clarify one point: I have never committed any illegal acts.

"If I am to be killed simply because of that, isn't it a bit too much?"

Ding Wenqiang remained silent for a moment. "No illegal acts? What about labor laws?"

Wang Yongxin was momentarily speechless. "...Aside from that."

He paused, then continued, "Fine, if you insist on putting me in a cell, then I choose Cell No. 3."

Ding Wenqiang did not agree to him immediately, but instead inserted Zhang Peng's videotape into the player once more.