Chapter 27: The Quantification of the Value of Life

Wang Yongxin nodded: "Exactly, that's the line!

"In fact, this has already hinted to us that the goal of this game is not 'judgment' but 'distribution'—it is the distribution of visa time to us as a collective, according to certain game rules."

Qin Yao was somewhat confused: "Visa time... wasn't it already distributed? We all have it, about one month each."

Wang Yongxin shook his head slightly: "It is obvious that under the rules of the New World, the initial visa time we received was not 'distributed,' but rather a most basic fundamental.

"So-called 'distribution' must only occur after earning it through games.

"According to the rules of the New World, not everyone is qualified to survive here indefinitely, which is why the Corridor exists as a 'cleansing and judgment institution.'

"But judgment can actually only judge specific crimes committed by a particular individual.

"The 'Blood Poker' game is面向 everyone; there is no specific crime that everyone has committed.

"Some people analyzed that this game was meant to punish the 'sin of greed.' That is a case of path dependency, and it is completely wrong."

Jiang He lowered her head again; she had been hit once more.

At the time, that was indeed what she had thought.

Lu Xinyi had also made a similar analysis, which had greatly increased Jiang He's favorability toward her. But thinking back now, Lu Xinyi had simply been playing to the crowd; she likely did not agree with that reasoning in her heart.

Wang Yongxin continued: "In general, this game is essentially a screening process.

"If you analyze it carefully, you will find that this game has two completely different problem-solving approaches, and it has buried many traps within them.

"When your logic is correct, the more traps you see through, the more visa time you receive.

"That is the meaning of 'screening.'"

Ding Wenqiang clearly disagreed with this view: "Even if it is a screening, what is being screened?

"Does it mean that in the rules of the Corridor, gamblers are the ones most qualified to survive in the New World?"

Wang Yongxin was somewhat speechless. It was clear that the divergence between him and Ding Wenqiang had reached a certain level; their conflict was not entirely personal, but rather a difference in fundamental philosophies.

In Ding Wenqiang's view, diligence and kindness were undoubtedly virtues, so in the New World, the screening and distribution of visa time should naturally take these aspects into account.

But in reality, the Corridor's screening is conducted through the form of gambling.

Those who do not gamble gain no profit, while those who gamble wildly seem to have everything.

This was clearly contrary to his simple concepts of good and evil, so he naturally could not accept the rhetoric that "this is a screening."

However, Wang Yongxin was not angry. He was in a good mood, so he was willing to explain a bit more.

"The game is certainly not screening gamblers, nor is it based on luck.

"Actually, if you think back carefully, many segments of this game have special meanings."

Wang Yongxin walked up to the large screen and pointed at the rule clauses.

"It is written very clearly here: the 'Chip Exchange Area' and the 'Multiplayer Game Area' have a huge difference in their environmental design styles.

"The 'Chip Exchange Area' consists of small cubicles—a cramped, oppressive, and dim environment, complete with iron chairs equipped with restraint mechanisms and hair-raising blood extraction devices, creating an extremely dangerous atmosphere.

"Rapid blood extraction and oxygen deprivation in a confined space make people feel lightheaded, further intensifying this sense of crisis.

"Therefore, out of the instinct for self-protection, the vast majority of people will choose to extract only the minimum 200ML of blood and leave as quickly as possible.

"In contrast, the 'Multiplayer Game Area' is spacious and bright, providing a strong sense of security. Not only that, but you can also meet three other teammates here.

"Under these circumstances, four people will naturally form a group. This sense of security will make them indulge in the group environment and not want to leave.

"Even if an individual wants to leave, they will be dissuaded by the other three.

"Because one person's departure would, in turn, affect the interests of the other three: it is not just about winning or losing at the gambling table, but also a deprivation of security.

"Common sense suggests that quite a few players should still return to the cubicles and the chip exchange machines out of curiosity to gamble.

"But looking back, very few players did so.

"This is the result of multiple factors: the environment, the sense of security, and the constraints imposed by other teammates.

"In multiplayer games, encountering players from the same community provides a stronger sense of security, but this security itself is a massive temptation.

"It will, to a certain extent, interfere with your rational judgment—that is, your ability to weigh risk against reward.

"Not only that, after coming out of the cubicles, everyone is holding nearly 20,000 in chips. Converted into visa time, that is approximately two weeks.

"For everyone who defaults to having only one month of visa time, this is a huge temptation.

"Many people's first reaction is how to minimize losses and preserve these 20,000 chips as much as possible. And they 'happen' to discover that they can leave safely by cooperating with another community through a method of rotating the role of the dealer.

"They feel as if they have found a loophole and the optimal solution to the game, so they spend the following time putting it into practice.

"Once this plan is successfully executed, they immerse themselves in the joy of 'completing the game early' and being 'completely safe,' and they abandon further thought.

"This type of player is like those people in society who follow the beaten path, choosing a lifestyle that follows the crowd and refusing to take risks; naturally, they can only obtain the lowest rewards in this game."

Many players who had been "hit" felt somewhat ashamed.

That was indeed what they had thought—they believed they had completely cracked the game, only to find after leaving that the amount of chips they received was actually in the lowest tier.

"However—"

Wang Yongxin shifted his tone: "I don't think such a choice is necessarily wrong, because there are always people who are extremely risk-averse.

"Although the mortality rate of this game is low, it is not zero, and it's not impossible that some players might truly gamble too hard and bleed themselves to death.

"Compared to dying in the game, coming back alive is always better.

"But actually, once you think of this layer, if you continue to think deeper, you can reach the next level

"Just like Cai Zhiyuan's group: since there is such a guaranteed way to win, why not extract more blood?

"According to the conversion rate, 100ML of blood can be exchanged for 10,000 minutes of visa time; this is an incredibly profitable deal.

"If you can think of this layer, that is also very good. Because it means you have already broken the mental deadlock of 'life is priceless' and are willing to calculate the value of life."

Jiang He still did not understand: "But life is priceless; isn't that naturally correct?"

Wang Yongxin chuckled and looked at Lin Sizhi: "Lawyer Lin, why don't you explain this issue? I think your profession should be the most persuasive."

Lin Sizhi was somewhat surprised to be mentioned suddenly.

However, it was indeed more appropriate for him to answer this question.

"No matter how much we emphasize that 'life is priceless,' we cannot deny a realistic problem: in certain circumstances, life can actually be, and must be, priced.

"This sounds very inhumane and not politically correct enough, but it is a fact that is constantly happening in our real lives.

"For example, the determination of death compensation: generally, it is calculated based on the per capita disposable income of urban residents or the per capita net income of rural residents in the place where the court is located in the previous year, calculated over twenty years.

"For those under sixty, it is uniformly calculated as 20 years; for those over sixty, the number of years decreases by one for every year of age increased; for those over seventy-five, it is calculated as five years.

"As for the specific figure, it fluctuates between five hundred thousand and one million.

"So, from a moral standpoint, life is indeed priceless. But from a social reality standpoint, the pricing of life's value is inevitable.

"Aside from malicious incidents like intentional murder, most production accidents, traffic accidents, or medical accidents in our society result in corresponding compensation when they lead to the death of a victim. This is roughly the value of life as recognized by society."

Wang Yongxin nodded: "Exactly! Therefore, I believe this is precisely the concept that the 'Corridor' is working hard to instill in us.

"To survive in the Corridor, we must cast aside the mental deadlock of 'life is priceless' and learn to quantify the value of our own lives."