Chapter 48: On What Grounds

【The game will begin in 30 seconds. Please place your hands and feet into the locks on the target and prepare yourselves.】

【Each shot from the nail gun will grant 2,000 minutes of visa time. The mechanism will automatically release in 10 minutes.】

Zhang Peng stood before the target, placing his hands and feet into the locks. A series of continuous "clicks" rang out, securing him firmly in an "X" shape.

"Uncle Ding! I was wrong! I don't want to die!"

Zhang Peng was still screaming, but the game had already begun.

*Pshhh!*

The nail gun within the mechanism was not much different from a standard nail gun used in daily life, and the sound was not particularly loud, but the speed at which the nails flew out was terrifying enough.

With a *thud*, a nail easily embedded itself into the target area just above the upper left side of Zhang Peng's head.

"Ahhh!!"

Zhang Peng began to scream uncontrollably. Clearly, if that nail had been just a little more off-center and hit his forehead, he would have been a corpse by now.

The only good news was that the firing frequency of this nail gun was slightly lower than the frequency of the iron maiden needles in Cell No. 4.

However, this also made Zhang Peng's wait even more agonizing.

The second one.

The third one.

The fourth one.

Zhang Peng was terrified every single time, but fortunately, he was not hit by any of them.

Yet, just as he let out a slight sigh of relief, a sharp nail pierced his left forearm with a whistling sound.

"Ah!! Ah!!!"

Zhang Peng let out a blood-curdling scream.

Ding Wenqiang felt extremely irritated. Even though Zhang Peng's injury was far less severe than Gao Zhankui's, the volume of his screaming was many times louder.

...

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

The broadcast rang out again, and Lin Sizhi pressed "×".

【Voting results: √√×√××√√×√】

【Final Fairness Rating: 20】

For this trial, a significant divergence had once again emerged among the audience.

Including Lin Sizhi, four viewers chose "×".

Since no visa time was deducted, it meant this was their true feeling.

However, they clearly didn't feel that Zhang Peng shouldn't be punished; rather, they felt the punishment was too heavy.

Although Zhang Peng was the most malicious among the five, his highest crime was merely robbery, and according to his own words, he had already been sentenced to three years.

The difference between Cell No. 5 and all previous cells was that if one was unlucky, they could die during the very first game.

Furthermore, the sensory stimulation provided by the nail gun was indeed too intense.

Some viewers wouldn't bother calculating the exact probability of the nail gun hitting Zhang Peng's vital organs; they instinctively felt the punishment was excessive.

However, this result caused Lin Sizhi to begin reflecting.

"Strange. Given the design of these prison cells, an unfair result is almost inevitable.

"Because the intensity of the punishment in Cell 4 and Cell 5 is quite high, no matter which prisoner is thrown in, some viewers will likely find it unfair.

"Under such a strict lie-detection mechanism, there is almost no room for ambiguity in the viewers' votes.

"So, what is the actual purpose of the fairness vote?"

Lin Sizhi fell into deep thought, tapping the table lightly as he scrolled through previous fairness ratings.

...

【40,000 minutes of visa time have been settled to the player.】

The locks on the target opened automatically. Zhang Peng collapsed to the ground, wailing and rolling around in pain.

A total of 20 nails had been fired, 4 of which had hit his body, but fortunately, none were in vital areas.

Although the scene looked quite gruesome, Zhang Peng's injuries were likely still lighter than Gao Zhankui's.

【Viewer No. 7 tips Ding Wenqiang 6,000 minutes of visa time, with the message: Continue with Cell No. 4.】

【Viewer No. 2 tips Ding Wenqiang 6,000 minutes of visa time, with the message: Cell No. 5, ten thousand.】

The audience, who had just been focusing all their attention on Gao Zhankui, had split. Viewer No. 7 was still insisting on pointing toward Gao Zhankui, but Viewer No. 2 had smoothly shifted their focus to Zhang Peng.

【Viewer No. 1 tips Ding Wenqiang 6,000 minutes of visa time, with the message: A scumbag's death is not a tragedy.】

Hearing this message, Ding Wenqiang felt a slight stir of emotion.

He looked at the four prisoners locked in different cells and suddenly realized that Viewer No. 1 was right: among these four, Zhang Peng was actually the one who most deserved to die.

While the other three had their own sins, at least they had not directly and severely violated the law.

In contrast, Zhang Peng—the thief, the robber, the lazy opportunist—contributed nothing to society and instead only brought disaster.

If he hadn't impulsively decided to rob someone and beaten up Ding Wenqiang, that delivery man wouldn't have died.

Yes, Zhang Peng should bear the primary responsibility! He was the true culprit behind the delivery man's death!

The thought of Zhang Peng's ugly, fawning face made Ding Wenqiang want to vomit.

If Zhang Peng hadn't been fanning the flames on the side, he wouldn't have been so rushed to send Wang Yongxin and Gao Zhankui in.

Thinking of this, Ding Wenqiang approached Cell No. 5 once more.

Zhang Peng was terrified out of his wits: "Uncle Ding! Uncle Ding, I was wrong! Please let me go!"

Just then, another broadcast rang out.

【Viewer No. 5 tips Ding Wenqiang 4,000 minutes of visa time, with the message: You enter the cell.】

...

Ding Wenqiang froze, once again feeling somewhat bewildered.

He had some impression of Viewer No. 5.

It was this person who had previously exposed Zhang Peng.

However, Ding Wenqiang did not understand what "You enter the cell" meant.

He looked toward Wang Yongxin again.

Wang Yongxin's expression was also one of surprise, but after a moment of thought, a look of joy suddenly appeared on his face: "It can be done like this? Wait, it... it actually seems feasible!"

Ding Wenqiang was puzzled: "What do you mean?"

Wang Yongxin struggled to stand up, grabbing the cell bars to explain: "Uncle Ding, there is a way for everyone to survive!

"The game stated that every time a trial game in these cells is conducted, the danger level doubles. Looking at the situation in Cell 4, people will likely die by the third trial game.

"There are 10 rounds in total. With four prisoners, it means someone is bound to die—one person if lucky, two if unlucky!

"But we've all fallen into a misconception: you can enter the cell too!

"The rules state that whether we are the 'King' or the 'Prisoner,' our identity is that of a 'Sinner.' And the trial games in the cells are aimed at all sinners!

"Therefore, you can also enter any of the cells.

"If there are five of us, then everyone only needs to undergo two rounds of games.

"No one will die.

"No one will die!"

Wang Yongxin had originally been in despair.

10 rounds of games for four prisoners meant that two prisoners would inevitably be forced to undergo three trial games.

The rules said that for most games, by the third trial, the prisoner would be in mortal danger.

Although Wang Yongxin felt that those two unlucky slots might not necessarily fall on him, what if they did?

But now, Viewer No. 5 had pointed it out. If Ding Wenqiang could also enter a cell, then the 10 rounds of trial games could be completed easily.

Whether he entered Cell 3 or Cell 6, as long as Ding Wenqiang also completed two rounds of trial games, the burden on the others would be greatly reduced.

Moreover, Cell 3 and Cell 6 were not particularly dangerous cells overall.

Ding Wenqiang lowered his head, lost in thought.

【Viewer No. 7 tips Ding Wenqiang 2,000 minutes of visa time, with the message: Don't go.】

【Viewer No. 1 tips Ding Wenqiang 3,000 minutes of visa time, with the message: On what grounds?】

Time passed second by second.

Ding Wenqiang raised his head: "Yeah, on what grounds?"

(End of Chapter)