Chapter 2: Redemption Roulette

Chapter 2: "Redemption Roulette"

"Beep—"

A sharp buzzing sound echoed through the cramped space, jolting Wei Xinjian from his stupor.

He snapped awake, immediately realizing he was firmly restrained. His wrists, ankles, and waist were locked in specialized iron shackles, and the iron chair itself was bolted directly to the floor.

Even his mouth was tightly bound with a strip of cloth, allowing him to emit only muffled, incoherent sounds.

The fog in his mind gradually dissipated, and his sore eyes began to adjust.

He scanned his surroundings.

It looked like an abandoned underground warehouse. No light filtered in; only a dim, old incandescent bulb hung lonely from the rusted steel structure above.

The air was thick with a damp, musty odor, mixed with a hint of rot.

On the wall to his right hung an old CRT television, displaying nothing but static.

In the center of the warehouse sat a decaying, heavy wooden square table, upon which rested a silver revolver.

Across from the wooden table sat a young man, still unconscious.

Like Wei Xinjian, the young man was firmly locked into an iron chair, his mouth bound with cloth.

But Wei Xinjian soon realized there were two distinct differences between them: his own right hand was free to move, and there was a special mechanism on both sides of his head.

It resembled a giant clamp, connected to a rugged and complex gear system, with two heavy iron blocks positioned on either side of his skull, facing his temples.

"Mmph! Mmmph-mmph..."

Wei Xinjian immediately began to thrash violently, struggling to make noise.

But in this dark, underground warehouse, there was no response.

Wei Xinjian used his free right hand to grab the shackle on his left wrist, pulling hard in an attempt to break it.

After his efforts proved futile, he turned to the shackle at his waist, but it remained equally immovable.

Just then, the CRT television, which had been hissing with static, emitted a cold, emotionless electronic voice.

As the sound played, an image appeared on the screen.

It was not a person, but a visual explanation of the game's rules.

【Hello, Wei Xinjian.】

【You are now on trial, participating in a game called "Redemption Roulette."】

【Here are the rules:】

【As you can see, in this enclosed space, there is one innocent person, one revolver, and one live round.】

【The revolver’s cylinder has 6 chambers, with the five empty chambers distributed randomly.】

【The mechanism on either side of your head has a total gap of 6cm, averaging 3cm on each side.】

【You have only two choices: shoot at your own forehead, or shoot at the innocent person opposite you.】

【If you fire an empty chamber at yourself, nothing happens.】

【If you fire an empty chamber at the innocent person, the mechanism on either side of your head will move inward by 1.29cm on each side.】

【When the mechanism moves for the third time, it will cause you injury.】

【If you are hit by a live round, you will die instantly.】

【When the revolver has been fired 6 times, the game will end, and the mechanism will unlock.】

【You have 5 minutes to complete this game. Any violation or exceeding the time limit will result in an instant death penalty—the iron blocks will crush your skull.】

【I want to know, after committing such unforgivable sins, have you ever felt a shred of remorse?】

【Are you willing to place the life of an innocent person above your own sinful life?】

【The game begins now. Good luck!】

The image on the television vanished, returning to a screen full of static.

At the same time, with a "click," an old-fashioned LED timer popped out on the square table, and the bright red digits began to count down.

05:00

04:59

"Mmph! Mmmph-mmph..."

Wei Xinjian struggled even more violently, his eyes bloodshot from the strain, but the shackles remained secure, leaving no possibility of escape.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he reached out with his only free hand and gripped the silver revolver on the table.

Then, Wei Xinjian strained to bring the gun close to his eyes, trying to observe the cylinder to determine the position of the bullet.

—The rules stated there was only one live round.

If there was a visual difference between the empty chambers and the live round, he could survive by identifying the live round and using the empty ones on himself and the live one on the other person.

However, the moment he made this move, a string of blue sparks surged through the chair, accompanied by a sizzling electrical sound!

"Aaaaaah—"

Wei Xinjian screamed as he was shocked, his eyes rolling back uncontrollably, his entire body convulsing, and he nearly dropped the gun.

【Warning: One violation. Any further violations will result in an instant death penalty.】

Wei Xinjian’s eyes were bloodshot, his body drenched in sweat, and he gasped for air.

The revolver’s design was unique; it was impossible to determine the position of the live round just by looking.

Wei Xinjian dared not risk any further attempts; it might trigger the death penalty.

He looked at the innocent person opposite him, who remained unconscious in the iron chair, then swallowed hard and raised the muzzle with a twisted expression.

He didn't know the young man opposite him, but he had already made his choice.

The revolver could hold six rounds, and with only one live round, the probability of death per shot was 1/6.

If Wei Xinjian shot at himself and hit an empty chamber, it would be a happy ending—nothing would happen.

But there was also a 1/6 chance he would die instantly.

Currently, the iron blocks on either side of his head were not touching him; according to the rules, there was a 6cm gap.

This meant the first two moves would not cause him any harm.

The fear of the bullet and the desire to survive drove him to make the "obvious" choice.

Wei Xinjian gritted his teeth and pulled the trigger!

"Click."

An empty chamber.

*Grind, grind, grind—*

A dull mechanical sound rang out as metal gears rubbed against each other. The iron blocks on either side of his head moved inward, the cold metal now pressing against his ears.

"Mmph! Mmmph-mmph!"

Wei Xinjian slapped the iron chair in frustration, but the shot could not be undone.

The cold iron pressed against his ears, sending a bone-chilling sensation through him and stirring a different kind of fear.

Second shot.

Wei Xinjian tremblingly turned the muzzle toward himself.

But soon, he changed his mind and aimed the gun back at Lin Sizhi.

If the chance of being shot was 1/6 before, the probability had now risen to 1/5.

Wei Xinjian dared not gamble.

What if the game's creator had anticipated this psychology and placed the live round in the second chamber?

After gasping for air, Wei Xinjian decided to let the other person bear the risk.

(End of chapter)