He took a deep breath and was about to head to the second floor when a small hand grabbed him.
Looking down, it was Zheng Yingxiong.
The boy said nothing, only nodding at him with a resolute expression under the dim light.
Seeing this, Xiao Cheng narrowed his eyes slightly before turning and walking toward the second floor.
But his steps were slow—he knew the choice now rested entirely in his hands.
Though he hadn’t yet reached the second floor, the situation there was already clear: Tian Tian and the middle-aged woman would undoubtedly be waiting for him, one on the left and one on the right.
“Wait a second…” Xiao Cheng’s eyes widened as he reached the second floor.
He realized he had fallen into a misconception.
Why did he care about the color of the light above his head?!
“Cut in line…” He silently repeated those three words in his mind, thinking that Zheng Yingxiong was no ordinary child.
The boy had managed to shout such crucial information in the final three seconds.
The answer to this game was absurdly simple…
No—Xiao Cheng quickly stopped himself.
This game was only easy for Zheng Yingxiong and himself. But what about the others?
Could everyone here truly understand the meaning behind Zheng Yingxiong’s words?
If even one fool existed among the eleven, everyone’s “Dao” would be lost—that was the most terrifying part.
If communication were possible, the smart ones could naturally guide the fools through the game. But the hardest part of this game was the inability to communicate, meaning the intelligent could be dragged down by the ignorant.
When Xiao Cheng reached the second floor, he indeed saw Tian Tian and the middle-aged woman standing shoulder to shoulder.
Both were facing the wall, their backs to him, displaying the lights above their heads—one red, one blue, left and right.
Xiao Cheng paused briefly before stepping forward, pushing between them, and taking his place in the middle.
The solution to this game was just that simple.
He didn’t need to know the color of his own light—he just had to cut in line.
And from then on, none of the remaining players needed to know their own light’s color. They only had to keep inserting themselves between the blue and red lights.
Even if the numbers of blue and red lights were uneven, this strategy would never fail.
Once everyone was in position, the two colors would naturally separate left and right, forming a neat line.
But all of this was just an illusion. In the “Land of Finality,” such things happened often.
Even if the game’s rules weren’t difficult, they would still lose because of so-called “teammates.” Worse yet, these “teammates” had a high chance of losing their memories. When they returned to the game site, they would cause others to lose all over again.
Those destined to win would always win, no matter how many cycles they went through. Those destined to fail would always fail, no matter how many times they tried. That was how the “Land of Finality” ensured perpetual defeat.
The remaining players lined up and ascended one by one. Xiao Cheng couldn’t see the colors of their lights, but he knew they had to stand on either side of him—that would prove they had grasped Zheng Yingxiong’s message.
Luckily, the fourth person did indeed stand to his right. But from the fifth onward, the formation began to crumble.
They no longer positioned themselves beside Xiao Cheng, instead standing elsewhere.
Xiao Cheng knew two reasons could explain this: either his own light and those of his immediate neighbors were the same color, meaning those who understood the tactic would stand farther away.
Or… these people simply didn’t understand the tactic and were still guessing based on their own assumptions.
If it were the latter, hope for victory was vanishingly slim.
After about five or six people, Xiao Cheng heard light footsteps behind him—someone small, likely Zheng Yingxiong.
The boy sighed deeply, then walked straight to Xiao Cheng’s side and stood there.
Xiao Cheng glanced at him, and Zheng Yingxiong shook his head helplessly.
Now, Xiao Cheng understood—the two colors had been misplaced, and the game was already lost.
So Zheng Yingxiong no longer needed to choose his position. Whatever he did wouldn’t change the outcome.
Soon, all eleven players had chosen their spots. The later ones moved faster, as if they too knew the game was over.
After about five or six minutes, the final set of footsteps echoed from behind. The Human Monkey had arrived.
He walked to a hidden corner of the wall, flipped a switch, and announced softly, “Game over. You’ve failed.”
Just like when the eleven had first tried to strategize, chaos erupted once more.
They removed their helmets to check the colors of their lights, then looked at each other in frustration. The formation was indeed a mess—only four red lights, yet all were scattered out of place.
This time, they had no excuses for their loss. But Xiao Cheng’s face was etched with bitter reluctance.
This game could have been won!
Even if not this time, what about the next?
Only one “Dao” was needed between two people, but a single victory would grant each person two “Dao.” Now that they knew the winning strategy, wasn’t this a guaranteed profit?
“Forget it,” one man muttered, tossing his helmet to the ground. “Waste of time, waste of ‘Dao.’ I’m out.”
“Wait—” Xiao Cheng called out belatedly. “Wait, everyone… We still have a chance—”
Seeing that no one paid him any attention, he hurried into the hallway, blocking their path. “Don’t leave yet!”
“What now?” The group finally noticed the agitated young man, their expressions puzzled.
“Listen!” Xiao Cheng steadied his breathing, organizing his thoughts. “This game has an obvious solution. If we play again with the same group, we can definitely win!”
He quickly explained his strategy, taking advantage of the “game over” phase to reveal the correct approach.
As long as they kept “cutting in line,” the game would become trivial.
The crowd hesitated, considering the plan’s feasibility.
Was the game really that simple? But who would admit they hadn’t grasped something so basic?
“Haven’t you all realized? We were just one step away from victory!”
Though Xiao Cheng spoke earnestly, to many, he sounded like a gambler desperate to recoup his losses.
“In that case…” The Human Monkey chuckled from behind them. “I should mention—if you choose to play again, the entry fee returns to its original price. My ‘discount’ is over.”
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