Chapter 69: Self-Sacrifice

**Pain.**

A deep, bone-chilling pain.

Qi Xia clenched his teeth, crouching on the ground with muffled groans of agony.

He felt as if he truly had some serious psychological issue.

Every time someone died near him, his head would split with unbearable pain.

What was causing this? Did simply seeing a corpse trigger it?

No—Qi Xia had already witnessed death multiple times in this game.

Not every death brought him this torment.

It took a full half-minute before Qi Xia finally exhaled sharply and stood up, his face expressionless once more.

Outside the door, the other three finally noticed the commotion inside.

They rushed in to check, only to find Officer Li dead, a cigarette still dangling from his lips.

Zhang Chenze covered her mouth, wanting to wail but too afraid to make a sound.

“Damn it…” She slowly walked to the corner, clutching her hair as she crouched down. Her once impeccably standard Mandarin dissolved into dialect. “What kind of mess is this… What the hell is going on…”

Her emotions seemed dangerously unstable, as if she had suffered a severe shock.

Before Qi Xia could speak, the distant toll of a bell rang out again.

**DONG!!**

Lin Qin and Old Lü startled, turning toward the sound.

Though none of them knew what the bell signified, they had heard it multiple times now—always when someone died.

Lin Qin steadied herself, then approached Attorney Zhang and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Attorney Zhang, you have to stay strong.”

“How the hell am I supposed to stay strong…?” Zhang Chenze lifted her haggard face, her eyes hollow with despair. “Officer Li died because of me… He died saving me…”

“What exactly happened?” Lin Qin grasped Zhang’s icy hands. “Don’t bottle it up now. Tell me.”

She seemed adept at talking to people in emotional distress. In just a few words, she had eased Zhang’s defenses.

“It was that rabbit…” Zhang Chenze shook her head. “That mad rabbit… She wanted both of us dead… If not for Officer Li, we’d both be gone… They’re all lunatics… They don’t care about laws at all…”

Slowly, Zhang recounted what had happened after Qi Xia and the others left.

Contrary to Qi Xia’s earlier assumption, it wasn’t Officer Li who had figured out the game’s mechanics—it was Zhang.

After the four of them departed, Zhang had decisively approached the bull-headed figure outside the convenience store.

As she had said earlier, she needed enough information to make the right judgment.

Upon learning that the games here wouldn’t kill them—but could instead win them “tokens”—she explained the situation to Officer Li, Xiao Ran, and Dr. Zhao. Of the three, only Officer Li supported her idea and decided to gamble with their last remaining “token.”

Xiao Ran vehemently opposed this. Despite knowing that “tokens” were necessary to participate in games, she stubbornly insisted on keeping it, even if it meant wasting their only chance.

Officer Li, mindful of her being a vulnerable woman, had tried reasoning with her gently. But Zhang Chenze had no patience for it.

After a few sharp, logical retorts, she left Xiao Ran speechless.

After all, when it came to “arguments,” how could a kindergarten teacher possibly out-debate a lawyer?

The game opposite the convenience store was hosted by the “Human Bull”—a simple obstacle race.

The restaurant was littered with old tires and wooden walls. As long as they completed the course within the time limit, they would win two “tokens.”

This game was practically tailor-made for Officer Li. A police academy graduate, he had trained extensively in obstacle courses in his youth. Though years had dulled his reflexes, finishing the race in time was still effortless.

One “token” as entry, two as the prize.

Officer Li seemed to have found a loophole—he participated three times in a row, and their “tokens” multiplied to four.

Only when he was completely exhausted did they leave the game area.

This success boosted their confidence. They believed they could gather enough “tokens” before reuniting with Qi Xia.

Later, by sheer chance, they stumbled upon the “Human Rabbit’s” game.

It was an “escape” game, and they assumed it wouldn’t be too difficult.

Inside a small room, they were each trapped in opposite corners.

Zhang Chenze was tied inside a massive transparent fish tank, which was slowly filling with water.

Officer Li was handcuffed to the wall on the other side, with only a wooden stick within reach.

The key to his handcuffs was inside Zhang’s fish tank.

The switch to stop the water filling Zhang’s tank was near Officer Li.

Both of them had the means to save the other.

But Zhang was bound tightly with wire—she couldn’t free herself, nor could she throw the key out of the tank.

Officer Li was close to the water valve, but his right hand was cuffed, keeping him just two steps away.

Neither could save the other in time.

How cruel was this game?

It wasn’t an “escape” challenge at all—it was a brutal test of human nature.

On the surface, both were trapped and needed to escape. But in reality, Officer Li’s situation was entirely different from Zhang Chenze’s.

As time passed, Zhang would drown—but Officer Li wouldn’t.

He could stay there safely for an entire day.

Zhang didn’t mince words: “At that moment, I thought I was done for.”

Officer Li tried everything to break free from the handcuffs.

Normally, handcuffs wouldn’t be difficult for him to escape, but he had no tools—only a wooden stick.

“Officer Li was so stupid…” Zhang sobbed, lowering her head. “Why didn’t he throw the stick to break the tank…? Instead, he…”

Qi Xia sighed. “He must have weighed the risks.”

“What?” Zhang looked up, her eyes dull. “You’re saying this was his considered decision?”

“Yes.” Qi Xia nodded. “He probably knew smashing the glass wasn’t a reliable plan.”

“But he didn’t even try…” Zhang wept again. “He could’ve at least tried…”

“And if he had?” Qi Xia countered. “What if the stick didn’t break the glass but just landed beside the tank? What then?”

Zhang froze. Qi Xia’s point struck deep.

If that stick hadn’t shattered the tank but had instead fallen out of reach, they would have lost all hope of escape.

As Zhang watched in stunned silence, Officer Li used that wooden stick to shatter his own hand.