Chapter 73: The Spy

“Traitor?” Qixia pondered carefully, not understanding the meaning of this identity card.

If there was a traitor among the four, logically, the identity should be kept secret. But Earth Dog had everyone check each other’s identities at the start and even allowed them to swap cards. What kind of game was this?

“Everyone, do you want to swap identities?” Earth Dog stood at the front desk of the inn and asked.

Qixia glanced at the cards in everyone’s hands, feeling somewhat conflicted.

Without even knowing the rules of the upcoming game, how could he determine which identity was the most important?

If the “Traitor” role was meant to sabotage teamwork, then giving this card to Old Lü was perfect.

He wasn’t particularly clever, so dealing with him wouldn’t be too difficult for Qixia.

But what were the “Sender” and “Recipient” roles for?

“Qixia, let’s swap,” Lin Qin said, holding out her “Recipient” card. “I don’t fully understand the meanings of these two roles, but judging by the names, ‘Sender’ comes before ‘Recipient.’ I’ll take the first step, and if you’re the ‘Recipient,’ you’ll at least have some room to maneuver.”

Qixia thought her reasoning made sense.

It was indeed necessary for him to act as the “second move.”

“Alright, let’s swap.”

The two exchanged cards, making Lin Qin the “Sender” and Qixia the “Recipient.”

“Um…” Old Lü fumbled with his card, unsure what to do. “I… this…”

Qixia patted him on the shoulder and said, “Old Lü, no matter what the ‘Traitor’s’ objective is, just focus on doing your part. Remember, we’re a team. Think carefully when necessary.”

Old Lü nodded, though it was unclear if he fully understood. Qixia then turned to Zhang Chenze.

She was staring blankly at her “Hostage” card, her clothes still wet. Qixia could imagine how cold she must be.

“Lawyer Zhang, are you okay?” Qixia asked.

“This ‘Hostage’…” Zhang Chenze murmured, her lips trembling slightly. “Could it be the kind of hostage who’s ‘tied up in a fish tank’?”

Qixia considered the question seriously and nodded. “That’s possible. Do you want to swap with me?”

“No need…” Zhang Chenze shook her head and forced a bitter smile. “Maybe none of you are as experienced as I am. It’s best if I take this role.”

Seeing the forced bravery on her face, Qixia didn’t know how to comfort her. He simply said calmly, “Don’t worry, I’ll save you.”

“I’m not worried about my situation. I just hope you won’t break your own hand again.”

Once Qixia’s group had settled their identities, the opposing team had also finished swapping cards.

The green-haired guy, blond guy, and bald guy had taken the roles of “Sender,” “Recipient,” and “Hostage,” respectively, while the only girl in their team was the “Traitor.”

The girl didn’t seem happy with her role—it appeared someone had forced the swap on her.

“Both teams, please line up once you’ve finalized your roles,” Earth Dog said with a grin.

Qixia froze for a moment. He noticed that when Earth Dog smiled, his entire face moved, as if he wasn’t wearing a dog mask but actually had the head of a real dog.

“First, let the players who drew ‘Traitor’ step forward,” Earth Dog said, gesturing politely.

After a moment of hesitation, Old Lü and the girl stepped out.

“Let’s give them a round of applause!!” Earth Dog clapped his hands enthusiastically.

No one else moved, silently listening to his hollow applause echo in the room.

“First, I’d like to congratulate the two of you. In this game, you’ve drawn the role with the highest survival rate.”

“Highest survival rate?” The two frowned simultaneously.

“That’s right. From now on, due to the special nature of the ‘Traitor’ role, you’ll be acting within the opposing team.” Earth Dog gestured as he explained. “You have two ways to complete your mission. First, you can be a proper ‘Traitor,’ helping your original team win to ensure everyone survives. Second, you can abandon your original team and help your new team win. As long as your new team is willing to accept you in the end, you may survive under a new identity.”

Old Lü processed the words and then asked, “So we’re not just ‘Traitors’—we’re ‘double agents’? No matter which team we help win, we can still come out on top?”

“Exactly. As long as the new team accepts you, you win,” Earth Dog replied with a nod.

Qixia sensed a flaw in the rules and asked, “Then why have two traitors? Wouldn’t one turncoat be enough?”

“Good question.” Earth Dog nodded. “This is precisely what makes the game so interesting. If a new team wants to accept a ‘Traitor,’ they must abandon the ‘Traitor’ they sent out. In other words, a team can have at most four members—there’s no scenario where both ‘Traitors’ join the same side.”

After hearing this, Qixia’s expression darkened.

As expected, nothing in this place ever went according to plan.

So the “Traitor” could actually betray their team?

Before Qixia could say anything else, Old Lü turned back and asked, “Kid Qi, you won’t abandon me, right?!”

Qixia stared into Old Lü’s eyes for a moment before countering, “Will you?”

“What good would it do me to abandon you?! I paid the entry fee of four ‘Dao’ for all of us!” Old Lü said anxiously. “The winning team gets five ‘Dao’ per person, plus whatever loot they take from the losers, right? But you guys are broke—only the lawyer has a few ‘Dao’ on her. If I help the other side kill you, at best I’d earn five ‘Dao,’ meaning I’d only profit by one ‘Dao’ after all this trouble.”

Qixia nodded. “Good, you understand. I won’t abandon you.”

“Then it’s settled.” Old Lü grabbed Qixia’s hand. “I’ll do my best to mess up the other side and help you win.”

“Hold on.” Qixia pulled Old Lü closer and whispered, “There are a few things I need to tell you.”

…

Meanwhile, the girl who was also a “Traitor” was equally troubled after hearing the rules. She approached her boyfriend, the green-haired guy, and said reluctantly, “What’s this about? I have to join the other team now?”

“Don’t worry, babe,” the green-haired guy said, wrapping an arm around her waist. “It’s just for show. How could those weaklings possibly beat you?”

“Just for show?” The girl gave Qixia’s team a meaningful glance. “You sure about that?”

“What are you saying? You think I’d choose that old man over you?” The green-haired guy pulled her closer until their faces were almost touching. “Babe, stop rejecting me. Tonight, can we—”

“Depends,” the girl said, pressing a hand against his chest. “There’s a logical condition here—it all hinges on whether you can win the game.”