Chapter 7: Winning Odds

“Cop, you’re lying,” Qiao Jiajin said coldly.

“Hmph, I knew you’d say that. But what proof do you have that I’m lying? Just because someone attacked me?”

“Of course not,” Qiao Jiajin smirked. “Though I don’t know the reason, every story told so far has some connection. Many of them share overlapping characters. If we ignore the geographical differences, everyone’s account makes sense.”

“So what?”

“That’s exactly the problem,” Qiao Jiajin pointed at Lawyer Zhang Chenze. “Your story and the lawyer’s share a common character—the scammer who stole two million. But your versions contradict each other. That means one of you is lying.”

Officer Li paused before asking, “Where’s the contradiction?”

Qiao Jiajin shook his head and looked at him. “Lawyer Zhang is already preparing for trial, meaning in her story, the suspect has been caught. But you’re still staking out, meaning in yours, the suspect is still at large. Isn’t that a contradiction?”

Officer Li thought for a moment before replying, “I have to admit, there’s some logic to your words. But I think you’ve been influenced by this ‘game.’ First, you need to understand the premise—everyone who told a story earlier was from a different city. In other words, no matter how similar our experiences sound, they can’t possibly be about the same event. Different events naturally lead to different outcomes.”

Qi Xia watched the two argue in silence.

Yes, keep arguing. The fiercer, the better.

If either of them voted against the other, the liar would win.

After all, the rules were absolute—if even one person voted incorrectly, everyone else would be doomed.

Though Officer Li had given an explanation, Qiao Jiajin’s words lingered in everyone’s minds.

This was the first time two stories had directly clashed.

Qi Xia couldn’t help but reassess this troublemaker named Qiao Jiajin.

He might seem reckless, but he was sharper than expected.

“Well… my turn,” a woman spoke up.

The group turned their attention to her.

She had screamed violently when the first death occurred.

Now, she seemed calmer, though she still avoided looking beside her.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Lin Qin. I’m a psychological counselor.”

Qi Xia’s expression shifted slightly—the name “Lin Qin” was interesting.

Before the Tang Dynasty, “Lin Qin” meant “apple.”

The name carried a poetic charm, making it memorable.

Perhaps her parents had wanted their daughter to stand out, but here, it might get her killed.

Among the group were writers, teachers, lawyers, doctors, and police—any of them might know the meaning of “Lin Qin.”

If they dwelled on the name, Lin Qin’s story would stick in their minds.

Seeing no reaction, Lin Qin covered her mouth and nose before continuing. “I’m from Ningxia. Before coming here, I was waiting for a client—a kindergarten teacher.”

The group instinctively glanced at Xiao Ran, the kindergarten teacher present. Another connection.

“According to her, teaching kindergarten is incredibly difficult now. You can’t hit or scold the children. Parents treat teachers like nannies, and kids treat them like servants. Every classroom has surveillance cameras, monitored in real-time by parents. If your tone is even slightly stern, they’ll call the principal immediately.”

“But isn’t the whole point of sending kids to kindergarten to help them develop values?”

“If teachers can’t discipline them, how will children learn right from wrong?”

“She said she’d been feeling lost and suppressed for a long time.”

“So, I prepared a month-long treatment plan for her.”

“But for some reason, she never showed up. I just kept waiting in my office.”

“When the earthquake hit, I had no chance to escape. My office was on the 26th floor.”

“The higher the floor, the stronger the tremors. The whole building felt like it was swaying.”

“I never knew Ningxia could have earthquakes until then.”

“Then, I vaguely remember the ceiling collapsing. Everything went black.”

After Lin Qin finished, the group seemed lost in thought.

Qiao Jiajin was the first to speak. “Two questions.”

“Go ahead,” Lin Qin replied, still covering her face.

“You said every classroom has ‘surveillance.’ What do you mean?”

No one expected that to be his focus, but Lin Qin, ever the professional, answered patiently. “I assume it’s so parents can watch the classroom from anywhere.”

“Oh, ‘CCTV’… Must be a fancy kindergarten,” Qiao Jiajin muttered before asking, “Was the teacher you were supposed to meet this Xiao Ran here?”

“I don’t know,” Lin Qin shook her head. “We only added each other on WeChat. We were going to discuss details in person.”

“WeChat?” Qiao Jiajin frowned, unfamiliar with the term.

Officer Li cut in. “Again, troublemaker? Xiao Ran is in Yunnan, and Lin Qin is in Ningxia. Who would travel that far for counseling?”

Qiao Jiajin didn’t back down. “I’m just pointing out inconsistencies. This is the first time someone’s story directly mentions another participant.”

Dr. Zhao nodded in agreement this time. “Xiao Ran, was your reason for seeking counseling the same as what Lin Qin described?”

“Um…” Xiao Ran hesitated. “Not exactly. I was depressed because a parent kept criticizing me…”

“Then it’s just a coincidence,” Dr. Zhao concluded. “Different regions, different cases. No need to force a connection.”

A silence fell before Lawyer Zhang suddenly spoke. “Ms. Lin, half your story was about that ‘kindergarten teacher.’ Doesn’t that break the rules?”

“Huh?” Lin Qin blinked. “I mentioned her to help you understand my work…”

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not accusing you,” Zhang Chenze smiled. “But if you fabricated that teacher’s story, it would naturally clash with Xiao Ran’s, proving you lied.”

“You—!” Lin Qin was stunned by the woman’s aggression. “Dr. Zhao and Officer Li already said it’s a coincidence! We’re from different provinces!”

“Coincidence, huh?” Zhang Chenze crossed her arms. “Think about it—why were the nine of us specifically chosen? We’re strangers. To catch lies in each other’s stories, we need clues. And the ‘clue’ is that all our stories are connected. Listening to them, I feel we were handpicked so we could spot inconsistencies and find the liar. Otherwise, this game would be rigged—the liar’s odds would be too high.”