Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 309 Psychological Warfare in Game Theory

Li Yin continued, "If the ghost's true form possesses extraordinary hearing, capable of penetrating the warehouse door, or hearing my whispered words in some way we cannot comprehend, then the information it receives is: Li Yin publicly stated he would choose apples, but privately he actually intended to choose bananas. Therefore, when it identifies the object, it is highly likely to choose bananas."

“However,” Li Yin’s voice then became firm and resolute, “as everyone saw, the ghost pointed to an apple, not a banana! And please note, the bananas were almost right next to the oranges. If the ghost relied on its hearing to determine which shelf I went to, it would have had a hard time accurately distinguishing whether I took a banana or an orange. The fact that it ultimately pointed to an apple shows…”

Jiang Jin's eyes gleamed as he delivered the conclusion: "This means that the ghost's true form... that is, the imposter among us, has had its vision and hearing restricted and closed to the level of a normal human by the apartment! It can't see through the warehouse, it can't eavesdrop on your whispers, and it can't pinpoint the type of fruit you choose based on subtle footsteps!"

The residents immediately understood that this proved the ghost's channels for obtaining information, just like theirs, were limited to the scope permitted by the rules!

Therefore, ghosts are not omniscient or omnipotent; like them, they are on a relatively level starting line in terms of information acquisition.

It also requires observation, analysis, and reasoning to determine what fruit the residents might have chosen.

This greatly boosted the residents' confidence in using strategy and wisdom to navigate the situation, and also pointed out an important direction for finding a way out—controlling and misleading information about the ghosts is feasible!

Jiang Jin looked at Li Yin and couldn't help but marvel again: No wonder he's the male protagonist of the novel! Under such extreme terror and pressure, he not only remained calm but also devised such an ingenious verification method! No wonder he was able to lead the residents out of dire straits time and time again in the original work; his insight and adventurous spirit are truly extraordinary!
Li Yin's adventure, though seemingly simple, cleared away an important layer of mystery surrounding the rules of the game for them.

Now that they know the ghost's "weakness," the next phase of the game will enter a completely new stage.

The residents' excitement quickly translated into dependence on and admiration for Li Yin. Many had initially thought Li Yin was just a new resident carrying out a blood-letter directive for the first time, but now it seemed he was a man of both wisdom and courage!

"Li Yin, you're amazing! How could you think of that!"

"Yes, Brother Li, we're counting on you from now on!"

"You have to help us figure out a way to find that damned ghost!"

In an instant, all sorts of words, filled with pleading, flattery, and even a touch of obsequiousness, flooded towards Li Yin.

On the brink of life and death, a seemingly reliable wise man undoubtedly becomes the lifeline that everyone wants to hold onto tightly!
Even Wang Tianba, the burly man with a ghost head tattooed on his arm, squeezed next to Li Yin and said in his rough, street-smart voice, "Brother Li, I, Wang Tianba, am a gangster in the Tu Chuan Road area! Brothers in the underworld, give me some face! As long as you help me get through this crisis, I'll protect you after we leave this ghost apartment! If anyone dares to cause you trouble, just say my name, Brother Ba!"

He patted his chest, trying to create an impression of being bold and reliable. However, Jiang Jin, standing to the side, saw through the man's true nature almost instantly, relying on his professional police instincts.

A truly ruthless character has a completely different demeanor, from their eyes and posture to their manner of speaking. Wang Tianba's body covered in tattoos, his unsteady gait, and his slightly protruding belly make him seem more like a show-off, a mere figurehead who relies on intimidation to make a little money on the streets. Jiang Jin has encountered this type of person quite often in the bureau.

People like them are usually loud and boisterous, but when it comes to a life-or-death situation, they are often the first to break down.

Li Yin simply nodded noncommittally at Wang Tianba's "promise." Seeing that the trust of the crowd had been initially established, he turned to Jiang Jin, who was considering which fruit to choose.

“Jiang Jin,” Li Yin began, “Excuse me, if you haven’t decided which fruit to choose yet, could you… give me a little time? I’d like to take this opportunity to ask everyone, including you, a few questions.”

Jiang Jin's heart stirred slightly, but he remained expressionless and nodded: "Okay, I haven't decided which fruit to choose yet."

Whatever the male protagonist wants to do now, he will definitely cooperate with him fully.

Li Yin looked around at everyone, his gaze sweeping over each face, which was filled with tension, anticipation, or confusion.

"I'd like to ask everyone a few questions, mainly about your experiences in the apartment and some resident information. Feel free to answer, don't be shy."

He explained, taking out his notebook and pen, "This will help me organize the information and perhaps find some clues."

No one objected; at this moment, any action Li Yin took could be the key to finding the ghost.

Li Yin began asking questions, each seemingly random yet covering a wide range of topics.

"Has anyone experienced a Bloodletter quest more than twice?"

"Ms. Zhao from room 905, do you know who lives in room 904 next door?"

"Zheng Jie, you said you work in finance. Could you tell me which company you work for?"

"Sun Miao, are you a student? Which university are you at? What's your major?"

"Master Zhou, what did you do before you came to this apartment building?"

Everyone answered fluently.

……

Li Yin also asked Jiang Jin, "Mr. Jiang, you seem to be quite skilled. What did you do before? How did you get into the apartment?"

Because the reincarnation system had arranged a seamless identity and experience for him, Jiang Jin answered smoothly: "I served in the army for a few years, and after retiring, I became a security guard. I came in... because I was chasing a thief, and somehow ended up here."

As Li Yin listened, he quickly took notes in his notebook, occasionally glancing up to observe the expressions, eyes, and subtle movements of those answering. His gaze would sometimes linger on certain individuals for a moment longer; for example, when Zhou Qiang answered, he noticed that the other man subconsciously touched the scar on his elbow; when Jiang Jin answered, he would carefully observe whether there was any flickering or unnaturalness in the other man's eyes.

This Jiang Jin...

Li Yin's doubts were not dispelled; on the contrary, they were slightly deepened by this "investigation."

In Li Yin's view, Jiang Jin was exceptionally handsome and tall, and his mental fortitude seemed far beyond that of ordinary people. His acceptance and adaptation to the horror of the blood-written words were incredibly fast. Moreover, his speech was logically clear, and he even demonstrated remarkable insight when he helped Li Yin analyze the situation earlier.

Such a person would be an outstanding individual anywhere. How could he happen to appear in my first Bloodletter quest? Could he be... the ghost who was perfectly disguised and mixed in with them?
The questioning lasted about five minutes. Li Yin closed his notebook and said to Jiang Jin, "Okay, thank you everyone. Let's go to the warehouse. Jiang Jin, you can go choose the fruit now."

Jiang Jin nodded, and after everyone entered the warehouse, he walked towards the center of the shop.

He vaguely sensed that Li Yin suspected him. He really hoped that in the end, Li Yin wouldn't be the one to accuse him of being a ghost! He wouldn't be able to die in peace if that happened!

Jiang Jin stood in front of the shelf, his gaze fixed on the dazzling array of fruits.

Zhou Qiang chose lemon, Zheng Jie chose pomegranate, and Li Yin chose orange. Three fruits have been eliminated, leaving fifteen to choose from.

One in fifteen... the probability sounds low, but if the ghost guesses correctly, it's 100% certain death. Then, he, a ghost hunter, will lose his life here! And what a utterly pathetic death!
Sweat began to bead on Jiang Jin's forehead, and his heart was pounding.

This feeling of entrusting one's life and death to probability was more torturous than any direct combat he had ever experienced before.

How would a ghost identify someone?

His mind was racing.

Li Yin proved that ghosts have limited perception; they cannot eavesdrop or see through things. Therefore, they can only rely on reasoning and judgment of human nature and strategy.

What will it think?
Will it assume I'll choose common fruits? Like apples, bananas, or grapes?
Do you still think I'll choose less common fruits? Like dragon fruit or plums?
Will it take into account the choices made in previous rounds?
Could it think in reverse, that someone might think that a ghost wouldn't continuously identify a type of fruit, but instead identify a fruit that it had guessed before but failed to identify?
Most importantly... does the ghost possess any additional information about itself, an outsider? Does it know what fruits it likes to eat?
This last thought startled Jiang Jin.

His favorite fruit is pineapple...

If the ghost knew this, would it think it would subconsciously choose what it likes? Or would it think it would deliberately avoid what it likes to prevent being guessed?
This convoluted psychological game is like being trapped in a maze with no exit. Every possibility points to a potential danger.

Pineapple is not an option.

He immediately rejected that option. Choosing his favorite fruit was too risky in this environment.

So, what should you choose? Something you completely dislike or even hate? No, that won't work either.

He needs to choose a "neutral" fruit. A fruit that he neither likes nor dislikes, a fruit that is optional in his daily life.

His gaze lingered on the boxes of small, dark blue blueberries.

Blueberries… he recalled. His parents used to buy all sorts of fruits, and blueberries were often among them.

But he rarely took them, always finding the taste somewhat bland, far less sweet and juicy than strawberries. Every time his mother washed a plate of blueberries and brought it over, he would eat a few as a token gesture, and then often say, "Strawberries are still the best."

The father would be unhappy, saying that he was too picky about food, and would nag, "Fruits should be nutritionally balanced. You should learn from your brother and eat a little bit of all kinds of fruits."

That's it!

Jiang Jin made up his mind.

Blueberries are small, unassuming, and have a mild flavor, fitting the "neutral" requirement. Moreover, they belong to the berry family, different from the previously chosen fruits, perhaps slightly deviating from the speculative preferences of possible ghosts?
Without further hesitation, he reached out and took a small box of packaged blueberries from the shelf. Then he opened the box and took out a blueberry.

He walked to the center of the shop, faced the gaping corpse again, and fed it blueberries.

This time, there was no obvious large bulge on the neck of the corpse, but you could see that the throat moved slightly, as if the blueberries had been successfully "swallowed".

After doing all this, Jiang Jin walked to the warehouse door and knocked.

"You can come out now."

The door opened, and the crowd surged out again, all eyes fixed on him.

Jiang Jin remained calm as he awaited the final countdown.

Li Yin was also observing his every subtle reaction, trying to confirm his suspicions.

(End of this chapter)