God's imitator

Chapter 216 Security Statement
He Xiaojun, nicknamed "Grey Wolf," stepped forward and tentatively asked, "Hello, 'Rabbit,' we met in the first phase before, do you remember?"
"It seems like we can use some team strategies in the second phase. Can we collaborate?"
“You’re so smart, I definitely can’t fool you. If you have any group strategies that need to be implemented, I can help.”

"Rabbit" Han Mengying looked at him and asked, "You're not using the Sage's deck, are you?"

He Xiaojun thought for a moment and realized that lying about this issue would be completely pointless, as it would be too easy to verify.

He nodded: "Yes, it's the Fool's deck."

"Rabbit" Han Mengying shook her head: "Then I'm sorry, judging from the rules of the second stage, there is no place for the Fool player in my strategy."

"I have no reason to lie to you for a few chips. You should go find other fool players to cooperate with."

He Xiaojun was somewhat disappointed, but still nodded: "Okay, thank you."

There's no way around it. In a game like this, wise players naturally have their own considerations. Who would deliberately carry around useless burdens?

He walked back aimlessly, thinking that if he really couldn't find any players to cooperate with, he would have no choice but to cut his losses and leave.

But just then, a voice rang in my ears.

"I have a 100% foolproof way to get out of this game safely, and I can also give you the answer to the 'guess the number' puzzle. Want to work together?"

He Xiaojun, nicknamed "Grey Wolf," turned around and saw a player wearing an "owl" mask extending an invitation to him.

Just when he was about to fall asleep, someone brought him a pillow, but "Grey Wolf" He Xiaojun was somewhat incredulous.

In this situation, it would be great to be able to grasp at a straw, but in such a selection game, would anyone really be so kind?

What if it's not a lifeline, but a deadly trap?
Although He Xiaojun didn't have many chips left, some scammers specifically target those who are desperate.

The two sides did not meet in the first phase and had no trust at all. Is it reliable to talk about cooperation under such circumstances?

The 'Grey Wolf's' hesitation was clearly within the 'Owl's' expectations.

"You can follow me first, and I will gather a group of players like you."

"At that time, I will explain why I chose you. There are ways to identify benevolent players in this game."

"Then, I will tell you a reference number, as well as a method to reliably get out of the game."

"After hearing the strategy, if you feel there's a trap, you can leave at any time."

"Of course, if you insist on not joining, I won't force you."

After thinking for a moment, "Grey Wolf" finally nodded: "Okay, I'll join."

……

The 'Owl's' team grew rapidly in a very short period of time.

In such games, there will be no shortage of people like "Grey Wolf" who fall into despair because they don't have enough chips.

But Gray Wolf, who had been following Owl, also noticed that Owl didn't accept just anyone.

Players who show anxiety due to limited chips seem to share an unspoken selection criterion.

For some people, the owl simply glanced at them and walked away, without even bothering to strike up a conversation.

For others, however, it is worth the extra effort to explain.

And so, the 'Owl' strolled leisurely around the lobby and quickly selected some players.

He Xiaojun, nicknamed "Grey Wolf," counted and found that there were 10 people in total, including himself and "Owl," which accounted for a quarter of all the players.

The group gathered at the edge of the hall, many looking visibly dejected. "Owl" spoke up: "First, I can confirm one thing: from now on, we can try to collect the game's 'basic benefits' through a cooperative strategy."

"The method is very simple, and you should all be able to figure it out. Everyone should have received the 'Fool's Deck,' which contains 3 rock, 1 scissors, and 1 paper."

"Therefore, my plan is to have two teams compete against each other."

"The two sides agreed that each would use their 'Thief Card (Scissors)' to win against the other's 'Sage Card (Paper)'."

"In this way, everyone can get a net gain of 1000 chips each round."

"The returns aren't high, but they're better than nothing, and they're stable."

This strategy has left many people feeling greatly disappointed.

"Grey Wolf" asked tentatively, "Such a simple strategy, anyone could think of it, right?"
"If you're only on welfare, why not include 'stones' as well? You could get double the amount."

"And the most crucial point is that we have absolutely no way to control the other party's behavior!"

"Since no one can verify each other's identities, even if someone changes their mind and runs away, they will not be subject to any substantial punishment."

The others nodded in agreement; clearly, the most important element of this plan was 'mutual trust'.

Everyone is wearing masks and most likely comes from different communities, making it difficult to establish initial mutual trust.

Once someone chooses to deceive and then run away, the small group will most likely immediately scatter and fall apart.

But the owl doesn't seem to be worried about this problem.

"I can assure you that our small group of 10 people is relatively reliable. You can confidently implement this plan internally and gradually build trust."

"Of course, you can only bet 1000 chips, not more."

"If a deception occurs, I can act as 'insurance' to compensate the victims for their losses."

Everyone looked at each other.

Obviously, this sounds like a fantasy and makes no sense.

Why does "Owl" compensate victims for their losses?
Although the loss may not be much, what is the point of him doing this?
The most crucial question is, how does he determine that these people are all reliable?

"Grey Wolf" asked tentatively, "You mean you somehow recognized our true identities? That can't be right. I never imagined there was someone like you in the community?"

The owl shook its head: "I don't think I know you."

"However, there is actually a special 'safety statement' in this game, and I used this 'safety statement' to pick you out from the group of players."

“Right here, you can all see it clearly.”

As "Owl" spoke, it gently tapped the small screen on the side of its oxygen mask.

Clearly, the nine players he picked out were generally not very bright, and they hadn't realized the reason even at this point.

"Security statement? Where?" Gray Wolf was puzzled.

On this small screen, there are only two pieces of information: the current amount of oxygen remaining in the tank and the number of times oxygen has been replenished.

The owl explained, "Oxygen consumption is the same as a safety statement."

(End of this chapter)