God's imitator

Chapter 398 Sharing the Punishment
It must be said that these devices are indeed useful. After using the "gas station" four times in a row, Fu Chen could clearly feel that his car was much lighter.

In addition, he had rested for a while and his physical strength had recovered, so he was even more confident.

The players voted on the order in which the two challenges should be performed, and as expected, more players chose to do the "Painting Track" first.

Clearly, judging from Chen Ran's previous challenge, this kind of corporal punishment will seriously affect the player's performance in the "painted track".

If the previous game really involved accepting punishment before taking on the challenge, then given Chen Ran's physical condition after being whipped, it would be very difficult for him to pass the "track in the painting".

Games start.

Fu Chen could clearly feel that the pen in his hand was lighter and more responsive. The first drawing was no longer difficult, and he passed it very easily.

Shen Xing and Jiao Hai also successfully passed the first map.

Of the three players who were challenging the second map, only Chen Ran succeeded; Peng Xinyuan and Liu Jie both failed.

This means that the five players, excluding Chen Ran, are now back on the same starting line.

Peng Xinyuan was clearly a little anxious.

Obviously, this result is relatively acceptable to Liu Jie, because she received very little funding in this round, and her writing wasn't very good to begin with, so it's normal that she didn't pass.

Despite having a decent budget and resources, Peng Xinyuan has fallen behind Chen Ran.

According to the game mechanics, players can complete a maximum of one map per round, and there is no catch-up mechanism, so falling behind once likely means falling behind forever.

However, he seemed to be in a better mental state than Jiao Hai, and he didn't seem particularly vulnerable.

Fu Chen glanced at the map on Peng Xinyuan's desk from afar, and sure enough, the difficulty of each map increased significantly.

The first map has a simple structure, with relatively wide roads and uncomplicated curves, so Liu Jie only needed to modify the car once at the repair shop and passed it smoothly.

However, the difficulty of the second map increases dramatically, with more and more difficult curves, a more complex structure, and even a feeling that the road width has been reduced.

Therefore, even though Peng Xinyuan and Liu Jie had modified the pen several times, they still failed at the last hurdle.

It's clear that each subsequent map will be significantly more difficult.

After calming themselves down, everyone returned to the hexagonal platform to prepare for their 'exclusive punishment'.

The clicking sound continued as the players' headpieces locked, obscuring their vision.

When the mechanism was opened, the player who would suffer the punishment was confirmed: Shen Xing.

With a "bang," another door opened, revealing a completely dark interior.

Shen Xing seemed much more flustered than Chen Ran; she trembled involuntarily and struggled to make a decision.

The other players remained silent.

Because all they need to do is follow the game's flow and select the player who needs to endure the "exclusive punishment," and they don't care whether that player actually enters the room.

In any case, it's just that the player will suffer the instant death penalty.

Suddenly, Fu Chen realized something and quickly said, "Wait, I suddenly realized something very important."

"These rooms are actually open to multiple players!"

"Think about it carefully. There were actually six tables and chairs in the room before!"
“We subconsciously regard ‘choosing a position’ as a game strategy, but could there be another possibility: it’s to ensure that all players who enter can participate in the game?”
"Moreover, the door to the room was only closed a short time after Chen Ran went in."

"In other words, if multiple players enter the room, each person pressing the button will increase the timer, which will greatly reduce the difficulty of the game!"

"The game rules never stated that only one person could enter these rooms, so this is actually a mechanism that encourages us to cooperate!"

Upon hearing this, the players reacted in various ways.

Clearly, most players hadn't noticed this before, or perhaps they had but deliberately kept quiet. But Fu Chen's words now offered everyone a new option: to enter the room together and share the punishment.

A glimmer of hope appeared in Shen Xing's eyes as she looked expectantly at the other players, but everyone remained silent with their heads down.

Fu Chen didn't mind: "It's okay, I'll go in with you this time."

"If my guess is right, I hope more people will join next time."

Time was running out, so Fu Chen and Shen Xing walked together toward the door of the room.

Of the remaining four players, Chen Ran had already endured the punishment alone, so there was no reason for him to enter the other players' rooms.

Because helping others share the burden is so that when you suffer punishment, others will also share the burden for you.

Of the remaining three, Jiao Hai showed no intention of entering, while Peng Xinyuan and Liu Jie hesitated for a while before Peng Xinyuan quickly followed and entered before the door closed.

"Let's get this straight, you two have to come in when I'm being punished, or I'll never forgive you."

Peng Xinyuan clearly couldn't think of a good way to threaten him, so he spoke rather lightly.

Fu Chen nodded happily: "No problem, don't worry!"

Everyone looked around the room and were surprised to find it completely empty, with nothing there.

[Punishment: Lockdown]

Players entering the room will have their devices with the most current usage and the most current available funds blocked.

[A total of 3 rounds of blocking will be implemented, with the cost shared equally among the players who entered the room.]

【进入房间人数为1~3人时，向上取整；进入房间为4~5人时，不被封锁；进入房间为6人时，全部玩家将额外获得1万分钟签证时间奖励。】

The current room has 3 players, and each player will be banned for one round.

With a "bang," the door opened again.

The three players came out of the room again, somewhat bewildered.

Obviously, the actual punishments each person experiences will vary greatly. There is no specific game format in this room; entering once is considered completion.

Fu Chen said with some regret, "It's a pity. If just one more person had entered, none of us would have been blocked."

"However, this also confirms the previous speculation that the more players enter the room, the lower the difficulty of the game."

“We can share the burden in this way from now on. I’ll state upfront that I will come into the room to help with each round of the exclusive punishment.”

Jiao Hai frowned: "Although the current two rooms are all about getting as many players as possible in, how can you be sure that it will be the same in the future?"

Even if it were true, would you be so kind?
"Furthermore, even if we do reach such an agreement, the players who enter the room later will be at a greater disadvantage."

"Since you've already entered the room and received your punishment, it means you're safe. What reason is there to share the burden for someone else? What if someone else in another room faces a life-threatening situation?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Chen Ran, seemingly casually.

Fu Chen couldn't think of a good response, so he could only say, "I can guarantee that I'll enter every time."

"If possible, I'd like to be the last to initiate the punishment. That way, if I fail to enter the room in any round before, you can choose not to help me anymore."

Jiao Hai scoffed: "Heh, anyway, the order in which the exclusive punishments are activated is random, and no one can control it, so you can say that."

Just then, Chen Ran, who had been silent all along, spoke up.

"Actually, there is a way."

　I'll try to finish this game before midnight.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)