Day of Imprisonment

The card game called 'Food Chain' operates on a settlement cycle of five rounds. Whoever wins the most rounds gets all the [Memories] surrendered by everyone else.

It's basically harmless and quite fun to play.

But in reality, you only realize it's a trap once you start playing.

You'll inadvertently invest a lot of [Memories].

And after realizing you're losing, you'll invest even more to try and recoup your losses.

Unlike the administrators in other scenarios who hide away, the administrator of this scenario directly participates, wearing a panda mask and playing alongside the Memory Retrievers.

The most outrageous thing is that this scenario even offers 'credit services.' If a Memory Retriever loses all their [Memories], no problem, they can borrow some.

That is, they can borrow [Memories] from the administrator to use.

Of course, they have to sign a contract when borrowing.

Moreover, this contract has mandatory effect and is valid throughout the entire Day of Confinement.

The consequences are severe if they don't repay. Furthermore, the amount they can borrow depends on the Memory Retriever's membership level within the Food Chain card room.

That was a considerable amount of cards for most Memory Retrievers.

Because borrowing cards is allowed, there are many Memory Retrievers in this scenario, and most of the time, you even have to queue. But there's only one card table. Some Memory Retrievers suggested that the administrator add more tables, but the administrator refused.

Instead, they launched another project.

Off-site betting.

That is, with the three Memory Retrievers playing plus the administrator, making a total of four, other Memory Retrievers can bet on who will win.

They can bet on each round, each game.

It's said that many Memory Retrievers have obtained a lot of [Memory] cards through this project.

Of course, more people lose.

But most of the time, people like to focus on those who earn, to look at those who get rich, while ignoring how many people in this scenario have spent even more cards.

If someone were to calculate the card turnover of this scenario on each cycle day, they would find that the number of cards output from the scenario is less than a quarter of the cards received.

Every cycle day is a massive profit.

That time, Bai Feng and a few companions queued up and got the chance to participate in the game, sitting at the card table.

After the card game started, some people won, some lost.

Everyone got really caught up in it.

After all, few people can remain rational in that situation.

At that time, the scenario's 'administrator' thoughtfully suggested that there was a 'card loan' program within the scenario.

"You can use your life to borrow cards!" the administrator's voice was laced with temptation.

But at first, no one paid attention.

After all, wagering your life seemed a bit unworthy.

It would be fine if you won, but what if you lost?

You'd be directly eliminated.

If you didn't have any [Memories] left, you'd be turned into a Memoryless.

Most people who become Memory Retrievers don't want to lose their memories again and become Memoryless.

Because in most people's minds, losing memories means 'true death'.

But soon, the administrator explained the rules of wagering your life in detail.

"You can bet your own life, or you can bet your friends' lives," the administrator sneered.

Everyone was stunned at the time.

"What do you mean?" someone asked.

"It's the literal meaning. At the card table, anything can become a 'bet,' including your own life and the lives of your companions. My rule is that you can secretly bet on your companions' lives to obtain [Memories], and according to the assessment, the amount will not be less than 5 [Memories]."

In Bai Feng's eyes, this administrator was different from the administrators of other scenarios.

This administrator wearing a panda mask seemed to have many special ideas for the scenario.

Moreover, their way of thinking was extremely imaginative.

Making them extremely difficult to predict.

But they were very disciplined and never 'cheated,' nor did they ever cheat.

Because sometimes, Memory Retrievers could win a lot of [cards].

And this simple card game didn't allow for cheating.

Precisely because they followed the rules and were very fair and just, the 'Panda' had a very good reputation among many Memory Retrievers, and many Memory Retrievers even came specifically for them.

But allowing betting on the lives of 'companions'.

To be honest, this trick was too damaging.

It almost openly displayed the trick of sowing discord.

It seemed that no one would be foolish enough to fall for it, but in the eyes of gamblers who were desperate after losing, there was nothing that couldn't be sold.

Friendship?

Companions?

As long as they could sell them for a good price, they would sell them without hesitation.

So the most common thing that happened here was that Memory Retrievers who were originally close as brothers would directly turn against each other, even fighting and killing each other.

The 'Panda' would also thoughtfully lend out weapons for free and then give the winners some card rewards.

After learning about these rules, Bai Feng didn't want to come.

But he couldn't resist the urge of several companions to come.

And they had agreed in advance that they would only participate in the 'Food Chain' card game to earn some cards to take back.

They wouldn't participate in any other extra business.

But people lie.

Or rather, people are fickle.

Especially when someone loses and becomes desperate, they can't help but start borrowing cards and continue to lose, then secretly bet on their companions.

That's how Bai Feng was sold out.

He couldn't believe that several companions were so easily tempted.

They betrayed, slandered, cursed, and then fought, eventually turning into mutual killing.

Bai Feng didn't want to act. He didn't betray or bet on any of his companions.

He had a clear conscience, but he was still dragged into it.

Because even if he said he hadn't bet, unfortunately, no one believed him.

There was no way to explain, so he could only defend passively.

After the melee, Bai Feng won.

He, who had passively fought back, actually became the final winner.

On the floor of the room lay the bodies of familiar partners. Some of the bodies were incomplete, their limbs were cut off, and the severed fingers, arms, and even heads were scattered all over the ground.

Bai Feng sat down beside him in despair. His face, hands, and clothes were covered in blood. He didn't know if it was his own or someone else's. He was distraught, somewhat frustrated, and even more despairing.

All the [Memories] on him were lost.

Moreover, several companions turned against each other and died in mutual attacks.

Absurd.

Ridiculous!

And from beginning to end, the panda behind the card table was quietly watching them, or rather, watching himself.

"What the hell are you looking at?"

At this moment, Bai Feng had a self-destructive impulse that combined anger, hatred, helplessness, and despair.

He wanted to attack the administrator.

The other party only designed a card table and a few rules, but it made the Memory Retrievers who came here lose everything and even their lives.

This guy was the culprit of everything, the mastermind behind the scenes who directed all of this.

He should be killed!

In the heat of the moment, Bai Feng acted, but he clearly overestimated himself.

The 'Panda' subdued him almost effortlessly.

"Why did you attack me?" the Panda asked curiously.

"What do you think? You caused all of this, and you foresaw this result long ago, so you listed those rules that lead people to commit crimes," Bai Feng roared angrily.

"But these are their choices. In the beginning, each of you won [Memories]. I didn't force you to continue playing. You wanted to continue playing, and after losing, you took the initiative to borrow cards, and some of you even wanted to mortgage your companions into [cards]. You created the 'result' yourselves, but you called me the 'cause' of this result. It's a bit unreasonable."

The Panda was actually reasoning.

It was rare to see such a patient 'administrator' who was still reasoning at this time.

Was this administrator's brain not normal?

"Stop pretending to be a good person. Isn't this the result you wanted to see? You used those rules to lure and then stimulate their desires and the dark side of their hearts, causing them to self-destruct..." Bai Feng began to describe the matter.

He hated the other party's appearance of shirking responsibility.

So, this responsibility must be placed on the other party's head.

"First of all, I didn't say I was a good person; secondly, my scenario rules are clearly meant to make you kill each other. I haven't denied this from the beginning, but again, I gave you two paths, one path to life and one path to death. You yourselves chose to walk the path to death and self-destruction!"

After the Panda finished speaking, Bai Feng was silent.

"Damn it, I can't argue with you. Come on, come if you want to fight, I don't care," Bai Feng roared.

The Panda seemed to be sizing up the other party at this time: "You are different from them. You didn't borrow cards, and you didn't sell out your companions. Even at the last moment, you wanted to dissuade them. To be honest, I have seen your situation before, but it is rare to encounter."

Bai Feng was silent.

Closing his eyes and waiting for death.

"You don't have to be so desperate. I said from the beginning that I wouldn't attack you, even if you actively attack me, I wouldn't care. You don't owe anything, you didn't borrow cards, and although they mortgaged you, I decided to waive your debt, so you can go," The Panda's words were unbelievable to Bai Feng.

At this moment, Bai Feng felt a little confused.

He could leave.

But he didn't know where to go.

He felt that there was no place for him, and the betrayal of his companions also made him feel disheartened.

Bai Feng didn't leave, he just sat on the ground in the scenario in a daze.

The Panda didn't drive him away, so the time came to the evening of the cycle day.

At this time, this card house had no 'business' anymore.

"Panda, kill me, I think it's not bad to become a Memoryless, at least, I don't have to be sold out, and I don't have to live so tired," Bai Feng seemed to have considered it for a day and made this decision.

"The world-weariness caused by despair," the Panda commented in a strange tone, then walked over and closed the door of the room.

Then he pulled down the roller shutter door.

This cut off contact with the outside world.

Then the Panda walked over, looked at Bai Feng sitting on the ground, thought for a while, and took off the mask.

"Hello, Panda is just my stage name, let's get to know each other formally, I am the administrator of this scenario, you can call me 'Luo Xi'!"