Deceitful Game

"I……"

Chen Bingwen's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and his heart pounded.

In this dimly lit space, the only sound could be the ticking of a clock.

In a daze, he felt as if he had returned to the first game, with the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment.

In his hallucinations, Frankenstein's pale and grotesque handsome face gradually overlapped with the once-fierce, blood-stained gray wolf mask and the face beneath it.

"If I had to say, I've never 'thought' about it..."

Chen Bingwen emphasized, "That's definitely something we've thought about."

He carefully considered those two words, yet he dared not swallow them.

Because he realized that "Frankenstein" harbored some inexplicable hostility towards him.

It wasn't just about wanting to "step on him" or "make trouble for him"... it was genuine murderous intent.

Although it is very light and faint... it is very clear and distinct, sharp as a knife.

He was doubting himself.

He wanted to set the stage to kill himself.

Chen Bingwen was clearly aware of this.

But when faced with a true life-or-death crisis, Chen Bingwen's mind became exceptionally clear.

Even if many random thoughts arise in your mind—whether it be cowardice, malice, or anger.

But he wielded the hammer of reason and shattered all those distracting thoughts!

A blue glow gradually ignited in the depths of Chen Bingwen's eyes.

He took a deep breath and said slowly, "The world is murky and full of prejudice and malice... I have met many people, and most of them are guilty. If you ask me... whether I have ever thought 'this person deserves to die' in my mind, then I will tell you—almost every day."

In order to prevent others from being swayed by his votes, Chen Bingwen realized that he could no longer play word games or try to be clever. He had to clarify every point of doubt, leaving no room for any flaws that could be misinterpreted by the other party.

And it's quite a coincidence.

He's good at this.

"But I can say... I would never actually kill or murder anyone."

As Chen Bingwen spoke, he adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, straightened his back, and looked directly at "Frankenstein": "This is my obsession, and I have sworn an oath."

His remarks were endorsed by this "table of honesty".

Attorney Chen looked directly at Mingpo and asked, "Is this answer acceptable?"

Instead of trying to hand over the discourse to others, he confronted Frankenstein directly and threw the discourse back to him.

"Can't."

Mingpo's gaze grew increasingly deep.

A crimson glow flickered in his eyes, but he didn't back down at all; instead, he went a step further: "You say you would never kill someone—what if that person ever tried to kill you?"

"What if he is your father's killer?"

"What if he's about to kill you?"

Mingpo's questions became sharper and sharper with each one.

Chen Bingwen, however, remained calm and said, "I would swear this because my father died because of it."

He paused for a moment before slowly saying, "My father is a judge."

"More than 20 years ago... the laws were not perfect, and public security was far from as good as it is now."

"A group of thugs once committed indecent acts against women in the street, but no one dared to intervene. At this moment, someone stepped forward and acted bravely."

"But he was alone, while the other side had four people. Moreover, the other side had a large number of people and two of them were holding fruit knives, so the man did not dare to hold back."

"He grabbed a knife from a roadside butcher stall and charged straight at them. The attack resulted in three deaths and one serious injury, while he himself sustained minor injuries."

At this point, Chen Bingwen was breathing heavily.

He instinctively clenched his fists together, as if he wanted to twist his own fingers off.

"...Because the subjective purpose was to prevent unlawful infringement, the intent to defend was established, and the crime of intentional homicide was excluded; being one against four opponents who were also armed with knives, the defense was also necessary."

"However, since there were only two people wielding knives, yet three people died... the self-defense exceeded the necessary limits, and the defendant should be charged with negligent homicide. Furthermore, there was no mitigating circumstance of surrendering to the police... Considering all factors, the standard sentence should be 7-10 years, leaving the judge with very limited discretion."

"Under the legal conditions at the time, cases that resulted in the deaths of multiple people did not even have the option of probation. Ultimately, my father was sentenced to five years in prison because of his righteous motives, meritorious service, and the other party's serious fault. This was the limit of what he could do within his authority."

Chen Bingwen took a deep breath at this point: "But... public opinion remains very dissatisfied. Both the plaintiff and the defendant intend to appeal."

"All the local newspapers published the case, and nearly forty people held banners in the courtroom supporting the acquittal. After the final verdict was announced, the courtroom was filled with arguments. Some were satisfied, some were dissatisfied. Some cried, and flashes of light went off. Some experts in the newspapers believed that the acquittal should have been made, saying, 'If he is found guilty, who will dare to stand up for justice in the future? Heroes should receive everyone's support.'"

"At that time... I was still in elementary school. My classmates later told me about this, saying that I was the child of a 'bad judge'."

"I asked my father, and he said he had done his best. He talked to me for a long time... He talked about the law and justice. He gave an interview to reporters and defended himself. He believed that 'basic sense of justice' is commendable, but it must be within reasonable limits. For example, the principle of revenge in kind is not feasible."

"But right there at the interview site, he was hit on the back of the head by a flying brick and fell unconscious on the spot. Public opinion exploded as a result... and eventually, the matter was brought under control."

"After my father woke up, he remained silent for a long time. He chose to resign. Finally, he left behind a letter with an unclear meaning and then disappeared."

Chen Bingwen took a deep breath as he finished speaking.

He remained silent for a long time, then lowered his gaze.

He said in a low voice, "After my father went missing, the media turned their attention to me."

"That day, on my way home from school, a man who looked like a reporter stopped me. He asked me, 'Your father believes that revenge based on mutual retribution is not a viable option. If you had the chance, would you be willing to take revenge on the person who killed your father?'"

"I don't think my father did anything wrong. He did the best he could. If he has a problem, it's a problem with the law, not with him."

He raised his head and looked earnestly at Mingpo: "I swore then and there that I would never kill someone intentionally. I would only retaliate against others in self-defense, unless it is someone who is about to kill me... even someone who once wanted to kill me, even someone who killed my father, I would not harm him."

Whether you call it hypocrisy or an excuse...

"Only in this way can I prove that my father was right."

"If one day I can leave this game... I will make sure none of this ever happened. Even if it might change me... or even destroy the 'me' I am now."

"—Do you accept this answer?"