Weird Game: I brought an old version bug

The passageway on the east side is much narrower than the first floor, allowing only one person to pass sideways.

The six people lined up in a row and moved slowly forward, close to the wall.

Jiang Chen was second to last, with Lin Xue at the very back.

He could feel Lin Xue's gaze fixed on his back, and the scrutiny was even stronger than before.

"How much longer?" Liu Meng's voice came from ahead, echoing.

"I don't know," Zhao Yuan replied. "The structure of this layer isn't marked on the map."

The passage suddenly widened, and a door appeared ahead.

The door was black, with no patterns on its surface, except for a number engraved on the doorknob.

【6】

"Six people," Zhao Yuan said. "It takes all six of us to push this door open."

"Then let's push it." Liu Meng placed his hand on the door.

The others followed suit, placing their hands on the door one by one. The moment Jiang Chen placed his hand on the door, he felt a chill.

It wasn't a physical cold, but a chill that rose from the depths of my consciousness.

There's something on the door, reading his memories.

"One, two, three—push!"

With all six people exerting force simultaneously, the door slowly opened.

Behind the door was a huge circular room, much like the hall on the first floor, but this time, there was no stone platform in the center of the room, and no key.

Instead, there are six pillars, each engraved with a name.

Zhao Yuan, Liu Meng, Lin Xue, Wang Hai, Xiao Yue, Jiang Chen.

"These are...our names?"

Xiaoyue's voice trembled slightly.

Jiang Chen walked to the pillar with his name engraved on it. A line of small characters was also engraved on the pillar:

Test subject #074: Jiang Chen

Trust score: 47

In the trust maze, you have made the following choices...

Below are a few lines of text recording every choice he made on the first level:

They voted on the right, did not stop Liu Meng from taking the key, and stood on stone slab number 1.

Every choice was recorded, accurate to the second.

"What is this?"

Wang Hai's voice was tinged with unease.

Zhao Yuan looked at his pillar, his face turning grim: "This is the judgment mechanism of the Trust Maze."

It will make each of our choices public, and then let us judge each other.

If the team believes that someone doesn't trust others enough, that person will be...

--disuse."

"What does 'elimination' mean?" Liu Meng asked.

Zhao Yuan did not answer.

But everyone understands what elimination means.

"So what do we do now?" Lin Xue asked.

"The trial has begun," Zhao Yuan said. "Each of us must stand before our own pillar and accept the judgment of others."

If more than half of the people think you are not trustworthy

You will be eliminated.

"If someone gets eliminated, how do we even finish the game?" Jiang Chen asked.

"There will be a replacement," Zhao Yuan said in a low voice. "The system will randomly select a deleted data from the maze as a replacement."

"This isn't fair," Xiaoyue said. "We don't even know that deleted data, how can we trust it?"

"That's the design of the trust maze," Zhao Yuan said. "It forces you to make a choice: to trust someone you know but don't completely trust, or to trust a complete stranger."

silence.

Jiang Chen stood in front of the pillar, looking at his name.

He noticed that the names on the pillars were glowing faintly.

It's not fixed, but rather it flickers rhythmically, like a heartbeat.

"I'll go first," Liu Meng stepped forward and walked to his pillar. "I have nothing to hide."

My name is Liu Meng, test subject number 042, and I have been in the game for three years.

I trust everyone here, because if we don't trust each other, we'll never get out of here.

He spoke with sincerity and his eyes were firm.

"I believe him," Wang Hai said.

"I believe it too," Xiaoyue said.

"I believe it too," Zhao Yuan said.

Lin Xue did not speak.

Jiang Chen glanced at Lin Xue and noticed that she was clenching her fists so tightly that her nails were almost digging into her flesh.

"Lin Xue?" Liu Meng looked at her. "Do you believe me?"

"I—" Lin Xue opened her mouth, then said, "I believe you."

But her eyes darted away as she said this.

Jiang Chen noticed it, and he believed that others noticed it as well, but no one pointed it out.

Next was Wang Hai, whose evaluation was neutral, and the others also expressed their trust.

Xiaoyue is the same; she's the youngest in the team, doesn't talk much, but seems very reliable.

When it was Zhao Yuan's turn, Liu Meng suddenly asked a question: "Zhao Yuan, why did you choose the left side when voting on the first floor, and then change it to the right?"

Zhao Yuan paused for a moment: "I chose the left side, but then I saw Jiang Chen choose the right side. I thought about it and figured he might have some reason, so I followed suit."

"Then why didn't you just say so?" Liu Meng pressed.

"Because—" Zhao Yuan paused for a moment, "because I think that in that situation, reaching a consensus is more important than sticking to one's own choice."

"Do you trust him?" Liu Meng pointed at Jiang Chen.

"I trust him," Zhao Yuan said. "He passed the fourth level, not by luck."

The trial continues.

When it was Lin Xue's turn, the atmosphere changed noticeably.

"Lin Xue," Liu Meng looked at her, "why did you choose the right side when you voted on the first floor?"

"Because Jiang Chen chose the right side," Lin Xue said.

"Then why are you following him?"

"Because—" Lin Xue bit her lip, "because I think he might be right."

"Do you trust him?" Liu Meng asked.

"I said I think he might be right."

"That's not called trust," Liu Meng shook his head, "that's called gambling."

Lin Xue's face flushed red: "And what about you? Do you trust him?"

"I trust him," Liu Meng said, "because he's the only one among us who stuck to his choice when no one else chose the right side. That shows he has his own judgment, rather than just following the crowd."

"Then what makes you say I'm gambling?" Lin Xue's voice rose.

"Because of your tone, even you yourself are unsure."

Lin Xue fell silent.

Jiang Chen looked at her without saying a word.

He noticed that Lin Xue's fingers were trembling, not from fear, but from anger.

Or perhaps something else entirely.

"It's my turn," Jiang Chen stepped forward. "I don't have much to say."

I trust Zhao Yuan because he has spent two years in this labyrinth and knows it better than anyone else.

I trust Liu Meng because he dares to speak the truth.

I trust Wang Hai and Xiao Yue because they haven't done anything to harm the team.

He paused, then looked at Lin Xue: "As for Lin Xue—"

Everyone looked at Lin Xue.

"I don't trust her," Jiang Chen said.

Lin Xue looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with shock and anger: "What did you say?"

"You don't trust me," Jiang Chen said. "You've never trusted me from the very beginning."

You've been watching me, observing me, as if waiting for the right moment.

I don't know what you're waiting for, but I know you don't trust me, so I don't trust you either.

"You—" Lin Xue was so angry she couldn't speak.

"Vote," Liu Meng said. "Those who trust Lin Xue, raise your hands."

No one raised their hand.

Lin Xue stood in front of her pillar, looking at everyone's hands hanging down, her expression changing from anger to despair.

"You—" her voice trembled, "What right do you have—I didn't do anything—"

"Precisely because you haven't done anything," Zhao Yuan said, "you're too cautious, so cautious that you're unwilling to make any choices that might expose yourself. Lin Xue, who exactly are you?"

Lin Xue's expression froze.

Then she smiled.

It wasn't a bitter laugh, but a relaxed, liberating laugh.

"You guessed right," Lin Xue said, "I'm not a test subject."

Everyone was stunned.

"I was sent by the system," Lin Xue said, leaning against a pillar with her arms crossed. "Test subject No. 058 is real, but she died three years ago. I took her identity and have been following you since the second station."

"Why?" Liu Meng's voice was filled with suppressed anger.

"Because the system wants to know what's different about this batch of test subjects," Lin Xue said. "Zhong Yuan sacrificed himself, Shi Yu regained consciousness, and one test subject broke through to the fourth level. The system needs an answer."

"Now that you've been exposed, aren't you afraid?" Jiang Chen asked.

"Scared?" Lin Xue laughed. "I was originally just data. Before I was deleted, I was transformed into a spy. I'm lucky to have survived this long."

"Do you know that once exposed, you will be recycled by the system?" Zhao Yuan asked.

"Of course I know," Lin Xue said, "but do you think I really care?"

She turned around, faced her own pillar, and placed her hand on it.

"I want to do something; it's my own choice, not an instruction from the system."

She closed her eyes.

Then, the light on the pillar suddenly became blinding—Lin Xue's name disappeared from the pillar. In its place appeared another line of text:

Test subject #058: Lin Xue (deleted)

Trust score: 0

[Judgment: Traitor]

[Punishment: Data Retrieval]

But the instant the name disappeared, Lin Xue pulled something out of her pocket with her other hand.

A silver key.

It's exactly the same as the one I got on the first floor.

She flung the key away, sending it flying towards Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen caught it.

"This is the key to the second floor," Lin Xue said. "I got it from the first floor and have been hiding it ever since."

The system tells me to use it at a crucial moment to sabotage your progress.

But I don't want to.

Jiang Chen held the key and looked at Lin Xue.

Lin Xue's body began to turn transparent, as if it were being swallowed up from the inside by something.

"I do not trust you," Lin Xue said, "but I also do not want to be a lackey of the system."

She glanced at Jiang Chen one last time, a slight smile on her lips: "You won't need me on the next floor."

But remember, for the sixth stop, don't backtrack.

Then, she disappeared.

[Fifth Stop - Trust Maze, Second Level Cleared]

[Member Lin Xue has left - Data retrieval]

[Obtain Clue Fragment/Hidden Key]

[Current surviving members: 5]

[Next floor entrance: North passageway of the lobby]

silence.

Five people stood in the hall, looking at the spot where Lin Xue had disappeared, and no one spoke.

"Her last words," Xiaoyue's voice choked with emotion, "were that she said she didn't want to be a lackey of the system."

"Don't overthink it," Liu Meng interrupted her. "She's part of the system. Even if she helped us, she's still part of the system."

"But she gave us the key," Zhao Yuan said. "Without that key, we would never have been able to get to the second floor."

"So what?" Liu Meng asked, "Should we thank her?"

"It's not about thanking her," Zhao Yuan said, "it's about—remembering her."

Jiang Chen looked at the key in his hand, then at the spot where Lin Xue had disappeared.

He knew that Lin Xue's story was far more complex than she had described.

A deleted data entry was transformed into a spy and infiltrated into the test subject.

What did she go through that ultimately led her to betray the system?

He gripped the key tightly.

"Let's go," he said. "She tells us to keep going, so we'll keep going."

The fifth person walked towards the north passage.

The third floor awaits them.