Prison Island

Chapter 11 Seeking Skin from a Tiger
More and more people found hiding places or entered the room.

They didn't look at it any more, Gao Xin shouted: "Let's go to the third floor."

Gao Xin took quick steps and went straight to the third floor.

But at this time someone caught up with them, and when they turned around, it was Jin Meimei.

"Brother Hard Work, right? I remember you. The dog collar is hidden on you, right?" Meimei stared at him and said.

Gao Xin looked strange and asked, "Why are you still so concerned about the collar? Shouldn't you find a place to hide quickly?"

As he said this, he hurried up to the third floor.

Meimei followed closely and said, "Don't pretend. If no one else can find it, it must be you."

"You mentioned the hidden area on purpose because you hoped that others would forget about the collar temporarily and avoid causing trouble for you."

Seeing that Gao Xin didn't say anything, the woman raised the corner of her mouth.

Meimei whispered, "This game is called 'dog and mouse', not 'cat and mouse'."

"We, the glass people, don't even have the power to choose. We are hunted by cats like mice and exchanged for points."

"Hiding is not the way to play this game. The rich and powerful certainly don't just want to play hide-and-seek. Otherwise, why would they arrange three dogs? If they don't give them any useful tasks, they must be here to stir up trouble."

Gao Xin ignored her and searched the third floor with Su Le.

Meimei followed along: "Three dogs are the variables of this game. It is no good for dogs to kill mice, so we can seek the protection of dogs."

"Now the two dogs are outside, facing the fate of being killed. Only the rats can save them. This is the opportunity."

"You must have got the collar, why have you been hiding it? Why don't you seek shelter with a dog?"

Gao Xin sighed, and finally said to Meimei: "Yes, everyone can think of this."

"In theory, there is a result where everyone survives, that is, three dogs restrain a cat, protecting the mouse, and everyone survives in the end."

"But the result is that the cat and the mouse each get 100 indulgences, while the dog works so hard but ends up with nothing. What do you think the dog will do?"

Meimei said, "Didn't you see how vicious that old cat is? At least now the two people who were made to lose their collars by him must hate him to the core!"

"We can save two dogs. It's no good for the dogs to hurt us. So why..."

Gao Xin interrupted her directly and said, "It's no good for the dog to hurt us, but it's no harm either."

"And just because dogs have a grudge against cats doesn't mean they have to protect us. It's two different things for them to chase cats and protect mice."

"Killing is much easier than protecting. An old cat can kill a mouse during a fight to earn an indulgence, but an old dog may not necessarily protect a mouse during a fight and take the risk of being hurt by a cat."

"Don't tell me you're doing me a favor by saving someone's life. They were three criminals, and they've been on the island for who knows how long."

"We may be submissive now, but once they come in, we won't have the final say."

Meimei was stunned. She didn't expect that Gao Xin had thought about all these things and knew that he should seek shelter from a dog.

But she did not give up and continued, "Yes, even if the dog does not kill us, it will not protect us with all its heart."

"But is it useful for you to just hide?"

"If you rescue the two dogs, three dogs will surround the cat, and we mice just need to hide carefully and stay away from the battlefield until the time is up."

"Letting them fight each other is in the best interests of the mice."

"Otherwise, as in the current situation where there is only one dog, in the future cats will search for mice and hunt us with little pressure!"

Gao Xin said solemnly: "You are right, but now is not the time to negotiate with the dog... Those two people will not be killed until 2:30, there is no need to rush."

Meimei was relieved when he said he would let the dog in, then asked in confusion: "Why not talk about it now? Is it because the cat is outside now?"

"What's there to be afraid of? We can cooperate with dogs openly, so what if the cat finds out? He can't get in anyway."

"On the contrary, if we wait 20 minutes and the cat comes in, we probably won't even be able to get close to the gate. Even if we get in, the cat will definitely find us quickly and chase us."

“In the open courtyard, we have almost no chance of survival.”

Meimei was very confused and couldn't understand why Gao Xin hid the dog collar.

Although the young man with the silver hand mentioned that he would throw back anyone who dared to throw it in, he was only one person and there were three opponents. Once he threw the two collars in, the other three dogs would not have to kill each other.

The longer we delay, the more disadvantageous it will be for them. What if those two people die?

Gao Xin looked at her, thinking that this woman was very smart and spoke with logic and evidence, worthy of someone who had worked in the legal field before.

It's just that their consideration of issues is a bit simplistic and not comprehensive enough. They only know how to work around rules and regulations, but they underestimate human nature.

Gao Xin shook his head and said, "You are right. If you want the dog's protection, it is better to negotiate now."

"Otherwise, when the cat comes in, we'll run the risk of being chased by it, and even if we get close to the door, we probably won't be able to say more than a few words."

"But... you are too naive. They are not three good kids, but three vicious dogs, three criminals!"

After saying that, Gao Xin wanted to pull Sule away.

Meimei was puzzled, and pulled Gao Xin aside and said, "Why do you have so many concerns? Aren't you just afraid that after we rescue the dog, the other party will go back on their word and not protect us?"

"After all, in this kind of place, favors are not guaranteed. Do you really think I'm a fool? In fact, I've thought about this problem a long time ago!"

"We can give the indulgences we get from surviving to the end to the old dog! We can bind our interests together."

Gao Xin turned around and looked at her in surprise: "Are you going to give the dog some dividends?"

Meimei said excitedly: "That's right, although the rules don't state it explicitly, if the old dog wants to gain benefits, he can only ask for it from the mouse."

"It is no good for a dog to kill a mouse; if a cat kills it, the indulgence belongs to the cat."

"So we can only 'catch the rat with the dog', but we won't kill it. We'll wait until the end of the game and let the rat take the indulgence to them."

"That's the only way an old dog can earn indulgence in this game."

"The more mice live, the more indulgences they can contribute to him, and the old dog will have an incentive to protect mice!"

Su Le was shocked: "Ah? Is it possible?"

Meimei smiled and said, "It should be possible. Didn't you notice? There are twenty mice in this game, but they didn't match even one NPC, because the NPC can't get any rewards after completing the game!"

"Also, I asked that bald guy. He's a senior player. He said that in low-level games, glass men can give their survival rewards to the stronger players in the game, just to save their lives."

"That is to say, in a game that forces players to kill each other, there is theoretically a universal hidden way to survive, which is for the weak to hire the strong to save their lives."

"This game has three dogs designed as mercenaries for us mice."

Su Le asked: "Isn't this just robbing the Japanese? Can they do it?"

Meimei said: "If it is really a life-saving money in the game, the Japanese usually recognize these agreements. After all, the door is opened for people from all over the world to participate in the game, it is impossible for them to monopolize it all."

Gao Xin nodded: "These people are the local tyrants who built the village, not a band of robbers. Besides, Sasaki also said outside that it's good enough for us newcomers to survive. As for indulgences, no matter how much we take out, we have to give it to them."

"Now that I think about it, the meaning of this statement is that we might just be able to save our lives, and we might not be able to bring out any indulgences, or we might bring out very little."

Suler couldn't help but ponder: "Why would the radiators kill us? They don't even have to play games. They just block the door outside, and when the time is up, they find the surviving mice and collect money."

Meimei shook her head and said, "That won't work. If the glass man can survive in the first place, and the radiators still use force to demand indulgences after they get out, it would be like robbery outside the game."

"I heard from the bald guy that the Japanese would know about this and would hunt that person down. After all, it's like robbing them and declaring war on the entire gang."

Su Le scratched his head: "If the outsiders team up and kill all the glass men after receiving the indulgence, how can the Japanese know?"

Meimei shrugged: "No one does that, anyway, that's what the bald guy said."

Gao Xin sneered: "Do I need to think about it? This is not only provoking the local gangs, but also playing a passive game. For a few hundred indulgences, he offended the local gangsters and the organizers at the same time... If this kind of person doesn't die, who will die?"

Sule had an epiphany.

Meimei said, "That's right. Besides, Sasaki just said before that as newcomers, we can only hope to survive this time. He didn't say that we can do it in the future."

"I think this is the only protection we newcomers will have. If we have to work for the Japanese for a long time in the future, they will definitely force us to fight for our lives. If we can't bring back a penny, it will be worse than death." Gao Xin and Su Le were silent.

Meimei continued, "What do you mean? I see you are not confused and you have thought it through clearly."

"No matter what happens in the future, at least this time we can pay the money to stay alive. If we use this to talk to the old dog, we will definitely stay alive. Didn't you see them also say, is this the Newcomer Welfare Bureau?"

Gao Xin nodded and said, "Yes, I know. So how much do you plan to give the dog?"

Meimei pondered and said, "Even if we survive to the end and get the indulgence, we have to hand it over to those Japanese."

"Our only goal is to survive, so there's no need to keep any. In my opinion, we should just give it all to the old dog, so that the amount will correspond to the benefit the old cat gets from hunting us."

"A cat earns 100 yuan for killing a mouse, and a dog also earns 100 yuan for protecting a mouse. So the old dog will definitely protect the mice wholeheartedly."

Gao Xin took a deep breath and sighed, "This is it. You have come here... You are wrong."

Meimei frowned: "Eh? Am I wrong? Are you saying that the dog will be afraid that we will default on our debt later?"

"Yes, I think there should have been an incident where the glass man wanted to take back some indulgences, but then he refused to pay and took advantage of the strong man's carelessness to escape by taking the elevator."

"As long as you reach the first floor, you will be protected by the Japanese. The Japanese don't care whether you owe the money or not. Once it's in their hands, it's their money. With their influence in Yamaguchi Village, no matter if you are a lone ranger or an outsider, they can only let it go."

"But this is a low-probability event after all. They are so powerful, how could they not be able to control us? We dare not refuse to give it to them."

"Anyway, the old dog will definitely agree to this deal. After all, if all the rats die, they won't benefit at all."

"Or are you afraid that you won't be able to take a dime with you, and the Japanese will be unhappy and punished? Yes, this may affect our future treatment, but it's better than dying."

"I see. You mean, it's hard to divide the spoils among the three of us? Well...we can each only give 90 points, let the three of us share, and keep 10 points for ourselves to pay back to the Japanese..."

"We can negotiate this... So we should negotiate the price as soon as possible. Once Old Cat comes in, we may not have the time or the chance!"

She reacted quickly and thought of a lot of things at once.

Be eloquent and analyze actively.

Su Le sighed at the side: "It's too humble. We fought hard and even if we survived to the end, we finally got 100 points of indulgence."

"I just want to save my life, but I have to give thirty to each of the three dogs, and I have to give ten points to the Japanese... Even for this, I still have to depend on the Japanese!"

"He will definitely be severely beaten. He might even be beaten to death."

What he said was very sad, but it was a reality that everyone had to face.

Meimei sighed, "But what else can I do? I fought so hard to be able to participate in the redemption game, otherwise I might be sent to..."

She rubbed her eyes and stopped talking. She stared at Gao Xin with a determined look and asked, "What do you mean? Is there anything missing?"

"As mice, it's too unsafe to just hide, especially since the radiators are so powerful. It's said that everyone has keen senses. If we hope to hide in a perfect place where the old cat can't find us, it's like gambling with our lives..."

Gao Xin also sighed and said, "You are right. In fact, you have thought of almost everything I have thought of..."

"But there's one thing you haven't thought about... our best partners are actually cats..."

Meimei, the woman, widened her eyes and almost jumped up in shock: "What? The mouse cooperates with the cat? Are you crazy?"

"This game is about the cat hunting mice. The cat can get an extra 100 indulgences. The more it kills, the more it earns."

"In his eyes, we are just walking indulgences. Negotiation? That's like trying to get the skin of a tiger!"

Gao Xin raised his eyebrows and said, "To seek the skin of a tiger? Well said. I roughly understand the meaning of this word."

"But I think that cooperating with a dog is like trying to get the skin of a tiger!"

Meimei was puzzled: "Ah? What are you talking about? There is no benefit, why would the dog kill us?"

Gao Xin said seriously: "You also know that these radiators come to this game just to get benefits, right?"

"The dogs won't get any benefit from this game. Plus, as you said, they hate the cat to the core! So they will definitely attack the cat."

"If the cat was killed by them, what do you think they would do?"

Meimei said: "If we kill the cat, the mice will have no natural enemies, and then we can..."

Suddenly, she froze and couldn't continue.

Gao Xin said quietly, "It seems you have thought of it. After the dog kills the cat, it will take the cat's collar and put it around its neck, transforming itself into a cat and continuing to hunt us."

Meimei stared at Gao Xin's crotch: "Can I really wear two collars?"

"Identity can really be changed?"

Gao Xin felt uncomfortable being stared at by her. Sure enough, the woman realized how he hid the collar.

He immediately said, "After wearing two, you can take off another one."

"The rules only say 'the game officially begins, and after thirty minutes, players who haven't been assigned an identity will be killed.'"

"It's about killing 'players with no identity', not 'players with multiple identities', so you just need to pay attention to the order... Don't take off the old collar first and then put on the new one..."

Meimei thoughtfully asked, "So are you a mouse or a dog now? Or both?"

Gao Kun said bitterly: "I think my identity is still a mouse."

"I tried to pry the collar apart, but it failed. However, I was able to put it directly on my legs from the middle. Considering that the mouse's collar was directly formed on our necks..."

"The organizer's intention is obvious. They don't want mice to wear collars. I think the collar can only be considered as an identity binding when it is worn around the neck."

Meimei sighed and said, "It's also possible that the rules don't allow for changing identities at all."

Gao Xin pointed at the crystal ball on the wall and said, "No, nobles, set three dogs, three in total! And they are three dogs with no benefits to gain... hungry dogs!"

"If three hungry dogs besiege an old cat, they will almost certainly kill it. In this way, all the mice will have no natural enemies, and they will all live in peace all the way and survive to the end. Do you think this is what the dignitaries want to see?"

"The organizers forcibly tied up 20 of us as mice, but threw the dog and cat collars on the ground."

"Remember what the rules say? 'The identities of the old cat and the old dog will be decided by the remaining players.'"

"The subtext is that anyone can be the cat or the dog, and you can decide the allocation yourself, which naturally includes changes midway."

Meimei gnashed her teeth and said, "Damn it, if that's the case, then maybe the only identity of a mouse cannot be changed..."

Su Le was a little puzzled: "Can't we mice be cats and dogs? Brother, we can pry it apart with the help of two people. Then the third person can put the neck in and put it on, right?"

"Meimei is here right now, so we can give it a try."

Gao Xin smiled, then looked at Meimei: "So... are you willing to try it?"

Meimei rolled her eyes at Suler and shook her head, "I won't try. The rules both explicitly and implicitly state that mice shouldn't be treated as cats or dogs. Why should I try?"

"Even if you two force it open, something might come out and kill me the moment I put my neck in."

"Even if the organizers didn't design such a perverted thing, what good would it be for me to become an old dog?"

"A mouse as a dog means the old cat will earn one hundred less indulgences. He can just catch me and put the mouse collar back around my neck... and then kill me."

Su Le suddenly realized, yes, what's the point of being a dog?

According to the previous analysis, dogs were designed to kill cats!

How can a bunch of weaklings like them be able to beat cats by being dogs?

As Gao Xin said before, without the power of a dog, you are not even qualified to be a dog...

No wonder the organizers stuffed mouse collars directly around their necks and designed the collars to be so difficult to open. The meaning is actually very clear: you are a bunch of fragile people, stop making trouble, just be mice honestly and survive in the gap between cats and dogs.

……

ps: Sorry.

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(End of this chapter)