Chapter 372: Gambling with Life?

Lin Geng's fingers moved continuously, striving to regain their sensation as quickly as possible.

She looked down at the four *qian* on her desk: *Ping Qian*, *Ping Qian*, *Da Feng Sao Luo Ye*, and *Chun Nuan Hua Kai Ri*.

"One of these *qian* isn't even mine..."

She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't mistaken, then picked up the *Da Feng Sao Luo Ye*.

Lin Geng had no memory of drawing this *qian*. Upon closer inspection, it appeared truly peculiar.

It felt unreal to her.

Even though Lin Geng had confirmed she was holding the *qian* in her hand, could touch it, and clearly see every character inscribed on it, it still lacked a sense of reality.

It was like touching her own left hand with her right – she knew it was a hand, but the sensation was entirely different from touching someone else's hand.

"Lao Qin... have you made your move?"

Lin Geng turned to look at Qin Dingdong's room. Yellow-green smoke was continuously descending within. Qin Dingdong's face had a purplish tint, and the veins on her face were all deeply colored, clearly indicating poisoning.

Lin Geng knew the extra *qian* had come from Qin Dingdong, but it was a *zhan pin*.

This was Qin Dingdong's usual tactic, originally intended for deception, but now it had become Lin Geng's problem.

Could the game's system recognize a *zhan pin*?

She had once been tricked by Qin Dingdong in another game, where a *zhan pin* prop was used. This resulted in everyone being penalized for violations and sanctioned by the *Di Hou*.

The difference this time was that the one identifying the *qian* wasn't *Di Gou* himself, but a machine.

"But Su Shan..." Lin Geng looked up at Su Shan, whose face was covered in bloodstains. "Why did we choose to save someone in this round...?"

From Lin Geng's perspective, the optimal strategy for this round should have been to quickly play *Chu He Ri Dang Wu* to extinguish *Di Gou*'s last lamp, thus saving everyone.

Yet Su Shan had abandoned that approach, opting to spend a round dispelling the *zai e* for the group.

"Do you think 'saving someone' is necessary in this round...?"

Since Su Shan's strategy was set, this round required the use of the *zhan pin* in her hand. Otherwise, no one could save Qin Dingdong, "Winter" would vanish, and the game would inevitably fail.

If "no winter" meant certain death, and "using the *zhan pin*" carried a chance of death, the choice was obvious.

"Su Shan, you're really gambling big time." Lin Geng smiled bitterly as she inserted the *zhan pin* into the hole. "If none of my *qian* can save anyone, what will you do?"

As the *qian* was gradually swallowed by the hole, Lin Geng's expression shifted uneasily, but fortunately, it was accepted into the table.

Qin Dingdong's room underwent a change: gaps appeared in the iron net on the floor, and a strong wind suddenly erupted from the ceiling, instantly sweeping through the room.

The wind was so powerful that Qin Dingdong was blown straight to the ground, and several *qian* in the room scattered chaotically, appearing even more dangerous than the poison gas.

Thankfully, the wind lasted only a short time, and the yellow poison gas in the room was completely blown away, making the situation inside suddenly clear.

But Qin Dingdong remained on the ground for a long while.

"No... it can't be..." Su Shan's eyes widened again as she stared intently at Qin Dingdong. Her *guang mang* hadn't disappeared, so she should still be alive. "You can't die... you're our last link..."

*Di Gou* glanced toward Qin Dingdong and said coldly:

"Third person *Xu Yuan* ends. Please proceed with fourth person *Chou Qian*."

After his words, the room fell silent.

After about ten seconds, Qin Dingdong finally stirred slightly and, under everyone's gaze, pushed herself up from the ground.

Lin Geng saw that her face was still pale with a purplish undertone, and the capillaries on her face were clearly visible. It was impossible to say she was fine, but at least she had survived.

"I..."

As soon as Qin Dingdong attempted to speak, she coughed up a large mouthful of fresh blood. The blood filled her windpipe, making her already labored breathing even more painful.

Each cough felt as if her internal organs were in agony, as if they might burst.

"Dog classmate..." Qin Dingdong steadied her breathing, spat out some blood, and looked at *Di Gou*. "You've really lived long enough... I picked up all sorts of bad habits from that bastard Chen Jun Nan, and you actually dare to mess with me?"

*Di Gou* looked at Qin Dingdong with interest, as if anticipating her next move.

Qin Dingdong reached out and tapped the glass: "Di Gou, let's gamble our lives, sister against you."

To Qin Dingdong's surprise, after she spoke, *Di Gou* still stared at her with that smug, serious face, as if nothing had happened.

"Hey!!" Qin Dingdong felt angry and slapped the glass hard. "I'm going all out against you—did you hear me?"

*Di Gou* watched her lip movements, then lowered his head to tidy the three scattered *qian* on his desk. His deep voice came through the broadcast: "I'm terribly sorry, I must be getting old—I can't hear a word you're saying."

"What...?"

Qin Dingdong frowned at *Di Gou*'s smug face, seeming to realize the issue.

This game was cleverly designed; "participants" couldn't gamble their lives with *Di Gou* during the process, as he was in his sealed glass room and couldn't hear them at all.

He had only left a speaker in the room, not a microphone.

"What the heck..." Qin Dingdong coughed a few more times and muttered to herself, "To 'gamble lives' in your game... I guess it has to be decided right from the start?"

Then Qin Dingdong suddenly thought of something—after explaining all the rules, *Di Gou* had immediately retreated into the glass room.

On the surface, it looked like he was letting the "participants" discuss among themselves, but in reality, he was afraid they'd come up with a strategy and challenge him to a life gamble first thing.

"Dog classmate, you're really as sly as a dog..." Qin Dingdong stared at his dog-like eyes, growing more irritated the longer she looked. "Just you wait... once sister recovers her strength..."

Now, the *zai e* in everyone's rooms had been alleviated to varying degrees. As long as they could hold steady for the next three rounds, resolve the disasters, and end the game in the eighth round, they would be fine.

"Sixth round begins. Now, first person will *chou qian*."

Su Shan looked at the *Ping Qian* that had floated up in the hole and, without a word, pressed it back down.

She knew *Di Gou*'s target this time could only be her.

Now that summer, autumn, and winter had all suffered *zai e*, only she, the "spring," remained healthy. If she were *Di Gou*, she would definitely inflict the *zai e* on "spring."