Chapter 609: No Cutting in Line

Ren Hou opened the door of the double-layered building behind him. Everyone looked inside and saw that the room was pitch black, unlike the other "Sheng Xiao" game areas.

"Everyone, my game is called 'Bù Chā Duì', and it officially starts now."

After saying this, he took a flashlight from his pocket and turned back to enter the door.

The group exchanged glances for a few seconds before following him into the house.

The building had two floors and looked like a small inn. Although the first floor was very dark, it felt somewhat spacious.

Once everyone was inside, Ren Hou gestured to Tian Tian, who was at the back of the group, to close the door.

Tian Tian hesitated for a few seconds before following his instruction and shutting the door. Instantly, the room was pitch black, with only the glow from Ren Hou's flashlight visible.

"Um..."

A middle-aged woman spoke up and asked,

"Why is it so dark in here? Aren't we turning on the lights for this game?"

"That's right. Not only won't we turn on the lights for this game, but once it starts, I'll also turn off the flashlight."

Ren Hou said with a smile, shining the flashlight on his own face.

His rotten monkey-like face looked especially sinister under the bright light.

"So, what are the rules?"

A young man asked.

Ren Hou didn't answer. Instead, he waved to someone standing in front and asked them to hold the flashlight for him. Then, he turned around and opened a wardrobe. In the flashlight's beam, everyone saw that it was filled with yellow safety helmets used on construction sites.

"Everyone, please come and take a helmet."

Ren Hou gestured to the group.

No one knew what this meant, and at that moment, they were all a bit hesitant to step forward. It was supposed to be an "intellectual game," so why did they need safety helmets to protect their heads?

"Ren Hou..."

Xiao Cheng spoke up and asked,

"Am I seeing this right? These safety helmets are for preventing injuries on construction sites... Is your game really that dangerous?"

"No."

Ren Hou shook his head.

"I guarantee with my life that this game won't have any risk to life unless someone breaks the rules."

"Breaks the rules...?"

"That's correct."

Ren Hou nodded.

"The rules I'm about to explain are extremely important, so everyone should listen carefully. Right now, you're all a team, and during the game, if even one person breaks the rules, I'll disqualify everyone."

After hearing this, the group's expressions turned serious, and the pressure began to build. They were all strangers to one another, and no one wanted to become the target of blame here.

"No wonder..."

Tian Tian whispered to herself,

"No wonder it's more advantageous for Ren Hou with more people... Because that greatly increases the chance of someone breaking the rules..."

As soon as she murmured this, Ren Hou snatched the flashlight from the young man beside him and shone it directly on Tian Tian's face.

Blinded by the strong light, Tian Tian squinted and gently raised her hand to shield her eyes.

"What's wrong...?"

"The first rule I'm stating is that, starting now, no one is allowed to speak unless I give permission."

Ren Hou said, then withdrew the flashlight beam and shone it back on himself.

"If anyone dares to speak without my permission, everyone fails right now."

Although reluctant, the group all closed their mouths.

"Very good."

Ren Hou nodded, then took a safety helmet from the wardrobe behind him and put it on his head.

"Everyone, please watch carefully."

Wearing the safety helmet, he slowly walked up the stairs to the second floor. Just as he was about to reach the top, a tiny blue light lit up at the back of the helmet.

The blue light was faint and barely visible, like a scattered speck.

After the light turned on, Ren Hou stopped, turned back to the group, and said,

"Each safety helmet you receive has a small light on the back. It's about the size of a grain of rice and extremely hard to see, but you need to know that all the lights come in two colors: red or blue, and the total number of each color isn't fixed."

The group had some questions but remembered Ren Hou's earlier rule, so they stayed silent.

"All the lights will turn on when you reach the second floor, but none of you can see the color on your own helmet."

Ren Hou slowly turned around and waved the flashlight in his hand.

"Now, please follow me upstairs."

The group hurried after him, the only sounds in the room being their footsteps on the wooden floor.

The second floor's layout was different from the first. They first passed through a straight corridor and eventually arrived at a rectangular area arranged in a T-shape perpendicular to the corridor.

It was still completely dark.

"The next rule is this."

Ren Hou said,

"Everyone needs to go up to the second floor one by one, then pass through the corridor, and finally stand in this area. But you must all face the wall, not the corridor. Do you understand?"

The group listened but didn't dare speak; they just nodded.

"Here's how you win."

Ren Hou continued,

"Before the game ends, if all of you can stand in a line facing the wall, grouped by the two colors on your helmets, with no one in the wrong position, then you win. However, if anyone speaks, gives any hints, or removes their own or anyone else's safety helmet, it's considered a rule violation."

It took the group a few seconds to realize just how absurd this "Bù Chā Duì" game was.

Although it was called "team cooperation," it felt more like a "team trap."

They couldn't see the color of their own helmet light, yet they had to line up correctly by red and blue. If even one person was in the wrong spot, everyone lost.

The light was so small that even as Ren Hou walked around the room with his helmet on, the walls didn't reflect any blue hue.

Clearly, these lights were specially made—visible only up close for color, with no spreading glow.

Could they pull this off without any communication?

Tian Tian glanced at the light and quickly counted; including Zheng Yingxiong, there were eleven people in total. How could they accurately position themselves by the color on their helmets without knowing what it was?

She thought for a few seconds but came up with no ideas. She turned to look at Xiao Cheng beside her.

Xiao Cheng also looked troubled, his head down as he pondered a strategy.

"It seems you've all understood the rules."

Ren Hou smiled, then led the group back downstairs and said,

"Now, please come forward and get your safety helmets."

No one dared to disobey. They quietly lined up, took a safety helmet, and put it on their heads.