Life and Death Gamble

As soon as the words fell, three spotlights snapped off, plunging the cramped space back into dimness. Only the pile of televisions behind the hooded man glowed faintly, casting a weak light around.

Play... a game?

Zai Zong was stunned.

Before he could figure out whether this game referred to 21 Points or something else, he saw the hooded man across from him thrashing and twisting wildly.

[Let me go! Let me go!! Who are you!? What kind of person are you!? Where is this!? What do you want!?]

Zai Zong was utterly dumbfounded by the spectacle.

This performance.

It had to be motion capture!

Holy crap, that's a huge budget!

But before Zai Zong could finish being amazed, he found the protagonist he was controlling suddenly slam a fist onto the rust-covered table in front of him.

The loud noise not only stunned him as a player but also made the hooded man across from him freeze.

[What do you want.]

This voice, so close, was clearly coming from the protagonist he controlled.

Seeing this, Zai Zong suddenly caught on.

Is this a story?

No way, a poker game actually has a plot?

Once Zai Zong realized it, he couldn't hold back anymore.

Looking back on his gaming career, he'd played plenty of card games.

Fight the Landlord, Bluff, Bull Bull, Seven Ghosts Five Two Three—he'd played them all.

But these games were always pick-up-and-play, dealing cards on the spot, wasting no time.

And no game developer had ever added a story to a card game.

After all, puzzle games didn't need that extra fluff; it would be thankless work, and probably wouldn't sell as well as shooters, racing games, or sports games.

But Shuo Guang actually did it!

Added a story to a card game!

He admitted it—he had underestimated this VR game.

He thought a card game made in a month wouldn't be much different from a regular PC one, maybe just a wider field of view since it was VR.

But the result?

Realistic scenes!

Character dialogue!

Smooth movements!

And a freaking story!

Oh my god!

Was this really a game made in just one month?

Right now, just after the protagonist asked, the Masked Man in the TV shifted his sitting posture, slowly spoke, his voice still deep.

[Compared to Mr. Hoffman in front of you, you're clearly calmer. As expected of the expedition crew's photographer, Mr. Clancy.]

Clancy.

Zai Zong suddenly understood.

So the protagonist he was controlling was named Clancy, and the hooded man across from him must be Hoffman.

At this moment, hearing his own name, the hooded man Hoffman struggled and roared again.

[Who the hell are you! What do you want! What do you want!!!]

Hoffman's tone carried a kind of fear, a kind of unease—a roar born from a lack of security, an impulse to muster courage.

As a player, Zai Zong knew he wasn't in any real danger, so he couldn't quite immerse himself in the current perilous situation.

For now, he was just a spectator.

[Oh, Mr. Hoffman, a truck driver, with a beautiful daughter and a happy family. But your courage doesn't quite match your temper.]

Hearing this, Hoffman across from him visibly trembled.

Because he had mentioned his family!

The Masked Man chuckled softly, not waiting for the two at the table to react, and continued.

[What do I want? I've already said it. I want to play a game with you.]

[But note, this game.]

Zai Zong looked up, watching the Masked Man in the black-and-white TV take out a puppet, then grip its head and legs with both hands, as if holding a person's life in his grasp.

[Life or Death!]

Crack—

The puppet split in two.

Across from him, Hoffman shuddered. Clearly, he had seen the television screen too.

Only then did Zai Zong notice that behind him, there were also piles of televisions.

And inside them, the Masked Man casually tossed aside the puppet, as indifferent as if discarding trash.

[The winner gets to leave here alive.]

[But the loser—]

Just then, Zai Zong saw the Masked Man slowly lift a woman's head from below on the television screen.

He gripped her long black hair, pulling her blood-crusted, twisted face close, making sure the two at the card table could see clearly.

Zai Zong's heart turned cold at the sight.

That head—the terror on its face was frozen in a grotesque, rigid expression, clearly the result of immense suffering and torment.

[Will end up like this. Understand?]

Seeing this, Zai Zong couldn't help but blurt out, "Holy shit."

And the livestream chat exploded with comments.

A flood of "Awesome" and "Holy shit."

[Madman! You're a madman! A murdering psychopath! Let me out! Let me out!!]

Hoffman roared again, but this time, there was a hint of weakness and helplessness in his voice.

So realistic!

Zai Zong had to admire the professionalism of the voice actor!

And the movements—the struggling scene looked exactly like someone trying to escape.

[No, no, no. Please don't do this, Mr. Hoffman.]

The Masked Man tossed the woman's head behind him, just like he had with the puppet earlier.

[You wouldn't want your daughter and wife to come here, would you?]

In an instant, Hoffman froze as if struck by lightning.

[Please. Don't hurt them. I'll do anything, just don't hurt them, I'm begging you—]

Hearing this, the Masked Man laughed.

[That's right. As long as you beat Mr. Clancy in front of you, you can go home alive and reunite with your wife and daughter.]

At these words, Hoffman lowered his head, muttering something softly and incessantly under his hood.

Zai Zong frowned and turned up the volume on his VR headset's Bluetooth earbuds, finally making out what he was saying.

[I'm getting out of here. I can't die. I'll win. I will win. Kill him, kill him, kill him—]

A chill ran down Zai Zong's spine. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Just then, the Masked Man on the television announced the rules of the game.

[Do you like playing cards? Oh, of course you do.]

[I've designed a special game just for you.]

At that moment, with the Masked Man's words, the card dealer beside them immediately dealt four cards to the two of them.

Two for Zai Zong, two for Hoffman.

One facedown card and one face-up card each.

[But we're not betting chips.]

A mechanical spring sound rang out.

Zai Zong suddenly noticed that on the Finger-Breaking Torture Device restraining his hand, the guillotine blade over his pinky had snapped up!

He saw it clearly—the blade was razor-sharp. If it came down, that finger was as good as gone!

Across from him, Hoffman was clearly terrified too, his body trembling slightly.

[You understand what I mean, don't you? Haha. Hahaha. HAHAHAHAHA!]

With a burst of manic laughter, the television lost its signal, the screen flickering with static snow, once again illuminating the cramped space.

After the Masked Man's image vanished, Zai Zong found four timed dialogue options appearing before him.

[1. Who are you? How did you get captured?]

[2. We should find a way out of here.]

[3. Are we really going to play this game?]

[4. Pull yourself together! You're actually believing that freak's words?!]

Time: only 5 seconds.

Because the time was so short, Zai Zong didn't even have a chance to think before instinctively choosing 4.

Soon, the protagonist Clancy, whom he controlled, spoke up.

[Pull yourself together, pal! You're really gonna believe a freak like him!?]

[I can't die. I have to go home. I have to win. I'll beat you. I'm definitely going home.]

Well, looks like this Hoffman guy can't listen to reason anymore.

But Zai Zong found himself impressed by Shuo Guang once again.

Being able to add dialogue choices in a game like this, giving the player freedom and immersion—that was really something.

"Brothers, no matter what you think, I love this game! This face, I'll let it get slapped again! I don't care!"

The livestream audience immediately flooded the screen with comments and a full screen of gifts.

[Now, let me explain the rules.]

The Masked Man's voice rang out from the speakers.

Clearly, even without a TV, he was still watching.

[Ever heard of 21 Points?]

[The deck in the card dispenser has only 11 cards, numbered 1 to 11, and you two share one deck.]

[That means you can never draw the same card.]

[Just make sure the total of the cards you draw doesn't exceed 21.]

[But if it does... your fingers will go shhhh and vanish! Hahahahaha!]

Hoffman was instantly terrified.

[Wait, wait! This is insane! You can't do this!]

But the Masked Man's voice cut him off directly.

[So, pray. Game starts! Clancy, you go first!]

At this point, the protagonist Clancy's voice began to tremble.

[You're joking, right?]

But the Masked Man had already fallen silent.

Still, Zai Zong knew he was watching, observing the game!

Now that the cutscene was over, it was his turn as the player to step in.

Two dialogue options appeared before him.

This time, there was no time limit.

[1. Give me a card]

[2. I don't want any more cards]

And currently, he had two cards on the rusty table.

One facedown, one faceup.

The faceup card was 8. The facedown card was—

Zai Zong manipulated the controller, and Clancy in the game immediately reached out with his unshackled right hand, flipped over the facedown card, and saw the number.

It was 2.

So, he was at 10 points now.

Zai Zong carefully put the facedown card back, covering it again.

Then he looked at Hoffman across from him.

He was fidgeting, deep in thought, clearly very nervous.

In front of him were also two cards.

The facedown one was hidden, but the faceup card was 1.

So, the cards on the table were 1, 2, and 8.

There was still a chance!

Zai Zong immediately chose option 1.

Clancy in the game spoke up at once.

[Give me another card.]

Shhh—

The card dispenser immediately dealt a card to him.

It was faceup, number 3.

At this point, Zai Zong's total was already 13—still some distance from 21 Points, so there was no need to panic.

Across from him, Hoffman spoke up nervously at that moment.

[I'll take a card too.]

Whoosh—

The card dispenser immediately dealt him a card as well.

It was a face-up card: the number 9.

So Hoffman's visible total was 10, with his hole card unknown.

As for himself, his face-up card plus hole card came to 13 points.

There was still a chance to draw another!

Zai Zong once again selected dialogue option 1, requesting a card.

Soon, with a whoosh, the card dispenser sent a card sliding in front of him.

But this card made Zai Zong's expression shift dramatically!

The plot has been altered from the original game; if you don't like it, please don't complain.

Thanks to 'Dungeon is so fun, I want to recharge' for the monthly ticket support. Sorry for the slow updates—I'm still practicing my typing speed.