Hidden Rules

Lin Sizhi arrived on the second floor, where there were rooms numbered 1 through 12.

The entrances to each room had been cleverly separated, with no doors facing one another or shared corridors.

The room numbers were arranged in no particular order as well.

That made the entire second floor somewhat maze-like, but it also offered better protection for everyone's privacy.

Lin Sizhi quickly found Room No. 12. Like the community entrance, it required a Visa Time scan to enter.

The room was quite spacious—a luxuriously furnished suite with a broad living room, a private study, a cozy-looking bedroom, and a clean, brightly lit bathroom.

The room contained all the necessary daily supplies. In a prominent spot in the living room stood a huge whiteboard with an eye-catching poster titled "Community Basic Rules Notice."

Lin Sizhi gave it a cursory glance. It was consistent with the rules previously introduced in the lobby.

There was also a laptop on the desk in the study.

Unfortunately, it was not connected to the internet, and there were very few usable programs on it.

The browser homepage, however, contained a list of every game in the Gallery, along with their detailed rules.

It was the same as what everyone had seen on the large screen in the lobby.

In addition, the computer could be used to check one's remaining Visa Time, view supply prices, and so on.

In other words, every function available in the lobby—including the large screen and the Vending Machine—could be accessed through one's personal laptop, with greater privacy.

Lin Sizhi moved the mouse and looked over the rules for several more games.

Suddenly, an entirely new pop-up appeared on the screen.

[Hello, Lin Sizhi.]

["Redemption Roulette" has received an S rating. It seems your understanding of the identity of "God's Imitator" is, for now, superior to that of the other game designers. Let us hope this is no coincidence.]

[All imitators who receive an S rating will be granted a privilege: in the Visa Time inquiry systems of any public area, they may freely conceal the additional Visa Time gained through their imitator identity.]

[We hope you will make good use of this privilege.]

[The Gallery now extends a new design invitation to you:]

[Please design a game for "all players" to "complete the first distribution of Visa Time."]

[The game proposal is in your desk drawer.]

[The deadline is 8:00 tomorrow morning. You have 12 hours to complete the game design.]

[The Gallery will evaluate all submitted proposals and adopt the highest-rated plan to set up the game venue.]

[All players will be required to participate.]

[The 12-hour countdown begins now. Please make your choice.]

Lin Sizhi raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

It was not the sudden game design invitation that surprised him. Since he had accepted his special identity, the Gallery could send him game design invitations at any time.

He had already prepared himself mentally for that.

What truly surprised him was that this game design invitation differed from the last one.

It was not aimed at a specific sinner with detailed case information, but at "all players."

Its purpose was not to "punish sinners," but to "complete the first distribution of Visa Time."

This game design invitation had been sent to every player with the identity of God's Imitator, which meant merely passing review would not be enough.

Lin Sizhi's game proposal had to be better than everyone else's if it was to be selected by the Gallery.

That raised a question.

What kind of proposal would be the "best," and receive the highest score in the Gallery's evaluation system?

Clearly, every designer would have a completely different answer depending on their own understanding.

Before looking at the proposal, Lin Sizhi checked his remaining Visa Time on the computer. This page had gained another option: [Hide the additional Visa Time gained through imitator identity in public Visa Time inquiry systems.]

After giving it some brief thought, Lin Sizhi naturally checked the box.

Then he took the game proposal from the drawer and examined it.

Its format was consistent with the proposal he had seen before, except for some differences in the prefilled details.

What particularly caught Lin Sizhi's attention was the list of available props for this game.

[1. Display devices: 4.]

[2. Timers: 8.]

[3. Simple speakers: 8.]

[4. Tabletop platforms with freely customizable functions: 4.]

[5. Seats: Unlimited.]

[6. Restraint devices: 8.]

[7. Standard playing cards: Unlimited.]

[8. Various chips exchangeable for Visa Time: Unlimited.]

[9. Freely customizable special mechanisms: 8 sets.]

[10. Other scene props unrelated to the game content: Unlimited.]

[Note 1: Unless otherwise specified, the designer may determine the models and appearances of all props.]

[Note 2: No prop may be taken out of the game venue. Otherwise, it will disappear into thin air.]

[Note 3: The quantities listed are those required for one round of the game. The Gallery will automatically match players for multiple rounds, and the necessary props will be expanded according to the number of matches.]

"The freedom is actually lower?"

Lin Sizhi looked at the prop list thoughtfully.

When designing Redemption Roulette, the available props had clearly been more numerous, offering greater freedom.

For example, the previous prop list had included firearms and cold weapons capable of directly harming players, whereas this one did not.

The gambling equipment in the previous game had not been restricted by type; any complete set of casino gambling equipment could be used. This time, however, the gambling equipment was strictly limited to playing cards.

This shows that the Gallery's requirements for this game have a very clear leaning.

No firearms or cold weapons means the Gallery does not want widespread deaths in this game.

After all, the goal this time is not judgment, but merely completing the first distribution of Visa Time.

Among all gambling tools, playing cards are the most widely accessible. That means the Gallery wants to lower the entry threshold.

So it would be best not to choose overly complicated card game mechanics.

There are three quantities of props: 4, 8, and unlimited. In other words, the Gallery encourages matches of four to eight people.

Though it was only a simple prop list, Lin Sizhi had still gleaned a great deal from it.

Clearly, every game invitation from the Gallery came with hidden requirements, though they were never explicitly written out.

The designer had to infer them independently.

"Low risk" and "simple playing card rules" were the two basic points of this game.

But those two points alone were not enough.

Lin Sizhi pondered for a moment. "Since the goal is to 'complete the first distribution of Visa Time,' there must inevitably be some form of 'selection.'"

New World was certainly no paradise.

It was a cruel jungle world, merely draped in a false disguise.

Just as the rules had stated: the Gallery was New World's institution of cleansing and judgment.

Judging sinners, cleansing away the useless.

Distributing Visa Time equally among everyone might seem fairest, but it definitely would not meet the Gallery's requirements.

But how was the selection to be carried out?

After careful consideration, Lin Sizhi began writing down the game rules in the proposal.

Although the allotted design time this time was relatively ample, Lin Sizhi did not intend to spend too much time repeatedly considering the game's details. There was little point in doing so.

The game he designed was not particularly complicated, so in reality, he had finished everything in just over an hour.

Lin Sizhi gave the proposal one final read from beginning to end. After confirming there were no mistakes, he wrote the words "Design Complete" in the lower-right corner of the final page.

New information appeared on the computer screen.

[The Gallery is reviewing the proposal you submitted.]

[Review complete. Approved.]

[Waiting for other designers to submit their proposals.]

Lin Sizhi closed the page on the computer.

Naturally, he could not be sure whether his proposal would ultimately be selected by the Gallery, but at this point, any worry was unnecessary.

Lin Sizhi felt somewhat tired. After washing up, he lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Just after seven the next morning, Lin Sizhi woke naturally.

"So it wasn't a dream."

The unfamiliar surroundings before him reminded him that this was not a dream. He had truly come to a place called New World, and he might have to stay here for a long time.

Would he be able to return to his original world within his lifetime?

No one could give an exact answer right now.

Still, Lin Sizhi was the sort of person who could adapt to circumstances, so he was not overly anxious about it.

After briefly washing up, he went downstairs to the lobby.

To his surprise, most people were already awake. With a rough glance, Lin Sizhi saw at least seven or eight people in the lobby.

"Morning, Lawyer Lin."

Fu Chen raised a hand in greeting.

Lin Sizhi nodded in response, then went to the Vending Machine and ordered a breakfast sandwich and a cup of hot milk, costing a total of 25 minutes of Visa Time.

Fu Chen was eating the last fried egg on his tray. "Oh, right, Lawyer Lin. If you want to use the kitchen, you can just use it.

"Uncle Ding and Aunt Su already used the kitchen this morning. There are plenty of tableware sets inside, enough for more than a dozen people, and they come in different colors and styles, so they can be distinguished.

"Their tableware is in the far-right corner of the sideboard. If you plan on using the kitchen, you'd better keep your own tableware in a designated spot too. That way, it'll be easier to tell apart.

"Also, they bought some ingredients and put them in the refrigerator. If you buy ingredients too, it would be best to keep them in a separate area for easier distinction."

Lin Sizhi glanced toward the kitchen. "Got it. I don't need it for now."

Just as he had guessed, Ding Wenqiang and Su Xiuqin would sooner or later choose to cook for themselves in the kitchen.

They had deliberately gotten up early this morning, perhaps to avoid the others and spare everyone awkwardness. Of course, it was also possible that people their age were simply used to waking early.

Not long afterward, Wang Yongxin, the last person to wake up, also came to the lobby.

He looked to be in good condition, probably because he had slept until he woke naturally.

Overall, after a night of rest, most people had relaxed considerably.

There was no need to work here, and for the time being, there was not much to worry about.

Other than sitting by the window to soak up the sun, drinking coffee, or reading books, there truly was not much else to do.

Lin Sizhi went to the reading area and casually browsed through the books there.

There were common bestsellers as well as complex, profound academic works. The selection was quite varied.

It had to be said, this was a good place to clear one's mind.

However, just as Lin Sizhi found a book and was about to sit down and read, another notification appeared on the large screen in the lobby.

[Good morning, players!]

[The Gallery will open in one hour.]

[The name of this game is "Blood Poker." The objective is "complete the first distribution of Visa Time." All players in New World are required to participate. Eight-player games will be matched at random.]

[Please prepare yourselves.]

Then a one-hour countdown appeared on the large screen.

59:59

59:58