Redemption Roulette

"Beep--"

A sharp beep echoed in the cramped space, waking the groggy Wei Xinjian.

He suddenly came to, immediately realizing he was securely bound. Special iron ring mechanisms locked his wrists, ankles, and waist, and the iron chair was welded directly to the floor.

His mouth was even tightly gagged with a strip of cloth, only allowing him to make muffled sounds.

The fog in his mind gradually cleared, and his sore eyes began to adjust.

He looked around.

This place looked like an abandoned underground warehouse, with no light penetrating from the outside. Only a dim, old incandescent bulb hung precariously from the rusty steel frame structure.

The air was filled with a damp, moldy smell, mixed with a hint of rot.

On the wall to his right hung an old CRT television, displaying only static.

In the center of the warehouse was a somewhat dilapidated, heavy wooden square table. On it lay a silver-white revolver.

Opposite the wooden table sat a young man, still unconscious.

Like Wei Xinjian, the young man was securely locked in an iron chair, his mouth gagged with cloth.

But Wei Xinjian soon realized there were two significant differences between him and the young man: his right hand was free, and there were special mechanisms on both sides of his head.

Like giant clamps, connected to a crude and complex gear system, two heavy iron blocks were positioned on either side of his head, facing his temples.

"Mmm! Mmm-mmm..."

Wei Xinjian immediately began to shake his body violently, trying to make noise.

But in this dark underground warehouse, he received no response at all.

Wei Xinjian used his free right hand to grab the locking ring on his left wrist and pull hard, trying to open it.

After his futile attempts, he turned to try and unlock the ring around his waist, but it also remained stubbornly in place.

Just then, a dispassionate electronic voice came from the static-filled CRT television.

Along with the voice, an image appeared on the screen.

It wasn't a person, but a display explaining the game's rules.

[Hello, Wei Xinjian.]

[You will now undergo judgment and participate in a game called "Redemption Roulette."]

[The following are the game rules:]

[As you can see, in this sealed space, there is an innocent person, a revolver, and one live round.]

[The revolver's cylinder has 6 chambers. Five of them are blank, distributed randomly.]

[On either side of your head is a special mechanism. The total gap between the mechanisms and your head is 6cm, averaging 3cm per side.]

[You have only two choices: either shoot yourself in the forehead, or shoot the innocent person opposite you.]

[Firing a blank at yourself will result in nothing happening.]

[Firing a blank at the innocent person will cause the mechanisms on the sides of your head to move inward by 1.29cm each.]

[The third time the mechanisms move, they will cause you harm.]

[If you are hit by the live round, you will die instantly.]

[After the revolver has been fired 6 times, the game will end, and all mechanisms will be unlocked.]

[You have 5 minutes to complete this game. Any violation or exceeding the time limit will result in immediate death – the iron blocks will crush your head.]

[I want to know, after committing unforgivable sins, have you ever felt even a shred of remorse?]

[Are you willing to place the innocent person's life above your sinful one?]

[The game begins now. Good luck!]

The image on the television disappeared, replaced once again by a screen full of static.

Simultaneously, a "clack" sounded from the table, and an old-fashioned LED electronic timer popped out, its bright red numbers beginning to count down.

05:00

04:59

"Ugh! Mmm-mmm..."

Wei Xinjian struggled even more violently, his eyes bloodshot from the strain, but the restraints on his body remained firm, offering no possibility of escape.

After a brief hesitation, he reached out his only free right hand and grasped the silver-white revolver on the table.

Then, Wei Xinjian laboriously brought the gun close to his eyes, wanting to examine the cylinder and determine the bullet's position.

--The game rules stated there was only one live round.

If there was a visual difference between the blanks and the live round, then by identifying the single live round's location, he could survive by shooting himself with a blank and the live round at the other person.

However, the moment he made this move, a string of blue electrical sparks and a crackling sound flowed through his chair!

"Aaaah--!"

Wei Xinjian screamed as he was electrocuted, his eyes rolling back uncontrollably. His whole body convulsed, and the pistol almost slipped from his grasp.

[This is your first warning. Any further violations will result in immediate death.]

Wei Xinjian's eyes were bloodshot, his body drenched in sweat as he gasped for air.

The revolver had a peculiar design, making it impossible to determine the location of the live round just by looking.

Wei Xinjian didn't dare risk any other attempts, which could lead to the instant death penalty.

He looked at the innocent person on the opposite side, also locked onto a metal chair and unconscious. Then, he swallowed, his face contorted into a grimace as he raised the gun.

He didn't know the young man opposite him, but he had already made his choice.

The revolver cylinder could hold six bullets, with only one live round among them. Therefore, the probability of dying when firing was 1/6.

If Wei Xinjian shot himself and happened to hit a blank, it would be a happy ending for everyone, with nothing happening.

But there was still a 1/6 chance he would die instantly.

At this moment, the iron blocks on either side of Wei Xinjian were not pressing against his head. According to the rules, there was a 6cm gap.

This meant that the first two movements would not cause him any harm.

The fear of the bullet and his will to survive drove him to make the only logical choice.

Wei Xinjian gritted his teeth and fiercely pulled the trigger!

"Click."

It was a blank.

Grind, grind, grind--

A dull mechanical sound echoed as metal gears ground against each other. The iron blocks on either side of Wei Xinjian's head moved inward, the cold metal now pressing against his ears.

"Mmph! Mmph-hmph!"

Wei Xinjian angrily slammed his fists against the metal chair, but the shot could not be undone.

The cold iron blocks pressed against his ears, sending a bone-chilling cold that brought a different kind of fear to his heart.

The second shot.

Wei Xinjian tremblingly turned the muzzle towards himself.

But soon, he changed his mind and aimed the gun back at Lin Sizhi.

If the chance of being shot just now was 1/6, then the probability of being shot now had risen to 1/5.

Wei Xinjian didn't dare to gamble.

What if the game's creator anticipated his thinking and placed the live round on the second shot?

After gasping for air, Wei Xinjian still decided to let the other person bear the risk.