Quantification of Life Value

Wang Yongxin nodded, "That's right, that's the sentence!

'Actually, this has already given us a hint. The goal of this game is not 'judgment' but 'distribution.' It's about distributing visa time to us collectively according to certain game rules.'"

Qin Yao looked confused, "Visa time... wasn't that already distributed? Everyone has some, about a month."

Wang Yongxin shook his head slightly, "It's clear that under the rules of the New World, the visa time we initially received wasn't 'distributed' but was something most basic.

'So-called 'distribution' must be earned through the game before it can be distributed.

'According to the rules in the New World, not everyone is qualified to survive here indefinitely, hence the Gallery, the 'Clearing and Judgment Agency.'

'But judgment can only be passed on specific crimes committed by an individual.

'The game "Blood Poker" is for everyone. There's no specific crime that everyone has committed.

'Some people analyze that this game is meant to punish the 'Sin of Greed.' This is just path dependence, completely wrong.'"

Jiang He lowered her head again; she had been hit again.

At the time, that was indeed what she had thought.

Lu Xinyi had made a similar analysis, which greatly improved Jiang He's impression of her. But thinking about it now, Lu Xinyi was just playing favorites. She probably didn't agree with that statement internally.

Wang Yongxin continued, "In summary, this game is essentially a screening process.

'If you analyze it carefully, you'll find that this game has two completely different problem-solving approaches, with many traps laid within.

'When the approach is correct, the more traps you see through, the more visa time you'll get.

'This is the meaning of 'screening.'"

Ding Wenqiang clearly disagreed with this point of view, "Even if it's screening, what does it screen out?

'According to the rules of the Gallery, are gamblers the most qualified to survive in the New World?'"

Wang Yongxin was somewhat speechless. It was obvious that the gap between him and Ding Wenqiang had reached a certain level. It wasn't entirely personal animosity, but more a difference in philosophy.

In Ding Wenqiang's view, diligence and kindness were undoubtedly virtues. Therefore, in the New World, screening and distributing visa time should naturally consider these aspects.

But in reality, the Gallery's screening was done through gambling.

Those who didn't gamble gained nothing, while those who gambled wildly had everything.

This was clearly contrary to his simple concept of good and evil, so he naturally couldn't accept the explanation that "this is screening."

However, Wang Yongxin wasn't angry. He was in a good mood now, so he was willing to explain a bit more.

"This game certainly doesn't screen for gamblers, nor does it rely on luck.

'If you think back carefully, many aspects of this game have special meanings.'"

Wang Yongxin walked to the large screen and pointed to the rules displayed on it.

"It's clearly written here that the 'Chip Exchange Area' and the 'Multiplayer Game Area' have significant differences in their environmental design.

'The "Chip Exchange Area" consists of small booths, cramped, oppressive, and dim environments, along with iron chairs equipped with restraint mechanisms and chilling bloodletting devices, all creating a very dangerous atmosphere.

'Rapid bloodletting and the lack of oxygen in a confined space would make one feel dizzy, further intensifying this sense of crisis.

'Therefore, the vast majority of people, out of instinct for self-preservation, would choose to draw only the minimum 200ML of blood and leave as quickly as possible.

'In contrast, the "Multiplayer Game Area" is spacious and bright, giving a strong sense of security. Not only that, but you can also meet three other teammates here.

'Under these circumstances, the four people would naturally band together. This sense of security would make them indulge in the group environment and not want to leave.

'Even if an individual wanted to leave, they would be dissuaded by the other three.

'Because one person leaving would, in turn, affect the interests of the other three: it's not just about the outcome at the gambling table, but also a deprivation of security.

'By common sense, quite a few players should have returned to the booths and the Chip Exchange Machine to gamble out of curiosity.

'But looking back, very few players did so.

'This is the result of multiple factors: the environment, the sense of security, and the constraints of other teammates.

'In multiplayer games, encountering players from the same community, while providing a stronger sense of security, this security itself is also a huge temptation.

'It would, to some extent, interfere with your rational judgment, that is, your ability to weigh risks and rewards.

'Moreover, after leaving the booths, everyone holds nearly 20,000 chips. Converted into visa time, that's about two weeks.

'For everyone who defaults to having only one month of visa time, this is also a significant temptation.

'Many people's first reaction would be how to minimize losses and preserve these 20,000 chips. And they would 'happen' to discover that they could leave safely by cooperating with another community and taking turns as the dealer.

'They felt as if they had found a loophole and the optimal solution to the game, and then spent the next period of time diligently practicing it.

'Once this plan was successfully executed, they would be immersed in the joy of 'completing the game early' and 'being completely safe,' abandoning further thought.

'These types of players are like those who follow the rules in society, choosing a conventional lifestyle according to the apparent rules, unwilling to take risks, and thus can only obtain the lowest returns in this game.'"

Many players who were hit by these words felt ashamed.

They had indeed thought that way, believing they had completely cracked the game, only to find out after leaving that the amount of chips they received was the lowest tier.

"'However—'"

Wang Yongxin changed the subject, "'I don't think such a choice can be said to be wrong, because some people are extremely risk-averse.'"

"Although the mortality rate in this game is low, it's not zero. It's not impossible for some players to get carried away and bleed themselves to death.

"Compared to dying in the game, it's always better to come back alive.

"But if you think about it further after considering this, you can reach the next level:

"Just like Cai Zhiyuan's group: since there's a way to win every time, why not bleed a little more?

"According to the conversion rate, 100ml of blood can be exchanged for 10,000 minutes of visa time. This is simply the most profitable deal.

"If you can think of this, that's also very good. Because it means you've broken the 'life is priceless' mindset and are willing to calculate the value of life."

Jiang He still didn't understand. "But 'life is priceless' is inherently correct, isn't it?"

Wang Yongxin chuckled. He looked at Lin Sizhi. "Lawyer Lin, why don't you explain this? I think your profession should be the most convincing."

Lin Sizhi was surprised to be brought up.

However, this question was indeed more appropriate for him to answer.

"No matter how much we emphasize that 'life is priceless,' we cannot deny a realistic problem: in certain situations, life can actually be, and must be, priced.

"This statement may sound inhumane and not politically correct, but it's a fact that happens in our real lives.

"For example, the determination of death compensation: generally, it's calculated over twenty years based on the previous year's per capita disposable income of urban residents or the per capita net income of rural residents in the jurisdiction of the court handling the case.

"For those under sixty years old, it's uniformly calculated for 20 years; for those over sixty, one year is deducted for each year of age increase; for those over seventy-five, it's calculated for five years.

"As for the specific amount, it fluctuates between 500,000 and 1,000,000.

"Therefore, from a moral standpoint, life is of course priceless. But from a societal reality standpoint, pricing the value of life is inevitable.

"Except for malicious incidents like intentional homicide, most industrial accidents, traffic accidents, or medical malpractice in our society result in compensation for the victim's death, which is probably the value of life recognized by society."

Wang Yongxin nodded. "Exactly! That's why I believe this is precisely the concept the 'Gallery' is trying to instill in us.

"To survive in the 'Gallery,' we must abandon the 'life is priceless' mindset and learn to quantify the value of our own lives."