Reason and Fairness

Li Renshu explained, "Because this game actually simulated the distribution mechanisms of the real world.

"The ways of obtaining huge profits often came with enormous risks.

"Going with the flow could avoid risks, but it also greatly lowered the upper limit of potential gains.

"Besides that, there could be cooperation, deception, and other situations between players, as well as between communities.

"If someone found loopholes or bugs hidden within the rules first, they could in turn gain an advantage when competing against other players.

"Although I didn't get many chips, I'm not jealous of people like Brother Wang and Lawyer Lin getting so many chips.

"It's perfectly reasonable."

Ding Wenqiang's expression darkened. "What's reasonable about it?

"It was clearly an ideal world that looked like a utopia, yet in the end, it was still encouraging gamblers, swindlers, and speculators?"

The corner of Wang Yongxin's mouth twitched slightly. He felt that Ding Wenqiang's three labels were all indirect jabs at him, but he held himself back and said nothing.

Officer Cao merely spread his hands indifferently. "Isn't that normal? When did New World ever say it was a utopia?

"Thinking this place was a utopia where everyone was equal was merely everyone's wishful thinking.

"On the contrary, New World's rules clearly stated that not everyone was qualified to survive here for long. That was why there was Visa Time, and why there was the Gallery's judgment.

"If the Gallery truly believed gamblers and swindlers were more qualified to survive, that wouldn't be strange either. At least from the perspective of social Darwinism, they did fit the definition of the strong better.

"Of course, that said, I don't think there's any need to see New World and the Gallery as being so good, nor is there any need to see them as being so bad.

"Even if someone really earned hundreds of thousands of Visa Time in this game by mindlessly going all in, I don't think that would necessarily be a good thing for him."

Wang Yongxin looked at him. "What do you mean?"

Cao Haichuan toyed with his lighter. "Simple. A gambling addict might have won a lot in this game, but what if, next time, the designer suddenly changed his mind and made a game where players had almost no chance of winning and could only survive by folding? What would happen to him?"

No one answered, because the answer was already obvious.

On the surface, if someone was a gambling addict, he really could win a great deal in this game.

But it also laid the groundwork for what came after.

Just like in reality, people who lost every time they gambled could never become gambling addicts. Gambling addicts were often those who kept winning right from the start.

That kind of success would completely destroy their ability to think rationally and cause them to develop a severe dependence on familiar patterns.

Then, as long as the next game changed even slightly in its details, that "successful experience" could get them killed.

Cao Haichuan comforted them. "So, there's no need for everyone to be too discouraged. The Gallery won't only open this once. We'll definitely encounter all sorts of other games in the future.

"Those games might have entirely different rules and logic. They might be life-threatening, or they might earn us even more Visa Time.

"This game favored you, and the next one might favor him. That's perfectly normal.

"Anyway, everyone made it through safely this time and earned Visa Time. That's already very good.

"Even ten thousand chips extended your Visa Time by a week, didn't it?

"Studying the Gallery's game rules and preferences is also meant to help us crack these games more effectively in the future. As for what has already happened, let it pass. There's no need to dwell on it too much."

Everyone nodded.

Although Officer Cao usually appeared rather carefree, whenever it mattered, his words always gave people a solid sense of conviction and security.

Fu Chen stood up. "Anyway, everyone worked hard today. Since it's already happened, there's no need to keep agonizing over it.

"Go back and get some proper rest."

The next morning, Lin Sizhi got up early.

As usual, he ordered a coffee and a sandwich, then sat at the long table in the lobby and ate slowly.

However, just then, he noticed that the kitchen door nearby was slightly ajar. Ding Wenqiang seemed to be busy inside.

Su Xiucen's voice drifted out faintly. "Brother Ding, you can't do this..."

But afterward, both of them lowered their voices. In the end, all he heard was Su Xiucen sighing.

Not long after, Fu Chen got up as well.

He ordered a bowl of soy milk and several fried dough sticks, then naturally took the seat beside Lin Sizhi.

The two ate in silence without saying much.

Not long afterward, Su Xiucen emerged from the kitchen and sat beside the long table, her face full of anxiety.

Fu Chen noticed it keenly and asked, "Aunt Su, what's wrong?"

Su Xiucen sighed. "I'm fine. It's Brother Ding... Sigh, he plans to eat nothing but steamed buns and pickled vegetables for every meal from now on. I wanted to persuade him, but I couldn't..."

Fu Chen froze for a moment, then his expression turned serious.

There was a steamer and all kinds of kitchen utensils in the kitchen. The community also allowed them to spend Visa Time to buy flour and yeast, so steaming buns was not difficult.

The question was why Ding Wenqiang wanted to do this.

The answer was not hard to guess: Ding Wenqiang had the least Visa Time of everyone.

At the very beginning, Ding Wenqiang had only eleven days of Visa Time. Later, in the Blood Poker game, he had earned only fifteen thousand minutes of Visa Time.

That was a little over ten days.

Though that sounded like a lot, no one could guarantee when the Gallery would open next, much less whether Ding Wenqiang would qualify to participate when it did.

So although the Visa Time spent on three meals a day did not seem like much—for example, a serving of tomato and egg rice cost forty-five minutes of Visa Time—Ding Wenqiang had to find every possible way to save.

What if he ended up just a few minutes short when the next game opened? That would be utterly hopeless.

Buying flour and steaming a large batch of buns at once, paired with a small amount of pickled vegetables, was currently the cheapest way to eat.

Su Xiucen was naturally worried, but no matter how worried she was, she had to admit that this was indeed Ding Wenqiang's best option right now.

Forgetting all about Visa Time and eating and drinking lavishly would be madness.

Fu Chen's expression was grave. "Yes, Uncle Ding's situation really isn't looking good.

"We have to think of a way to help him.

"Aunt Su, don't worry yet. We'll discuss it privately later and see if we can come up with something.

"Even if we can't directly give him Visa Time, we should at least find a way to solve Uncle Ding's food problem."

Su Xiucen's expression eased somewhat. "All right. Thank you, Xiao Fu. Sigh, it truly is our good fortune to have been assigned to the same community as such good children as you and Xiao Lin.

"But... can we really find a way?"

Clearly, although she had received some emotional comfort, she still did not feel reassured.

[Players within the community are prohibited from engaging in any direct or indirect transactions involving "Visa Time." Disguised transactions, such as using Visa Time to purchase supplies and then giving those supplies to another person, are also prohibited.]

This was a basic community rule, and it had been made crystal clear to everyone on the first day.