The Community's Future

After lunch.

Everyone voluntarily handled the cleanup. The leftover food was put in the refrigerator, the trash was thrown out, and the dishes were washed clean.

Once everything had been tidied up, some people were clearly still in high spirits, chatting in small groups on the sofas in the hall.

Others chose to return to their rooms and rest.

Although the red wine was not very strong and no one had gotten drunk, they had just gone through a game today. After being so tense and then relaxing, everyone inevitably felt tired.

Yang Yuting yawned, feeling a little tired herself. After saying goodbye to Li Renshu and Xu Tong, she left the hall and prepared to return to her room for a midday nap.

"The entire second floor is practically a maze."

Yang Yuting could not help complaining again.

She had voiced the same sentiment the first time she came here.

This small building in the community did not look large from the outside, but it was far more spacious within. The second floor in particular had twelve different rooms, with each entrance cleverly separated from the others. This made the entire floor's layout extremely complicated and confusing.

Even now, Yang Yuting still had some difficulty finding her own room.

However, when she reached the area near her door, she suddenly froze.

Wang Yongxin was standing not far away, seemingly waiting for her.

"Sorry for the interruption, but there are a few things I'd like to discuss with you privately."

Wang Yongxin was quite polite. His manner made Yang Yuting feel that even if she refused, he would not pester her too much.

After a brief moment of consideration, though, Yang Yuting nodded. "Sure. Where should we talk?"

Wang Yongxin pointed toward the stairs leading up beside them. "The third floor. There are plenty of private rooms there."

The two of them went up to the third floor and casually picked a secluded little room to enter.

Wang Yongxin turned to check that no one was around, then locked the door behind them.

That made Yang Yuting a little nervous, though she did not panic.

After all, the community rules absolutely prohibited any harm or violence between players.

Yang Yuting thought Wang Yongxin was a smart man. He should not be foolish enough to go that far.

Of course, the rules did not seem to prohibit softer methods of control such as deception or mental manipulation. However, such methods had limited applications and low success rates, so there was no need to worry too much about them for now.

Sure enough, Wang Yongxin did not make any extreme moves. He merely sat down on a single-seat sofa nearby and explained, "Walls have ears. Better to be careful."

Yang Yuting was curious. "What do you want to talk about that requires this much caution?"

Wang Yongxin had drunk quite a bit of red wine during the meal, but he showed no sign of drunkenness now. On the contrary, he seemed remarkably clear-headed.

"I want to talk about the future of our community."

Those words surprised Yang Yuting.

She truly did not understand why Wang Yongxin would bring up such a topic.

This community... did it really have a future worth planning for?

By now, most people had barely accepted the fact that they had come to such a "New World."

What they needed to worry about was only how to get through the next game, how to earn as much Visa Time as possible, and how to survive here for longer.

Compared to the dangerous game corridors, the community was more like a simple safe zone.

People talked and helped one another here, reviewed previous games together, and prepared for the next one.

Or sometimes, like now, they could enjoy a feast, ease their taut nerves, and support one another as they carried on.

Everyone had made it through this game safely, but what about the next one? Or the one after that?

Perhaps the community would soon lose members, or other accidents would occur. Under those circumstances, discussing or planning the community's future was truly meaningless.

After thinking for a moment, Yang Yuting said, "Even if this is something we should consider, I don't think it's really up to us to worry about, is it?"

Wang Yongxin smiled. "Given the current situation, it really isn't up to us. But isn't that exactly the problem?

"Haven't you noticed?

"Today's proposal added a new rule to the community, and that rule will directly change how we live in the community from now on.

"And yet such an important proposal was discussed by five people in a small room.

"The remaining seven of us were effectively excluded entirely."

His expression became serious. "This proposal could be called a win-win for everyone.

"But what about next time? Or the time after that?

"Suppose someone proposed that all your remaining Visa Time should be divided equally among everyone, or that you had to turn over 70% of the Visa Time you earned from every game, and that proposal received seven votes and passed.

"What would happen?

"Don't think that's impossible. It is completely feasible within the rules."

Yang Yuting froze for a moment. "You mean... tyranny of the majority?

"But... Fu Chen and Li Renshu both seem fairly kind and responsible. They probably wouldn't propose something that extreme.

"And even if they did, it would be hard to get seven votes. People aren't so shortsighted that they would go that far.

"If they can vote to divide up my Visa Time today, then tomorrow they can vote to divide up someone else's. If that continues, everyone will be in danger, and all trust within the community will vanish.

"We're a community of shared interests. As long as everyone understands that simple logic, no one will take the first step down that slippery slope."

Wang Yongxin asked meaningfully, "Does this 'we' of yours include me?"

Yang Yuting nodded. "Of course it does."

Wang Yongxin pressed on. "Then are you sure that their 'we' includes you too?"

Yang Yuting hesitated. "It should, right?"

Wang Yongxin smiled and asked again, "Then why weren't you in that little room this morning?"

Yang Yuting was rendered speechless.

Wang Yongxin looked at her calmly. "All you've said boils down to one thing: placing your hopes in other people's conscience.

"But how do you know what Fu Chen or Li Renshu are really like?

"Here's a very simple question: surely you don't think those five people who discussed the proposal were chosen at random?"

Yang Yuting fell into thought.

"Those five people..."

Fu Chen, Li Renshu, Cai Zhiyuan, Cao Haichuan, and Lin Sizhi.

"You mean Fu Chen, Li Renshu, Cai Zhiyuan, and Cao Haichuan were in the same group during the previous game, so they have deeper trust in one another and were the first to form some kind of clique?" Yang Yuting guessed.

Wang Yongxin shook his head slightly. "That's only one factor. There are others.

"Li Renshu is a civil servant, Cao Haichuan is a police officer, and Lin Sizhi is a lawyer.

"Do you understand? Their professions make them natural 'managers.'

"And do you remember when we first discussed Redemption Roulette and the other games? Those people spoke noticeably more often than everyone else.

"That means they not only have better mutual trust, but also share professional and ideological identification. More importantly, they are all relatively influential figures in this community.

"So as long as all five of them agree on a proposal, it will most likely be implemented.

"The opinions of the remaining seven people are actually irrelevant. They either follow closely behind one of those five, or become marginalized people whose opposing votes mean nothing.

"What happened today has already proven that well enough.

"Those five people are, in fact, the 'core of power' in our entire community.

"This core of power formed in just two or three days. Do you think that was a coincidence?"

Yang Yuting frowned slightly and lowered her head in thought.

"But your perspective... isn't it a little too... too political?"

Wang Yongxin smiled. "Is politics really such a bad word?

"Wherever there are people, there is politics.

"Especially since we are in a very unusual environment right now. There are twelve people, and every one of us can propose motions and vote on them.

"And the content of those proposals is closely tied to each of our vital interests.

"In an environment like this, if you do not care about politics, politics will certainly come to care about you."