Bargaining with a Tiger

More and more people found hiding places or entered rooms.

Without looking around any further, Gaoxin shouted, "Let's go to the third floor."

Gaoxin moved quickly, one step after another, heading straight for the third floor.

But someone caught up to them. When he turned around, he saw it was Jin Meimei.

"Brother Xin Ku, right? I remember you. The Dog Collar is hidden on you, isn't it?" Meimei stared at him.

Gaoxin's expression turned strange. "Why are you still so focused on the collar? Shouldn't you be hurrying to find somewhere to hide?"

As he spoke, he quickly went up to the third floor.

Meimei followed closely behind. "Stop pretending. No one else found it, so it has to be on you."

"You deliberately brought up the hidden area so everyone would temporarily forget about the collar and not come looking for trouble with you."

Seeing Gaoxin remain silent, the woman curled her lips into a smile.

Meimei lowered her voice. "This game is called 'Dog Catches Rat,' not 'Cat Catches Mouse.'"

"We Glass People don't even have the right to choose. We're meant to be hunted by cats like rats and exchanged for points."

"Hiding isn't even how this game is meant to be played. The powerful people definitely don't just want to watch hide-and-seek. Otherwise, why arrange three dogs? And why give them no beneficial tasks at all? They're obviously here to stir things up."

Gaoxin ignored her and searched the third floor with Sule.

Meimei kept following them. "The three dogs are the variable in this game. Dogs gain nothing from killing rats, so we can seek the dogs' protection."

"Right now, two dogs are outside, facing the fate of being eliminated. Only the rats can save them. This is our opportunity."

"You definitely got the collar. Why keep hiding it? Why not seek the dogs' protection?"

Gaoxin sighed and finally said to Meimei, "Yes, anyone could think of that."

"Theoretically, there is an outcome where everyone survives. The three dogs restrain one cat, protect the rats, and everyone lives in the end."

"But in that outcome, the cat and rats each get a hundred Redemption Vouchers, while the dogs work themselves to death and get nothing. Do you think the dogs would agree to that?"

Meimei said, "Didn't you see how vicious that Old Cat was? At the very least, those two people he deprived of collars definitely hate him to the bone!"

"And we can save two dogs. There's no benefit in the dogs harming us, so why would they—"

Gaoxin cut her off. "There's no benefit in the dogs harming us, but there's no downside either."

"And just because the dogs hate the cat doesn't mean they have to protect us. Hunting the cat and protecting the rats are two different things."

"Killing is far easier than protecting. Old Cat can kill rats while fighting and earn Redemption Vouchers along the way, but Old Dog may not protect rats in the middle of battle while taking the risk of being hurt by the cat."

"Don't talk to me about gratitude for saving lives. Those are three criminals, and they've been on this island for who knows how long."

"They may be meek right now, but once they get inside, things won't be up to us anymore."

Meimei froze. She had not expected Gaoxin to have considered all this. It was not that he had failed to think of seeking the dogs' protection.

But she did not let it go. "Yes, even if the dogs don't kill us, they won't protect us wholeheartedly."

"But will hiding like you're doing actually help?"

"If you save the two dogs and bring them inside, there will be three dogs attacking the cat. Then we rats just need to hide carefully, stay away from the battlefield, and wait for time to run out."

"Letting the cats and dogs fight each other is what benefits the rats most."

"Otherwise, with only one dog like this, the cat will have much less pressure in the future and can search for rats and hunt us down!"

Gaoxin said thoughtfully, "You're right about all of that, but now isn't the time to negotiate with the dogs... Those two won't be eliminated until two-thirty. There's no need to rush."

Hearing that he intended to let the dogs in, Meimei relaxed. Then she asked in confusion, "Why not settle it now? Is it because the cat is outside too?"

"What's there to fear? Our cooperation with the dogs can be completely aboveboard. So what if the cat knows? He can't get in right now anyway."

"On the other hand, once twenty minutes pass and the cat gets inside, we may not even be able to get near the main entrance. Even if we do, the cat will definitely notice quickly and chase after us."

"In the open courtyard, we'll have almost no chance of surviving."

Meimei was deeply puzzled. She could not understand why Gaoxin was hiding the Dog Collar.

The silver-handed youth had said that anyone who threw one in would have it thrown back out, but he was alone while there were three opponents. Once those two collars were thrown in, the other three dogs would not need to kill one another.

The longer they delayed, the worse it was for them. What if those two people died?

Gaoxin looked at her. This woman was smart and spoke with logic and evidence. No wonder she had worked in law before.

Her thinking was just a little too simplistic and incomplete. She only knew how to analyze rules and terms, while underestimating human nature.

Gaoxin shook his head. "Everything you said is right. If we want the dogs' protection, of course it would be better to negotiate now."

"Otherwise, once the cat gets in, we'll have to risk being hunted by him. Even if we reach the entrance, we may not have the chance to say much."

"But... you're too naive. They aren't three well-behaved little ones. They're three vicious dogs, three criminals!"

With that, Gaoxin wanted to take Sule and leave.

Meimei did not understand. She grabbed Gaoxin and said, "Why do you have so many concerns? Aren't you just afraid that after we save the dogs, they'll go back on their word and refuse to protect us?"

"Gratitude isn't reliable in a place like this. Do you think I'm an idiot? I thought of that problem long ago!"

"We can give Old Dog the Redemption Vouchers we earn for surviving until the end! We can tie our interests together."

Gaoxin turned back and looked at her in some surprise. "You plan to give the dogs a share?"

Meimei said excitedly, "That's right. The rules don't state it explicitly, but if Old Dog wants any benefits, he can only get them from the rats."

"Dogs gain nothing by killing rats. If the cat kills them, the Redemption Vouchers go to the cat."

"So it can only be 'Dog Catches Rat,' but without killing them. When the game ends, the rats give their Redemption Vouchers to the dogs."

"This is the only way Old Dog can obtain Redemption Vouchers in this game."

"The more rats survive, the more Redemption Vouchers they can contribute to him. Then Old Dog will have the motivation to protect the rats!"

Sule was stunned. "Huh? We can do that?"

Meimei smiled. "We should be able to. Didn't you notice? This game has twenty rats, yet it didn't match even one NPC, because NPCs can't receive rewards after completing a game!"

"Also, I asked that bald guy. He's an experienced player, and he said that in Low-level Games, Glass People can give their survival rewards to the strong players in the game in exchange for staying alive."

"In other words, in games that force players to kill each other, there is theoretically a universal hidden path to survival: the weak hire the strong to protect their lives."

"The three dogs in this game were designed as mercenaries for us rats."

Sule asked, "Isn't that stealing money from those Wa people? Would they agree?"

Meimei said, "If it really is money paid to buy lives within the game, the Wa people usually recognize such agreements. Since they've opened the door for people from everywhere to participate, they can't possibly monopolize everything."

Gaoxin nodded. "They built a village and became local tyrants, not a band of robbers. Besides, Sasaki said outside that it would already be good enough if us newcomers survived. As for the Redemption Vouchers, no matter how many we bring out, we have to hand them over."

"Thinking back, the meaning behind those words was that we might only be able to save our lives and bring out no Redemption Vouchers at all, or very few."

Sule could not help but ponder. "Then why do Radiation Users still kill us? They don't even need to play the game. They could just block the exit outside, then collect money from the surviving rats when time runs out."

Meimei shook her head. "That won't work. If Glass People could already survive on their own, and Radiation Users still used force to demand Redemption Vouchers afterward, that would be robbery outside the game."

"I heard from the bald guy that the Wa people would find out about that and directly hunt down whoever did it. After all, that would mean robbing them and declaring war on the entire gang."

Sule scratched his head. "What if outsiders joined forces, collected the Redemption Vouchers, then killed all the Glass People to silence them? How would the Wa people find out?"

Meimei shrugged. "No one does that. Anyway, that's what the bald guy said."

Gaoxin sneered. "Do you even need to ask? That wouldn't just provoke the local gang, it would also mean sabotaging the game. For a few hundred Redemption Vouchers, they'd offend both the local powers and the organizers... If people like that don't die, who will?"

Sule suddenly understood.

Meimei said, "That's right. Also, Sasaki only said earlier that, as newcomers this time, we could simply seek to survive. He didn't say we could do that in the future."

"I think this is the only protection we newcomers will ever get. If we have to work for the Wa people long-term in the future, they'll definitely force us to risk our lives. If we bring back nothing at all, it may be worse than death."

Gaoxin and Sule both fell silent.

Meimei continued, "What do you say? I can tell you aren't confused. You understand all this."

"No matter what happens later, at least this time we can pay up and survive. If we use that to negotiate with Old Dog, we can definitely stay alive. Didn't they say this was a newcomer benefit round?"

Gaoxin nodded. "Yes, I know. So how much do you plan to give the dogs?"

Meimei said after thinking for a while, "Even if we survive to the end and obtain Redemption Vouchers, we'll still have to hand them over to those Wa people."

"Our only goal is survival. There's no need to keep even a little. In my opinion, we should give all of it to Old Dog, so it matches the benefit Old Cat gets from hunting us."

"The cat earns a hundred for killing one rat, while the dog earns a hundred for saving one rat. That way, Old Dog will definitely protect the rats wholeheartedly."

Gaoxin took a deep breath and sighed. "That's where it is. That's where... you got it wrong."

Meimei frowned. "Huh? I got it wrong? Are you saying the dogs will worry that we'll renege afterward?"

"Yes, I imagine there have been cases where Glass People wanted to bring back some Redemption Vouchers for themselves, reneged afterward, and took the elevator away while the strong players weren't paying attention."

"And once they reach the first floor, the Wa people will protect them. The Wa people won't care whether they reneged or not. Once the money is in their hands, it becomes theirs. With their power in Yamaguchi Village, whether it's lone players or outsiders, they can only let it go."

"But that's a low-probability event. They're so strong, how could they fail to keep us under control? We wouldn't dare refuse to pay."

"In any case, Old Dog will definitely agree to this deal. After all, if all the rats die, they get nothing."

"Or are you afraid that the Wa people will be unhappy if we can't bring out even a single point and punish us? Yes, that might affect how they treat us later, but it's still better than dying."

"I know. You mean there are three people on Old Dog's side, so the spoils would be hard to divide, right? Hmm... Each of us can give only ninety points for the three of them to split, while keeping ten points to offer to the Wa people afterward..."

"All of that can be negotiated... So we should be discussing the price as soon as possible. Once Old Cat gets inside, we may not have the time or opportunity!"

She reacted quickly and immediately thought of many possibilities.

She went on and on, analyzing eagerly.

Sule sighed beside them. "That's too humiliating. We fight desperately, and even if we survive to the end and finally get a hundred Redemption Vouchers..."

"Just to save our lives, we have to give thirty to each of the three dogs, then give the remaining ten points to the Wa people... And even then, we still have to look at those fucking Wa people's faces!"

"We definitely won't escape a beating. We might even get beaten to death."

His words were bitter, but it was a reality they all had to face.

Meimei sighed. "But what else can we do? I had to fight so hard just to get the chance to participate in the Redemption Game. Otherwise, I might have been sent to..."

She rubbed her eyes and did not continue. Her gaze turned resolute as she stared at Gaoxin. "What do you say? Is there anything else I missed?"

"As rats, simply hiding is too unreliable. Especially with Radiation Users being so powerful. I heard every one of them has sharp senses. Hoping to hide somewhere perfect where Old Cat can't find us is basically gambling with our lives..."

Gaoxin also let out a long sigh. "Everything you said is right. In fact, you've thought of almost everything I did..."

"But there's one thing you never considered... Our true best partner is actually the cat..."

Meimei's eyes widened. She was so shocked she nearly jumped up. "What? Rats cooperating with a cat? Are you insane?"

"This game is meant for the cat to hunt rats. The cat gains an extra hundred Redemption Vouchers for each rat. The more he kills, the more he earns."

"To him, we rats are walking Redemption Vouchers. Negotiating with him? That's like bargaining with a tiger for its skin!"

Gaoxin raised his brows. "Bargaining with a tiger for its skin? Well said. I think I roughly understand what that phrase means."

"But I think cooperating with the dogs is what truly counts as bargaining with a tiger for its skin!"

Meimei was confused. "Huh? What are you talking about? There's no benefit in it. Why would the dogs kill us?"

Gaoxin said seriously, "You know these Radiation Users came to participate in this game to gain benefits, right?"

"The dogs can't gain any benefits at all in this game. And as you said, they hate that cat to the bone! So they'll definitely gang up on him."

"If they kill the cat, what do you think they'll do?"

Meimei said, "After killing the cat, the rats will no longer have a natural enemy, so they can..."

Suddenly, she froze and could not continue.

Gaoxin said quietly, "Looks like you've thought of it. After the dogs kill the cat, they'll take the Cat Collar, put it around their own necks, become cats, and continue hunting us."

Meimei stared at Gaoxin's crotch. "Can collars really be worn two at a time?"

"Can identities really be changed?"

Gaoxin felt uncomfortable under her stare. As expected, this woman had realized how he was hiding the collar.

He immediately said, "After wearing two, you can take one off again."

"The rules only say, 'Thirty minutes after the game officially begins, players who have not been assigned an identity will be eliminated.'"

"It only eliminates 'players without an identity,' not 'players with multiple identities,' so you probably just need to pay attention to the order... Don't take off your original collar before putting on the new one..."

Meimei said thoughtfully, "So are you a rat or a dog right now? Or both?"

Gaoxin said bitterly, "I believe I'm still a rat."

"I tried to pry the collar open, but I couldn't. However, I could slip it directly over my leg from the middle. Combined with how the rat collars were directly generated around our necks earlier..."

"The organizers' intention couldn't be clearer. They don't want rats putting collars on themselves. I think an identity is only bound when the collar is worn around the neck."

Meimei sighed. "It's also possible that the rules simply don't allow identities to be changed."

Gaoxin pointed at the crystal ball on the wall. "No. The powerful people set up three dogs, a full three dogs! And they're three dogs who can't gain any benefits... hungry dogs!"

"If three hungry dogs gang up on Old Cat, they can almost certainly kill him. Then all the rats will have no natural enemy and can peacefully survive to the end. Do you think that's what the powerful people want to watch?"

"The organizers forcibly bound the twenty of us as rats, yet they threw the Dog Collars and Cat Collars onto the ground."

"Do you remember what the rules said? 'The identities of Old Cat and Old Dog will be assigned by the remaining players themselves.'"

"The implication is that anyone can be the cat or dog. They can assign themselves however they choose, and naturally that includes changing midway through."

Meimei gritted her teeth. "Damn it. If that's the case, then perhaps only the rats' identities can't be changed..."

Sule was a little confused. "Can we rats really not become cats or dogs? Brother Xin Ku, the two of us can pry one open together. Then a third person can stick their neck through it, and wouldn't they be able to wear it?"

"Meimei is here right now. We can try it."

Gaoxin smiled, then looked at Meimei. "So... are you willing to try?"

Meimei rolled her eyes at Sule and shook her head. "I won't try. The rules make it clear both openly and indirectly that rats aren't meant to become cats or dogs, so why would I try?"

"Even if the two of you forcibly pry it open, something might suddenly appear and kill me the moment I stick my neck through."

"Even if the organizers didn't design something that twisted, what benefit would I get from becoming Old Dog?"

"If a rat becomes a dog, it means Old Cat loses a hundred Redemption Vouchers. He can simply catch me, put the Mouse Collar back around my neck... and then kill me."

Sule suddenly understood. Right, what was the point of becoming a dog?

Based on their earlier analysis, dogs were designed to fight cats!

Could a bunch of weaklings like them win against a cat by becoming dogs?

Just as Gaoxin had said before, without a dog's strength, they did not even qualify to be dogs...

No wonder the organizers had directly put Mouse Collars around their necks and made the collars so difficult to open. The meaning was obvious: a bunch of Glass People, stop fooling around. Be rats obediently and struggle to survive in the gap between cats and dogs.

P.S. Sorry.