A Wise Man's Thousand Considerations May Still Contain a Flaw

"Now, allow me to introduce the rules of the game!"

"Within the deck, there are three types of cards: Blank Cards, Safe Cards, and Joker Cards."

"Each of the two contestants will hold seven cards: six Safe Cards and one Joker Card."

Dao Jin spoke slowly, ensuring everyone present could clearly understand the rules.

As he spoke, Dao Jin of the Board Game Club brought out a circular tray, upon which seven cups of coffee were neatly arranged.

After blindfolding Kato Satsu and his opponent, Dao Jin poured three packets of powder into three of the cups in full view of the audience.

"As you can see, I have put laxatives into two of the seven cups—they are guaranteed to take effect within ten seconds—one cup contains the antidote, and the remaining four are just regular coffee."

"Once the game begins, both sides must play one card each. The players take turns calling the play, choosing whether or not to reveal the opponent's card."

"If you reveal the opponent's Joker, they must drink a cup of coffee; if you reveal their Safe Card, you must drink it yourself. If you choose not to reveal, no one drinks, but if both sides refuse to reveal, both must drink a cup."

At this point, Dao Jin's voice suddenly rose as he announced the victory condition.

"If someone is the first to drink the laxative, then suffering a public bout of diarrhea is their declaration of defeat!"

"Of course, if you are lucky enough to drink the antidote, it is effectively a locked-in victory. Since there are two laxatives, if both sides drink a laxative while the antidote is still on the table, it is a draw."

Here, Dao Jin's voice dropped, and he added with a mysterious tone, signaling that the rules were not yet finished.

"At the end of each round, regardless of whether a player revealed a card, we will collect the cards in hand and redistribute them."

"The Joker Card, once played, returns to the player's hand whether it was revealed or not; however, once a Safe Card is played, it disappears regardless of whether it was revealed, replaced by a Blank Card."

"And Blank Cards cannot be played!"

Dao Jin suddenly threw his arms wide and practically roared, "Now, let the game begin!"

Members of the Board Game Club skillfully removed the blindfolds from the two men and dealt their hands.

Tano Matsuyama looked at Kato Satsu with a mocking expression, showing no sign of worrying about losing.

Although I don't know which three cups are which, this tray is rigged; if the person underneath doesn't press the remote, the coffee can't be picked up. I'll just keep playing Joker Cards and drink the antidote once I get it, and the win is mine. (Tano Matsuyama)

I wanted to put laxatives in all seven, but since we're in public, if I didn't dose them openly, you wouldn't be able to withstand an investigation if you got hit. (Tano Matsuyama)

Most importantly, there are nine people standing right behind you, Kato Satsu. I know exactly what cards you're playing! (Tano Matsuyama)

These inner thoughts flowed clearly into Kato Satsu's mind. After cursing the man as a despicable villain, Kato Satsu began to formulate a countermeasure.

Some of the sharper students in the audience also began to consider how to win the game.

The rules aren't difficult: play cards to make the opponent drink. Safe Cards mean you drink, Joker Cards mean they drink. But because the antidote exists, blindly forcing the opponent to drink might just bury yourself. (Horikita Suzune)

The problem is that Safe Cards are a finite resource. Once they run out, you're forced to play the Joker, but playing a Joker in that situation is suicide. (Ayanokoji Kiyotaka)

In this game, you can only play Jokers in the early stages, or both sides refuse to reveal, racing to get the antidote! (Ayanokoji, Horikita Suzune)

The situation is clear: if I drink the antidote, I'm invincible. That bastard can't drink the laxative, and he knows what cards I'm playing. (Kato Satsu)

Wow, if Satsu gets expelled, that's one less potential rival competing with me for the high school beauties! (Yamauchi)

Kato Satsu and his opponent played their cards simultaneously.

Through their secret signal, Tano Matsuyama knew Kato Satsu had played a Joker, so he immediately played a Joker as well.

Both men had clear strategies: grab the antidote in the first round.

"I won't reveal!" Tano Matsuyama, who had the first call this round, shouted loudly.

How could I give you a chance to try your luck and drink the antidote? (Tano Matsuyama)

"I won't reveal either!" Kato Satsu replied.

Since neither revealed, both had to drink a cup of coffee. Kato Satsu and Tano Matsuyama slowly reached for the cups.

A wise man makes a mistake in a thousand thoughts. Because we were blindfolded, the order wasn't shuffled, and you dosed them in front of everyone. (Kato Satsu)

Kato Satsu tilted his head slightly toward the crowd; almost everyone was thinking about the location of the laxatives, wanting to see if Kato Satsu or Tano Matsuyama would pick one up.

However, how could Kato Satsu, who already knew the location of the laxatives, walk into such a trap?

Although the crowd doesn't know where the antidote is, Dao Jin, who dosed them, does. And the people who bought the medicine are from the Board Game Club. Everyone is watching the match, so how could I possibly fail to drink the antidote? (Kato Satsu)

What are you going to do, hold the mechanism so I can't pick it up? If I just shout that I can't lift it, won't you blow your own cover? (Kato Satsu)

How could you possibly be faster than my telepathy when you're testing them one by one?

Kato Satsu reached out without hesitation and downed a cup of coffee.

What's going on? Why does Dao Jin look like he just ate shit? (Tano Matsuyama)

Could it be...

With a sinking suspicion, Tano Matsuyama sped up his movements, but he soon reached a desperate conclusion.

A full four cups could be moved!

The antidote... it's... gone. Tano Matsuyama felt as if he had been struck by lightning. The cards in his hand slipped out involuntarily, and his face showed his helplessness.

What happened? Even if Kato already drank a cup of regular coffee, there are still four cups left on the table. Why does Tano Matsuyama look like that? (Horikita Suzune)

Something must have happened; Tano Matsuyama discovered something unexpected.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was also contemplating the current situation.

"The host's expression is off as well. Everything happened after Kato Satsu drank that cup of coffee. Under these circumstances, there is only one reason why Matsuyama and the host would wear such expressions."

"Kato Satsu has already consumed the antidote," Ayanokoji Kiyotaka thought.

"Since they know Kato Satsu drank the antidote, it can only prove that Matsuyama is cheating."

"The question is, was it just luck, or did Kato Satsu see through Matsuyama's scheme?" Ayanokoji Kiyotaka wondered.

On stage, Matsuyama casually drank a cup of coffee, his aura instantly wilting as he realized the match was hopeless.

The subsequent rounds were much simpler for Kato Satsu; he only needed to keep playing Joker cards while controlling the reveals, ensuring he drank all the normal coffee on the table.

"Matsuyama is finished. If he plays a safe card, I'll definitely reveal it."

"I'm playing Joker cards every time anyway. If Matsuyama plays a Joker too, I won't reveal it, which forces him to. Otherwise, the supply of normal coffee will decrease by two each round, bringing him that much closer to defeat."

"Regardless, at least one cup of normal coffee will be gone each round. Since we take turns calling the cards, I can adjust my strategy."

"In four rounds at most, you'll be running to the bathroom with diarrhea in front of all these people," Kato Satsu thought.