Choice

The deadline to submit the hiding-spot form is tomorrow at noon. In this small room, the potential hiding places are: under the bed, the wardrobe, the TV cabinet, the bathroom window, the ceiling, under the table, inside the bathtub (filled with water), behind the vanity...

There are indeed many places to hide, but the killer can only choose three spots to search. As long as the "lamb" is not found in those three spots, the killer must return to their own room. An eight-to-three probability...

Heming was deep in thought, while Rie was practicing mana conversion quite relaxed, as she had already decided to hide wherever Heming hid. After all, this kind of game was not her forte.

Heming thought to himself that the hiding spot couldn't be somewhere others would easily think of, nor could it be somewhere too obscure, as both extremes would likely be chosen as search targets. If one chose a place others wouldn't expect, that would be the optimal spot. But what kind of place is truly unexpected? Hmm? Just being unexpected isn't enough, because if someone suddenly thought of it in a moment of inspiration, they would surely write it down.

Under the bed is definitely an unexpected place; by normal human logic, most killers would assume the lamb wouldn't hide there and, to avoid wasting time, wouldn't choose to search it. But that is only normal logic—who knows how many abnormal people are here?

Heming ruled out under the bed. Next was the wardrobe. The wardrobe should be a place anyone could hide in; in movies and TV shows, it is one of the most popular spots, and also one of the most predictable. Since it is so easy to think of, the probability of it being searched is certainly not low.

The TV cabinet is a very hidden spot, but because it is too hidden, it is also easy for others to think of. If it is easy to think of, the search probability must be relatively high!

The bathroom window—this place is good. It is inconspicuous, not easily noticed, and others wouldn't think of it often. It can be said to be a relatively suitable hiding spot.

The ceiling is good and can also be considered an unexpected place. No killer would walk in and immediately look at the ceiling, right? But the probability of this place being searched is quite high... Of course, this is just Heming's intuition.

Under the table—there is no need to even think about this. It is the most unexpected place for others, but the probability of it being searched is definitely the highest. Many killers would habitually check under the table when hunting, and it is likely the same here.

When the bathtub is full of water, it is hard to say. Very few people would hide inside it, right?

Behind the vanity—this is a very conspicuous place, but the search probability might be high because girls are very fond of hiding in such spots.

Heming had already decided where to hide, but given his personality, he would certainly seek consent first. He woke Rie up and said, "I've decided on the best place to hide!"

After putting away her magic wand, Rie asked softly, "Where? It's not under the bed, is it?"

Heming smiled, shook his head, and said, "No, no. We'll hide in the bathtub filled with water. I believe the probability of that place being searched is the lowest!"

Rie was startled and asked quite embarrassedly, "Then... do we have to wear clothes?"

Only then did Heming realize; Rie was a girl, after all. How should they hide in there?

Ah... right...

Heming scratched his head and said, "Ah, no need to take off your clothes. I have a way. Here, take this." Heming took off the Chain of Ming and handed it to Rie, then continued, "This is the Chain of Ming. Its function is to allow breathing underwater. If you wear it, you can breathe in the water. Furthermore, the Chain of Ming has another function: it separates the body from the water, so your clothes won't get wet. As for me, I have the Pitch Black Heart Method..."

Rie had been blushing just a moment ago, but she slowly calmed down after hearing Heming's explanation. In truth, it wasn't that she was unwilling to be without clothes in front of Heming...

"Then you continue practicing mana control for a while. I'll practice the Pitch Black Heart Method, too. We'll sleep early and go talk to Zeng and Deng tomorrow morning!" After Heming finished speaking, he immediately began practicing the Pitch Black Heart Method...

Perhaps he was running away from something...

That night, Heming went to sleep very early. Perhaps this was the longest he had slept since he started practicing the Pitch Black Heart Method. He slept for seven hours and didn't wake up until eight o'clock the next morning. By then, Rie had already finished washing up and was waiting to head out.

"Come on, wash your face. Although I know it doesn't matter even if you don't, washing your face will feel much better." This could be considered the first time Rie had taken the initiative to ask Heming to do something.

Heming said "Mm," stood up, and walked to the bathroom. He took the opportunity to glance at the bathtub where they would be hiding that afternoon...

At 6:30, someone delivered breakfast, and they could head out at 6:00.

Heming looked at the breakfast; it was very sumptuous, with everything from fruit and bread to beef and roast chicken. However, he hadn't eaten anything for a while. Rie also looked at the table full of food—two people who didn't need to eat.

"Eat it. It's energy, anyway. Don't waste it," Rie suggested to Heming.

Heming walked to the table, sat down, and said, "Mm, let's eat!"

The two of them chatted and laughed as they finished everything on the table...

Heading out, Heming arrived at the fifth floor, in front of Zeng and Deng's door. "Knock, knock," Heming knocked on the door.

"Heming? Come in, we're inside!" Deng's voice called out.

After the two entered, they saw Zeng and Deng eating non-stop.

Seeing Heming and Rie enter, Deng smiled and said, "Haha, you two sit for a moment, we'll be done eating soon!"

Heming and Rie nodded and sat on the sofa.

Five minutes later, Zeng and Deng finished eating, washed their faces, and sat on the opposite sofa.

Zeng spoke first: "The room you are in is the place others like to visit most. Have you decided where to hide?"

Heming nodded and said, "Mm, we've decided. We're hiding in the bathtub!"

Deng burst into laughter upon hearing this: "Haha, Zeng, I told you! They definitely wouldn't choose to hide by the bathroom window or on the ceiling. You just wouldn't believe me!"

Zeng scratched his head and said, "The bathtub, huh? I didn't expect you would actually hide in there. Mm, that will definitely work. I didn't think anyone would hide in a bathtub either. The bathroom window is also good, but looking at it now, it's definitely not as good as the bathtub!"

Heming nodded slightly and said, "At first, I chose the TV cabinet, but after thinking about it, it just didn't feel right. Then I thought of the bathtub. Not many people would hide in a bathtub, and I estimate not many people would search there either. I think this is a place that is very hard to anticipate and very hard to think of!"

Zeng nodded and said, "I've already decided where I'm going to search: under the bed, in the wardrobe, and under the table. It's still early, and not everyone will calculate these things, so I think these three places are where the most people will hide. I've even determined the room: 4th floor, room 4. Many people would think of such a number, right? But who would dare to touch such an unlucky number?"

At first, Rie didn't speak; she just listened quietly to the three of them chatting. It wasn't until Deng suddenly brought up the topic of games that Rie spoke.

"Oh, right, Heming. After the three of us caught that Tyrannosaurus Rex last time, I got an Evil Winged Dragon card this time. When you're free, let's go play!" Deng suddenly brought up the Tyrannosaurus Rex, and this topic immediately caught Rie's attention.

Just as Heming was about to speak, Rie cut in first: "The Tyrannosaurus Rex you're talking about—is it the one from the Dinosaur Hunter game that you can only play in the United States?"

Deng gave a light "Ah" and said, "Mm, the three of us caught it together last time!"

Rie's eyes widened as she said, "That's amazing. Don't tell me you're also planning to catch the Evil Winged Dragon, of which there is only one in the world right now?"

Deng nodded and said, "Mm, I traded some items with someone else for an Evil Winged Dragon capture card. If it's feasible, we'll go try it once the game here is over!"

Rie calculated the time and nodded slightly... There was someone who knew what she was thinking... Hmm... Indeed... There was someone who knew what she was thinking, but it was definitely not Heming.

This time, it was finally Heming's turn to speak, "Perhaps you don't know, but Rie is very skilled at gaming, much better than I am. Hmm, last time we played Century Myth War, she charged into a pile of enemies all by herself and returned without a scratch. I didn't even know what was going on back then, and she just vanished, causing me to worry for quite a while."

Deng and Zeng said in unison, "No way..."

Rie said quite bashfully, "I'm an assassin, after all, so it's better for me to act alone..."

Deng had been prepared to say something else, but Zeng reminded the three of them to check the time; it was 10:30, time to return to their rooms to prepare.

As they left the room, the four of them wished each other luck...

Back in his room, Heming smiled, eager to witness his own hypothesis, while Rie was lost in her own thoughts.