Men Should Have the Courage to Take Risks

Shen Yalong could no longer hold his temper in check. He didn't have a single point left!

He was going to lose his mind!

Hearing this, Zhao Xun raised one eyebrow slightly. "You broke the Train Rules and lost five points?"

At midnight last night, Shen Yalong had already lost five points for failing to complete his Personal Mission.

And now, Shen Yalong said all his points were gone.

Clearly, he had lost his remaining five points for violating the Train Rules by failing to return to his seat.

Shen Yalong asked instinctively, "How did you know?"

Then it finally dawned on him. "You did this on purpose?"

Last night, he had only thought Zhao Xun had tied him up to find out what the penalty would be for failing to complete a Personal Mission.

He had never imagined there was another purpose: to see whether being tied up here instead of returning to his original seat would count as violating the Train Rules!

Until he saw the point deduction notification this morning, it had never even occurred to him that he might be deemed in violation of the Train Rules.

The rules only said they couldn't wander around at night. They didn't say they had to return to their own seats.

He would never in a million years have thought this would violate the Train Rules!

Before Zhao Xun spoke, Shen Yalong had thought he was simply unlucky.

Only after Zhao Xun spoke did Shen Yalong realize he had been set up.

Shen Yalong glared at Zhao Xun. Anger clouded his judgment, greatly diminishing his fear of him.

"I've never done anything to you! Why would you set me up like this?!" he demanded harshly, as though he could kill Zhao Xun with his glare.

With not a single point left, he would have to go hungry again today.

Given his injuries, it was doubtful he could even complete today's Personal Mission.

If he failed to complete today's Personal Mission, wouldn't he lose more points?

He was already at zero. Surely his points wouldn't go into the negatives?

Whether they went negative or not, if he failed today's Personal Mission too, he would pretty much end up starving to death on the train.

Fuck this... he might as well just die and get it over with!

Zhao Xun untied the ropes around Shen Yalong. Rather than answer his question, he simply asked, "What, are you planning to stay here with me instead of leaving?"

Shen Yalong froze, staring at Zhao Xun in disbelief. "You... you're really letting me go?"

His anger vanished, replaced by a heart full of hope.

Although he had been furious just now, he didn't actually want to die. At the end of the day, he still wanted to live.

"Yes." Zhao Xun nodded firmly.

Shen Yalong glanced at his legs, both dangling limply.

His bones weren't broken; his joints had merely been dislocated. As long as they were popped back into place, he would be able to walk normally.

The problem was that his arms had been dislocated too. He couldn't put his own leg joints back into place!

He looked at Zhao Xun awkwardly. "How about..."

Before Shen Yalong could finish, Zhao Xun spoke. "What are you going to offer me in exchange?"

Shen Yalong choked, unable to utter a word.

Just hearing the word "offer" gave him a headache now.

All those misfortunes had happened because he had wanted Zhao Xun's help without offering him anything in return. Now, he didn't dare say another word.

Shen Yalong turned to look at the others still sitting in their seats.

No. 018, the bald man with the scorpion tattoo, looked far too menacing. Shen Yalong didn't dare approach him at all.

No. 019 looked so young that she was probably still a student, while No. 020 was clearly a white-collar woman who spent her days in an office. Neither looked like she had any experience resetting joints. Asking them would only make things worse.

Only No. 015, the slightly plump woman, gave him no clue as to her background.

But she was his only hope right now.

After some thought, Shen Yalong asked No. 015 for help. "Ma'am, could you help put my legs back into place? If you help me, I'll owe you a huge favor. I'll definitely repay you next time."

No. 015 had just stretched. Hearing Shen Yalong's words, she lowered her arms, looked at him, and asked, "When is next time?"

A spark of hope stirred in Shen Yalong's heart.

No. 015 hadn't said she couldn't reset his joints. Instead, she had asked when he would repay the favor.

Didn't that mean No. 015 knew how to do it?

Who would have thought his blind guess would actually land him someone who could reset his joints!

Shen Yalong didn't dare make empty promises as casually as he had with Zhao Xun, lest he ruin his only remaining hope.

He thought it over carefully for quite some time before speaking. "I'll get off the train this evening to participate in the Platform Game. Whatever I experience in there, I can tell you everything, exactly as it happened."

No. 015 looked somewhat surprised. "You're actually planning to participate in the Platform Game this soon?"

She had already decided she wouldn't get off the train without first gathering useful information about the Platform Game.

A month was a long time, after all. This was only the first stop, and there would be plenty of opportunities later. She was in no hurry to get off.

She thought most people would feel the same way, so Shen Yalong's words surprised her.

"Men should have the courage to take risks!" Shen Yalong declared with righteous conviction.

In truth, only he knew that he didn't want to participate in the Platform Game so soon at all.

But he had no other choice.

He really had nothing to offer in exchange. Only information gained by taking a risk might have some value.

To stay alive, he had to offer something enticing enough.

Besides, he remembered that the first of the Train Rules said, "On the Endless Train, every passenger must complete one Personal Mission each day." If he got off before midnight today, that would mean he hadn't spent the entire day on the Endless Train.

Perhaps he wouldn't lose points even if he didn't complete today's Personal Mission.

Although he couldn't be sure this was correct, he had no way back.

In fact, if he did lose more points and his balance went negative, he would need to participate in the Platform Game all the more.

As long as he cleared the Platform Game, he would earn points and turn his terrible situation around.

Then he could still survive.

The Platform Game was his only hope.

No. 015 was momentarily speechless. Shen Yalong's declaration sounded painfully adolescent.

But she resisted the urge to mock him, stood up, and rolled her wrists.

She walked over to Shen Yalong and confirmed once more, "Are you sure you'll participate in today's Platform Game?"

"I'm sure," Shen Yalong answered firmly.

"If you lie to me, I'll make you regret it." After delivering her threat, No. 015 deftly popped all four of Shen Yalong's limbs back into place.

Delighted, Shen Yalong moved his hands and feet. Once he confirmed he really could move freely, he immediately sprang up from his seat and put himself well beyond Zhao Xun's reach.