Chen Li

Biodata

Appearance

Chen Li is a burly, heavily tattooed man with a fierce demeanor. A later description also notes scars on his face 4 28.

• Build: Muscular; says that he lifts weights 21.
• Distinguishing features: Extensive tattoos and facial scars 4 28.

Personality

Chen Li is blunt, hotheaded, and quick to act. He knocks an elderly player unconscious for disrupting the introductions and openly asks God to make him a werewolf. His impatience also makes him susceptible to confident claims: he initially believes both Li Xin and Zhu Lun when they separately claim to be the Seer, then angrily demands their deaths after their stories unravel 4 9 10 12.

His pride does not prevent him from recognizing another person's competence. After accepting Lin Jie as the good faction's leader, he finds purpose in protecting him as the Guard and becomes the first player to vote against God. He also willingly shares what his Guide taught him about the Realm of the Dead 17 21 23.

Self-preservation becomes especially clear during the Human-Ghost Game. Furious at Lin Jie's deception, Chen Li initially refuses the Coexistence Plan, but changes his talisman once he realizes resistance could leave him as the only person condemned to die. He preserves his pride by insisting that his choice still follows the original human-victory strategy 34 35.

He is also openly grateful and capable of looking after others. He accepts Lin Jie's inability to share lifespan without resentment and later agrees to watch over Lin Zhi, citing his own experience as a father 37 44.

Background / History

Death and the Werewolf Game

Chen Li introduces himself as a taxi driver who died in a car crash. Before taking his turn, he silences the crazed old man accusing Lin Jie of destroying the world by striking him unconscious. Although Chen Li requests a werewolf role, he receives the Guard role instead 4 20.

Li Xin's false claim to have inspected him initially convinces him that she is the Seer. He even suggests that the Guard should protect her. When Lin Jie exposes her fabricated account, Chen Li becomes suspicious; Zhu Lun's subsequent Seer claim fools him a second time. Angry at both deceptions, he advocates executing one claimant and having the Witch poison the other 9 10 12.

After Lin Jie establishes himself as the real Seer, Chen Li briefly clashes with Zheng Yi as suspicion spreads among the remaining players. He nevertheless endorses Lin Jie as their leader and ultimately joins the unanimous decision to abstain from execution for one round 17 18.

Lin Jie later identifies Chen Li as the Guard through his reactions, remarks, and near-disclosure during the argument with Zheng Yi. Chen Li admits that he protected Lin Jie on the second day and again the following night. His protection produced the peaceful second night and prevented God from killing Lin Jie directly 20.

When Lin Jie reveals that God is the lone werewolf, Chen Li initially proposes physically attacking him. Once Lin Jie explains that they must use the game's voting rules, Chen Li is the first to vote for number zero—God 21.

The Portal and Apparent Return

Before leaving, Chen Li thanks Lin Jie and explains rings, Mutations, rank colors, and Administrators using information supplied by his Guide. He shows his own white ring and is surprised to discover that Lin Jie's ring is black 23 24.

Chen Li enters the portal expecting to return home to his wife. In the subsequent apparent real-world sequence, he is driving Xia Qu when an explosion blocks their route. He takes a narrow, unlit shortcut despite her requests to slow down. After narrowly avoiding an ambulance, the taxi's steering and brakes stop responding, and it accelerates into a lake 24 26.

Zhou Yun later claims that such returns to reality are illusions rather than genuine resurrection 39.

Human-Ghost Game

Chen Li next appears in White Rabbit's green-rated game with another white ring. He does not recognize Lin Jie, and his introduction repeats his occupation and death without acknowledging their previous game. Lin Jie notices that both Chen Li and Xia Qu appear to have forgotten him 28 29.

As a human player, Chen Li accepts Lin Jie's Humanity's Complete Victory Plan: rotate the red-and-blue talisman duties while the other participants earn money with multicolored talismans. He becomes so confident after six successful rounds that he asks White Rabbit to declare a human victory early 30 32 33.

Lin Jie's revelation that he is the Little Ghost leaves Chen Li furious. He considers submitting a red talisman to resist, but realizes that doing so could deny him ritual-assistant status while everyone else survives. He submits a multicolored talisman instead, while urging the remaining players to provide red and blue 34 35.

The ritual succeeds, and Lin Jie becomes the sole winner. Chen Li survives because White Rabbit exempts him, Lin Zhi, Xia Qu, and Yu Ze from the death penalty. After initially regretting the lost human rewards, he accepts Lin Jie's promise to share the prize money. Lin Jie also offers to divide his lifespan, but Fox reveals that lifespan cannot be shared 36 37.

Refuge in the Realm of Life

Chen Li and Xia Qu reunite with Lin Jie and Lin Zhi aboard a Resistance Army truck. During One-Eyed Dragon's attack, the pair hide among the refugees and survive unharmed 39 44.

At the Realm of Life, Chen Li agrees to accompany Lin Zhi while Lin Jie meets the leadership. He later registers his white ring and receives a room on the men's second floor of the civilian apartments; Lin Zhi and Xia Qu are housed on the third floor 44 46.

Abilities & Skills

Guard Protection

Chen Li's principal demonstrated game ability is the Guard role's nighttime protection. It belongs to his Werewolf-game role, rather than a demonstrated Mutation 20 23.

• Successful defense: Protects Lin Jie on the second day, producing a peaceful night 20.
• Repeated protection: Guards Lin Jie again the following night, preventing God from killing him directly 20.
• Interaction with healing: Protection and the Witch's antidote can cancel each other out under the game's overhealing rule; Chen Li's shock at the first death helps Lin Jie identify him 19 20.

Physical Strength

• Knocks the elderly Player 3 unconscious with an elbow strike 4.
• Claims to lift weights and volunteers to attack God physically, though Lin Jie rejects that approach 21.

Driving Experience

• Works as a taxi driver and claims years of accident-free driving 4 26.
• Knows local shortcuts, but drives at high speed on an unlit dirt road despite Xia Qu's objections 26.
• His eventual crash follows an unexplained loss of steering and braking, accompanied by continued acceleration 26.

Equipment / Items

• White ring — His connection to the Realm of the Dead. He explains that another person taking the ring causes immediate death and that white rings cannot trigger Mutations. He remains white-ranked when registering for accommodation 23 46.
• Lin Jie's contact information — Given to him and Xia Qu so they can claim their promised share of the prize money after returning to the real world 37.

Relationships

• Lin Jie — Fellow player, protected Seer, and trusted leader during the Werewolf game. Their next encounter begins without Chen Li recognizing him; despite anger over the later deception, Chen Li survives through his plan and accepts his offer to share the winnings 20 21 28 35 37.
• Xia Qu — His taxi passenger and fellow crash victim. They participate in both games and remain together through the Resistance rescue and arrival at the Realm of Life 26 29 39 44.
• Lin Zhi — Lin Jie's younger sister and fellow Human-Ghost participant. Chen Li agrees to help look after her, and she addresses him as “Uncle Chen” 29 44 46.
• Zheng Yi — Fellow Werewolf player and temporary antagonist in the group's arguments. They accuse one another and briefly threaten to vote each other out 17.
• Li Xin — Initially earns his trust by falsely claiming to have inspected him as good; he turns against her when the deception is exposed 9 10 12.
• Wife and daughter — His family in the living world. He expects his wife to have dinner waiting and remarks that his daughter is around Xia Qu's age 24 26.

Notable Quotes

“My name is Chen Li. I was a taxi driver. Cause of death: a car crash.” 4

“Chen Li votes for number zero!” 21

“It's fine. It's the thought that counts! We can stay here for now and go back once we earn some lifespan.” 37