Ten Day Ultimatum

After leaving the first room, this marked the group’s first time deliberately participating in a game, which heightened everyone’s tension.

“Qi Xia,” Lin Qin called softly.
“What is it?”
“You mentioned before that different animals symbolize different types of games, right?”

“It seems that way.”
With this in mind, Lin Qin glanced at the Mortal Mouse before them and whispered, “Then what do you think the {Mouse Category} games are about?”
Qi Xia considered the question. Without knowing what kind of game it was, Tian Tian could easily be at a disadvantage.

But what do {mice} symbolize?
“It looks like this game aligns with traits typically associated with {mice}—like finding something hidden in a cluttered place,” Qi Xia speculated. “Maybe ‘mice’ represent games centered on {searching}.”
……

Tian Tian scanned the room. It was lined with shelves stacked with hundreds of cardboard boxes, both large and small.
She randomly picked one and opened it. Inside was a mix of assorted odds and ends.
She quickly realized it was impossible to search every box within the five-minute time limit—the number was simply too overwhelming.

Looking around, she noted a single incandescent bulb lighting the warehouse. The switch was on the wall near the entrance.
Tian Tian paused, then an idea struck her.
With a forceful shove, she toppled one of the shelves, sending a loud crash echoing through the room, startling the others outside.

“Hey, leng-mui zai, you okay in there?” Qiao Jiajin shouted.
“I’m fine,” Tian Tian replied loudly. “I just came up with something.”
Qi Xia paused, then nodded. “Yes… it’s a good idea.”

“Huh?” Qiao Jiajin blinked in confusion. “How do you know what she’s doing? You two got {Sound Conveyance} or something, like in wuxia novels?”
Inside, the noise intensified as Tian Tian knocked down more shelves, sending cardboard boxes flying in all directions. Some spilled out plastic plates and bowls, others were full of old clothes and paper.
She stomped over several unopened boxes, transforming the once-organized space into complete chaos.
Catching her breath, Tian Tian surveyed the mess. Then she walked to the wall and switched off the light.

The warehouse plunged into darkness. Only the sound of her breathing echoed in the quiet.
“How can this be…” Tian Tian muttered, frowning as she looked around.
She remembered that the small orb known as {Dào} emitted a faint glow. With everything scattered across the floor, it seemed likely she could find it in the dark.

But once the light was off, the room became pitch-black—completely void of light.
Undeterred, she pressed forward, cautiously stepping through the darkness, kicking at boxes to expand her search.
How could a glowing orb vanish so completely in the dark?

After what felt like ages of searching and kicking, she realized she had opened every box—yet saw no sign of anything glowing.
Just then, the Mortal Mouse knocked on the door. “Ten seconds left.”
Frustrated, Tian Tian flipped the light back on.

In the sudden brightness, she noticed a box of canned food underfoot. It had been neatly packed earlier, but now the cans were scattered across the ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) floor.
She picked one up and inspected the label: {beans}.
She shook it—there was a faint rustle inside.

“I feel like a guā-sǒng[1]…” Tian Tian muttered through clenched teeth. “Could it be in these cans?!”
{Squeak—}
The door creaked open as Mortal Mouse turned the handle. “Time’s up. Challenge failed.”

Startled, Tian Tian looked up into the eerie mask of Mortal Mouse.
The others immediately rushed over. Qiao Jiajin asked, “Well? Leng-mui zai, did you find it?”
“No…” Tian Tian dropped the can and stood, looking disappointed. “I think the {Dào} is in those cans, but there’s no way to open dozens of them with your bare hands in five minutes.”

Qi Xia glanced down and saw the cans were filled with broad beans. It was entirely possible one of them hid the {Dào}.
But something still felt off.
Tian Tian stepped out, casting a wary glance at Mortal Mouse.

But Mortal Mouse didn’t react. She simply shut the door and returned to her place.
“So it really is just a lost {Dào}?” Tian Tian asked in a low voice. “She doesn’t seem to want to kill us…”
Mortal Mouse giggled. “When did I ever say I wanted your lives?”

Qiao Jiajin, watching intently, suddenly caught on. “Ah… Swindler Lad, if that’s the case… can we try again?”
“Again?” Qi Xia frowned.
“We know now the {Dào} is probably in one of the cans. This time we just open them. She’s not going to kill us anyway.”

Qi Xia glanced at his pocket. He had only one {Dào} left.
{Mortal Dragon} had said that these {Dào} served as both reward and {stake}.
It seemed that participating in these games required wagering a {Dào}. If they lost too many here, they might not be able to take part in other games later.

“Leng-mui zai, you sure you checked all the boxes?” Qiao Jiajin asked again.
“I didn’t check them carefully. I just opened them and turned off the light,” Tian Tian replied, shaking her head. “But I didn’t see anything glowing, so… it must be in a sealed container.”
“Alright then, I’ll give it a shot!” Qiao Jiajin nodded.

Just then, Qi Xia reached out to stop him.
“Wait.”
“Hmm?”

Qi Xia turned to Mortal Mouse. “Can you repeat the rules of the game?”
“Of course!”
Mortal Mouse smiled and turned to open the door.

To everyone’s shock, the inside of the warehouse had returned to its original, pristine state. The shelves were upright and neat, the boxes arranged just like before.
“Damn!” Qiao Jiajin gasped.
Lin Qin and Tian Tian were just as stunned.

Mortal Mouse walked in casually, glanced around, and asked, “What do you think? My {game} is pretty magical, isn’t it?”
Qi Xia nodded.
She continued, “The game is called {Warehouse Dào Seeking}. Each attempt costs one {Dào}. There’s one {Dào} hidden in this room. If you find it within five minutes, you win—and the {Dào} is yours.”

She giggled again, delighted.
Qi Xia nodded, thoughtful.
“I want to try again,” he said.

“Sure,” Mortal Mouse nodded. “You can play as many times as you like.”
“This time…” Qi Xia said, gaze sharpening. “I want to stake my life.”