Ten Day Ultimatum

Pain.
A pain that burrowed deep, as though it coursed through his very marrow.
Qi Xia clenched his teeth, crouching on the ground, stifling groans of torment. He couldn’t help but wonder if something was truly wrong with him — psychologically, if not physically.

Every time someone perished near him, an excruciating headache seized him.
Why? What could be causing this?
Did it happen every time he encountered death?

No. He had seen death many times throughout these games, yet not every death triggered this unbearable agony.
After half a minute of endurance, Qi Xia finally exhaled a long, weary breath and rose to his feet, his face now a mask of cold detachment.
The three people outside, alerted by the silence, finally rushed into the building to assess the situation. It didn’t take long for them to realize Officer Li had passed — a cigarette still resting between his lips.

Zhang Chenze clasped a hand over her mouth, stifling a sob, too overwhelmed to speak.
“Son of a gun…” she muttered, her voice trembling as she slowly retreated to a corner. She grabbed fistfuls of her own hair, squatting down as though the weight of the moment crushed her. Her usually impeccable Mandarin now slipped into her native topolect, “What the heck is goin’ on… What the heck…”
Her emotions spiraled out of control, visibly shaken by the scene before her, as though the events had pushed her past a breaking point.

Before Qi Xia could utter a word, the bell tolled once more, its somber echo resonating in the distance.
{Dong}…!
Lin Qin and Ole Lu froze, instinctively turning toward the source of the sound. Though neither fully understood its meaning, they had come to associate that ominous chime with the passing of a life.

Steeling herself, Lin Qin approached Lawyer Zhang, whose fragile composure had crumbled entirely. She placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, her voice soft yet firm. “Lawyer Zhang, you must pull yourself together.”
“How the heck am I supposed to pull myself together?” Lawyer Zhang raised her face, pale and gaunt, her eyes brimming with despair. “Officer Li… he died to save me…”
“What exactly happened?” Lin Qin asked gently, taking Lawyer Zhang’s cold, trembling hand in hers. “In moments like these, it’s better not to bottle things up. Please, talk to me.”

Her calm, empathetic tone seemed to resonate with Lawyer Zhang, who had been teetering on the edge of collapse. Slowly, the tension in her demeanor began to ease, and her defenses lowered.
“It was that rabbit…” Lawyer Zhang muttered, shaking her head as though the memory itself haunted her. “That deranged rabbit… She wanted us dead. If it weren’t for Officer Li, we wouldn’t be here. We’d both be dead… They’re all mad… None of them care about the law…”
Her voice quivered with every word as she began recounting, piece by piece, what had unfolded after Qi Xia and the others had left.
The experiences of Lin Qin and Lawyer Zhang diverged significantly from Qi Xia’s earlier assumptions. Contrary to what Qi Xia predicted, it wasn’t Officer Li who uncovered the nature of these wretched games — but rather Lawyer Zhang.

After Qi Xia and the others left, Lawyer Zhang made a resolute decision. She engaged in a decisive conversation with the ox-headed figure across the street from the convenience store.
Her earlier assertion had proven true — she needed to gather enough information to make an informed judgment.
Upon discovering that the game didn’t guarantee death but potentially offered a reward of additional {Dào}, Lawyer Zhang conveyed her findings to Officer Li, Xiao Ran, and Doctor Zhao. However, only Officer Li aligned with her perspective, choosing to gamble their sole {Dào}.

This approach met with strong resistance from Xiao Ran. Fully aware that {Dào} was the essential {stake} in their participation, she vehemently opposed risking it, even if it meant passing up a slim opportunity rather than gambling and losing everything.
Officer Li, ever the kind one, had tried to persuade Xiao Ran gently, recognizing her vulnerability as a weak woman. Lawyer Zhang, however, showed no such leniency. Through clear, logical arguments and incisive rebuttals, she left Xiao Ran stunned and unable to respond.
Indeed, when it came to {verbal altercation}, a kindergarten teacher was no match for a seasoned lawyer.

The game host, known as {Mortal Ox}, had devised a remarkably straightforward challenge — an obstacle race.
The course, set within the confines of the restaurant, was littered with old tires and wooden barriers. Completing the race within the allotted time would earn an additional two {Dào}.
This challenge was seemingly tailored for Officer Li, who had graduated from the police academy and had considerable experience with obstacle courses. Although time had dulled his skills, they remained more than sufficient to navigate the track within the given timeframe.

The game’s structure was simple: one {Dào} to enter, with two {Dào} as the reward upon successful completion.
Officer Li seemed to have discovered a loophole in the game. He participated three times consecutively, and their {Dào} reserves grew to four.
Only when he was thoroughly exhausted did they finally leave the venue.

Their success bolstered their confidence. They believed they could gather enough {Dào} before reuniting with Qi Xia.
However, their luck took a turn when they stumbled upon the {Mortal Rabbit} game venue.
It was an {escape} type of game, and they assumed it would be manageable.

In a confined space, the two found themselves ensnared in a perilous situation.
Lawyer Zhang was bound inside a large transparent fish tank, gradually filling with water. Across the room, Officer Li was shackled to the wall, his only companion a slender wooden club.
The key to Officer Li’s handcuffs was submerged within Lawyer Zhang’s fish tank, while the switch to halt the water flow was situated near Officer Li.

In this grim scenario, each had a means to save the other.
However, Lawyer Zhang was tightly bound with wire, unable to free herself or toss the handcuff key from within the tank. Meanwhile, although Officer Li stood just a few steps from ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) the valve, his right hand was shackled, preventing him from reaching it.
Neither could immediately assist the other.

Such cruelty — what appeared to be an {escape type} game was, in truth, a brutal test of human nature.
At first glance, both seemed trapped, each in need of an escape. But a closer examination revealed a stark difference in their situations.
While Zhang Chenze faced certain death as the water level rose, Officer Li’s predicament was less dire. Even if he remained there all day, he would survive.

Zhang Chenze, her voice tinged with despair, admitted, “In that moment, I truly believed I was going to die.”
Meanwhile, Officer Li exhausted every method to free himself from the handcuffs. Though he was adept at unlocking restraints, the absence of proper tools made it nearly impossible. His only implement was a thin wooden club.
“Officer Li was really foolish…” Zhang Chenze muttered, her voice trembling. “Why didn’t he try to break the fish tank with the club instead of destroying his own…”

Qi Xia sighed deeply. “He was grappling with an inner conflict.”
“What do you mean?” Zhang Chenze’s hollow eyes sought clarity. “You’re saying this was his deliberate choice?”
“Yes,” Qi Xia affirmed. “He must have realized breaking the tank wasn’t practical.”

“But he didn’t even try…” Zhang Chenze’s eyes welled with tears, her voice cracking. “He could’ve at least tried…”
“And if he had?” Qi Xia’s tone remained steady. “If the club failed to break the glass and simply fell beside the tank — what then?”
Zhang Chenze’s breath caught as Qi Xia’s words struck a painful chord.

Had Officer Li tried to break the tank and failed, leaving the club out of reach, their chance of escape would have vanished entirely.
Amidst Zhang Chenze’s dismay, Officer Li, in one final act of desperation, brought the club down upon his own palm.