Survivorship Bias

Chapter 13: how did you guess it?

Upon hearing these words, Wu You’s expression changed.

“You…” He stared at An Wujiu, “Did you guess?”

“Judging by your reaction, it seems I guessed right.” An Wujiu raised an eyebrow and chuckled, “I thought maybe you intentionally revealed it to me.”

Before he could continue, Wu You pulled him into another room.

“How did you figure it out?” Wu You took off his hat, ran his hand through his short red hair, then put the hat back on, “Did I show it that obviously?”

An Wujiu didn’t smile; he only scrutinized him from top to bottom, not directly answering his question but saying in an indifferent tone, “If I were Yang Ming, you’d be dead by now.”

Wu You’s expression immediately changed.

Soon, An Wujiu laughed as if his trick had succeeded, “Don’t be afraid, you’re lucky. The curse line hasn’t connected to me.”

The room was dark, with only a cold white light next to the sofa. An Wujiu sat down, propped his left hand against his temple, crossed his right leg over the left one, and leaned back.

“But you still aren’t cautious enough.”

The cold light spilled diagonally across half of An Wujiu’s face like a thin veil, illuminating his forehead, bridge of the nose, eyelashes, his playful mouth corner, and his sharp jawline. Every inch of the other half was immersed in unfathomable darkness.

A mysterious beauty enveloped this person’s entire being.

“I’ve heard that apart from me and Yang Ming, everyone else is a stranger who hasn’t met each other. In other words, before you entered this game, you didn’t know Yang Ming.” 

An Wujiu’s voice was actually gentle, creating a pleasant illusion.

“Starting from the warm-up matches, you had quite a bit of friction with Liu Chengwei, almost coming to blows several times. But after drawing the character cards, you intentionally or unintentionally contradicted Yang Ming almost every time, even revealing your hostility towards him in front of us.” An Wujiu chuckled softly, “He was the most dominant character on the field, with a powerful alliance having high strength. How could you dare?”

Wu You stood in place, lips tightly sealed.

“Just now, during the contract signing, I wanted to see who would be the first to stand up. This meant breaking Yang Ming’s monopoly over the game, so outsiders would naturally choose to observe first.” His deep black pupils fixed on Wu You standing before him, “And it turned out to be you.”

“But…” Wu You seemed to be trying to defend himself, “Why couldn’t it be someone else hiding their curse against Yang Ming? As you mentioned, with his significant advantage, wouldn’t it be too obvious to display it openly?”

“Of course, it’s possible,” An Wujiu leaned back, looking at the ceiling, “Using the process of elimination, I’m not the one cursing Yang Ming; Ueno is definitely not. Liu Chengwei is a fence-sitter for sure, but he doesn’t have the ability to disguise; he can’t curse Yang Ming while being on his side.”

“As for Lao Yu… he appears to be a reasonable person, capable of hiding emotions and being cautious. But he’s contradicted Yang Ming several times, and with his personality, he seems more like someone unrelated to both the red and black lines. If he were really cursing him, he’d definitely try to avoid suspicion. Just wait and see; if his black line is revealed, it will likely be someone who has almost no interaction with him.”

“That leaves Shen Ti, Zhong Yirou, and you.” With Shen Ti in mind, An Wujiu’s focus gradually dispersed, the mural on the ceiling twisting and spreading like a kaleidoscope until it became countless gem-like eyes.

An Wujiu closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, straightened his posture, and looked at Wu You, “I’m too lazy to think about it, just find someone gullible and give them a little scare. This shouldn’t take more than one try.”

Regarding this man’s observation and probing abilities, Wu You felt a sense of dread.

“So,” he asked, “Were you really pretending earlier?”

An Wujiu laughed, “Then my acting skills must be way too good. I was wondering too, how did I become so kind? When others want to harm me, I’m still thinking about whether we can achieve a win-win situation. Maybe it’s because I’ve just entered this game and haven’t fully let go yet.”

“You can’t have a win-win situation here,” Wu You said.

“Of course it’s possible,” An Wujiu smirked, “It’s just that some people don’t deserve it.”

Wu You fell silent.

“Hey.”

Wu You looked up again to see An Wujiu with a friendly expression, “Tell me about your secret crush.”

Wu You furrowed his brows but didn’t hesitate for too long before revealing the answer to An Wujiu.

“Shen Ti.”

An Wujiu burst into laughter, “It’s him, huh?”

“What’s the matter?” Wu You asked, “Do you want him dead?”

“Well… there was a fleeting moment when I considered it,” An Wujiu yawned.

But he couldn’t die right now.

Wu You remained silent for a moment and finally spoke, “What do you think about Yang Ming…”

At the mention of that name, An Wujiu’s face displayed a distinctly bored expression, as if he were feeling drowsy, “He hasn’t realized it yet.”

Wu You’s slightly furrowed brows relaxed a bit, but a trace of doubt lingered in his eyes.

“Let me guess, what are you thinking right now?”

An Wujiu stretched in a half-hearted yawn, rising from the couch and intentionally putting on a vulnerable and pitiful expression, “What should I do? I’m so scared that Yang Ming will find out that I cursed him. Tomorrow, he can check my red and black lines, and he’ll definitely try to find ways to kill me. I don’t want to die, but even if I survive, as long as Yang Ming lives, I can at most take a share from Shen Ti.”

Finishing his sentence, his expression and tone instantly shifted, becoming superior.

“You must be really scared right now.”

Wu You’s eyelashes trembled, his silence growing even more feeble. After a brief pause, he chose to speak up.

“You’re right. Yang Ming’s skills are specifically designed to counter me. No matter how well I hide, he’ll eventually find out.”

His cursed target was Yang Ming, and yet Yang Ming had chosen the role of a capitalist, granting him the ability to learn about “Company Employees” secrets.

“If he uses his skill on me, I’m as good as dead.” Wu You’s head hung low, and his clenched fist relaxed.

The light illuminated An Wujiu’s pale face with a hint of gold, making him think of a snowball tossed into a fire.

“Yeah,” An Wujiu smiled, “It’s really unfortunate; there’s no other choice at all.”

Wu You’s heart sank deeper and deeper.

This was his only and last chance at a survival lifeline. But he was well aware that this was essentially begging An Wujiu to use his one-time swap ability to help him. Removing his black line was challenging, and the value of his red line for survival was low…

Hope seemed almost nonexistent.

“You can only cooperate with me,” An Wujiu said unexpectedly.

Hearing the unexpected answer, Wu You looked up, his eyes filled with surprise.

“Why…”

Why find him, and why help him?

An Wujiu chuckled lightly and nonchalantly continued, “I had it planned when Zhong Yirou was stitching up my wounds. But then there were two consecutive duels, and I was too busy seeking death to have time to find you.”

His pupils reflected the light like two faintly burning will-o’-the-wisps.

“Yang Ming will eventually check your lines. I must get ahead of him.”

“Kid, I’m not helping you.”

Wu You stared into his eyes, feeling like he was peering into an abyss.

“Yang Ming always believes this game is for losers, and he thinks that my level isn’t much different from his. As long as he doesn’t make a mistake, he won’t lose.”

An Wujiu’s expression turned into one of lament, “It’s really a pity. He can’t see it at all. This is clearly a game with a significant difference in strength, a game for winners.”

Wu You spoke softly, “So…”

“So I have to give him a lesson, and let him take a good look at how he loses.”

“Need to see it through to the very end.”

In places where the light source wasn’t strong enough, the exquisite religious murals seemed to lose their divinity. The faces of angels and God twisted and distorted, flowing into the silent darkness along with the doctrines that subdued people.

Shen Ti stared at the painting on the wall, and the eyes of the figures in the painting seemed to stare back at him, creating a subtle sense of mutual observation.

“It’s already 9:30 in the evening.”

He heard Ueno’s voice. The entire bunker had only one place where the time could be seen, and Ueno had come from the reception room.

Ueno’s voice was somewhat muffled, “…Weren’t you helping Ming-ge? He almost exploded when he saw you immediately agreeing to An Wujiu’s conditions.”

“Who cares? I can’t even take care of myself. Don’t even talk about helping him. When it comes to not being able to survive, apart from those connected to my red line, I’d dare kill anyone,” Liu Chengwei said as he spoke; his mouth seemed to be eating something, the chewing sound annoyingly loud, “This bread is ridiculously tough.”

“Is that so? I think it’s much better than what I could afford in real life.” Ueno looked at the bread in his hand, not paying attention to the road, and accidentally bumped into Shen Ti. He was so scared that he took a few steps back.

Shen Ti’s eyes in the dim light were like a lake beneath a shadowy snow mountain, making people feel chilled to the core after prolonged observation.

“You guys have a good relationship.”. He had removed his mask and begun to speak. It was just that this person was always full of contradictions. Just his height alone, over 1.9 meters, was imposing, yet he would make childlike gestures. His tone was cold, but his manner of speaking was full of humor.

Upon hearing Shen Ti’s words, Ueno seemed somewhat flustered, “I- I mean, we’re not in a mutual cursing relationship, so naturally, it wouldn’t be bad.”

“Why so nervous?” Shen Ti smiled and deliberately asked, “Did I mention anything about cursing?”

Ueno hesitated for a moment and couldn’t immediately respond.

But Shen Ti decided to press on, “You’re so sensitive to this word. Are you cursing him or me?” He cast a quick glance toward Liu Chengwei, his eyes carrying a smile.

“I’m not!” Ueno blurted out, but he couldn’t conceal his uneasiness and turned his head to look at Liu Chengwei.

“I see.” Shen Ti patted Ueno’s shoulder and deliberately leaned in closer, whispering softly, “Just don’t be so quick to trust others.”

“What do you mean?” Liu Chengwei looked annoyed, “Are you here to sow discord?”

“What?” Shen Ti immediately feigned a fearful expression, “I thought you only got close to strong people. I didn’t expect…”

As he spoke, he suddenly acted as if he had an epiphany, turned his head to Ueno, and said, “Right, almost forgot. The character you got has both high force and survival value. That explains it.”

“You!”

Shen Ti’s words left Ueno and Liu Chengwei looking at each other, and the atmosphere even became somewhat awkward. Yet, the instigator was at ease, leaving the corridor without another word. He even waved back at them with a friendly gesture.

“Get along well. Good luck.”

With a turn, the smiling expression on his face vanished instantly.

Thinking of spending some time in the reading room, Shen Ti unexpectedly discovered Wu You leading Yang Ming into the neighboring music room. Yang Ming’s expression was serious, as if he had heard something he didn’t want to hear.

Shen Ti thought for a moment and turned to walk in a different direction.

Time passed quickly in this enclosed bunker. By the time Shen Ti finished his final round of solo pool in the game room and returned to the empty reception area, the clock had displayed nearly midnight.

He stood there, glanced around, and then returned to his own rest area. He didn’t encounter anyone along the way, probably because the mandatory bedtime was approaching and everyone had returned to their rooms.

Shutting the door behind him, the room contained only a bed. Unlike a bedroom, it felt more like a place where people came to confess their sins in the past. The elaborate religious murals extended inside, making one feel uneasy after staring at them for too long.

Lying on the bed, the serene and benevolent depictions on the ceiling, a pair of blue eyes, seemed to gaze back at Shen Ti.

He had no interest in this kind of religious imagery, and there was even a natural resistance within him.

Closing his eyes, the scene of An Wujiu cutting his hair kept replaying in his mind like a malfunctioning machine. Although he had intended to test An Wujiu and see if he was truly harmless, the sudden change in An Wujiu’s demeanor still caught him off guard.

Finally, found someone interesting.

Gradually, a slightly sweet fragrance seemed to fill the air, making one feel dizzy. In a daze, Shen Ti lost consciousness completely. This feeling was uncomfortable, unlike actually falling asleep; it was more like the nightmare of rapidly stripping away consciousness.

What was eerie was that even though he was clearly asleep, he felt as if he could hear strange sounds—friction sounds like heavy objects being dragged, shuffling, and rustling.

The hypnosis gas and the faint noises played tug of war on his nerves. At the very threshold of falling into a deep sleep, he suddenly heard the sound of chanting—a hymn with pure and beautiful singing, repeating over and over. Within the hazy lullaby of hypnosis, Shen Ti lost consciousness completely.

When he opened his eyes again, he was awakened by the chatter near the door.

Here, daytime and nighttime didn’t differ much, as the only source of light was artificial lighting. Shen Ti felt a slight headache, probably from the hypnotic gas last night.

“No wonder this place looks so much like a church, but also not quite like a church… It’s weirdly creepy.” Ueno’s voice came through the door as Shen Ti pushed it open.

“Don’t you think those angels look like they’re, like, staring at us?” Ueno continued.

Shen Ti closed the door behind him, crossed his arms, and walked towards them. Everyone was present except An Wujiu.

Yang Ming held a piece of paper in his hand, his expression serious.

Shen Ti wasn’t curious; he just looked at the terrified expressions of the others.

“Damn, what does this mean?” Liu Chengwei spat out a wooden stick from his mouth. “The more I look at it, the more creepy it gets.”

Suddenly, a door behind them slammed open, and Shen Ti turned around to see An Wujiu yawning, running his hand through his hair as he walked out. He had a nearly one-quarter depleted yellow energy bar on his head.

He had found an oversized white shirt from somewhere and draped it on himself, unbuttoned and loose, revealing the bandaged wounds and the black peony pattern on his chest.

“What’s so creepy?” An Wujiu strolled over aimlessly, taking the piece of paper directly from Yang Ming’s hand, flashing a charming smile, “Me?”

“You!”

“Whoa, so many words.” An Wujiu lowered his head to scrutinize the paper and read its contents in a very perfunctory tone.

“The God who enlightens all things, I take their breath with deadly poison, melting their organs and lungs. The priests shall offer living sacrifices, presenting fresh blood, boundless fear, and cries of lamentation. They shall offer the most devout prayers; may the Lord be pleased. I hide among the survivors, offering the blood of the final seven living beings to the holy altar, one life each. Midnight is a burning, fragrant pilgrimage, a pain I am immune to, a time of divine rest—your most devout follower.”

“Fancy words,” An Wujiu finished reading, his expression somewhat disdainful. He flipped to the back without finding anything and held the paper up to the light source to examine it, “Printed out?” He crumpled it up again, “Could it be a hologram…”

Yang Ming snatched the paper from his hand, “You don’t need to worry about it.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” An Wujiu raised an eyebrow, “Where was this found? Who found it?”

“I-I found it,” Ueno raised his hand, only to be quickly silenced by Yang Ming, “Shut up.”

Zhang Yirou, leaning against the wall, used a small mirror in her hand to check her own face, touching up her lipstick. She spoke as she applied it, “Could this be a new hint from the game? ‘I hide among the survivors, offering the blood of the final seven living beings to the holy altar,’ isn’t this…”

An Wujiu used an excited, overjoyed tone to say what others wouldn’t accept.

“Ha, so among the eight of us… there’s actually one cultist who wants to kill everyone.”

The author has something to say:

The concepts of winner’s game and loser’s game are based on economics.

In essence, a loser’s game refers to a situation where both sides have relatively equal abilities. To win, one needs to make fewer mistakes than the opponent, similar to the women’s singles badminton final in this year’s Olympics. Our country’s champion, Chen Yufei, played more steadily than her opponent, making fewer mistakes and securing victory.

On the other hand, a winner’s game is the opposite. One side’s strength far surpasses the other, so the winner relies on their correct decisions and abilities. Even if the opponent doesn’t make mistakes, it’s difficult for them to reverse the situation.