Players, Please Board the Train-Chapter 203: How to Play the Game

Xu Huo stepped forward and finished off the mermaid, then looked at the other metal containers that were being broken open one after another. He said to Dai Wenqian and the others, "Let's take action."
"What action?" Zheng Liang instinctively responded.
Xu Huo thrust his sword into the wide-open mouth of a Mutant that had suddenly poked its head out from the adjacent container. He waited until the creature stopped struggling inside the metal box before withdrawing his sword.
A bloody liquid mixture flowed out from the broken opening of the metal container. He then lifted the nearby mermaid's corpse and stuffed it into the hole, blocking the breach.
"From above." Dai Wenqian suddenly produced a metal spear in his hand. He leaped onto another metal container, thrust his spear through it, and within seconds, the violently struggling Mutant inside fell silent.
He nodded to another one of his companions, and the sword-wielding player lightly jumped onto yet another metal container.
After dealing with several of the most reactive containers, the echoing thumping sounds gradually diminished.
Everyone watched as Xu Huo and Dai Wenqian returned from different directions and instinctively stepped back.
"Let's first discuss the information we've gathered so far." Dai Wenqian made a gesture inviting Xu Huo to speak.
Xu Huo found a spot to sit down, placing his sword horizontally across his legs. "When we descended from the tenth floor, one hundred thirty people split into twelve elevators."
"Eight elevators had thirteen people each, one had nine people, one had seven people, plus the six people in my elevator, and the four people in Gu Yu's group."
"Three elevators were attacked—one with thirteen people, one with nine people, plus mine."
"The other fully loaded elevators and the two elevators with fewer people were not attacked."
"Elevators matching the floor number won't be attacked, while any extra elevators will be randomly attacked regardless of how many people are inside."
"Our previous deduction was correct—the number of descending elevators can only be equal to or less than the floor number."
"Are you satisfied now?" Brother Tie shot Dai Wenqian an annoyed glance. "We almost died just now."
Dai Wenqian gestured toward Xu Huo with his chin. "There's still one who survived an attack, isn't there? You should have confidence in yourself—maybe you can survive too."
"Right, how did you all manage to stay safe earlier?" Gu Yu quickly asked. "Was there something special about your situation?"
"Everything else was the same, except for the mutated plants I brought down from the thirteenth floor," Xu Huo said.
Numerous gazes, both overt and covert, focused on the cart.
"Could it be that the mutated creatures are also afraid of these potted plants?" Zheng Liang looked at the items on the cart in surprise. Apart from the plant that could corrode skin and kill instantly, the other plants taken from the glass room didn't seem to have such strong offensive capabilities.
"It could also be the scent," Wei Bin touched his nose. "Some plants can emit odors that repel snakes, insects, rats, and ants. Humans can't detect them, but animals find them repulsive."
"I don't think they were mutated animals," Jiang Yihua frowned at this point. "I believe those were mutated plants."
Xu Huo turned to look at her.
Jiang Yihua explained, "My special ability is quite sensitive to plants. Although I didn't see the actual creatures, my intuition tells me that's what they were."
"Then let's tentatively consider them as plants," Xu Huo said.
"The mutated plants probably masked your scent," Gu Yu analyzed. "That's why you avoided an attack."
"Then let's hurry back to the thirteenth floor to get more potted plants!" Zhang Biao slapped his thigh. "If everyone carries two pots, wouldn't we be safe!"
"This is just one possibility," Wei Bin said. "The risks are also quite high."
"First, returning to the thirteenth floor would mean facing attacks from mutated animals."
"Even without mutated animals, there are so many plants in the glass room—which types should we take, and how many pots would be considered safe?"
"Isn't it obvious? The more, the better," Zhang Biao said. "No matter what plants they are, getting more can't be wrong."
"This isn't the safest method," Dai Wenqian took off his glasses to clean them. "If the enemy can't find a target, everyone would become targets again."
"Since the number of elevators cannot exceed the floor number, and having fewer people than the capacity is safe, then the only option is to select a target in advance."
He slowly put his glasses back on and said to Xu Huo, "Last round randomly selected you, and you survived. You win some, you lose some—for the next floor, it's up to you to arrange."
"But you've probably already thought it through, right?"
Xu Huo's method was the same as his. "Create a target."
"From the fifteenth floor to the fourteenth floor, the elevator that was attacked was the overloaded one. Besides the rule of gradually reducing the number of elevators per floor, overloading might also be a factor."
"So you want to directly make one elevator overloaded?" Jiang Yihua said. "But wouldn't that make the overloaded elevator extremely dangerous?"
"More than just dangerous—it would be like delivering prepared meat to their doorstep!" Zheng Liang said. "Who would be willing to enter that elevator with you?"
No one present was willing.
Dai Wenqian scanned the people around him and said with a smile, "Actually, there's a simpler method."
"Leave thirteen people on each floor, or kill thirteen people. The remaining people can then safely reach the first floor, and by the time we get to the first floor, the dungeon time would almost be over."
These words made the onlookers around them show expressions of fear. This way, all the ordinary people who entered would die!
"This approach is too inhuman!" Jiang Yihua said angrily.
Dai Wenqian said, "This is how the game is played."
The rules are laid out plainly—either someone goes out to be cannon fodder to buy a slim chance of survival, or abandon companions, or fight for elevator spots.
Your own life, or someone else's life.
"I said long ago this would be the best approach!" Brother Tie was the first to respond and said to Xu Huo, "You, Gu Yu, and Zheng Liang are all old acquaintances. Why bother getting involved with players you've just met?"
Another player had just died, leaving a total of seventeen players remaining. If Xu Huo sided with Gu Yu and Dai Wenqian's group, the situation would be different again.
Jiang Yihua and her three companions were on high alert. Kang Hong immediately said, "I can enter the overloaded elevator."
"Even if you're willing to go, others might not be," Brother Tie glanced at the cowering people nearby. "You don't think we're going to risk all us players this round, do you?"
"Whatever bet you made has nothing to do with me. I absolutely will not go in."
Zhang Biao, the Bald Player, and the Square-faced Player, who were aligned with him, immediately nodded, indicating they would definitely not go along.
Dai Wenqian smiled at Xu Huo and said helplessly, "You can't blame me for this."
Xu Huo's expression remained unchanged as he nodded. "It's fine as long as you and your friend go in."
Dai Wenqian's smile vanished.
"I'll go too," Gu Yu said.
But Xu Huo waved his hand and selected Dai Wenqian and his companion, plus Jiang Yihua, Zheng Liang, and Wei Bin.
Those who were chosen hesitated slightly but didn't object.
Da Zhi said, "I'll go too."
But Jiang Yihua pressed his arm and shook her head.
This way, from Xu Huo's five-person faction, two people would go (counting himself), and from Dai Wenqian's twelve-person faction, four people would go.