Witch, Please Open Your Eyes - Chapter 6 - Night 1-01 Game Start

After the words “game start” were spoken, the speaker fell silent. The men in black retreated out of the villa’s main gate, their guns trained on everyone. They were likely mercenaries from abroad, executing a professional Z-shaped withdrawal route. The last man, responsible for covering their retreat, arrogantly mimicked a shooting gesture at them before leaving.

“You!” Fang Daichuan’s pent-up anger flared up instantly, and he rushed forward, ready to confront the man.

The mixed-race guy grabbed him tightly. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

Fang Daichuan caught a glimpse of the gun in the man’s hand, its dark, cold gleam instantly extinguishing his rage. As more than a dozen helicopters took off before their eyes, Fang Daichuan not only lost his anger but felt his heart turn cold.

Everyone remained in the hall, glancing at each other in confusion. No one knew what to do next. The two bodies were still lying in the hall, and the girls instinctively huddled in a corner, keeping as far away from the corpses as possible.

Fang Daichuan looked around, but no one spoke. He braced himself and tried to comfort everyone. “Don’t be afraid. We still have seven days. Let’s think of a way together. There’s always a chance.”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but glance at the two fallen bodies. He turned back and tried to lighten the mood. “Let’s get to know each other first. Maybe… introduce ourselves?”

“Introduce ourselves?” The girl named Yang Song sneered. “So you know who to look for when you die, is that it?”

Ding Zihui, standing beside her, disagreed. “What are you talking about? Are you really thinking of killing someone?”

Yang Song gave her a look as if she were an idiot, pointing at the two bodies. “You saw what happened to those who resisted! Do you want to end up like them?”

“But the people with guns are gone!” Ding Zihui said in disbelief, turning sharply to stare at Yang Song.

Yang Song curled her lips coldly. “But they’ll be back in seven days. Only the winner gets to board the helicopter.”

She was right. No one dared to respond. Everyone exchanged glances, each lost in their own thoughts.

“If everyone really wants to survive,” the mixed-race guy, who had been isolated at a distance, suddenly interjected, “I have an idea.”

All eyes turned to him.

“Don’t look at me like that,” the mixed-race guy said, sitting at the head of the card table, struggling with his suit, not even lifting his head. “I was tricked too. We’re all the same, trapped in this life-and-death game.”

He quickly took off his suit jacket and tossed it onto a nearby chair, then began unbuttoning his tight vest. The weather was getting warmer, and the tension in the air made it even more stifling. Once the vest was off, Fang Daichuan noticed that the mixed-race guy’s back was soaked with sweat.

A middle-aged man was also sitting at the table. He hadn’t moved since the gunshots and deaths, exuding an air of calm detachment, as if he had seen it all before. He turned his head toward the head of the table, staring intently at the mixed-race guy, who was lounging with his legs crossed. “Do you know something we don’t? What’s the mastermind’s plan?”

“What’s the plan?” Sinian smirked, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s just the twisted psychology of the wealthy. Some people like watching sports, some like underground fights, and this guy gets his kicks from watching people kill each other.”

Fang Daichuan stepped forward, leaving Ding Zihui, who had been hiding behind him, and asked urgently, “You said you had a plan. What is it?!”

The mixed-race guy glanced at him. His eyes, reflecting the sunlight, had an icy, pale gleam.

“The plan is both simple and difficult,” the mixed-race guy said, fiddling with a box in his hands. “What he wants to see is us turning on each other, but we’ll deny him that satisfaction. We still have seven days-plenty of time to familiarize ourselves with this island. We’ll set up defenses, and when the helicopters arrive, we’ll hijack them instead. I can fly a helicopter. Once we’re in Chinese airspace, these foreign mercenaries won’t be able to touch us.”

Fang Daichuan listened to his suggestion with a furrowed brow and asked, “What about you?”

“Huh?” The mixed-race guy was taken aback, staring at him in confusion.

“Do you have Chinese citizenship? Would you even dare to step into Chinese customs?” Fang Daichuan asked with concern. While the mixed-race guy claimed to be an unlucky victim caught up in this mess, it was hard to say if he was truly innocent. Given his possible ties to foreign mercenaries, who knew if he had a criminal record?

The mixed-race guy seemed unprepared for the question and hesitated for a moment. He looked at Fang Daichuan for a while, then lowered his head and said, “You don’t need to worry about that…”

“This is a great plan!” Ding Zihui cut in, interrupting their conversation. “This way, none of us have to die! So what are we waiting for? Let’s start scouting tonight!”

The mixed-race guy scanned the room, meeting the eyes of some while others avoided his gaze.

“For this plan to work, I think we should all destroy our identity boxes together and agree not to open them,” the mixed-race guy said with a sarcastic smile. “As long as we don’t link our fingerprints and identity cards to the magnetic cards, and don’t use those cards to swipe the machine in the corner, the system won’t be able to determine who’s who. That way, there’ll be no barriers or suspicions between us.”

The room fell silent.

This is impossible, Fang Daichuan thought, his heart sinking. No wonder he said the plan was both simple and difficult. In essence, breaking this game required just one thing: trust. If everyone trusted each other and agreed not to stab anyone in the back, they could work together to survive. But even Fang Daichuan, who wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, wasn’t naive enough to believe that a group of strangers thrown together like this could truly trust one another.

“Great! Let’s destroy them together!” Ding Zihui chimed in enthusiastically. But no one responded. She looked around, glancing from one person to another. “Why isn’t anyone saying anything?”

Of course, no one spoke.

The young couple exchanged a glance, seemingly reaching some unspoken agreement. The man said, “We need to discuss this.”

The middle-aged man chuckled and leaned forward. “Maybe we should open the boxes and take a look? At least check the rules.”

“Let’s just destroy them!” the single mother holding her child pleaded, desperate to survive. “It’d be so much better if we could all live. Who cares about the game rules?”

Yang Song gave a fake smile and immediately started twisting open her box.

Fang Daichuan let out a long sigh. He turned to look at the mixed-race guy, who responded with a cold smirk.

Once someone had started opening their box, the others stopped holding back. One by one, they began unsealing their identity boxes, glancing around discreetly before retreating to their own corners to avoid letting anyone else see. The young couple, seeing this, nodded at each other and began undoing the brass clasps on their box. Fang Daichuan couldn’t resist either and pried open the brass latch on his.

Inside, the top layer was a sheet of cardstock-presumably the instructions, which were likely the same for everyone. Fang Daichuan closed the box and started reading the instructions carefully.

“Game Rules: Please memorize your role, then scan your role card and fingerprint into the identity card. After completing these steps, it is recommended to destroy the role card to avoid leaking role information.”

“Starting tonight, when night falls, the werewolves will take the stage. Each werewolf can use werewolf poison to kill one player. Werewolves do not recognize each other, and the poison is still effective against them. The poison takes effect in thirty minutes. During this time, a witch roams the forest. If the poisoned player finds the witch’s only antidote within thirty minutes, the poison can be neutralized. In addition to the antidote, the witch also possesses a vial of poison that can instantly kill any player. The witch’s poison has no delay and takes effect immediately.”

“It’s important to note that both werewolf poison and the witch’s potion must be injected into the player’s body using a syringe. Combat power is also a relatively important factor. With the advantage of combat power, villagers have a chance to fight back and kill a werewolf.”

“Scattered across the island are over thirty small cabins. Inside each cabin is an identity scanner. The seer can use their fingerprint and the identity card bound to their role to verify the identity of a player through the machine. However, this can only be done once per night.”

“When dawn breaks, the villagers take the stage. At 8 a.m. every morning, all surviving players must gather in the hall on the first floor of the villa to vote and send one werewolf to the guillotine. Then, each player will swipe their card to identify their current role, and God will issue the verdict. As long as there are opposing camps among the current players, the verdict will be ‘game continues.’ Otherwise, it will be ‘game over.'”

“Any player who fails to arrive by 8 a.m. will be declared dead and lose the right to continue the game. Please make sure not to oversleep.”

“Finally, a reminder: ‘The game has no rules. Once it begins, it cannot be stopped. The living can win huge rewards, while death leaves you with nothing.’ Please keep this in mind. Wishing you all an enjoyable game.”

At the end, there was a smiley face. What the hell kind of smiley face was that? Fang Daichuan was infuriated by that mocking little icon.

He secretly lifted the magnetic card to find a role card underneath. Fang Daichuan flipped it over and, sure enough, his luck was as bad as ever. If this were being livestreamed, he’d probably steal the spotlight just by his sheer misfortune! Just as he had predicted, the card left for him was the witch. If he had tried to grab one himself, he would’ve ended up with the villager.

Beneath the card, nestled in foam, were two vials of reagents. One had a skull on the cap, and the other had an hourglass. Both were made of brass, with intricate carvings. This was definitely the work of a madman, Fang Daichuan thought.

The two vials gave him a bit of comfort. At least he didn’t have to be a werewolf and kill others, and if he were targeted, he had a chance to save himself. What others might see as a mediocre role was actually the ideal one for Fang Daichuan.

He glanced up at the mixed-race guy, curious to see what role he had drawn, only to find that the guy hadn’t even opened his box.

The mixed-race guy noticed his gaze and gave him a meaningful look.

Fang Daichuan raised an eyebrow in silent question.

The mixed-race guy jerked his chin toward the door.

The two of them walked out of the villa one after the other. Fang Daichuan followed the guy toward the beach, watching as he carried a glass of water and plopped down on a rock by the shore.

“What are you planning?” Fang Daichuan asked warily. “It’s not even dark yet.”

The guy rolled his eyes. “You can say that to me, but if you say it in front of the others, the werewolf will know you’re a good guy right away.”

Fang Daichuan was speechless. He stammered, trying to cover his tracks. “I-I could just be bluffing! Maybe I’m faking my identity!”

The mixed-race guy raised an eyebrow and gave him a mocking smile.

Fang Daichuan decided it was best to keep his mouth shut. He reminded himself to be cautious-anyone who’d signed up for a game like this was no fool.

The mixed-race guy didn’t press him further about his identity. Instead, he took a sip of water, set the glass aside, and extended his right hand. “Li Sinian.”

So his surname was Li. Was it the Western “Lee” or the Chinese “Li”?

Fang Daichuan reached out and shook his dry, cool hand. “Fang Daichuan.”

They sat side by side on the rock in silence.

“So… why did you call me out here?” Fang Daichuan finally asked, turning to look at him.

Li Sinian lazily curled one corner of his mouth. “Your reaction was so obvious, it was like you had your role card written on your face. If I hadn’t pulled you out, anyone could’ve figured out what you’re holding just by asking a couple of questions.”

Fang Daichuan felt a bit embarrassed. This guy had tried to come up with a plan to save everyone and had even protected him. Whatever his motives, he didn’t seem like a bad person.

He scratched his head, searching for something to say. “Too bad everyone opened their boxes. I guess there’s no chance of us all making it out together like you wanted. What a shame.”

Li Sinian shook his head with a smile.

“I knew it wouldn’t work. Have you heard of the ‘prisoner’s dilemma’?” Li Sinian looked up at the sky, where the horizon blended the sea and sky into a strange, dark blue.

Fang Daichuan shook his head honestly.

Li Sinian explained, “Two co-conspirators are arrested and interrogated separately. If both keep quiet and don’t betray each other, the evidence is insufficient, and they each get one year in prison. If one confesses while the other stays silent, the one who confesses gets off scot-free, while the other gets ten years. If both confess, they each get eight years. In this scenario, assuming the two can’t communicate beforehand, and one of them is you, what would you choose?”

Fang Daichuan’s face showed a mix of awkwardness and hesitation. He thought carefully for a moment before answering honestly, “It depends on who I’m arrested with.”

Li Sinian raised an eyebrow.

Fang Daichuan elaborated, “If I were arrested with Zhou, I’d trust her not to betray me, and she’d trust me the same way. It’d be simple-we’d both get one year. Or if it were you or Deng-Ge, someone smart, we’d all understand the situation without saying a word. What I’m afraid of is being arrested with a stranger, especially someone foolish. If they’re just trying to save themselves, I’d have no choice but to go down with them and get eight years.”

“That’s why I knew it wouldn’t work,” Li Sinian said with a mocking smile. “Humans are inherently selfish, especially when it comes to life and death. Selfishness, indifference, laziness, mutual attacks, endless desires-these are all original sins. Humans are truly ugly creatures.”

Fang Daichuan felt a pang of discomfort. After all, he was included in the group Li Sinian was criticizing. But then he reminded himself that Li Sinian was also part of that “ugly” humanity, which made him feel a bit better.

“Then why did you tell everyone about this method?” Fang Daichuan asked.

“Because I wanted to give everyone one last chance to save themselves-and to give myself a chance too. But it’s a shame,” Li Sinian said, his gaze fixed on the distant sea. Night was falling, and the dark waves danced wildly, crashing against the shore like some faceless monster in the darkness.

Li Sinian smiled, finished the water in his glass, and stood up to leave.

His back seemed weighed down by something, not as straight as before. Halfway up the path, he suddenly turned around and smiled at Fang Daichuan. “Be careful tonight. Don’t die on the first night.”

Fang Daichuan grinned foolishly from his perch on the rock. “No way. I’m the protagonist here-high combat power, and I’ve got plot armor for critical moments. It’s you I’m worried about. Smart guys like you, with mysterious backstories, are always the mentor figures in these stories. In anime, their mortality rate is like 100%. You’re the one who needs to be careful.”

Li Sinian’s face was silhouetted against the fading light, making it hard to see, but it seemed like he was smiling. He shook the box in his hand and joked, “Who knows? Maybe I’m the werewolf. It’s hard to say.”

“Do we really have to keep tempting fate like this?” Fang Daichuan laughed, looking up at him. “Whatever you are, I actually like you. Good luck, stay safe, and let’s both make it out alive. When we get back to the mainland, I’ll buy you a drink.”

Li Sinian waved his hand with a smile, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and turned to leave.

Fang Daichuan shouted after him, “Hey! That kind of response isn’t a good sign!”

Li Sinian’s voice drifted back, lazy and tired. “Let’s see if you can make it back alive first, idiot!”