"... In summary, Professor, this is a very simple game puzzle. However, the problem is that we may be the first to arrive, which means we might need to spill some of our own blood. Bruce paced in front of the device, "At least we'll let them see that we've made every effort to sacrifice in order to achieve this goal. Otherwise, they might not contribute blood; the key is to establish trust..."
"You're right," Shiller nodded, "but I have a suggestion for you. Do you want to hear the short version or the full version?"
"Uh, what's the difference?"
"The difference is whether we talk while walking, or finish talking before walking."
"Walking?" Bruce said, somewhat surprised, "Where to?"
"To the next level," Shiller replied.
"But..." Bruce turned and looked at the mechanism, "Are we not playing this level?"
"That's what I'm talking about."
"Then I'd like to hear both versions here." Bruce glanced around and said, "I can't find any reason not to play this level. Even though, as you predicted, being the first might not be favorable. But without knowing what the mechanism does, failing this level could lead to terrible consequences."
"The short reason is, regardless of why, if I give you another bloodletting, all our mutual friends will definitely lock us both in the psychiatric hospital, with no other possibility."
Bruce never expected this reasoning. He opened his mouth and then said, "But it's not you who's bleeding me."
"They'd think I didn't stop you," Shiller said. "Don't you know how much psychological trauma that incident left them with? They're practically on high alert."
"But it shouldn't get out..."
"It's not just the two of us involved in this game; other players will definitely discuss this stage once they leave. How are you going to hide it from the Justice League?"
Bruce was about to say something, but Shiller interrupted, "Moreover, regardless of how much blood we spill, this game won't work."
Bruce paused in his actions. He seemed to mentally theorize once more and said, "No way? If it goes according to my conception, it should succeed."
"Look, those who arrive first, like us, must be both smart and willing to sacrifice; otherwise, we couldn't have arrived first. Such people can figure out the key and are willing to spill more blood."
"The ones who arrive later are either not as smart or not as connected, which is why they're hindered by various mechanisms and arrive late. But when they see so much blood is already shed, and they don't need to contribute much, for the sake of game victory, they will surely be willing."
"I must say, the designer of this level crafted it ingeniously. The wise who come first can understand the whole process and feel hopeful about achieving it, and due to their nature, they won't hesitate to sacrifice. The latecomers may not completely understand, but seeing it nearly finished, they'll think sacrificing a bit isn't too bad. Both sides cooperate and, although the process may be difficult, it could ultimately be completed."
"From the perspective of game theory, it certainly seems this way," Shiller said. "But unfortunately, this world is not solely about behavioral analysis method and logic. Emotions must be considered, adding countless variables to all game theories, like not being able to predict someone hastily smashing a chessboard over their opponent."
Shiller sighed lightly and said, "If this were a single-player instance, and the number of villains doesn't exceed half, it could be achievable. But the biggest challenge is, this is a dual-player instance."
"According to evolutionary theory and sociology, all survival tools of the human race evolve with use and decay without. Those energy-consuming activities that can't generate benefits are things humans won't do."
"Emotional exchange seems to consume a lot of energy without practical benefits, but in reality, it can strengthen the bonds among social animals, making them more unified and enhancing group dynamics."
"The social nature of humans causes emotional fluctuations when facing their kind, opening the door to emotional communication and forming deeper connections with fellow humans. This is a human instinct."
"Emotional thinking is often disparaged, delivering emotions rather than logic first, and is widely criticized. Yet humans have endured for ages without any progress in this aspect, proving this instinct is indestructible, nearly immutable."
"As for the current situation, in pairs, the likelihood of emotional thinking and emotional output is too high. Even if rationally one knows how the game is played, and doing it leads to victory, executing it isn't as ideal."
"Some people will feel angry and decide to let these bullshit rules go to hell; some will feel sad and think they absolutely cannot let a friend make such a sacrifice; some will feel heartache and think that instead of having so much blood drawn, it might be better to just let the game fail and start over."
"In such situations, the number of potential variables you encounter will certainly outnumber those that occur when playing by the rules. You can also use this model I've described to infer, even if you assume a medium probability, the blood that finally falls into the container will certainly not be enough."
Bruce frowned deeply, seemingly evaluating through what Shiller said. He said, "But the demand might not necessarily be that high, right?"
"Having gone through the previous stages, what are you expecting?" Shiller said, "Moreover, you have to deduct another layer from the probability you've deduced. The only participants we know besides ourselves are Anatoli and Lucifer. I can tell you very clearly that no matter what position they're in, they won't give a single drop."
"Why is that?" Bruce was very puzzled, "I can understand emotional outbursts, and accidents may also occur. But that doctor doesn't seem to be the kind of person who..."
What Bruce wanted to say was naturally "doesn't seem to be that selfish." In fact, from what he knew of Anatoli's deeds, Anatoli was extremely self-sacrificing. Otherwise, why would he risk blowing himself up in Gotham?
Even though he didn't die in the end, the risk was extremely high. Probably even when he was doing it himself, he couldn't say with a hundred percent certainty that he wouldn't die. He must have been prepared for sacrifice. Why then would such a person be unwilling to donate blood?
Shiller looked steadily at Bruce. Bruce felt a chill on his back being watched like that. Just as he was about to ask, Shiller said, "Your growing environment has influenced you more profoundly than I imagined."
"What, Professor?"
"It's not sacrifice," Shiller said, "Everything we've done throughout the entire stage isn't sacrifice."
"Then what is it?"
"...Exploitation," Anatoli said softly, helping Lucifer tidy his feathers, "Self-devotion for people to have a better life is called sacrifice. When you have to accept these things yourself to spare others from pain and death, that's called exploitation."
"I still don't quite understand the distinction." Lucifer lay on the ground, because the passage they just climbed up was a little too narrow, his wings were somewhat scratched, and he was rather tired, so the first thing he did upon entering this hall was lie down to rest.
"Lucifer, I think you've long been aware of the excessive things you've done. So you've definitely thought about why the two of us can still be friends. Can it really be just because I sympathize with you?"
"Isn't it?" Lucifer asked hesitantly.
"Though I always say that you only conjure things from thin air and don't really understand obtaining something through your own efforts, I don't dislike this point. I have also enjoyed many conveniences you've brought and still feel at ease. This is because you didn't obtain them at the expense of others; you created them out of nothing."
"In other words, neither I nor you are causing harm to others while enjoying these conveniences. Even the bar you conjured, because of poor management, couldn't actually steal customers from others. While you've gained a lot, you haven't exploited anyone. When I repeatedly bring this up, it's mainly out of concern for my friend's lack of self-sufficiency rather than actual disdain."
Lucifer still seemed somewhat bewildered. Anatoli changed his posture, sitting cross-legged on the floor, and continued, "The Soviet soldiers you've seen, they're heroes who voluntarily sacrificed, there's no question about that. But likewise, they're also victims exploited by aggressors, and that's just as important."
"To defend their homeland and allow their loved ones a better life, they voluntarily stepped onto the battlefield, offering their lives - that's called sacrifice. But it's also to protect their loved ones from aggressors' harm that they had no choice but to endure all this – that's called exploitation."
"People often only see the former, praising their bravery and fearlessness. But we must also recognize the latter: without evil aggressors or unjust wars, they wouldn't have to bear any of this in the first place."
"Or rather, every sacrificial person in the world has this duality. Like Batman, he stands up voluntarily, upholding justice and peace in the City of Darkness - a hero with a spirit of sacrifice. But equally, Gotham's darkness forces him to endure pain on behalf of many, and he is also being exploited."
Having fixed Lucifer's feathers, Anatoli stood up. After a moment of rest, Lucifer felt much better and got up from the ground. The two stood before the enormous machine.
"I admire all those who donate blood here," Anatoli said, "They're very smart, figuring out the entire game process, as well as possessing a significant spirit of sacrifice to leave space for us."
"But I also feel sorry for them because they have no choice. To prevent those coming after them from bleeding dry, they chose to drain almost all of their own blood. This has caused significant harm to their health; it's a terribly frightening exploitation."
"I'm afraid I will never be able to compromise on such things—we must help them," Anatoli said softly. He looked up at the enormous machine, and that expression made Lucifer somewhat afraid; he even took a step back, wrapping himself once more with his wings.
"Let's see what this mechanism is really for," Anatoli said, staring at the balance, "If someone is indeed watching here, they better be ready with their blood."