That night.
After the discussion ended, most people returned to their rooms.
This was the first time a death had occurred in Community 17, casting a shadow over everyone's heart.
Lin Sizhi went to the community's outdoor area. In the darkness, a spark flickered faintly, it was Cao Haichuan smoking.
"Lawyer Lin, care for one?" Cao Haichuan offered the cigarette.
Lin Sizhi sat down on a nearby outdoor single sofa and waved his hand, "Thanks, but I don't smoke."
Cao Haichuan sighed, "Alright, fewer and fewer young people like you smoke these days.
"Originally, only Uncle Ding would occasionally join me for a couple of smokes, now it's just me.
"It's good not to smoke, smoking is bad for your health."
As Cao Haichuan spoke, he took another deep drag, tilted his head slightly away from Lin Sizhi, and exhaled a puff of smoke.
"Hooo..."
He looked at the high walls at the edge of the community, "I've been wondering, what would happen if we climbed over the wall and ran to another community?"
After they first entered the community, the entire complex had been sealed off, making it impossible to leave.
Until now, all the players in Community 17 could only move around within this small building and the surrounding outdoor area.
Lin Sizhi thought for a moment, "I think it's best not to tempt fate.
"The New World seems to apply different standards to players and copycats.
"For players, it's 'what is not permitted is forbidden.'
"For copycats, it's 'what is not forbidden is permitted.'
"So I guess something like climbing the wall would, at best, result in a deduction of visa time, and at worst, direct deportation."
Cao Haichuan nodded slightly, "Heh, that's true.
"Actually, just now, I was a bit scared. If Auntie Su had questioned why I couldn't save Uncle Ding, I wouldn't have known how to answer.
"I can sort of understand why Auntie Su was so agitated: not just because it was the first death in the community, but also because Uncle Ding was her only contemporary here.
"From the very beginning, Auntie Su held an unrealistic fantasy, thinking that the so-called New World was a paradise where everyone was equal, but that was clearly just her wishful thinking.
"When the death of someone close to her actually happened, she would instinctively resist it, and this resistance turned into a kind of aggression towards the outside world.
"Moreover, although Auntie Su and Uncle Ding hadn't known each other for long, he was her only contemporary in this community, and the only person whose lifestyle, way of thinking, and upbringing were relatively similar.
"In Auntie Su's perception of closeness, her relationship with Uncle Ding was closer than with any of us. Uncle Ding's death means she will inevitably become a 'lonely old person' in this community, unable to integrate with you young people no matter how hard she tries.
"So, her empathy for Uncle Ding's plight is much stronger than ours."
Lin Sizhi was silent for a moment, then asked, "What about you, Officer Cao? Can you integrate?"
Cao Haichuan smiled, "I'm alright, I still have a bit of a youthful mindset. Besides, I'm different from Auntie Su.
"Auntie Su is retired and has no spiritual anchor. When people are idle, their minds wander, and they tend to become extreme.
"But I'm not retired, I still have to find things to do for myself.
"Lawyer Lin, do you think it's possible for us to find these copycats, since they will keep designing games to kill players?"
Lin Sizhi thought for a moment, "I'm afraid that would be very difficult.
"Unlike criminals in the real world, copycats don't need to personally set up the crime scene. They only need to complete the game's design, and the Arcade seems to handle all the other work.
"For this kind of conceptual crime, I can't think of any way to solve the case."
Cao Haichuan was noncommittal, "Lawyer Lin, do you know what kind of cases are the hardest to solve in the real world?"
Lin Sizhi lowered his head in thought, "Incitement to murder? A high-IQ perfect crime?
"But with today's advanced technology, chat logs can be easily checked, and surveillance footage can be easily viewed. Solving these two types of cases should be much easier now."
Cao Haichuan shook his head slightly, "Those two are indeed hard to solve, but not the hardest.
"The hardest is actually motiveless, indiscriminate killing.
"Because whether it's incitement to murder or a so-called high-IQ perfect crime, there's always a motive. As long as there's a motive, you can follow the trail to identify a suspect.
"Once a suspect is identified, no matter how clever they are, the case is not far from being solved.
"But indiscriminate killing is different. Because there's no motive, identifying a suspect is like finding a needle in a haystack, completely clueless.
"Of course, if indiscriminate killing is combined with incitement to murder, or with a high-IQ perfect crime, then it becomes very troublesome. In fact, many such cases are never even discovered, we usually just call them 'missing persons'."
Lin Sizhi nodded in agreement.
Cao Haichuan continued, "Originally, I also thought that the copycats' killings were indiscriminate, and considering they don't need to set up the scene themselves, the possibility of solving the case was minuscule.
"But just now, as I was thinking it over and over, I suddenly overturned that idea.
"I suddenly realized that copycats killing people through death games also have a motive."
Lin Sizhi thought for a moment, "Are you saying that when they design the games, they might unconsciously reveal their inner thoughts?"
Cao Haichuan exhaled a puff of smoke, "It's more than that.
"The copycats are also players, living in the community.
"That means they might also participate in the games, whether their own or someone else's.
"If they participate in someone else's game, that's fair, nothing to say there.
"But if they participate in their own game, either actively or passively, they will definitely leave some kind of backdoor in the game for self-preservation.
"Of course, it's also possible they won't participate in their own games.
"But in that case, they would likely try to set traps targeting players' weaknesses to kill them and seize as much visa time as possible.
"After all, for both players and copycats, visa time is equally important. It's our money and our life in this world, and no one would complain about having too much."
Lin Sizhi considered for a moment, "Are you saying that if a player discovers a backdoor in a game in an illogical way, they are very likely the designer of that game.
"We could use this method to identify them as a copycat.
"Or, if a game shows a strong bias against a particular player, it means the game's designer is very familiar with that player. Perhaps by reverse-searching that player's social network, we can narrow down the range of suspects."
Cao Haichuan nodded in approval, "Exactly, that's what I mean. You're very smart, Lawyer Lin. If you weren't a lawyer, you'd probably be a great criminal investigator."
Lin Sizhi thought carefully for a moment, "But that's very difficult."
Cao Haichuan smiled with a hint of self-deprecation, "Yes, it's difficult, just like solving cases is difficult, but someone has to do it, right?
"I'm actually a rather slow person, not as smart as you young people. But I have one strength, my intuition is quite sharp, and I'll keep thinking about a problem I can't figure out. As long as I persist, I can always find some clues.
"Take this trial game, for example. I've been thinking it over and over, and I just feel that something isn't quite right."
Cao Haichuan turned to look at Lin Sizhi, "Don't you think this game was a bit too targeted at Uncle Ding?
"As we analyzed before, if we only discuss the game rules, the king actually has a huge advantage and many chances to survive.
"But Uncle Ding just happened to step on every single trap without missing one.
"Just like Wei Xinjian back then.
"Do you think this is really just a coincidence?"
Lin Sizhi considered for a moment, "But, Uncle Ding's death actually had many complex preconditions. If any one of these preconditions wasn't met, this wouldn't have happened.
"If you think this game was specifically designed to target Uncle Ding, it means the designer had to control almost all the details. I don't think that's something a human can do.
"For example, how could the game's designer be sure how the audience would vote? And how could they be sure which cell Uncle Ding would specifically send those prisoners to?"
Cao Haichuan nodded, "Yes, that's what I thought at first too.
"No one can control everything. If they could, they wouldn't be a copycat of God, but God himself.
"But between complete inability to control and complete control, there is the option of partial control.
"Just like the betting in Blood Poker, no one can be 100% sure of winning, but by managing the parts you can control, you can still increase your probability of winning.
"I'm getting sidetracked, let's get back to the question.
"Why do you think this game designed the 'Farmer's Walk' as a preliminary game at the beginning?
"No matter how you look at it, it seems like a screening game tailor-made for Uncle Ding to ensure he would become the king, right?"