Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Led by Tina, everyone still capable of remaining on their feet moved into the outdoor section of the Sky Garden, a wide and beautiful terrace facing the sea. Tina turned to the group.

“Apart from Ms. Song Xue, the following five people are eligible to take the sobriety test: Mr. Guan, Mr. Che Dongming, Mr. Thomas Feng, Ms. Ruirui, and Mr. Zhang. But all of you stopped after either the first or second round, while Ms. Song Xue completed the third. Therefore, if she passes the sobriety test, she wins!”

“And if she fails, but any one of the five of us passes, then we win. Correct?” Che Dongming asked.

“Correct!”

“Ah… If I’d known, I wouldn’t have drunk in the second round. Even a first-round total was enough to qualify for the sobriety test,” Ruirui said drunkenly. Her thoughts were becoming muddled.

“That’s not true, Ruirui. If everyone had thought that way, the drinking would have ended after the second round. With Song Xue’s tolerance, she probably could have passed the sobriety test easily, whatever it was. We should thank Hong Long and the others for pushing the drinking into the third round, and Lv Chao for raising the amount and getting Song Xue as drunk as possible,” Chen Nuo said.

“Oh. I understand now,” Ruirui said.

“What exactly is this sobriety test? You’ve built up the suspense long enough. It’s time to reveal it,” Che Dongming said.

“Huh? Haven’t you noticed? It’s right in front of you. I thought you’d already seen it,” Tina said.

“Where?” Che Dongming looked around.

At that moment, Chen Nuo noticed something flash in the air beyond the terrace. It seemed to be sunlight reflecting off glass. He stared more carefully. His eyes suddenly widened, and he pointed.

“That’s the sobriety test, isn’t it?”

The others moved in the direction he indicated. When they reached the terrace’s edge, they finally saw it clearly. Everyone sucked in a sharp breath, stunned by both the sight before them and the horrifying implications.

Two narrow, elevated glass walkways had been built between the terrace and the infinity pool opposite it. Each was roughly two hundred meters long and only a few dozen centimeters wide. The pair ran parallel like railroad tracks. Unlike glass walkways at tourist attractions, neither had railings or handholds. The raging sea lay directly below. A fall from the height of ten floors would mean certain death.

Tina had yet to explain the test, but everyone guessed the moment they saw the walkways.

“You don’t mean… I have to walk all the way across?” Song Xue asked in horror.

“Exactly! If someone can walk a set distance in a perfectly straight line after drinking, that’s the best proof that they aren’t drunk. So, Ms. Song Xue, if you can walk from the Sky Garden terrace to the infinity pool opposite us, you win the game!”

“How… How could anyone do that? The walkway is so narrow that even a sober person couldn’t cross it! Your organization really has no humanity. You’re trying to kill me by another method!” Song Xue screamed.

“Huh? Ms. Song Xue, I thought you were prepared to join your husband. Why are you suddenly worried about falling? Whether you approach the test with the attitude that you don’t care if you die, or with an absolute determination to live, you shouldn’t fear it. Besides, the walkway is eighty centimeters wide. That isn’t terribly narrow. If you aren’t drunk, crossing it won’t be difficult. You only need courage and determination!”

Tina clenched one fist and cheered Song Xue on. Then she continued,

“And you won’t be walking alone. The five other players eligible for the sobriety test must choose one person to walk along the second glass walkway. If that person makes it across while you refuse or fail, they win. If both of you pass, or if you’re the only one who passes, you win! After all, you will be the person who drank the most and passed the test!”
When Song Xue had no answer, Tina turned to Che Dongming and the others.

“Which one of you five will take the sobriety test?”

“Obviously, it should be whoever drank the least, either the doctor or the curly-haired young man,” Thomas Feng said. “I certainly can’t do it. I can barely walk on level ground, much less cross an elevated glass walkway.”

He was telling the truth. When they moved from the indoor section to the terrace, he had staggered so badly that he could only walk with someone supporting him.

“How much each of us drank no longer matters. What matters is who among the five of us is the most sober…” Che Dongming waved one hand, his eyes bleary. “I’m older than all of you, and my alcohol tolerance isn’t as high. Besides, I did drink some of the liquor in the second round. It’s an accomplishment that I’m still standing… I can’t shoulder such a grave responsibility. We’ll have to rely on the younger generation.”

Guan, Zhang, and Ruirui exchanged looks. Che Dongming had played the age card, making it difficult for them to argue. All three were in their twenties and did appear more sober. They could hardly pressure a middle-aged man approaching forty.

Che Dongming stole a glance at them. A faint smile touched his lips beneath his feigned drunkenness. His speech had neatly removed him from consideration. When it came to scheming, these inexperienced young people could not compete with an old fox like him. Protecting himself as much as possible whenever danger arose was his guiding principle.

“Which one of us should go?” the round-faced Zhang asked.

“It definitely can’t be me,” Ruirui said in terror. “When Chen Nuo asked whether either of us was afraid of heights, I told him I was… Wait, Chen Nuo, why did you ask us that? Had you already guessed the sobriety test would involve an elevated glass walkway?”

“I didn’t know the details, but I guessed the test would probably be some kind of dangerous challenge. We’re on the hotel’s highest floor in the Sky Garden, so the danger would most likely involve heights. It turns out I was right,” Chen Nuo said.

“How did you figure it out?” Zhang asked in astonishment.

“Before the game began, Tina said the organizers thought a simple drinking contest would be too monotonous, so they arranged a sobriety test. What kind of test would they choose? Once I’d withdrawn and sobered up completely, I realized something. To satisfy the dark-web audience around the world, the K Organization will do everything possible to make each game thrilling. In other words, they must ensure this live broadcast always offers a spectacle. The sobriety test was designed to compensate for the relatively dull indoor drinking contest, so it had to be something exciting and dangerous outdoors,” Chen Nuo said.

“That’s incredible, Chen Nuo… You managed to infer that from what looked like no clues at all,” Zhang said with admiration.

“This isn’t the time for compliments. Zhang, I looked at everyone’s condition. You and Ruirui are the two most sober people. Ruirui already told me she was afraid of heights, so you’re the only one who can cross the glass walkway.”

Guan patted Zhang on the shoulder. “Third Brother, it really has to be you… You know my tolerance. That first half jin of erguotou was my absolute limit. My head is still spinning…”

Zhang looked at the terrifying walkway, then turned back toward the people who had placed all their hopes in him. He swallowed, as though forcing down his fear, and nodded with determination.