It's never a good feeling to be targeted, especially when you're the fish in the pond.

Su Baiye had always lived by the principle of not striking unless struck first.

Since Fang Lin had chosen to prey on the fish, he had to be prepared for the fish to bite back.

A fierce battle between the two was inevitable. Su Baiye was gathering intelligence in advance; he never fought a battle he wasn't prepared for.

"Fang Lin..."

At the mention of the name, a flash of resentment crossed Tang Ruyu's eyes. If Fang Lin hadn't suggested they go for one more score, he wouldn't have ended up in this state...

If Tang Ruyu was the jackal aiding the tiger, then Fang Lin was the vicious tiger itself!

A confrontation between Su Baiye and Fang Lin would be a battle between two tigers. Tang Ruyu couldn't wait for them to tear each other apart. Even if Su Baiye hadn't asked, Tang Ruyu would have told him everything.

"Fang Lin likes to play the Carriage No. 2 game, a modified version of Rock-Paper-Scissors. The plays are materialized into weapons that attack after the clash..."

"Sometimes, Fang Lin would have me help him peek at his opponent's hand. Don't worry, I definitely won't do it this time!"

"The most threatening item he has is a strange finger that can worsen a person's luck. I've seen him use it twice..."

Tang Ruyu recalled a time when they were preying on fish and ran into a master disguised as a newbie. Fang Lin had relied on that item to secure a narrow victory.

Tang Ruyu didn't know the specifics of how it was used. It was one of Fang Lin's trump cards; all he knew was that it could make his opponent's luck worse.

In the games of Carriage No. 1 and No. 2, luck is a crucial factor. Making an opponent's luck worse is equivalent to making your own luck better.

Was there anything else of note?

Without any prompting from Su Baiye, Tang Ruyu wracked his brains, digging deep into his memory.

"Fang Lin has a Pass!"

Su Baiye asked curiously, "A Pass?"

"Yes, it's an extremely rare special item. A holder of a Pass can travel freely between the corresponding carriages. Legend has it that every Administrator has one."

Tang Ruyu explained, "Fang Lin's Pass only works for the first three carriages, but within this area, he can come and go as he pleases. He's very cautious. The moment he senses trouble, he'll use the Pass to make a forced exit..."

Su Baiye now had the Dice of Gambling Madness and could force Fang Lin into a game. But if Fang Lin used his Pass to leave, Su Baiye would have no way to stop him.

Su Baiye asked, "What's the estimated value of a Pass in Points?"

Tang Ruyu answered, "One thousand... no, at least two thousand!"

A Pass for the later carriages would be priceless, but since this one is limited to Carriages No. 1 through 3, its value is greatly diminished.

Tang Ruyu analyzed, "If you want to 'clean out' Fang Lin, you have to raise the stakes at the very beginning, force him to put up his Pass as a bet."

The Pass was an item of high value but average utility, with many substitutes. It could be used to escape in a critical moment, but such opportunities were rare.

"You said he's a very cautious person. He probably wouldn't risk his Pass in a bet."

Su Baiye shook his head, disagreeing with Tang Ruyu. The Pass was Fang Lin's guarantee of a forced exit, allowing him to cut his losses.

A cautious person would always leave himself an escape route.

"No, Fang Lin has something else. A Flame Stone!"

Tang Ruyu explained, "The Flame Stone is a consumable item. You can think of it as a town portal scroll. Using it forces you out of a game and sends you back to a random previous carriage."

The Pass and the Flame Stone were both Fang Lin's trump cards. And when it came to escape routes, having just one was enough to put a person's mind at ease.

The price of a Flame Stone depends on its quality. One that can be used in Carriage No. 2 is usually worth no more than 50 Points.

"In other words, as long as he has the Flame Stone, Fang Lin would be willing to bet his Pass..."

Having figured out Fang Lin's escape plans, Su Baiye asked another question, "What about Fang Lin's strength? What games does he usually prefer?"

"As for his strength... you haven't been to Carriage No. 3, so let me give you a simple explanation."

Tang Ruyu chose his words carefully, terrified of overstepping any boundaries and attracting the attention of the Strategy Group. A light punishment would be a fine leading to bankruptcy; a heavy one would mean being doomed for eternity.

"So-called combat power can be simply divided into two aspects: Mental and Physical. You can also think of them in more concrete terms—the Brain and the Heart."

After saying this, Tang Ruyu quickly added, "The above example is original to the Strategy Group. My telling you this is limited to discussing a personal situation and involves no commercial use. Please purchase the official Strategy guide within 24 hours..."

He then looked at Su Baiye, emphasizing that he must buy the newbie Strategy guide promptly. It would be for the good of everyone.

Su Baiye: ...Was it really necessary to be this scared?

This Strategy Group... seems like they're the real deal.

"Seeing you like this, it looks like I have no choice but to buy the Strategy guide."

Only after getting Su Baiye's promise did Tang Ruyu dare to continue.

"The Brain represents the Mental, and the Heart represents Physical strength. Which is more important? The former, obviously. On the Lost Train, your heart stopping doesn't count as death. Brain death is true death!"

Tang Ruyu said,

"On the first layer, all power is restricted to the First Rank, which is divided into grades—from Grade 1 of First Rank to Grade 9 of First Rank.

"Depending on the individual, most newcomers are Unranked. A few exceptionally talented people might reach the level of Grade 1 of First Rank.

"Fang Lin's Mental power is at Grade 3 of First Rank or higher, and his Physical strength is around Grade 2 of First Rank."

After explaining Fang Lin's abilities, Tang Ruyu focused back on the game itself.

"His favorite game is Rock-Paper-Scissors, but it's a modified, custom version specifically designed for preying on fish..."

Tang Ruyu felt no guilt at all for selling out Fang Lin. Without even waiting for Su Baiye to ask, the words came pouring out of him.

"In Fang Lin's custom version, both sides play Rock-Paper-Scissors. The loser is attacked by a corresponding 'Rock,' 'Scissors,' or 'Paper'!

"For a newcomer, a mere graze from these item attacks is fatal! But Fang Lin's Physical strength is Grade 2, so for him, it's just a minor injury. That's why Fang Lin can afford to lose many times, while a newcomer can only lose once..."

Fang Lin also uses the Dice of Gambling Madness. They aren't competing to win the game, but to see which Player dies first!

It was just like with Tang Ruyu before: he would keep drinking until he dropped dead.

After listening to Tang Ruyu's explanation, Su Baiye asked,

"The item attacks cause minor injuries... How many minor injuries do you estimate it would take to become a fatal wound?"

"I don't know."

Tang Ruyu shook his head and answered truthfully, "The most incredible newcomer I ever saw managed to beat Fang Lin for several rounds, and Fang Lin didn't even bat an eye."

"If possible, you'd be better off playing a Carriage No. 1 game with him. You have the Dice of Gambling Madness too. As long as you can throw your dice faster than him, you'll have a chance."

Tang Ruyu had even lost his Dice of Gambling Madness to Su Baiye...

In Tang Ruyu's opinion, if they played a Carriage No. 1 game, Su Baiye might have a sliver of a chance to survive by relying on his insane luck.

But if Fang Lin dragged him into a Carriage No. 2 game, his death was certain. There was no doubt about it.

Su Baiye shook his head slightly. "I doubt it."

On paper, Fang Lin completely outclassed Su Baiye. He was faster, more accurate, and more ruthless.

Su Baiye was sure that Fang Lin would make his move the instant he got out.

In fact, after being delayed in here for so long, Fang Lin was probably getting impatient.

However... Su Baiye was not without a chance of winning.

A situation with no hope of survival might be a dead end for others, but for Su Baiye, it was a different kind of opportunity.

Su Baiye could Foresee Death, but without the risk of death, his ability to foresee it would be lost.

And in this Rock-Paper-Scissors game, a single loss meant certain death from the resulting attack. Here, relying on his ability to Foresee Death, Su Baiye held an unbeatable position from the very start!

"Alright. Anything else to add?"

"Nothing..."

Having said so much, Tang Ruyu had earned over 100 Points. In the final round of his game, he bet 2 Points, decisively chose a glass of water, drank it in one gulp, and died from the poison.

The black light dissipated, and the barrier that had surrounded them vanished.

At the same instant, Su Baiye ducked and rolled forward as a die shot toward him from behind!

Just as it seemed Su Baiye would dodge it, Fang Lin's face paled, and the die abruptly changed direction in mid-air!

With Grade 3 Mental power, one could just barely control objects from a distance. The die struck Su Baiye with perfect accuracy.

The corners of Fang Lin's mouth curled up slightly, like a fisherman who had just set his hook.

"Carriage No. 2 game, modified version!"

Out of his sight, Su Baiye returned the same smile.

The fish has taken the bait!

Meanwhile, Tang Ruyu, who was watching from the side, saw this and shook his head with a sigh.

"No matter how good Su Baiye's luck is, it's useless in the face of true power..."

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"Su Baiye... is doomed to lose!"