The eleventh day.
When the first survivor came downstairs, three people were already sitting at the long table.
They were contestants who had come up through the revival round, two men and one woman. They nodded to the contestants who came down, a reserved smile playing on their lips, their bodies straight, their gazes calm.
The contestant who came down was stunned. He looked around, then turned back and asked, "Are you contestants who were resurrected?"
The three men didn't speak, but just looked at him with strange expressions. If Ren Yifei were there, he would have told the contestant, 'They're scrutinizing you.'
For nearly nine days, those who were eliminated observed and analyzed the remaining contestants, gaining a thorough understanding of their crime-solving styles, strengths, and weaknesses. These insights would immediately come to mind the moment they saw a contestant's face.
The eliminated players frantically absorb knowledge from the victors, learning from their experiences and lessons learned through practice. The intense battles then transform these experiences into skills they can master.
In other words, if one is not careful, these winners who have remained can become stepping stones for those who are eliminated.
When no one responded to his questions, the contestant rubbed his nose, deciding not to bother anymore. He went to his seat and casually picked up an envelope from the table.
"Opening the envelope now would violate the rules," one of the eliminated contestants suddenly said. "I know you're an experienced veteran, but I'm just giving you a friendly reminder, don't take offense."
The contestant holding the envelope: ...This sounds a bit strange.
"Oh, you're back? Now that you're back, you should behave yourself."
Even without hearing the voice, you can tell who said it just by looking at the words. Isn't Ren Yifei the only one who can be so unrestrained in front of the camera and say whatever comes to mind?
The three eliminated contestants turned to look at him again, a bunch of analyses popping into their heads.
Ren Yifei is a contestant with a distinctive personal style. He is sharp-tongued, decisive, and his crime-solving process is very engaging. He possesses strong overall abilities and can be considered a contestant who requires close attention.
Ren Yifei yawned and sat down at the long table. One of the eliminated contestants, who had previously maintained his composure, glared at him angrily: "Long time no see. I'm back. This time, let's fight fair and square."
That's right, this is the contestant who was eliminated because of his low popularity. He made some sarcastic remarks before leaving and was even criticized by Ren Yifei.
This contestant is indeed very skilled; if it weren't for his popularity, he would have remained in the competition.
"Upright and honorable? Haven't I always been upright and honorable?" Ren Yifei didn't want to pay attention to him, but the other person just kept coming back to him.
He could only reply, "I won fair and square, and you lost clearly. Is there a problem? Of course, whether you came back fair and square this time, I don't know."
"What do you mean?" The contestant slammed his fist on the table and stood up.
"The literal meaning." Ren Yifei really didn't want to talk to him; he wasn't fully awake yet, it was still early in the morning.
The contestant's eyes darted around: "How about we have a competition? First, we'll compete to solve a case, then we'll compete to see who's the most popular. The loser will be eliminated."
Ren Yifei's half-closed eyes widened slightly.
"Are you angry? Come to think of it, you should be thanking us." He leaned lazily against the table, one hand supporting his chin, his voice still drowsy. "If you hadn't been eliminated, you wouldn't have been able to enjoy the benefits of extra training behind the scenes."
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. The eliminated contestants immediately turned to look at him, their expressions saying, "How did you know?"
Ren Yifei raised an eyebrow and almost laughed: These people who can't even manage their facial expressions practically have "you're right" written all over their faces.
"I guessed it, and I guessed right, didn't I? Actually, it wasn't hard to guess; anyone familiar with variety shows could have figured it out."
"The organizers want to revive eliminated players to increase the competitiveness and fun of the game. So, what kind of competitive game is more interesting? Of course, it's one where the players are evenly matched."
"Crushing is fun, but it's not very interesting."
"However, most of the eliminated contestants have undeniable flaws, either in terms of skill or popularity. How can we improve their competitiveness in the short term?"
At this moment, the other contestants also came downstairs. They had overheard the conversation between Ren Yifei and the eliminated contestant. These people walked over and sat down at the long table without disturbing Ren Yifei.
At this point, the contestants around the long table subtly split into two factions: the long-term winners and the resurrected players.
"The skills required to solve cases cannot be developed in ten days, and you can't force them to grow faster, so the organizers will take shortcuts. I suspect they've shown you a lot of cases. If your brain isn't strong enough, you can fill in the gaps with different question types. If you practice a type of question a lot, you'll naturally understand the patterns for solving it."
"In other words, you don't need to know how to solve problems, just how to memorize them is enough."
The three contestants who emerged from the revival round were astonished, because he was absolutely right; they had been cramming with practice problems for the past few days. The more cases they studied, the greater their chances of winning.
Most cases follow a pattern, making it difficult to innovate within that framework.
Ren Yifei curled the corners of his lips, but there was no smile in his eyes: "In addition, the organizers will also boost your popularity. Because many of the eliminated people lack popularity."
"I bet you were also live-streaming during the time you were eliminated, and you used the elimination revival round to attract a lot of viewers."
"Watching an eliminated contestant slowly fight their way out is a very interesting thing. It can make people unconsciously feel like they are 'partners' and continue to invest time, energy and emotions."
"These viewers will become your loyal fans because they have invested so much that they can tolerate huge losses, just like a stock that is locked in."
Ren Yifei's expression became increasingly subtle: "Does this routine seem familiar? It's the same routine as Idol Training Camp."
"Let the audience enjoy the process and turn their attention into a habit. All the joys and sorrows that the audience experiences because of you are under the control of the organizers, and they are manipulated without even realizing it."
He turned to the provocative player: "You complained before that this event was too entertaining, but now that you've become a beneficiary, don't you think it's too entertaining anymore?"
With each word Ren Yifei spoke, the faces of the eliminated contestants stiffened a little more, as if their beautiful clothes were being stripped off one by one, revealing their real but not beautiful bodies underneath.
This person doesn't seem like an entertainer; rather, they seem like a mirror reflecting the true nature of the entertainment industry, a filter and eraser.
"However, your popularity is still unstable, and the audience may leave at any time. Therefore, in order to solidify your popularity, you need to take one last step - slaying the dragon. That is, challenge the winner, cut him down, and take the crown for yourself. I am one of those dragons."
Therefore, this contestant repeatedly provoked Ren Yifei, trying to get him to agree to the bet. Because Ren Yifei was the 'dragon' this person had chosen to slaughter.
"You..." he drawled, his tone becoming more subtle, "have you watched and studied our live stream videos?"
The live stream room for everyone.
"Damn." After a dozen seconds of silence, the viewers who had gotten up early to watch the live stream instantly woke up.
"What kind of brain does he have? How does he know everything? If this live stream wasn't 24/7, I would have thought someone had given him the questions."
"He's kind of handsome. What's his number? I'll go check out his live stream."
"I think what he said makes a lot of sense. This is what it means to get special treatment and use connections."
The audience was so engrossed in Ren Yifei's words that they almost had a heart attack when they put themselves in the shoes of these winners.
Why should I?
Is excellence a sin? Does excellence mean we have to give way to losers? Does it mean we have to help the poor?
"I've said this before: I want to watch a battle of wits and charm, not a variety show that plays the victim and helps the poor. If I want to see the pain of the losers, wouldn't it be better to watch the news channel? What are the organizers up to? This is disgusting."
"Upstairs +1".
They were happy before because they were following the script of a loser's comeback.
But now that the concept of 'unfairness' has been clearly brought up, what they are projecting is a scenario where down-to-earth, hardworking people are crushed by 'official sons' who wield capital power, which is a bit unsettling.
What happened to fairness and impartiality?
The audience began to rebel.
"When you came here, you must have been secretly pleased. What's the use of these people winning all the time? Their fate was already sealed; they're just pawns used as stepping stones by the organizers."
Ren Yifei's smile vanished, and for the first time, his usually bright and lively face revealed aggression.
He looked at the stiff-faced provocateur: "You were looking for a challenge before? In this so-called 'script of fate' imposed from above, am I not the loser?"
The provocative resurrected being remained silent.
"Alright, I accept your challenge. No matter what's written on it, no matter what kind of script they've given me, I'll tear it up myself and wait."
The live stream at this moment.
Viewers suddenly noticed that He Zhaoming's features were very delicate, and once his expression turned cold, his temperament became very sharp.
This sharpness felt like a knife piercing their hearts.
"Ahhhhh, I can't resist the charm of this 'darkening'!"
"I suddenly realized how beautiful he is, that wicked look that's half-smiling, and that courage and spirit to face injustice and unfairness head-on... It's amazing. Sorry everyone, I need to switch allegiances for a bit."
"To be honest, he's really good-looking, so I'm leaving. Don't miss me."
One of the labels the organizers gave to these three resurrected individuals was "beautiful, strong, and tragic," but Ren Yifei changed his mind after a few words.
Who is the truly beautiful, strong, and tragic one?
It's them! It's this group of unlucky souls who were set up as stepping stones by the organizers!
They are all very popular and their charm is definitely not low.
Their strength is evident in their ability to win all the way to this point.
It's tragic. Being manipulated by the 'script of fate'. Winning fairly and squarely, only to be treated unfairly. Isn't that tragic enough?
Moreover, the most important factor in the story of "beauty, strength, and tragedy" is "beauty." Ren Yifei is so strong and tragic, and he is also so beautiful. It's irresistible.
"Can we still have a private duel? Can I join in?" Another popular and powerful character joined the conversation, her gaze shifting between the remaining two resurrected individuals. "Which of you wants to challenge me?"
The two resurrected beings chuckled and shook their heads, avoiding eye contact.
Before breakfast had even officially started, the resurrected champion, who was expected to make a triumphant comeback amidst the anticipation of countless viewers, had already lost his indomitable spirit.
After the true face of 'injustice' was torn away, the resurrected people's yesterday's fervor was like lard floating on a dish after it cooled down—greasy and a bit disgusting.