Chapter 7 The Odds Of Winning

• “You're lying!” Jeremiah yelled in a cold voice.
• “Hmph, I knew you'd say something like that. But what proof do you have that I'm lying? Just because someone attacked me?”
• “Of course not,” Jeremiah said with a slight smile. “Although I don't know the reason, all the stories told by everyone before you are somehow related. There are many overlapping characters in these stories. If we set aside the geographical locations, everyone's accounts are reasonable.”
• “So what?”
• “The problem lies here.” Jeremiah pointed at the lawyer, Christine. “There's a common character in yours and the lawyer's story—the fraudster who swindled two million. However, your stories contradict each other, which means one of you is lying.”
• Spencer also paused for a moment, then asked, “Where is the contradiction?”
• Jeremiah shook his head, looking at Spencer as he said, “Ms. Zeller was already preparing for court, which implies that in her narrative, the suspect has been apprehended. Yet here you are, still staking out, indicating that in your story, the suspect is still at large. Isn't that contradictory?”
• Spencer paused thoughtfully before speaking. “I have to admit, there's some merit to what you're saying. But I think you're letting this game affect you. First and foremost, you need to understand a crucial premise - all the previous storytellers were not in the same city as everyone else. In other words, even if our experiences seem similar, they could never be about the same incident. Since they are different events, they will naturally have different outcomes.”
• Skyler quietly observed the two without making any attempt to intervene in their incessant arguing.
• Go ahead, argue on. The fiercer the better.
• As long as either of them cast a vote for the other, the liar would emerge victorious.
• After all, the rules were absolute. If anyone, aside from the liar, cast the wrong vote, it would result in everyone else going down with them.
• Though Spencer had already offered an explanation, Jeremiah's words still left a deep impression on everyone's minds.
• After all, this was the first time everyone had noticed conflicting narratives in the two people's stories.
• Skyler couldn't help but see Jeremiah in a new light.
• Although he appeared to be a free spirit, he was smarter than one might imagine.
• “Um... It's my turn now...” A young woman spoke up.
• It was then that everyone collected their thoughts and turned their attention to her.
• This young woman was the one who let out the piercing scream when Goat Head first killed the man.
• At that moment, she seemed to have calmed down, though her gaze dared not shift toward her side.
• “Hello everyone, my name is Pomeline Leclair, and I'm a psychologist.”
• Skyler paused slightly, intrigued by the name.
• After all, Pomeline meant “apple” in Ferundian.
• It was not a common name, so it would leave a deep impression on whoever heard it.
• Perhaps her parents had hoped to give their daughter a unique name, but it was clear that this would be her downfall here.
• Among those present were an author, teacher, lawyer, doctor, and police officer. Any of them could potentially know the meaning of “Pomeline.”
• Simply by repeating this name in one's mind a few times, the story Pomeline told would leave a profound impression.
• Finding the crowd unresponsive, Pomeline covered her mouth and nose before continuing, “I'm from Narvona. Before I came here, I was waiting for a client who happens to be a kindergarten teacher.”
• Everyone cast a glance at Renee, the kindergarten teacher, realizing that, once again, this story was connected to another.
• “According to her, being a kindergarten teacher nowadays is quite challenging. You can't hit or scold the kids. The parents treat the teachers like nannies, while the kids treat them like servants. Every classroom is equipped with surveillance cameras, allowing parents to monitor in real-time. If your tone is even slightly stern, the parents would immediately call the head of the kindergarten. But isn't the reason parents send their children to kindergarten to help them develop their beliefs and values? If a teacher can't be strict in their guidance, then how will a child ever recognize their mistakes? After a long while of living in a state of confusion and repression, she sought me out, so I prepared a treatment plan for her that would span about a month. However, for reasons unknown, the client never showed up for the appointment, leaving me waiting alone in the office. Then, the earthquake struck, and I had no chance to escape. After all, my office was on the twenty-sixth floor. The higher the floor, the stronger the tremors felt. To me, it seemed as though the entire building was swaying. Before, I never knew that earthquakes could occur in Narvona. This is my first time experiencing one. Later, I vaguely recall the ceiling collapsing. My vision went black, and then I knew nothing more.”
• After everyone heard Pomeline's story, it seemed as if they were reminded of something.
• Jeremiah was the first to speak. “I have two questions.”
• “Go ahead,” Pomeline replied, covering her mouth and nose.
• “What do you mean when you say every classroom has surveillance cameras?”
• Nobody expected that what Jeremiah was most concerned about was this. However, true to her profession as a psychologist, Pomeline patiently explained, “I believe the reason for installing surveillance cameras is to allow parents to view the classroom from anywhere.”
• “So there are CCTVs... Is this an exclusive kindergarten?” Jeremiah mused to himself. He then asked, “So, the kindergarten teacher you were supposed to meet, was it this Renee woman?”
• “I'm not sure,” Pomeline shook her head, “I only added that person on WhatsApp. We were planning to discuss the rest when we met.”
• “WhatsApp?” Jeremiah paused in surprise and confusion.
• Spencer interrupted the two, saying, “Not this again, you thug. Renee was in Yublary, while Pomeline was in Narvona. Who would travel such a distance to see a psychologist?”
• Without showing any signs of backing down, Jeremiah responded, “I just feel there are some questionable aspects. This is the first time someone's story has mentioned another participant.”
• Harvey found himself agreeing with what Jeremiah said this time. He nodded and asked, “Renee, is your reason for seeking a psychologist the same as what Pomeline described?”
• “Hmm...” Renee hesitated timidly for a moment before saying, “It's not quite the same... I was somewhat depressed because I was constantly criticized by a parent...”
• “That just proves it's a coincidence.” Harvey nodded. “After all, these are matters from two different states. We don't need to forcefully connect them.”
• At that moment, everyone fell silent. However, Christine suddenly spoke up. “Ms. Leclair, the story you've shared seems to be half about this kindergarten teacher. Isn't that against the rules?”
• “Huh?” Pomeline was slightly taken aback. “When I spoke about that kindergarten teacher, it was to help you better understand the nature of my job...”
• “Don't get me wrong, I have no ulterior motives.” Christine flashed a small smile. “What I mean to say is, if you had fabricated the kindergarten teacher's story, it would naturally differ from Renee's narrative, thereby proving that you've lied.”
• “You...!” Pomeline was stunned by the woman's unexpected assertiveness. All she could do was defend herself, “Both Dr. Johnson and Officer Lloyd already mentioned that we are from different states, so it's all just a coincidence!”
• “Is it really a coincidence, though?” Christine crossed her arms, continuing, “Think about it. Why were we nine individuals specifically chosen to gather here? Remember, we're all strangers. To spot a flaw in each other's stories, we need some kind of clue. This clue is that all our stories are interconnected somehow. After hearing each person's story, I feel like we were deliberately chosen. Only then can we successfully find the discrepancies in everyone's stories and identify the liar. Otherwise, this game would be absurd, because the odds of the liar winning are just too high.”