TDU Chapter 5: Doctor

Chapter 5 Doctor

"I..." The man in the white coat appeared calmer than the rest, unfazed even by the presence of the corpse on the table. "I’m Zhao Haibo(赵海博); a doctor. You might have guessed from my attire."

He reached out and adjusted his stained white coat before proceeding, "Prior to arriving here, I was performing surgery on a woman. She had a tumor in her brain's ventricles, which had been rapidly growing over the past six months, leading to a mild case of hydrocephalus. Without prompt craniotomy, her life would be at risk."

"I proceeded with a frontal lobe surgical approach, utilizing CT guidance to puncture directly into the ventricle. It's a procedure fraught with risks, but the patient was willing to endure them for the sake of being there for her young son in the long run."

"Typically, operating rooms must maintain stable conditions, not even allowing a slight breeze. However, no one anticipated something more powerful than the wind to arrive."

"When the earthquake struck, I had just finished removing the woman's skull and was cutting through the dura mater. Any complications at this point could easily result in brain contusions, with potentially devastating consequences."

"I swiftly decided to halt the surgery and temporarily replace the woman's skull. Exposing her brain in such a dusty environment would have posed a grave risk to her life."

"But I hadn't anticipated this step to be as challenging as it turned out to be. I could barely maintain my balance, let alone accurately replace a small piece of skull."

"The nurse beside me kept bumping into me, causing us both to sway uncontrollably. Everyone struggled to stay upright. In a moment of panic, I quickly covered the woman's head with a sterile sheet before rallying everyone to evacuate. However, in the chaos, I was struck in the leg by a medical trolley and fell to the ground."

"Before I could regain my footing, the ceiling of the operating room collapsed, and I immediately lost consciousness."

After hearing Doctor Zhao's account, everyone's expressions became uneasy. His narrative was filled with medical jargon. If one of these terms is fabricated, no one will be able to identify it.

"Doctor Zhao, where are you from?" the robust man asked absentmindedly.

"I don't feel compelled to answer your inquiry," replied Doctor Zhao. "I have completed recounting my narrative."

The robust man opened his mouth, but refrained from speaking further.

"Is it— is it my turn?" A youth, wearing glasses and with evasive eyes, spoke up after a while. "My name is Han Yimo(韩一墨), I’m a..."

"Wait." The goat-headed figure suddenly interrupted Han Yimo's words.

This abrupt interruption startled Han Yimo, and he turned around with a confused expression. "What—What's wrong?"

“There will now be an {intermission}," the goat-headed figure said with a sneer. "You all have a twenty-minute break."

Everyone was bewildered.

An {intermission} at this moment?

Qi Xia glanced at the desk clock in the center of the table. Half an hour had elapsed since they woke up.

It was currently half past twelve.

‘That is to say, this {intermission} is compulsory.’ Qi Xia mused, ‘At half past twelve, regardless of the narrator, they will be compelled to take a twenty-minute break...’

However the game had only been in progress for thirty minutes, yet they were given a twenty-minute break?

Qi Xia frowned, realizing this wasn't the issue he wanted to focus on. The organizer of this game was a madman, so there was no point in trying to rationalize it from an ordinary person's perspective.

He could only repeat to himself over and over in his mind. ‘My name is Li Ming, from Shandong Province.’ Only by ingraining this phrase into his mind countless times could he smoothly say it when it was his turn to speak.

Everyone waited quietly, their faces betraying a sense of discomfort. Despite the supposed {intermission}, the atmosphere only grew more stifling.

"Excuse me... are we allowed to talk?" the robust man asked the goat-headed figure.

"Of course. This is your free time; I have no right to interfere."

The robust man nodded and turned to Doctor Zhao once more. "Doctor Zhao, where are you from?"

Doctor Zhao's expression darkened. "You've seemed dissatisfied with me from the start. Why do I have to disclose where I'm from?"

"Don't misunderstand, I mean no harm," the robust man said calmly. "The more you share, the more credible your story becomes. Since everyone else has mentioned their hometown, there's no need for you to conceal yours, right?"

"The more I say, the more truthful it sounds?" Doctor Zhao shook his head indifferently. "I only know that {too many words lead to sin}. If the rules are absolute, then my narration should suffice. Besides, I don't trust any of you."

"Your words are somewhat biased," the robust man remarked. "Among the nine of us, only one is an adversary. If you're willing to collaborate, we can collectively identify the liar. The more you withhold, the more suspicion you attract. This is the second time I've asked you: do you still wish to conceal it?"

The robust man appeared adept at cross-examination, swiftly cornering Doctor Zhao with just a few logical statements. The implications of his words were evident. Only {Liar} wouldn't need to trust others, given that possessing that identity would entail knowledge of everyone else's identity. Thus, if Doctor Zhao persisted in concealing it, he would inevitably become the focal point of public scrutiny.

But how could someone capable of becoming a neurologist be deemed feckless? He snorted coldly and retorted, "Then answer me first: who are you? What do you do?"

"Me?" The robust man didn't anticipate Doctor Zhao suddenly turning the tables on him. His expression became slightly uneasy.

"Yes, since you persistently questioned me after my narration, I believe it's only fair for me to ask you before your narration," Doctor Zhao replied with a smile. "Isn't that a reasonable trade?"

After a moment of contemplation, the robust man nodded and said, "You're correct. I have nothing to hide. My name is Li Shangwu(李尚武), and I am a police officer."

As soon as he said this, everyone's attention shifted towards him. At this moment, the term {police officer} filled everyone with an unimaginable sense of reassurance.

"You’re a policeman?!" Doctor Zhao exclaimed, taken aback. No wonder it seemed like this man had been subtly probing from the outset. He was also the first to propose a plan to ensure {everyone's survival}. Perhaps he genuinely wished to save them all.

Doctor Zhao's demeanor visibly shifted. "If that's the case, then I apologize for my previous attitude. I hail from Jiangsu Province."

At this time, the sleeve-tattooed man, Qiao Jiajin, wore a grim expression. "Doctor Zhao, are you really going to believe this Police Officer Li?"

"Huh?" Doctor Zhao gazed at Qiao Jiajin, perplexed. "What are you trying to allude to?"

Qiao Jiajin tapped the table with his fingers and spoke calmly, "It's {intermission} now. In other words... anyone could be lying at this moment."