Chapter 5: The Doctor

"I..." The man in the white coat seemed calmer than everyone else; even the corpse on the table didn't faze him. "I'm Zeus Zimmerman. As you might have guessed from my outfit, I'm a doctor." He tugged at his stained lab coat and continued, "Before I ended up here, I was operating on a woman. She had a rapidly growing intraventricular tumor that had been expanding over the last six months, causing mild hydrocephalus. If not treated quickly, it could be life-threatening." "I opted for a frontal approach, starting with a CT-guided puncture to the ventricle. This kind of surgery is always risky, but the woman took the gamble to be there for her young son." "Normally, to keep the operating room stable, even a slight breeze is a no-go. But none of us anticipated something more formidable than the wind." "When the earthquake hit, I had just removed the woman's skull and was cutting into the dura mater. A mistake at this step could easily cause a brain contusion, leaving devastating aftereffects." "I quickly decided to stop the surgery and temporarily cover the woman's skull. Otherwise, in such a dusty environment, her life would be in serious danger." "I didn't expect this step to be more challenging than I had imagined. I could hardly stand, let alone accurately place a small piece of skull back." "The nurse beside me bumped into me, making everyone lose their balance. Amid the chaos, I covered the woman's head with a sterile sheet and quickly turned to organize an evacuation. But then, a medical trolley struck my leg, and I fell to the ground." "Before I could get back up, the ceiling of the operating room started to crack, and I immediately blacked out." After hearing the doctor's story, everyone looked uneasy. He had used many medical terms in his account, and if even one of those terms were made up, no one would know. "Dr. Zimmerman, where are you from?" the muscular guy asked casually. "I don't feel like I have to answer your question," Zeus replied, "My story is finished." The muscular guy opened his mouth but didn't say anything. "I-Is it my turn?" A young man with glasses hesitated before speaking, "My name is Finn Halenkamp, and I'm a..." "Wait a minute," Satyr suddenly cut Finn off. The interruption startled Finn, and he turned around, puzzled. "What... what's the matter?" "It's break time." Satyr grinned. "We'll take a twenty-minute break now." Everyone was a bit at a loss. A break now? Ken looked at the clock in the middle of the table. Half an hour had passed since they had awakened. It was now twelve-thirty. "So, this break is mandatory," Ken thought silently. At twelve-thirty, no matter who is speaking, there will be a twenty-minute break." But the game had only been on for thirty minutes, and now they had to take a twenty-minute break? He frowned, knowing it wasn't something he needed to worry about. The game's organizer was obviously a madman; there was no point in trying to reason. He could only keep telling himself over and over. "My name is Liam Lynch, from Belton." By drilling this phrase into his head, he could say it effortlessly when it was his turn. Everyone waited in awkward silence. Even though they called it a "break," the vibe was even tenser. "Can we... talk?" the muscular guy asked Satyr. "Oh, certainly, you have free time now, and I have no authority to interfere." The muscular guy nodded and turned back to Zeus. "Dr. Zimmerman, where exactly are you from?" Zeus' expression darkened. "I have sensed your dissatisfaction with me from the beginning. Why must I tell you where I'm from?" "Don't get me wrong, I mean no harm," the muscular guy replied steadily, "The more you say, the more credible it seems. Since everyone has shared their hometown, you do not need to hide yours, right?" "The more you say, the more credible it seems?" The doctor shook his head dismissively. "I only know that 'the more you say, the more mistakes you make.' If the rules are absolute, my story has no flaw. Besides, I don't trust any of you." "That's a bit biased," the muscular guy said, "There are nine people here, and only one is the enemy. If you cooperate, we can work together to expose the liar. The more you hide, the more suspicious you become. I've asked you twice now. Will you continue to hide?" The guy seemed skilled at interrogation, effortlessly cornering Zeus with logic. His point was clear. Only the "liar" didn't need to trust others since they knew their identity. If the doctor continued to hide, he would become the prime suspect. However, a person capable of becoming a neurosurgeon wouldn't be easily cornered. He let out a cold snort and asked, "Then you answer me first. Who are you? What do you do?" "Me?" The doctor's sudden counterattack caught the muscular guy off guard, and his expression turned slightly awkward. "That's right. Since you kept pressing me after my story, I can also ask you before you tell yours." Zeus chuckled. "Seems fair, doesn't it?" The muscular guy thought momentarily, nodded, and said, "You're right. I have nothing to hide. My name is Jacob Lowe, and I'm a police officer." At those words, everyone turned to look at him. Hearing his words in this situation gave everyone an unexpected sense of security. "You're a cop?!" Zeus was taken aback. No wonder this man seemed to be probing from the start. He was also the first to propose "making sure everyone survives." Perhaps he genuinely wanted to get everyone out. The doctor's demeanor noticeably softened. "If that's the case, then I apologize for my earlier attitude. I'm from Jenville." At this moment, Jonah looked a bit troubled. "So, Dr. Zimmerman, you trust this guy?" "Hmm?" Zeus looked at Jonah, puzzled. "What do you mean?" Jonah tapped the table with his fingers and said calmly, "It's not story time now. In other words, everyone can lie."