At that moment, Big Sister 212 wouldn't stop nagging at the other team members.
Kai, who had just arrived, was speechless.
This woman… does she have extreme social anxiety or what?
As he walked closer, Kai glanced up at the counter on the screen.
Remaining Players: 30
Accumulated Prize Money: 42.6 billion won
Then, in typical fashion, Seong Gi-hun blurted out without thinking, "Madam, why were you kicked out of that team?"
Big Sister 212 immediately snapped back, "Brother, I'm not a madam. My name is Han Mi-nyeo."
Kai couldn't help but snort. "Pfft."
With a face like that, she still dares to call herself a beauty?
Han Mi-nyeo caught Kai's mocking tone and went off instantly.
"Hey, who are you? Your accent doesn't sound local. During the Dalgona game, I heard you mumbling something we couldn't understand. What are you, Chinese or Japanese?"
Kai didn't want to bother with her.
"I'm Chinese American, thank you very much."
Han Mi-nyeo wasn't done. "Oh? Are you some kind of illegal immigrant? Or overstaying your visa?"
Kai's face darkened. "I've got a long-term residency permit here. I came to broaden my life experience. But now? I've changed my mind. If I make it out alive, I'll head back home within five years."
Han Mi-nyeo, still relentless, said, "If I remember right, little brother, you were the first one to attack another player, weren't you? Are all your people as ruthless as you?"
That did it.
Kai's eyes turned cold. He grabbed Han Mi-nyeo and pinned her against the bed frame, pressing his dagger to her throat. The others jumped to stop him, but he glared them down.
"You can insult me all you want. I don't care. And yeah, I am ruthless. But if you ever insult my homeland or my people again, I'll slit your throat right here. I might not be the strongest man in the room, but killing you? That's easy. Wanna try me?"
Han Mi-nyeo froze, trembling. "D-Don't…"
Kai traced the flat of his blade lightly across her neck. "Don't what? Is that you begging for mercy?"
"Y-Yes…"
"Then apologize to my homeland and my compatriots."
"I-I'm sorry."
Kai finally released her.
Player 240 chuckled. "Didn't expect someone like you to be that patriotic."
Kai smirked. "Who said bad guys can't love their country? I'm not even a bad guy—just someone trying to survive."
Seong Gi-hun stepped in to ease the tension. "Alright, alright. We're all on the same team. Let's cool it down."
Choi Sang-woo spoke next, voice steady. "When the lights go out, there might be another riot. We need to be ready."
Player 196 scoffed. "Ready how? We've got women, an old man, and a guy who looks like he'd snap in half."
Kai frowned. "What are you implying? I'm 178 cm, not short—just a bit light."
Kang Sae-byeok teased, "So, your weight is…?"
"Forty-six kilograms."
She blinked. "You're two kilos lighter than me but two centimeters taller. Honestly, Player 250, I kinda envy your proportions. If you were a girl, you'd have a perfect model figure."
Kai covered his face. "I've brought this humiliation upon myself…"
(For reference, Kang Sae-byeok's height and weight match actress Jung Ho-yeon's.)
"In short," Kai muttered, "we're the weakest damn team here."
Player 244, the pastor, suggested, "Then we strike first. Choose a weaker group and attack them."
Player 240 sneered, "Wow. So people who believe in God are actually more cruel."
But 244 insisted, "We're already sinners. Our hands are stained with blood anyway."
Player 196 nodded. "He's right. Offense is the best defense. Let's make the first move."
Kai stayed quiet. If they attacked, he'd probably be one of the first to die. But he didn't speak up either—he knew Seong Gi-hun, that bleeding-heart saint, would never agree. Better to stay neutral.
To Kai's surprise, the first to object wasn't Gi-hun—it was Kang Sae-byeok.
"Do you know how the man in front of me died last night?" she said coldly. "He was strangled by his own teammate who thought he was the enemy."
She glared around. "Do you trust me? Because I sure as hell don't trust any of you."
Kai quickly tried to win her over. "I tru—"
Before he could finish "trust you," Kang Sae-byeok cut him off.
"Especially you, Player 250. You're a lunatic."
Kai sighed internally. My enthusiasm was met with ice water. Great.
He shrugged. "Yeah, I'm a lunatic—but a smart one. I'd never attack first. I can't fight for shit, and if I did that, I'd be the first to die."
Seong Gi-hun finally spoke. "She's right. Defense first. Let's build a barricade before lights out—something to shield ourselves."
The group agreed and started stacking beds to form a makeshift fence.
Just then, Player 101—Jang Deok-su—sauntered over with a smirk. "Look at you, trying so hard to survive. You really think that flimsy setup's gonna save you? It's got holes all over!"
This time, though, Seong Gi-hun didn't back down. "What about you? Those guys you call teammates—you really trust them?"
Deok-su turned, glancing at his gang of thugs. They looked anything but trustworthy.
Gi-hun pressed the attack. "If I were one of them, the moment the lights go out, I'd kill you first. You're the strongest fighter here—it's common sense to get rid of you."
Deok-su's expression darkened. After a moment, he barked an order to his men to rest that night and not start a fight.
Kai, watching from the corner, thought, Psychological warfare, huh? I've really underestimated Player 456.
But since Gi-hun didn't know Deok-su had backed off, he suggested pairing up for night watch.
Kai quickly volunteered to team with Player 240.
Kang Sae-byeok clearly didn't trust him anymore, so he needed a backup ally.
He hesitated at first—240 was a girl, physically weak—but then he thought about the others.
001 was too frail. Gi-hun was too saintly. Sang-woo and the other men were just as scheming as he was, and he couldn't beat them in a fight. Ali was reliable but loyal to Gi-hun and Sang-woo, not him.
After weighing it all, Kai sighed. Fine. Out of all the rotten apples, I'll take the least rotten one.
He muttered under his breath, "Let's just hope there aren't any more physical games coming up. Otherwise… I'm screwed."