"Dean, we were just discussing the game you're playing. I swear, I didn't say anything bad about you."

Seeing Dean's darkening expression, Harry, who had just been badmouthing him, felt his insides clench and hurriedly explained.

He knew the man in front of him all too well—seemingly handsome and refined, genuinely good to friends, but not particularly forgiving. Those criminals who had provoked Dean were probably already lining up to reincarnate. Once Dean had you in his sights, even a passing dog that barked would have to endure a couple of slaps before it could leave. Harry certainly didn't want *this* guy sending him to the night market district to try out the 'police after-hours reemployment program.'

The usually impassive Carlo also instinctively lowered his head, pretending to look at some documents. Daisy, however, watched Harry shrink back, covered her mouth with a giggle, and helped deflect the attention. "Dean, how's that 'The Fallen Hero' game?"

Dean replied with a serious expression, "This game has a major problem. Each level is actually a subtle form of psychological conditioning, designed to filter and ultimately recruit players who meet specific requirements!"

"What do you mean?" Daisy hadn't played the game and was somewhat confused.

Harry, due to his background, had seen plenty of depravity. He caught on quickly, frowning as he asked, "Dean, are you saying this game is rigged?"

"Yes. After I passed Level Ten, I was prompted to go to a website and leave a comment to get a ten US dollar coupon, which could be used directly at many physical supermarkets."

Daisy interjected, "That's quite normal, isn't it? Sounds like a marketing tactic."

Harry and Carlo also nodded, confirming they had followed the instructions, received their exclusive coupons, and already used them. The rewards were real, not a scam.

"But the requirement for Level Twenty changed," Dean continued. "I had to stand in a crowd, take a really embarrassing video of myself, and upload it to a designated email. Then I'd get a one hundred US dollar coupon. Only, this time there was an additional prompt!"

"You actually reached Level Twenty in a single afternoon?" Harry and Carlo were stunned.

They had been grinding away day and night for days and were still stuck on Level Nineteen. Yet Dean, just casually playing for an afternoon, had already cleared Level Twenty!

Dean nodded and said casually, "The first twenty levels of this game mainly test things like nerve reaction Speed, hand-eye coordination, memory, and strategy. They're pretty simple. Actually, I just finished Level Thirty. Those ones were more mentally taxing and took me a bit longer!"

"FK!"

Facing such blatant humblebragging, Harry and Carlo felt a crushing blow and suddenly lost all interest in the game.

Daisy, however, focused on the prompt Dean had mentioned. "Dean, what was that prompt you were talking about?"

"From Level Twenty onwards, you have to choose whether to continue the game or end it," Dean explained. "If you continue, the coupon amount from the previous level is added to the next level's reward. Otherwise, your network IP gets locked, and you can't continue clearing levels or redeeming rewards. I chose to continue. So..."

Dean gave Harry and Carlo a mischievous smirk. "You guys don't need to bother struggling with that game anymore. I've already claimed the reward for the precinct's network IP."

"Oh."

Harry and Carlo felt a frustration akin to tirelessly pursuing a girl, only for Dean to effortlessly woo her away and take her to a hotel room.

But Daisy giggled and pressed on, "Dean, didn't you say you reached Level Thirty? What was the prompt for that level?"

"Level Thirty asked me to prank a close friend on video," Dean began.

"And I would get a one thousand US dollar coupon!

"If I didn't go through with it, then I'd lose the previous one hundred US Dollars I'd won.

"And that option appeared again.

"But this time it was a bit different. It said:

"'Congratulations, Hero!

"'You've proven your gaming prowess. This round has a total of fifty levels. The next level offers a ten thousand US Dollar reward, and the final level a grand one hundred thousand US Dollars, along with an invitation to the next round of the game.

"'The next round of the game.

"'Starting reward: one hundred thousand US Dollars!

"'Continue or end?'"

At this point, Dean turned to the three, who were now breathing heavily with a mix of excitement and apprehension. "Now, do you still think this is just an ordinary marketing tactic?"

"On the surface," he continued, "these requirements seem very simple—almost like picking up free money.

"But this is actually a very blunt and effective form of psychological manipulation.

"Think about it. When you realize you can easily get a large sum of money just by doing something that seems foolish but is manageable if you grit your teeth, how many people can resist that temptation?

"That in itself isn't fatal.

"The deadly part is, if you want more, you have to stake your previous winnings.

"From that moment on, your no-risk venture turns into a gamble.

"With every win, your sunk costs increase, while the prize money for the next stage increases tenfold.

"At that point, you've transformed from a 'heroic player' into a gambler. And the further you go, the more reluctant you become to quit. Even if the tasks become deeply uncomfortable, even if they challenge your fundamental principles, many people would probably still choose to try.

"'The Fallen Hero'—that name probably refers to this very process."

Daisy, Harry, and Carlo lacked Dean's quick mind and breadth of knowledge.

Daisy was shocked by the sums involved. "Wow, one hundred thousand US Dollars! Just hearing you talk about it is tempting. Never mind pranking a friend—if it meant getting that much, I might even consider feeding Harry actual manure!"

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