Chen Hao's hand was still suspended in mid-air, the card slightly crooked from his slap. Instead of retracting his hand, he raised his other hand and waved it around.
"Stop fighting, time's up."
No one spoke. Several pairs of eyes were fixed on the scoreboard on the table, their breathing becoming slightly lighter. The system notification sounded precisely on time, scrolling through the scores starting from the lowest and finally stopping at the names of the first group.
The lights then illuminated a circle of objects, shining on the prize table against the wall. Several wooden boxes, sachets, and small ornaments were neatly arranged, resting on a bed of old circuit boards that had been flipped over and repainted.
Chen Hao grinned: "The winner gets a treat, and the loser gets some consolation too."
He turned to look at Nana, "Are you ready?"
Nana swiped her finger, and a new list popped up on the wall projection. It wasn't just the champion; there were several other lines of text—"Best Teamwork," "Comeback Team," and "All Attendance Award."
Someone laughed out loud: "There's even a prize for 'not running away halfway'?"
“Yes.” Chen Hao walked over and picked up a small wooden hut with a rope hanging from it. “This is for your group four. It’s called ‘Three People Make a Team’.”
The man took it, turned it over, and saw a line of small characters engraved on the base: **"To be able to stand up after abstaining three times is even more impressive than standing all the time."**
He paused for a moment, looked up at his teammates, and all three of them suddenly laughed at the same time.
Nana stood in front of the control panel, her voice steady: "The third group has completed seven coordinated actions, triggering a hidden scoring mechanism. The reward is a set of custom dice with a non-slip surface, suitable for long-term holding."
When she handed it over, the technician who had previously dropped the card was a little slow to take it.
"For me?"
“You played a dominant position for six rounds, but switched to support in the last round,” she said. “The data shows that was the only time in the entire game that you voluntarily gave up your advantageous position to switch to defense.”
The man looked down at the dice and rubbed the edge of them with his fingers.
"I just feel... if we don't let them have it, it'll really break down."
“So you conceded,” Chen Hao interjected. “That’s more important than winning. This isn’t an arena, who’s short of resources? What’s missing is who can think one step ahead.”
He jumped onto the low table next to him and picked up an embroidered cloth bag.
"The following award is called 'Can still sit together after arguing'."
He read out the names, "First group, Brother Li and Engineer Wang."
The two exchanged a glance and slowly walked forward.
"You guys almost came to blows at the start," Chen Hao said. "You were passing the buck in the middle, but in the last round you teamed up and successfully turned the tables. Do you know why you were able to turn the game around?"
No one answered.
“Because you didn’t really leave,” he said. “You said you were breaking up, but you’re still sitting there. As long as you’re not gone, this isn’t over.”
Engineer Wang took the sachet and smelled it: "This smell... isn't it the same kind of sawdust used when we repaired the ventilation duct last time?"
“Yes.” Nana nodded. “Made from the remaining materials, it has basic dehumidification function. Your round of cooperation consumed a lot of stamina, so I suggest hanging it above the bed at night.”
The crowd was silent for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Robots are now concerned about sleep quality?"
“I’m just providing the optimal solution,” she said. “Insomnia can increase the error rate in decision-making by 23 percent.”
Chen Hao seized the opportunity to grab the last prize box and shook it.
"And now for the grand finale! The champion team!"
He deliberately dragged out the word, "Do you know what I admire most about you?"
Everyone held their breath.
“You played for ten rounds straight, and not one of you ever took the initiative,” he said. “You waited for your teammate’s approval before each play. It wasn’t that you played smartly; it was that you trusted each other completely.”
The three champions stood together, their arms linked.
No one spoke during the award ceremony; they simply took turns touching the inscription on the box: "Those who think of others first deserve the biggest prize."
When the applause started, Chen Hao didn't rush to leave the stage.
He suddenly turned around and pointed to a man in the corner who was secretly collecting cards.
"Hey there! You were the one who shouted 'I'm not playing anymore' but then came back to pick up the cards, weren't you?"
The man froze, his face turning red instantly.
"Come here for a second," Chen Hao beckoned. "Your prize hasn't been awarded yet."
"I didn't make it into the top three... nor did I receive the improvement award."
“You received a special award.” He pulled a small cloth bag from his pocket. “The full name is ‘Thick-skinned people do well.’”
The audience burst into laughter.
The man scratched his head and walked up, took the bag and poured it out to take a look—an ordinary die with a smiley face engraved on one side.
"Where did this thing come from?"
"It was made from plastic pellets salvaged from a scrapped server room and then remelted," Chen Hao said. "We made six in total, and once they were all shipped out, that was it."
Why are you giving me this?
"Because you dare to admit your mistakes," he said. "Many people can't afford to lose, not because they lose to the rules, but because they feel they can't afford to lose. The fact that you can swallow your pride and come back to play shows that you still want to win."
The man held the dice, his lips twitched, and finally he whispered, "Thanks."
Nana suddenly raised her hand, and a cluster of red dots lit up the control panel.
The next second, a video appeared on the wall.
The screen was filled with clips from earlier—arguments, silence, high-fives, and laughter.
Some people slammed their fists on the table, some burst into tears, and others pushed the card to their teammates, saying, "You decide."
Finally, the camera cuts to the ceiling, where the ribbons sway gently, as if blown by the wind.
“These moments were all documented,” she said. “Not for competitions, but to prove that we once did something seriously together.”
The restaurant was silent for a few seconds.
Then someone clapped first, and then everyone stood up.
There were no cheers, no slogans, just standing there, looking at each other.
Chen Hao didn't move, leaning against the table and panting.
The day had been too long, and his mind was starting to feel heavy.
Nana walked up to him and asked softly, "Do you want to save this?"
What do you think?
"If deleted, the data cannot be recovered."
"Then let's keep it." He yawned. "Anyway, the hard drive won't be full."
She didn't say anything more, but paused the recording on the last frame—the moment everyone looked up at the light strip.
A little girl stood in the back row, clutching her prize in her hand—a small wooden flower.
She kept laughing, laughing nonstop.
Chen Hao noticed her, walked over and squatted down.
Do you like it?
She nodded: "This is the first time I've received an award."
“There will be more in the future,” he said, “as long as you want to come and play again.”
She hugged the box tightly, as if afraid someone would snatch it away.
Just then, a commotion arose at the door.
Someone came in carrying a bunch of empty beverage bottles and turned off the outside lights.
The light dimmed slightly.
Nana's camera panned slightly, sweeping across the edge of the crowd.
A man in gray clothes stood behind a pillar, holding a prize he had just received, without wearing an identification tag.
He lowered his head and tapped the side of the box three times with his knuckles.
The rhythm is very familiar.
Da, da da, da.
It was the same distress signal as the one sent three months ago when the base lost power.
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