I've thought up a plan to sink the Country of Day for good.
And as for the key role in that plan...
I'd like you to play it.
Caution
First, I'll explain exactly what the Country of Day was trying to accomplish.
As you all know, I enacted a certain plan.
I convinced three idiots from the Country of Day to move
Idiot #1
{\fad(1230,1)\fnArial\fs16\t(\fs14)\shad0\c&H535052&\3c&HFAFAFB&\b1\move(285.091,158.727,395.636,172.545)}Idiot #2
the entirety of our funds, all 1.91 billion yen.
Idiot #3
I was very scrupulous in choosing those three.
I also confirmed that they took the money we left for them.
I assumed the plan had succeeded.
But apparently, they did not deposit the money in our country's ATM,
but rather hid it somewhere else.
What happens to it, then?
Withdrawals and deposits in this game are fully monitored by the computer.
Third-Country Accounts
yen
1.75167 billion
1.66949 billion
3.77884 billion
The balances we've been assuming
Which means that 1.91 billion still effectively belongs
in our accounts in the Country of Day ATM.
The current balances
1.86884 billion
1.91000 billion
And based on this situation, Akiyama offered these three a deal to betray us.
He asked them to carry all the money currently housed
in the Country of Night ATM to theirs.
The same thing we did, you mean?
Yes, and these two fools leaped at the chance.
Norihiko Yokoya
Their strategy was as follows.
Nao Kanzaki
The Country of Day would make a single account
Country of Night ATM
holding all the money remaining in the Country of Night ATM.
They would then hide that account's card in some ingenious location.
When one of the three turncoats was next named the smuggler,
they'd flash their card through the glass.
That would be the signal for Akiyama to reveal the card's location.
Under the carpet outside the Night ATM
Once they found the card per his instructions,
they'd withdraw the money, deposit it into the Country of Day ATM,
and then return the card to Akiyama.
Is that all correct?
Yes, that's what Akiyama told me.
This aligns with Shibayama-san's account, so we can safely say that was the plan.
The Country of Day's got some pretty clever folks.
Although personally, I think it's quite possible that Akiyama is lying.
You think our plan might've actually worked?
Yes.
That said, it's but one possibility.
We must come up with a plan that accounts for both.
To start... let's accept their offer.
What? Carry over the money, you mean?
To the contrary.
We'll pretend to carry it over, but instead, hide it in the Country of Night.
Country of Night ATM
{\fad(1,1050)\fax.5\shad0\fnArial\fs8\b1\frz35.21\3c&H747879&\c&HEAECEC&\move(343.734,231.156,432.401,187.156,1140,2850)\t(2440,4190,\fs12)}Inspection Room
Country of Day ATM
The first part will go like so.
You'll withdraw the money from the Country of Night ATM and carry it over.
Country of Day ATM
But instead of putting it into the Country of Day ATM, you'll keep moving.
You'll bypass the inspection room,
Country of Night ATM
Inspection Room
Country of Day ATM
carry the money around the corner of the Country of Night side, and hide it there.
Then, once you enter the inspection room,
you'll pretend to have played along and return the card.
Once the inspection is over,
you'll move the hidden money here, and the plan is complete.
Are we allowed to do that?
If it turns out we're not,
it'll reveal that Akiyama's talk of hiding the 1.91 billion was a bluff.
I see...
But there's no way to know if he was telling the truth, right?
In fact, there is.
If Akiyama was lying, he'll be forced to admit it.
"We actually did put the 1.91 million into the Country of Night ATM," he'll tell us.
What? But why?
Because even after we move this load of cash, the result will still be close.
The Country of Day cannot properly dominate the game
without porting over another 1.91 billion.
Which means he will undoubtedly ask you to move money one more time.
Once he does, the game is ours.
That will make it clear we've utterly dominated them in total assets.
Then, as planned, we'll lose intentionally via our third-country balance
and escape the game with a large profit.
To Akiyama, you'll lie and agree to port the second load of cash.
But our three traitors won't be allowed to smuggle again.
You can't move the money if you're never the smuggler.
The Country of Day will be doomed to an inevitable loss.
What if they don't ask us to move a second load of cash?
That will tell us the Country of Day really did hide our money.
But then we'll have roughly equal amounts stashed away,
Yokoya's Estimated Balances
1.868840 billion
1.910000 billion
Country of Night ATM
Country of Day ATM
putting us on even ground.
However, the Country of Day will be under the impression that they're leagues ahead.
Akiyama's Estimated Balances
0 yen
3.778840 billion
That's the crucial point.
Third-Country Accounts
Country of Night
Country of Day
1.66949 billion
1.75167 billion
The Country of Day will try to pad
our third-country coffers so they can lose the game.
We'll humor them and rapidly increase our third-country account balance.
1.86449 billion
1.55667 billion
1.919485 billion
0.651675 billion
The Country of Night will win handily.
You won't be leaving the game scot-free,
but you'll move on to the next stage with your debts greatly reduced.
Yes!
That's a relief.
Now, Akagi-san, you'll be playing the crucial role in this plan.
I want you to serve as our next smuggler.
When Akiyama asks you to move the money, bring it to the Country of Night instead.
If you succeed, I'll wipe your penalty from the Confession Game clean
and grant you 100 loyalty points.
A hundred points?!
I assure you this task is worth the reward.
If he succeeds in bringing the money here, our team's victory is assured.
I'm saved... I'll be saved!
Hey!
Looks like the next smuggler is Bandana.
Well? Are you going in?
If I'm the smuggler, I'm supposed to flash my card.
That's the signal for Akiyama to tell me where the card is.
Huh? Wait, what?
What's wrong, Akagi? Get going already!
I... He's not showing me where he hid the card.
What the hell?
Akiyama's not showing me where their card is.
What do I do?
Don't look at me!
Do not act like you're talking to someone!
R-Right!
Show your card a bit longer.
Right.
If he still refuses to give you marching orders,
it's likely he's trying to feel you out.
Feel him out?
"Perhaps something has led Akagi to side with the Country of Night once more."
That possibility has inspired caution in him.
He's refusing to play his part to see what we do in response.
That's why he won't tell him where the card is?
Yes.
The worst thing we could do would be
to have Akagi turn and start talking to me, or to remove him as smuggler.
That would make it clear his allegiance is back with the Country of Night.
So get to the inspection room already!
R-Right.
And if Akiyama joins you, make sure to ask him...
"Why didn't you tell me where the card was?"
Goodness me, what a mess.
Nearco-san, where have you been?
I received word that a speaker in the Country of Day was malfunctioning.
Thankfully, the others were working, so it wouldn't interfere with the game.
I suppose some hiccups are to be expected in a facility about to be torn down.
What is it?
Well, the game took an interesting turn while you were gone.
Let's have a look, then.
Third-Country Accounts at the Conclusion of Round 29 Country of Night: 1.669490 Country of Day: 1.751670
Hey! What happened?
You didn't give it away, did you?
Let me go!
Yokoya-san.
Akiyama acted the way he did because he had questions about how we were behaving.
Did he now?
But I don't think he's actually seen through our plan.
It was more like he had some vague doubts.
He asked me all these questions...
Could you elaborate?
First, he wanted to know why you weren't afraid of giving cards to smugglers.
Oh?
In this game, no matter how perfect your plan is,
it's over if the other side nabs one of your cards.
If anyone gets both a Day card and a Night card,
they could empty one account into the other
and keep it all for themselves.
He didn't get why someone as cautious as you would let us carry cards at all.
And what did you tell him?
I explained everything.
First, the reason you let smugglers have cards.
What? You don't have a card? Then the case is obviously empty
That part's simple.
ERK
You need to be able to show a card in the inspection room if called on it.
But he's wondering about the chance that a smuggler
would give their card to the other side, right?
I gave a full explanation for that, too.
The crucial point was that Yokoya-san never gives a smuggler their own card,
but rather always gives them someone else's card.
Let's say I'm the smuggler and Yokoya-san gives me Hasegawa's card,
then I give that card to the inspector to let the Country of Day win.
If I come back to the Country of Night and brag about how I've betrayed him,
Ha! I gave them the card, loser
what would Yokoya-san do?
He'd punish me in the most efficient way possible.
By...
burning my card.
You can't get a new card without showing the old one.
Anyone without a card can't get their initial investment back at the end.
In other words, Yokoya-san has our lives in his hands.
There's no way to betray him.
That's how I explained it.
A perfect response.
So, were Akiyama's doubts assuaged?
I think so...
Are you sure?
I'm sure!
Akiyama will definitely reveal the card's location next time!
I'll get the job done next time for sure!
Next time?
You won't get a "next time."
Wait a minute!
I got Akiyama to lower his guard!
It's in the bag next time! I know it!
If I give another chance to someone like you,
Akiyama may convince you to rejoin the Country of Day.
I-I promise I won't do that.
Please.
Let me...
Don't you get it, moron?!
Nobody here can trust you!
No...
As for our plan...
Hasegawa-san, I'd like you to carry it out next turn.
Y-You sure?
And I'll get the points if I succeed, right?
Of course.
Round 30 Country of Night Smuggling Turn
Oh, the Country of Night's next smuggler is Hasegawa.
If their plan succeeds, the Country of Night's victory will be all but assured.
But will Akiyama reveal the hiding place of his card?
Let us find out!
Night ATM Bottom left of machine
He's got the hiding spot!
This plan's a done deal!
No.
There's a chance he's given a false hiding spot.
We still can't be sure.
Doubt 100 million.
The case is empty!
That's 50 million to the Country of Night's Third Country account!
It's over...
Hasegawa's back!
How did the plan go?
It worked perfectly!
Yes! It worked!
Great job, Hasegawa!
Yes!
I'm so glad!
That's awesome!
I knew it!
It's gone well thus far.
The question is what Hasegawa got from him in the inspection room.
If Akiyama's been bluffing,
while in the inspection room, he should have asked
Hasegawa to move the remaining 1.9 billion.
Hasegawa-san.
You've done very well.
So, what did Akiyama say?
Well...
He didn't say anything else, actually.
I was expecting him to ask you to move more money.
I thought he would, too...
But he didn't say a word about it.
I was afraid that if I pushed too hard,
he'd realize I'm still on the Country of Night's side,
so I didn't ask about it myself...
That's fine, then.
I felt certain what he'd said was a bluff.
Hasegawa-san, I want you to serve as our next inspector, as well.
He may try something then.
Right.
Why do you suppose Akiyama didn't admit to his bluff?
I don't know.
We know that 1.91 billion is in the Country of Night ATM.
There's no way for them to win without asking someone to move it.
Their next smuggler is Nao Kanzaki!
Kanzaki might say something to Hasegawa.
Round 31 Country of Night Inspector Turn
What did she say, Hasegawa-san?
Nothing relevant at all.
I see.
Gentlemen, it appears they really do have our 1.91 billion stashed somewhere.
Which means we'll have to take appropriate countermeasures.
Our plan moving forward
is to get more money into our third-country account.
This will be simple.
The Country of Day doesn't know we've hidden a large amount of cash.
This is where Akiyama thinks the current balances sit...
Country of Night
Country of Day
Nothing
Approx. 3.8 billion
Approx. 1.7 billion
Third-Country Account
Total
Approx. 1.7 billion
Approx. 5.5 billion
Dominating in Total Assets
So their next move is obvious:
escape the game by losing.
The Country of Day will aggressively try to lower their third-country balance.
They'll be trying to lose.
We'll be trying to win.
We're after the same thing!
Indeed.
It will be easy for us to take the lead in third-country accounts.
The Country of Day is so stupid!
We won't achieve the ideal outcome of escaping the game with maximum funds,
but we'll certainly end this in the black.
I expect we'll walk away with 500 or 600 million...
no, perhaps even a billion in profit.
But that requires that they don't catch on to what we're doing.
As long as we can manage that, the game's as good as won.
Round 31 Country of Night Smuggling Turn
Doubt 100 million.
And the case is empty!
The Country of Night takes 50 million!
All right!
Okay! We turned it around!
Round 32
Round 33
Round 34
With the conclusion of round 34, the second day is officially over.
I will now announce the third-country totals for both teams!
Third-Country Accounts
Country of Night
Country of Day
1.769490 billion
1.651670 billion
You have all held up admirably over such a long day.
The final day will begin tomorrow at 9:00 AM with the 35th round.
We weren't able to get much of a lead.
They're trying to lose, but their ideal result is still a small loss.
Well, there's still sixteen rounds to go tomorrow.
I'm sure the gap'll widen then.
As long as Akiyama doesn't catch on, the Country of Night will win the game.
Even if he does catch on, how could he possibly turn things around?
Though unlikely, his best chance would be to pull someone from the Country of Night
back over to his side...
The final day of the Contraband Game is here at last!
Round 35 will begin with the Country of Night smuggling.
Will the Country of Night smuggler kindly proceed to the gate?
Everyone, regarding today's games...
For both the smuggler and inspector turns...
I'll be doing everything.
I think it's possible Akiyama has prepared some kind of plan for today.
But if I handle all the smuggling and inspection,
he'll be left without a leg to stand on.
Ah, here we go.
He is a proud man.
To see him completely cast aside appearances...
He must be quite afraid of Akiyama.
The Country of Day's chances have gone up in smoke.
It appears the Country of Day intends to pick Nao Kanzaki for the remaining rounds.
How intriguing.
Round 35
Round 38
Round 45
Round 50
Congratulations to all players!
The fifty rounds of the Contraband Game are now complete!
I will hereby announce the final scores!
Next Time
Solidarity