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Xu Nuan ultimately decided not to seek out the person hiding in the shadows. She wasn't foolish; with a little analysis, she could narrow down the identity of that individual.
Gu Ze was primarily focused on resolving matters with He Jun and Li Xiangke, while the remaining members of the First Batch of Players were temporarily far from her. Otherwise, Gu Ze wouldn't have felt so at ease leaving her behind. Moreover, the Second Batch Players had already split into two factions: one was being manipulated by Zhang Xiao but was essentially opportunistic, pursuing their own interests, while the other was assisting Gu Ze and also required compensation. With this in mind, Xu Nuan felt more secure.
At this moment, she truly did not want to clash with Chi Xiaoming and was solely focused on finding Gu Ze, leading her to make a swift decision.
This time, three of them traveled together. Throughout the journey, Feng Feng hardly spoke; it seemed his role was merely to provide medicine to Xu Nuan, acting as a kind-hearted guardian behind the scenes.
Xu Nuan understood that this was just a façade, yet she still felt grateful towards Feng Feng. Since he remained silent, there was no need for her to initiate conversation.
Chi Xiaoming was notoriously taciturn, but Xu Nuan actively sought him out for conversation as she had another question on her mind.
"Weren't you supposed to be in pairs? Where's Xu Hang?"
Xu Nuan and Gu Ze hadn’t experienced the same choices as Chi Xiaoming and Xu Hang, so she was unaware of the more insidious tricks within the Love Path. This ignorance allowed her to look at Chi Xiaoming with complete calmness.
Chi Xiaoming's response was equally composed.
"We got separated unexpectedly. We should be able to meet him at the Supply Station."
Xu Nuan didn’t grasp the strict limitations of the Love Path and failed to notice Chi Xiaoming’s unnatural demeanor at that moment. It was known that Chi Xiaoming was a man of few words and never made predictions about the future; saying that Xu Hang could reach the Supply Station at this time seemed dubious.
Xu Nuan was more familiar with Gu Ze than with Chi Xiaoming, so she quickly accepted this explanation and glanced at Feng Feng, thinking he might be in a similar situation. Her curiosity about Feng Feng's companion in the Love Path grew; currently, it seemed only Second Batch Players could team up with him.
A fleeting thought of curiosity passed through her mind before she returned to her main focus.
"Since you are so certain about Ze's plans and have provided so much information, do you know where Gu Ze will ultimately regroup?"
This was Xu Nuan's habit; she always presented her reasoning and evidence first before raising her questions, which meant there was no need for further explanation afterward. Those unfamiliar with her might have perceived this approach as confrontational.
Chi Xiaoming only understood Xu Nuan slightly better than Feng Feng did, but he would never reach the level of understanding that Gu Ze had. However, both of these individuals, who didn’t know Xu Nuan well, expressed a hint of disdain towards her inquiries.
“Supply Station rendezvous; everyone has been here long enough.”
Chi Xiaoming’s words were concise and devoid of emotional embellishments, which ironically made the underlying emotions more apparent.
Xu Nuan noticed this and recognized the cold attitude from both Chi Xiaoming and Feng Feng towards her. She refrained from asking further questions, feeling regretful that she couldn’t meet Gu Ze sooner.
At that moment, she was completely certain that Gu Ze would be fine and would definitely resolve the issues with He Jun and Li Xiangke. This was the greatest trust she had in Gu Ze, allowing her to relax and stop being paranoid.
Time passed quickly. The three of them couldn’t trigger any mechanisms together, so they easily dealt with a few careless beasts before reaching the hidden Core mechanism along the path where Chi Xiaoming and Xu Hang were. Once they destroyed this Core, they could quickly reach the Supply Station and await news from the others.
However, Xu Nuan keenly observed that it was only after the person who had been stalking them disappeared that Chi Xiaoming mentioned the Central Mechanism. She quickly narrowed down the possible identities of that hidden figure.
Chi Xiaoming did not avoid Feng Feng, prompting Xu Nuan to reassess Feng Feng’s status in her mind. Having always been close to Gu Ze, she understood the depth of his relationship with Chi Xiaoming and could thus infer the nature of Gu Ze’s connection with Feng Feng.
In the few hours since she had awakened, Xu Nuan had experienced no discomfort in her body, and her mind was clear. Even if something were to happen now, she felt confident she could hold on until Gu Ze returned.
Returning to the main point, it was her first time witnessing Chi Xiaoming dismantle what was referred to as the Central Mechanism, which naturally piqued her curiosity.
In the Survival Game, the Central Mechanism was well-hidden and accompanied by various deceptive traps. Some were submerged in Mountain Stream waters; others were concealed deep within dense forests in unimaginable locations, but most were underground.
Undoubtedly, underground was the best hiding place. If a Player didn’t know the exact location of a mechanism, even knowing it was underground wouldn’t give them the time or energy to dig up every inch of soil.
Xu Nuan watched like a spectator at a magic show as Chi Xiaoming moved around different positions, then took precise steps in a specific direction before starting to dig with his tools once he pinpointed the exact location.
In the end, the so-called Central Mechanism was unearthed and destroyed by Chi Xiaoming.
Chi Xiaoming executed this series of actions with a fluidity that resembled flowing water, demonstrating remarkable skill.
Xu Nuan couldn't help but praise him.
"Impressive!"
She had learned from Gu Ze that Chi Xiaoming had made ample preparations to enter this game, but she was unaware of his motives beyond those involving Tang Jingshu and Chi Ming.
However, after her admiration, a thought struck her: they, as Players, were constantly being monitored. Chi Xiaoming's bold act of destruction must have caught the attention of those in the control room. Yet, the people in the control room showed no reaction. Based on her understanding of Another Founder, that person would not allow Chi Xiaoming to act this way.
Unless—Xu Nuan's eyes widened—unless Another Founder was unaware of the situation in the control room. This would mean that the founder only controlled the Designers and had no grasp over game operations. However, this speculation contradicted their previous encounters and analyses.
She was certain she had overlooked something; Xu Nuan felt strongly about this and found it quite taxing.
After praising Chi Xiaoming, she quickly turned to Feng Feng, her tone slightly agitated.
"What did you say earlier? If Ze deals with He Jun and Li Xiangke, then the remaining First Batch of Players in this game would only be you, Zhang Xiao, An Liran, and Wu Wu, right?"
Xu Nuan's sudden loud voice startled Feng Feng, and soon after, Chi Xiaoming turned to look at Xu Nuan as well.
At that moment, Xu Nuan rapidly processed all the information in her mind. She had confirmed that Zhang Xiao was not Another Founder but someone who had made an agreement with that founder while also having his own ideas. Since Gu Ze would collaborate with Feng Feng, it meant that Feng Feng could not be the founder either. That left only An Liran and Wu Wu.
"Is there a problem with what I just said?"
Before Feng Feng could respond to Xu Nuan, he saw her excitedly turn to Chi Xiaoming and bombard him with questions.
"Wasn't Chi Ming involved before? The Fourth Room's influence is An Insurance, so An Liran must be one of them."
Chi Xiaoming merely nodded, seemingly unable to comprehend Xu Nuan's agitation.
"Then Another Founder must be Wu Wu, right?"
The term Second Batch Players was too formal and did not disguise Another Founder's identity. Once Xu Nuan learned that the founder was also in the game, she set her sights on the First Batch of Players. With this elimination, and considering that the founder was the son of Chairman Rao's current wife and her ex-husband, her options were narrowed down to Wu Wu.
Chi Xiaoming frowned, clearly thinking that Xu Nuan's sudden conclusion was too hasty. However, after analyzing it himself, he realized that his choice also left him with only Wu Wu.
This couldn't be a coincidence.
Just as Xu Nuan and Chi Xiaoming exchanged excited glances, Feng Feng looked on in confusion.
"What are you two talking about? Wu Wu is just a designer under Wang Yiyun; he was scared into submission. I remember him; he can't possibly be another game founder."
Feng Feng believed his reasoning was sound, but this time Xu Nuan quickly countered.
"But if the suggestion allows you to know that the founder exists without revealing his appearance or identity, then it can also lead their thoughts astray—like a switcheroo—making it the safest option."
Chi Xiaoming immediately understood Xu Nuan's point. Another Founder could have used suggestion to erase himself from the memories of low-level Designers and assume another person's identity. This way, even if others recalled him, they would only think of him as whoever they believed him to be, rather than considering him as the founder.
This was indeed the safest approach.
Chi Xiaoming agreed with this notion and looked at Feng Feng with the same eager expression as Xu Nuan.
Feng Feng's expression shifted through various emotions as he contemplated this possibility.
"There is indeed a possibility, but we might also be entering a misunderstanding. There should be other ways to verify Wu Wu's true identity."
Chi Xiaoming quickly turned his attention back to Xu Nuan. After all, the connection between Another Founder and the chairman of Rao Group was brought up by Xu Nuan. If they were to confirm the identity, Xu Nuan was the one most likely to know the details.
Xu Nuan realized this as well and began racking her brain. She had only suddenly thought of the identities of the remaining First Batch of Players, which led her to propose this possibility. However, it was still a bit difficult for her to come up with something that could verify the identity on the spot.
Neither Chi Xiaoming nor Feng Feng urged her; at this moment, pressing her would be futile.
After contemplating for a while, Xu Nuan cautiously asked Feng Feng, "You were with Wu Wu before, right?"
She needed to ensure this point first.
Feng Feng nodded, prompting Xu Nuan to carefully inquire further.
"Then how old do you think Wu Wu is based on what you saw and know?"
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