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墨書 Inktalez
"Who is Guo Dafu?"
This was the question that arose in everyone's mind after hearing Fang Zheng's words, but soon someone guessed the identity of that person based on what Fang Zheng had said.
"You are in cahoots with Guo Dafu."
Compared to Deng Yinyin and Xie Huai, who had fallen into a deep sleep that night, Xu Hang, one of the parties involved, was well aware of Guo Dafu's malice towards Xu Nuan. At that time, he thought Guo Dafu was pursuing Xu Nuan due to a System mission. Looking back now, that thought seemed utterly ridiculous. The System would not casually issue assassination missions against Players; even in such a cruel phase, it would not issue such straightforward extermination tasks.
It was only after some individuals with ulterior motives appeared that Xu Hang began to understand Guo Dafu's situation at that time. He must have been like many Players they encountered later—entering the game for money but ultimately defeated by its brutality. Not only did they fail to obtain the generous rewards, but they also risked their lives.
As long as one is alive, there is hope. But when merely surviving becomes a luxury, what is there that a person cannot do?
Guo Dafu was such a pitiable yet detestable existence. As money and life slipped further away from him, he began to engage in actions that contradicted his own morals. Yet, while doing these things, he hesitated. Xu Hang reached this conclusion because their Third Batch of Players, along with Xu Nuan, had been repeatedly targeted by Guo Dafu's schemes, though those schemes were not fatal.
He realized this; thus Gu Ze must have seen it too, not to mention Xu Nuan. That was why when Xu Nuan saw Guo Dafu's corpse on the snowy mountain, she felt such sorrow. In this game, compassion could also be deadly; however, without compassion, a Player would truly be no different from the game itself. Even if they managed to escape the game in the end, they would face a world that would not accept them.
When Xu Hang spoke these words, his expression remained largely unchanged, but those familiar with him could still detect the underlying emotion.
Similarly deducing who Fang Zheng was targeting, Gu Ze's expression had completely darkened. In the darkness of night, he emanated an aura that instilled fear in others. Without hesitation, he strode up to Fang Zheng and grabbed him by the collar with one hand while throwing a punch with the other.
In fact, when he and Xu Hang had rushed out after hearing the noise and saw Fang Zheng plotting against Gold Breakthrough, he had acted similarly then. However, since Fang Zheng had no enmity with him at that time, he hadn't struck hard.
Gu Ze's actions left the others momentarily stunned. Fang Zheng, whose face was already swollen from the blows, let out a low laugh that sounded somewhat rough in the night air—an unsettling sound that made one feel he was scheming something.
"Tsk, is this your way of striking after the fact? What good does it do to come after me now?"
Fang Zheng, despite being at a disadvantage, still had a mocking glint in his eyes, his words sharp and piercing.
"You're not all that impressive. I only collaborated with Guo Dafu a long time ago, and I wasn't involved in that matter. If you want to settle scores, you should go after the people behind him, right? If you want to protect your woman, you have to pay some price, don't you?"
As Fang Zheng taunted Gu Ze, he seemed to be hinting at something more.
When he finished speaking, Chi Xiaoming suddenly looked up at him, but said nothing.
From Xu Nuan's perspective, she could see Gu Ze's figure trembling with his back turned to her. Was it fear? Or was it rage?
She understood that Fang Zheng was deliberately trying to undermine Gu Ze, and in that incident, Gu Ze bore no responsibility; they were merely former classmates reuniting, not even close friends. Gu Ze was not the type to be provoked easily; he had a clear sense of right and wrong regarding responsibility. Fang Zheng's provocations were insignificant. So what was Fang Zheng's purpose in appearing now?
Unrelated parties had no reason to be present, but once they did show up, it would surely bring clues.
As Xu Nuan knew about Gu Ze, after hearing Fang Zheng's words, Gu Ze actually loosened his grip and stepped aside, observing Wang Huacheng, Gold Breakthrough, and Fang Zheng with a half-smile.
Xu Nuan noticed that after Gu Ze released his grip, Fang Zheng seemed to become somewhat agitated. A flicker of impatience crossed his features before quickly fading away. His demeanor was dark and brooding; it seemed he was enduring something.
"Are you coming out on your own, or should I ask each of you one by one?"
Gu Ze's voice resonated with the desolate night; the slightly suppressed emotion added an alluring chill to his cold tone. But behind that allure lay bloodshed and the endless Cliff, waiting for someone to walk into its trap.
Once he spoke those words, whether it was the captured Wang Huacheng and Gold Breakthrough or their companions Deng Yinyin and Xie Huai, they all shuddered and instinctively tried to avoid Gu Ze's gaze. This was the might of Gu Ze when he erupted; it was also why no one dared to offend him lightly.
Xu Nuan was captivated, to be precise, she was enchanted by every facet of Gu Ze. The way all his aspects blended together was exactly what brought her joy.
In her eyes, the situation was quite easy to understand. Gold Breakthrough and Fang Zheng had been beaten up by Gu Ze and returned without gaining any advantage. Deep down, they were already afraid of him. Wang Huacheng, on the other hand, was particularly wary of Gu Ze because he had blocked their last escape route. In such circumstances, as long as Gu Ze made a slight move, he could easily intimidate them.
Xu Nuan silently cheered for Gu Ze while waiting for these uninvited guests to bring them new clues, even though among them were those responsible for providing information to Gu Ze and those who had once ignored Xu Nuan in her time of need.
She noticed Fang Zheng's face turning pale, which was purely because he had once been close to Guo Dafu. Having suffered losses at Guo Dafu's hands multiple times, it was a reflexive reaction. Likewise, Xu Nuan did not believe Fang Zheng was lying; he was forty-six when he first entered the game, the oldest among them and also the most experienced. This experience stemmed from his bitter life after becoming a retired soldier. A person exhausted by life, when faced with a strong desire for money, primarily just wanted to survive. Unlike Guo Dafu, who sought a win-win situation wanting both the prize money and to leave the game alive, Fang Zheng simply wanted to stay alive. This experience made him excel in the game yet feel out of place; he possessed great skills but only wished to survive, evoking both envy and jealousy from others.
As someone who felt out of place among the Second Batch Players, it was quite baffling that Fang Zheng had such a close relationship with the profit-driven businessman Guo Dafu.
There must be hidden reasons behind this; she just didn’t know what they were. However, as long as Fang Zheng—a man solely seeking survival—was defeated by Gu Ze, he would surely reveal his true feelings to him. This was what Xu Nuan hoped to see, which made her more eager for Fang Zheng's response than anyone else.
The lingering intimidation created by Gu Ze still hung in the air; only a few seconds had passed when everything around fell silent, making Gu Ze seem even more frightening. Wang Huacheng and Gold Breakthrough exchanged glances, clearly showing signs of wavering, while Fang Zheng's eyes reflected a struggle. First came mockery, then irritation, followed by conflict—this indicated that Fang Zheng wanted to leverage his clues for some advantage. Unfortunately for him, Gu Ze was not someone who could easily be provoked into action as he imagined.
Xu Nuan appreciated the changes in Fang Zheng's expression; any previous displeasure had long vanished. However, this transformation appeared somewhat glaring in the eyes of another person.
After wavering, Wang Huacheng and Gold Breakthrough seemed ready to speak up again. This made Fang Zheng even more conflicted; there was no trace of gloom left on his face.
Just then, someone interrupted their hesitation—especially Fang Zheng’s—preventing Gu Ze from gaining more clues through his earlier threats.
"Forget about those two; we definitely shouldn't trust anything Fang Zheng says!"
Among them, He Min was the first to darken her expression as she spoke up. Her voice was cold but laced with anger, creating an awkward atmosphere that made everyone uncomfortable. It seemed she was overly anxious this time; her tone became sharp and reminiscent of Deng Yinyin’s, genuinely surprising everyone present.
He Min's words hung heavily in the air, causing Wang Huacheng and Gold Breakthrough to visibly relax, their expressions no longer troubled. They seemed to have the leisure to look around, showing no concern about how Gu Ze might deal with them afterward. In contrast, Fang Zheng was taken aback, hastily averting his gaze from Gu Ze, his demeanor betraying a hint of panic.
"Uh, He Min, it's a bit sudden for everyone to accept this," he stammered.
Deng Yinyin glanced at He Min, her tone a mix of complaint and an attempt to diffuse the tension. Her words seemed both encouraging and incendiary.
"Although the words of those three hold little credibility, Fang Zheng isn't exactly special either, right?"
Xu Nuan felt a surge of certainty that Deng Yinyin had become quite clever. However, she sensed that Deng Yinyin's actions were undoubtedly aiding He Min. Personally, Xu Nuan felt uncomfortable with Deng Yinyin's support for He Min; it left her feeling unsettled, as if something was stuck in her stomach, yet she had no way to resolve it.
Deng Yinyin's comment successfully drew everyone's attention back to He Min, including Fang Zheng himself. Yet at that moment, any signs of wavering in Fang Zheng had faded away, replaced by his usual brooding demeanor. Xu Nuan couldn't help but feel disappointed and shot a glance of reproach at him, only to be startled by the fear that surged in He Min's eyes.
"What credibility does a murderer have?" He Min's face bore an appropriately tragic expression reminiscent of when she learned about Yu Yu's death, though there were subtle differences that left Xu Nuan puzzled.
Deng Yinyin, who had spoken first, was clearly affected by the three words she had just uttered; her complexion changed instantly. She dared not look at He Min again or meet Xie Huai's gaze. At that moment, everyone else's attention was focused on Fang Zheng and He Min, leaving them oblivious to her discomfort.
Fang Zheng, suddenly labeled a "murderer" by He Min, glared at her with fierce intensity. His breathing grew heavy as if he were suppressing something within him. His eyes widened unnaturally, creating an unsettling atmosphere around him.
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