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In the span of twenty-four hours, or one thousand four hundred and forty minutes, monumental changes could occur in this ever-shifting game.
Gold Breakthrough, Wang Huacheng, and Fang Zheng brought the news that "only one Player can claim the prize," a statement made by First Batch of Players' Wu Wu. Xu Nuan, curious about Wu Wu, who might be Another Founder, inquired with Gold Breakthrough and others, which ultimately led to Feng Feng harming Chi Xiaoming.
In the end, Fang Zheng, who was determined to survive, remained behind and conspired with Gu Ze about something. Gold Breakthrough and Wang Huacheng had vanished, likely continuing their information gathering for greater gains. Meanwhile, Feng Feng, who had kept a low profile until now, suddenly erupted into a mysterious presence.
All of this traced back to Wu Wu, a designer who was both suspected by Xu Nuan and had incited conflict among all Players. Was he truly the Mastermind? Or merely a smokescreen set up by the real Mastermind?
Xu Nuan had no way of knowing this. However, Wang Huacheng, who stumbled towards them like a bloodied figure, shouted that Wu Wu was insane and had suddenly gone mad with a desire to kill them. Gold Breakthrough, the lawyer who had never achieved much, was already dead at Wu Wu's hands.
Wang Huacheng's expression was a mix of laughter and tears, resembling madness. His eyes were filled with despair as his words came out fragmented. His body was covered in blood—sticky and clinging to his clothes—but it wasn't his own.
The few who had narrowly escaped death exchanged glances upon hearing Wang Huacheng's words.
They were unaware of how Wang Huacheng and Gold Breakthrough encountered Wu Wu; they didn't care much about whether Wu Wu had truly gone mad enough to kill Gold Breakthrough.
After all, Gold Breakthrough was Wang Huacheng's companion. If anyone should seek revenge for his death, it should be Wang Huacheng. They were all focused on progressing through the challenges and felt no need to concern themselves with this matter. Their instinctive wariness led them to suspect that this could be a ruse by Wang Huacheng and his group to lure them into a trap and eliminate them one by one; after all, these individuals had a history.
Wang Huacheng, trapped in despair, was oblivious to how his performance appeared as a farce to outsiders; he was merely an inept actor in this tragic play.
However, Xu Nuan cared deeply about this issue. There is wisdom in leaving no stone unturned if one hopes to uncover the truth. It was undeniable that for over half a year, another Mastermind had been pulling strings from behind the scenes while Zhang Xiao's ultimate goal remained ambiguous. They had indeed crossed paths before in other ways but knew little about each other while the others were well-informed about them.
This was an uneven contest of strength. Xu Nuan had been striving to unearth more information but remained on the defensive. She learned about Qin Yaojie from others' accounts; she gathered details about Zhang Xiao from Chi Xiaoming; and she discovered information regarding An Insurance from Chi Ming. Even the identity of Another Founder emerged gradually due to conflicting memories among Designers.
From Xu Nuan's perspective, her journey highlighted her disadvantage in this chase. She could not deny it; her instinct for victory drove her to find every possible means to bridge that gap. For her deceased parents, for sending Qin Yaojie off on his final journey, for herself, and for Gu Ze.
After the conflict, she still did not know Gu Ze's plans, but she could guess a thing or two. Only by bridging the gap herself would she have any chance of helping Gu Ze; it was her instinct.
Wang Huacheng was truly frightened, to the point that he failed to notice the indifference of the onlookers. It was only this silence that gradually brought him back to his senses, allowing him to understand the situation clearly.
Now that Wang Huacheng had regained his composure, he clearly no longer felt the urgency he had before. Perhaps he genuinely felt sorrow for his companion, but his ultimate goal was to obtain the reward and leave this place. Facing that so-called insane Wu Wu again would be a thankless task; anyone with a bit of sense would not make such a choice.
Xu Nuan felt a wave of desolation wash over her. By chance, she met the gaze of Gu Ze, who stood beside Wang Huacheng. Overwhelmed with mixed emotions, she hurriedly averted her eyes, leaving behind a sense of loneliness in the air.
"After Gold Breakthrough and I left, we unexpectedly ran into Wu Wu. He took the initiative to invite us to join him in clearing the challenges, and we didn’t refuse."
In just a moment, Wang Huacheng managed to suppress all his sadness and despair. He no longer displayed the previous nonchalance that had made others uncomfortable; instead, he seemed oddly focused on his own thoughts. However, no one expressed any intention of accompanying him back to retrieve Gold Breakthrough's body, nor did Wang Huacheng himself seem inclined to do so.
“At first, he was fine, but then today he suddenly changed. His skin and features became strange, and then he went crazy and stabbed Gold Breakthrough several times. His strength increased tremendously; we couldn't defeat him.”
What should have been a heart-pounding experience was reduced to a dull anecdote by Wang Huacheng’s few words. No one cared about Gold Breakthrough's fate; everyone was more concerned about their own interests.
“Is Wu Wu trying to take the prize for himself by eliminating you first?”
Deng Yinyin revealed her thoughts right away. Compared to others who kept their opinions hidden, Deng Yinyin’s straightforwardness made it easier for people to let down their guard.
“You all knew this yet still chose to go up? Who can you blame?”
Deng Yinyin was no longer the person who would be terrified at the sight of death; in fact, up until now, she only had psychological scars related to Xu Nuan. To her eyes, everyone else remained ordinary. Moreover, since she hadn’t witnessed her companion’s death like Wang Huacheng had, she felt free to speak her mind without realizing it might be inappropriate.
Wang Huacheng's expression suddenly turned grim. A portion of blood clung to his slightly long hair, and with several scars on his face, he appeared somewhat terrifying. However, in broad daylight, such an appearance would only create a visual shock without leaving lasting shadows.
It was only a moment of awkwardness, quickly followed by a subtle retreat, noticeable only to those who deliberately paid attention to Wang Huacheng's expression.
"You would trust the words of a madman, which seems rather inappropriate."
He Min wore a slight smile, yet even Xu Nuan, who thought she knew her well, couldn't decipher its meaning, let alone the others.
"Previously, it was Wu Wu who told you that only one person could claim the prize, right? And you were already maneuvering between teams to seek your own benefits. So, Wu Wu must have known that you would spread this information among all the Players. In the end, if he eliminates you all, no one will know that this news originated from him, and all the Players will turn against each other. Who stands to gain from that?"
In just a day or two, He Min had fully recovered, albeit slightly slower than after Yu Hao's death. However, this was understandable; no one expressed doubt about her transformation.
Now back to her usual self, He Min clearly saw further. After her speech, she had nearly convinced everyone—almost everyone.
Upon hearing her words, Xu Nuan instinctively glanced at Wang Huacheng's face. His blood-stained features shifted through various expressions, but his eyes reflected shock and disbelief.
There was no hint of regret or avoidance in his demeanor; it was evident that Wang Huacheng had not anticipated this. Yet judging by his current behavior, he was certainly not someone willing to be easily manipulated. Even when he had attacked Xu Nuan and was subsequently blocked by Chi Xiaoming and Gu Ze, he had been constantly seeking ways to extricate himself. A person like him would not be easily used by others, especially with a cunning Gold Breakthrough who enjoyed playing Mind's Eye. Thus, He Min's argument fell flat.
This was merely Xu Nuan's personal opinion; however, several others seemed swayed by He Min’s words. Upon hearing about Gold Breakthrough's demise, they surprisingly relaxed and even felt joy.
Indeed, if Wu Wu's goal was simply to eliminate some obstacles, then there would be no conflict among the other Players. When cooperation was needed, they could still work together and happily leave with their prizes.
To be fair, He Min's words could help maintain relationships among team members based on mutual benefit; however, for Xu Nuan, they left a bitter taste.
Deng Yinyin had already begun to echo He Min’s sentiments. Chi Xiaoming and Xu Hang remained silent while Xie Huai raised his doubts.
"So what is Wu Wu's purpose in plotting against the other Players? Doesn’t he realize that once such rumors spread, he too would become a target? Unless there is an even greater benefit for him."
A single word jolted Xu Nuan awake, and she suddenly opened her eyes to look at Gu Ze.
Wu Wu couldn't obtain the prize money and could only leave through a secret passage. Plotting against other Players would not benefit him, but what if he was being manipulated?
Xu Nuan recalled her confrontation with Zhang Xiao at the Supply Station and remembered Zhang Xiao's declaration at that time.
"Only I can leave this game."
Zhang Xiao and Another Founder were both sons of the chairman of Rao Group. The two had made an agreement in this game and used each other. Although it seemed that Zhang Xiao was always the target, he had his own schemes as well.
She seemed to understand why Zhang Xiao was so determined to secure the secret passage, and she could almost clarify the relationship between Zhang Xiao, Another Founder, and Chairman Rao regarding this game.
This was truly something. Xu Nuan closed her eyes again, revealing a helpless smile.
Xie Huai's words prompted deep thoughts among the others, who were engaged in discussion. Xu Nuan began to feel anxious; she glanced at Wang Huacheng and then at Gu Ze, hesitating to speak.
"Wu Wu is where now? Take me there."
In the end, it was Gu Ze who made the decision, disregarding the thoughts of the others.
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