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墨書 Inktalez
Fate is a curious thing. In this game base with a limited number of players, encountering an acquaintance of an acquaintance is quite rare. Yet, after this moment, no one considered such an encounter to be a good thing.
When Xu Nuan mentioned Tang Jingshu's name, Chi Xiaoming's expression changed dramatically, surprising his teammates and Gu Ze alike, while leaving Xu Nuan feeling somewhat melancholic.
Confirming her suspicions meant she had to revisit those painful memories that filled her with guilt. She felt responsible for the disappearance of the classical beauty, and while it was hard to absolve herself of blame, she also had to actively reopen old wounds—a truly distressing task.
Although Gu Ze worked at the same company as Tang Jingshu and occasionally exchanged a few words during company dinners, he wasn't one to gossip and thus knew little about Tang Jingshu's family background or social connections. However, he was no fool; if Tang Jingshu's name could evoke such a strong reaction from Chi Xiaoming, then it was clear that his remarkable memory had recalled the name of Xu Nuan's former boyfriend from long ago—Chi Xu Sheng.
Chi Xiaoming, Chi Xu Sheng, City Chi Securities.
The connections were starting to form.
Gu Ze smiled slightly as he pieced these thoughts together a moment later than Xu Nuan. The woman he cherished always managed to surprise him, making him even more reluctant to let go.
"Hopefully, this leads to a good outcome," he mused.
While holding onto the struggling Zhang Hui, Gu Ze leaned closer to Xu Nuan and whispered a few words.
Xu Nuan casually pushed his face away and fixed her gaze on Chi Xiaoming. She merely suspected that Chi Xiaoming was related to Chi Xu Sheng and that he was searching for someone. Her preconceived notion led her to associate that person with Tang Jingshu, but that didn’t mean Chi Xiaoming would buy into it; she hadn’t won the gamble.
Standing opposite her, Chi Xiaoming wore a grim expression. He even took a few steps forward as if trying to approach Xu Nuan. Instantly, she and Gu Ze became alert and retreated with Zhang Hui in tow.
Chi Xiaoming had no choice but to halt his advance. His voice was low and menacing; at that moment, his presence was palpable and oppressive. He looked at Gu Ze but directed his question at Xu Nuan.
"This person is from the Third Batch of Players?"
"Yes."
Xu Nuan had no doubt about Chi Xiaoming's analytical skills.
"So Tang Jingshu was abandoned by you?"
Chi Xiaoming quickly asked this question again.
Xu Nuan was somewhat taken aback. She thought that with Chi Xiaoming's cautious nature, he wouldn't easily reveal such information. However, did this mean she had won her gamble?
"No."
Xu Nuan replied firmly, her gaze resolute.
"We are companions."
Having already acknowledged each other as companions, they felt sorrow over Tang Jingshu's death, a grief that lingered until now.
"A lot of things happened that led to this outcome. If possible, I hope we can have a proper discussion once we are all safe."
Xu Nuan finally understood why Chi Xiaoming looked so grim. He probably thought that Gu Ze and the others were part of the First Batch of Players. Now that he realized they were from the Third Batch of Players and that Tang Jingshu was missing, he must have guessed her fate and was furious.
If she wanted him to uncover old wounds, she would need to offer something in return. She hadn't forgotten how Yu Yu once praised Chi Xiaoming for his skill in finding statues. In fact, she initially believed that the First Batch of Players was special; the Billion Dollar Prize wasn't their goal. The Second Batch of Players were the ones truly attracted by the prize to some extent, while the Third Batch of Players had been forced into it.
However, as events unfolded, she realized she needed to change her perspective. The goal of the First Batch of Players was indeed not the prize but rather a design orchestrated by someone only known to the Mastermind. She suspected there were elements of murder and silencing involved. Most of the Second Batch of Players came for money, but some changed their minds when faced with challenges, becoming unpredictable with unknown motives. The Third Batch of Players, on the surface, seemed to be coerced into participating, but she believed each individual had deeper reasons behind their involvement—like Gu Ze, and soon to be revealed, Tang Jingshu.
"I don't mind if you take your time to think about it."
After saying this, Xu Nuan obediently walked over to stand beside Gu Ze. To be honest, she didn't want to give Chi Xiaoming time to consider; she wanted to pull Gu Ze aside to check on his injuries. This man always complained about how she made him get hurt too much; now she could return those words to him.
"No need to think."
Known as Facial Paralysis, and at this moment completely free from it, Chi Xiaoming quickly provided Xu Nuan with an answer.
"I will give you two statues and also tell you where the remaining two statues are likely located. However, you need to explain the situation at the Supply Station."
Chi Xiaoming was unexpectedly straightforward, catching Xu Nuan off guard. This also made her realize that Chi Xiaoming might have entered the game to search for Tang Jingshu because of Chi Xu Sheng. But why did these two enter the game at such different times? How could Chi Xiaoming have arrived before Tang Jingshu?
"Silly with Joy?"
Lost in her random thoughts, Xu Nuan was brought back to reality when Gu Ze tapped her on the head. She didn't have time to glare at Gu Ze, instead narrowing her eyes as she stared at Chi Xiaoming, speaking softly.
"Are you sure? Don't you need to consult your teammates?"
Fan Beibei, Yu Yu, and the honest man Zhang Hui, who was being held captive, were surprised by Chi Xiaoming's sudden change but were dissatisfied with his generosity. However, they only expressed their discontent through glances and expressions, not voicing any objections to Chi Xiaoming.
Was this seemingly inconspicuous captain of Chi Xiaoming really authoritative? Or were the others just hiding their feelings deeply? Xu Nuan did not miss the cold glint that flashed in Yu Yu's eyes or the way Fan Beibei unconsciously glanced at Yu Yu.
Chi Xiaoming shook his head.
"It’s beneficial and harmless. We only need four statues, and the team that needs to be sacrificed has already appeared. Just remember this favor."
Seemingly dazed yet possessing a sharp mind, Xu Nuan felt increasingly hesitant to look at Chi Xiaoming. Meanwhile, both Yu Yu and Fan Beibei seemed calmed by his words, suppressing their dissatisfaction. Instead, it was now the people on Xu Nuan's side who were uncooperative.
At this moment, only Gu Ze remained by her side, and he was the only one who could express dissatisfaction.
"Even without owing a favor, we could still obtain the statues—six of them. I wouldn't be afraid even if more people joined."
Xu Nuan twitched her lips, indicating that Gu Ze's bravado was ill-timed. Moreover, this man had always presented himself as humble and gentle while being secretly domineering. Why was he acting so childish now?
“Gu Ze.”
Xu Nuan turned and shot a fierce glare at Gu Ze. Did he really think he could just come in and disrupt things after they had worked so hard?
But as she looked at him, she was taken aback; Gu Ze's expression was serious.
“In this game, relationships can be deadly. It's best not to owe anyone anything.”
Though the words were directed at Xu Nuan, Gu Ze's gaze was fixed on Chi Xiaoming, a hint of warning flickering in his eyes.
Xu Nuan felt a chill run down her spine. In her moment of relaxation, she hadn’t considered this point. She had fallen back into her old habit: whenever someone was connected to someone she knew well, she unconsciously let her guard down and began to speculate on their thoughts based on her own reasoning. Such behavior could sometimes be fatal.
Fortunately, Gu Ze was there at that moment, and Xu Nuan suddenly found herself thinking this way.
The one who was truly dissatisfied was the honest man, Zhang Hui, who had been taken hostage.
“I can’t believe you’re pushing your luck. We were the ones who gave you two statues, and Chi Xiaoming even told you where the other statue might be. Aren’t you satisfied yet?”
For someone who could articulate the stakes so subtly, he hardly seemed like an honest person. As Xu Nuan turned to negotiate further, she caught sight of Chi Xiaoming staring intently at Gu Ze, but his gaze landed squarely on Gu Ze's arm!
Worried about being seen through, Xu Nuan immediately spoke up.
“Let’s each take a step back. I owe you a favor that is within my acceptable range; how does that sound?”
Chi Xiaoming, who had been ready to agree easily before, was stopped by Fan Beibei just as he was about to nod. The beautiful woman with an alluring smile surveyed Xu Nuan from head to toe once more.
“You don’t seem to have any real power. The favor you owe is quite useless, you know? This isn’t a good deal.”
"Not strong enough? Useless?"
Xu Nuan's brows furrowed as she tried to quickly resolve the situation and pull Gu Ze away. Although she rarely cared about others' opinions of her and believed that appearing weak was a good disguise that could be useful when necessary, she was particularly annoyed that those words came from Fan Beibei, especially since this woman had been throwing flirtatious glances at Gu Ze—at least, that was how Xu Nuan interpreted it.
Unaware of the changes in her own feelings, Xu Nuan raised an eyebrow and prepared to retort, only to be interrupted by a pat on her head due to her height disadvantage. Gu Ze's voice came down from above.
"Although Nuan isn't the captain, she can represent our entire team. Are you sure you don't want such a favor?"
Feeling somewhat frustrated by her height again, Xu Nuan twitched her lips. Hadn't this person just said not to casually owe favors? Why was he now willingly offering one up to be taken advantage of? Xu Nuan didn't want to admit that her earlier annoyance had significantly lessened.
"Then it's settled."
Chi Xiaoming, back to his usual expressionless self, made the final decision and pulled out two statues from his backpack, handing them over. After Xu Nuan accepted them, Gu Ze happily released Zhang Hui.
Fan Beibei pulled Zhang Hui aside to discuss something, while Yu Yu laughed along with a few comments. Chi Xiaoming simply stayed near Gu Ze and Xu Nuan, expressionless as he analyzed where the other two statues might be located.
Xu Nuan nodded along as she listened, thinking that Chi Xiaoming made a lot of sense. She felt a bit ashamed for not realizing the purpose of those windmills earlier. Meanwhile, Gu Ze, who had obtained the statues, stood off to the side with an equally expressionless demeanor like Chi Xiaoming, not participating in the conversation. Xu Nuan found it strange but didn’t ask further.
Listening to Chi Xiaoming's detailed analysis, Xu Nuan finally couldn't hold back her question.
"If you can analyze it so well, why let the team members steal our statues? Why resort to this tactic again when that method would clearly be faster?"
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