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Gu Ze took the initiative to speak, essentially relinquishing control of the situation. Originally, there was no need for him and Xu Nuan to calculate their words carefully, but unfortunately, both were hiding things from each other, which forced them into this awkward position.
Since Gu Ze spoke at the right moment, and Xu Nuan had just emerged from her own thoughts, she didn't notice the strange atmosphere earlier. Instead, she followed Gu Ze's lead and shared some of her experiences after meeting Feng Feng.
Of course, Xu Nuan, who was intentionally withholding information from Gu Ze, only picked out a few details and didn't comment much on Feng Feng. After all, Feng Feng was a game designer and her adversary; now that he had come to help, it was natural for him to have his own motives and thoughts. As long as it didn't harm them, she could accept it.
Xu Nuan only revealed part of the truth; most of her attention was focused on observing Gu Ze's emotional changes. When she noticed that Gu Ze relaxed after she finished speaking, she decided to keep her use of the medication a secret. However, she forgot that Gu Ze was aware of the medication's cycle for suppressing her condition, meaning she could only hide it for so long.
According to Gu Ze's explanation, Feng Feng also wanted to leave the game through a secret passage. However, Feng Feng was more concerned about getting Gu Ze to promise that he would protect his family after they left the game.
Gu Ze briefly mentioned Feng Feng's family situation but did not elaborate. This did not stop Xu Nuan from analyzing the situation according to her own thoughts. Feng Feng was in a difficult position, which also affected his family. The mastermind not only trapped these designers in the game but also prevented them from successfully completing it and leaving. Furthermore, outside the game, he threatened their families. Xu Nuan wasn't clear on the specifics of these threats but increasingly believed that the mastermind's methods were ruthless. What she wanted to know was whether this mastermind was Wu Wu.
Even though Feng Feng had previously confirmed Wu Wu's identity as just a designer based on age, Xu Nuan still doubted this point. After considering what Feng Feng had asked Gu Ze to do, her suspicions lessened somewhat, prompting her to casually ask Gu Ze for confirmation.
"Did Feng Feng mention Wu Wu to you before?"
Xu Nuan initially intended to ask how Feng Feng and Gu Ze met and who was more proactive in their relationship. However, this question would inevitably lead to revealing that Feng Feng was responsible for creating the antidote for her; if Gu Ze probed further, she would expose herself first.
"He mentioned him a few times; he's a designer similar to Wang Yiyun."
Gu Ze's expression remained largely unchanged; he seemed not to regard this person as a threat. Xu Nuan hesitated—should she continue asking about her suspicions regarding Wu Wu?
When faced with such sensitive questions, even with Gu Ze sitting across from her, she had to think carefully. After a few seconds of contemplation, another idea struck her.
"Ze, Another Founder was among the First Batch of Players, right?"
In fact, Gu Ze had confirmed this point before; Xu Nuan merely wanted to spark further discussion.
"Based on the clues we currently have, that person is among the First Batch of Players."
Xu Nuan wasn't sure if Gu Ze had noticed her intentions, but she felt a sense of joy as Gu Ze followed her lead. She made an effort to control the corners of her lips from rising too much. After all, the Gu Ze before her understood her better than she understood herself; even the slightest emotional fluctuation would not escape his keen observation.
"However," Gu Ze quickly shifted the conversation, "the list of the First Batch of Players has been fully released, and the range of possible identities has narrowed down significantly, but the difficulty has increased."
Xu Nuan had been waiting for Gu Ze to say what she wanted to hear, so when she heard this, she was momentarily taken aback. After a few seconds of silence, Xu Nuan looked up at Gu Ze with eager eyes.
"Why has the difficulty increased? There are only a few suspects left now; we just need to identify them one by one to uncover that person's identity."
In Xu Nuan's view, using the process of elimination to find that person was a good method. She didn't believe there was any margin for error in it.
Clearly, Gu Ze was thinking more deeply and broadly than she was.
"He can disguise himself."
Compared to Gu Ze's profound insight, his simple explanation left Xu Nuan even more confused.
"I understand that. If that's the case, then An Liran, Wu Wu, and Feng Feng all become suspects."
After realizing that Rao Group actually had a son who was not blood-related to the Rao Family, and after multiple encounters with the elusive Zhang Xiao, they had excluded Zhang Xiao from their list of suspects.
Xu Nuan spoke with particular seriousness; her voice was slightly raised but still controlled enough not to be overheard by others. In her view, there were only three people left now, making it easier to find them.
"They are indeed suspicious."
Gu Ze patted Xu Nuan's head, a gesture meant to comfort her. Xu Nuan realized she had been a bit too emotional about the issue, so she offered an apologetic smile and lowered her head.
Gu Ze sighed and began to explain in detail.
"However, Feng Feng's abilities haven't reached that level. No matter how well someone hides, they can't be completely seamless. I also trust Chi Xiaoming's judgment; the three of us have always kept each other in check."
There was something subtle in his words, and while Xu Nuan noted the odd feeling, she didn't interrupt Gu Ze.
"As for An Liran and Wu Wu, there are many ways to identify them, so there's no rush."
"Who can identify them?" Xu Nuan asked urgently. When it came to the issue of the Mastermind, she never managed to remain as calm as Gu Ze. But it was understandable; she was the one who had suffered at the hands of the Mastermind, and all the hatred she had bottled up was directed at that person. Just managing not to explode when discussing related topics was already a sign of good mental fortitude.
"Wu Wu can be identified by Feng Feng and Zhang Xiao."
Gu Ze remained calm, though a fleeting shadow of worry crossed his eyes—something Xu Nuan didn't notice in her anxious state.
"As for An Liran, Hang and Deng Yinyin should be able to identify him."
Xu Nuan's eyes widened, various doubts swirling in her mind. For instance, how could Zhang Xiao, their enemy, testify for them? How were Xu Hang and Deng Yinyin involved in this matter?
Before she could voice her questions, Gu Ze shifted the focus of suspicion onto others. In this regard, she had no right to expect Gu Ze to share her doubts.
"Compared to the three of them, I believe there are others who deserve suspicion. Since that person is in disguise, the range of that disguise could be quite extensive."
Xu Nuan's brow furrowed in confusion as she slightly tilted her head to look at Gu Ze. She felt that Gu Ze's words carried a deeper meaning, as if they were directed at someone specific.
"But there are only these few left from the First Batch of Players."
To Xu Nuan, this had already become a matter of fact; otherwise, she wouldn't feel pleased about the narrowing down of her list of suspects. However, after hearing Gu Ze's comment, she began to think that perhaps she had underestimated the situation.
"Only these few people left?"
Gu Ze chuckled lightly, not mocking Xu Nuan's naivety but rather admiring the other party's clever tactics.
"You must understand that some members of the First Batch of Players did not die in front of us, which does not mean they are truly dead."
Using death to conceal one's identity was an exceptionally sophisticated maneuver.
Soon, Xu Nuan thought of someone—Su Zihang.
Among the First Batch of Players, Xu Nuan had not seen An Liran, Wu Wu, or Su Zihang. The first two could have their identities verified according to Gu Ze's explanation, but Su Zihang could not.
Xu Nuan knew about Su Zihang because she had repeatedly called out this unfamiliar name while under suggestion and later confirmed with Shen Shen that this person was indeed dead.
At that time, Shen Shen had no need to deceive her; he simply overlooked one point: what Shen Shen knew might not necessarily be the truth.
Furthermore, Xu Nuan was aware of the relationship between Su Zihang and Qin Yaojie. The former admired the latter and had entrusted something supposedly precious to him for safekeeping, while Qin Yaojie had allowed Xu Nuan to keep it.
Now that she thought about it, she realized there were many flaws in her reasoning.
Close friends were the most likely to betray you; she understood this yet often overlooked it.
Xu Nuan suddenly felt the urge to confirm with Feng Feng whether Su Zihang was truly dead, but it was likely that Feng Feng's words would be the same as Shen Shen's. Since the other party was so skilled, when they faked their death to hide their identity, they would have been very careful, deceiving everyone, even Qin Yaojie.
So what about the thing hidden in the secret passage?
Xu Nuan found her mind was not sharp enough. Even if she believed Su Zihang was Another Founder, to the other First Batch of Players, this person was already dead, and there was no way to extract any information. The so-called psychological suggestion was the biggest obstacle she faced at that moment, and she had no way to overcome it.
She began to feel a bit anxious but didn't know how to express this anxiety to Gu Ze. In her view, Gu Ze would naturally suspect Su Zihang as well. Moreover, they had previously had conflicts because of this person, who was also connected to Qin Yaojie. If she wanted to respect Gu Ze and their relationship, she should try not to mention this person as much as possible.
This feeling of being caught in a dilemma was somewhat uncomfortable and quickly dissipated the joy she felt at Gu Ze's safe return. Just as she hesitated, unsure of what to think, Gu Ze took the initiative to change the subject.
"We finally reunited; it's too much to keep thinking about these things. Let's not dwell on them for now and just enjoy our time together, okay?"
The smile on Gu Ze's face remained unchanged; there was no awkwardness that Xu Nuan expected. She took this as Gu Ze's consideration and felt she should reciprocate. She nodded absentmindedly and said nothing more, but her mind was increasingly occupied with thoughts of Su Zihang.
Facing an opponent everyone believed to be dead would inevitably lead to more difficulties.
Xu Nuan felt a sense of unease but failed to notice the fleeting sharpness in Gu Ze's expression beside her.
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