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Xu Nuan's thoughts were undoubtedly selfish yet entirely reasonable. Their team had rarely cooperated, and when faced with a formidable enemy, if they distributed the enemy's strength evenly among themselves, the strong would have a chance to survive while the weak would be left waiting for rescue.
However, the concept of rescue was clear; choosing to be rescued meant, to some extent, giving up seventy percent of one's chances for survival.
With this mindset, Xu Nuan was prepared to accept the consequences of her words. Yet, just moments later, as they sprinted forward, Xu Hang rejected her proposal.
"That's too risky. If the deer don't choose their targets and pursue them individually, it will be difficult for us to regroup later."
Xu Nuan understood the underlying message in Xu Hang's words: dissecting the decision to split their forces revealed that the risks outweighed the benefits of escaping together in an orderly fashion.
Accepting this implication, she fell silent.
In the team, Xu Nuan typically only voiced her opinions during significant events; otherwise, she went along with the majority. The more she felt her suggestion dismissed, the more uncomfortable she became. However, she accepted any correct rebuttal without complaint.
Her subtle emotional fluctuations reached Gu Ze, who, while running, reached out and patted Xu Nuan on the head as if she were a dog.
The feeling of being understood allowed Xu Nuan to quickly adjust her mood and continue running. As she watched her footing carefully for dips in the ground, she also scanned her surroundings for opportunities to shake off the deer. Meanwhile, Gu Ze was observing He Min, who appeared somewhat distracted.
The Third Batch of Players all knew one thing: He Min's two boyfriends had died in this game. It wasn't a breakup but rather a tragic separation; such a blow could overwhelm even the most mentally resilient individuals.
He Min was indeed a strong-willed person, but she was also a woman who had entered this game for money. When money was involved, it often led people to think in different directions.
After Yu Hao's death, He Min had stood up under Xu Nuan's comfort. As an observer at that moment, Gu Ze and others recognized that He Min was merely holding herself together and moving forward with the intent of living on for Yu Hao's sake. They admired her resilience but were skeptical about her progress in the game.
To everyone's surprise, He Min insisted on facing challenges alone but eventually encountered the First Batch of Players and miraculously reunited with Xu Nuan and the others. When He Min joined their group, everyone noticed that the real He Min had returned; she possessed intelligence rivaling Xu Nuan's and skills surpassing hers. He Min became a formidable presence within the team.
Yet He Min was also unfortunate; just as she had finally emerged from the shadow of Yu Hao's death, someone else she had begun to care for met a similar fate.
He Min fell into despair once more. However, Xu Nuan could no longer provide her with the same level of support as before. After experiencing a series of events that hardened their hearts, the Third Batch of Players no longer offered help as they once did. He Min found herself isolated and helpless.
He Min stood up once again. After leaving Love Forest and feeling somewhat lost for a week, the real He Min returned in Arrogant Swamp.
Death can ignite a person's spirit. Previously, He Min had seemed so despondent that she wished to leave with Yu Yu. However, the fast-paced challenges in this swamp forced her to focus and take things seriously.
Just like now, He Min was still somewhat distracted, but secretly, she was carefully observing her surroundings and looking for the right moment to break through. The relentless pursuit of the deer behind her triggered her abilities once more.
Gu Ze's eyes were filled with complex emotions. After briefly observing He Min, his gaze shifted back to Xu Nuan, who was deep in thought beside him.
From Xu Nuan's behavior, he could tell that she was happy about He Min's return, yet he wondered how an ordinary person could recover so quickly from such a significant blow.
In this critical moment, he couldn't help but recall something: after Qin Yaojie's death, He Min naturally joined their team, and they soon entered the Suffocating Sea level. During that stage, Xu Nuan was highly tense; stimulated by Qin Yaojie's death, she was particularly concerned that He Min might meet the same fate.
He clearly remembered that night when He Min went out alone. When Xu Nuan discovered her absence, He Min merely offered a calm explanation. At that time, Gu Ze had been somewhat attentive to He Min due to Xu Nuan's slip-up. It was a natural inclination to care for someone you admire; he felt compelled to include He Min in his protective circle to prevent the woman he liked from feeling sad.
Including her meant observing her from all angles. As he did so, Gu Ze noticed something unusual. That night, their resting place had been marked. While he didn't know what the mark meant, he sensed it was related to He Min.
Soon after, they encountered Chi Xiaoming and Yu Yu during that level. At that time, he hadn't noticed the interactions between He Min and Yu Yu. However, later on, during the painful Stone Mountain level, he saw that mark again. According to He Min, it was an agreed-upon sign between her and Yu Yu.
This indicated that Yu Yu and He Min had been in contact long before. With his keen insight, Gu Ze understood that He Min didn't like Yu Yu.
Disliking someone yet being together only raised one question: couples often serve as a cover for other matters.
He Min's purpose for rejoining this team was undoubtedly not simple; her claims of caring for Xu Nuan were merely excuses. Unfortunately for Xu Nuan, she remained somewhat genuine regarding He Min. Even though she knew those around her were changing, she never considered the worst possibilities. In the past, Xu Nuan tended to think in extremes about everything.
"This is quite troublesome."
Reflecting on He Min's odd behavior and Xu Nuan's attitude while considering the remaining thirty-some Survival Games, Gu Ze realized that the longer this situation dragged on, the harder it would be to handle. At this moment, he already felt it becoming tricky; to avoid provoking Xu Nuan, he had kept everything hidden away.
"It is indeed difficult. We are in a swamp, and running speed does not hold any advantage here. They live in this environment and are much more familiar with the terrain than we are. It's tough, really tough."
Hearing his words, Xu Nuan, who was close to Gu Ze, naturally assumed he was complaining about the current situation and echoed his sentiment.
Gu Ze cleared his throat a few times but did not correct Xu Nuan's assumption. However, her words reminded him of something.
"Right, this is a swamp. What we can utilize is also the swamp."
A smile finally appeared on Gu Ze's face. After quickly scanning the surroundings, he swiftly locked onto a spot and glanced back at the persistent deer. An idea struck him.
"Let's lure them into the trap."
Gu Ze smiled confidently as he directed the others to use the terrain to gain a distance advantage while sharing his thoughts with them.
Time was tight, and with hundreds of deer relentlessly pursuing them and no nearby hiding spots, Gu Ze focused on key areas. As long as three people understood his intentions, they would be able to execute the plan.
It was challenging to convey a plan in just a few words, but fortunately, among those present were Xu Nuan, who understood him well; Xu Hang, who seemed to be in conflict yet still had an unspoken understanding; and Chi Xiaoming, his current collaborator who grasped his thought process perfectly.
Gu Ze's method was indeed to lure them into the trap by utilizing the surrounding swamp.
Just as Xu Nuan and the others needed to pay extra attention to their footing while running through the swamp, the herd of deer had to be cautious as well. However, unlike the deer, which were numerous and less agile, Xu Nuan and her companions were fewer in number and more nimble. Once they leveraged angles and distances effectively, they could cause the deer to jump into the swamp due to inertia.
As long as the leading deer jumped down, those behind would have no time to brake. The terrifying aspect of the swamp lay in its struggle; with so many deer jumping in, it would be impossible for them not to sink.
Xu Nuan and her companions grasped Gu Ze's plan roughly. While they marveled at it, they also worried about its success rate.
"No one knows the success rate until we try," Gu Ze remained confident, seemingly already seeing the dawn of victory. In this moment that called for inspiration, he did not hide his leadership qualities or talents. "But if we don't try, our outcome will be dire."
The others, who had been feeling a bit dazed, immediately agreed with Gu Ze's plan upon hearing it. Those who understood the situation felt it was the right time to show their support.
Now that the plan had been accepted, Gu Ze had to take on the responsibility of directing everyone's actions.
In truth, Gu Ze rarely took charge within the team and seldom made arrangements, leading everyone to believe he was merely a capable individual with excellent skills, rather than a qualified leader.
However, after this incident, everyone realized that as a leader, Gu Ze was not just competent; he was outstanding beyond measure. Compared to Xu Hang and Chi Xiaoming, who were serious and taciturn, Gu Ze's gentle demeanor and encouraging nature made him the perfect embodiment of a leader.
An excellent leader and an executor of plans, the "Lure Them Into the Trap" strategy succeeded on the first attempt.
The group stood beside a low Larch tree, watching as the deer jumped into the marsh like dumplings being dropped into boiling water. After a few bubbles surfaced, they completely sank.
"We did it!"
Compared to the others who merely smiled, Deng Yinyin expressed her joy most directly.
However, this joy lasted only three seconds before they once again triggered a mechanism inexplicably.
As usual, they had to choose which marsh to head toward. The thinking time was still three seconds. The quickest to react was Gu Ze, the leader of this operation. He quickly glanced at the screen and chose Herb Marsh.
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