Upon hearing this, a wealthy man smirked coldly and instead pulled out a sharp knife from his pocket.
He held the knife in his hand without taking any further action, but it was enough to make the burly man’s expression shift slightly.
Qi Xia knew these “wealthy men” must have been prepared in advance; otherwise, they wouldn’t dare to act so boldly.
The knife-wielding man held the blade steadily, neither yielding nor threatening outright. He simply spoke in a measured tone: “Two choices. First, we each give you a fan, and you let us go. Second, we fight you to the death.”
His tone was seasoned, clearly no stranger to such confrontations.
The two options he presented were polar opposites—a high-stakes negotiation tactic from the business world. It was either mutual gain or mutual destruction, with no middle ground.
This would subtly influence the burly man’s decision.
After a moment of cautious deliberation, the burly man nodded. After all, two fans were essentially windfall gains for him. If things turned violent, he risked losing everything and even getting injured.
“Fine…” the burly man said, nodding. “But I’m adding one more condition.”
“Name it.”
“When you escape, leave the knife behind.” He pointed at the sharp blade in the man’s hand. “Two fans plus the knife—then we have a deal.”
His words were loud and clear, ensuring every participant nearby heard them.
Unease flickered across the faces of the crowd. They knew if the burly man got his hands on that knife, things would take a dangerous turn.
But this demand clearly wasn’t part of the “wealthy man’s” calculations. Glancing at his knife, he nodded. “I’ll throw the knife back before I escape, but for now, I keep it.”
“Good, good.” The burly man grinned obsequiously and even positioned himself behind the two men, acting as their protector.
He then turned and roared at the onlookers, “What the hell are you staring at? This deal’s mine—scram!”
Qi Xia eyed him coldly before turning to the “wealthy man” beside him. “You’re in danger. Find a teammate fast.”
The man pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, then nodded blankly. “B-brother, won’t you team up with me? You’re in danger too…”
“No,” Qi Xia shook his head. “But I’ll make sure you get out.”
After a brief pause, Qi Xia led the man toward two other unpaired “wealthy men.”
These three didn’t seem to know each other—a perfect opportunity.
“Brothers,” Qi Xia said, standing before them. “You know the situation, right?”
The two “wealthy men” eyed him suspiciously.
“Each of you has around ten fans. The only reason you haven’t been robbed yet is because people here still have some rationality left.” Qi Xia lowered his voice. “Ever thought about teaming up to escape?”
“What’s it to you?” an older “wealthy man” retorted. “Why do you care?”
Qi Xia nodded. “Fair point.”
He then gestured to the man beside him. “But this one’s my friend. I suggest you team up with him first. I’ll guarantee the remaining one gets out safely.”
“What?”
All three were stunned—even the man Qi Xia was protecting.
Qi Xia continued calmly, “You should know… every second that passes brings you closer to death.”
Unease settled over the three men, but none knew how to respond.
“Anyone willing to team up with my ‘friend’?” Qi Xia pressed. “In a few minutes, you three will be the only ones left with ten fans. Once that burly man gets the knife, you’ll be his first targets. By then, it’ll be too late to decide.”
The two exchanged glances.
After a moment, the older one spoke up. “This kid’s right. I’ll team up with your friend.”
“Really?” The man beside Qi Xia brightened. “Great!”
As the two moved toward a pairing device, the third man blocked them.
“Wait—what about me? What do I do?” he protested in a thick Sichuan accent.
“I’ve got you,” Qi Xia slung an arm around the man’s shoulders. “Relax, big bro. I said I’d get you out.”
“Really?”
“Come with me.” Qi Xia guided him away while keeping an eye on the other two as they pressed the pairing button.
This was all he could do—now he could only hope their pairing succeeded.
“Handsome, you really got a plan?” the Sichuan man asked skeptically. “Don’t mess with me.”
“Of course,” Qi Xia assured him. “I’ll find you a teammate right away.”
Leading the man toward Qin Dingdong, Qi Xia called out, “Qin Dingdong, weren’t you looking for a partner to escape with?”
“Oh?” Qin Dingdong, who had been scouting for targets, turned to see Qi Xia approaching with the Sichuan man.
“This big bro also wants out,” Qi Xia said.
“Really?” Qin Dingdong immediately latched onto the man’s arm. “You wanna leave too?”
“Yeah,” the man nodded. “Little sis, you tryin’ to escape?”
“Perfect! Absolutely perfect!” Qin Dingdong feigned distress. “I was tricked earlier—someone wasted my chance! I didn’t know what to do…”
“Don’t worry,” the man chuckled. “We’ll pair up and get out fast.”
“Great!” Qin Dingdong nodded eagerly, pulling him toward a pairing device.
Qi Xia watched both pairs—the Sichuan man with Qin Dingdong and the other “wealthy man” with all the “mourners”—hoping both pairings would succeed.
“Big bro, I’ve pressed the button,” Qin Dingdong smiled sweetly. “Your turn—don’t be shy!”
“Little lady, you put your fan in first,” the Sichuan man said warily. “Then I’ll trust ya.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage