“It’s a shame Sixth Sister isn’t here…” Ning Shiba clutched her right hand and said, “With that iron rod and Sixth Sister’s skills, these things should…”
“Don’t be naive,” Chou Twenty replied. “Sister Shiba, it’s precisely because we’re not good at this kind of game that Fifth Brother sent us here.”
“But these things can’t be caught or blocked!!” Ning Shiba’s eyes reddened from the pain. What frightened her even more was that her fingertips were slowly losing sensation after the intense agony.
“There’s got to be a way…” Chou Twenty muttered, glancing toward Bai Jiu’s direction. As the “brain” of the team, their only hope now rested on Bai Jiu.
But Bai Jiu hadn’t participated in the game for a long time. How could she possibly come up with a flawless strategy in an instant?
Qiao Jiajin also stood up from the “Wooden Ox and Gliding Horse,” his face filled with concern as he looked at Ning Shiba.
“Damn it… Astro Girl, you…” Qiao Jiajin stared at the pure white frost on the ground, feeling dazed. Could something like this really exist in reality?
Wasn’t this the kind of “frozen chi” that only appeared in Hong Kong comics?
“What should we do…?” Qiao Jiajin wished he could jump off the vehicle right now and kick all those bizarre white orbs to pieces for them.
But even if he did—could he handle those subzero liquids?
Just as Bai Jiu was about to say something, a whisper reached her ear: “Tsk, Little Jiu, we’ve reached the big tree you mentioned. Which way do we turn now…?”
“Sixth Sister…?” Bai Jiu sounded on the verge of tears. “Left, just turn left… but… but right now…”
“Tsk, why the hesitation?” Saturday’s tone on the other end noticeably shifted. “What’s going on?”
Bai Jiu had no choice but to take a desperate gamble and briefly explain the situation. But that was all she could do. Saturday and the others were still minutes away, and the game only lasted fifteen minutes. How could they expect outside help?
Saturday fell silent for a few seconds before speaking again. “Tsk, Little Jiu, describe that white orb again.”
“Ah…?” Bai Jiu nodded quickly. “A pure white orb. According to Twenty, it’s something like dry ice, containing an extremely cold liquid. It’s colorless, and the entire orb is spewing thick white smoke. It looks downright eerie.”
Qiao Jiajin, noticing Bai Jiu whispering, immediately turned to look at her.
“Is it Iron Rod Girl? The liar is with her, right…?”
“Shh!” Bai Jiu raised a finger to her lips, cutting him off, and listened carefully to Saturday’s advice. “What?”
“Tsk, I said just smash the orb. Nothing will happen,” Saturday repeated.
“Ah?!” Bai Jiu froze. “N-no way, Sixth Sister. Didn’t I just tell you? Shiba smashed one and got frostbite right away. Now her whole hand seems to be losing feeling.”
“Tsk, about two seconds,” Saturday added. “Shake off any liquid stuck to your skin within two seconds, and you’ll be fine. I guarantee it.”
Bai Jiu thought hard but still found it absurd. “Sixth Sister, it’s not that we don’t want to try, but we already failed once… So can I ask why you’re so confident?”
“Tsk… Reason? Hold on…” Saturday paused for a few seconds, then muttered, “The reason is the ‘Leidenfrost Effect.’ Go for it.”
“Ah?!” Bai Jiu instantly frowned. Even after hearing it, she still didn’t understand. “Wh-what effect? What do you mean ‘go for it’? If I don’t know the specifics, how can I convince everyone to—”
“Tsk, fine, fine,” Saturday said impatiently. “Let me explain… Hold on…”
Another pause followed before Saturday continued, “Hiss… I think I’ve got it… Little Jiu, have you ever dripped water onto a scorching-hot pan?”
Bai Jiu thought for a moment. Though the question seemed random, she had indeed experienced it.
“What happens to that drop of water? Does it evaporate instantly?” Saturday pressed.
“Not exactly…” Bai Jiu pondered. “The drop seems to skitter around the pan before slowly vanishing.”
“That’s the Leiden—” Saturday stopped mid-word. “Tsk, the ‘Leidenfrost Effect.’ Simply put, the hand smashing the orb is the ‘pan,’ and those freezing liquids are the ‘water droplets.’ At first, they’ll just roll rapidly over your skin without releasing cold. Shiba got frostbite because she must’ve smeared the liquid around.”
Bai Jiu thought it over and realized that was exactly what happened. Initially, Ning Shiba hadn’t been hurt—she only screamed after spreading the liquid with her fingers.
“Sixth Sister… how do you know all this?” Bai Jiu ventured.
“Tsk… If I had to guess… it’s probably because the most convincing ‘strategist’ in all of ‘Terminal Land’ is standing right beside me.”
Bai Jiu hesitated. Was that person their current leader, Qi Xia?
She nodded and called out to Ning Shiba and Chou Twenty, “Just smash the ice orbs! If you shake off the liquid within two seconds, your skin won’t be harmed—because of the Leiden… whatever effect.”
The two in the distance stared blankly, as if Bai Jiu hadn’t grasped how terrifying the liquid was.
“Trust me, it’s Sixth—” Bai Jiu was about to reveal Saturday’s involvement when Qiao Jiajin suddenly held up a hand to stop her.
“This is a strategy I came up with using my ‘brain’!” Qiao Jiajin shouted at them. “If this plan fails, I’ll slit my own throat next!”
His unwavering expression made the plan seem far more credible.
“Brother Qiao, you serious?” Ning Shiba asked, still clutching her injured hand.
“Dead serious… but you—” Qiao Jiajin hesitated, realizing Ning Shiba might not be in any condition to block more orbs. He turned to the others nearby. “Anyone willing to take Astro Girl’s place?”
Four voices answered almost simultaneously: “I’ll go.”
Bai Jiu glanced at the three who’d raised their hands alongside her and declared, “I’m the oldest here. Lower your hands—I’ll do it.”
Luo Fifteen, Feng Seventeen, and Yun Nineteen silently complied.
Bai Jiu gave Ning Shiba a meaningful look and strode forward. “Shiba, I’ll take over. Rest for now.”
“Got it, Ninth Sister…” Ning Shiba replied weakly, drenched in sweat. “Be careful. These things are no joke…”
“I trust Sixth Sister.” Bai Jiu nodded and took her position before “Wenqu.”
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