Chapter 631: Be Right Back

Qi Xia lowered his head, pinching his temples as the intense dizziness refused to fade.

After walking through the corridor, he looked up and was met with many familiar faces.

“You all…?”

“Old Qi!”

“Liar!”

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin walked over with delighted expressions. They gave Qi Xia a once-over before relaxing—though he looked exhausted, he was unharmed.

“You’re something else!” Chen Junnan said. “We both thought there was an 80% chance you wouldn’t make it!”

Qi Xia didn’t explain his encounter with Xu Liunian. Instead, he found the current situation somewhat suspicious.

He slowly furrowed his brow, straining his mind: “Why are all of you here…?”

Things that were too coincidental likely weren’t coincidences at all. Though Qi Xia felt something was off, unlike before, he couldn’t immediately deduce the problem.

“A big rat told us to come,” Chen Junnan whispered. “He said this monkey… might be a bit of a problem…”

Not wanting to be too blunt, Chen Junnan tried to phrase it carefully for Qi Xia.

After listening, Qi Xia nodded and asked, “Did the rat start his sentences with ‘Leader’?”

“Yeah, exactly!” Qiao Jiajin nodded. “That rat brother talked really weird! Do you know him?”

Qi Xia nodded. Of course, he remembered that groundhog.

It was a “needle” he had planted anew in this round. Moreover, Qi Xia had observed that particular groundhog—he was clever, not your average “Earth-level.” If he could be recruited, he would likely be a tremendous asset. Besides, Qi Xia had probably already won him over.

So, the groundhog’s actions now might be well-intentioned, or at least beneficial to the bigger picture.

“So, why are you all gathered here?” Qi Xia asked. “Don’t you need to play the game?”

“This game…”

The five exchanged glances. Though being surrounded by allies in this space was reassuring, it also meant the flow of “tokens” wouldn’t increase their numbers. Instead, the need to “redeem themselves” made things even harder.

Six allies meant sixty “tokens” in total. Who could possibly earn that many in a single Earth-level game?

Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan both looked at Qi Xia.

Yes. Only he could.

They briefly explained the game’s mechanics to Qi Xia, who simply nodded while rubbing his temples, clearly not in the best condition.

As they spoke, the group glanced at the groundhog nearby, who was already snoring behind the counter. It seemed the nine-to-five routine didn’t suit a casino owner.

“I get it,” Qi Xia said. “This is truly a game of ‘intelligence.’ Since no one here would bring ten ‘tokens,’ the core of the game is figuring out how to take them from others. People lose everything here every day, and the death toll isn’t small.”

Xiao Cheng watched nervously as this third stranger—after Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan—entered the scene. Something felt off.

His pockets were flat, clearly devoid of “tokens.” Would all the “participants'” entry fees have to come from his initial fifteen “tokens”?

Just then, Qi Xia looked up and met Xiao Cheng’s eyes. “And you are?”

The others quickly introduced Xiao Cheng to Qi Xia, also explaining their current “financial crisis.”

“I see,” Qi Xia acknowledged. “So what we need now is ‘capital.'”

“Right,” Xiao Cheng said grimly. “Even though you’re all familiar with each other, I can’t just hand out so many ‘tokens’ to strangers. I want to live too.”

“I understand.”

As Qi Xia spoke, he kept massaging his forehead, which worried Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan.

“Liar, headache again?”

“No…” Qi Xia replied. “This time, it’s not just a headache… My whole state feels off.”

“Off…?”

“Never mind that.” Qi Xia turned back to Xiao Cheng. “You said you played the ‘Human Monkey’s’ game yesterday?”

“Yeah, it’s not far from here,” Tian Tian chimed in. “When we passed by today, the ‘Human Monkey’ was still trying to gather ‘participants.'”

“Got it.” Qi Xia addressed Tian Tian. “Tell me where the ‘Human Monkey’ is. I’ll be right back.”

The phrase “be right back” left the group in brief silence.

Xiao Cheng quickly spoke up, “Bro… Are you going to the ‘Human Monkey’s’ game to earn some ‘tokens’? I can tell you the solution to that game, it’s—”

“Unnecessary.” Qi Xia waved him off while rubbing his temples. “Just tell me the location. Hand me the pouch—I’ll go get some ‘tokens.'”

Xiao Cheng found this man’s demeanor a bit odd but couldn’t argue. He reluctantly gave the ‘Human Monkey’s’ location.

Qi Xia walked out, pausing at the door to glance back. “Don’t do anything until I return. Wait for me—it won’t take long.”

“Wait…” Xiao Cheng hesitated. “The ‘Human Monkey’s’ game requires an entry fee… Do you have any ‘tokens’?”

“Entry fee? Unnecessary.” Qi Xia turned away, waving dismissively.

As his figure receded, Xiao Cheng’s expression starkly contrasted with the others’.

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin casually took seats nearby and started chatting within seconds. Tian Tian, holding Zheng Yingxiong’s hand, began exploring the various facilities in the room.

They didn’t seem the least bit worried.

“W-Wait… You’re all this relaxed?” Xiao Cheng asked. “That guy, he…”

“Relax,” Qiao Jiajin waved it off. “Xiao Cheng, wanna play a round of Landlords? We can play without betting ‘tokens’—I just learned. Come practice with me.”

“L-Landlords?!” Xiao Cheng’s eyes widened. “Hold on… Your teammate just left for the ‘Human Monkey’s’ game without a single ‘token’! Even if he’s really that good, even if he wins every time, he can’t even get through the door right now!”

“If Liar says he can do it, he can do it. Come play.” Qiao Jiajin shuffled a deck of cards, grinning as he beckoned.

Skeptical, Xiao Cheng sat down beside Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan, utterly baffled. Even if this man could instantly solve the ‘Human Monkey’s’ game, the maximum reward was only two ‘tokens.’

How could he possibly return with enough “chips” empty-handed?

But roughly an hour and a half later, something even more unimaginable happened.

The man named Qi Xia returned with complete composure. When he tossed over a dozen ‘tokens’ from the pouch onto the table, Xiao Cheng’s jaw dropped in stunned silence.