“Old dog, you’re quite clever.” A-Mu’s expression darkened instantly.
“Of course… I’m sharp when it counts.” Old Lü forced an ugly smile.
“I wish your teammates could see you like this.” A-Mu pulled out five 「Dao」 from his pocket and scattered them on the ground like feeding pigeons.
Old Lü quickly crouched down, picking up each 「Dao」 one by one before stuffing them into his pocket.
“Heh… my teammates will understand me.” Old Lü dusted off his hands. “I warned them long ago—’I’m sharp when it counts.’ If they didn’t expect me to betray them, that’s their fault, not mine.”
A-Mu wore a hollow, insincere smile as he handed Old Lü the locked box along with a golden key.
“Then the rest is up to you.”
…
Meanwhile, in the 「Recipient」 room.
Qi Xia sat on a chair with his eyes closed, deep in thought.
“「Prisoner’s Dilemma」?” he muttered to himself. “No, it’s more like the 「Bucket Effect」…”
“The weakest member determines the team’s overall strength…” His fingers tapped lightly on the table as he counted the seconds in his heart. “But which ‘board’ in this bucket truly belongs to us…?”
“Both sides’ 「traitors」 must have already met with the 「Sender」.” Still keeping his eyes shut, he mentally simulated the possible scenarios of their meetings.
“About ten minutes have passed, and our 「traitor」 hasn’t delivered the letter yet. That means Lin Qin failed to persuade them. After all, a woman in love has no reason to personally doom her partner.”
“As for the other side…”
Qi Xia opened his eyes, idly playing with the silver key on the table.
“Old Lü has most likely defected.”
His expression gradually turned cold. “From now on, the other side will have the aid of two 「traitors」. Things are developing in the worst possible direction.”
“The good news is that the 「Bucket Effect」 no longer applies—our team no longer has a weak link.” A faint, chilling smile crept onto Qi Xia’s lips. “Now it’s time for the 「MiG-25 Effect」.”
Just then, a voice came from the doorway:
“When the Soviet Union built the MiG-25 fighter, every component was inferior to the Americans’. Yet by optimizing overall performance, they made it a world-class aircraft. That’s the 「MiG-25 Effect」, right?”
Qi Xia turned his head. The 「traitor」, Jiang Ruoxue, stood at the door, staring at him impassively.
In her arms was a locked box.
“Do you think the 「MiG-25 Effect」 is valid?” she asked.
“I’m not entirely sure,” Qi Xia replied with equal indifference. “I don’t know if my ‘components’ are reliable yet. But your appearance just erased all my doubts.”
“My presence enlightened you? What a rare genius you are.” Jiang Ruoxue smirked sarcastically as she placed the box on the table before Qi Xia. “Now, why don’t you use your 「MiG-25 Effect」 to open this?”
Qi Xia examined the box carefully—its golden lock held it firmly shut.
He tried the silver key beside him. It didn’t work.
He then picked up the box and shook it lightly, hearing a faint rustling inside.
There was a letter.
“How should I address you?” Qi Xia asked.
“Jiang Ruoxue.”
“Jiang Ruoxue, did you destroy any keys earlier?”
“Do you really think your teammate would hand me a key?” Jiang Ruoxue crossed her arms, watching him like he was a spectacle. “A self-proclaimed genius like you can’t open a box without one?”
“She didn’t give you the key? Perfect.” Qi Xia smirked. “Did you hear that just now?”
“Hear what?”
“Footsteps.” He tapped the table. “This old hotel has terrible soundproofing. Before you moved, you must have heard footsteps, right?”
“So what?” Jiang Ruoxue scoffed. “Only me and that old man are moving around in this building. Footsteps aren’t strange.”
“But why did he leave before you?” Qi Xia drummed his fingers meaningfully on the table. “Why did our 「traitor」 set off immediately?”
“You—” Jiang Ruoxue stiffened, realization dawning.
“What do you think your odds of survival are in this game?” Qi Xia continued tapping, trying to break her defenses. “If your team collaborates with our 「traitor」, do you still stand a chance?”
“I see.” Jiang Ruoxue’s gaze turned icy. “You can’t open the box, so you’re shifting your focus to me? Isn’t that a little childish?”
Qi Xia nodded. “You saw right through me, huh?”
“Don’t even think about manipulating me.” She took a step back. “I’ll never believe you.”
Qi Xia fell silent, his eyes dropping to his tapping fingers.
“Time’s almost up…” His voice turned cold. “Let’s test if the ‘components’ work…”
Before Jiang Ruoxue could process his words, loud shouting erupted from another corridor—sounding like a fight.
It was too far to make out the details.
“Good. High-quality components.” Qi Xia stopped tapping and slowly stood. “Miss Jiang, had you agreed to cooperate earlier, the outcome would’ve been different. But now, it’s too late. You’re just a ‘spare part.'”
“Hah. How amusing.” Jiang Ruoxue shook her head in disbelief. “Then let’s see how you plan to get that letter.”
Instead of trying to unlock the box, Qi Xia took his own silver lock and fastened it onto the box.
Now it had two locks.
“Have you lost your mind?” Jiang Ruoxue sneered. “Adding another lock—thinking negatives cancel out?”
“Lost my mind? Maybe.” Qi Xia picked up the box and shoved it into her hands. “Do me a favor—return this to the 「Sender」.”
“What?!” Jiang Ruoxue froze.
Returning this double-locked box to the 「Sender」?
“So that’s your plan…” Her face paled in sudden understanding. “Wait, you—”
Before she could finish, Qi Xia pushed her out and locked the door behind her.
Once in the hallway, the countdown on the wall lit up—three minutes.
Clutching the box, Jiang Ruoxue’s expression darkened.
Had she known he was this ruthless, she would’ve pretended to cooperate earlier…
Now in the corridor, the sounds from the other hallway became clearer.
She pressed her ear against the wall and listened.
Soon, her face tightened.
A-Mu sounded furious, yelling:
“You damn old dog—you destroyed the key?!”
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