After hearing this, Qi Xia’s expression darkened. He sighed and said, “Aren’t you being too optimistic? I have no idea how to escape from this godforsaken place.”
“Officer Li once said that if there’s anyone who can escape from here, it’s probably you, Qi Xia.”
Qi Xia fell silent.
In his life, things rarely strayed beyond his expectations.
He was accustomed to meticulously planning and controlling everything.
But ever since arriving here, he had felt powerless time and time again.
Nothing here seemed to follow his plans.
At first, Qi Xia had devised a strategy to rely on “betting his life” to obtain “Tao.” But soon after, he encountered the “Earth Ox,” which could kill him in the game.
Later, under his very eyes, Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian died. Despite his overwhelming frustration, he couldn’t stop it.
Now, he had originally come to team up with Officer Li to discuss the next steps.
But Officer Li was dead too.
He had no choice but to reluctantly team up with Lawyer Zhang.
But what kind of person was Lawyer Zhang, really?
“The feeling of not being able to strategize really unsettles me,” Qi Xia muttered to himself. “Lawyer Zhang, can I ask you a few questions?”
“Ask me questions?” Lawyer Zhang pondered for a moment before replying, “Alright, as long as it doesn’t involve privacy, go ahead.”
“What is your reason for needing to get out?”
“I…” Lawyer Zhang found the question somewhat interesting. “Even if I didn’t have a reason to leave, I wouldn’t willingly stay here, would I?”
Qi Xia nodded and asked another question, “Do you think ‘killing to seize Tao’ is feasible?”
“Killing to seize ‘Tao’…” Lawyer Zhang rested her chin on her hand, carefully considering the question before answering cautiously, “I think it’s possible, but I wouldn’t do it. It violates the law.”
Qi Xia thought for a while and then said, “Alright, one last question… Have you ever made a mistake?”
“A mistake?” Lawyer Zhang was taken aback. “Do you mean a crime?”
“Not related to ‘the law,'” Qi Xia clarified. “But the kind of mistake that completely alters the course of your life—one that fills you with regret, remorse, and forces you to spend the rest of your days atoning for it.”
Lawyer Zhang’s gaze suddenly turned icy. She stared straight at Qi Xia and asked, “What do you mean? How is this question relevant to our partnership?”
She didn’t answer, but Qi Xia already knew the truth.
It seemed the root of everything lay in the first game.
Everyone had lied.
“Alright, I understand. Let’s work together,” Qi Xia nodded and extended his hand to Lawyer Zhang.
Lawyer Zhang gave him a doubtful look but slowly reached out and shook his hand.
Old Lü, observing the group’s dynamics, felt like an outsider again. It seemed he still needed to put in some effort to blend into this small team.
He knew Qi Xia was no ordinary man. Teaming up with him would greatly increase their chances of obtaining “Tao.”
With that in mind, Old Lü stepped forward with a sheepish grin and said to Qi Xia, “Now that you’ve found your people, should I be on my way?”
Qi Xia nodded impassively and replied indifferently, “No need to see you off.”
“Eh?” Old Lü was slightly taken aback. “Kid Qi, aren’t you going to ask me to stay?”
“There’s no need for that,” Qi Xia turned away and slowly sat down, continuing to examine the lighter in his hand.
Old Lü stood awkwardly in place. He had hoped to stage a touching scene where everyone would beg him to stay, but this young man wasn’t playing along. What now?
He turned to Lin Qin, his eyes still carrying a glimmer of hope.
But Lin Qin knew Qi Xia too well—he wouldn’t keep a stranger by his side.
After all, the tragedies involving Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian had been caused by a stranger named Xiao Xiao. So Lin Qin paid Old Lü no heed.
Seeing that Lin Qin remained silent, Old Lü turned his hopeful gaze to Zhang Chenze.
He thought this woman seemed kind-hearted—surely she wouldn’t be so cold.
So he leaned over, carefully wrapped her coat tighter around her, and said, “Little girl, I’ll be leaving now. Take care of yourself.”
To Old Lü’s surprise, Zhang Chenze was even more ruthless than Lin Qin.
“Uncle, no need for your concern,” Zhang Chenze said coldly. “And let me make this clear—unless it’s an emergency or a medical situation, don’t touch me.”
“You people…” Old Lü gritted his teeth in frustration but had no retort. After all, he was the one who had suggested leaving.
He had seen people give themselves an out before, but never had he seen someone use an out to push themselves off a cliff.
Now it was Old Lü’s turn to hesitate.
He took slow, reluctant steps toward the door, glancing back repeatedly, but no one stopped him. Eventually, he had no choice but to sulk his way outside.
Just as he was about to leave, Old Lü suddenly remembered something and hurriedly turned back.
“Hey, this morning I found a game that requires a team of four… Are you interested?”
At these words, both Lin Qin and Zhang Chenze turned to look at Qi Xia.
Qi Xia slowly raised his head, thought for three seconds, and then asked, “Which animal?”
Seeing that Qi Xia was indeed interested in “Tao,” Old Lü plopped back down with a grin.
“Heh, it’s a ‘dog’!” Old Lü said. “This is the perfect game to test our teamwork. No problem at all!”
“A dog?” Qi Xia frowned and lowered his head in contemplation.
A “dog” game was about “team coordination.” Neither Lin Qin nor Zhang Chenze were fools, and they would follow his lead. The only wild card was Old Lü.
Qi Xia studied Old Lü with a complicated expression, weighing the feasibility of this team game.
“Kid Qi, what’s wrong? Don’t you trust me?” Old Lü grew anxious. “I told you, the more critical the moment, the smarter I get!”
“Old Lü, can you promise me one thing?” Qi Xia asked.
“Of course! Name it!”
“During the game, follow my every command.”
Old Lü’s eyes darted around before he nodded. “Got it! Anything else?”
“That’s it. Just this one condition.”
“Pfft, I thought it was something serious!” Old Lü waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry, Kid Qi. I’ll listen to you when the time comes.”
Still unconvinced, Qi Xia added, “I might make decisions that seem strange, but if we want to win, you *must* follow them.”
“Alright, I get it!” Old Lü nodded earnestly.
Seeing Old Lü’s serious expression, Qi Xia let it go and turned to Lawyer Zhang.
“Have you eaten enough?”
“Yeah,” Zhang Chenze replied, picking up a relatively clean scrap of paper to wipe the grease off her hands.
“Though it might sound inappropriate… would you consider changing into Officer Li’s clothes?” Qi Xia asked.
Lawyer Zhang froze, glancing down at her drenched outfit and then at Officer Li’s bloodstained T-shirt. After a brief pause, she shook her head.
“I have a thing about cleanliness. I’ll just stay in what I’m wearing.”
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