When checking in, I asked the lobby manager, "Is Lin Han staying across from me?"
"I'm sorry, we cannot disclose guest privacy."
The lobby manager was very polite but refused without any room for negotiation. I glanced at Lu Yao, who had promised me with his chest patted. Lu Yao understood and feigned displeasure, saying loudly, "What's there to hide? She's a major shareholder of our company, and Mr. Lin's wife. A husband asking where his wife is staying isn't privacy.
Hearing Lu Yao say that, the lobby manager's attitude changed. Smiling, she described, "Mr. Tang, Ms. Lin is staying right across from you. She's been here for a few days and is very satisfied with our service."
"Then can you arrange for me to be next to Lin Han?"
"No problem, you call the shots. I'll arrange the change for you right now."
I changed my room. I hadn't discussed it with Lu Yao beforehand; it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I wanted to see Lu Yao's reaction.
Did it not go according to his plan? So I secretly glanced at Lu Yao. He didn't say anything, just smiled, seemingly unbothered. Ning Caishen, however, said, "Walls have ears. You two really know how to play. Are you trying to catch someone cheating?"
Before I could react, Lu Yao gave Ning Caishen a symbolic kick. "What are you talking about? Couples having arguments is normal. Occasional flirting is fine. Why does it sound so wrong coming from you? If you don't change this honest personality of yours, you'll offend so many people."
Ning Caishen pouted but said nothing.
We checked in as planned. The business rooms were well-decorated, and the bedding was clean and soft. Tu Ke La left after a short while. Ning Caishen saw Lu Yao leave from the window, then sat up and went to the hallway to look. He went to the room next door and knocked, but no one answered.
"Could Tu Ke La be lying?" I asked Ning Caishen.
Ning Caishen shook his head. "Such a lie would be too crude for a schemer. There's no need for that."
"Then I'll go and see what's across the hall."
I had learned climbing. Although this was the tenth floor, I wasn't afraid. Under the starlight, I reached the room next door. The window wouldn't open, but the curtains weren't drawn. It was pitch black, so there shouldn't be anyone inside.
After returning, I called the front desk. The receptionist informed me that Lin Han had gone out that afternoon and hadn't returned yet.
This was the situation. Ning Caishen, usually calm, looked embarrassed and said indignantly, "Tu Ke La still has this bad habit. Playing dirty even in matters like this is so low-end."
I also agreed with Ning Caishen. Using an excuse to prevent me from seeing Lin Han was inappropriate. They might as well have just moved Lin Han. In this situation, even if I pointed at Lu Yao and demanded to know where Lin Han went, he could confidently tell me he didn't know.
"Is he always like this?"
Lu Yao's schemes went beyond my imagination. They appeared rough but were actually intricate and meticulously planned.
"Yes, he always uses petty tricks."
Since Lu Yao wasn't so simple, I considered more possibilities. After thinking, I asked Ning Caishen, "You told me Li Jiu's training classes were divided into four departments. Which department do you belong to?"
"The extreme game theory system."
"And Tu Ke La?"
"I don't know. Based on his methods, he leans towards the extreme game theory system. But this person loves to act and is moody. It's normal to call him a Stanislavski system."
Hearing Ning Caishen's explanation, I became even more certain and asked, "Do you think Tu Ke La might be the fourth department?"
"A fusion of the four departments, like you?"
That remark made me blush. I quickly said, "Ning Caishen, don't flatter me. If you apply your summarized systems to me, I wouldn't fit into any of them."
Rarely, Ning Caishen frowned. "If it's truly a fusion of the four departments, then Lu Yao is indeed very difficult to deal with right now."
"Yes, I think so too. This game has just begun, and it's already quite interesting."
Ning Caishen looked puzzled. "What game?"
"Didn't you see it? That red jade is a game."
Ning Caishen shook his head, looking confused. It didn't seem like an act. If Ning Caishen didn't realize that the red jade was part of a scheme, then I needed to explain it to him properly.
Judging by the timing of our meeting, Lu Yao lied. This man wasn't incapable of finding me; he had likely been tailing me since I entered Ruili. He saw everything that happened between me and Boss Xie. He only showed himself after Boss Xie left. The so-called drunken revelry of exotic pleasures was something he hadn't actually prepared. He had calculated that I would follow him to the jade stone competition, where Boss Zhu and Boss Gu were waiting as pre-arranged tools.
This Boss Zhu was skilled at perceiving people's psychology. He deliberately didn't reveal my identity, drawing me in gradually, only to finally expose my prowess in the "Empty Room" incident. In the past, such acting would have been flawless in my eyes. But not anymore. After Ning Caishen told me that the schemers at Li Jiu's had divided into four systems, and I had also interacted with Spade K, Quick-Mouth Duck, I understood why schemers who enjoyed acting weren't called the acting department, but instead had this awkward name, the Stanislavski system. This was because the system emphasized that actors weren't just present in the scene, but were an integral part of it. In such a scenario, both the schemer and the participant had to adhere to the logic of real life. The schemer had to find ways to resonate with the participant, creating a realistic illusion that made the participant believe everything the schemer said.
It was precisely because I had this realization that I considered a logical flaw in Boss Zhu's acting. Since he was so impressed by everything that happened in the "Empty Room," he should have recognized me as someone familiar, or at least guessed my identity. He should have either called me by name directly or hesitated and guessed my identity until the jade stone competition ended.
The reason Boss Zhu acted this way was because he was adept at understanding people's psychology. He was undoubtedly trying to guess my thoughts based on my facial expressions. If I'm not mistaken, this Boss Zhu should be a Plum Blossom type tool who specialized in human psychology. And now, there weren't many tool people left, so he was the Plum Blossom Ace. The other person, impeccable in his acting, quiet, and almost invisible, had performed his insignificant role to perfection, as if he were genuinely a jade enthusiast who enjoyed stone gambling. Compared to Boss Zhu, Boss Gu's acting ability was even higher. He should be Spade 2!
After we met these two, the stone gambling became the "earth" within the "heaven, earth, and man" of the plan, and the "situation" within Li Jiu's four systems.
None of the jade roughs on that stone gambling table were genuine. They knew which ones were good and which were bad from the start.
At this point, Lu Yao began to test me, asking if I wanted to win or lose.
I said I wanted to lose. Lu Yao outwardly assured me of his superb scheming abilities, but in reality, he never intended for me to lose, because the script was already written.
During the stone gambling, I chose the stone Lu Yao had helped me select. Boss Zhu and Boss Gu's expressions changed, giving me the illusion that Lu Yao's abilities were insufficient.
This was not the case. Lu Yao's abilities were strong; he was playing the role of a weakling to hide his strength.
After hearing my explanation, Ning Caishen frowned and pondered. I looked at him curiously and asked, "This game isn't difficult. Why couldn't you, Ning Caishen, see it?"
"If a game is too close to reality, it's hard to distinguish whether it's a play or something that's actually happening. In my mind, Tu Ke La, Lu Yao, is that kind of person. He often talks big, but his actions are usually clumsy.
I understood Ning Caishen's meaning. It was no wonder he could guess me so accurately, but it failed with Lu Yao, because in his mind, Lu Yao was still the "Tu Ke La" from their training class, the repeatedly failing student who often made a fool of himself.
"So, you don't believe Lu Yao is scheming?"
"No, I still believe you, I'm just a bit confused."
I frowned. "Ning Caishen, our plan is for the big fish to eat the small fish. At this moment, your resolve cannot waver. You cannot feel that you are no match for Tu Ke La."
"I know."
"Here's what we'll do. Let's not keep this hanging. We'll prove now that Lu Yao is lying."
"How do we prove it?"
Hearing Ning Caishen ask, I pointed to the beautifully packaged red jade and said with a smile, "Let's cut this stone open, and we'll know."
The reason Lu Yao tampered with the red jade was because even imperial jadeite would be easily cut open by someone worth billions. But a chicken-comb red jade was different. It was incredibly rare, representing destiny, something that could be found but not sought. Ordinary people would cherish it as a treasure, making it priceless.
Ning Caishen was my financial manager, so he naturally understood the value of red jade. He looked at me in shock. "Cut it now?"
"Cut it now."
"So late at night?"
"It's fine. This is Ruili. There are countless shops for gambling on stones in the middle of the night. Cutting open a stone is very easy."