I pushed him. Zhu Guang was light, his legs like paper. He shouldn't have any legs. My thoughts at this moment were incredibly simple: I hoped Zhu Guang would die like Li Jiu.
"Aren't you going to ask me anything? Cursing me to death?"
"Not at all, Uncle-Master. I was just wondering how to ask you."
"You're a lot like Cao Shi, but you chose Li Jiu as your master. Twisted."
"Isn't that so? Li Jiu is the weakest among your senior brothers and sisters."
Zhu Guang chuckled, "Who told you that?"
"I felt it."
"Then your feelings are inaccurate. Master didn't teach Senior Brother the art of scheming. When he taught me, he felt his way through it. Junior Sister Wang Ren's aptitude wasn't enough, so she learned simple psychological analysis, but paradoxically, her singular focus made her strong. By the time of Li Jiu and Xiao Shi, Master's theory of the schemer had already formed its own school of thought. Therefore, Li Jiu should be the most powerful among us disciples."
I pouted, "What about Cao Shi?"
"He's an anomaly. I used Li Jiu back then, and he used Li Jiu too. In a pure strategic confrontation, he's not as good as me, but when it comes to manipulating emotions, he's superior."
...
I didn't believe this. In my heart, Old Ghost was the strongest, and I wouldn't accept any argument.
...
"By the way, Second Uncle-Master, how is hypnosis so powerful? You said, 'Did you eat an apple today?' and Li Tianyou jumped to his death. I heard from teacher Wang Ren that hypnosis can't threaten someone's safety; there's instinctive resistance."
"In a team-building activity, one person stands high up, back to the crowd, and jumps. The others, holding hands, catch that person. This kind of activity trains trust. Hypnosis is similar. Once you're repeatedly doing something that won't cause harm, your instincts will gradually stop recognizing it as a threat to your being. At that point, no matter how high it is, you'll jump."
"How did you instill this consciousness into our minds?"
"You? No, only Li Tianyou and Wu Haimai could do it. Li Tianyou is infertile. As he aged, he began to have delusions that his infertility was related to his actions, as if wickedness truly leads to a lack of descendants. In reality, infertility is a physical issue, but Li Tianyou elevated it to a psychological problem. He was afraid, panicked, and often sought psychological help, sometimes undergoing hypnotic therapy. Over time, Li Tianyou developed a trust in psychologists similar to the trust gained from team-building. I exploited that trust. Wu Haimai was the same; she had lost five children and was a frequent visitor to psychological clinics."
"But I've also had dreams of jumping off buildings."
"When you were in a deep coma, your girlfriend Lin Han told you about it. We then set our plan based on that."
"How did you know what my girlfriend said to me by my bedside?"
After asking, I heard Zhu Guang laugh. It was a very foolish question.
"Why do you look so happy even though you lost?"
"Who says I lost? You beat me, and I beat you. This is a win-win. Do you know what a true gambling god is like? It's not like in the movies, where each person holds a deck of cards and dazzles with their skill, deciding the outcome with the final card. True players bet on the sidelines. Today, there are 2,000 spectators participating in the game; they all have pre-qualified access. Additionally, some overseas gambling companies conduct external betting online. Because of your brilliant performance last time, many people bet on you to win. I act as the bookie internally and bet on the external market with gambling companies. This allows me to have ample funds to let my customers experience true gambling and understand true human nature."
"And you, you're not doing this to make money. What do you want?"
"Li Jiu should have told you: to let more hawks control this world and let more proactive people drive social development."
I sneered dismissively, "And then, you'll control these hawks and become king!"
To my surprise, Zhu Guang shook his head, negating my statement. "The prophets who propose new ideas at any historical stage either die in obscurity or die tragically. Neither fate is a good one."
I was afraid of people like him. When Li Jiu talked to me about the hawk-dove game, it sent shivers down my spine. Zhang Si hadn't reached their level; he was still focused on personal gain and wealth. Zhu Guang, like Li Jiu, was a madman. People like them didn't care about money or life. All his schemes, whether involving human nature or external bets, weren't for himself, but for the development of the so-called intelligent species.
These lunatics were definitely not easy to deal with.
At this point, we had reached the iron gate. Two people got out of a black minivan and lifted Zhu Guang out of the gate. I rushed forward and kicked one of them hard in the thigh.
The man didn't flinch. He glared at me, and I glared back, "What are you shaking for? Be careful you don't drop my Uncle-Master."
These two were definitely national-level bodyguards. My kick was powerful, yet he didn't flinch. This meant he was someone I couldn't handle. Zhu Guang was right; if I wanted to catch Zhu Guang now, forget external factors, I couldn't even deal with these two bodyguards.
...
The black minivan disappeared into the night. I watched helplessly as Zhu Guang escaped.
...
Not long after, fire trucks appeared. Luo Bo arrived later. They were all safely rescued, but Li Tianyou was dead, and Zhu Guang had walked away with impunity. My so-called plan to lure the snake out of its hole had ended in complete failure.
"Are you okay?" Luo Bo asked me, squatting on the school lawn, looking dejected.
"I'm fine."
"Ding Tai gave me the phone with what Zhu Guang said. You fought a good battle."
After a wry smile, I adjusted my expression and asked seriously, "Liu Lifang won't go to jail, will she?"
"No."
"That's good!"
Just then, I saw Brother Chang and Lin Han arriving, having heard the news. They rushed over, and Lin Han, braving the cold wind, hugged me. I winced in pain, "Easy, easy! My arm, my arm!"
"Where's Fatty?" Brother Chang asked.
"At the ambulance. Liu Lifang hasn't woken up yet, so he'll probably go to the hospital with Liu Lifang," Luo Bo answered for me.
"Thank you, Luo Bo!"
Brother Chang had met Yu Xiaoluo and Luo Bo in Shandong, and they had become friends over the past two years.
"You're welcome. I'll go check over there."
Brother Chang nodded, "I'll go with you. I'll go see Fatty by the ambulance."
...
Only Lin Han and I were left on the lawn. I gave her a warm smile as the cold wind blew. Lin Han looked at me seriously, "Didn't you say you wouldn't hide anything from me?"
"Yes!"
"Then what's this?"
"This, this you have to ask Brother Fatty. He wanted to be a hero and win the beauty's heart. I was just a tool for him."
Lin Han glared at me and turned to leave, looking like she was about to go confront Fatty. I pulled her back and held her tightly. Lin Han let me hold her, neither resisting nor responding. The cold wind blew her hair into my face. I whispered in her ear, "I lost this time."
Hearing my words, Lin Han used her warm hands to lift my face. She looked at me seriously, confirming I wasn't lying. She then held me tightly, no longer blaming me.
...
A moment later
...
"It hurts, it hurts! Can't you be more careful of my injured arm?"
...
"It hurts, it hurts..."
"You know it hurts, yet you ran out of the hospital. Several stitches have split open. It's this cold, and if you get tetanus, who's responsible?"
"I'm sorry, Doctor. I won't do it again. Can you be gentler? Or perhaps give me more anesthetic? This is too painful!"
Although the doctor didn't forgive me, what had to pass had passed. I returned to the ward. Lin Han said to me, "I'll stay with you here today..."
Before she could finish, Da Huang from the next room, looking like a mummy, rushed over. His wife followed. I had seen his wife on video, but this was our first meeting. I nodded at her, and she smiled back.
"Fatty, what happened?"
Da Huang shouted, and I quickly made a shushing gesture. I squatted down, and everyone followed suit. I stood up, and they stood up. Except for myself, no one knew what I was doing, but I demanded silence. They could only stare at me and guess.
I searched everywhere: the wall, the ceiling, drawers, under the bed. Finally, my gaze fell on the fruit basket I hadn't opened. Because my hands were inconvenient, I hadn't opened the fruit basket that had been placed beside me since I woke up. I slowly tore off the cling film from the fruit basket. Beneath an orange in the middle of the fruit, I found a recording device taped with plastic tape. I threw the device on the ground and stomped on it fiercely, crushing it.
"Eavesdropping? What kind of bastard is playing such a dangerous game?" Da Huang grumbled.
"Brother Da Huang, you should go back first. I'll tell you about Fatty tomorrow."
"Alright. Be careful, and check thoroughly. Maybe there's more than one."
Lin Han also knew what I was looking for. After Da Huang left, she helped me search everywhere. I sat on the bedside chair, staring blankly at the card on the fruit basket. This fruit basket had been by the bedside the whole time, and I hadn't paid attention. When I saw the name on the card, I was somewhat dazed. I hadn't seen her in years; I had almost forgotten her.
The card read: Wishing you a speedy recovery, Qin Sisi.
Thinking back now, Qin Sisi's scheme wasn't difficult to understand. But seven years ago, I marveled at her schemes. She taught me what kind of setup could be considered that of a qualified schemer.
Qin Sisi, imprisoned, had already severed ties with "Logical Paradox." Why did Zhu Guang pull her back in?
...
Lin Han saw me staring blankly at the card and snatched it away. She glanced at me and asked, "Who is Qin Sisi? An old flame of yours?"
"Wife, we're the Queen of the Underground Palace, not the Queen of the Vinegar Jar, okay?"
Lin Han laughed heartily, "I'm just joking!"
"This must be another scheme?"
"Then don't leave me behind this time." Lin Han said, hugging my arm affectionately. I stared at her, dumbfounded. She asked shyly, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
I didn't say anything. I showed her the undamaged arm. Lin Han let go in surprise, standing demurely, a playful smile still on her face.