Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Mu Xin and Xu Tian had already struck up a conversation.

Qin Nan seized the moment and headed toward the bar.

He didn’t greet Qi Shuping. Instead, he stood a short distance away and discreetly beckoned to Wang Hao and his companion.

Confusion flickered in Wang Hao’s eyes. After exchanging a look with his partner, he pointed a finger at himself as if to clarify. Qin Nan nodded immediately, then pressed a finger to his lips in a silencing gesture.

The two men were completely bewildered.

Nevertheless, they chose to walk over to him.

“You called for us?” Wang Hao asked proactively once they were close enough.

Qin Nan nodded, putting on an air of mystery as he lowered his voice. “I have some questions regarding Professor Qi that I’d like to ask you two brothers.”

Wang Hao eyed Qin Nan suspiciously. He acted exactly like the Player Wang Hao would, even showing a hint of protectiveness toward Qi Shuping. “What are you trying to do?”

“I’m not trying to do anything. It’s just, well, we’re all in the same boat, aren’t we? Everyone wants a powerful thigh to cling to. No matter how impressive Jian Fan is, he still has to bow and scrape before Professor Qi. So, I was thinking… heh.” Qin Nan intentionally gave a somewhat sleazy smile and rubbed his hands together.

Truth be told, spending so much time with Mu Xin seemed to have rubbed off on him; his acting skills had seen a meteoric rise.

“Brother, that’s not very honorable of you. You already have a thigh to lean on, and now you want to steal ours?” Wang Hao seemed displeased.

Qin Nan made a clicking sound with his tongue. “‘Stealing’ is such an ugly word. We’re just helping each other out. Mutual benefit.”

“Heh.” Wang Hao looked like he had lost interest in continuing the conversation.

Qin Nan couldn’t let them leave just yet. Just then, a bar employee walked past carrying drinks. Qin Nan quickly grabbed two glasses and shoved them into their hands. “I’m not asking for information for free. How about this-we trade.”

“Trade? Trade what?” Wang Hao, who had been about to walk away, paused again.

Qin Nan’s mind raced. “Xu Tian! Think about it. Xu Tian is a woman. By staying close to Professor Qi, she has a huge advantage just based on her gender. That’s bad news for you two brothers. I have information on Xu Tian. What do you say? I’ll help you get rid of Xu Tian, but you have to get Professor Qi to take me under her wing. Don’t worry, if anything really happens, Professor Qi will definitely trust you guys first.”

Wang Hao and his companion looked at each other, seemingly tempted.

Qin Nan maintained a flattering smile on his face, but internally, he was a nervous wreck.

He was afraid they might suddenly snap and kill him on the spot, yet he couldn’t help but scoff inwardly. They weren’t even real Players anymore, yet they were putting on such a convincing act. This wasn’t just a Death Game; it was a battle of acting chops.

Qi Shuping was now the only one left at the bar.

Realizing this, Qi Shuping smiled faintly and watched the situation unfold.

Jian Fan didn’t keep her waiting for long.

Mu Xin was fine, but Qin Nan was in a precarious position facing two suspected Vampires. Jian Fan didn’t dare delay.

“Child, is there something you want to say to me?” Qi Shuping asked the moment Jian Fan appeared.

Jian Fan bowed to Qi Shuping before getting straight to the point. “Wang Hao attempted to summon Mary. I suspect the original Wang Hao has been erased. The current Wang Hao is likely related to the Vampires, and the same goes for the man with him. Also, Xu Tian is acting strange.”

“The legend of Bloody Mary.” Qi Shuping didn’t seem particularly shocked.

She nodded. “I understand. I’ll be careful, child.”

Jian Fan didn’t say anything more. After bidding Qi Shuping goodbye, he immediately turned and walked toward Qin Nan.

Qin Nan was taking a risk for his sake. Now that his goal was achieved, he naturally wanted to get Qin Nan away from the danger as quickly as possible.

While talking to Wang Hao and the other man, Qin Nan had been keeping an eye on Jian Fan. Seeing him approach, he felt a wave of relief, though he forced an anxious expression onto his face. “Jian Fan is coming. I can’t talk anymore. Let’s chat again next time!”
As he spoke, he hurried toward Jian Fan with a look of feigned panic.

Wang Hao and the other man remained where they were, making no further moves.

Qin Nan walked quickly, only fully relaxing once he had regrouped with Jian Fan. “That was close. It seems they want to keep up their act; they were actually quite cooperative.”

Jian Fan offered a small smile.

“You’re still smiling? I literally had my life hanging by a thread just now. So? Did you tell her?” Qin Nan asked.

Jian Fan gave a nod of affirmation.

“What did Professor Qi say?” Qin Nan inquired.

Jian Fan replied, “She’ll be careful.”

Qin Nan sighed. “I hope she’ll be alright. But then again, someone of her caliber can probably run circles around those people using nothing but her brain. You shouldn’t worry too much.” As he spoke, Qin Nan glanced over at Mu Xin. “I wonder how Mu Xin’s talk is going.”

The conversation between Mu Xin and Xu Tian was still ongoing.

“The schemes and rivalries between women aren’t something men’s minds can even compare to,” Xu Tian said.

Mu Xin smiled. “That depends on who those tactics are being used against. Why don’t we join forces to deal with the others?”

“Why should I trust you?” Xu Tian asked.

Mu Xin shook her head. “You shouldn’t. My coming to you is a gamble; whether you’re willing to cooperate with me is your gamble. Anything I say now is just empty words. Whether to believe me or not is a decision only you can make.”

Xu Tian looked at Mu Xin and remained silent.

Mu Xin smiled. “You don’t need to give me an answer right away. You can take some time to think about it.” She glanced back. “I have to go back now.” Without waiting for Xu Tian’s response, she turned and walked away.

Xu Tian watched Mu Xin’s retreating figure until she saw her regroup with Qin Nan and Jian Fan. Only then did she look away and return to Qi Shuping’s side.

Mu Xin had positioned herself cleverly, intentionally blocking Xu Tian’s line of sight. Now that she was back, she saw that Wang Hao and his companion were still by Qi Shuping, showing no unusual behavior.

“Next, we look for the Bartender?” Mu Xin asked.

Jian Fan’s personal business was settled, so it was time for their primary objective.

Jian Fan nodded.

“How do we find him?” Qin Nan asked.

The Bartender had left through the Staff Passage earlier. Were they supposed to go through there as well? But the Staff Passage was right next to the bar counter; it would be nearly impossible to enter without being noticed.

If they couldn’t sneak in, they would likely be stopped by the staff. Following normal logic, they might even be kicked out of the Bar.

Leaving the Bar was a life-threatening prospect.

“Ask first.” Jian Fan’s gaze fell on the other side of the bar counter.

Qi Shuping wasn’t there, but another Player was.

Qian Xing.

The three of them walked toward him.

Qian Xing was sitting at the bar counter, a glass in hand, chatting idly with a bartender. When he caught sight of Jian Fan approaching out of the corner of his eye, his entire posture stiffened. As Jian Fan drew closer, he stood up abruptly.

“Brother Jian,” Qian Xing called out tentatively.

This address startled Qin Nan so much that he shot several looks at Jian Fan.

Earlier, while Xia Zeqin was around, Qian Xing had seemed to ignore Jian Fan completely. He hadn’t expected such a surprise now that Xia Zeqin was gone.

Brother Jian.

It seemed Jian Fan really had been on the same side as Xia Zeqin originally. For things to have reached this point, it certainly wasn’t Jian Fan’s fault. Did Xia Zeqin stab him in the back and betray him?