Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Chen Nuo and Ruirui both froze. Tang Ying’s answer had clearly surprised them.

“Tang Ying, what are you thinking?” Ruirui asked softly.

Tang Ying held up three fingers and addressed Chen Nuo.

“First, the fact that you’re selfish doesn’t prevent us from working together to identify the Mastermind. Even if your ‘selfishness’ drives you to find the Mastermind, everyone will still benefit.

“Second, you don’t want emotional attachments to affect the contests. That means you’ll treat every contest fairly and won’t favor anyone. Even if the Mastermind tries to cozy up to you and become your friend, it won’t stop you from performing as well as you normally would. And third…”

Tang Ying paused.

“What’s the third point?” Chen Nuo asked.

“I don’t believe what you just said.”

“What?”

“I don’t believe you’re selfish or irresponsible,” Tang Ying said.

“Is that merely what you want to believe?”

Tang Ying shook her head. “No. It’s what I’ve observed and concluded. After Song Xue’s husband, Zhao Bo, died, you were the first person to rush up and confront Tina. You looked furious. That isn’t how a selfish person would behave.

“During the second game, you might have gone last if Che Dongming hadn’t said something that struck a nerve. When only Podiums Eighteen and Nineteen remained, you didn’t immediately fight me for Number Eighteen. That proves you aren’t entirely unwilling to shoulder responsibility.

“Then you told me outright that you’re selfish and don’t want emotions affecting how you play. But when the crucial moment comes, a truly selfish person will abandon even someone important to them without hesitation. They won’t be troubled by emotion at all. The fact that you’re worried about that proves you aren’t such a person.”

Tang Ying paused, then continued. “That’s why I still want an alliance with you. I also suspect that something happened in your past that you deeply regret.

“You once helped someone make a decision, and that person suffered a terrible outcome because of it. The pain has stayed with you ever since. That’s why you refuse to involve yourself in anyone else’s life now and want to be responsible only for yourself. Am I right?”

Her final words pierced Chen Nuo’s heart like steel needles. A stab of agony brought painful memories rushing back, along with a wave of agitation. He turned and glared at Tang Ying.

“Is it fun to make wild guesses about someone else’s life and blurt them out without a filter? If you love digging through people’s secrets and pasts so much, you’re wasting your talent as a food blogger. Why aren’t you a relationship blogger instead?”

From his reaction, Tang Ying suspected she had indeed touched one of his deepest wounds. She apologized at once.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made baseless guesses. Please forget all that nonsense I just said. We can stick to discussing the alliance.”

“What alliance? I’m not interested! I already told you that I prefer to work alone. Now, I want to rest. Please leave!” Chen Nuo said impatiently.

“All right,” Tang Ying said helplessly as she rose from the sofa.

Just then, someone knocked on the door. All three of them looked toward it.

“It seems I was right. Someone else has come to propose an alliance, just like I did,” Tang Ying told Chen Nuo. “If you shut everyone out, you’ll never get to know them. Then how will you decide who the Mastermind is?”

Chen Nuo glanced at her, then silently walked to the door and opened it. He wanted to see who else had come seeking an alliance.

There was not one person outside, but three: the three male college students. The tall, thin student held a plastic bag stuffed with food.

“Chen Nuo, is this a good time? We were hoping to talk to you,” the round-faced student said.

Chen Nuo nodded and stepped aside to invite them in.

“Oh, you already have guests…” The round-faced student had spotted Tang Ying and Ruirui.

“Sit on the edge of the bed. I’ll bring in the chair from the balcony,” Chen Nuo said.

“I’ll get it!” The round-faced student hurried eagerly onto the balcony to fetch the chair.

The curly-haired student held out the bag. “Chen Nuo, we brought snacks. Chocolate, potato chips, pistachios, dried mango… There’s a bit of everything. Help yourself.”

“But you can’t leave the hotel. Where did you get all this?” Ruirui asked in surprise.

“The hotel’s service guide lists all kinds of snacks, drinks, and meals, along with their prices. We only just found out that they’re all free. You call the front desk, and a server brings everything up a little while later,” the curly-haired student explained.

“I see. I’ll order some snacks later too. In a situation like this, eating is about the only way to relieve the stress.” Ruirui had found a perfect excuse for her appetite.

“Have some of ours first.” The tall, thin student offered the bag around.

“We can eat later. What did you want to discuss?” Chen Nuo asked.

The three students looked at one another, apparently embarrassed to say it. After a long moment, the curly-haired one chuckled.

“Let’s be direct. We want to join your crew.”

“I’m not a mob boss. What crew would you be joining?” Chen Nuo asked.

“In our eyes, you’re more impressive than any mob boss. Brains and brawn, brilliant and handsome…”

“Enough flattery.” Chen Nuo stopped him before he could continue. “Ultimately, the first vote proved that I can’t be the Mastermind. That’s why you believe you can trust me completely. Right?”
“Ha! You’re every bit as brilliant as we thought, Chen Nuo. You saw straight through us.” The curly-haired student glanced at Tang Ying and Ruirui. “You two had the same idea, didn’t you? You beat us here.”

“Yes, we came to ask Chen Nuo for an alliance too,” Tang Ying said. “But he turned us down.”

“What? Why would he do that?”

“Ask him,” Tang Ying said.

Chen Nuo glanced at her. “I only turned you down. I never said I would reject everyone.”

“Then you’ll form an alliance with us?” the round-faced student asked excitedly.

“What are your names? I saw them on the display, but I don’t quite remember,” Chen Nuo said.

“We’re the Peach Garden Brothers, college classmates from the same school. I’m Guan-Zhang-Liu, he’s Liu-Guan-Zhang, and this chubby guy is Zhang-Liu-Guan,” the curly-haired student said.

“That’s enough joking around…”

“Don’t listen to him, Chen Nuo! He jokes about everything, no matter the situation!” The tall, thin student glared at the curly-haired one. “But our surnames really are Liu, Guan, and Zhang. We’re college classmates and good friends, and our surnames happen to match Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, so the three of us swore brotherhood. I’m Liu Tao, the eldest.”

“I’m the youngest. My name is Zhang Yuan. If there’s ever anything I can do, just say the word!” the round-faced student said earnestly.

“I’m the second brother, Guan Zhehao.” The curly-haired student grinned. “If our names are hard to remember, just call us Guan, Zhang, and Liu.”

Chen Nuo was twenty-five and had graduated from college a little over two years ago. Looking at these three students around his own age made him feel as though he were back at university, and he warmed to them.

He had already decided that if the cunning Dr. Che Dongming or the crude Hong Long approached him for an alliance, he would refuse immediately. These three students, however, were different. Guan, the resident joker, was an optimist who could still crack jokes despite being trapped in such a brutal game. His humor relieved stress and helped everyone relax, which could prove useful during the contests. Tall, thin Liu was steadier and appeared rational. His intelligence could contribute to analyzing the Mastermind’s identity. Chubby, round-faced Zhang seemed simple, honest, and obedient. At a critical moment, he would probably follow Chen Nuo’s instructions. Each of them had his own strengths. Now that they had approached him of their own accord, Chen Nuo could find no reason to refuse.

There was another important reason: what Tang Ying had just said. If he shut everyone out, he could never understand them. And without understanding them, how could he determine who the Mastermind was?

In truth, Chen Nuo agreed with some of Tang Ying’s earlier arguments. He had refused an alliance only because he was angry. The students’ banter had eased the tension and given him a graceful way to back down. After a moment of thought, he said,

“I don’t object to an alliance. But during each of our home rounds, we’ll become enemies. Isn’t that a contradiction?”

“We’ve already considered that,” Liu said. “I’m Number Nineteen, fairly late in the order. Guan is Number Twenty-One, the last of us. Zhang is the only one with an early number. He’s Number Five, so his turn will come soon.”

“But my round shouldn’t be a problem,” Zhang said. “I have a special skill they both know about, so I should probably win. You’re Number Eighteen, Chen Nuo, which is also fairly late. We hope to identify the Mastermind and end the game before we reach the later rounds!”

Chen Nuo nodded, then asked Tang Ying and Ruirui, “What numbers did you draw?”

“I’m Number Eleven, and Ruirui is Number Eight. Our turns will come around the middle of the game,” Tang Ying said.

“I’m not good at anything. When my turn comes, I’ll practically be waiting to die…” Ruirui gave Chen Nuo a pitiful look. “Please find the Mastermind as soon as you can and save my life!”

“All right, I understand. In that case, the six of us will form an alliance. Our goal is to work together, identify the Mastermind, and end this game as soon as possible!” Chen Nuo said.

“Yes! That’s fantastic!” Zhang leaped with joy. Guan grinned, Liu clenched a confident fist, and Ruirui was practically beside herself with delight.

“Why did you change your mind?” Tang Ying asked.

“Because I was being irrational. The truth is, you made sense. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lost my temper,” Chen Nuo said sincerely.

“It’s all right.” Tang Ying generously extended her hand. “We’ll work together and win this game!”

“Yes!” Ruirui placed her hand over Tang Ying’s. The three students stacked theirs on top one by one.

Chen Nuo drew a deep breath, then brought his right hand down firmly on the pile, as though infusing the group with its core strength.

So I still can’t escape responsibility after all, he thought with a rueful smile. Everyone who had approached him for an alliance had unquestionably placed their hopes in him.

If they failed to identify the Mastermind and win the game together, they would all be bitterly disappointed.

But he had better guard against one other possibility first. What if the Mastermind was one of them?