TDU Chapter 65: Impersonate

Chapter 65 Impersonate

The three who exited the Go Association Club remained deeply unsettled.

Although {Mortal Pig} had died, he was, after all, a flesh-and-blood human being. He was neither a monster nor a madman, nor the malevolent host they had envisioned.

With his head bowed, Qi Xia was lost in thought, while Lin Qin stayed close by his side.

Ole Lu kept casting glances toward the building, where Mortal Pig’s body lay, but he seemed detached, as if seeking something else entirely.

“What’s on your mind?” Qi Xia asked, noticing Ole Lu’s preoccupation.

“Uh… it might seem a bit out of place to bring this up now,” Ole Lu said, "but you {staked your life} and won. The rest of his {Dào} should also now be considered ours."

“Don’t be naive,” Qi Xia replied, shaking his head. “{Mortal Pig} couldn’t possibly have any {Dào} left. The ten he gave you were all he possessed.”

“What?” Ole Lu’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Impossible. I don’t believe it.”

Ole Lu rushed back into the building, deliberately avoiding a glance at {Mortal Pig}'s corpse, and began frantically searching through the drawers.

In a matter of moments, the once pristine Go Association Club was a mess of scattered papers and overturned furniture.

As Qi Xia had predicted, there was not a single {Dào} left.

Standing outside the door, Qi Xia shook his head and remarked, "If he had any {Dào} remaining, why would he have {staked his life} with us?"

"Isn't this just fucking shamelessly cheating?!" Ole Lu cursed in frustration, "What a scam!"

"Scam?" Qi Xia couldn't quite follow Ole Lu's logic. "Didn't he pay with his {life}?"

"Uh... you're right." Ole Lu placed his palms together and bowed toward {Mortal Pig}'s corpse. "Forgive my hasty words, no offense intended."

After a few more bows, Ole Lu still felt a bit cheated—after all, he hadn't wanted the man's life.

"I need to see if there's anything valuable left." Ole Lu resumed searching the room, but the place was already a rundown Go Association Club. Aside from the scattered stone pieces, the only things remotely valuable were the tables and chairs.

"This is such a loss..." Ole Lu shook his head in frustration. "Punk, we’ve been completely had! You almost died here, yet we’re leaving empty-handed."

As he spoke, Ole Lu's gaze suddenly fell on the pig mask lying on the floor.

"The mask..." His lips moved slightly as a realization dawned on him. "Fuck... isn’t this the most valuable thing here?!"

Qi Xia furrowed his brow and stepped forward, asking in a calm voice, "What are you planning to do?"

"Business, of course!" Ole Lu picked up the filthy, foul-smelling mask from the floor and cradled it like a treasure. "Punk Qi, with this mask, we can run the {Go Association Club} ourselves!"

"Wha—" Qi Xia's pupils contracted, immediately realizing the improbability of this matter. "Ole Lu, are you planning to become {Mortal Pig}?"

"Bah! Mortal Pig? What bullshit!" Ole Lu waved his hand dismissively. "I mean impersonate! Impersonating, you feel me?"

"You..."

Ole Lu raised the mask, pretending to wear it on his face, and mimicked a muffled voice, "Hmph! Hmph! Visitors! Someone's come to play with me again! Hurry and allocate! Allocate the pieces!"

Qi Xia’s frown deepened. The entire scheme felt dangerously convoluted.

The {Earthly Branches} were tightly controlled by the overseers—how could anyone impersonate them so easily?

“Ole Lu, you’re aware that {killing others for Dào} is strictly forbidden, aren’t you?” Qi Xia inquired pointedly.

“I’ve heard Zhang Shan mention it,” Ole Lu replied, pushing the mask forward, “but this isn’t {killing others for Dào}. We didn’t kill anyone, and this isn’t even {Dào}.”

"That’s not what I mean," Qi Xia said, placing the mask on the table. "I advise you not to handle this mask. At best, it’s {impersonation}; at worst, it’s a {usurpation of power}. Both are far more severe than {killing others for Dào}."

"Usurpation of power?!"

Qi Xia nodded. "Would becoming part of the {Earthly Branches} require passing an evaluation? What about the rules for designing games? If you wear that mask without understanding these regulations, the overseers will likely impose severe penalties."

Ole Lu's expression grew despondent. Only moments ago, he had envisioned himself amassing dozens of {Dào} each day, but now that dream seemed to be unraveling before his eyes.

"Punk Qi, aren’t you being a little too cautious?" Ole Lu asked reluctantly. "Maybe as long as you can create a game, anyone can wear a mask?"

“I’m not certain,” Qi Xia replied. “I’m merely offering my perspective. If you still wish to wear that mask, I won’t stop you. But before you proceed, tell me where those two are.”

Ole Lu paused for a moment, then said to Qi Xia, “Hold on.”

Ole Lu hefted his bulky frame across the room, clutching the mask. After a brief search, he discovered a cluttered corner piled with discarded table boards. He carefully concealed the mask behind the heap, layering it with debris until it was thoroughly hidden.

“Let’s stash it here for now,” Ole Lu said, brushing off his hands. “It’s always wise to have a backup plan. Punk Qi, I keep my word—I won’t go back on it. Follow me!”

The three of them left the tense atmosphere of the Go Association Club behind and made their way through the dilapidated streets.

Ole Lu guided them along the path they had taken earlier, leading them forward.

…

“By the way, Punk Qi, why didn’t you pick me earlier?” Ole Lu asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You know, during the {truth or lie} part of the game,” Ole Lu said, scratching his chubby face. "You picked this girl, Lin Qin, instead of me. Why’s that?"

Qi Xia sighed, a hint of exasperation in his voice. “To be honest, I believe Lin Qin is a bit sharper than you.”

“Pfft...” Lin Qin, who had been somber moments before, suddenly burst into laughter. Despite Qi Xia's occupation as a swindler, there were times when he spoke nothing but the truth.

"What are you trying to say here..." Ole Lu was at a loss for words. "You just don’t understand me, Punk Qi. The more critical the moment, the smarter I get."

“Indeed,” Qi Xia responded with a nod. “For instance, when you chose to seize the iron plate and conceal yourself in the corner.”

"Huh?" Ole Lu was momentarily caught off guard, his face flushing with embarrassment. "You can't blame me for that! I didn’t know you punk were such a quick thinker back then."

"Fair enough, we're even," Qi Xia said.

Ole Lu shrugged helplessly and glanced at the aluminum pot Lin Qin had been carrying. "Did you eat the bear meat?"

“We did,” Lin Qin responded. “It was quite awful.”

"Sigh..." Ole Lu nodded with a sense of loss. "Bear meat may taste terrible, but at least it fills you up. It’s a shame that Zhang Shan didn’t get to eat any… In the end, he died hungry."

"Why didn’t he eat?" Lin Qin asked absentmindedly.

In the next moment, her eyes widened as realization dawned upon her.

Qi Xia, too, sensed the gravity of the situation, and both he and Lin Qin turned to Ole Lu with a questioning gaze.

"Died hungry?"

Ole Lu’s eyes were filled with sorrow as he sighed and said, "Zhang Shan is dead."

"Dead?!" Both Lin Qin and Qi Xia exclaimed in unison, their shock evident.

"Yes... Otherwise, why would I be the only one who came out alone?"