TDU Chapter 76: Smart Thinking During Critical Moments

Chapter 76 Smart Thinking During Critical Moments

"You're quite clever, old bastard," A'Mu's expression darkened instantly.

"Of course… I can be very smart during critical times," Ole Lu replied, exposing an ugly smirk.

"I really hope your teammates get to see this face of yours," A'Mu said, pulling five {Dào} from his pocket and scattering them on the ground like breadcrumbs.

Ole Lu hurriedly bent down to pick up the {Dào}, stashing them into his pocket one by one.

"Hehe, my teammates will understand," Ole Lu dusted off his hands. "I've always warned them that the {more critical the moment, the smarter I get}. It’s not my fault if they never expected I'd betray them."

A'Mu wore a smile that didn’t reach his eyes as he handed over the locked box along with the golden key to Ole Lu.

"Then I'll leave the next matter in your hands."

……

In the {Recipient} room, Qi Xia sat in a chair, eyes closed in contemplation.

‘Is it the {Prisoner’s Dilemma}?’ he murmured. ‘No, it should be the {Bucket Effect}…’

‘The weakest member of the team determines the overall strength of the group…’ Qi Xia's fingers lightly tapped the tabletop as he mentally calculated the situation. ‘But which {stave} belongs to our bucket?’

‘Both sides’ {Infiltrators} should have encountered their respective {Correspondents} by now.’ With his eyes still closed, he attempted to vividly visualize the moments when they met.

‘Approximately ten minutes have passed, and our {Infiltrator} hasn’t delivered the message yet, indicating that Lin Qin's persuasion has failed. After all, a woman in love has little reason to harm her partner.’

‘As for the other side…’

Qi Xia opened his eyes, his fingers idly playing with the silver key on the table.

"Ole Lu has likely betrayed us," he stated, his expression growing increasingly somber. "From this moment forward, the opposing team will have the assistance of two {Infiltrators}, propelling the situation toward an increasingly dire outcome."

"The good news is that the {Bucket Effect} is officially rendered ineffective; our team no longer has any short staves." A cold smile crept across Qi Xia’s face. "The next focus shall be on the {MiG-25 Effect}."

At that precise moment, a voice unexpectedly resonated from the doorway, "When the former Soviet Union developed the MiG-25 fighter jet, it was evident that all the components were inferior to those of the United States. Yet, by enhancing the integrated performance, they managed to create a world-class aircraft. That’s the {MiG-25 Effect}, right?"

Qi Xia turned to look, and there stood {Infiltrator} Jiang Ruoxue outside the door, her expression neutral as she gazed at him.

She held a locked box in her arms.

"Do you think the {MiG-25 Effect} is valid?" Jiang Ruoxue asked.

"I’m not quite sure," Qi Xia replied, his expression equally impassive. "I can’t ascertain whether the {components} at my disposal are effective, but your appearance has erased all my doubts."

"Did my appearance enlighten you? Then you must be a rare, one-of-a-kind genius," Jiang Ruoxue said with a hint of mockery as she placed the box on the table in front of him. "Now, please use your {MiG-25 Effect} to open this box."

Qi Xia scrutinized the box intently; the golden lock secured it firmly. He attempted to use the silver key he had, but it refused to yield.

Lifting the box, he gave it a gentle shake, detecting a distinct rustling sound within.

Indeed, there was a letter inside.

"And you are?" Qi Xia asked.

"Jiang Ruoxue."

"Jiang Ruoxue, did you destroy the key?" Qi Xia inquired.

"Do you really think your teammates would hand the key over to me?" Jiang Ruoxue crossed her arms, as if enjoying a spectacle. "People like you, who think they're so clever, can't open the box without a key?"

"She didn’t give you the key? Excellent," Qi Xia said, a faint smirk playing at the corners of his mouth as he addressed Jiang Ruoxue. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear? Hear what?"

"Footsteps," Qi Xia stated. "This old hotel has poor sound insulation; you must have heard the footsteps before you took action, right?"

"So what?" Jiang Ruoxue scoffed. "In this entire building, the only ones able to move are me and that old man. Footsteps are hardly surprising."

"But why did he leave before you?" Qi Xia tapped the table lightly, fixing a meaningful gaze on Jiang Ruoxue. "Why did our {Infiltrator} set off before you?" 

"You…" Jiang Ruoxue’s expression shifted, as if she had suddenly connected the dots.

"What do you believe your odds of survival are in this game?" Qi Xia continued tapping the table, endeavoring to breach his opponent's psychological defenses with his words. "If your team collaborates with our {Infiltrator}, do you still stand a chance?"

"I get it now," Jiang Ruoxue’s gaze gradually turned icy. "You can’t open the box, so you’ve shifted your target onto me? Isn’t that a bit naive?"

Qi Xia nodded. "So you’ve seen through it all, have you?"

"Don’t think you can manipulate me," Jiang Ruoxue stepped back, her resolve unwavering. "I will never trust you."

Qi Xia fell silent, instead directing his gaze toward his finger drumming on the table.

"Time is drawing near…" he muttered, his expression turning icy, "allow me to ascertain the efficacy of my {components}…"

Before Jiang Ruoxue could grasp the meaning behind his words, a cacophony of shouting suddenly erupted from the other corridor.

It sounded like a fight was breaking out.

Unfortunately, it was too far away to make out the specifics.

"Excellent, they are {premium components}," Qi Xia said, ceasing his rhythmic tapping and slowly rising to his feet. "Miss Jiang, if you had agreed to cooperate with us earlier, the outcome would have been entirely different. But now, the opportunity has slipped away; you are merely a {spare part}."

"Hah, how amusing," Jiang Ruoxue replied with a resigned shake of her head. "I’m curious to see how you plan to obtain the letter now."

Qi Xia had no intention of trying to unlock the box. Instead, he took his silver padlock and locked it onto the box as well.

At that moment, the box bore two locks.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" Jiang Ruoxue asked incredulously. "Adding another lock—are you trying to make {two negatives turn positive}?"

"Am I losing my mind? That’s certainly a possibility," Qi Xia replied as he handed the box to her. "Please, return this to the {Correspondent}."

"What?!" Jiang Ruoxue froze.

Delivering a box with two locks back to the {Correspondent}?

"So that’s your intention…" she turned pale with fright as she grasped Qi Xia’s scheme. "You—wait a second…"

Qi Xia did not wait for her to finish speaking; he directly pushed her out of the room and locked the door. As Jiang Ruoxue stepped into the corridor, the countdown on the wall lit up—three minutes.

She held the box, her expression a mix of emotions. 

Had she known he was this type of person, she should have feigned compliance earlier…

In the corridor, the sounds from the other hallway became increasingly clear.

Jiang Ruoxue snapped back to reality and pressed her ear against the wall to listen.

Before long, her expression turned grave.

A'Mu sounded furious, shouting, "You old bastard, how could you destroy the key?!"