Chapter 72: The Game of Strategy

A single incense stick’s worth of time is neither long nor short. Trying to convey an unscripted signal to teammates without any misdirection is a real test of intelligence.

Inside the inn, the eleven players sat at their respective seats. Some were still staring at their name tags, while others had already started moving.

Near the door, Ren Ye took off his shoes and socks, expertly pressing on his foot with his right thumb.

If you’re a regular at foot spas or a lifetime VIP at a wellness center, you would surely recognize this gesture. It’s a classic move from the 98-foot massage package, a professional routine.

Ren Ye had thought long and hard about how he could signal Li Yan, the Princess, and Tang Feng to vote for him.

There was nothing else to do—foot massage it was!

His brain quickly analyzed what secret code Li Yan had sent him.

“Love rises with the chime, yet stops not when it ceases.”

This catchy phrase was the slogan of the nearby Xinyuan Spa during a major conflict. It indicated that Li Yan had been there, and it was highly probable that he had been the ghost that help save Ren Ye’s father’s that day.

The only time they had met was during a foot massage place, so this obvious move would surely be understood by Li Yan.

As for Tang Feng, he was even more familiar with this gesture.

First, Tang Feng had reviewed the details of the Xinyuan Spa case and the conflict on Tongren Road.

Second, after receiving the secret letter from Li Yan, Ren Ye had discussed and analyzed it with Tang Feng. They had even mentioned the brief encounter at Xinyuan Spa, so Tang Feng knew all about their verbal code and would understand the signal as well.

As for the Princess? Heh, the last time she was upset with him was because…

It was when Ren Ye wanted to touch her small feet in the palace…

To refresh her memory, Ren Ye decided to rub his own foot for a while, then hit his own head with his hand, mimicking Xu Qingzhao’s instinctive response at the time.

During all this, Ren Ye kept his head down, never looking at anyone. He knew very well that in criminal investigations, eye contact reveals a lot of thoughts and intentions. If you look up in search of teammates, you could unwittingly expose both yourself and your allies.

Around him, a few players glanced at Ren Ye but, seeing nothing odd, returned to writing their votes.

After a while, the old lady softly called out, “Time’s up, everyone, put down your pens.”

As the words fell, everyone raised their heads, each with a different expression.

“Whoosh!”

The old lady raised her arm and gently waved. The eleven slips of paper on the table all fluttered into her hand.

Ren Ye finished everything and began putting on his shoes. He had done all he could, and now it was up to fate. However, while putting on his shoes, he glanced sideways at a beautiful rural woman wearing a purple long dress.

On her table was a book titled Heavenly Yin Women’s Sword Formation, which was the same martial arts manual Ren Ye had discovered in the Hall of Tranquility when he first entered the Star Gate. It was also the backup code they had used to recognize each other, inspired by Li Yan’s secret letter.

So, this alluring woman was Tang Feng, and she was number eight.

After waiting quietly for a while, the old lady, smiling, scanned the room with her cloudy eyes. “Among you, there are indeed some very clever individuals. I must congratulate one of you.”

With those words, the old lady turned and walked toward Ren Ye.

Everyone’s gaze turned toward him, some surprised, some jealous, others contemplating.

“Congratulations, sir, you are the most beloved person tonight,” the old lady said with a smile as she approached Ren Ye.

Ren Ye froze for a moment before standing up and pointing to his mouth.

“You may speak now,” the old lady nodded.

“Well, no more talking, thanks to the host,” Ren Ye said with a smile, clasping his hands. “Thank you, CCTV! Now, if there’s nothing else, let’s get the food served.”

His words were full of subtle hints, urging the old lady to stop talking and give him his reward.

“Please don’t rush,” the old lady said with a smile, waving her hand. “This inn is nestled in the mountains, and we only have one specialty dish—braised rabbit heads. However, the ingredients are scarce, so please wait a moment while we prepare them.”

Ren Ye nodded and didn’t say more.

After congratulating him, the old lady looked up and surveyed the room again, speaking in a soft voice, “Where there are wise people, there are foolish ones. Where there are guests beloved by all, there are also those who are disliked. Now, I present the second question. Please vote for the person you dislike the most. The one with the most votes will face a small punishment. The same rules apply—no leaving your seats and no speaking.”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned.

There’s a second question? Why didn’t she say that earlier?! Damn it, this old lady just decides as she goes!

But on second thought, it makes sense. Since it’s a game, if someone wins, then naturally, someone has to lose.

Ren Ye had just been basking in the joy of his small victory, but as he thought it over, his spine suddenly tingled with cold.

Something’s wrong… Oh, damn, is this it?

Ren Ye sat on his chair, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, instinctively looking around, only to find several players staring at him with ill intent.

That’s right. He was probably… going to be the target of a concentrated attack.

It’s well known that no player in the Star Gate is a pushover, or else only one player, Wang Hong, would have died by now.

Having just won, Ren Ye would soon receive a gift from the old lady. This had already given him an advantage in the eyes of the others. If they hadn’t yet found their teammates… it would be easy for them to unite and target the strongest player first.

Damn it, if I had known there was going to be a second round, I wouldn’t have stuck my neck out!

Ren Ye was starting to feel uneasy under the scrutiny, while Li Yan, Tang Feng, and the Princess, who were secretly observing him, were also growing anxious.

They all realized that in this round, the votes must be concentrated on the person least liked by the group in order to avoid Ren Ye being attacked.

“Tap tap!”

The old lady walked over to the counter and inserted another incense stick: “One more incense time. Please begin, everyone.”

With the announcement, Imperial Inspector Liu sitting at the table marked with No. 1, without even thinking, wrote down No. 5, Ren Ye’s number.

That’s what you get for showing off, for taking off your shoes. You’re the first one I’m going after!

Princess, No. 2, recognized Ren Ye, so she didn’t write immediately but instead waited.

Martial Artist Xing Tao, No. 3, didn’t move either. He was waiting for Guo Cai’er’s signal.

Zhang Meixuan, No. 4, had The Chronicles of the Thatched Cottage book on her table. She smiled as she looked back at Ren Ye: “Heh, foolish man. Why stick your neck out? You’re going to be the first one targeted this round. Since I’m here, I’ll be the one to deal with you.”

Her eyes were filled with confidence. After a quick mental calculation, she wrote down No. 5 without hesitation.

Ren Ye looked up at Zhang Meixuan as she wrote.

When this woman pulled out The Chronicles of the Thatched Cottage, Ren Ye had already marked her as his main target. Even without the second round of voting, the two were already sworn enemies, since Li Yan had clearly stated in the secret letter that whoever has The Chronicles of the Thatched Cottage must be targeted first.

But after thinking carefully, in this round of voting, except for the Princess, Tang Feng, and Li Yan, most of the players would likely see Ren Ye as the hypothetical enemy. That meant he could gather at most four votes…

Four against seven… It’s not going to end well. Right now, he could only hope that those who were hostile toward him would hesitate, unsure about their teammates or their factions, and wouldn’t act rashly by voting for him. Otherwise, if a teammate got punished, it would be a huge loss.

What to do?! How can I turn this around and escape unscathed?

Number 6, “Scarred Face,” the real identity of the horsekeeper, was sitting in a shadowed corner, carefully thinking: “Damn, with No. 5 making such a move, everyone should vote for him… Should I vote too? But what if he’s a teammate? That’s like… betraying myself.”

There were only eleven people in the room, so the probability wasn’t low.

After some thought, the horsekeeper wrote down No. 5 on his paper. Oh well, if he’s a teammate, there’s nothing I can do. Besides, I don’t have another target.

Guo Cai’er, No. 7, thought to herself: “This uncultured guy is so annoying. Why hasn’t he revealed how many votes No. 5 has received so far? We’re still voting blindly in the second round, no chance to calculate. If No. 5 can rally votes above six, even if I vote for him, it won’t be enough to kill him. What faction is he from? I’ll wait and see if he gives any signals to his teammates.”

Tang Feng, No. 8: “It’s over. Seven-Shot Warlord is in danger.”

The smart scholar, No. 9, thought: “My real-life teammates and I are all in the Opportunist Faction. The probability of No. 5 being in the Opportunist Faction is low. This round, everyone is probably going to focus on him… Sorry.”

“Swipe!”

The scholar wrote No. 5 on his paper, then started lightly tapping the edge of the table with his chopsticks.

Li Yan, No. 10, rested his chin on his hand, completely ignoring Ren Ye. He was focused on figuring out how to distribute the votes.

The rough, rugged man, No. 11, listened to the scholar tapping the table and casually glanced at him. He saw the scholar making a “five” gesture under the table.

After one round of the game, Ren Ye rubbed his hands together, already formulating a plan.

To hell with it. At this point, the only thing left to do is to set the pace and take a gamble. If I’m going down, then so be it.

I’m doing it!