Deceitful Game

Chapter 125 Poaching and Counter-Poaching

Without a doubt, the blonde girl dressed like "Little Red Riding Hood" from the fairy tale was a completely different person from the "Nameless" in Gao Fan's memory.

...A title ability that can change one's appearance?

Realizing the power that Wuming possessed, Gao Fan immediately looked at her warily.

To become a completely different person means to have multiple identities at the same time... which is undoubtedly quite dangerous. Even the exquisitely beautiful face she uses now, which looks like a porcelain doll, may not truly belong to her—she may not even actually be a girl.

It's understandable that someone with the ability to seamlessly transform into another person would be disliked and viewed with suspicion. In a sense, this already constitutes a kind of "uncanny valley."

"Don't be so formal."

Unlike Mingpo's aloofness, Wuming seemed quite enthusiastic.

Like a clingy little girl, or a salesperson enthusiastically promoting her product, she clung to Mingpo's side: "We're practically family now, we've been through thick and thin together, haven't we?"

"I'll say the same thing again."

Mingpo didn't linger in the stairwell; instead, without even glancing at Wuming, she walked straight out.

Although he turned to leave, he still kept his back to the two of them and said slowly in a voice that the nameless could hear, "If you really know me... you should know that I hate riddles. Just say what you want to say, or don't waste your time."

"I know, I know."

Wuming complained loudly, but followed directly after him.

Upon seeing this, Gao Fan hesitated. He wasn't sure about the relationship between the captain and "Nameless"... They didn't seem like strangers at all; they were too familiar with each other.

Although Mingpo has a somewhat irritable temper, he is actually very polite to strangers.

He only displays his aggression without restraint when facing acquaintances.

When facing enemies, however, Mingpo often prefers to conceal her threatening nature, appearing smiling, gentle, and rational. Once she finds an opening, she strikes silently and fatally.

This camouflage also seems to be part of the hunting process.

But their relationship... seems to have a slightly tense and subtle tension.

They could be described as friends who have gone their separate ways, yet they both seemed unusually calm at this moment; if she were an ex-girlfriend, she shouldn't be so clingy; if they were close friends who had just had a fight, they seemed too distant...

Gao Fan could only remain silent, quietly following at a distance—not daring to respond or get too close.

"Today... people from Divine Comedy came to contact you, right?"

Did she invite you to join?

Wuming followed up with Mingpo.

Upon hearing this, Mingpo stopped in her tracks.

He glanced back at Wuming: "Isn't the minimum requirement for Divine Comedy the Silver Moon? You're probably not from Divine Comedy, are you?"

"I am now a member of the Brotherhood of Grimm."

This time, Wuming didn't remain silent. Instead, he answered directly, "The 'ghost phone' I used to contact you before was borrowed from Virgil."

"The Brotherhood of Grimm...does that mean Grimm's Fairy Tales?"

Mingpo was somewhat surprised: "You really are Little Red Riding Hood?"

When Mingpo saw her outfit, this name immediately came to mind.

So now it seems that Wuming's true appearance is probably not what she looks like now. This attire is probably the posture she uses when it fits her "identity".

Wuming did not directly respond to Mingpo's question.

She simply looked at Mingpo and asked earnestly, "If I tell you all my information, my abilities, my secrets—if I entrust my fate to you—will you come with us?"

"Maybe it was possible before."

Mingpo's lips curled up slightly, but she shook her head regretfully: "But it's not possible now."

If Wuming had been so open and honest with him during their first conversation, Mingpo might have actually gone with her. After all, at that time, Gao Fan was merely a temporary collaborator that Mingpo was using. He could discard Gao Fan at any time if needed.

At that time, Ai Shiping had not yet become a charlatan... Mingpo acted with utter recklessness and whims.

In addition, Mingpo was actually a little afraid of being alone.

Even if she knew the other party was hiding something or had ulterior motives, Mingpo would probably still agree.

But the situation is different now.

Their team has been officially established.

Although the team has not been officially named yet, Mingpo already considers it his own.

It was precisely because Mingpo regarded Gao Fan as his companion that he was willing to take risks for Gao Fan's "personal affairs".

Now that they've become partners, how could they possibly abandon Gao Fan and Ai Shiping and leave?

Even taking them with him wasn't an option... When Mingpo was alone, it was fine; he could go wherever he wanted, and at worst, he'd die there. Anyway, he didn't have any strong desire to live.

But right now, Mingpo has no idea what this new place is like, so it's impossible for him to let Gao Fan and Ai Shiping accompany him on this risk. It's okay if something happens to him... but he can't let his friends suffer because of his decision.

"Or rather..."

Mingpo looked at Wuming and said half-jokingly, "Why don't you come with us from now on?"

"This is a team I built myself; there are only two of us besides me. If you join us now, you can be considered a founding member." "This…"

Nameless hesitated, looking troubled. "I need to go back and tell our acting leader, and I might not be able to leave immediately. My organization is currently in a transition period between two leaders... If I leave at this sensitive juncture, it could trigger an avalanche. If others leave the organization because of me, my sins will be immense..."

………Well?"

Mingpo remained silent.

What struck him as somewhat bizarre was that... the nameless young lady had actually begun to seriously consider the suggestion!

This sincerity, ironically, left Mingpo somewhat at a loss.

Just like the competitive games he had participated in before—the more difficult and dangerous the situation, the more excited Mingper became when faced with hostility and conspiracy. He would never fear his enemies.

Now, when faced with the kindness and sincerity of others, Mingpo finds herself somewhat hesitant.

But... he genuinely didn't recognize the other person. Even though he knew the other person definitely knew him...

Mingbo took a deep breath and fell into an unusual silence.

This sense of disorientation made him very uncomfortable.

It's like I've lost my memory, and everyone is comforting me.

As they stopped and whispered to each other at the building entrance, Gao Fan didn't disturb them. Instead, he silently took out another Time-Red Copper. He still didn't understand their relationship, where they met, or what they were up to.

But I felt that it would be impolite to interrupt their conversation at this time.

Gao Fan thought to himself.

So he didn't disturb Mingpo and Wuming, but told Suiyue Chip what he had to do in a very low voice.

I will walk to my office to look for traces of the suspected fraudster. This is expected to take less than an hour.

As Gao Fan reactivated his precognitive stealth, he, in his "future vision," went to the company building he had never approached since his death.

The company wasn't far from Gao Fan's home; it wouldn't take more than twenty minutes to walk there. That was why he hadn't used stealth and instead planned to go there in person—information about a charlatan appearing in a certain place usually came from the subway station.

Because it's too easy to investigate who got on and off the train at which station.

After all, the deceiver appears to be colorful... unless one spends a sum of money to reveal themselves in the material world, they are impossible to see through.

As memories of the future flooded into his mind, Gao Fan slowly opened his eyes wide.

"team leader!"

Gao Fan disregarded politeness and hurriedly shouted, "I've just finished my investigation!"

"Oh?"

With Gao Fan blocking the steps, Ming Po immediately turned around and asked earnestly and attentively, "What was the result?"

"From the outside, you can't tell the difference at all..."

Gao Fan said earnestly, "But the 'me' in the pre-existing vision, when trying to sneak into the top-floor president's office, discovered something..."

"My entire company felt like it had transformed into a 'demon world'... Everything I saw was eerie! It was like a supernatural dungeon, where I felt like I was being watched no matter where I went. And finally, it felt like someone twisted my head off..."

Although he didn't know what was going on, Gao Fan was clearly aware that something was wrong.

"First, it's palatial."

Wuming suddenly realized.

Seeing that Mingpo and Gaofan were somewhat puzzled, she took the initiative to explain: "Deceitful individuals of Zhou Zhiqing and above can expand their personal anchor points, transforming them into magnificent and sacred, or sinister and terrifying 'palaces.' And the room at the deepest part of the palace is their original anchor point."

"Other Deceivers can enter the surface of the palace...this is also how they visit each other, because Deceivers can sense everything that happens inside their own palace. But there's a problem..."

"That means Zhou Zhiqing, a level-one charlatan, can already design games. And if they want, they can capture all the charlatans who enter the surface of their palace and bring them into their games."

"The games they designed still require a host to emcee them. And the designers must also participate as players. If they lose to a challenger, they die."

"Although deceitful games require fairness, these games are often played within their own palaces... therefore, they are relatively more favorable to them, or are games they are better at..."

The nameless man warned: "So, if you really intend to confront a Zhou Zhiqing Lead-level Deceiver in their palace, it's almost impossible to kill them directly with violence. But conversely, if you can crack their game, you can defeat them with the weak. However, this is a game in which they have a clear advantage..."

"...Or is there another option...to retreat for now?"