Chi Hao was not insensitive. From the moment they left the room together, he noticed Jing Minghe constantly glancing at him, but he had no idea what this kid was plotting again.
However, he had no intention of exposing Jing Minghe. Instead, he rather enjoyed being secretly watched by Jing Minghe.
The two arrived at the banquet hall. Everyone else was already there.
Upon seeing Jing Minghe and Chi Hao enter, Ke Wuwen rushed over to Jing Minghe and pointed to the wall at the front of the banquet hall, saying, "Idol, look there."
Jing Minghe looked up. On the rust-stained wall, several large characters were written in dark ink.
Game Name: Hide-and-Seek.
Game Duration: Two hours.
One player will be randomly selected as the "ghost."
The ghost player will be immobilized for thirty minutes. The remaining players must use this time to hide well. No more than two players can hide in the same spot.
The person found will become the new ghost, replacing the previous one, and the replaced player will be immobilized.
Caution! Do not hide in forbidden areas.
The game will officially begin at precisely 6 PM. Players may prepare in advance.
"Idol," Ke Wuwen tugged at Jing Minghe's sleeve cautiously, "I understand everything else, but what does 'do not hide in forbidden areas' mean?"
"It's likely a death trap," Jing Minghe said, staring at the characters. "I feel the clues in this dungeon are hidden very deeply. Be careful during the game, and constantly pay attention to your surroundings. Perhaps the clues will be discovered during the game."
"So," Tong Zheng said with a wry smile, "this so-called 'forbidden area' can only be guessed at now, relying on luck."
Qiu Zhian echoed, "It seems that's the case. It's better not to mention it, but by reminding us, it makes us even more nervous."
"Hao," Shen Rong appeared silently beside Chi Hao and asked with a smile, "Do you have any suggestions? Regarding, where to hide."
Chi Hao glanced at Shen Rong dismissively. Although he disliked this woman who always thought she was clever, given they had grown up together and their families were old acquaintances, he couldn't completely ignore her unless she crossed his line.
So, Chi Hao thought for a moment and replied with three words, "Don't court disaster."
The conversation between the two clearly reached Jing Minghe's ears.
When Jing Minghe heard Shen Rong speaking, he couldn't help but feel a slight tension, fearing Chi Hao might say something like "I'll go with you."
Hearing Chi Hao's reply of three words, he didn't know Shen Rong's reaction, but he was already struggling not to laugh. However, it would seem too unkind, so he had to suppress it.
Even though she was his ex-girlfriend, was he really this cold?
After Jing Minghe learned that Shen Rong was Chi Hao's ex-girlfriend, regardless of his inner thoughts, he had already prepared himself to accept Chi Hao protecting Shen Rong. After all, compared to him, Shen Rong was Chi Hao's closest person.
It was just one more teammate who made him unhappy. As long as it was Chi Hao's decision, he would agree.
However, Chi Hao's attitude towards Shen Rong left Jing Minghe somewhat bewildered.
Chi Hao didn't seem like someone who would treat an ex-girlfriend as a stranger. Encountering her in this situation, shouldn't he show some care?
"Time is almost up!" Huang Rongfei stared intently at his watch. "What do we do? Do we really have to play this hide-and-seek? What happens if we don't play?"
"You can try," Wan Zuo said to Huang Rongfei. "Brother Huang, how many dungeons has it been, and you still have such a childish thought? Following the rules and finding the pattern is the correct approach. How many people who try to defy the rules have survived?"
"I..." Huang Rongfei gave a wry smile. "I was just saying. There are only five or six minutes left. I wonder who will be chosen to be the ghost."
Wan Zuo turned and leaned against a broken speaker, "Just wait. Since it's random, anyone could be chosen, and no one can avoid it."
From the moment Wan Zuo spoke, Jing Minghe's gaze had been fixed on him.
Shen Rong really wanted to remind Chi Hao that when they met in the restaurant earlier, he had promised to help her in the dungeon. Why did he give her such a sarcastic reply now?
But when she turned to look at Chi Hao, she found his eyes almost glued to Jing Minghe on the other side.
Even so, she wasn't going to give up.
She knew Chi Hao's abilities better than anyone. If she could be protected by Chi Hao throughout the City of Death, her chances of surviving would be very high.
This was also why she couldn't help but get excited when she suddenly saw Chi Hao in the resting area at that time.
However, she never expected that Chi Hao, who had always kept his distance from everyone and was indifferent to anyone other than himself, would pay so much attention to this Jing Minghe, and even... like him.
"Hao, you..."
"Are you interested in him?"
Shen Rong and Chi Hao spoke simultaneously.
Perhaps due to their long-standing understanding, Jing Minghe knew what Chi Hao was asking. He smiled and replied, "Yes, this Wan Zuo is intelligent, calm, and smart."
"Am I not enough for you?" Chi Hao completely ignored Shen Rong.
Jing Minghe turned to Chi Hao and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Smart people, the more the merrier. The subsequent dungeons will only get harder. We can't do it alone. Having a few more intelligent teammates means fewer incompetent ones, isn't that good?"
"Good," Chi Hao smiled slightly. "If you think it's good, then it's good."
Jing Minghe was secretly shocked. Chi Hao seemed to have become gentle again.
But I'm not blind?
As if reading Jing Minghe's thoughts, Chi Hao added, "The pragmatic and intelligent, I appreciate them equally."
The speaker said it casually, but the listener took it to heart.
The words "pragmatic" made Shen Rong even more furious than the words "don't court disaster." What was infuriating was that she couldn't lash out at Chi Hao like she could outside, because of his indifference. She needed Chi Hao to help her survive the City of Death, so she had to endure.
"The words on the wall have changed!"
Ke Wuwen shouted. Everyone looked up and saw that the characters on the wall had vanished, replaced by four large words: "Game Start."
"I, I can't move!"
Huang Rongfei's voice held a trace of despair. He felt this cruise ship was too sinister. Could it be that the dungeon system had overheard his recent words? Why was he the one chosen? Sudan Novel Network.
"Let's go," Jing Minghe patted Chi Hao's arm and said to You Mi, Tong Zheng, and the others standing nearby, "Let's find places to hide. Remember, always be aware of your surroundings and never let your guard down."
"Understood." Several people responded simultaneously.
Jing Minghe and Chi Hao were the first to leave. The rest of the group followed one by one, leaving only the immobilized Huang Rongfei. He watched the departing figures with despair, wondering what the purpose of this game was and what the consequences would be if he couldn't find anyone.