Chapter 1006: The Ancient Strategist
Chen Junnan frowned and turned his fist sideways, then spread his palm open. Inside, there was only a single chain, not even half a "character" to be seen.
The people behind him immediately began to murmur among themselves, and even Doctor Zhao started complaining.
"That Chen Junnan is so arrogant... how could he possibly be carrying that many 'characters'?" he said in a displeased tone. "I already knew his hand was empty... How could you guess he was the 'Cannon'?"
It wasn't just Doctor Zhao—even Zhang Shan, Xu Liunian, and Jin Yuanxun felt certain that his hand held nothing at all.
Only Yan Zhichun stood off to the side with her arms crossed, silent, as if deep in thought.
"Ah, it really is my fault," Wen Qiaoyun said with a frown. "What a shame—our team has lost a chain for nothing."
Chen Junnan felt that something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what. Was Wen Qiaoyun's strength really only at this level...?
Could it be that her past glory came from having stored enough memories, and that when her memories were insufficient, her abilities also declined significantly?
Chen Junnan felt like he had discovered something remarkable. If the opposing side was one "Strategist" short, that was naturally good news for his team.
But even so... Chen Junnan still felt a deep sense of incongruity.
This round of "character guessing" was clearly his win, yet he couldn't bring himself to feel happy. Subconsciously, he felt that something was missing.
A few seconds later, Wen Qiaoyun's expression of regret gradually faded, replaced by a dangerous smile.
"So I guessed wrong after all..."
At that moment, Chen Junnan's eyes suddenly widened. A flash of insight struck his mind, and he realized that Wen Qiaoyun had completely outmaneuvered him.
"Crap!"
Wen Qiaoyun turned to Jin Yuanxun and said, "Go tell Tianqiu—Chen Junnan is not the 'Cannon.'"
"W-Wait a minute..."
The situation took a sharp turn. Chen Junnan quickly tried to interrupt, but he didn't know what to say.
Wen Qiaoyun ignored him and continued, "The frail woman and the child walking together on the opposing side, as well as that short writer—none of them could possibly be carrying such a dangerous left-right structured 'character.' So among Qi Xia, the tattooed man, and the lawyer, one of them is the 'Cannon.'"
Chen Junnan slowly furrowed his brow, feeling that things were slipping beyond his control.
Wen Qiaoyun turned back and said, "Chen Junnan, I asked you earlier—do you think 'having nothing' is the optimal answer here? You could have tried to bluff the 'character' on me, but you didn't."
"Well played..." Chen Junnan ran his hand through his hair and laughed. "I have to say, Wen Qiaoyun is Wen Qiaoyun. I racked my brain, and I still feel like I fell into your trap."
But what could he do now to turn the situation around?
Chen Junnan took a deep breath, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Although Wen Qiaoyun could roughly determine many people's "characters" from a single detail, she still hadn't confirmed it with her own eyes. Since it was a "guess," then there had to be a way to deal with a "guess."
Besides, he had a reputation to uphold. At this point, playing along with her scheme was the best choice.
"So, anything else to say?" Wen Qiaoyun asked.
"Nope. I'm out. This is boring. I'm done playing."
Chen Junnan waved his hand, gave Doctor Zhao one last meaningful glance, and closed the door directly.
This unusual behavior left Wen Qiaoyun momentarily stunned.
Xu Liunian and Doctor Zhao quickly moved to her side and whispered, "He left so decisively... be careful—it might be a trick..."
"A trick?"
Yan Zhichun nodded from the side. "I participated in a 'Ground Snake' game with Chen Junnan before. Although he can be reckless in his actions, he also hides many schemes within them. It's better to be cautious."
Wen Qiaoyun thought for a few seconds. Under normal circumstances, anyone in that situation would have come forward to explain—either to prove he was the "Cannon" or to argue that Qi Xia and the others weren't. But Chen Junnan just left, as if he had accomplished some goal.
He was Chen Junnan. Why had he suddenly become so tight-lipped?
"Sis..." Jin Yuanxun asked weakly, "Should I still go tell Brother Chu?"
"You... go ahead." Wen Qiaoyun said after a moment's thought, but her expression was no longer as confident as before.
"Okay." Jin Yuanxun nodded and turned to walk toward his "battle preparation zone."
"Doctor Zhao," Yan Zhichun called out. "You and Zhang Shan return to our 'battle zone' to protect Chu Tianqiu. Xu Liunian, Wen Qiaoyun, and I will invade the enemy's area."
"In-invade?" Xu Liunian was taken aback.
"Staying put like this won't work," Yan Zhichun said. "Chen Junnan has already made a move. We should at least go see what the other side is up to."
Xu Liunian felt like she had been dragged into a struggle between monsters again. Going on an invasion with Wen Qiaoyun and Yan Zhichun?
Was this the same level of invasion?
"Us... the three of us..." She hesitated. "You mean we each enter the enemy's rooms separately?"
"What?" Yan Zhichun said. "Is there a problem?"
"You... the two of you might be overestimating me a bit..." Xu Liunian said. "You can rely on your 'Resonance,' but I can't..."
"My 'Resonance' is useless too," Wen Qiaoyun said. "Tianqiu told me that my 'Resonance' can neither guarantee my own safety nor subdue the enemy. So I can't rely on the 'Resonance' you're talking about. I have to depend on myself."
"But I..." Xu Liunian was at a loss for words. She felt that the other woman still didn't understand her point. Even if no one used their "Resonance," she was nowhere near strong enough.
"I've always had a question," Yan Zhichun said.
"What...?"
"I heard you're a 'Shapeshifter,'" Yan Zhichun said expressionlessly. "Can you turn into Chen Junnan?"
"Turn into Chen Junnan...?"
"He looks like their 'vanguard,'" Yan Zhichun said. "We can try to intercept him, and then you can take his form to disrupt their tactics."
"In theory, yes, but it's too risky," Xu Liunian said. "First, I have to completely convince myself that I am Chen Junnan. Second, I have to find a way to not let the other side see through the disguise... But Chen Junnan and I are very different in many aspects..."
"There won't be too many smart people on their side," Yan Zhichun said. "They rely too much on Qi Xia's mind. In other words, as long as you can avoid Qi Xia, the ten rooms on the other side are your playground."
Xu Liunian thought for a long time before finally nodding. "Alright... but I need some time to observe the people on the other side."
"No problem. Wen Qiaoyun and I will be not far from your room," Yan Zhichun said. "We can coordinate with you then."