Chapter 1022: Acting Recklessly
"Little Lord is done using his brain from now on," Chen Junnan said. "Tiring myself out with no results. For the rest of the time, I'm going to act recklessly."
"Fine," Qi Xia said.
"The 'General' can't cross the river. Can the 'Cannon' cross the river?" Chen Junnan pondered for a moment before asking again. "That makes things complicated. What does my 'Cannon' become after crossing the river? An export-grade cannon?"
"You've participated in 'Earth-Level Games' before. They tend to hide a lot of important rules," Qi Xia said. "It seems like now you can't 'cross the river' with chess pieces. If you do cross, you won't be eliminated, but there's definitely some other hidden rule. If you're bold enough, you can go test it yourself."
"Little Lord has never lacked boldness," Chen Junnan said. "I'm just afraid you'll think I'm too bold."
"Good. Boldness isn't a problem," Qi Xia nodded. "That's already within the tactical scope."
"That's awesome then." Chen Junnan also smiled. "Old Qi, so the 'surprise tactic' you gave me was just to bring out my own 'surprise tactic,' wasn't it?"
"Yes," Qi Xia nodded. "It's a kind of 'casting a brick to attract jade.'"
"So which one of us is the brick and which is the jade..."
Qi Xia shook his head. "So you're going alone? Don't you need two people?"
"No need... Whether it's the game or a fight, I don't care," Chen Junnan shook his head. "Sister Tian Tian, wait here for a moment. See if that arrogant kid's group needs an extra person."
Tian Tian hesitated for a moment. "Am I... holding you back?"
"Huh?" Chen Junnan quickly waved his hand upon hearing this. "No, no, no, no... It's just that Little Lord's next path is too wild and dangerous. It wouldn't be safe for you to follow me."
"Alright..." Tian Tian nodded.
"Tian Tian, I have another task for you," Qi Xia said. "It's still about the 'Clever Objects.'"
"'Clever Objects'..." Tian Tian frowned. "Qi Xia, those 'characters' I really..."
"Not the 'characters,'" Qi Xia said. "Chen Junnan, you go first. Tian Tian stays. I have a plan that can decide the outcome."
...
Lawyer Zhang and Zheng Yingxiong looked at Chen Junnan before them with puzzled expressions.
"Really...?" Lawyer Zhang asked.
"Of course it's true." Chen Junnan said. "The plan has changed. Little Lord is going to act alone, not with anyone else."
"But we're all in pairs. Acting alone puts you at a disadvantage. How about..."
"Forget about fairness or unfairness." Chen Junnan shook his head. "Give me the 'character' first. Go back and report to Old Qi. He has a new plan too."
Zhang Chenze and Zheng Yingxiong exchanged a glance. Zhang Chenze didn't know Chen Junnan or Qi Xia well enough, so she couldn't make a judgment on the spot.
Zheng Yingxiong felt something strange about this. Even if the other party really wanted to act alone, he should have brought his teammate to explain the situation. What if he ran into an enemy on the way here?
Thinking this, he lifted his nose to sniff, but immediately covered his mouth and nose. The smell here was too strong... He couldn't pick up any trace of 'Chen Junnan' at all.
"In that case..." Zhang Chenze nodded and pulled the 'character' from her shirt pocket. But just as she was about to hand it to Chen Junnan, Zheng Yingxiong reached out and grabbed her fist.
"Wait." Zheng Yingxiong turned his head and looked at Chen Junnan. "Brother, did you run into anyone else just now?"
"Yeah, damn it." Chen Junnan replied. "Little Lord opened the door and saw a big sister. I turned right around and left."
"I see." Zheng Yingxiong nodded. "Then we'll give you the 'character' first and go back to wait."
"Got it." Chen Junnan stepped forward a few paces.
Zhang Chenze could only reach out her hand, while Zheng Yingxiong lowered his head to fumble in his pocket.
When Chen Junnan was only three steps away, Zheng Yingxiong suddenly sprang into action, charging forward and slamming his head directly into Chen Junnan's stomach.
He put all his weight into it, hitting him so hard that Chen Junnan curled up and fell to the ground. Zheng Yingxiong's crown also fell off.
Before Zhang Chenze could even react to the situation, Zheng Yingxiong scrambled up from the ground.
Taking advantage of Chen Junnan's immobility, he immediately reached into the other's pocket.
"Got it!"
Zheng Yingxiong pulled his hand out, gripping a chain, and yanked it free. A 'Chariot' piece dangled from his hand.
"'Chariot'...?" Zhang Chenze was stunned. "Little brother, you..."
"Run! This person isn't Chen Junnan!" Zheng Yingxiong grabbed Zhang Chenze and immediately sprinted toward the 'Preparation Zone.' After a few steps, he suddenly remembered something, turned back, and snatched his crown from the ground.
Chen Junnan, curled up on the ground, had a look of unwillingness. He hadn't expected a child to be the one attacking him. Caught off guard by such a reckless charge, it took him a full seven or eight seconds to get back up.
"Bastard..." He clutched his stomach and leaned against the wall, his expression full of confusion. He had clearly broken through the shackles of this place and obtained 'Echo,' yet the other party had seen through him instantly.
In his memory, Chen Junnan shouldn't have had such a deep bond with these two. Why had they seen through him immediately?
"Could it be that the 'Echo' isn't stable enough...?" He touched his face, feeling that he had indeed stabilized his conviction. Where was the problem...?
...
Chu Tianqiu was talking with Yan Zhichun in the 'Preparation Zone.' When they turned their heads, they saw Chen Junnan walking in.
He looked exceptionally dejected, as if he had lost his soul.
Both of them paused, but quickly understood.
"Why this expression?" Chu Tianqiu asked.
"I don't want to continue." Chen Junnan replied. "My abilities are useless in your team and Qi Xia's team... I couldn't even fool his team members. I failed again. I want to quit."
"Failure isn't a big deal." Chu Tianqiu said. "Where's the 'character'?"
"I lost the 'character' too." Chen Junnan sighed. "Ask Dilong if he can let me leave. There's still plenty of time. Find someone else."
"Don't be discouraged." Chu Tianqiu said. "You said it yourself, there's still time. The outcome is uncertain until the very end. Besides, your conviction is still there. The 'Transformation' hasn't dissipated yet."
"But it's useless. Not only did I lose the 'character,' I couldn't fool anyone either..." Chen Junnan said.
Yan Zhichun sighed upon hearing this. "It's okay. I got the 'character.'"
Then she looked at Chu Tianqiu. "Chu Tianqiu, do you accept the terms I mentioned earlier?"
"Terms..." Chu Tianqiu smirked upon hearing this. "You said you'd give me the 'character' and have me lead the members of 'Heaven's Mouth' to help you deal with the troublesome problems... That's hard to agree to."
"You don't have many chances." Yan Zhichun said. "Many people in this game have their own agendas. You should know this isn't just a game. If you don't agree, I'll hand over the 'Stone' and 'General' in my hand to the opposing side."
"So... what exactly are these 'troublesome problems' you mentioned?" Chu Tianqiu asked again.
"I want the entire 'Heaven's Mouth' to help 'The Path' clear away obstacles."