Chapter 1188: Temporary Trump Card
"Old Qi... isn't it time yet?" Chen Junnan stared at the darkening sky, then turned to look at Qi Xia.
Qi Xia was currently sitting on an old chair, his eyes slightly closed, one hand lightly supporting his chin.
"No, we still need to wait," Qi Xia replied.
"Aren't we going to 'board the train'...?" Chen Junnan said with some confusion. "I remember this is about the time the 'Zodiacs' get off work."
Qi Xia slowly opened his eyes after hearing this and asked, "You should know what happens when you enter the 'train,' right?"
"What happens? Aren't they just 'Zodiacs'?"
"It's not just the 'Zodiacs' that are frightening, but also the 'corridor,'" Qi Xia said. "Numerous rectangular 'spaces' form each section of the car, so no matter which angle you look at it, the 'train' is a long corridor."
"I understand..." Chen Junnan nodded. "The people who get on the 'train' first will encounter the 'Zodiacs' first... Since the corridor connects front and back, theoretically, they'll see all the off-duty 'Zodiacs' the moment they board."
"This is a 'prisoner's dilemma' involving a large number of people," Qi Xia said. "If all of us board the train at the very end in perfect sync, we might avoid all the off-duty 'Zodiacs' and enjoy an empty corridor. Even if a small number of 'Zodiacs' are still wandering around, we can quickly take them out without causing panic."
Attorney Zhang was listening to Qi Xia's analysis with great interest, then nodded repeatedly. "That's the ideal scenario, but generally speaking, rational people are the minority."
"Yes, after all, there are wolves in front and tigers behind," Qi Xia said. "Outside, there are Vermilion Bird and a bunch of 'participants' chasing and blocking us. Every extra second we stay outside increases the probability of encountering danger."
"That sounds like a very high demand..." Zhang Chenze pushed up his glasses and thought carefully. "If anyone boards the 'train' first to save their own skin, they'll inevitably alert the nearby 'Zodiacs,' and the time it takes for the 'Zodiacs' to return to their rooms will be extended, which is disadvantageous for those behind. No wonder you said this is a 'prisoner's dilemma' involving a large number of people."
Chen Junnan barely managed to follow their conversation, thought for a few seconds, and then said, "So, Old Qi... do you already have a plan?"
"Me?" Qi Xia looked at Chen Junnan. "What are you referring to?"
"I see you sitting here so leisurely, not anxious at all," Chen Junnan said. "Do you think this 'prisoner's dilemma' will definitely be resolved?"
"I have no confidence at all," Qi Xia said. "If there were only one opponent, I could probably guess what he's thinking. But this time, too many people are involved—not only 'Extreme Path,' 'Cats,' 'participants,' but even human-level and earth-level 'Zodiacs.' Each of them has their own thoughts, and after brief exchanges with others, new thoughts emerge. After all, the decisions made by one person, two people, and three people are different. And these groups might even encounter other groups, generating new ideas. With so many variables, even a celestial immortal couldn't calculate their final choices."
After hearing this, Chen Junnan helplessly glanced at Qiao Jiajin. Qiao Jiajin seemed to be thinking about something else and unexpectedly stepped forward to pat Qi Xia on the shoulder.
"Lying boy, don't sell yourself short! Being able to calculate so many things is already impressive."
Qi Xia paused for a moment. "You... are you comforting me?"
"Uh, yeah."
"That's not necessary," Qi Xia said. "The only thing I can guarantee is that the overall direction of the mission remains unchanged, so I don't interfere with what happens along the way. For myself, boarding early will definitely trap me in the 'prisoner's dilemma,' while boarding late only has a chance of falling into it. So I can only wait."
Hearing this, Qiao Jiajin dragged a chair over and slowly sat down beside Qi Xia. "So... lying boy, what are we going to do there? Once we get on the 'train'... can we still act together?"
Qi Xia quietly looked at Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan, then spoke. "To be honest... I never originally planned to include you two in this plan."
"What...?"
Qi Xia shook his head. "According to my original plan, once I started recovering my memories, I would part ways with you. So I never left suitable positions for you this time."
After saying this, he turned to look at Zhang Chenze, Tiantian, and Yun Yao. "That goes for you too."
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent, unsure of what to do.
"But I've always believed that everything is fated," Qi Xia said, looking at Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin. "Just like I've always told you: do whatever you want to do. Those strange things called 'causality,' 'karma,' 'strong luck,' 'destiny,' and 'providence' will guide the results to their destination in subtle ways."
"Do whatever you want..." Chen Junnan nodded. "Old Qi, I find that you've been consistent from start to finish. You never worry that I'll cause trouble."
After saying that, he looked at Qiao Jiajin and asked, "Old Qiao, what do you say? Where are you sitting when we get on the train?"
"I..." Qiao Jiajin lowered his head and looked at his bloody fists, then replied, "Wherever there's a fight, I'll go."
"The train is full of fights," Qi Xia replied.
"I'm going to kill the Azure Dragon," Qiao Jiajin said decisively. "Wherever it's toughest, I'll go."
"The Azure Dragon..." Qi Xia paused after hearing this. "Perhaps this too is predetermined?"
"What?"
"Your fists." Qi Xia shook his head. "About 'killing the Azure Dragon'... I can give you some advice that might slightly improve your chances of winning."
Chen Junnan was stunned on the spot. "No way, Old Qi... Old Qiao is crazy, and you're going along with it? Is the problem between him and the Azure Dragon something that can be solved with 'advice' to improve 'win rate'?"
"Anything is better than nothing."
"Oh?" Qiao Jiajin became interested. "Do I need to find the owners of those 'eyes' and break their spells?"
"That's unrealistic," Qi Xia said. "Even the Azure Dragon himself doesn't remember where those eyes came from, much less the Heavenly Serpent."
"Then how am I supposed to fight?"
Qi Xia thought carefully. "The most important thing is to destroy his 'belief,' to make the Azure Dragon doubt himself greatly."
Chen Junnan nodded, but soon realized something was off. "That theory is correct, but that kid the Azure Dragon is so crazy... just how much doubt would we need to instill in him?"
"Doubt about the entire 'Land of the End,' doubt about his own life, doubt about the memories in his mind," Qi Xia said. "If we can achieve that level of collapse in his belief system, then killing him will be a sure thing."
"That fierce?" Qiao Jiajin frowned.
"Qiao Jiajin, my strategy for you is just two words. If you fall into a tough fight, try this..." He gently raised his head and whispered these two words into Qiao Jiajin's ear.
"Huh...?" Qiao Jiajin immediately furrowed his brow.