Chapter 176: Yun Yao's Doubts
Chu Tianqiu had selected the team for the battle. Just then, Qiao Jiajin, Lin Qin, and Han Yimo pushed the door open and entered.
They hadn't expected to see more than ten people sitting inside and were startled.
"What's going on?" Qiao Jiajin looked around, his gaze stopping on Qi Xia. He quickly walked over and said to him, "Swindler, did you hear that just now? Three consecutive chimes!"
"Yes, I heard it," Qi Xia nodded. "That's why we gathered."
"You're Qiao Jiajin, right?" Zhang Shan walked over slowly with Li Xiangling. "Tomorrow, the three of us will form a team for a 'melee-type' game."
"What?" Qiao Jiajin was a bit confused. "Why won't you let me take my 'brain' out again? That's really dangerous..."
"Brain?" Zhang Shan was also taken aback. "Who's your 'brain'?"
Qiao Jiajin extended his thumb and gestured toward Qi Xia beside him. "I partnered with Mr. Swindler—he's my 'brain'."
"Interesting." Zhang Shan smiled and nodded. "If he's the 'brain,' then what are you?"
Qiao Jiajin thought for a moment and said, "If I have to say... I'm his 'fist'."
"That's exactly right." Zhang Shan nodded. "Now your 'brain' is in danger. Whether we can solve it depends on how hard your 'fist' strikes."
"Huh?" Qiao Jiajin turned to look at Qi Xia. "Swindler, did someone beat you up?"
"The situation is much more complicated than that," Qi Xia said. "Tomorrow's melee game is related to me, but I can't participate. I can only rely on you to help me."
"Help you? That's easy." Qiao Jiajin stretched slightly. "By 'melee,' you mean the opponents are 'people,' right?"
"Exactly."
"Don't worry, I've got it."
Seeing this, Chu Tianqiu also nodded. "Since the selection is done and Qiao Jiajin is back, then..."
"Wait a moment..." Yun Yao slowly raised her hand.
"What is it?" Chu Tianqiu asked.
"May I ask a blunt question—which of these three has 'Resonated'?"
The three looked at each other, their expressions somewhat uneasy.
"Chu Tianqiu..." Yun Yao felt something was off. "None of the three have 'Resonated' yet."
Then she looked at Chu Tianqiu suspiciously.
"What kind of arrangement is this?" Yun Yao felt this tactic was very strange. "I told you... our opponents are from 'Jidao'—they are three genuine 'Resonators.'"
"Well..." Chu Tianqiu hesitated. "It's fine. I believe in them."
"Be-believe?!" Yun Yao thought she misheard. "Tianqiu... what are you saying? You assigned these three... just because you believe in them? Is there no other tactic?"
Zhang Shan felt the atmosphere was a bit tense, so he patted Yun Yao's shoulder and said, "It's okay. I think Chu Tianqiu must have his reasons. Besides, fighting and melee games aren't difficult for me."
Seeing someone speak up for him, Chu Tianqiu relaxed his expression. "In that case, we're adjourned. You three take this chance to get to know each other; after all, you'll be teammates tomorrow."
"The three of you, don't leave yet," Qi Xia said quietly to Yun Yao, Zhang Shan, and Li Xiangling. "There are some things I want to explain."
The three nodded silently after hearing this.
When the crowd had trickled out of the room, Yun Yao couldn't help but speak.
"Zhang Shan, don't you think Chu Tianqiu is acting very strangely?!" She looked extremely angry. "Yesterday his strategy caused the deaths of Jin Yuanxun and Little Glasses, and today he's sending the three of you to deal with 'Resonators'... No, it's not just this time—he was strange last time too..."
Zhang Shan gave a bitter smile and said, "Yun Yao, have you forgotten? Last time I also didn't 'Resonate.' In my memory, there is no longer the original Chu Tianqiu."
"This..." Yun Yao looked around and realized that among everyone present, only she seemed to know the original Chu Tianqiu. She had a lot to say but couldn't speak, feeling suffocated.
In her impression, Chu Tianqiu's strategies had always been characterized by "stability." He would never give such reckless strategies.
The reason so many people in this round of "Paradise Gate" had lost their memories was precisely because in the last round, Chu Tianqiu had arranged for people to participate in games in an almost suicidal manner during the final days.
In Yun Yao's memory, every round, following Chu Tianqiu's arrangements to participate in the games, nine out of ten people in "Paradise Gate" could obtain "Resonance," after all, Chu Tianqiu knew each person's opportunity for "Resonance."
But what exactly happened in the last round?
Why did Chu Tianqiu suddenly change his tactics?
Could there be some change that she was unaware of?
"Wait..."
Yun Yao slowly turned her head to look at Qi Xia.
Thinking about it... the biggest change in the last round was precisely Qi Xia.
Qi Xia came to visit Chu Tianqiu, and Chu Tianqiu refused to see him. The day after that, Chu Tianqiu seemed to have completely changed into a different person.
"What exactly is going on...?"
Yun Yao felt as if she had discovered something very terrifying, but she couldn't grasp even a shadow of the answer.
The others ignored Yun Yao and were instead chatting casually.
Zhang Shan crossed his arms over his chest and asked, "Let's introduce ourselves. What are you two good at?"
He looked Qiao Jiajin up and down and asked, "Have you trained, kid?"
Qiao Jiajin nodded and said, "Big guy, I've not only trained—I'm really good."
"Oh?" Zhang Shan suddenly became interested. "I've trained in some Sanda. What do you practice?"
Qiao Jiajin held out his hand and counted on his fingers: "Boxing, Sanda, wrestling, judo, Wing Chun, Muay Thai, Qin Na, Tai Chi, Jeet Kune Do, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu..."
"Stop, stop, stop..." Zhang Shan reached out and interrupted Qiao Jiajin. "Who asked you for a classification of martial arts? I asked which one you practice."
"I've practiced all of them," Qiao Jiajin said earnestly.
"All..." Zhang Shan was stunned. "Damn, kid, you've got to have a limit when bragging. You're not that old—how could you have practiced so many types?"
Qi Xia scratched his head and exchanged a glance with Lin Qin.
Only the two of them knew how incredible this was, because what Qiao Jiajin said was actually true.
His expression was clearly written on his face—there was absolutely no deception.
"I've been practicing for over ten years," Qiao Jiajin said. "I only know a bit of everything."
"You..." Zhang Shan was speechless again. No wonder they almost suffered a big loss when they tried to tie him up before. "Then how many hours do you train every day?"
"Since I was eleven, day and night. As long as I have one hand that can move, I'm practicing."
Zhang Shan swallowed slightly and asked again, "Have you ever been in a real fight?"
"Before coming here, I was in real fights every day without a single break." Qiao Jiajin replied with a calm expression.