Chapter 253: The Clients
Upon hearing this, a wealthy man sneered, but instead pulled a sharp knife from his pocket.
He held the knife in his hand without making any further move, yet that alone was enough to make the big man's expression shift.
Qixia knew these "wealthy men" must have prepared in advance—there was no way they would act so boldly otherwise.
The knife-wielding man held the blade in his hand, neither submitting nor threatening his opponent. He just spoke slowly: "Two choices. First, each of us gives you a fan, and you let us go. Second, we fight to the death."
The man's tone was seasoned, clearly accustomed to such situations.
The two choices he offered were worlds apart—precisely the negotiation tactic of going all-in at a business deal. Either mutual gain or mutual loss, with no middle ground.
This would subtly influence the big man's decision.
Hearing this, the big man indeed pondered cautiously for a moment. After all, two fans were already a windfall for him. If he ended up fighting here, not only would he end up with nothing, but he might also get hurt.
"Fine..." the big man nodded. "But I have one more condition."
"Name it."
"When you escape, leave the knife behind." The big man pointed at the blade in the knife-wielder's hand. "Two fans plus one knife, and we have a deal."
He said this loud and clear, making sure all the participants in the vicinity could hear.
Their expressions all turned somewhat uneasy. They knew that if the big man got his hands on a knife, things would definitely take a bad turn.
But this issue clearly wasn't within the "wealthy man's" considerations. He looked at the sharp blade in his hand, nodded, and said, "I'll toss the knife back before I escape, but for now, I keep it."
"Alright, alright." The big man nodded obsequiously, and to everyone's surprise, he actually stood behind the two men, guarding them.
He turned and shouted at the other onlookers, "What are you staring at? This deal is mine now. Get lost, all of you."
Qixia glanced coldly at him, then turned to the "wealthy man" beside him and said, "You're in danger. Go find someone to team up with."
The man pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his sweat, then nodded dazedly and asked, "Bro—brother, won't you team up with me? You're in danger here too..."
"No." Qixia shook his head. "But I'll make sure you get out."
Qixia thought for a moment, then took the "wealthy man" beside him and walked toward the other two "wealthy men" who hadn't yet formed teams.
These three "wealthy men" clearly didn't know each other—this was an excellent opportunity.
"Brothers." Qixia stopped in front of the two men and spoke. "Do you understand your current situation?"
The two "wealthy men" looked at Qixia with some wariness.
"Each of you has about ten fans on you," Qixia said in a low voice among the three. "The only reason you haven't been swarmed yet is that people here still have a shred of rationality. Would you consider teaming up to escape?"
"Whether we escape or not has nothing to do with you, does it?" an older "wealthy man" replied. "Why do you care so much?"
Qixia nodded. "It really has nothing to do with me..."
He then pointed to the "wealthy man" beside him and said, "But this man is my friend. I suggest you two team up with him first. I'll guarantee that the remaining one gets out safely."
"What?"
All three were taken aback.
Even the "wealthy man" Qixia was protecting hadn't expected him to say such a thing.
Qixia paused for a moment, then added, "You should know... every second that passes brings you closer to death."
The three "wealthy men" clearly felt the looming danger but didn't know what to do.
"Is anyone willing to team up with my 'friend'?" Qixia pressed on. "You should realize that within a few minutes, the only people left with ten fans on this field will be the three of you. By then, that big man will have a knife, and he'll turn his attention to you first. If you wait until then to decide, it'll be too late."
The two of them now began to think it over.
After considering for a while, the older man spoke first. "This young man is right. I'll team up with your friend."
"Ah? Really?" The "wealthy man" next to Qixia grinned. "Great!"
The two exchanged glances and were about to head for a "pairing machine," but the remaining "wealthy man" stopped them.
"Wait... wait a minute, you two? What about me?" that man asked. "If you two team up, what am I supposed to do?"
"I have a plan." Qixia reached out and put an arm around this older brother's shoulder—the one who spoke with a strong Sichuan-Chongqing accent. "Don't worry, big brother. I told you, I'll get you out."
"What?"
"Come on, big brother. Follow me." Qixia guided the man's shoulders and led him off to the side.
As he walked, Qixia glanced sideways and saw the two wealthy men pressing the button on another "pairing machine." Only then did he nod slowly.
That was all he could do. He could only pray that their "pairing" would go smoothly.
"Handsome, you really have a way?" the Sichuan-Chongqing brother asked. "Don't play me for a fool."
"Of course, of course." Qixia nodded. "I'll find you another teammate right away."
Still talking, Qixia led the Sichuan-Chongqing brother toward Qin Dingdong's direction.
"Oh?" Qin Dingdong was sizing up new prey when she saw Qixia bringing a big brother over.
"Qin Dingdong, you said you've been looking for someone to go out with, right?" Qixia nodded at her. "This big brother also wants to get out."
"Oh, really? Is that true, big brother?" Qin Dingdong stepped forward and grabbed the man's arm. "You want to leave here quickly too, don't you?"
"Of course." The brother nodded. "Little sister, you want out too?"
"Great! This is just great!" Qin Dingdong put on a pitiful expression. "I was tricked earlier! Someone made me waste one chance, and now I don't know what to do..."
"It's okay, it's okay..." The brother smiled naively and shook his head. "You and I will pair up. Let's get out of here quick."
"Yeah, let's go!" Qin Dingdong nodded with a look of lingering fear, then pulled the brother toward a nearby "pairing machine."
Qixia watched the two in front of him while also keeping an eye on the "wealthy man" who had all the "sorrow" emblems in the distance. These two groups were about to start pairing at almost the same time. He could only hope that both sides would succeed.
"Big brother, I've already pressed the button." Qin Dingdong smiled at the Sichuan-Chongqing man. "Aren't you going to show some initiative? Why aren't you being more proactive?"
"Beautiful lady, you need to put your fans in first before I can trust you," the Sichuan-Chongqing brother said in a low voice.