Chapter 255: Repaying a Favor?
A slight smirk tugged at Qi Xia's lips as he slowly walked over.
Qin Dingdong and the older brother from Sichuan were clearly stuck in a stalemate, missing just one final push.
"Brother, I'm truly sorry, but you don't have a choice," Qi Xia said to the man from Sichuan. "If you don't do what she says, I'll start a fight with you right here."
"You think a bumpkin like you can beat me?" the man gritted his teeth, glaring at Qi Xia.
"I don't need to beat you at all." Qi Xia let out a cold laugh. "Do you believe me... once I start fighting, there will naturally be an endless stream of accomplices coming to help?"
A chill ran down the man's spine at these words. He knew Qi Xia wasn't entirely wrong.
Right now, he was like an overturned truck on the side of the road. Once the first person stepped up to loot, they'd inevitably attract a horde of plunderers.
The man thought it over for a long time, weighing the pros and cons, and finally spat out two words: "Forget it..."
He lowered his head and pulled two fans from his handbag. "Little sister, I'm telling you upfront. If you back out after I give you these two fans, I'll throw my life away if I have to, but I swear I'll kill you both."
Hearing this, Qin Dingdong's face darkened. She turned her head to look at Qi Xia.
In her mind, she naturally wanted to see the scam through to the very end. But now, should she escape on the second round?
"Of course not, brother," Qi Xia nodded. "If you don't get out this time, I'll stand right here and let you beat me to death."
The man from Sichuan had no reaction to these words, but Qin Dingdong couldn't stand to hear it. "You—"
"Come here, I need to talk to you," Qi Xia said to her.
Qin Dingdong thought for a moment, then nodded, taking three steps to stand beside Qi Xia.
Qi Xia pulled her aside and lowered his voice: "Get out of here."
"Huh?" Qin Dingdong also lowered her voice. "What do you mean?"
"You've already failed," Qi Xia said. "Leaving now is your best option."
"You're telling me to escape right now?"
"Qin Dingdong, have you ever participated in this game before?" Qi Xia asked.
"No," Qin Dingdong shook her head. "I've only heard about it."
"I feel like you won't get a better chance to escape later." Qi Xia thought for a moment. "If you leave now, you maximize your profit."
Qin Dingdong mentally calculated the gains this time. After deducting the two fans used for pairing, she'd still have four left, which meant twenty Tao. Though the profit was already excellent, a normal person, knowing they could potentially earn even more, would never be satisfied.
"Qi Xia, I don't want to run," Qin Dingdong said. "I think I can still get a few more..."
"You should value your life instead. Your scam is not only clumsy but will inevitably make you countless enemies," Qi Xia said. "If you tricked that man out of all his fans and then stayed here, you'd become the new 'rich person.' Then everyone would turn their sights on you. What would you do then?"
"I-I can have you protect me."
"There are dozens of people on the scene," Qi Xia said. "How likely do you think it is that I'd risk my life to protect you?"
Qin Dingdong fell silent.
"Besides... there's no way I'm pairing up with you to get out." Qi Xia glanced cautiously around him. "What I want is more than that."
"What...?"
"So take this chance to get out," Qi Xia said. "Since you gave me three Tao, I'll help you one more time."
Qin Dingdong thought carefully about what Qi Xia had said. It all made sense. But somehow, she still felt this was one of Qi Xia's schemes.
After a moment's thought, she returned to the Sichuan man's side and spoke: "Brother, I have to confess something to you."
The man's face visibly darkened. "Little sister... think carefully before you speak."
"Yeah, I've thought it over." Qin Dingdong nodded. "Originally... I was planning to trick you again this time. But I don't want to lie to you anymore. This time, I'm going to put the fans in."
The man shot her a wary look. "Then why aren't you doing it?"
"I've decided I want three fans." Qin Dingdong's face was dead serious. "Two aren't enough for me anymore. Three. If you give me three, I promise—"
Before she could finish, the man lunged forward and grabbed Qin Dingdong by the throat. "Motherfucker... you're really asking for it..."
"Hey!" Qi Xia's eyes turned cold as he hurried over. He grabbed the man's arm, momentarily unsure what to do.
He'd sounded tough just now, but actually fighting would be a lose-lose situation.
Whether Qi Xia tried to snatch the fans or the man killed Qin Dingdong on the spot, the "participants" would definitely descend into chaos.
"Qin Dingdong, what are you doing...?" Qi Xia asked in confusion. "Why don't you just take the two fans and leave?"
"No..." Qin Dingdong gritted her teeth. "I want three..."
Qi Xia never expected this girl to be so greedy. He'd already laid out the perfect path for her, so why did she have to make a sharp turn?
"In that case..." Qi Xia could only turn his focus back to the Sichuan man. "Brother, if you don't let go, I really will have to take your fans."
"What... you—"
"I'll count to three..." Qi Xia furrowed his brow. "In three seconds, one of us has to be laid to rest here."
The man's face twisted with anger as he tried to gauge Qi Xia's true capabilities.
"One... two..."
Before he could say "three," the man released his grip.
As the saying goes: a barefoot man fears no one wearing shoes. Qi Xia only had three fans—he could afford to lose. This man, however, could not.
"Three... fans..." the man seethed through clenched teeth. "The two of you are really pushing it."
"Yes or no?" Qi Xia cut him off immediately. "I don't want to hear complaints."
The man thought it over and said, "Fine... but this is the last time."
Hearing this, Qi Xia slowly breathed a sigh of relief.
The man tossed three fans roughly into Qin Dingdong's arms.
Though he still had eleven fans left, this "pairing" had cost him five.
Qin Dingdong took the fans and a faint smile appeared on her face. She then dropped two fans into the machine.
"Scanning..."
"Pairing successful."
Seeing those four words appear, all three of them sighed in relief.
Qi Xia asked in confusion, "Qin Dingdong, what are you playing at? Obviously—"
Before he could finish, Qin Dingdong held out one fan to him. "Here."
"Huh?" Qi Xia was taken aback.
The man beside them was also stunned.
"Give it to me?" Qi Xia confirmed.
"You helped me several times. This fan is for you." Qin Dingdong rubbed her own neck. "With this fan, we're even."
Qi Xia took the fan in disbelief. A moment ago, he'd thought Qin Dingdong was simply being too greedy, adding an extra fan on a whim. But now... was she repaying a favor?
Didn't she know he was trying to trick her?
"Alright." Qin Dingdong chuckled. "If you hadn't been there at the end... big sister probably would've been done for. If you ever get lonely, remember to tell me. I'm off."
She waved at Qi Xia, then affectionately linked arms with the Sichuan man. "Brother, let's go!"
Watching their retreating figures, Qi Xia stopped paying attention and instead opened the fan to glance at it.
His "strong luck" had arrived.
This fan was still "Sorrow."
He looked up as if to say something, but suddenly saw an old man rushing toward Qin Dingdong. Before she could react, the old man punched her to the ground.