frightfiction Chapter 38 One-on-One or Group Fight?
Chapter 38 One-on-One or Group Fight?
Cheng Ai nodded gratefully, changed her shoes, picked up a flashlight, and left the bedroom with Zhong Zheyi.
The sky was overcast, and the air was filled with a warm and humid mist, as if raindrops could fall at any moment.
Upon reaching the second floor, they discovered that the other four guests were not in room 209, but had instead gathered in the next room.
Wu Xu asked him and learned that Song Yifei had found the key at the corner of the spiral staircase. Because of the recent points ranking, everyone wanted to compete for first place, so they all rushed to 208.
More than twenty minutes passed, and the group hadn't gotten a single thing.
Zhong Zheyi quickly joined the search team, while Cheng Ai's brows furrowed more and more, as if something was not quite right.
The first two times it was a room key, why did it change to a physical key this time?
Moreover, the show's routine is to only give new tasks after solving the puzzle, so why was it so easy to get it today?
Seeing that Cheng Ai was still standing there without moving, Cheng Baoni glared at her unhappily and snorted sarcastically, "Some people are really shameless. It's one thing to be late, but to stand there in a daze is another. Could it be that they are deliberately stalling for time so that they can reap the benefits in the end?"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Hao Jian pulled her behind him and whispered a scolding, "Don't talk nonsense. If you anger her, you might get beaten up!"
He glanced at Cheng Ai, then looked away after a moment of amazement. "Although it's embarrassing for a grown man to cry out in pain, I'm willing to risk it all for your safety!"
A mouthful of tomato juice spurted out like a fountain, and Hao Jian quickly covered his mouth and coughed fakely. "The kick I got last night still makes my chest ache!"
Ignoring her mockery of Cheng Ai, Cheng Baoni immediately supported him, her face full of anxiety. "Why didn't you say so sooner? Is it serious? Can you hold on? Should I go with you to the hospital for a check-up?"
"It's alright, cough cough cough..." Hao Jian waved his hand, continuing to feign nonchalance, "We can't disrupt Director Gong's filming schedule, and we certainly can't break the fans' hearts!"
Cheng Baoni felt sorry for him, "A-Jian, you are so dedicated."
The two worked together seamlessly, but no one present was stupid. They immediately saw through the trickery and all showed expressions of disdain.
Hao Jian, however, was completely unaware of this. He turned his head to the side to hide the smile on his lips.
Since we can't get or kill Cheng Ai in a short time, let's change our strategy and smear him recklessly!
If he kills Cheng Baoni and then finds an opportunity to apologize and express his love to her in front of the camera, there might still be a chance to salvage the situation.
A slap followed by a treat—little girls always fall for that.
It's just a pity about my unborn son, sigh...
However, you can't win over the Night Emperor without sacrificing your child. Sacrificing the small self for the greater good, Hao Jian felt it was worth it!
Song Yifei and the others had no interest in watching the play and instead squatted in a corner to continue searching for clues.
Cheng Ai watched the whole thing coldly, her heart completely unmoved.
If I had to say something, it would be just two words: exaggerated!
She sighed deeply, and just as she finished looking around, the door behind her slammed shut.
There were no windows in the room, and most of the light came from the corridor. Now that the light was cut off, the whole room suddenly appeared dark and gloomy.
Cheng Ai quickly turned on her flashlight and looked around. She saw a cloud of black mist floating in mid-air, which disappeared in the blink of an eye.
A gust of cold wind swept by, and the center of the floor suddenly sank, replaced by a slowly rising bluestone slab and two stone chairs.
At the same time, an orange puppet slowly crawled out of the shadows, casually picked a chair to sit down, clasped its hands in front of its abdomen, grinned at the crowd, and said, "Hello everyone, do you have the guts to have a contest?"
Hao Jian was terrified last night in room 201. Experiencing a similar terrifying scene again, he instantly collapsed into Cheng Baoni's arms, trembling like a leaf.
Song Yifei knew it was the production team's doing again. She pursed her lips and sat down on another chair. "One-on-one or a group fight?"
The puppet scratches its head, as if deep in thought.
It raised its right hand, extended its index finger, and shook it, "No, no! Let's compete in a civilized manner—no need for fighting!"
"Pfft!" Song Yifei couldn't help but laugh out loud, and patiently explained, "A one-on-one fight means you're competing against all six of us, while a group fight means all six of us are competing against you. Which option would you like to choose?"
"Is there a difference between the two?" The puppet tilted its head, asking the question instead of answering.
Song Yifei was taken aback, then smiled, "I didn't expect you to be so smart!"
The person and the puppet were having a very pleasant conversation, and the atmosphere was extremely harmonious.
Hao Jian's fear lessened slightly. He cautiously pulled Cheng Baoni forward a few steps, trying to make his voice sound calm, "Don't waste time, let's get started."
Upon hearing this, the puppet waved its arm, and a chessboard appeared on the bluestone slab.
The black and white stones are densely packed together, forming a complex pattern that makes it impossible to tell which side has the advantage at first glance.
Zhong Zheyi approached and examined it for a moment, then frowned. "Go?"
"Bingo~ You got it right~" The puppet jumped up and down excitedly, pushing a jar of black pieces to the other side. "I'll name this game 'Tengen'. I'll play white, and you'll each have a five-piece handicap. Black goes first."
With that, it tossed its head, and a lit incense stick shot out from its head, landing precisely in the groove on the left side of the bluestone slab.
The bright red flames flickered and leaped, illuminating the chessboard and adding a touch of warmth to the gloomy environment.
The puppet clapped its hands in satisfaction, its eyes mechanically rotating twice before finally settling on Song Yifei's face. "Whoever solves the chess puzzle before the incense and candles go out will receive a generous points reward."
It gave a sinister smile, revealing its gleaming white teeth. "Friendly reminder: the later you play, the slimmer your chances of scoring become!"
Upon hearing the rules, Cheng Baoni shoved Song Yifei aside and made Hao Jian sit down, saying, "My A-Jian is a high-IQ genius. As long as he takes the lead, we're sure to win!"
The puppet shrugged dismissively, picked up a white piece with one hand, and made an inviting gesture with the other.
Seeing this, Hao Jian began to think of a solution. Although he appeared calm on the surface, he was in a state of panic inside.
He knew Gomoku, but Go was completely foreign to him.
That damn Cheng Baoni, there's a limit to how much you can push yourself. If you really can't hold back, then don't drag him down with you.
Song Yifei secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, Hao Jian had taken her seat; otherwise, with her intelligence, she probably wouldn't even know where the first piece would land.
Zhong Zheyi also stared at the game with great interest, racking his brains to recall the Go knowledge he had learned in his youth, hoping to come up with a solution.
Wu Xu touched Cheng Ai's flashlight seriously and asked in a low voice, "Ai girl, don't you think this puppet is a bit strange?"
Cheng Ai smiled slightly and shook her head indifferently, "Since it wants to play, I'll play along."