You said you would make games by yourself, but how did you become the richest man by doing nothing?

#546 - Discussions are heating up

Granny Rong smoothed her graying hair with her wrinkled hand, leaning forward slightly, and asked softly, "Will the execution be at the Hanging Pine?"

Qian Jin stood by the window, raindrops tracing winding paths on the glass, reflecting his stern profile. His gaze was like a knife, his voice devoid of emotion: "Whatever."

Qin Ming leaned against the door frame, his black trench coat still damp with rain. His slender fingers tapped lightly on the wooden lintel, with a strange sense of rhythm, his voice low and magnetic: "…How do we vote?"

Qian Jin pulled out a leather-bound notebook from his pocket, his movements crisp and efficient. The lamplight reflected off his glasses, obscuring his eyes: "Starting from the head of the table, we'll nominate in a clockwise direction. You can briefly explain your nomination." He paused, continuing, "Once you've decided who to vote for, I'll record it."

Wang Lina suddenly stood up from the tatami, her voice filled with unconcealed fear: "Huh…? A recorded vote? No way, that's making us say to someone's face that they should die. I can't do it!"

Qian Jin slammed his hand on the table, making the teacup jump and spilling tea on the surface. His voice was filled with undeniable authority: "Enough, Wang Lina. There's no time to indulge you now! It's decided!"

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He turned his gaze to the old man at the head of the table, his voice softening: "Alright… ah, your name is…"

Tong Xiaoliang pushed up his slipping glasses, a hint of worry flashing behind the lenses: "Grandfather."

Zhao Gang, playing with the baseball cap in his hand, added: "Old Wolf."

A look of reminiscence suddenly appeared on Granny Rong's face, the wrinkles around her eyes softening: "When I was a little girl, Grandpa was already Grandpa."

Qian Jin leaned forward slightly, his tone gentle, as if addressing a lost child: "…Old man, can you understand what I'm saying?"

Old Wolf's cloudy eyes stared into the void, muttering: "Ah." His aged voice held a hint of confusion.

"Who do you think is the wolf among us?" Qian Jin's voice echoed in the silent Japanese-style room.

Old Wolf's hunched body leaned forward slightly, his age-spotted finger trembling as he pointed at Wang Lina: "…Ah…"

Wang Lina's face instantly turned pale, her lips becoming even more bloodless: "…Me? Why!?"

Old Wolf suddenly grinned, revealing a few yellowed teeth, his laughter tinged with madness: "Wolf, so scary, so scary… ehehehe…"

Qian Jin quickly recorded in his notebook, the tip of his pen scratching across the paper: "Alright, Wang Lina gets one vote…"

Wang Lina's voice was tearful, her whole body trembling slightly: "Wait! Are you really going to kill someone with such a casual method!?"

Qian Jin's voice was icily cold, like the north wind in the dead of winter: "Is there any other way? He's also a participant in the banquet. Who has the right to deprive him of his voice?"

Wang Lina turned to Zhao Gang, who had been silent all along, her eyes pleading, tears welling up in her eyes: "Gang-ge, say something!"

Zhao Gang took off his hat, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and frowned: "…Qin Ming, what do you think?"

Qin Ming kept his eyes closed, his long eyelashes casting shadows on his face, his tone frighteningly calm: "Let's wait and see."

Zhao Gang nodded: "Mm."

Wang Lina's voice was already noticeably tearful: "…Wait, this kind of thing…"

Granny Rong sighed softly, a complex emotion in her eyes: "Is it my turn… I also vote for Little Na."

Wang Lina looked at the always kind old woman in disbelief, as if looking at a stranger: "Why… Granny Rong…"

Granny Rong lowered her head, her voice filled with apology: "I'm sorry, I don't really know… But you've been throwing tantrums all this time, it feels a little strange…"

The lamplight cast flickering shadows on the table, the entire Japanese-style room shrouded in an eerie atmosphere. A resolute glint flashed in Qian Jin's deep eyes as he slowly stood up, his voice low and firm: "To let the others live, it doesn't matter if I sacrifice myself…"

Wang Lina's makeup was already smeared by tears, the eyeliner smudged around her eyes. She bit her lip, her voice tinged with anguish: "Fine! Fine! You're right!" She suddenly raised her head, her eyes flashing with resentment and anger: "But everyone's life is important, and my life is also important!"

Her voice suddenly rose, so sharp it almost pierced the eardrums: "I know very well that I'm not the wolf! Don't think I'll obediently let you execute me--" She suddenly stopped halfway through her sentence, as if she had thought of something terrible.

The sound of rain gradually increased, hitting the window frames with a dense sound. Wang Lina's shoulders trembled slightly, the sharpness in her voice gradually fading: "Forget it, let's follow the rules, otherwise we'll just be slaughtered by the wolves. There's really no other way."

She turned to Granny Rong, forcing herself to show a strained smile: "Alright, Granny Rong, I won't throw a tantrum anymore. Can you vote for someone else?"

Granny Rong hunched over, her wrinkled face filled with difficulty: "Ah… Wh-What should I do…"

Wang Lina lowered her head, her hair obscuring her expression: "Mm, forget it, I was indeed suspicious just now."

Qian Jin's gaze swept around the room, his voice calm and emotionless: "…No problems, right? Then it's Zhao Gang's turn."

Zhao Gang played with the baseball cap in his hand, his eyes sharply fixed on the little girl in the corner: "I vote for Little Mie."

Little Mie hugged her knees and huddled in the corner, letting out a weak murmur: "Mie…"

Wang Lina suddenly turned to Zhao Gang, her voice filled with disbelief: "Gang-ge!?"

Hua Lu's slender fingers tightly gripped the hem of her kimono, her voice as thin as a mosquito's buzz: "…You…"

Zhao Gang: "Is it necessary to say the reason? This child of unknown origin doesn't even know her parents' names, and is suspicious from head to toe."

He paused, continuing: "Although I don't know if the legends are true, the God's Valley shouldn't be a good place. She was found in God's Valley, so of course I'll suspect her."

Qin Ming leaned against the door frame, his gaze deep: "Gang-ge, if we really followed your logic, there would be no need to hold such a troublesome banquet."

Tong Xiaoliang pushed up his glasses, a hint of disapproval in his eyes: "I don't like this reason either…"

Zhao Gang suddenly stood up, his tall figure casting a shadow on the wall: "This child of unknown origin was found in God's Valley, and that won't change. Conversely, if she's the wolf," his voice was low and penetrating, "you'll be completely wiped out because of your sympathy for the child, understand?"

Qin Ming and Tong Xiaoliang fell silent, only the sound of rain echoing in the Japanese-style room.

Qian Jin glanced at the notebook in his hand, his voice terrifyingly calm: "Hmph, Zhao Gang's idea isn't without reason… It's your turn, Madam Chen Xiang."

Madam Chen Xiang sat upright on the tatami, her slender fingers trembling slightly: "…Gao, Gao Mei."

The atmosphere in the Japanese-style room was so heavy it almost solidified. Qin Ming's eyes were bloodshot, his voice trembling like autumn leaves scattered by the wind: "Mom!"

Gao Mei's pale face was filled with panic, her thin body trembling slightly: "--Why me?"

Madam Chen Xiang's carefully styled hair was already a little disheveled, she stared at Gao Mei, her voice filled with hysterical anger: "You first… Ex-Explain yourself! Why did you run away today!" Her fingers trembled slightly, her nails digging deep into her palm, "Isn't it because you killed Grandpa, killed Qin Yi!! And feel guilty!!"

Gao Mei staggered back a step, her back against the cold wall: "No--No, you've misunderstood!" Her voice was filled with desperate sobs.

Chen Xiang's eyes became even sharper: "Then explain!"

Gao Mei suddenly collapsed and squatted down, hugging her head, her voice filled with fear: "This place is too terrifying!! I don't want to stay in this kind of place!"

"You're lying--!!" Chen Xiang's accusation was like a sharp sword, piercing straight into Gao Mei's heart.

Zhao Gang suddenly stood up, his tall figure blocking between the two: "Chen Xiang-jie, don't say it!!" His voice was low and hoarse, "…Whether it's me, or Little Mei, everyone is very sad about that child's matter." He repeated: "Everyone is very sad."

Chen Xiang finally broke down, tears streaming down her face: "Wuwuwu!"

Qian Jin flipped through the record book in his hand with a blank expression, as if observing a drama that had nothing to do with him: "…Madam Chen Xiang, who do you want to vote for?" Seeing Chen Xiang only sobbing, he sighed: "…Then I'll record it as Gao Mei, it's my turn…"

His gaze turned to the hunched figure in the corner: "I vote for this old man whose name I don't know."

"Ai." Qin Ming let out a helpless sigh.

Zhao Gang frowned: "Uh…"

Wang Lina bit her lower lip: "…Is there a reason?"

Qian Jin sneered, his voice filled with biting cold: "Judging from the conversation just now, he doesn't have the ability to make rational judgments. The banquet doesn't need this kind of person."

"Th-That's too subjective!" Wang Lina retorted.

Qian Jin's eyes were so sharp they seemed to be able to see through people's hearts: "Before the fog, he said the wolf was coming, right? Isn't that suspicious? Is that subjective?"

Wang Lina opened her mouth, but ultimately could only remain silent: "…"

Qian Jin continued to analyze, his voice calmly bordering on cruel: "I think he's completely mad, or is hiding something. Haven't you thought about it? Mist Hidden Village should have held banquets before, and the old man should have participated."

Granny Rong trembled and raised her withered hand: "I… I haven't participated! This is my first time in seventy years!"

Qian Jin's gaze swept over the old man's hunched figure: "However, who can guarantee that he hasn't participated? He's much older than you, isn't he? Whether it's dementia or ill intentions, I think he's hiding information about the banquet."

The lamplight cast deep shadows on his stern profile: "I'm voting for him to force him to confess. If he doesn't say anything… then he has no value."

A sharp glint flashed in Hua Lu's clear eyes, her porcelain-white face appearing particularly stern in the dim light. She parted her red lips slightly, her voice filled with thick sarcasm: "Value, as long as they have no value, you can hang them, is that what you mean?"

Qian Jin adjusted his suit tie, responding expressionlessly: "Don't put it so harshly, this is after all for our advantage tomorrow."

Hua Lu frowned slightly, her slender fingers unconsciously stroking the hem of her kimono: "What do you mean…"

Qian Jin pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light, the corners of his mouth curving into a faint smile:

"Zhao Gang will continue to verify identities through protection today, which will add one more person with a confirmed identity. Spider will continue to protect Zhao Gang, so even if the wolf isn't discovered, it will only take three times to confirm everyone's identity."

Gao Mei wrung her fingers nervously, her pale face filled with anxiety, her voice as thin as a mosquito's buzz: "Is… Is that so?"

Wang Lina pursed her somewhat dry lips, her eyes filled with confusion and uncertainty: "Eh… That, one person is hanged during the day, one person is killed by the wolf, and one person has their identity verified by the snake…" She counted on her fingers, her slender body leaning forward slightly, "…That is to say, three people's identities can be confirmed in one day, and now there are eleven people whose identities haven't been confirmed besides Gang-ge and Qian Jin."

Her voice grew lighter and lighter: "Three or four times…?"

Qian Jin decisively interrupted her thoughts: "That's how it is. It's fine as long as we execute three times." His voice became even colder, a certain madness flashing in his eyes, "There's no need to start executing close people, just start with people who aren't close, and let them sacrifice themselves for Mist Hidden Village."

Zhao Gang suddenly stood up, his muscular arms instinctively clenching, his tall figure casting a shadow: "Hey, this kind of thing…"

Qian Jin interrupted him, his voice filled with almost fanatical fervor: "I'm just striving for the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people, Gangzi!"

Qin Ming slowly raised his head, his young face filled with calmness beyond his age, his deep eyes staring straight at Qian Jin: "Qian Jin, are you serious?"

"What do you mean?" Qian Jin frowned, his tone with a hint of impatience.

Qin Ming: "Lina-jie's calculation has a premise, that is, the wolf will stubbornly only kill people whose identities haven't been verified by the snake." He paused, his gaze like a torch, "What if the wolf kills someone whose identity has been confirmed, for example, kills you today."

Qian Jin's expression instantly froze, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead: "…"

Qin Ming's gaze slowly swept over everyone present, as if to see through their souls: "I cannot agree with this hasty voting based on hasty calculations."

Wang Lina lowered her head, her hair obscuring her expression: "…"

Gao Mei bit her lip, her nails digging deep into her palm: "…"

Qian Jin's mask finally cracked, his voice with a hint of panic and anger: "…Th-Then what if it happens, do you want your family to be executed?"