Ten Day Ultimatum

Chapter 429: Qi Xia’s Offense

“Oh...?” Qi Xia slowly lifted the corner of his mouth. “If that’s your answer, then your collar...will probably need replacing.”

“You!” Terrestrial Mouse’s jet-black eyes widened again, his whiskers trembling uncontrollably.

“I see it,” Qi Xia said calmly. “I see the {path} to victory in this game.”

Terrestrial Mouse was rendered speechless by Qi Xia’s few words.

“So what if you’ve seen it...?”

“I want to ask you; what’s your purpose in all this?” Qi Xia reached out and flicked Terrestrial Mouse’s collar, continuing in a suppressed voice. “Were you coerced into this? Only by putting on that collar could you secure fresh fruit as leverage?”

“I...don’t know what you’re saying,” Terrestrial Mouse swallowed nervously, retreating two more steps. “You all wait here. The game begins in ten minutes. I will start my actions early and initiate the first {night}.”

He turned away, closing the door behind him, but cast one last peculiar glance at Qi Xia before leaving.

Only once the door was fully shut did Qi Xia sit down in a chair, silently, his mind already forming a plan.

No {Earthly Branch} would directly agree to such a request, yet their expressions could reveal a great deal.

The four beside him looked on, clearly puzzled by his calm demeanor.

“Hey, captain,” Luo Eleven called out. “It’s your turn to take charge.”

“Take charge?” Qi Xia raised an eyebrow. “Is there really any need to take charge in a game this simple? Let everyone adapt as the situation unfolds.”

“Adapt as the situation unfolds...?” Luo Eleven’s irritation flared. “If we’re all just improvising, what use is having you lead us?”

“Qian Five said he wanted me to get to know all of you and this is precisely the right opportunity,” Qi Xia replied, lifting his gaze. “The game is about to begin. Why not tell me, what strategies do you plan to employ?”

Qiu Sixteen tugged at Luo Eleven’s sleeve. “This motherf*cker just wants it handed to him! Ignore him. Let’s discuss it ourselves.”

“Heh heh! Count me in, count me in!” Wang Eight wriggled over to Qiu Sixteen, who frowned and moved aside impatiently.

Though they called it a {discussion}, the four members of {Cats} simply stared at one another, each waiting for someone else to speak first.

“Maybe... maybe Six jie should make the call...” Luo Eleven remarked. “You’re the highest in seniority. Even if you make the wrong call... we’ll damn well follow it.”

“Tsk, what do you mean?!” Zhou Six’s temper flared instantly. “I haven’t even said a f*cking word yet—how could it already be wrong?!”

“Sigh!” Luo Eleven shook his head. “I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that we haven’t participated in a {Terrestrial-grade} game for years. What {Terrestrial-grade} is like now is all hearsay. Losing wouldn’t be surprising.”

“Tsk!! How could we lose?!” Zhou Six swung the iron bat in her hand, pointing it at Wang Eight. “Don’t we still have this damn Wang Eight?”

“Huh?!” Wang Eight slowly opened his eyes, but they were so small it was almost imperceptible. “What does that have to do with me? So what if I’m here?”

“Tsk, you’re supposed to be smart!” Zhou Six shouted back at him. “You’ve got the education—help us think of a strategy!”

Luo Eleven nodded in agreement. “Yeah! Damned Wang Eight, your motherf*cking moment has come!”

Wang Eight looked at Luo Eleven. “Why are you calling me ‘Damned Wang Eight’ too? Shouldn’t it be {Eight ge}?”

“I just can’t bring myself to say it,” Luo Eleven shook his head. “Back in the day, someone like you would’ve gotten beaten to death by me.”

Wang Eight rubbed his chin and muttered, “Ah, such disrespect... but giving my input isn’t impossible. If my plan works, I want Six jie to kiss me.”

He pointed a chubby finger to his cheek. “Right here will do.”

Zhou Six’s face twisted into a cold smile. “Tsk. Walk over here right now.”

“Right now?!”

“Tsk, I’ll smash a hole in your face right now so even drinking water spills everywhere.”

Wang Eight’s expression turned exaggeratedly fearful. “Six jie! I’m this adorable! How can you hit me?!”

“Have I not beaten you enough times?!” Zhou Six grabbed her bat and stepped forward. “Tsk, having you on the same team always makes me so damn irritable."

“No, no, ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) no!” Wang Eight held up his hands, looking genuinely appeased. “I have a plan, really, I do.”

Qiu Sixteen’s brow tightened. “Then spit it out! Six jie’s already mad...”

“Hehe, it’s simple. Each round, we only send one {Mouse} to search for food, and each time they bring back three. It’s foolproof.”

Zhou Six blinked in surprise. “Wait... just one person goes out each time? But there are five of us.”

“Yes, Six jie,” Wang Eight nodded. “If all five of us enter different rooms, the chance of losing a teammate is one hundred percent. But sending only one each time? The failure rate drops to one in five, or twenty percent.”

Qi Xia shook his head helplessly but remained silent.

“That still doesn’t account for the {Mouse Traps}...” Zhou Six interjected. “The chance of getting caught is at least two in five, isn’t it?”

“Two in five is only forty percent! And being caught isn’t the problem,” Wang Eight declared. “This is the safest, most stable approach. If the next day a teammate doesn’t return, we know they’ve been caught. Then we only send one {Mouse} to {Search} again, plus an extra teammate to {Rescue}. That way, we can guarantee our teammates are saved each time.”

The others felt Wang Eight’s plan was plausible, though Zhou Six still sensed a slight flaw.

She lowered her gaze, thinking hard, but came up empty. Turning to Qi Xia, she asked, “Hey, what do you think?”

“Before I give my opinion, let me confirm,” Qi Xia inquired, “is Wang Eight the smartest among you?”

“What kind of question is that?” Qiu Sixteen snapped. “Do we look like a bunch of scholars to you?”

“All right, fair enough.” Qi Xia inclined his head, then fixed his gaze on Wang Eight. “I don’t quite follow—are you really proposing to lead your colleagues to their deaths with such a clumsy plan?”

“To their death...?” Wang Eight frowned. “What are you talking about? How could I ever let such a beautiful Six jie die?”

“How pitiful,” Qi Xia sighed. “Six jie trusts you so completely, hangs on your every word—yet the moment you speak you reveal your foolishness. Your build suggests you’re no fighter; now I learn you’re no strategist either. Forgive my bluntness, but I must ask: what purpose does it serve for you to remain in the ranks of the {Cats}?”

“You!!” Wang Eight flared, truly enraged this time. He jabbed a chubby finger at Qi Xia and barked, “Are you trying to sow discord here?!”