Doomsday Wonderland

The answer to the question was quite in line with Occam's razor—the simplest explanation is often the most likely one. Qian Dao pondered briefly and then exclaimed, "He canceled his lease?"

Lin Sanjiu looked at Whit E. and asked, "Is that right?"

Whit E. clenched his teeth, muscles bulging on his cheeks, remaining silent.

Though this game had the facade of a marketplace, its operations hardly resembled real-world business. He couldn't be in debt or take loans. At that time, with only ten dollars left and the first hour drawing to a close, Lin Sanjiu could imagine his desperation.

Since Whit E. was still not responding, she decided to elaborate. "You didn't expect it to be so hard to find clients, and your office became a burden. The only way for you to have a slim chance of surviving was to cancel the lease... there was no other option for you. However, this would require that someone among us leave their office, right?"

Qian Dao suddenly furrowed his brows. "Did... did you know I was following you?"

Whit E. still kept silent.

With this hint, Lin Sanjiu didn't need his answer. She exclaimed in realization, "After Qian Dao started following you, you realized he wasn't in his own office, so you dared to cancel your lease. After all, if you kept some distance and spoke softly, he might not hear."

"You... you really noticed me?" Qian Dao seemed somewhat incredulous. "No, no, I clearly saw you being extremely cautious the entire time, using all sorts of tactics, as if you feared being followed. Was all that just a show for me?"

"The first time might have worked, but did you really think your tricks would work every time?" Whit E. sneered. "Yes, I knew you were following me from the start. Though I couldn't shake you off, I was well aware you were tailing me."

Lin Sanjiu had no idea what Qian Dao's tricks were or how to detect and avoid them. Although the players in this game might not be as powerful as her, each of them was crafty. They had survived doomsday for a reason.

Including herself, who wasn't just about brute strength as it seemed on the surface.

"No wonder you didn't want Lily to go searching. You feared the fact that you didn't have an office would be exposed," she said with a slight smile, feeling more confident. "Your target wasn't my office at all. As long as Qian Dao isn't in his office, you could survive a little longer in the game. Once he received money and hired employees to take over my office, you would head straight to his. Your real target was his office."

"You've miscalculated then," Qian Dao said to Whit E. He dusted off non-existent dust from his clothes in an old-fashioned gesture. "Why do you always forget? I have a defensive employee in my office who can hold you off for five minutes. By the time I cancel the lease on her office and return to mine, it'll still be in time."

This was a curious point. Given Whit E.'s ability to think and react, it's improbable he would forget such a significant disadvantage. Could it be that she guessed wrong? Was Whit E.'s plan different?

Lin Sanjiu pondered, and as her gaze shifted, it brushed across the doorplate of the office. The information for "Lin Sanjiu Company" caught her eye, igniting a budding thought.

Lin Sanjiu looked at Qian Dao, asking, "Is that so? Are you sure about that?"

Qian Dao's face darkened. "What do you mean?"

"Did you kill one of my search employees?"

Qian Dao was taken aback. "No, I didn't..."

"But one of my search employees is dead." Lin Sanjiu tapped on the door, saying. "If it wasn't you, then it must've been him. I had two search employees. He killed one and followed the other... Why?"

"Why?"

"I don't know, I'm asking you."

For a moment, Qian Dao glanced between the brooding Whit E. and Lin Sanjiu, suddenly taking a sharp intake of breath. He turned to Whit E. "How... how did you manage it? Why..."

Whit E. took a deep breath. He shot Lin Sanjiu a piercing look, as if he wanted to see right through her, murmuring, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't deny it." Qian Dao, quick-witted, had pieced together the rough picture by now. "I understand."

"What's going on?" Lin Sanjiu was genuinely eager to know the details now.

Qian Dao chuckled coldly, straightened up, and took a step back, effectively blocking the corridor behind him—ensuring no one could dash past him. "He was quite sneaky at that time, sometimes feigning a retreat only to attack again, and sometimes making a detour to return from another direction. All tactics to prevent being tailed. While I was tracking him, to avoid detection, I intentionally maintained a distance. With that gap, he had enough time to pull off quite a few tricks."

"You deliberately took on the appearance of a search employee, not to deceive her," Qian Dao lifted his chin towards Lin Sanjiu, "but to deceive me, right? So, are you planning to explain to us?"

Whit E.'s expression was as unpleasant as it could get. After a few seconds of silence, he chuckled. In a raspy voice, he told Lin Sanjiu, "Congratulations, it seems you've broken the deadlock."

As soon as he said this, Qian Dao swiftly turned and bolted into the corridor behind him, moving with such agility that it seemed he had no intention of waiting for Whit E.'s explanation. By the time Lin Sanjiu registered the movement, he was already far away, darting to the right and vanishing into the corridor.

Whit E. silently bent down, placing his hands on his knees, looking as if someone had suddenly removed his bones. He slowly sat down cross-legged, reverting to his original appearance; staring blankly at the gray-blue carpet in front of him, as if all will to fight had left him.

"I'm done." Each word seemed hollow as if only a shell remained.

It appeared that Qian Dao, fearing Whit E. might follow, must have used his utmost speed to return to his office in less than a minute. As he did, a broadcast sounded in the corridor, "Whit E. Company has officially gone bankrupt. We express our regrets. After the game, player Whit E. will receive a penalty for failure."

"What happened?" Lin Sanjiu asked. "What did you..."

Whit E. seemed not to hear her. Aside from a fleeting bitter smile, he showed no reaction.

Lily peeked out from behind Lin Sanjiu, glanced at Whit E., then withdrew. After a few seconds, she hesitantly peeked out again. "I lost too," she said with a stiff tone, still wary of Whit E. "But she said she would help me."

Whit E. slowly lifted his head and scoffed. "Help? How? Can she really contend with the organizers of the game?"

Lily shrugged. "That's what she said. I'm taking a chance here, hoping for the best, expecting the worst. Maybe she can pull it off, and if we're lucky, something good might happen. What other choice do we have?"

Lin Sanjiu gave her a sidelong glance. Surprisingly, the girl seemed to know quite a few sayings.

Whit E. said nothing, still hanging his head, looking deflated. Once a robust and ruddy man, he now looked like a pile of dried leaves.

But Lily hadn't finished.

"If she can help me, I think whether it's for one person or two, maybe she can help you too." Although Lily was speaking on behalf of Lin Sanjiu, her expression was quite serious. After finishing, she gave Lin Sanjiu a meaningful look, and Lin Sanjiu immediately understood – winning Whit E. over would be the best arrangement for everyone, except of course, Qian Dao.

"I'm willing to help you too. After all,it's the game that set us against each other; I have no personal grudge againstyou." Lin Sanjiu genuinely felt this way. She asked softly, "What didyou do just now?"

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