The Player Awaits the Big Catch

"It will kill me?"Mike froze at the words, frowning as he asked, "Xiao Ci, can you see the future?"Xiao Ci possessed a rare talent, Decision Prophet, allowing her to briefly glimpse the potential outcomes and impacts of her choices."Yes," she nodded lightly. "When I spoke to him, I briefly saw the future of my decision... In that future, I lost you.""Lost... not dead?""Perhaps it's worse than death," Xiao Ci's voice was heavy, her words filled with a chilling unease. "In that future, I couldn't feel your presence."Mike fell into a deep silence, a complex surge of emotions overwhelming him. It was incomprehensible how, by sheer coincidence, he had averted the bad future and eliminated an option that had seemed destined to fail."So if I keep him alive, I'll survive?"Mike took a deep breath. Xiao Ci shook her head. "I can't repeatedly glimpse the same future. If killing him will lead to your death, then I have no choice but to keep him alive.""But what I really want to understand is the motive and method behind his death that would lead to your demise."Xiao Ci's eyes narrowed as she spoke softly, "From what I saw, killing him would indirectly cause your death. Keeping him alive, however, opens up many possible futures, and two stand out as especially concerning.""One is: keep him alive, and you remain unharmed.""The other is: keep him alive, and you will still be dragged down to death.""The first scenario doesn't need much consideration, but if it's the second..." she paused, her voice growing serious. "I think it's highly likely."Xiao Ci continued, "The reason I feel this way is because when I spoke with him, there was nothing unusual about his behavior—everything from his tone to his gestures was exactly as I expected.""Isn't that a good thing?"Mike frowned, suddenly speaking up, "Wait! You mean, he's deliberately cooperating with you?""Yes. His normalcy is the problem," Xiao Ci answered flatly, her gaze piercing through the situation. "Everything with Xinchang has gone too smoothly from the start. If things continue according to plan... within a week, we'll have resolved the chaos here.""Of course, I'm not implying that the higher-ups' orders are flawed, but the main issue lies in Xinchang itself—or rather, with Liu Wenbo.""As the commander, he is incapable of saving the city. I understand that it's due to his personal limitations. But if we look at the situation from a broader perspective, his madness seems perfectly timed. Just when he's about to unite Xinchang, he snaps and kills someone.""In the end, this keeps Xinchang in a state of chaos."Xiao Ci's eyes narrowed further. "This is the real anomaly.""I agree," Mike responded seriously, adding his thoughts. "Xiao Ci, I'm sure someone is pulling strings behind the scenes—likely a special talent or ability. If we want to avoid the bad future, we need to start with Liu Wenbo and uncover the cause behind all this...""No," Xiao Ci suddenly interrupted him, her voice stern. "Don't dig too deep into this just yet.""Think about it, sir, doesn't this whole thing seem like a trap?""A city in chaos, a commander going mad, a powerful rescue force dispatched by the higher-ups... Anyone would naturally become curious about Liu Wenbo in such a situation.""Everyone will wonder if his madness is caused by some kind of talent or mechanism. Out of self-preservation, those with power will want to investigate."Xiao Ci's voice grew heavier. "Doesn't all of this seem too convenient?"She paused, then murmured, "Doesn't it feel like a snare, waiting for curious minds to step right into it... only for the hunter to strike from the shadows?"Mike's eyes widened in realization, the weight of Xiao Ci's words sinking in."Damn..." he muttered under his breath.Upon further thought, it made perfect sense. With everything happening around Liu Wenbo, anyone would naturally try to understand what drove him mad. But if Liu Wenbo's madness was the work of a hidden hand, wouldn't he be an unwitting bait for something much more sinister?"Sir, Liu Wenbo is just a pawn," Xiao Ci continued, her tone cold and calculating. "The real mastermind behind him is highly skilled. We can't afford to dig too much into his identity just yet."Mike's brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait a minute—if Liu Wenbo is the problem... then why haven't all the other powerful individuals in Xinchang figured this out? Isn't Chen Xun and his team still trying to figure out what caused Liu Wenbo to snap?""That's because they're not qualified," Xiao Ci replied with a shake of her head. "The fish are too small, and the hunter isn't ready to catch them yet.""As long as Liu Wenbo is alive, whether people can uncover the cause of his madness depends entirely on his cooperation.""If he cooperates, the truth can be easily revealed; if he pretends to be crazy, no one can do a thing... at least we don't have the means to peer into his mind. If Liu Wenbo possesses any special ability, we wouldn't be able to discern whether his words are true or false.""So, you're saying Liu Wenbo is hunting for a bigger fish... and he's targeting me?"Mike's eyes widened in shock. There hadn't been anyone more prominent than the third-ranked national commander.He suddenly understood—Liu Wenbo's madness could be tied to some kind of parasite ability, one that could exert influence at a distance, undetectable and impossible to resist.Mike didn't even know if he had already been infected by this mechanism. There were too many strange factors in play—too many things to guard against.The feeling was dreadful.Mike's heart sank, a sense of familiar, long-forgotten anxiety creeping up on him.Xiao Ci seemed to sense the pressure emanating from Mike's silence and gently laughed to ease his discomfort. "Sir, my guess might not be entirely accurate.""Perhaps I've overcomplicated things. Liu Wenbo's situation might not be as threatening as I think. His madness could have simply been caused by some special or coincidental factors...""Xiao Ci, spare me the comforting words," Mike said with a bitter smile. "If I were that naïve, I would have died a thousand times already."Complacency was his greatest enemy.Mike preferred to think of the worst-case scenario than be blindsided by arrogance."Your analysis only confirms that Liu Wenbo could indirectly cause my death in some future. Even keeping him alive could pose a huge risk to me."Mike rubbed his forehead. "Xiao Ci, I can't come up with a solution. What do you think we should do?""Use Lu Nianxin?"Mike took a deep breath. "He's a psychic; maybe he can probe Liu Wenbo's true nature, at least determine if what he says is true."In that moment, Mike's mind cleared.He suddenly understood the sensation he'd felt when facing Chen Dafu.It was a sense of helplessness—of having immense power but being unable to apply it effectively.But what set Mike apart from Chen Dafu was that at least he had Xiao Ci at his side, strategizing.

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