The Player Beyond the Walls: A Match of Equals

"'Sir, what have I calculated?'

Jiang Xiaoci raised a hand to touch her ear, cutting off communication with Chen Dafu. Her voice carried a light, teasing tone as she asked, 'Did you notice something, sir?'

Mike rolled his eyes, unable to stop himself. 'What do you take me for? Chen Dafu already let something slip!'

'You're so sly, Jiang Xiaoci!' Mike couldn't help but exclaim.

'Heh~'

Jiang Xiaoci's laughter was bright and carefree, as if she were in an exceptionally good mood. 'Are you referring to the issue with Wu Qing? Or perhaps the fact that the cannibal bacteria is the source of the Mother Body?'

'These two things, in your mind, are probably the same, aren't they?' Mike lowered his voice, speaking with a sharp edge. 'You initially planned to get rid of Wu Qing casually, thinking you were more concerned with Liu Wenbo.'

'Back when we were discussing Liu Wenbo and Chen Xun being the potential Mother Body, you hadn't quite figured it out yet. You didn't want to kill Liu Wenbo just then, am I right? Let me think—when did you begin to seriously consider eliminating him?'

'Ah, it must've been when I saw Chen Xun's condition. I overlooked the [random biological] warning, but you didn't miss it. You must've already had your suspicions, even if you didn't speak them out loud. But you didn't say anything.'

'I'm guessing that, at that moment, you still weren't sure that the cannibal bacteria was the Mother Body, were you?'

Mike narrowed his eyes. 'But you had your suspicions. And knowing you, once something is on your radar, you'll treat it as real, no matter how uncertain you are.'

'So, your attitude shifted. You started subtly pushing me to kill Liu Wenbo, even placing him in the "dead man's" category in your mind.'

'Because if Liu Wenbo cleared himself of being the Mother Body, you were afraid I wouldn't want to kill him. After all, you can't have two commanders in one place. Liu Wenbo was a potential threat in your eyes.'

'And so, you didn't mention any of this… But tonight's outbreak of the cannibal bacteria made you certain of your earlier hypothesis, confirming that the bacteria was the Mother Body.'

'That's why Wang Shi didn't report any further on the cannibal bacteria—he was sent on a special mission to Xinchang directly under your orders. You didn't want me asking him any more questions that could lead to a complete picture.'

'And in order to keep everything stable, you had already communicated with Chen Dafu. You knew he wouldn't kill the Mother Body cannibal bacteria!'

Mike took a deep breath. 'Even your little reminder to me about Wu Qing was a part of your plan—by saying just enough to make me act reflexively. You were always two steps ahead.'

'You deliberately gave me half a hint, making me think it was my own decision… But in reality, you'd already planned for Wu Qing to become the new Mother Body, only to dispose of him later.'

'By the time Wu Qing dies, Liu Wenbo and Chen Xun will probably be long gone, won't they?'

Mike's voice lowered, and there was an edge to his words that he had never directed at Jiang Xiaoci before. 'Xiaoci, I didn't expect this. Even I'm part of your scheme!'

There was a long silence in the air.

Jiang Xiaoci didn't speak for a while.

Mike didn't really care whether Liu Wenbo lived or died. He didn't care who Jiang Xiaoci wanted to eliminate. What stung was that she had been scheming against him!

Mike exhaled deeply, letting out a long sigh, his tone tinged with a mix of frustration and disbelief. 'Xiaoci, you aren't even going to explain yourself?'

'I... I'm afraid if I say more, sir will just be upset again.'

'What do you mean by that? Are you saying I'm being unreasonable?'

'I would never.'

Jiang Xiaoci chuckled softly, the mood lightening. 'Sir, although I shouldn't say this, having conflicts between a leader and their advisor is never a good thing.'

'Of course, I won't hold it against you.'

Jiang Xiaoci's voice dropped, almost in a whisper. 'But, if it weren't for me, sir should try to have a little more patience. A ruler must have the heart of a king, and learn how to control others.'

'Have you ever seen me lose my temper with anyone else?'

Mike furrowed his brow, growing more displeased. 'Oh, so you're just pretending not to hear me? You're not like the others! I trust you so much! Yet you've been scheming against me!'

'Sir, I haven't been scheming against you.'

Jiang Xiaoci sighed lightly, then smiled as she spoke, 'You should be able to see that Liu Wenbo and Chen Xun are still alive. You've miscalculated my plan.'

'...'

Mike was silent for a moment, then nodded. 'You're right.'

He could see that Liu Wenbo was still actively participating in rescue efforts with the Courage Alliance, and Chen Xun, though quiet, seemed to have something on his mind.

'Although I've considered killing Liu Wenbo, I would always take your position into account.'

Jiang Xiaoci whispered, 'I did have a plan, and I did withhold information from you, but it wasn't to kill Liu Wenbo or Chen Xun. I simply wanted to test your mind, to see if you could break through this situation.'

'Why test me?'

Mike raised an eyebrow, and Jiang Xiaoci suddenly smiled brightly. 'If one day I'm not around, and you have the wisdom and experience to stand on your own, you might just be able to win by yourself. After seeing your performance tonight, I have to say, it's impressive. You did make a few mistakes, but most of them were because the enemy was crafty—not your fault.'

'What do you mean, "if one day I'm not around"? Stop saying nonsense!'

Mike snapped, raising an eyebrow as he asked, 'Also, are you certain I'd figure this out?'

'If I were foolish enough to make a mistake tonight, how would you fix it?'

'What else could I do? I'd just have Chen Dafu stop, then obediently explain everything to you and go beg for forgiveness.'

Jiang Xiaoci sighed softly, but there was a clear note of approval in her voice. 'My dear sir, you might not be the sharpest, but you didn't disappoint me after all.'

She said the last part lightly, with an almost affectionate laugh.

Jiang Xiaoci was very clever, and her schemes were all carefully designed—slowly stepping back from the lead role, guiding Mike into the position of decision-maker without him even realizing it.

Mike reflected on the events in Xinchang, and it was now obvious to him that ever since he sent the rescue team there, Jiang Xiaoci had been avoiding making any major decisions herself.

Whenever he asked her something, she rarely gave him a direct answer. Instead, her communication was all about leading him.

At the time, Mike had thought that perhaps she was overwhelmed with the affairs of two cities, but now it was clear: she wasn't overwhelmed—she was trying to train him!

'I... I've become a puppet, haven't I?'

Mike took a deep breath, letting out a long exhale with a hint of sarcasm. 'I've become like A Dou, haven't I?'

'Sir, you're much more capable than A Dou.'

Jiang Xiaoci chuckled. 'If the mastermind were in Xinchang, I'm sure he'd stand no chance against you. You'd catch him in no time and make him confess.'

'So, the mastermind is not in Xinchang?'

Mike frowned slightly. As he returned to the task at hand, his expression grew serious, his gaze drifting toward Chen Dafu's position. 'I initially thought it might be Wu Qing…'

Mike had suspected it, but wasn't sure, so he hadn't mentioned it to Jiang Xiaoci.

'You've probably figured it out by now, haven't you?'

Jiang Xiaoci asked with a smile. Mike paused, then nodded. 'After tonight's outbreak, I knew it wasn't Wu Qing. If it wasn't him, then the mastermind is either hiding too deep or isn't even in Xinchang.'

'After all, the Soul Plague doesn't mention any distance limitations for the Mother Body's source.'

'This means the mastermind might be controlling things from outside Xinchang, manipulating the situation from afar.'

Mike's voice grew lower, and a deep wariness flickered in his eyes. 'This guy's schemes run deep! To be outside Xinchang and still control events here shows immense power. He's no ordinary player.'

'It sounds like you're more than a little upset. Do you want to catch him that badly?'

Jiang Xiaoci asked with a playful smile, and Mike nodded.

'Of course. I can't let this slide. He dug a pit for me, and he's outside Xinchang, trying to play tricks. He almost cost me dearly. I don't take that lightly.'

Mike's pride as the ruler of Jinling was at stake.

'But it won't be easy to catch him.'

Jiang Xiaoci paused, then softly warned, 'Have you considered this might still be a trap?'

'What do you mean?'

'The Mother Body of the cannibal bacteria is exposed, Wu Qing has been suppressed for over 20 minutes, and yet the mastermind hasn't reacted.'

Jiang Xiaoci's eyes narrowed. 'If he were really that powerful, how could he not have countermeasures? Could it be... that he's left us this clue on purpose, to provoke your anger, to lead you into his trap?'

'It's like a hunter watching its prey struggle, waiting for it to get angry and fall right into the trap.'

Mike's heart skipped a beat. 'You mean... this guy is calculating all of this? He's not just an enemy, he's a genius strategist! This can't be real!'

Mike was skeptical, but Jiang Xiaoci's analysis made him reconsider. She was often right.

'These are just my speculations, nothing certain.'

Jiang Xiaoci shook her head, a beautiful smile curling on her lips. 'But if it's true… then this is truly a match of equals. It excites me.'