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Chapter 23: A Hidden Gun in His Waistband (Second Update)
Scorching hot and powerful…
Huo Qi, who was already on high alert, threw the extinguished torch in his hand at Gu Si’s wrist the moment Gu Si raised his gun. He then rolled to the right, narrowly avoiding the shot.
Gu Si, holding Ning Qingyan in his arms, sidestepped the torch and smirked slightly, his gaze arrogant. He fired a series of rapid shots in Huo Qi’s direction as he rolled.
His aim was precise, targeting where Huo Qi would land. But Huo Qi’s agility allowed him to dodge the critical shots. According to the rules of the simulation chip, it only counted as severe injuries, not elimination.
As the final bullet grazed Huo Qi, he tumbled off the roof and onto the grass below.
In the darkness, with no torch to light the way, one could only rely on sound to determine position. The tall grass that reached past the knees quickly obscured Huo Qi in the shadows.
Gu Si raised an eyebrow, clicked his tongue, and discarded his empty gun before jumping off the roof swiftly.
Ning Qingyan, who had been convinced by Gu Si’s logical deduction earlier, rushed to the roof, preparing to jump down as well.
Just as Gu Si was about to pursue, he paused and turned back. With a teasing smirk, he spread his arms toward Ning Qingyan. When she leaped down and landed in his embrace, his roguish voice whispered in her ear:
“Learning to throw yourself into my arms now, huh?”
Ning Qingyan withdrew from his firm, warm embrace and nodded earnestly.
“Got it. I’ll use it on my sister next time.”
Gu Si: “…”
“Ning Qingyan, can you have a little ambition? Is your head always filled with thoughts about your sister?” he asked disdainfully, his tone inexplicably irked.
“Enough of that. Let’s catch up to Huo Qi and deal with him first.”
Ning Qingyan sprinted in the direction Huo Qi had rolled, with Gu Si following closely behind, a slight smirk on his lips.
“You believe my reasoning now?”
Ning Qingyan nodded. “Mm. If you were really the mole, you wouldn’t go to such lengths to analyze Huo Qi’s potential as the mole. You’d just do what he did and try to sway me.”
Gu Si narrowed his almond-shaped eyes and smirked. “Not too bad, little brother.”
Ning Qingyan retorted with a grin, “Right back at you—just a tiny bit smarter than you.”
Since Huo Qi was severely injured, the show’s rules required that he couldn’t run too fast. Plus, the customized camouflage suit left behind glowing powder when hit.
Gu Si and Ning Qingyan quickly followed the trail of glowing powder.
Before long, the voices of the show’s director came through their earpieces:
“Darkness is fading. Dawn is approaching. Light will soon shine upon the earth. One-hour time limit.”
“Hint for the mole: The mole has a small ‘Mole’ tag hidden on a part of their body.”
As the announcement ended, the previously starless and dark sky began to brighten. Visibility improved, but the glowing powder no longer shone.
Gu Si lowered his gaze, his voice calm yet deep. “That guy got lucky. When we catch him, we’ll search his body for the mole tag to confirm if he’s the mole.”
The best strategy would be for all four players to gather and conduct a group search, preventing the mole from turning the tables. After all, in a 3v1 or even 2v2 scenario, the mole wouldn’t stand a chance.
Ning Qingyan surveyed her surroundings and analyzed, “Since he’s injured and can’t run fast, and we’ve been chasing him for a while, he must be nearby.”
Gu Si squinted in the direction to the right.
“Let’s split up and search around here. I’ll go that way.”
Ning Qingyan hesitated, her logic prevailing.
“What if Huo Qi has already regrouped with Qiao Li? If we separate and one of us ends up in a 2v1 scenario, we could be eliminated.”
Gu Si’s tone was nonchalant, even lazy. “A little sister dragging along an injured teammate? Easy to deal with. Have some confidence, little Yan.”
Seeing Ning Qingyan still frowning, Gu Si reluctantly added, “Fine. Just stay nearby. If you run into someone, shout. I’ll do the same, and we’ll regroup if we hear anything.”
“Alright.”
The two split up to search.
Gu Si moved swiftly and soon disappeared from view. Ning Qingyan, cautious of the risks, didn’t stray far. She was afraid of being outnumbered herself or Gu Si encountering the same fate.
After a long search without spotting anyone, Ning Qingyan decided to return to their meeting point. But when she arrived, Gu Si was nowhere to be seen, nor had she heard him call out.
Feeling uneasy, she ran in the direction he had gone, shouting, “Gu Si! Brother! Did you find him? Where are you?”
Her calls were met only with the rustling of grass in the wind.
Eventually, she reached a small hill with messy footprints. She climbed up, gaining a clear view.
At the bottom, Gu Si was clutching his injured arm. Not far from him, Huo Qi and Qiao Li were being escorted away by staff.
At the same time, the director’s voice came through the earpieces:
“Qiao Li OUT. Qiao Li OUT. Qiao Li OUT.”
“Huo Qi OUT. Huo Qi OUT. Huo Qi OUT.”
Hearing Ning Qingyan’s footsteps, Gu Si glanced up and opened his arms, his voice unusually gentle.
“Come down. I’ve eliminated them. We’ve won.”
Ning Qingyan exhaled in relief, watching Gu Si toss aside his gun. Trusting him as before, she jumped down into his embrace.
But this time, due to the hill’s height and momentum, she ended up knocking them both into the grass.
Gu Si’s right hand wrapped around her slender waist, his embrace warm and secure. Ning Qingyan’s smile reached her eyes as she subtly slid a hidden gun from her sleeve into her palm. In such a close position, Gu Si couldn’t escape.
Yet, instead of panicking, Gu Si tightened his grip, immobilizing her arms.
She frowned at his fearless demeanor.
Then, a gunshot rang out.
The simulation chip on Gu Si’s abdomen flashed red, signaling a severe injury.
However, before Ning Qingyan could react, Gu Si pulled a second gun from his waistband and pressed it against her back, his tone casual.
“Better luck next time, little rookie.”
Another gunshot followed.
The director’s voice echoed:
“Ning Qingyan OUT. Ning Qingyan OUT. Ning Qingyan OUT.”
“Game over. Mole Gu Si wins!”
Live chat exploded:
“WHAT?! Plot twist of the century!”
“I thought Gu Si was done for! He ambushed Huo Qi while Qiao Li was helping him. Genius!”
“That ending was insane! The trust, the betrayal—my heart can’t take it!”
Ning Qingyan, still dazed, muttered gloomily, “You guessed I had a gun, didn’t you? That’s why you held me so tight!”
Gu Si ruffled her hair lazily. “Of course. You’ve got a long way to go before outsmarting me.”