Chapter 20
From a conservative standpoint, it’s safest if all five of them draw regular cards.
After all, the game will last for three hours, and nobody knows what will happen during those three hours.
A man is not guilty if he doesn’t carry a treasure, but a guilty conscience betrays him.
Unless someone possesses extraordinary skills, drawing gold cards or advanced cards would make them a target.
Originally, drawing a special card, Shen Yuzhe treated it as if fate was playing a joke on him. Since he drew it, as long as he concealed it carefully, he wouldn’t attract attention.
The logic behind this should be clear to anyone with a brain. However, he never expected… Johnny was not a person with a brain.
At this moment, there were more than half of the people on the field watching him closely, even those who were in the midst of fighting Little Wolf were casting wary glances at him… At this point, even if he said he didn’t draw a gold card, no one would believe him.
Shen Yuzhe clenched his fist resignedly and waited for his teammates to finish drawing their cards before they exchanged information.
Apart from Shen Yuzhe’s “extreme luck,” surprisingly, one person among the five of them drew an advanced card—Mina. She held the card in her hand, her face pale with shock.
The other three who drew regular cards were surprised at their own “luck.”
Shen Yuzhe gave Johnny a warning glance, reminding him not to say anything more. Johnny also realized that his unnecessary comment just now had caused trouble for Shen Yuzhe, so he awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
Once everyone finished drawing their cards, the bell rang overhead, and the game officially began!
Shen Yuzhe didn’t waste time. He recalled the terrain of the base and quickly led his teammates to find hiding spots.
Among their group of five, there were two females with no combat abilities. Once they encountered a multi-person attack, their chances of survival would be slim. Finding suitable cover was essential to reduce the risk of being wiped out.
Others on the field also quickly dispersed into the jungle, nobody foolish enough to remain exposed in the open.
In less than ten minutes, the central arena on the sandbox was completely empty.
As they searched for cover, Mina asked with trembling voice, “If we give them the food we brought, will they spare us?”
Shen Yuzhe lowered his voice and said, “It won’t work. Even if we give them the food, they’ll still take our cards.”
Having two benefits, there was no reason for them to only rob one.
Mina asked hesitantly, “What if we give them the cards?”
Shen Yuzhe shook his head. Mina didn’t understand. In this situation, both she and Lily were resource loot to begin with. Even if they lost their food and cards, they wouldn’t be safe.
The weak had no qualifications to negotiate terms in Zois’s sandbox game.
While he was pondering how to explain this to Mina, Shen Yuzhe suddenly stopped in his tracks.
“What’s wrong?” Jie asked in confusion.
“I can’t leave with you guys,” Shen Yuzhe realized.
The sound of rustling leaves in the jungle seemed to suggest lurking figures everywhere. Ever since Johnny exposed himself just now, he had attracted attention, and not just from one person.
Jie frowned, realizing the situation as well.
“I can’t leave you guys. All four of you drew regular cards, no one would bother you. But it’s different for me… I’ll find a place to hide on my own,” he smiled faintly at Mina and lightly hugged her.
…Four regular cards? That’s not right, hers was clearly an advanced card.
After hugging her, Shen Yuzhe decisively turned and walked away.
“Yuzhe…!” Mina worriedly called out in his direction.
While he understood that Mina’s concern was sincere, Shen Yuzhe still appreciated her “cooperation.”
In the eyes of others, their recent interactions probably appeared like those of a couple parting reluctantly…
With the fastest speed, Shen Yuzhe distanced himself from Mina and the others. As expected, the rustling sounds from all around followed him!
Actually, upon further thought, his strength wasn’t irreplaceable within the team. If they encountered an ambush, being caught might only implicate Jie and Johnny. Rather than that, leaving alone was a better choice. It not only diverted a portion of danger but also reduced the number of people who needed protection, thus increasing the likelihood of them surviving until the game’s end.
While he was running in the opposite direction from his teammates, Shen Yuzhe caught sight of an extremely violent scene unfolding deep within the jungle, with multiple people gathered together…
“Please, spare me… I’ll give you the card, it’s an intermediate card…”
“Haha, I’ll take the card. I’ll be gentler with you… Be a good girl, my dear. If you let me enjoy, I promise to keep you safe…”
“Ah…! Someone, someone save me… Sob, sob…”
The powerless cries, obscene language, and groans of humiliation intermittently entered Shen Yuzhe’s ears, making him feel irritated and unusually angry.
However, he couldn’t protect himself, let alone interfere with others.
“…These animals!” Shen Yuzhe cursed silently and decided to keep his eyes away from them. The best course of action was to ignore them and run as fast as he could.
But his sudden sprint brought all the pursuers out.
Because there was more than one group aiming for the gold card, they had secretly been observing and balancing each other earlier. They had all calculated that fighting over resources could lead to mutual benefits, so they hadn’t rushed out initially.
Seeing the “target” start running, they forgot about hiding and began tracking him openly.
“Damn, this guy’s fast!” a burly man behind him cursed, panting heavily.
Although Shen Yuzhe hadn’t given up on learning combat skills, after Jie had suggested that he practice running techniques, he found it reasonable. If he couldn’t win a fight, naturally, running was the better option.
Two months of perseverance and training finally yielded results at a critical moment.
In reality, he wasn’t slow to begin with. The last time he fell into Marle’s hands, it was mainly because he was unfamiliar with the terrain—of course, his stamina wasn’t as good back then, and he couldn’t endure for a long distance.
Later, he discovered that when the mechanical claw brought them into the sandbox, they could overlook the entire arena. So he took the opportunity to observe. After two instances, he had memorized the layout of the buildings and terrain within the arena.
Shen Yuzhe skillfully moved through the jungle, and after a few laps, he had lost half of his pursuers.
Some couldn’t keep up due to hunger because Shen Yuzhe wasn’t just running; he was also grabbing food from his pockets and tossing it behind him as he ran. The trail was littered with bits of meat, grains, and dried fruits… At first, those people paid no attention, but as they ran, some couldn’t resist anymore.
Where there’s one, there’s two; where there’s two, there’s three… The group of people picked up the food and cursed Shen Yuzhe as cunning and deceitful.
All of this was observed by the spectators outside the arena. Little Wolf’s owner, Steven, was currently pointing at the holographic screen and laughing heartily, “Who’s this black-haired kid? This is too interesting!”
Evan pulled the corner of his mouth, “Ahem, he’s named Blake, my pawn.” He glanced at Zois with a hint of embarrassment, “Sorry, I didn’t know Blake would bring food in. I’ll give him a good lesson when we get back.”
“No problem,” Zois waved his hand. In fact, when he reviewed the playback of the last video, he realized that Shen Yuzhe had brought food in. But at that time, he had used the food to defuse a crisis, solving a bit of unnecessary trouble for himself. After all, the rule of no combat within the isolation zone was self-imposed, and that time, it was his own male’s fault for starting trouble. If it led to a bloody incident, he wouldn’t be able to explain it to Evan. So he didn’t bring it up with Evan afterwards.
Now Zois was intently watching Shen Yuzhe, his curiosity growing… Could this black-haired guy, like Kai, repeatedly escape danger? Was it due to luck or strength?
“Ah ha! He’s done for!” Just at this moment, Steven excitedly exclaimed.
Everyone’s spirits lifted, and their gazes were fixed on the screen. In the middle of the projection, on the narrow path, Shen Yuzhe who was fleeing encountered Little Wolf’s ace warrior, Steven.
Evan anxiously opened his mouth slightly and glanced at the exultant Steven. His heart was both anxious and irritated, and he secretly sweated for Shen Yuzhe.
Inside the arena, Shen Yuzhe was also drenched in sweat.
After he thought he had almost shaken off everyone, a voice suddenly came from the trees ahead.
The person there had bright green eyes, and he stared at Shen Yuzhe with excitement.
“You can really run,” the other said with a grin.
Having tracked him for almost half an hour didn’t seem to make the person breathe heavily or sweat. Instead, he appeared relaxed and content, as if he had been lying in wait for a long time.
“Still, you’ve done pretty well to shake off those guys. I thought you’d have to go through a tough battle with so many people.” Little Wolf spoke, “Swoosh,” and jumped down from the tree. As he walked towards Shen Yuzhe, he stated his purpose, “The gold card is with you, right?”
He reached his hand up and motioned for Shen Yuzhe to hand it over.
Although Shen Yuzhe was somewhat shocked and couldn’t speak for a moment, his brain didn’t stop working.
He quickly analyzed the situation and deduced that the “Little Wolf” in front of him wasn’t weak.
However, even if he wasn’t a match for Little Wolf, he couldn’t hand over the card now. Those guys he had shaken off would still be after him, and when they caught up, he would be in a tough spot.
He had to stall for time somehow.
“Yeah, do you want it?” Shen Yuzhe reached into his pocket and took out a card, waving it in front of Little Wolf.
Little Wolf’s eyes brightened, and the corners of his mouth instantly stretched to his ears, “Want! Want! Give it to me quickly!”
Shen Yuzhe pulled his hand back a bit, saying, “Hold on, I have a condition.”
“…Condition?” Little Wolf’s expression turned fierce. He extended his fist, adopting a posture that suggested he wasn’t interested in negotiating conditions and might resort to force if he didn’t get it.
Seeing this, Shen Yuzhe immediately held the card with both hands, unafraid. “If you make a move, I’ll tear up this card right now.”
Little Wolf paused, clearly displeased with being threatened. He nervously stared at the card while his eyes darted around, seemingly considering the feasibility of swiftly knocking Shen Yuzhe down and snatching the card before he could react.
But just as he leaned forward slightly, he saw Shen Yuzhe actually tear the card apart.
“Think carefully. There’s only one gold card, and if it’s gone, it’s gone. Even if you kill me later, it won’t matter.” Shen Yuzhe tore the card while speaking in a cold and ruthless manner—his momentum couldn’t afford to weaken.
“Ah! Ah!” Seeing a third of the card torn, Little Wolf was suddenly so scared that he stepped back two steps. “Don’t tear it!”
He scratched his head frantically, getting agitated. “What condition? Tell me!”
Shen Yuzhe said, “I’ll give you my card, but you have to give me your card in return.”
Little Wolf looked puzzled. “Is it that simple?”
Shen Yuzhe said, “Of course not. You also have to follow me all the time, protect me in secret, until the end of the competition. Then we’ll exchange our cards.”
Little Wolf’s expression turned ferocious again. “Why should I?”
Shen Yuzhe responded, “Didn’t you see it? I can’t defeat them, so I’ve been running. And if you follow me, you’re actually protecting the card in my hand. In case someone tries to snatch the card, they’ll be attacking me, not you. Otherwise, if you take the card from me, I’ll tell everyone that the gold card is in your hands. There’s still a long time before the end of the competition. Can you handle how many people will come after it?”
Little Wolf seemed somewhat hesitant. After a moment, he suddenly glared at Shen Yuzhe. “Let me take a closer look at the card in your hand!”
Shen Yuzhe held the card in both hands, allowing him to approach and take a look, but he remained cautious, ready to prevent him from snatching it.
At this moment, the spectators outside the arena were already shocked because the card Shen Yuzhe held in his hand was not a gold card, but rather a high-level card.
“When did the card in his hand change?” someone wondered.
“It was when he hugged that chestnut-haired woman… damn.”
