Chapter Sixteen: The Killing Game (Part Four)

Tan Yue was clearly aware of why Luo Hanya had stayed behind. He glanced at Luo Hanya and asked directly, "Go on, what exactly do you want to ask?"

Luo Hanya understood that when speaking to an intelligent person, it's best not to beat around the bush; straightforwardness was more practical. He smiled, sincere, and said, "I think we can work together."

Tan Yue raised his eyebrows, evidently surprised by Luo Hanya's proposal of cooperation. He scrutinized Luo Hanya from head to toe and said calmly, "It seems you've figured something out."

"I see that you don't care about winning or losing in this game. Although we both need money, lives are more important than money. Officer, am I right?" Luo Hanya smiled, leaning forward in a friendly gesture as he extended a hand toward Tan Yue.

Tan Yue's expression stiffened, then grew complex. Clearly, Luo Hanya had struck a chord, but he hesitated—was he really still that kind of person?

He remembered that he used to be, but after all these years and so many experiences, was he truly unchanged? He knew all too well the cruel things he'd done while undercover, and so much was no longer as it once was. Tan Yue sighed deeply, closed his eyes to reminisce for a moment, then his lips curled upward and his gaze cleared, resting on the man before him.

He felt this fellow seemed more agreeable now, and he himself seemed to have returned to the days when he first became a policeman—spirited, fiercely opposed to evil.

Luo Hanya quietly watched the transformation in this officer. The gloom seemed to dissipate from him, like light returning to a place long shrouded in darkness. When Tan Yue smiled, Luo Hanya felt as though he had finally released the knot that had haunted him for years, as if his whole person had become lighter. Perhaps this was the power of trust.

"You are right. We can not only cooperate, but truly become friends—if we manage to leave this damned place alive." Tan Yue gently took Luo Hanya's outstretched hand, his gaze gentle and his tone resolute.

Luo Hanya's heart skipped a beat. He knew Tan Yue was making a vow, much like those who promise to marry after the war ends. In stories, such people rarely make it to the end.

"Bah, what am I thinking? I shouldn't be cursing him like that." Luo Hanya inwardly lamented, but his smile remained unchanged as he replied firmly, "I believe that day will come."

After this brief exchange, Luo Hanya and Tan Yue searched the room, then parted ways, for time was precious and there was little left for talk.

Following a morning of searching, everyone gathered once more in the hall. Each seemed to have made some progress; at the very least, every room on the first three floors had been thoroughly searched. They piled all the signal transmitters found in the hall and destroyed them one by one. In their eyes flickered a variety of emotions—relief, confusion, hope. Yet Bloodhand alone showed disdain, his lips curled in a strange smile.

Luo Hanya inadvertently met Bloodhand’s gaze and felt a chill run through him. That was the look of a predator eyeing its prey. "What is Bloodhand planning?" Luo Hanya grew cautious, but with Tan Yue present, he reassured himself that Bloodhand wouldn't dare make a move, and returned his focus to searching for transmitters.

The situation was now clear. After a morning’s effort, nearly all the transmitters that could be found had been located. In the afternoon, they only needed to search around the villa once more, and the task would be complete. If the bomb failed to detonate, all would be well; but if it exploded regardless, the mood among everyone would shift dramatically, and hope would dwindle.

They ate lunch in the hall. The meal was prepared, as always, by the old butler. But clearly, attitudes toward him had changed. Most, seeing him as an elderly man who had done nothing particularly egregious, refrained from excess. Bloodhand, however, was different.

"You old fool, tell me honestly—where are the remaining transmitters? Where’s that damned old man?" Bloodhand slouched in his chair, shouting viciously at the butler.

The butler acted as if he heard nothing, standing quietly in his usual spot, posture straight and unmoving.

"You old fool, I'm talking to you! Don’t play deaf and dumb with me." Bloodhand’s face twisted with rage as he strode to the butler, grabbing his collar and dragging him up.

From the butler’s throat came garbled noises; he pointed frantically at his ear, shaking his head.

"Hmph, refusing to speak, are you? Let’s see you pretend!" Bloodhand, infuriated by the butler’s reaction, swung a fist at him.

To Bloodhand’s surprise, someone seized his hand, holding it fast. He struggled with all his might, but could not break free—it had to be Tan Yue. Yet Bloodhand was not about to submit; like a wild wolf, he tossed the butler aside and lunged at Tan Yue.

Bloodhand wrenched his right hand free, raised his leg and kicked straight at Tan Yue’s lower body. Tan Yue’s expression was serious, but he remained unflustered; he bent his leg, blocking the kick with his knee, then moved to subdue Bloodhand quickly. But Bloodhand was no easy opponent; he attacked relentlessly and ignored Tan Yue's moves, intent on trading injury for injury. This desperate fighting style forced Tan Yue to play it safe. Though he managed to fend off Bloodhand’s assault, danger mounted, and things were turning dire.

Seeing this, the others rushed to separate them. Xiaobai and Luo Hanya struggled together to restrain Bloodhand, who shot Tan Yue a vicious glare, shook off their grip, and sat down angrily. Yet no one noticed the hint of satisfaction that flickered in Bloodhand’s eyes as he settled.

Afterwards, the atmosphere in the hall grew heavy. Everyone ate lunch in silence—the fragile alliance seemed on the verge of collapse.

Luo Hanya racked his brain for a solution but found none. At that moment, Tan Yue stepped forward again. His gaze swept the room like a blade; his voice was steadfast as he declared, "We are all facing a threat to our lives. I don’t want us to turn against each other—I want as many of us as possible to survive." He paused, casting a meaningful glance at Bloodhand, who snorted and turned away.

Tan Yue continued, "Any infighting right now is irresponsible to ourselves. Perhaps some of you are still interested in that hundred million dollars. My view is, first survive—afterwards, fight over the money as you wish. Life is everything. Only by staying alive can you reclaim what that old man holds over you, can you start anew. When even survival becomes a luxury, what meaning does anything else have?"

Tan Yue’s unexpected speech stunned everyone. "Yes, survival is already a luxury—what else matters?" Each pondered in their heart, and their will to live rekindled hope. Except for Bloodhand, everyone began to discuss how to conduct the afternoon search.

Luo Hanya watched as Tan Yue once again guided everyone’s focus back to survival, and could not help but admire his quick thinking. He knew that had Tan Yue not stepped forward, everyone would have sunk into despair. Under threat of death, people can do the unimaginable, which is why leaders are most vital in the darkest times—they rally courage and restore unity.

In the opulent hall, they finished lunch and began allocating search tasks for the afternoon. Tan Yue suggested dividing into four groups, each to search a different direction around the villa. Wang Yue proposed pairing each man and woman for each area, but since none of the four women dared to team with Bloodhand, Tan Yue volunteered to join him, and Bloodhand surprisingly did not object.

After some discussion, the final plan was set: Tan Yue and Bloodhand would search the northwest, Luo Hanya and Wang Hui would search the southwest, Li Xin and Liu Shanshan the northeast, Xiaobai and Wang Yue the southeast.

They agreed that regardless of whether transmitters were found, everyone would return to the hall before 5 p.m., so as not to miss the voting session. When the vote was mentioned, Wang Hui’s gaze dimmed, yet she said nothing, holding on to her last hope.