Chapter 229: Are They Teammates? (5)

The Verification Cards could verify whether the people around you were teammates—or enemies.

They were incredibly important items. They had obtained three of them at once, yet there were only three, making it impossible for everyone to have one.

No one spoke.

Their eyes remained fixed on the Verification Cards.

If they had been equipment, no one would have cared this much, but the Verification Cards were directly tied to life and death.

Confirm one teammate, and that was one less person you might accidentally kill.

Confirm one enemy, and you had to find a way to eliminate them.

If they didn't start planning from the very beginning, then once the opposing camp accumulated more points while their own camp fell behind, they could very well lose the match.

Losing meant death.

They wanted to leave the <Top Talent Show> alive.

They didn't want to break their promise to He Yu.

And above all—they didn't want to die.

Besides, even if they didn't keep the cards themselves, they absolutely couldn't allow them to fall into someone else's hands.

Just imagine it—you had no idea who someone really was, while they already knew you were their enemy and secretly plotted every possible way to kill you...

How terrifying was that?

Tang Ke took a deep breath, staring unblinkingly at the Verification Cards. His voice was hoarse.

"There are only three. How do we divide them?"

"According to contribution," Duan Yuchen raised an eyebrow slightly. "We contributed a Blazing Fire Grass. Everyone knows how precious that is."

Gedai said calmly, "Even if you divide them based on the Blazing Fire Grass, there are still four of you."

But there were only three cards.

Besides, the very fact that he said that meant he didn't support dividing them that way.

Siya pursed her lips before speaking softly.

"You provided the Blazing Fire Grass, but we also contributed plenty of Firestones and other burning materials. Everyone contributed to completing the mission. How are you supposed to judge who contributed more?"

Eugene spoke frankly.

"I want one. Name your price."

—He wanted to verify his relationship with He Yu.

Wanrenzhan sneered.

"I want one too. You can name your terms."

Zhen Xing said nothing, but his posture shifted into one that could launch into battle at any moment.

The previously harmonious atmosphere vanished in an instant.

Qiong took a deep breath, closed her eyes briefly, and suppressed her desire.

"He Yu gets one. No objections?"

The moment those words left her mouth, no one objected.

Clearly, everyone agreed that He Yu should receive one.

He Yu's circumstances were unique. He had saved almost everyone's life—more than once, in many cases. Even if contributions were measured objectively, He Yu deserved the greatest credit because nearly every plan had come from him.

—They still needed to rely on He Yu going forward. There was no reason not to treat him well.

Besides, emotionally speaking, none of them had any objection to letting He Yu keep one.

Eugene nodded.

"I agree. Yuyu's combat power is too low. He needs to identify at least one teammate he can trust."

Tang Ke hesitated before speaking.

"He Yu deserves one, but I actually don't recommend giving it to him. I'd rather someone else had it."

Seeing everyone looking at him, he hurriedly explained,

"I don't mean anything else by it. It's just that He Yu's situation is special. Even if he verifies a teammate, it won't help because the other person won't know."

Suppose He Yu verified that someone was his teammate.

That person still wouldn't know they were on the same side and might still attack He Yu.

Only if someone else verified that He Yu was their teammate would they protect him without hesitation.

Tang Ke wasn't wrong.

After thinking for a moment, Duan Yuchen nodded.

"That makes sense. Besides, we're all after the Verification Cards for the same reason."

—To verify He Yu!

If He Yu turned out to belong to their own camp, then with the strongest support and the greatest strategist on their side, their chances of victory would soar.

But if He Yu belonged to the enemy camp...

Then they'd have to seriously consider how to deal with him.

Everyone wanted a Verification Card.

No one wanted to give one up.

All eyes remained locked on the cards as the atmosphere became increasingly tense.

[Bullet Screen: "Damn it, am I the only one worried about He Yu?"]

[Bullet Screen: "I'm worried too! If they get the cards, the first thing they'll do is verify their relationship with He Yu. They'll immediately discover he's on the opposing side!"]

[Bullet Screen: "Exactly! The scariest part is that no one will ever verify He Yu as being in the same camp. That means nobody will protect him!!"]

The audience was extremely anxious.

From their perspective, the moment someone confirmed that He Yu was an enemy, they would immediately try to eliminate him—the greatest hidden threat.

Even those who didn't want to fight He Yu personally might choose to distance themselves from him, act independently, and accumulate points instead. After all, they would assume someone else would protect him.

But if everyone believed He Yu wasn't on their side...

Then everyone would stay away.

And no one would protect him.

His combat power was too low to complete missions alone. If he encountered other contestants, they would most likely attack him immediately, making him their highest-priority target.

—He Yu was in danger!

The audience was frantic, staring fixedly at the three cards on the screen, wishing they didn't exist.

Of course, that was impossible.

So they turned their attention to the production team.

But for some unknown reason, the production team stubbornly played dead this time, refusing to come out and explain anything.

The crowd outside the Royal Palace was so furious they were practically ready to smash down the gates.

The King had a splitting headache.

He Yu, however, remained perfectly calm.

He looked quietly at the three cards as though he knew nothing and nothing unusual had happened.

Suddenly, Bo Jingshan turned toward him.

"He Yu, what do you think should be done with these three cards?"

Instantly, everyone looked at He Yu.

Zhen Xing, Wanrenzhan, Ling Buchen, and Bo Jingshan trusted He Yu unconditionally.

Qiong, Siya, Eugene, and Duan Yuchen also believed him.

Gedai, Yuan Ze, Zhante, and Tang Ke were likewise more than willing to hear his opinion.

So every pair of eyes settled on him.

The pressure was entirely his.

Everyone else was covered in mud, filthy from head to toe.

Only He Yu remained immaculate.

His shoes were dirty, but his white fur-lined coat was still as white as snow, and both his face and hands remained perfectly clean.

He raised a hand and adjusted his glasses.

"There are only two options."

"First, fight each other. Whoever wins gets them."

The atmosphere became even more strained.

Everyone's breathing stalled as they watched each other out of the corners of their eyes.

He Yu continued,

"But that also means you might kill your own teammates. Someone may die before even having the chance to display their true strength, leaving their fate entirely in someone else's hands."

Everyone: "..."

The atmosphere became even more suffocating.

That was absolutely unacceptable.

Even though death at the moment wasn't permanent, none of them wanted to entrust their lives to someone else.

Every contestant present was an elite.

They were the backbone of their respective camps.

They were supposed to survive until the very end.

Duan Yuchen shook his head.

"That won't work. Besides, we already agreed not to fight before today is over. We're cooperating."

Eugene asked,

"And the second option?"

He Yu answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Give them all to me."

His gaze swept across everyone.

"I'll hold on to all three Verification Cards. Once we've gathered enough for everyone to have one, then we'll split up."

—It was the fairest solution.

Besides, there was strength in numbers. Completing missions together would be much easier.

Once everyone possessed their own Verification Card, they could begin acting independently.

Zhen Xing nodded.

"I agree."

Ling Buchen and Bo Jingshan naturally nodded as well.

Wanrenzhan stepped forward, but after glancing at He Yu's spotless clothes and then at his own muddy appearance, he quietly moved to stand beside He Yu instead, backing him up.

"He Yu's right. I think it's an excellent idea. Five of us already agree. Does anyone still have objections?"

As he mentioned objections, he rolled his neck and cracked his knuckles.

The implication was obvious.

Anyone who objected...

Could die.

Everyone: "..."

Eugene rolled his eyes again.

He thought the current peacocking Wanrenzhan was even more annoying than the old Wanrenzhan who constantly acted tsundere.

"I have no objections. He Yu's plan is workable."

The others nodded as well.

They all agreed with He Yu's reasoning.

No one was willing to give up a card, and the only alternative was fighting each other.

That was exactly the outcome none of them wanted.

He Yu's solution was excellent.

Of course...

Wanrenzhan's threat also played a role.

Without equipment, Wanrenzhan was unquestionably invincible.

At this particular time and place, no one wanted to become his enemy.

He Yu nodded calmly.

"Then let's head to the next mission point."

He casually collected all three Verification Cards.

With the cards in He Yu's possession, everyone felt completely at ease.

[Bullet Screen: "Something feels off..."]

[Bullet Screen: "Why do I feel like He Yu simply doesn't want to give them the cards—or let them split up?"]

[Bullet Screen: "What do you mean?"]

Outside the Royal Palace.

Qiao smiled.

"He Yu really is clever."

Larry still hadn't figured it out. Slightly stunned, he turned toward Qiao.

"What do you mean?"

Qiao smiled as he explained,

"Didn't you notice? He Yu doesn't want them to split up. At first, he said no one would split up before today was over. Now he's changed it to no one splits up until everyone has a Verification Card..."

Larry suddenly understood.

"That's right! Even though they got three Verification Cards at once here, I don't believe they're easy to obtain. Even if the next mission point also rewards Verification Cards, it'll still take at least half a day to finish."

Which meant—

There was no way they could split up today.

If Verification Cards were even rarer than expected...

Then they might not split up tomorrow.

Or even the day after.

Once He Yu's actions made sense, his objective became obvious as well.

He Yu belonged to the third camp.

At least until he came up with a solution, he couldn't allow these people to discover that he was the enemy.

As long as there weren't enough Verification Cards, none of them would be distributed.

No one could use even a single one.

No one's identity could be confirmed.

At the same time, he had gathered over a dozen of the strongest experts capable of threatening him and kept them all by his side.

The group was simply too powerful.

Anyone they encountered along the way would choose to avoid them.

He Yu...

Was perfectly safe.

He could accumulate points.

Guarantee his own safety.

Prevent these experts from verifying anyone's identity.

Three birds with one stone.

He Yu truly was astonishingly intelligent.

The only question was—

How would he deal with the camp issue afterward?

Larry took a deep breath.

"A He Yu this brilliant shouldn't die because of someone else's schemes."

Holding a loudspeaker, he once again shouted toward the Royal Palace.

Qiao continued watching the livestream while standing guard outside.

They both knew that if the King continued refusing to appear, someone who wanted the throne would eventually step forward instead.

Rumor had it that An Xu, the person in charge of District One, was already growing restless...

If An Xu could provide He Yu with a fair competition environment...

They would gladly support him ascending the throne.

—

The audience could figure these things out.

Naturally, Zhen Xing and the others could as well.

The difference was that they didn't know He Yu belonged to the third camp.

From their perspective, He Yu also had no idea who was friend or foe.

So the reason he kept everyone together was simply because of the belief he had held from the very beginning—

Cooperation.

Zhen Xing looked at He Yu helplessly.

Eugene shrugged, his face equally indulgent.

The group prepared to descend the mountain.

The mountain was now covered in thick mud, making both the climb up and down difficult.

After thinking for a moment, Wanrenzhan suddenly looked at everyone else.

"Anyone have a spare set of clothes? Lend me one."

He had always worn the plainest clothing.

He never cared about style.

Naturally, he never packed spare outfits either.

Everyone: "..."

Zhante looked speechless.

"What do you need clothes for?"

Wanrenzhan glanced around and realized Zhante was the only one with a build somewhat similar to his own.

He was still a little smaller, but the clothing had enough stretch.

It should fit.

So Wanrenzhan asked,

"Got any spare clothes? Lend me a set."

Zhante looked just as speechless as before.

Still, he really did have spare clothes and tossed a set over.

After taking them, Wanrenzhan frowned in disgust.

"They're ugly."

Zhante exploded.

"Then give them the hell back!"

Naturally, Wanrenzhan didn't.

He glanced at He Yu, gave a snort, and started changing right there.

Although the livestream was still running, he was wearing a close-fitting protective underlayer beneath his clothes, so there was nothing inappropriate about taking the outer layer off.

As soon as he stripped, his powerful physique was completely revealed.

Wanrenzhan's body really was exceptional.

Every muscle was hard and defined.

A textbook eight-pack.

Each abdominal muscle seemed packed with explosive power.

A narrow waist.

And now that he was openly showing off, his entire body radiated overwhelming masculine pheromones.

Eugene looked away in disgust before asking the others,

"What is he doing? Why bother changing clothes? He's just going to get dirty again on the way down."