You said you were going to make games, how did you become the richest man without doing anything?

Chapter 612

At Old Man Gao's command, the assembly hall fell into a deathly silence. No one dared to speak, no one dared to make a sound. But the deeper the silence, the more piercing those subtle, unexpressed emotions became.

Tang Yin sat in the corner, head bowed, fingers tapping lightly on his knees. His expression was calm, but his gaze was fixed on Xia Hui. No one knew what he was thinking, perhaps even he himself was unsure.

Silence does help calm things down.

At least, that's how it is for Tang Yin.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to collect his thoughts. His current situation was both fortunate and unfortunate. Fortunately, he knew Xia Hui was a fake—every word and every action of hers revealed a lame loophole. Unfortunately, knowing the truth didn't mean he could easily change the situation.

We must act correctly to help the party get back on track.

Tang Yin's brow furrowed slightly. It sounded simple, but what exactly was the "right course of action"? He knew clearly that to expose Xia Hui, he had to reveal his true identity. However, this step was obviously dangerous. Once the Wolf Faction knew his true identity, his situation would only become more difficult.

Tang Yin's eyes swept across the crowd in the assembly hall, his gaze gradually deepening. He quickly made a deduction in his mind:

——There are now two candidates for the snake, myself and Xia Hui.

——Today, they will not be hanged no matter what.

——According to common sense, everyone would let them check the target individually, and then infer who the real snake is based on the results.

But here's the problem.

Before that, the wolves would surely strike first. Tang Yin could almost imagine himself becoming the wolves' target tonight. Xia Hui's purpose was clear: a "luring the snake out of its hole" ploy. She deliberately exposed herself, forcing the real snake to come forward.

This must be the Wolf Camp's battle plan. Tang Yin silently clenched his fists, a cold light flashing in his eyes. But even though he understood this, there was still a question that made him feel uneasy -

Why Xia Hui?

Tang Yin's gaze fell on Xia Hui again. She was an outsider, with no affinity for the legends of the Hidden Mist Village, nor any loyalty to its people. Her actions were like a suicide attack. In Tang Yin's view, such behavior completely violated the rationality of the Wolf Camp.

Could it be... because...

"Almost." Gao Zhijie's deep voice interrupted Tang Yin's thoughts. He stood up and glanced at everyone, his eyes revealing an unquestionable coldness.

After thirty minutes of silence, Mr. Gao coughed lightly and said as if giving an order, "Restart the banquet."

Hua Lu lowered her head and hesitated after hearing the order. Her voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible: "Hey... go get the ticket."

Her figure looked particularly thin, as if she would be crushed at any time, but she still slowly stood up and walked towards the ballot box.

"Wait a minute! I'm human!" Granny Rong suddenly stood up, her hands trembling, her voice a bit panicked, "Xiao, Xiao Gao! I'm human!"

"You are a wolf..." Xia Hui interrupted her coldly, without any emotion in her tone, like a sharp knife piercing directly into Grandma Rong's heart.

"You! Are you still lying?!" Granny Rong's voice was sharp, filled with anger and despair. Her body swayed slightly, like a crumbling dead tree.

"Grandpa Gao," Qin Ming suddenly spoke, his tone calm but with a hint of seriousness, "There is one more thing that must be confirmed before the vote."

Gao Zhijie's eyes darkened slightly, and his voice was low and majestic: "Hmm?"

Qin Ming stood up, looking directly at Tang Yin, his tone revealing a hint of oppression: "Tang Yin must disclose the information today."

...He still remembered. Tang Yin's heart tightened, but his face remained calm. He had long anticipated this moment, yet he still felt a sense of inexplicable unease.

But you cannot identify yourself.

This time, no matter what, Tang Yin decided not to reveal his identity as the Snake's Protector. He knew he was likely the wolves' primary target, and at this critical juncture, revealing his identity would be tantamount to seeking his own death. Whether or not he could provide effective assistance to the human camp, survival was the most important thing.

He had this feeling - if he revealed his identity, he would definitely not survive the night.

...It seems that I can only make up a topic.

Tang Yin raised his head, his eyes sweeping across the crowd staring at him, his mind rapidly forming his words. After all, the previous silence had bought him enough time. He had already prepared what he was going to say.

He took a deep breath, his tone calm yet apologetic: "...First of all, unfortunately, I currently don't have enough information to prove my innocence."

In the silent assembly hall, this remark seemed to stir up a murmur of discussion. Tang Yin remained unmoved, continuing, "Therefore, I cannot contribute to the human camp like Xia Hui did. I am truly sorry."

"Can I understand it this way? You are not a protector." Qian Jin said coldly, with a hint of temptation in his eyes.

Tang Yin turned to look at him, his tone neither humble nor arrogant: "This is a natural judgment."

"Just say it." Gao Zhijie's voice cut like a knife, interrupting their conversation. He stared at Tang Yin, a hint of warning in his eyes.

Tang Yin nodded, his tone calm: "I don't have any special abilities myself."

At this point, his statement finally calmed all suspicions, but at the same time, it also added him to the list of "liars." His expression was flawless, his eyes sincere, and even carried a hint of guilt.

"However," Tang Yin changed the subject, his voice adding a hint of determination, "as long as I am allowed to survive, I will do my best to help humanity win."

"You said this yesterday." Gao Zhijie snorted coldly, with a hint of impatience in his tone.

But Tang Yin keenly sensed that Old Man Gao's attitude was different from yesterday. He seemed to be showing a hint of interest in what he was saying—of course, this interest was dangerous. He knew that if he crossed the line, Gao Zhijie would definitely attack him without hesitation.

Tang Yin paused and continued, "I have a strategy."

"What do you mean?" Qin Ming frowned, with a hint of doubt in his tone.

Tang Yin's eyes swept through the crowd and he spoke slowly, "Neither Granny Rong nor Xia Hui should be hanged."

His words startled everyone, and whispers of discussion arose again.

"...If Granny Rong is really a wolf, I don't think she should be the core figure of this conspiracy." Tang Yin's tone was calm, but with an unquestionable calm analysis.

"I said I'm not a wolf!" Granny Rong stood up suddenly, her voice sharp, her eyes full of anger and panic.

Tang Yin ignored her reaction and continued, "It's just a hypothesis. On the other hand, if Xia Hui wasn't a snake—"

"Of course I'm a snake!" Xia Hui interrupted him immediately, her voice filled with anxiety and anger. "No one else has revealed their identity!"

Tang Yin glanced at her, his eyes filled with a hint of meaning. His tone remained calm: "...Now, I want to confirm one thing with everyone..." Tang Yin: "If Wolf wants to survive this game—sorry, at the Huangquan Feast—the most proactive way is to pretend to be a Protector, right?"

"...That's right." Qin Ming spoke slowly, breaking the silence. His tone was calm, yet it carried a hint of oppression, like a sharp blade slicing through the air.

He glanced at the crowd and continued, "Under normal circumstances, wolves can only passively conceal their identities. However, sooner or later, the snake will discover it."

These words made Xia Hui's brows jump slightly, but she did not rush to speak. She just stared at Qin Ming closely, as if waiting for his next words.

"Once suspicion is aroused, even claiming 'I'm human' won't help." Qin Ming's voice was steady, yet it felt like a heavy stone hitting the ground. "By then, even if you claim to be a Protector, you won't be able to eliminate suspicion... That's why we need to find the right time to announce our identity as a Protector."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Hui interrupted him abruptly: "——What basis do you have——!"

Her voice was sharp, with a hint of barely concealed panic, like a cornered beast baring its fangs. But Qin Ming remained unwavering, his tone remaining calm. "I'm just stating the facts. In other words, it's not certain at this point that Xia Hui is the real snake."

He paused, his eyes piercing Xia Hui: "Xia Hui, if you are a wolf pretending to be a snake, it means that you have been abandoned by your companions."

This sentence was like a thunderbolt, directly hitting Xia Hui's nerves. Her face instantly darkened, and a trace of uneasiness flashed in her eyes: "... Stop talking nonsense here, what do you mean by saying this!"

Qin Ming smiled slightly, his tone carrying a hint of coldness: "It's a battle plan to let you surface and create chaos, so that I can take advantage of the situation and reap the benefits."

"This plan wasn't made by you, was it?" He said firmly, his eyes sharp. "The person who made the plan is still secretly observing us, right?"

As soon as he said this, the entire auditorium fell into a depressing silence. Everyone was speculating on Qin Ming's reasoning, and Xia Hui's expression became increasingly grim.

Qin Ming continued, "In other words, as long as we ignore the chaos you create, the threat you pose is about the same as that of other lurking wolves."

"...Is that all?" Xia Hui sneered, her voice full of sarcasm. "Boring! I'm a real snake!"

Although her tone was firm, her slightly rapid breathing betrayed her inner turmoil. Just then, a clear voice rang out from the back of the crowd: "What? The reporter must be a wolf, right?"

--what?

Everyone's eyes instantly turned to the person who had spoken, only to find it was Tong Xiaoliang. He was leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest, a naive smile on his face, as if this tense confrontation was just a fun game.

Qin Ming frowned and looked at Tong Xiaoliang: "Xiaoliang, did you find anything?"

"No." Tong Xiaoliang said in a long tone, but his eyes were fixed on Xia Hui. "But her reaction to your words~"

He shrugged, his tone teasing, "She probably didn't understand her own position, so she took the bait."

"What do you mean?" Xia Hui suddenly turned her head and stared at him, her eyes full of anger.

Tong Xiaoliang smiled nonchalantly and continued, "If she wasn't a wolf, why would she care about those words~"

"...In this situation, how could I possibly say I don't care?!" Xia Hui's voice was mixed with a sharp emotional fluctuation. Her fists were clenched, her knuckles slightly white, and she was obviously about to lose her composure.

Gao Mei frowned and looked at Tong Xiaoliang with a hint of annoyance: "Xiaoliang, what's wrong with you?"

Tong Xiaoliang, standing aside, shrugged nonchalantly, a cynical smile on his face: "That's what I think. However, I agree with Qin Ming's opinion. Let the reporter sister continue to struggle for a while!"

His tone was light, as if he was discussing an insignificant matter, and he completely ignored Xia Hui's face which became even gloomier because of his teasing.

Wang Lina sighed helplessly, with a hint of blame in her tone: "...Um, Xiaoliang, don't do whatever you want, otherwise you will look suspicious yourself."

"Well~ I'm just this kind of weirdo, there's nothing I can do about it." Tong Xiaoliang still looked nonchalant, and even spread his hands towards Wang Lina, as if to say "What can you do to me?"

Wang Lina's face darkened, and her tone became more serious: "Then don't just think about yourself. Think and speak seriously for the human camp."

Her eyes swept over Tong Xiaoliang coldly, and her voice lowered slightly: "Do you want Xia Hui to be hanged because of what you said?"

Hearing this, Tong Xiaoliang's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly returned to his nonchalant look and scratched his head: "Hehe~ I got scolded."

Wang Lina didn't say anything more, just sighed and turned her gaze to the crowd: "...Then, if Granny Rong and Xia Hui aren't hanged, wouldn't that just continue Brother Gang's philosophy of not executing anyone?"

Qin Ming frowned slightly, was silent for a moment, and said in a low voice: "...Then..."

That would make no sense.

His voice abruptly stopped, but everyone present understood what he hadn't said yet. If they couldn't apprehend the suspect, then the day the Spider Gang had fought for, Tang Yin and the others, would be wasted.

Zhao Gang clenched his fists, his eyes lowered to reveal a complex mix of emotions. He was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his head and said in a low but firm voice, "...If you really want to hang someone, then I want to say something."

Everyone turned their eyes to him, only to see Zhao Gang take a deep breath and slowly say: "I believe my mother-in-law. Even if she is a wolf, she will never kill anyone."

"you are too naive."

No one said this out loud, but it was like an invisible undercurrent, surging in everyone's heart.

Zhao Gang remained unmoved, his eyes revealing a stubbornness: "So, I will protect my mother-in-law."

"...Good boy...good boy..." Granny Rong's voice trembled, tears seemed to well up in her eyes, and she raised her hand tremblingly, as if wanting to touch Zhao Gang, but stopped in mid-air.

Zhao Gang turned his head slightly and looked at Chen Xiang who had been silent in the corner: "By the way, Sister Chen Xiang, you haven't said anything yet, what do you think?"

Chen Xiang raised her head and moved her lips, but no sound came out in the end.

Seeing that she was silent, Zhao Gang sighed and turned to look at Master Wolf on the other side: "...Forget it, where is Master Wolf?"

Master Wolf sat in the shadows, his expression impassive, his eyes cast down. His voice was hoarse and cold, like a rusty knife slicing through the air: "Wolf is coming."

Zhao Gang frowned, clearly dissatisfied, but didn't ask any further questions. He turned his gaze to Mr. Gao and said, "Forget it, Mr. Gao, what should we do now?"

Gao Zhijie had been silent until he finally raised his head. His gaze swept across everyone present like a knife, and his voice was low and cold: "Grandma Rong and the female reporter, both of them will be hanged."

……what?

Zhao Gang frowned, his voice filled with suppressed anger: "...Well, why do you do this, Mr. Gao?"

(End of this chapter)