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

Chapter 613 An unexpected vote

Gao Zhijie's voice was low but resounding, like an unquestionable verdict: "The wolf must be hanged."

Zhao Gang raised his head abruptly, his tone filled with suppressed anger: "You're right, but one of them is not a wolf!"

"If we want to be absolutely sure, sacrifices are inevitable." Gao Zhijie's eyes were cold and his voice was as hard as steel. "This is what everyone has always done."

"Granny Rong, be prepared." His voice was flat, as if he was declaring an established fact.

Granny Rong raised her head, her eyes filled with complicated emotions.

"We've been together for sixty years." Gao Zhijie continued, his tone still steady, yet with a suffocating sense of oppression. "I believe you are the one who loves the Hidden Mist Village the most."

His eyes were deep and calm, as if he was looking through Granny Rong at something more distant.

"Can you sacrifice yourself for the Hidden Mist Village?"

Decades of friendship were ruthlessly discarded in those few words. Gao Zhijie's gaze remained unwavering, his principles like an unbridgeable chasm separating him from the others. He wasn't questioning Granny Rong; he was passing judgment.

With a calm expression and a harsh voice, he pushed a close friend to death. There was no guilt, no confusion, and no trace of mercy.

Granny Rong was silent for a moment, then finally spoke. Her voice was hoarse but carried the weariness of someone who had seen through everything: "...You and Zhao Gang will help me collect the body, right?"

"Yeah." Gao Zhijie nodded, his tone as calm as if he was discussing a very ordinary matter.

Zhao Gang's Adam's apple moved up and down, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just spoke tremblingly: "...Mother-in-law, don't be like that."

Granny Rong turned her head, a kind smile in her eyes, and said softly, "Zhao Gang, I'm not the Wolf God. If you believe me, vote for that woman."

"If I am hanged, that will be the will of Qian Mingshen." Her tone was nonchalant, as if life and death were just things she had long since taken lightly.

"...Let's leave it at that, Hualu." Gao Zhijie's voice was still cold and hard, as if he didn't hear Zhao Gang's persuasion.

"Yeah." Hualu lowered her head and answered in an almost inaudible voice. Her hands trembled slightly, but she did not refuse or refute.

"Go get today's tickets." Gao Zhijie gave the final order.

...Just like yesterday, voting starts with Mr. Wolf.

Master Wolf slowly raised his head from the shadows, a strange smile plastered on his face, as if he was deeply interested in all this, yet none of it concerned him. He extended a bony hand, pointed at Granny Rong, and said in a lazy, playful tone, "I'm voting for Granny Rong, hehehe."

His dry laughter echoed in the silent assembly hall, like a crow's cry in the wilderness. Granny Rong's face instantly turned ashen. She slammed her knee, her voice filled with anger and disbelief: "...You're so excessive!"

Does this old man even understand the current situation? This illogical voting method is simply nonsense! Tang Yin frowned slightly, but did not speak. He knew that Master Wolf's behavior was not worth investigating. It was more of a cover-up for his true intentions.

"I vote for the female reporter." Gao Zhijie's voice rang out, as calmly as if he were reading out a rule that was taken for granted. His eyes swept over Xia Hui coldly, as if forcing her to bow her head with silent pressure.

"...Me too." Granny Rong's tone was a little tired, but her eyes remained firm. She didn't want to defend herself; she had already accepted the situation.

"I'm voting for the female reporter, too." Zhao Gang's voice was low and slow, as if he was suppressing some emotion. He didn't even glance at Xia Hui, but cast his gaze to the ground, as if unwilling to face her reaction.

"Okay, I knew it...!" Xia Hui stood up abruptly, her face filled with anger and resentment. Her voice was sharp, like the growl of a beast pushed to its limit. "From the very beginning, you didn't intend to trust me!"

"...I vote for Zhao Gang." Chen Xiang, who was always silent, suddenly spoke. Her voice was not loud, but it echoed clearly in the assembly hall.

As soon as the words fell, the entire venue exploded as if a stone was thrown into a calm lake.

"...Why, Sister Chen Xiang?" Zhao Gang raised his head, a mixture of astonishment and disappointment on his face. His voice trembled slightly, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Chen Xiang didn't respond directly. Instead, she looked up at Zhao Gang, her eyes filled with complexity and struggle. "There are too many complicated situations, and I don't understand them. But... even if I have to doubt the person I least want to doubt, I'm prepared."

Her voice was low, yet resolute, as if she was suppressing her emotions with all her might: "...So, I've decided to vote this way, Zhao Gang. I hope you can understand my feelings."

"...In other words, you don't think I'm a wolf, and you voted for me to wake me up?" Zhao Gang's voice became even lower, as if he was trying to interpret Chen Xiang's implication.

Chen Xiang was silent for a moment, then spoke calmly, "There's no evidence to prove you're not a wolf. Besides, I don't think you've taken responsibility, Zhao Gang."

"What exactly is my responsibility... I don't understand!" Zhao Gang's voice suddenly rose, his eyes filled with confusion and anger. His fists were clenched, his knuckles slightly white, as if he was trying hard to restrain himself.

"...Is it my turn? My head hurts." Qian Jin's voice echoed from the side. He rubbed his temple, his tone filled with helplessness, yet also a hint of cynicism. "Hanging them all at the same time is indeed reasonable, but you still underestimate this woman who calls herself a snake."

He paused, his eyes swept across the crowd, and finally landed on Zhao Gang: "I... vote for Zhao Gang."

"Even you..." Zhao Gang's voice was almost squeezed out from between his teeth, his eyes full of disbelief.

Qian Jin shrugged, his tone somewhat relaxed: "If I voted for Granny Rong, you would definitely be even angrier... Besides, my opinion of him has changed a little."

"Me?" Tang Yin raised his eyebrows slightly, with a hint of vigilance in his eyes.

"Well, that's all I have to say." Qian Jin didn't explain further, his tone elusive. He looked at Tang Yin with a look that seemed to convey some kind of message, but he didn't elaborate further.

Did he find out too?
Qin Ming narrowed his eyes slightly, glanced at the crowd, and said in a low and calm voice: "...I...will retain my opinion from yesterday and cast my vote."

Qian Jin's mouth twitched, and he let out a short, ambiguous sigh: "Hmm..."

Qin Ming ignored his reaction and spoke in a calm tone as if he was stating something insignificant: "The reason for choosing Qian Jin is the same as yesterday..."

After a pause, he turned to look at Xia Hui, his eyes revealing a hint of inquiry: "However, I will continue to observe Xia Hui's behavior. By the way, why did you check the identity of Granny Rong yesterday?"

Xia Hui frowned when she heard this, and seemed a little impatient. She blurted out, "I didn't know what to do, so I just wrote a random name...!"

"Did you just pick Granny Rong?" Qin Ming's tone remained steady, as if he was confirming an insignificant detail. He lowered his head and whispered thoughtfully, "Okay, I get it. That's it."

"...What do you mean?" Xia Hui's voice suddenly rose, tinged with suppressed anger. Her eyes revealed an unease, as if she was irritated by Qin Ming's attitude, but she didn't dare to react directly. Tong Xiaoliang, standing nearby, suddenly smiled, his tone light and as if he was not involved. "I'll give Uncle Qian Jin an extra vote."

"Are you done yet, Xiaoliang?" Qian Jin suddenly looked up and glared at Tong Xiaoliang, his tone revealing helplessness and a hint of displeasure.

"Hmm~" Tong Xiaoliang shook his head nonchalantly and continued, "To be honest, I think Sister Xia Hui is a wolf..."

"However," he turned to look at Qin Ming, with a hint of relief in his tone, "Since Qin Ming said so, let's continue to observe~"

Qin Ming nodded slightly, his tone calm: "Xiaoliang, thank you."

"...Ha, I still have the same opinion, vote for the old witch." Qin Yi's voice suddenly interrupted, with a hint of mockery and disdain in his tone.

Granny Rong glared at him fiercely, her voice filled with anger: "You... polluted little devil...!"

The moment the two looked at each other, the air seemed to be filled with gunpowder, but Tang Yin remained silent, only glancing at them with the corner of his eyes, as if observing this meaningless quarrel.

"...Is it my turn now..." Wang Lina's voice sounded softly, with a hint of hesitation in her tone, but she couldn't hide her underlying determination, "Hmm..."

She raised her head and looked at Xia Hui with complicated eyes, with a hint of apology in her tone: "... Sorry, Xia Hui, I vote for you."

Xia Hui's expression suddenly changed, her voice filled with anger and grievance: "...Why!? I'm a snake!"

"Because I wasn't this kind of person before...! How come I suddenly became like this!" Wang Lina's voice rose slightly, with a hint of repressed emotion in her tone.

She stared at Xia Hui, as if trying to find the answer from her expression: "...But, you might also be Tang Yin's raccoon dog..."

As soon as these words fell, the atmosphere in the assembly hall suddenly stagnated. After a brief silence, a few low voices murmured, but most people's faces remained confused. Clearly, the word "raccoon dog" had been gradually forgotten.

Wang Lina took a deep breath, her tone becoming more earnest. "...If that's the case, I hope you can tell me. Don't forget, raccoon dogs are also human beings. Live with us."

"There's no such thing," Xia Hui stood up suddenly, her voice filled with anger and unwillingness, "I am the snake."

Wang Lina sighed softly, raised her head and looked at Zhao Gang, her tone calm but revealing a hint of unquestionable determination: "...Brother Gang, I don't intend to stand on your side either. To be honest, I have also considered whether to vote for Grandma Rong."

"Lina, even you...!" Grandma Rong raised her eyes suddenly with a complicated look, as if she had suffered some unexpected blow.

"...W-what? Why?" Zhao Gang's voice trembled slightly, his emotions a mixture of confusion and anger. His eyes were questioning, looking straight at Wang Lina.

Wang Lina, however, was not moved by his emotions. She just lowered her head slightly, her voice filled with fatigue that was hard to conceal: "Because I can't stand anywhere right now...Brother Gang, you should understand..."

She paused, raised her head and looked directly at Zhao Gang, her eyes scrutinizing him. "...Just because you like Granny Rong, you want to kill Xia Hui..."

"..." Zhao Gang's lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. A flicker of struggle crossed his face, as if these words had pierced a nerve.

"This is not your style, Brother Gang." Wang Lina's voice became softer and softer, but like a knife, it accurately cut through Zhao Gang's silence.

Zhao Gang lowered his head, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white. He was silent for a moment, but ultimately did not refute.

Wang Lina sighed, her tone becoming more earnest: "...I just hope that Brother Gang can seriously think about and solve these troubles with me."

Just when the atmosphere reached a deadlock, Gao Mei's voice suddenly rang out, her tone brisk and with a hint of nonchalance: "...I'll cast my vote as well."

"Why do people always vote for me 'in passing'...?" Qian Jin's expression darkened instantly. He rubbed his forehead vigorously, his tone full of helplessness, "My situation this time is really miserable..."

"...I vote for Grandma Rong." Hua Lu's voice sounded slowly, her tone revealing calmness and unquestionable majesty.

"Lady Hualu..." A hint of hesitation flashed in Grandma Rong's eyes, but she didn't say much in the end, just lowered her head.

Hualu lowered her eyes slightly, her tone calm but full of strength: "I cannot treat the candidate for the Protector of the Snake lightly."

Her eyes swept over Xia Hui, and her tone was filled with apology: "I am really sorry. If Xia Hui is not a real snake, I will execute her with my own hands no matter what."

Granny Rong closed her eyes, as if letting go of something, and replied in a low voice: "...Okay, I understand."

Hualu turned to look at Xiaome beside her and said gently, "...Xiaome, who do you want to vote for?"

Xiao Mei lowered her head, her voice so low that it was almost inaudible: "...Mother-in-law..."

Qin Yi snorted coldly, his tone full of sarcasm: "Even children hate you."

Granny Rong raised her head and glanced at Qin Yi coldly, her tone revealing a hint of desolation: "Being hated by the child from the Divine River...it doesn't matter."

Hua Lu ignored the tit-for-tat between the two and turned to Tang Yin: "...Where is Mr. Tang Yin?"

Everyone's eyes instantly focused on Tang Yin. Tang Yin's mind raced: Xia Hui and Granny Rong each had four votes, Qian Jin had three, and Zhao Gang had two... No matter who he voted for, it would determine the final outcome.

How to do?
Tang Yin lowered his head, appearing calm on the surface, but his inner thoughts were churning. If he voted for Xia Hui, it would trigger a runoff vote; if he voted for anyone else, Granny Rong would be executed.

We can only seek meaning in this one vote.

He quickly sorted out the clues and glanced at Qian Jin quickly - there was no point in voting for him, he didn't vote for himself just now, Tang Yin couldn't repay kindness with enmity.

So, what about Zhao Gang?

Tang Yin raised his head, his eyes deep, and his tone revealed a hint of elusive meaning: "...I vote for Zhao Gang."

Everyone was stunned when these words were spoken. After a few seconds of silence, the hall began to fill with murmurs of discussion.

A vote that surprised everyone.

(End of this chapter)