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

Chapter 620

"You were at a crossroads of thought yesterday." Tang Yin's voice was neither hurried nor slow, and his tone was calm, as if he was stating a very ordinary fact.

Zhao Gang's brow furrowed slightly, his expression gloomy. His hand still tightly gripped the hoe, as if ready to strike at any moment. He didn't speak, but his gaze had already moved from Tang Yin's face to his throat, as if he was measuring the angle of attack.

Tang Yin didn't flinch. He let one hand drop to his side, the other resting on the table. He leaned forward slightly, trying to suppress Zhao Gang's temper with his tone: "The people of the Hidden Mist Village wouldn't kill each other. You value the unity of the Hidden Mist Village, transcending generations. You've always held this view, haven't you?"

Zhao Gang's eyes wavered slightly, as if touched by something, but he quickly covered it up with a cold snort.

"However," Tang Yin continued, knowing he had to seize every opportunity to calm the other person, "it's because you place too much emphasis on the opinions of different generations and people that your thinking lacks a clear direction."

The room fell silent for a moment after the words were spoken. Tang Yin did not continue speaking, but paused deliberately, his eyes falling on the hoe in Zhao Gang's hand. Zhao Gang seemed to notice his gaze and said coldly, "Go on."

As he spoke, he poked Tang Yin with the iron end of his hoe. Although the movement was not heavy, the cold touch still made Tang Yin's back tighten. Even if it was not an actual attack, it was still a hostile act.

Tang Yin gritted his teeth and quickly adjusted his breathing, his tone still steady: "...According to the elders, especially Granny Rong, the dominance of the Huangquan Ji Feast is absolute, and there will definitely be deaths."

Zhao Gang's brows furrowed even more tightly, and his eyes showed a hint of impatience: "Please put it simply."

"Okay." Tang Yin nodded, his voice slightly lowered, as if he was discussing some taboo. "The legend she told is not only the reason why Wuyin Village was isolated by Baifeng Manor, but also the embodiment of Wuyin Village's identity."

Zhao Gang's hand paused slightly, his knuckles cracking as he gripped the hoe. Tang Yin noticed this but remained calm. "Because of this story of wolf-killing and revenge, the Hidden Mist Village has been given the absurd mission of serving as a barrier against the invasion of the Yellow Springs."

"However," Tang Yin's tone softened slightly, his eyes falling on Zhao Gang's face, trying to gauge his reaction, "If you voluntarily live in the Hidden Mist Village and look at all this optimistically, then this story will actually be the pride of the Hidden Mist Village."

Zhao Gang's expression was still cold and hard, but the murderous intent in his eyes seemed to have weakened a little.

"So, you who value the Hidden Mist Village, even though you keep denying this legend, you don't dare to underestimate it from the bottom of your heart."

Tang Yin observed Zhao Gang's reaction and continued, "On the other hand, you are good at using your mind and logic to distinguish right from wrong and truth from falsehood. You are better at thinking than others."

He paused, his tone adding a hint of meaning: "Therefore, whether it's Wang Lina who returned from the city, or the intelligent Qin Ming, you can understand their rational and modern way of thinking."

"Wang Lina's thinking was simple—after calm consideration, she concluded that killing people shouldn't be done casually. But what about Qin Ming? After the same calm consideration, he came to a different conclusion: killing people was unavoidable."

Zhao Gang's eyes flashed, as if he was thinking about the meaning of Tang Yin's words.

Tang Yin looked at him and said slowly, "You're stuck between these two lines of thought, unable to completely deny or accept either. That's why you're stuck at a crossroads, not knowing which way to go, right?"

"You can understand and agree with their ideas, so you want to find a middle way." Tang Yin's voice was low and calm, like a thin thread wrapped around Zhao Gang's ears, but every word struck his heart like a hammer.

Zhao Gang's face was gloomy, his brow furrowed, and his hand gripping the hoe was trembling slightly. His eyes flashed with conflict and struggle, but he didn't interrupt Tang Yin.

"But this will only put you in a dilemma." Tang Yin's eyes were as sharp as a torch, as sharp as if they could rip open Zhao Gang's soul. He took a step forward, his tone filled with unquestionable certainty, "As the leader of the Hidden Mist Village, as the mediator between the young and the elders, you have failed their expectations."

Zhao Gang's Adam's apple moved, as if he wanted to say something, but he remained silent. Pain and anger flashed in his eyes.

"So, the method you finally decided on was to create an enemy of the Hidden Mist Village and attack that enemy first." Tang Yin raised a sneer at the corner of his mouth, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone, "Fortunately, there is more than one candidate for the enemy."

Zhao Gang's expression was stiff, and the hoe in his hand drooped slightly, but he still did not let his guard down.

"The first to be affected is Xiaome, who is regarded as an ominous existence—" Tang Yin's tone suddenly darkened, and then he raised his head and looked directly at Zhao Gang, "Also, there is Hualu, one of the four elders who are hostile to the Hidden Mist Village, and me, whose origins are unknown."

Zhao Gang frowned slightly, as if he wanted to open his mouth to refute, but was suppressed by Tang Yin's words.

"The second is Xia Hui, an outsider whose origins are unknown." Tang Yin's voice continued, each word like an icy dagger, piercing Zhao Gang's heart with precision. "And Qian Jin, who is an elder but knows nothing about her."

Tang Yin paused, his eyes softening slightly, but his tone remained cold: "Of course, Granny Rong and Madam Chen Xiang, who are closest to you, have the lowest priority."

Zhao Gang's expression changed slightly, and his fingers nervously gripped the wooden handle of the hoe, as if Tang Yin had touched upon a secret deep in his heart.

"In short," Tang Yin continued, his tone adding a hint of cold determination, "your idea is to attack your targets in order of priority, with the goal of avoiding attacking those who resonate with you."

Zhao Gang's lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but he still chose to remain silent.

"Your line of thought is not without reason." Tang Yin smiled slightly, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone, "Compared to the neighbor suddenly turning into a murderer, the possibility of an invasion from outside is indeed higher."

Tang Yin's voice suddenly dropped, his eyes sharp. "And, until yesterday morning, you thought so. After all, no one died the night before last."

Zhao Gang's expression became even uglier, his eyes flickering, as if he was trying hard to suppress something.

"However," Tang Yin's tone suddenly changed, with a hint of cold sarcasm, "Yesterday at noon, everything was overturned. Compared with outsiders, the people of Wuyin Village gave priority to executing the backbone of Wuyin Village - Granny Rong." Zhao Gang's breathing became obviously faster. His hands tightly grasped the hoe, and his knuckles turned white due to the force.

Tang Yin's gaze was like a knife, piercing Zhao Gang's heart. "That's why you stayed indoors all night yesterday. Because you had to adjust your course of action as soon as possible, right?"

Zhao Gang's body trembled slightly, and the struggle and pain in his eyes almost overflowed.

"And..." Tang Yin slowed down his tone, as if stating an irrefutable fact, "What you're thinking about at home is how to set up new enemies. Also, who should be held responsible for Grandma Rong's revenge."

Before Tang Yin could finish his words, Zhao Gang suddenly dropped his hoe, rushed forward, and fiercely grasped Tang Yin's neck with both hands. The force was as terrifying as an iron clamp, and Tang Yin's breathing was instantly stopped.

"—Nonsense!" Zhao Gang's eyes were bloodshot, as if the rage he had suppressed for so long had finally found an outlet. His face was twisted with rage, and the strength in his hands grew with every roar.

Tang Yin gritted his teeth, his face gradually turning red from lack of oxygen, but his eyes remained calm. He struggled to squeeze out a few words: "...If you really think I'm talking nonsense, then don't do it. Instead, refute me directly. That's how you should behave."

Zhao Gang's hand paused slightly, but his fury didn't subside. His breathing was heavy, like an enraged beast, his hands still tightly gripping Tang Yin's neck.

"However, your decision has created enemies for yourself." Tang Yin's voice was hoarse, and he continued panting, "In that case, there is only one answer left for you - treat the people who killed Granny Rong as enemies, and then attack them in revenge."

"You're talking nonsense!" Zhao Gang roared again, and the strength in his hands increased briefly.

"I'm not talking nonsense!" Tang Yin raised his eyes suddenly, with a sharp look in his eyes that showed desperation. "Although Xia Hui claimed to be a protector, her attitude was obviously very suspicious! Even though it was clearly the case, it was Granny Rong who was hanged! So you think that every wolf must have voted for Granny Rong, and that wolves must be lurking among those who voted for Granny Rong!"

Zhao Gang's expression froze slightly, and a flicker of hesitation flashed across his eyes, but his anger still suppressed his rationality. His lips trembled slightly, but he didn't speak.

"That's definitely what you think." Tang Yin continued, panting, his tone tinged with coldness. "And then, I think you've been consumed by the guilt of watching Granny Rong hanged. Are you thinking of sacrificing yourself for revenge?"

Zhao Gang's pupils shrank slightly. Tang Yin's words obviously touched the deepest and most secret part of his heart.

"Even if it's contaminated, we have to kill all the suspects, right?" Tang Yin's voice was like an icy blade, slicing through Zhao Gang's disguise word by word. "What should I do under the circumstances? I was thinking, if I vote for Granny Rong, I'll become your biggest enemy."

Zhao Gang's hands began to tremble, and the strength of his grip on Tang Yin's neck gradually loosened a little, but his eyes were still cold, as if he was scrutinizing Tang Yin's words.

"Xiao Mei is still a child. Although Hua Lu voted for Granny Rong, she eventually accepted it." Tang Yin looked directly at Zhao Gang with a firm gaze. "And what about me? I have nothing. If you go crazy and want to kill someone, I will be your top priority. So, I can't vote for Granny Rong."

Zhao Gang's hand finally loosened. He took a half step back, breathing heavily, and looked at Tang Yin with complicated eyes. He gritted his teeth and whispered, "...Is this your reason? You clearly have another choice."

"He's right," Tang Yin thought to himself, his face remaining calm. Zhao Gang's words were like a knife, piercing Tang Yin's heart. Even though Granny Rong had more votes at the time, if he had voted for Xia Hui, they would have been able to move on to the runoff vote.

"Even so, I can't vote for Xia Hui." Tang Yin's voice was low, but with an irrefutable certainty.

Zhao Gang's expression instantly twisted, veins popping out of his face, and he practically yelled, "Why!! Aren't you also suspicious of her?!"

Tang Yin raised his head, his eyes as sharp as knives, staring coldly at Zhao Gang, but his tone remained calm: "I am the protector of the snake."

These few words, like a bombshell, exploded in Zhao Gang's mind. His pupils suddenly contracted, and the anger on his face froze for a moment before igniting with even greater fury.

"If that's the case, why didn't you say anything?! If you reveal your identity, Mother-in-law... Mother-in-law will—!" Zhao Gang's voice was hoarse, filled with anger and a bit of suppressed grief. He took a step forward, almost forcing Tang Yin into a corner.

Tang Yin did not flinch, but took a deep breath, his tone carrying a hint of chill: "Because the wolf camp is ready to sacrifice a companion to lure the snake out of its hole."

"What do you mean, huh!?" Zhao Gang's body shook, and his questioning voice was filled with an instinctive frenzy.

Tang Yin's gaze was as calm as water, but his tone grew colder. "I said yesterday that if the wolves wanted to actively secure victory, they would have to pretend to be protectors. But the 'victory' I was referring to was victory for the entire wolf camp."

Zhao Gang's brows were tightly furrowed, and his fists were clenched so tightly that they made a crackling sound.

"Listen carefully. No matter how good your acting skills are, as long as you claim to be a Protector, you will be suspected and risk being hanged." Tang Yin's speech speed increased slightly, as if peeling back all the logic layer by layer. "Although fakes will be hanged sooner or later, this also buys the remaining wolves valuable time."

Zhao Gang's breathing became heavy, and a hint of struggle appeared in his eyes, but he still stared at Tang Yin.

"However, with no one dead, revealing the snake's identity is too risky. After all, the real snake is definitely still alive." Tang Yin paused, his tone even colder. "In other words, they have only one goal - to lure the snake out of its hole and then kill the real snake that night. This is Wolf's plan."

Zhao Gang's face turned pale, his lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but Tang Yin's cold tone suppressed him speechless.

Tang Yin didn't mention the possibility that Xia Hui was a raccoon dog. He knew he shouldn't further confuse Zhao Gang's mind. He was already teetering on the edge of anger and pain; any complicated inferences would only make the situation more difficult to control.

"...I did not save Granny Rong." Tang Yin suddenly lowered his head, a hint of suppressed pain in his voice, but more of a calm, almost ruthless determination. "I cannot deny this. But I must live - to avenge the wolf, I must live."

(End of this chapter)