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

Chapter 623

Can it really be done?

The voices of doubt rose and fell, like an invisible tide, gradually drowning the rationality in the air.

Qin Ming spoke first, his hands clenched slightly, and his eyes turned to Zhao Gang with a hint of anxiety: "...Brother Gang, I want this too, but how do I do it?"

Zhao Gang lowered his head and was silent for a moment. Then he raised his eyes and said in a calm but firm tone: "I can't say it now."

This statement undoubtedly ignited more doubts. A low murmur rose in the crowd, and glances crossed, distrust and uneasiness evident. Tang Yin stood aside, his eyes narrowed slightly. Zhao Gang's attitude secretly relieved him—although he hadn't yet detailed his plan, Zhao Gang clearly understood his intentions. The key was to form a majority.

"You don't say anything. Do you think we will believe you, Zhao Gang?" Gao Zhijie spoke coldly. There was no room for maneuver in his tone, like a blade pointing directly at Zhao Gang's throat.

Zhao Gang remained unmoved, his gaze steady as a rock, his tone still calm: "I can't tell you yet, Uncle Gao, what are you going to do today?"

"Hang those who voted for Granny Rong yesterday in order." Gao Zhijie's voice was low and firm, like a heavy stone hitting everyone's heart.

The air suddenly grew stagnant, and Tang Yin could clearly hear the whispers of uncertainty and fear from those around him. Five people had voted for Granny Rong yesterday. Xia Hui was dead, leaving four remaining—Grandpa Wolf, Qin Yi, Hua Lu, and Xiao Mei. The four whose names were called had different expressions on their faces, and all eyes were fixed on Gao Zhijie, awaiting his next move.

"...Wait! Why are you doing this?" Qin Yi finally couldn't help but ask loudly. His voice was filled with anger and fear, but more of it was confusion.

"Because Xia Hui is a wolf." Gao Zhijie's answer was brief and cold, like a piece of ice-cold iron, directly slamming all rebuttals to the ground.

"How do you know?" Qin Yi's voice suddenly rose, and the anger in his eyes almost burned.

Qin Ming stood up, his tone revealing a hint of restrained calmness: "Because her body is outside—" He paused, pointed outside the door, and continued, "You can only execute one person during the day and sacrifice one person at night. This is the rule. But two people died last night, which means something unexpected happened."

His voice was deep and powerful, as if revealing a disturbing truth: "Xiaomei was killed by wolves last night, and Xia Hui died outside. Moreover, her body was damaged to such an extent that she could only have died from contamination."

"Wait!" Qin Yi's voice was even more anxious, like a drowning man grasping at a straw. "She just went out last night! If that's the case, how can you conclude that she is a wolf! Is it possible that the old witch can't be a wolf?"

Zhao Gang snorted coldly, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm, yet also a hint of rationality: "That woman Xia Hui's attitude was very strange all day yesterday. However, the old man said he wanted to hang her, so I can understand her feelings."

His gaze swept over the crowd, his tone gradually becoming deeper. "What would she do if she really faced a death threat? An outsider would definitely want to escape the Hidden Mist Village, right? Besides, she also believed she could escape." Zhao Gang paused, his tone suddenly changing, taking on a hint of coldness. "But the female reporter didn't run away."

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole scene fell into dead silence, as if even the air was frozen.

Qin Yi suddenly raised his voice, as if he was forced into a corner: "So what!"

His face flushed crimson, a thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead. His eyes flickered between Zhao Gang and Gao Zhijie, revealing a restless anger. Zhao Gang, however, remained unaffected by this sudden emotion. His expression remained calm, but a hint of oppression lingered in his eyes.

"If she really wanted to escape, she would have done it during the day." Zhao Gang's voice was steady, but every word struck a chord. He pointed to the gradually dispersing fog outside the window. "Although the fog is thick, at least there's some visibility during the day. At night... you should know that in the Hidden Mist Village, you can't see anything at night."

He paused, his eyes scanning the crowd, as if waiting for someone to refute, but no one spoke.

Zhao Gang continued, "There's no reason she wouldn't have escaped during the day. With the help of the thick fog, even if she did escape, it would be difficult for us to detect her. If she really escaped during the evening breakup, she could have at least made it to the border of the Hidden Mist Village. How could she have died from the contamination near the dormitory?"

His words were like a sharp knife, cutting through the heavy air and pointing directly to the truth behind Xia Hui's death: "It is precisely because Xia Hui is a wolf and accidentally broke the rules when she went out at night that she was punished. This is the only possibility."

Gao Zhijie snorted coldly, crossed his arms, and spoke with a certain certainty: "Indeed, there are only two kinds of people who go out at night - either wolves, or foolish humans who want to hunt wolves but end up dying."

"Is it impossible..." Qin Yi gritted his teeth, a hint of unwillingness in his voice, "Xia Hui and Granny Rong...they are both wolves, fighting each other for status?"

There was a dead silence in the hall until a woman's voice sounded softly, breaking the silence.

"Impossible." Chen Xiang stood up, her face pale, yet strangely calm. Her voice was low, yet clear and powerful. "Grandma Rong, who was hanged yesterday, was human."

"What?" Qin Yi was stunned, with disbelief in his eyes.

Chen Xiang lowered her head, a hint of sadness in her voice: "I'm sorry... I've been hiding this from everyone. In fact, I am the protector of the crow."

This sentence was like a bomb dropped into the crowd, and everyone was stunned.

"I used my abilities to verify the deceased's identity, and Granny Rong was indeed human." Chen Xiang's voice trembled slightly, carrying with it an unconcealable sense of guilt. "My idiot son spoke rudely and even voted to kill Granny Rong... This is all my fault."

Her voice was choked, her eyes lowered, not daring to look at anyone.

"Hey!" Qin Yi stood up suddenly as if his reverse scale had been touched, his voice filled with anger and shame, "I was the one who voted for the old witch! It has nothing to do with Mom!"

"That's enough," Zhao Gang interrupted coldly, his gaze sweeping across him and Chen Xiang like a knife, his tone revealing an unquestionable majesty. "Sister Chen Xiang, Qin Yi, now is not the time to discuss the responsibility for hanging the mother-in-law." He paused, then continued, "Voting for Mother-in-law Rong doesn't count as evidence against Tielang."

The hall fell silent again, but this time, the atmosphere was even heavier, as if even breathing had become difficult.

"There's something I'm very concerned about," Qin Ming suddenly said, breaking the deadlock. His voice was calm, yet sharp. "Are there any other people who call themselves Crows?"

Chen Xiang raised her head, looked at Qin Ming with complicated eyes, and called out: "Qin Ming..."

There was sadness in her voice, as well as a hint of unfathomable meaning that made people's hearts tighten.

Qin Ming's gaze lingered on Chen Xiang's face for a moment, then shifted away. His voice was low and calm, like a pool of still water: "Well, Mom, I believe you too, but I have to do this now."

The hall was eerily quiet for a moment, the atmosphere like frozen amber. Everyone's gaze, filled with mixed emotions, turned to Qin Ming. He stood in the center of the hall, his back straight, his face shrouded in semi-darkness, his eyes unwavering.

The balance of power in the Hidden Mist Village is quietly shifting. Elder Gao is no longer the undisputed authority; his cold, dictatorial nature has clearly lost the support of most. Zhao Gang, with his calm and decisiveness, gradually gains control of the situation, securing a degree of influence for Qin Ming. But this fragile balance, like thin ice on a cliff, could collapse at any moment. If the banquet goes awry, or if another death occurs, causing someone to suffer a mental breakdown, the situation could collapse in an instant.

Qin Ming looked around at everyone present, cleared his throat, and his eyes remained as calm as ever: "Let me be clear. If there are other people who are Crows, there is no benefit in concealing their identities now. We have now made it clear that Chen Xiang is Crow. Even if others claim their identities in the future, they will not be recognized. Do you understand?"

Qian Jin frowned and whispered, "...Wait, when Xia Hui revealed her identity as a snake, no one else opposed her. But what happened later? She's actually a wolf, right?"

His words were like a stone thrown into water, stirring up ripples. The expressions on everyone's faces grew more solemn, and several pairs of eyes turned to Qin Ming, waiting for his answer.

Qin Ming didn't speak immediately. His eyes dropped slightly, as if he was thinking about something. After a moment, he raised his head and said in a calm voice, "...Well, you're right. However, the possibility that Granny Rong or Xia Hui is a crow is very low."

He paused, his tone slightly slowed, as if trying to make his words more convincing: "As for Gao Mei, although there is no way to prove her identity, I know that she is not very good at lying or concealing things."

Qian Jin nodded, seemingly accepting the explanation, but he clearly had more questions. "I see... But the snake's protector is still alive, right?" His tone became sharper. "Why did that person remain silent when Xia Hui lied about her identity? Won't the same thing happen again?"

Qin Yi slammed the table and stood up, glaring at Qian Jin angrily: "You're looking for trouble again!"

Qian Jin ignored his anger, only gave him a cold glance and continued, "Even if another crow came forward now to reveal its identity, it would only prove that Granny Rong is human. But Chen Xiang has already said this. In this case, how can we determine who the real crow is?"

The hall fell silent again. Qian Jin's questioning was like a thorn, piercing everyone's heart, but Qin Ming remained calm. His eyes swept over Qian Jin, and his lips pursed slightly, as if preparing a rebuttal. At the same time, a complex emotion flashed in Chen Xiang's lowered eyes, but she didn't speak, as if waiting for Qin Ming's response.

The atmosphere was like a bowstring that was stretched too tight and could break at any moment.

Qin Ming stood in the center of the dimly lit hall, his gaze calm and resolute. His voice was low, yet it carried an undeniable force: "...On this point, I disagree with you. Xia Hui, a wolf, pretended to be a Protector in order to survive. However, when Chen Xiang revealed her identity, she proposed taking responsibility on Qin Yi's behalf. Her actions were neither wise nor correct, but I believe these words came from her heart, not from the cunning of a wolf."

The hall was completely silent, with only the wind outside the window rustling the leaves. Gao Zhijie slowly raised his head, his eyes revealing a hint of indifference and stubbornness. "If Qin Yi were a wolf, Chen Xiang would definitely protect him."

His voice was deep and resonant, like the tolling of an ancient bell, its trembling piercing the heart. His tone was filled with anger, but also with a long-suppressed depression. These words were like a heavy stone, pressing down on everyone's chest, making it difficult to breathe.

Indeed, Gao Zhijie's words were not without reason. Everyone in the hall couldn't help but recall the incident in their previous reincarnation when Chen Xiang, in order to protect her son, had gone so far as to poison everyone with aconite. That woman hadn't been without extremes.

However, Qin Ming refused to back down. He stared at Gao Zhijie, his tone firm and almost sharp, "He's not that kind of person. If Qin Yi were a wolf, he would have directly revealed his identity and then killed everyone in a fair and square manner. Qin Yi is that kind of man."

His voice rose slightly, carrying a subtle emotional wave. He turned his gaze to Qin Yi, his eyes filled with a complex emotion: pride, and even... a hint of jealousy.

"He's a lot like Dad." Qin Ming's voice dropped, a barely perceptible softness in his tone. "He's both straightforward and stubborn. Once he sets his mind to something, even gods can't make him yield or agree."

He paused, his voice regaining its composure: "Besides, if death is necessary to prove Chen Xiang's innocence, Qin Yi will definitely volunteer to die without hesitation."

Qin Ming raised a self-deprecating smile and added in a low voice: "As the only cunning and cowardly person in the family, I will never be able to do such a thing...Qin Yi is a human!"

"You, don't act like you know everything!" Qin Yi finally couldn't help it. He stood up from his seat suddenly, his eyes wide open, his voice trembling with anger, "If you could stay with Mom more..."

"Of course I understand!" Qin Ming interrupted him directly, his voice suddenly rising, his eyes like knives, piercing Qin Yi's heart. His face showed a rare intense emotion, as if the long-suppressed anger had finally found an outlet.

"I'm the only one who inherited the Qin family's cunning bloodline!" Qin Ming's voice was a little hoarse, with a deep sense of self-mockery, "How could Mom possibly like me? She likes you more!"

His fists were clenched, his knuckles turning slightly white, but there were no tears in his eyes, only a deep sense of stubbornness and unwillingness. He gritted his teeth, as if suppressing all his emotions in his chest, and continued, "That's why I study so hard, because I can only repay my mother for giving birth to me with money and material things!"

The atmosphere in the hall seemed to become even colder at this moment. Everyone held their breath, even Gao Zhijie was silent.

"And you!" Qin Ming looked at Qin Yi fiercely, his voice brimming with an aggressive edge. "You're born with a straightforward attitude! Do you know how much your mother likes you for this? Don't be so ungrateful, Qin Yi!"

(End of this chapter)