Deceitful Game

Chapter 143 Gaoshan Meeting

"Congratulations to both of you, you've won the game."

Twenty bowed deeply to Mingpo and Gao Fan.

She completely ignored Gao Song, who had turned to black ash and fragments. Her slightly gentle voice held an encouragement and praise like that of a kindergarten teacher. Ming Po paid her no heed.

He simply picked up the switchblade that Gao Fan had given him from the table, pushed the button forward, and activated the switchblade.

The once white blade was now stained crimson. The tip, about three or four centimeters from the edge, had turned a dark red. Further back, there were fainter, scattered specks of blood.

He turned to face Gao Fan.

Gao Fan originally thought Ming Po was going to say something, so he turned around as well.

Unexpectedly, Mingpo reached out and pulled at the corner of her clothes, trying to wipe the blood off the dagger.

"Hello!"

Gao Fan was somewhat annoyed.

His voice was a little hoarse, and he felt like crying. At that moment, he wanted to cry, laugh, and be angry all at the same time, feeling as if Mingpo had turned his mind into a complete mess.

Seeing his reaction, Mingpo's lips curled up slightly.

If it were the old Gao Fan, he definitely wouldn't have dared to utter a single complaint or even a breath of air towards himself.

Although Gao Fan acknowledged that he was the team leader... he was always too polite.

Perhaps it could also be described as fear.

After all, Gao Fan had actually witnessed Ming Po going crazy.

The first time he met Mingpo, he was being chased by Mingpo.

Mingpo had been trailing far behind, his heart pounding—but when he turned around, Mingpo was right in front of him, instantly kicking him to the ground. The terror of Dead by Daylight couldn't be any greater.

After that, he saw how Mingpo easily pulled down his former captain's arms... When he got to the living room, he saw a woman slumped on the sofa with a remote control stuck around her neck.

Throughout the entire process, Minper did not even use a weapon.

The impact of that scene was so powerful that Gao Fan was completely stunned.

To be fair, even in the supernatural instance that Gao Fan participated in later, the ghosts were nowhere near as scary as Ming Po.

Although Mingpo later accepted him, Gao Fan remained cautious and timid, never daring to make any mistakes or say the wrong thing.

He is different from Ai Shiping after all.

Ai Shiping was indeed Mingpo's friend from a long time ago... but he didn't even know if he counted as a friend.

What exactly is his own self-positioning?

Friend? Subordinate? Henchman? Employee? Tool? Mascot?

Or perhaps... simply a useful tool?

Mingpo always seemed a bit crazy, and even though they had exchanged real names, Gao Fan was still very cautious around her.

It was like seeing a fully grown tiger raised in a zoo—even though reason told him that it was already full and had been trained not to eat people, Gao Fan dared not try to hug the tiger, or even touch it.

But now, the situation is different.

The previous games were too easy for Mingpo.

Mingpo guided him through this game, a game so dangerous it could be fatal. Even in the final, most perilous life-or-death situation, he didn't betray Mingpo, and Mingpo didn't sell him out.

Until then...

Gao Fan then truly realized that Ming Po genuinely considered him a friend.

He could finally let go of some of his usual distance, respect, and caution.

What Mingpo truly wanted was a true friend who would never betray her, never forget her, never sell out her, and never take advantage of her.

For him, nothing is more precious than "friends".

If the only cost is "participating in a life-threatening game," then it's undoubtedly a huge win for Mingpo. Even a Pyrrhic victory, where he's barely clinging to life, would be a major triumph for him.

"...It can't be wiped off."

Mingpo wiped the stains a few times with the corner of Gao Fan's clothes, but realized that they were not bloodstains.

The bloodstains seemed to have been branded into the blade, becoming a kind of "pattern".

However, Mingpo cannot yet see the specific attributes of this straight-bladed dagger, which has become a treasure after being stained with Gao Song's blood. He will have to go back and re-equip himself with the title of "detective" before he can conduct an appraisal.

But generally speaking... it should also have some connection with "mistletoe".

It would be great if we could get the "lucky" keyword randomly.

Now, Mingpo finally understands the true value of "luck".

The questions raised by Gao Fan...

"Is it a living thing?", "Is it related to the deceitful game?", "Is it a tool or a toy?", "Is it related to Gao Song by blood?", although they may seem meaningless or even hurt Ming Po in the end..., in retrospect, we can find that every question is extremely important.

If any one of these elements is missing, Mingpo will either be unable to deduce the final answer or will definitely deduce the wrong one.

Even Mingpo himself had to activate the Madman title, which amplifies the "Luck" attribute, to be completely immune to Gao Song's suppression.

No wonder... so many charlatans want to "borrow" Gao Fan.

In the game of deception, luck is a very important attribute, and it can even be said that it must be actively accumulated.

Just like in tabletop role-playing games, there are "Agility checks" that will cause full damage if you fail to pass, and "Constitution checks" that will kill you if you fail to pass... And this kind of "luck check" can even be said to be an instant death judgment.

While it might seem useless under normal circumstances, if you encounter an opponent with "luck" and fail the check, death is almost always the only outcome. And Mingbo finally witnessed that the modules constructed by the Deceiver... don't necessarily have to be "combat-oriented." It's not only the Domain of Power and the Domain of Slaughter that have mutually beneficial ability systems.

Gao Song, a master of balance, has his own "luck-based" strategy. This truly opened Ming Po's eyes.

What about the realm of wisdom? What about the realm of virtue?

Do they also have their own unique structures? Their own...palaces, and their own games?

"Do you really have to use my clothes to wipe it?"

Gao Fan was at a loss.

"Your father's blood."

Mingpo said with a smile, "It's like using the original soup to digest the original food."

He wouldn't have made such a nasty joke to Gao Fan before—because he was worried that Gao Fan would hate him.

His pent-up aggression was always enjoyed exclusively by Ai Shiping.

Now there's finally one more person.

"……Why."

Gao Fan waved his hand weakly and sighed.

"Are you not happy?"

Mingpo leaned closer: "Isn't winning the game good? Your...revenge? It's over."

"It's because... I no longer know if this revenge is even meaningful."

Gao Fan was somewhat confused.

He brought Mingpo here because he wanted to avenge his parents—Gao Song had killed them…

But now he has learned that... his biological father is Gao Song.

Gao Fan, on the contrary, killed his own father.

His "biological parents" didn't love him as much as he thought; his supposedly kind and gentle grandfather was also... a person he didn't know how to describe.

Gao Fan's upbringing was so good that he never swore, let alone swore at his own family.

For him, addressing someone by their first name was already extremely impolite—and he did just that.

What he couldn't let go of the most was...

"I don't even... know what he meant by his last words..."

Gao Fan murmured softly, "Should it be 'take good care of Xiao Fan'... or 'take good care of Xiao Gao'?"

Even in the end, Gao Fan didn't know whether he was Gao Song's son or not.

He was already an orphan who had lost both his parents.

Now that he knows the truth, Gao Fan has lost a "real father" and a "grandfather who loves him".

He no longer has a home.

"I have a suggestion."

At this moment, "Twenty Faces" suddenly spoke up: "If Young Master Fan is unwilling to join the Noble Blood Society, he can also go to the old mansion in Wenzhou."

After Gao Song died, she subtly changed how she addressed Gao Fan.

"The deceitful organization 'Gaoshan Society,' founded by your grandfather, remains the largest deceitful organization in Wenzhou to this day. It has a very large influence in Italy, being the third largest organization there, and the largest Chinese community organization in Europe."

Upon hearing this, Mingpo looked at the host with great interest.

He asked bluntly, "You're also from the Gaoshan Society, right? What's your relationship with the old man of the Gao family? Are you his lover?"

"Yes."

The smile on the face of the twenty-faced man remained unchanged.

She still used the same answer to answer both questions—she didn't know which one she was answering, or both.

"Now that Young Master Gao Song is dead, my mission is over."

Twenty Faces looked at Gao Fan and nodded: "I'm leaving Shanghai... Until we meet again."

As she finished speaking, the surrounding palaces shook and collapsed violently as if in an earthquake.

It was as if a giant rock had fallen from the sky and smashed into Mingpo.

The world before Mingpo's eyes was instantly swallowed by darkness.

[20 Questions About Death - Completed]

[Host: Twenty Faces (Wisdom - Silver)]

[Difficulty: 1 week]

Number of people who passed the checkpoint: 2

[This game has additional rules]

[You have completed the special rules and received a reward: Time Chip - Zhou Zhiqing Lead (1 piece)]

[Under evaluation...]

[Meets the special advancement requirements for "Madman," title has been upgraded - 11]

[The "madman" is plundering affixes]

[The suffix "Silver Crown" has been obtained, and the title has been changed to "Silver Crown of the Madman"]

[Silver Crown: Immune to active interference effects at the psychological level, such as mind control, mind reading, charm, hypnosis, and fear. It can even provide immunity to interference at the "Silver Moon" level.]