Yan Hebi: "Xiao Yezi, I’m on the Green Team too!"

 

Xing Ye took out his phone. This time, when he entered the game, his phone had a mirrored case on it. He wanted to test if bringing the phone case into the game world was possible, as it would allow him to carry the little mirror conveniently.

Unexpectedly, it worked. Normally, items not part of clothing were difficult to bring into the system space or the game world.

Xing Ye speculated that this success was because the little mirror had been in the phone case for some time, and the system recognized the phone case as the mirror's vessel, allowing it to enter.

Alternatively, the advanced worlds might have different rules, allowing the black-and-white phone to be concealed, thus permitting the phone case’s entry. Or perhaps this world’s setting allowed for the existence of phone cases, which might not be true in other scenarios.

Whatever the reason, this time, Lu Mingze was in the phone case, and Xing Ye could see him immediately upon taking out his phone.

Since there were many people around, and the mirror could be exchanged for chips, Lu Mingze didn’t speak. Instead, a small line of text appeared: "I can sense a lot of mirrors nearby. Should I go and secretly gather some intel?"

This was a prearranged agreement between Xing Ye and Lu Mingze. Lu Mingze wouldn’t leave silently anymore because it worried Xing Ye. Before leaving the mirror, Lu Mingze had to inform Xing Ye and agree to return every half hour to check in and exchange information to keep both of them at ease.

This wasn’t to restrict the little mirror’s freedom but because advanced worlds were very dangerous, especially hostile toward fortune-altering items. Checking in for safety seemed like the best approach.

Xing Ye blinked twice at the mirrored phone case, signaling “be careful,” their agreed-upon code. Lu Mingze received the message and left the mirror.

Xing Ye didn’t rush to exchange chips. Most players would likely be exchanging chips at this time, making it easy to expose their identities.

Of course, by the end, all ten players' identities would likely be revealed. However, early exposure and delayed exposure were two different matters.

By waiting, Xing Ye could observe the other players’ personalities, finances, initial skills, and items. Gambling often hinges on strategy and psychology; knowing the opponent could greatly influence the outcome.

Thankfully, with the little mirror as a scout, he could gather information as long as there were mirrors near the exchange counters. Moreover, Xing Ye had the projector QR code, allowing him to see the gambling history and current funds of any player he encountered.

Of course, the system would also announce everyone’s current funds at 9 a.m. daily.

The casino’s facilities were incredibly luxurious. Xing Ye selected a high-end sofa near the chip exchange counter. When a waiter asked if he needed a drink, Xing Ye ordered a cup of hot tea. Holding the teacup, he casually browsed his phone while using his peripheral vision to observe the exchange area, looking for individuals who might be players.

He wasn’t in a hurry to gamble, as there was an entire day ahead. Even if he didn’t gamble today, he could still afford to pay the 10,000-point penalty. Xing Ye wasn’t pressed for time.

When the coast was clear, he opened his phone to review the system's description of the advanced world.

 

Game Background: "Our cruise ship is the most luxurious in the world, filled with countless wealthy passengers. The wool you can gather from them far exceeds what you’d get from broke players. Friendly reminder: the casino also has outside betting options!"

 

That was all. A single, simple sentence, essentially supplementing the dealer's rules without providing significant hints.

Xing Ye pondered the implications of this statement when someone holding a glass of orange juice sat beside him. Xing Ye quickly closed the Challenging Fate app and opened a stock market app, pretending to study stocks.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" a man asked.

The man was tall and handsome, with striking eyes and a noble aura. However, the glass of orange juice in his hand ruined the atmosphere, making him appear somewhat comical.

He would have seemed more sophisticated holding a glass of red wine.

Xing Ye glanced at him and offered a polite smile. "This is a public area; anyone can sit here."

"Thank you."

The man sat down beside Xing Ye, adopting a comfortable posture. He didn’t do anything but silently observe the chip exchange area and the casino.

Xing Ye had no intention of engaging him in conversation. Whether this man was a player or a passenger, it wasn’t the right time to make any moves.

Suddenly, a sharp cry came from the chip exchange counter: "Why don’t you just rob us! The minimum chip value is 1,000 —"

The voice belonged to a woman, but before she could finish her complaint, her companion quickly covered her mouth.

Naturally, such an outburst drew attention. Xing Ye glanced over and saw a stunning woman in a red dress pounding the counter at the front desk. Her companion, a very handsome man, was frantically trying to stop her from losing her temper.

The two of them eventually exchanged ten chips each and angrily walked over to the lounge, choosing a sofa next to Xing Ye's.

The woman in the red dress gritted her teeth and muttered angrily, "This is robbery! A minimum bet of 2 chips, and each chip costs 1,000 points. I worked so hard..."

Her companion noticed someone nearby and quickly stopped her from continuing. He was a young man, handsome, and radiating a warm and approachable demeanour, the kind of man who could easily win the favour of women.

At this, Xing Ye frowned slightly. He had met someone like this before and had even temporarily teamed up with them. The experience left unpleasant memories, and they had mutually agreed never to meet again.

Maintaining a calm and serious expression, Xing Ye kept his eyes on his phone screen, pretending to watch as if the stocks he was monitoring were soaring.

The warm-hearted man handed the woman in the red dress a glass of lemon water to help her cool down. As they whispered to each other, the man noticed someone on the adjacent sofa watching them. Turning to look, he saw a refined man holding a glass of orange juice, who raised his glass in a friendly gesture toward them.

The man with the orange juice was elegant and exuded a charm that naturally drew attention. However, the warm-hearted man’s gaze involuntarily shifted to the person beside him, who was engrossed in their phone. Something about that person felt familiar.

He hesitated before leaning closer to Xing Ye and softly asked, "Excuse me, sir, but have we met before?"

Xing Ye didn’t even glance at him. "No," he replied flatly.

"Are you sure?" the warm-hearted man persisted. "I’m Yan Hebi. You seem really familiar."

Yan Hebi... The system’s malice truly knew no bounds. Xing Ye had just entered the advanced world and had already encountered an old acquaintance—someone he did not want to see again.

Since they were stuck together for the next seven days—and might even be teammates—avoiding the situation wouldn’t help. Avoidance wasn’t Xing Ye’s style. He put down his phone, looked up, and said to Yan Hebi, "My name is Xing Ye. Look closely at my face and decide for yourself if you recognize me."

The moment Yan Hebi heard the name "Xing Ye," he collapsed onto the floor.

Staring at Xing Ye’s face, Yan Hebi couldn’t help but notice traces of familiarity. Xiao Yezi (NT: Xiǎo Yè (小叶) means little leaf, zi (子 ) is a diminutive suffix added to nouns to make them sound informal) bore a strong resemblance to Xing Ye’s real appearance. If Xing Ye had a younger sister, she would probably look like Xiao Yezi. While the two didn’t exist in the same world, anyone familiar with one could see the similarity at a glance.

Xing Ye’s current appearance was almost identical to his real-life self. Standing up, he loomed over Yan Hebi with his 185 cm frame. "Do we know each other?" he asked coldly.

Yan Hebi, who was also 185 cm tall, had once towered over the 175 cm Xiao Yezi. But now, sitting on the floor, he felt as if he’d shrunk to 165 cm, nodding furiously: "No, no, no! Never met you! Don’t know you at all!"

The woman in the red dress leaned over, curious about Yan Hebi’s reaction. "Brother Yan, do you know him? Have you two crossed paths before?"

The woman in the red dress, Ning Xinyao, made no effort to conceal her thoughts.

Yan Hebi glanced at Xing Ye, whose stormy gaze could freeze a room, then at the man with the orange juice, realizing he’d messed up.

Xiao Yezi clearly didn’t want others to know they were a player, but Yan Hebi’s reaction had exposed them.

The man with the orange juice watched them with interest and suddenly spoke. "Since it seems we’ve all been exposed, why don’t we share our affiliations? I’m on the Red Team. What about the rest of you?"

The woman in the red dress raised her hand. "I’m also on the Red Team. Looks like we’re teammates."

The man with the orange juice turned to Yan Hebi. "Then you must be on the Red Team too?"

Considering how close Yan Hebi and Ning Xinyao seemed, it was a logical assumption.

However, Yan Hebi pulled out his card from his pocket with a sorrowful expression. "I’m on the Green Team."

The man with the orange juice frowned slightly, glancing at Ning Xinyao. If they weren’t on the same team, why were they so close?

Ning Xinyao explained, "We were teammates in a mixed-battle world before. This game isn’t about fighting to the death—it’s relatively peaceful. So even though we’re not on the same team this time, it’s not like we’re enemies. But don’t worry, when it comes to points and victory, I’ll prioritize my team’s interests. My name is Ning Xinyao, a following Fate player. And you?"

The man with the orange juice smiled. "Shao Lin, also a following Fate player."

The two Red Team members looked toward Yan Hebi and Xing Ye.

Ning Xinyao pointed at Yan Hebi and said, "He’s a Fate-defying player on the Green Team."

The trio then turned their attention to Xing Ye, who was staring at Yan Hebi, his gaze brimming with suppressed fury.

Xing Ye’s plan to stay under the radar had been completely ruined by a certain fool.

Yan Hebi, who had just been helped back onto the sofa by the woman in the red dress, Ning Xinyao, saw Xiao Yezi glaring at him with a particularly authoritative expression. His legs turned to jelly, and he slid right off the sofa again. Frantically, he stammered, "Xiao Yezi, don’t misunderstand! There’s nothing between me and Xinxin—we’re just old teammates, nothing even remotely romantic!"

Xing Ye replied coldly, "Who’s Xiao Yezi? And what does your relationship with her have to do with me?"

Why was he being dragged into such absurd drama?

"No, no, no," Yan Hebi stuttered, now completely incoherent. Luckily, a flash of inspiration struck him as he remembered what Guan Ling used to call Xiao Yezi. He quickly corrected himself, "Not Xiao Yezi—Big Boss! Big Boss, you’re on the Green Team, right? Stop pretending! You must be on the Green Team! If you were on the Red Team, you’d have pulled out your identity card by now to disassociate yourself from me!"

Xing Ye tapped his forehead with his finger, feeling utterly drained. He finally said, "Fine. Yes, I’m on the Green Team, a Fate-defying player."

Yan Hebi, relieved, exclaimed, "Exactly! That’s why you can rest assured—I would never betray a teammate! Xinxin and I have a healthy competitive relationship, nothing more. Even though we knew each other before, I’d never sell out a teammate!"

Xing Ye sighed heavily, clearly unimpressed. Ning Xinyao, the woman in the red dress, gave Yan Hebi a hard kick. "Get up! Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? Normally, you act pretty normal, so why are you behaving like a complete idiot today?"

The man with the orange juice, Shao Lin, chuckled and said, "You two are Fate-defying players, both on the Green Team. What could you possibly betray in a casino? Your hands of cards?"

Yan Hebi fell silent, speechless.

What could they possibly betray? Even if all four of them were playing poker and laid their cards face up on the table, he and Xing Ye would still lose without a doubt!

 

Translator : DarNan