Playing Games (Two-in-One, Requesting Recommendation Tickets and Monthly Tickets!)

The four of them cleaned up the dining table and sat down in a square formation.

Then, an awkward silence fell.

"Ahem. Well, I'll say a few words," Shen Jin cleared his throat, deciding to introduce everyone.

"This... handsome guy is Yang Ao, my new subordinate. Besides having a wild imagination, he's quite reliable. Li Moxiao, you should know each other."

Li Moxiao nodded. "Brother Yang Ao was very nice to me over there. We often ran into each other when sneaking food at night."

Yang Ao gave an embarrassed smile. "Thank you for your care. As long as I followed her, I could always find food and never came back empty-handed."

Wow, he has that ability too? Shen Jin thought about calling Director Hu Shou again to ask if that counted as a superpower.

Yang Ao then continued, reminiscing, "It would have been even better if I hadn't been beaten in the morning."

Li Moxiao nodded vigorously.

"Ahem. This is Shang Qian, a colleague from before the apocalypse. She's a good person with principles."

So pleasing to the eye!

Yang Ao shot up from his seat.

So fast!

He extended both hands. "Please, befriend me!"

Shen Jin and Li Moxiao: "..."

Shang Qian pursed her lips into a smile, her lovely face like a blooming rose, full of fragrance. It was a look of ripeness! Especially the way she swayed, it was captivating.

"We've survived the catastrophe. Please take care of me in the future. I don't have much to offer, but I can cook simple home-style meals. Don't dislike it~"

Shang Qian didn't offer her hand. Yang Ao chuckled awkwardly and sat back down.

"Ahem!"

Seeing that both men were focused on Shang Qian, Li Moxiao quickly coughed to signal Shen Jin to introduce himself.

Shen Jin slapped his forehead. "Right, this is my divine beast, the Taotie. It's good at finding food and eating a lot. It eats as much as the three of us combined. It's in human form right now."

Li Moxiao felt her blood pressure rising.

"Shen Jin! That's going too far. You mentioned their good points when introducing them, why didn't you mention mine?"

Shen Jin pondered for a moment. "Okay, you've stumped me."

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Yang Ao quickly tried to smooth things over. "Moxiao does have good points! Like, like, uh... she's not a picky eater?"

Shen Jin was taken aback. "That makes sense!"

The group laughed heartily, using jokes to dispel the bleak atmosphere of the apocalypse. Being young, they quickly hit it off.

Shen Jin took out a box from his private storage. It read:

'Splendor'

"What's this?"

"It's a board game, suitable for four people."

Shen Jin rubbed the slightly worn cover, sighing, "University days... so wonderful."

"Brother Jin, are you saying university life was good?"

Yang Ao and Shen Jin exchanged glances and burst into laughter. Shang Qian and Li Moxiao were left bewildered.

"University life is pretty good, what's so funny about it?"

"Heh~ As a high school student, I just don't get their jokes," Li Moxiao rolled her eyes.

He poured all the cards and currency from the box, and Shen Jin began explaining the game rules to the other three.

"In this game, each of us will play as a wealthy gem merchant. We'll personally go to the mines to select six types of gems, accumulate wealth and resources to acquire mines for a steady supply of gems, and then use the gems to craft jewelry for points. When a mine reaches a certain scale, it will attract the admiration and visits of nobles, earning a lot of points. The first player to reach 15 points wins!"

The rules sounded interesting, and everyone was eager to play.

Li Moxiao, holding a plastic gem, tried to pocket a few, but Shen Jin caught her.

Yang Ao felt that with his strong logical abilities, he would quickly defeat the others.

Shang Qian's eyes sparkled. Who could be better at this type of strategy game than a manager like her?

Shen Jin observed everyone's reactions. "Heh, familiarity is the most important thing! Tonight, prepare to experience the terror of being dominated by me!"

The rules were simple, and the models were exquisite and easy to identify. The group quickly started their first game.

As expected, Shen Jin, with his far superior gaming experience, won steadily.

"Heh heh, back in the day, I was the board game prince of my class!"

Shang Qian, holding her 10 points, smiled and said, "That's quite interesting."

Yang Ao looked at the massive offensive he had prepared and roared to the sky:

"Damn it! Just one more turn, and I could have made an incredible comeback! Reaching 16 points!"

Li Moxiao looked at her 4 points with a confused expression: "Who won? Didn't the game just start?"

A board game had the four of them battling fiercely.

They had their wins and losses, and even Li Moxiao, whose intelligence was somewhat lacking, managed to win a round.

Shen Jin narrowed his eyes, discerning personality traits from each person's playstyle.

Yang Ao liked to win through unconventional means, never sticking to mainstream strategies. He also employed many risky tactics, making him unpredictable. However, looking back, his gambles always yielded huge returns, and they had a certain logic behind them. He either lost miserably or won spectacularly.

Shang Qian excelled at balancing everything. She always made the most optimal decision at the moment, played steadily, and maintained a consistently above-average performance throughout the game. Her wins felt natural, and her losses were never by more than a point or two.

As for Li Moxiao's playstyle, it reminded Shen Jin of an old saying:

Legend has it that Mahjong was first invented during the Qin Dynasty.

In the late Qin Dynasty, Yu Ji was a formidable Mahjong player; everyone knew that. But it was less known that she was adept at playing Mahjong with Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King, with her eyes closed. This is what later generations referred to as her unique playstyle, called:

"Blindly Haphazard Play."

Damn it! Just playing randomly and getting lucky to win!

After a while, they were all tired. They listened to the broadcast, but there was nothing new happening today.

It was the usual advice: protect yourselves and wait for government rescue.

Seeing that they were still in good spirits, Shang Qian suggested, "How about we play a word game?"

"Oh?"

Seeing the three of them showing some interest, Shang Qian secretly felt pleased. This game was something she had just thought of.

How to quickly understand a person?

The American psychologist Arthur Aron had provided an answer to this question.

It was the renowned 'Arthur Aron's Thirty-Six Questions'!

The thirty-six questions he designed possessed incredible "magic"! They could allow two complete strangers to understand each other in a short period, deepen their affection, and even fall in love.

Shang Qian used these thirty-six questions frequently in the past to understand her employees.

Now, she planned to incorporate the thirty-six questions into a game to quickly understand the three people in front of her.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

Shang Qian had maintained her purity after the apocalypse, which was inseparable from her understanding of everyone in the company.

She knew what a person liked and what they feared.

Unfortunately, she misjudged Lu Qiang. This was because Lu Qiang rarely spoke to her, and she had no interest in investigating the background of a mere security guard.

"This game works like this: we go around clockwise, and each person asks a question. Everyone else answers. The question cannot involve privacy, cannot make others feel embarrassed, and others have the right not to answer."

"Truth or Dare?"

"Uh, it's like a milder version of that."

"I think it's fine."

"Shall we give it a try?"

"Yay!"

The four of them readily agreed. Playing chess for too long had tired their minds, and this game was a good way to chat.

Seeing her plan succeed, Shang Qian began to ask, "Then I'll go first! What is something in your life that you are immensely grateful for?"

This was the ninth question of Arthur Aron's Thirty-Six Questions, and Shang Qian's favorite.

She could gain a lot of useful information from the answers.

Shen Jin was to Shang Qian's right.

He pondered for a moment and said, "I'm grateful for my hands. Before the apocalypse, they helped me pass the long nights, and after the apocalypse, they helped me overcome obstacles."

Shang Qian: "Cough, cough... Next!"

Yang Ao: "I'm grateful for my own tendency to court disaster."

Shang Qian nodded, feeling she had gained a deeper impression of this man.

"I'm grateful that Brother Shen Jin took me in," Li Moxiao said softly.

Shen Jin was secretly pleased, knowing he hadn't misjudged her.

"Even though he's a bit stingy, not handsome, and a big pervert at heart..."

(╯‵□′)╯︵┴─┴

"Enough, Li Moxiao! Are you sure you're thanking me???"

It was Shen Jin's turn to ask. He said slowly:

"How do you see the uncanny?"

Li Moxiao and Shang Qian were startled. Did the apocalypse only have zombies???

"Hiss~ Terrifying!"

Seeing their reactions, Shen Jin smiled smugly. This was exactly what he wanted. Why else would guys always want to watch horror movies with girls?

Yang Ao said seriously, "I have seen it. And more than once!"

Shang Qian: o((⊙﹏⊙))o.

Li Moxiao: (T_T)

"Every time I take the subway, someone always whispers to me."

"Says what?!"

"They point to an empty seat and say, 'Someone's here!'"

The other three: (°ー°〃)

"Damn!"

"Tch!"

"Never heard that one!"

Li Moxiao and Shang Qian weren't interested in answering, so the question passed.

It was Li Moxiao's turn, and she was getting excited. She cleared her throat and spoke in a slightly mature voice:

"What's the saddest line of poetry you've ever read?"

As a student, Li Moxiao naturally drew from her major, reciting ancient poetry.

Shen Jin realized Li Moxiao had her merits, like her voice, which she could change at will.

Switching between several vocal styles seamlessly, he was smitten!

Yang Ao quickly answered, "Beans are boiled with fuel from their own stalks, the beans cry out in the pot. We were born of the same root, why must you torment each other so fiercely?"

This poem represented his feelings about the post-apocalyptic world. Humans, already struggling to survive, why couldn't they forget infighting?

Why were there still oppression and coercion?

Shang Qian pondered for a moment, then thought of, "If life were only like the first meeting, why the sad autumn wind for the painted fan?"

This line perfectly captured the people and events she had experienced and missed over the years. Spoken by a woman as alluring as her, it held a special charm.

Shen Jin felt anxious. "Ahem... that line was on the tip of my tongue, but I just couldn't... couldn't say it..."

The others turned their gaze to Shen Jin, who hated that he couldn't showcase the "driving skills" he had in his mind.

Seeing the ringleader, Li Moxiao, looking smug, Shen Jin suddenly thought of a fitting poem!

"I've got it! Listen to mine: Twelve years traveling together, I never knew Mulan was a girl."

Li Moxiao shouted, "How is that a sad poem! If you can't say it, don't force it..."

(°ー°〃)

"Ahhhhhh!"

"Shen Jin! I'll take you down with me!!!"

Yang Ao quickly pulled her back, "No need, no need!"

It was Yang Ao's turn.

He asked about his favorite topic: "Who or what impressive people or events have you encountered on your travels?"

He could talk about this for three days and three nights.

Shang Qian's face showed a hint of memory. "Last year, I was on a self-driving trip along the Sichuan-Tibet highway. I met a girl who traveled to Tibet with no money at all. I really admired her courage. It's rare to find such a strong girl. After she returned from Tibet, I heard she was pregnant, and they still haven't found the father..."

"You've gone too far with that! Truly worthy of 'cannon fire everywhere ~ Sichuan-Tibet line!'"

The other three broke out in a sweat.

"Ahem... next!"

Shen Jin felt this question targeted otaku and refused to answer.

Li Moxiao thought for a moment. "The most formidable person I met on my travels was my mom. She wouldn't let me go anywhere."

"Hahahaha~"

Shang Qian laughed heartily, clutching her stomach, then suddenly realized something was off.

Wait! Didn't I want to understand their inner thoughts?

Oh no! I've been influenced by the silliness. I need to get back on track!

"Okay! It's my turn. Does loving someone really require physical contact?"

This was a small question designed to test sincerity and views on love, and to reveal some psychological quirks.

It seemed ordinary, but it was actually full of hidden meaning.

Shang Qian's lips curved upwards, feeling like she had regained control of the situation.

Who knew Shen Jin would immediately say in a low voice, "Of course, why else do you think 'love' and 'fertilization' sound so similar?"

"Huh?"

Shang Qian's smile froze.

Li Moxiao covered her eyes, "Yikes! That's so dirty!"

Yang Ao slammed the table and burst into laughter, "That answer is brilliant! It's hard to top that!"

Shen Jin raised his hands in a placating gesture, "Just standard stuff, nothing to fuss over."

Li Moxiao also relaxed, recalling how she used to frequent anime conventions before the apocalypse. There were so many fun guys and girls there.

"Do you guys like cosplay?"

Yang Ao smiled faintly, "Childish! Compared to ridiculous anime, I only like the real-life version!"

"Uh, isn't that something for kids? I don't really know, I haven't been exposed to it," Shang Qian had only heard about it, but didn't understand it.

Shen Jin smirked wickedly, "Oh? I actually quite like cosplayers."

Li Moxiao instantly felt she'd found a kindred spirit. "See, the older girls were right. Conventions always attract those fat, nerdy guys, the perverted hentai! You have to stay away from them!"

Shen Jin shrugged it off, chuckling, "But I'm different from you kids. You like cosplay, but I like to play with cosplayers."

"..."

"You! You! Hmph!" Li Moxiao felt she couldn't win an argument against Shen Jin.

Yang Ao, smiling, moved on to the next question, "What are some deductive reasoning scenarios that leave people in awe?"

Yang Ao had directly brought up his strongest suit: logical deduction.

Shang Qian hesitated for a moment, then smiled sweetly, "I can't think of anything off the top of my head. Shen Jin, you go first."

"On a train, the police captain noticed a female passenger preparing milk for her infant, less than a month old, using cold water. The captain quickly launched an investigation and discovered it was indeed a case of infant trafficking."

Shen Jin was recounting a real news story. An illogical detail was magnified, leading to the identification of the crime!

The others nodded, admitting it was indeed unusual.

Li Moxiao took a deep breath, "Actually, my teacher is the greatest master of deduction."

The others' interest was piqued again. "Oh? Tell us, did your teacher study psychology?"

Li Moxiao shook her head and uttered a sentence that had been a childhood trauma for her, a piece of insightful deduction:

"My teacher said... if you didn't bring it, you didn't write it!"

The four of them: (⊙o⊙)

Afterward, they burst into laughter.

Shang Qian, after laughing, suddenly felt something was off. What was she supposed to be doing again???

Thirty-Six Questions... To hell with Arthur Aron!

It was all about having fun!

Finally, they even started playing Duck Duck Goose.

"Duck Duck Goose!"

Heh heh heh!

"How many ducks?"

"Heh heh heh heh heh!"

"Ten thousand!"

"" (¬‿¬)(¬‿¬)//""

"Got them!"

(*)

"Quack!"

"Quack!"

"Quack!"

"Quack"