Or perhaps, be a little more cunning and make up a lie to tell him?
That would not be difficult. He would not even need to invent one on the spot; more than a dozen lies were already available in his mind.
But would the other man believe him? The other man was a Colored Ring Supervisor! Perhaps many organizations had nothing but incompetent fools in high positions, but the Truth Society was different—Long Mei Er was proof enough. At the very least, Supervisors and those above them were definitely not like that.
This man was absolutely not someone who could be easily deceived. Treating him like an idiot would only make Richard the real idiot.
Unless it was a meticulously designed lie backed by extensive preparation, it would be difficult to earn the man's trust.
So what should he do? Thoughts raced through Richard's mind, and he gradually sorted them out: faced with a powerful being like a Colored Ring Supervisor, and under circumstances where he had nearly been caught red-handed, trying to muddle through would be extremely difficult. Even if he did manage to fool him, a slight investigation afterward would uncover the truth.
His only advantage right now was time. The Atomic Bomb had exploded not long ago, and the other man possessed severely insufficient information. Thus, even if he suspected Richard, he had not reached a conclusion. But if this dragged on any longer, that might not remain the case.
Therefore, the best choice was to flee decisively before the other man confirmed the truth.
As for whether he could succeed, that was another matter.
"So, do you know or not?" Dead Sea spoke again at that moment, looking over as he asked.
"Whew—"
Richard slowly exhaled, raised his head slightly, and looked calmly at him.