On trials

At the gates of the "Marauders '" Shenzhen stronghold, the situation unfolded exactly as Lin Yu had predicted...

Although "A'yu" spoke sternly, but...

This key member of the "Marauders," this "Freelancer" known for his radical and volatile nature, has yet to pull the trigger.

Seeing her staring intently at Old Zheng, her eyes practically spitting fire, yet showing no intention of making any further move, Lin Yu mentally gave Old Zheng a command.

"Alright, we can move on to the next step, Old Zheng."

Upon hearing Lin Yu's words, Old Zheng wiped the cold sweat from his palms again.

"Really, boss... are you sure I won't get killed right away?"

Despite being asked this question, Old Zheng didn't hesitate at all. He immediately adjusted his state and re-entered the role of "Schreiber," which was the same role he had played as "Freud."

He looked at A'yu and spoke in a tone that could almost be described as "slow and deliberate".

"I don't deny White Sand's death... but my goal was definitely not to kill him."

"My purpose was simply to give him a 'Trial,' to accelerate his growth... But unfortunately, he failed that harsh Trial. He and 'Potassium Chloride,' two masters, two geniuses, both perished," Old Zheng said, even revealing a heartbroken expression. "I didn't want to see this happen either... These are masters who have already grown up; every one that dies is one less to lose!"

Hearing the words of "Schreiber" in front of her, A'yu almost ground her teeth to powder. A "crunching" sound came from her mouth, the veins on her forehead bulged, and her skin visibly turned a shade red.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

Old Zheng looked at A'yu, and although he hesitated for a moment, he still smiled and said the lines Lin Yu had prepared for him, "If you really mind, I'm willing to apologize to you and the 'Marauders' for 'White Sand's' death and offer some compensation... um, and also for the matter of kidnapping this 'Yayu' Miss."

As soon as he finished speaking...

"Bang!"

[Grace]'s gun muzzle emitted a blinding white light, and with a thunderous roar, the blazing magical ray struck...

At Old Zheng's feet!

The concrete ground at his feet completely exploded, sending rubble flying everywhere.

"I'm fucking going to kill you!"

A'yu almost roared as he stepped forward, his hands trembling as he held two flintlock pistols.

"Liuli," who had been protecting A'yu, saw A'yu's actions, glanced at "Yayu," and stepped forward to pull "A'yu" back.

"Don't be impulsive! Please don't be impulsive... This person is from the 'Psychology Society,' if you act impulsively, you'll play into his hands!"

Liuli spoke softly, and Old Zheng also let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes, don't be impulsive... A'yu."

"Damn! Damn! Damn!"

A'yu cursed three times in a row, then angrily kicked a piece of shattered cement at his feet. The cement flew nearly twenty meters and hit a railing in the distance. The echoing sound overlapped with A'yu's final curse, reverberating in the night sky.

She took deep breaths, breathing heavily, and finally stared at Old Zheng with undisguised hostility.

"Okay—then tell me, what are you here for?"

Old Zheng looked at A'yu and said in a low voice, "I want to see the 'Diviner'."

As he spoke, A'yu, who had been suppressing her anger, heard this and...

In that instant, a great deal truly vanished.

Instead, a somewhat strange emotion arose.

"You want to see Brother Zhan?"

A'yu looked at the gloomy man in front of her with an expression of disbelief.

Why do you want to see Brother Zhan?

A'yu asked curiously.

Old Zheng said casually, "Of course, I have something to discuss with him..."

A'yu sneered, "Okay, I misspoke... What I really wanted to ask was, why did you dare to see Brother Zhan?"

"You killed Xiao Bai... To me, Xiao Bai was just a good brother, a friend I could talk to, but you don't know how extraordinary he was to Brother Zhan —he was a good friend Brother Zhan knew before joining the 'Death game,' and Brother Zhan's most trusted right-hand man."

A'yu stared at Old Zheng: "I'm worried that 'Yayu' won't kill you, but... Brother Zhan won't—and, given Brother Zhan's level, whether he'll pose a threat to you when you meet him is a question."

Old Zheng shrugged. "That's not something you need to worry about... I have my own ways of keeping the Diviner from killing me."

A'yu sneered again, "Then I'll wait and see—I admit you're not bad, but if you're dreaming of challenging Brother Zhan, you'd better give up that idea as soon as possible."

"You'll die a horrible death."

Old Zheng didn't waste any more words, he just held up one finger. "Are you going to say anything more harsh? Do you want me to see him or not?"

A'yu whispered, "Of course I'd like to... but whether you can see him or not isn't up to me."

"Because I don't know where Brother Zhan is right now—if you really want to see him, just wait here, and I'll contact him for you."

"Besides... even though Brother Zhan would definitely kill you if he saw you, I can't say whether he'd have time to see you."

A'yu spoke, Old Zheng remained indifferent.

"It's alright... just contact them. I'm sure the 'Diviner' will be willing to see me."

Old Zheng's relaxed and confident demeanor made A'yu even more annoyed.

But even if she was very unhappy, A'yu could only suppress it.

"Then come with me."

A'yu spoke, she waved and then turned and walked into the park.

Lin Yu played the role of "Yayu," followed closely behind, with "Liuli" beside him.

Old Zheng, who played "Schreiber," was hanging at the very back of the line.

Lin Yu still had his hands behind his head. "Liuli" looked at Lin Yu's appearance and lowered her voice.

"Don't worry... Sister Yu will definitely find a way to rescue you."

"Although this 'Schreiber' is cunning,... we 'Marauders' have quite a few experts here in this Shenzhen."

"He'll definitely be in deep trouble then."

As she spoke, "Liuli" gently grabbed Lin Yu's forearm and squeezed it.

Lin Yu nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "Yes, I believe Sister Yu."

His voice still carried a hint of resentment and frustration.

Old Zheng, standing behind him, chimed in, "Hey, I could hear your whispers... I heard everything you were plotting against me."

Upon hearing this, Liuli turned to look at Old Zheng and said coldly, "Is that so? We didn't intend to hide it from you, Mr. Schreiber... or rather, you claim to be the successor of the First Generation 'Freud,' didn't you anticipate that coming here alone and appearing in this way would inevitably make you a target of our scheme?"

Liuli spoke, Old Zheng sighed.

"That's true... but I don't think you can do that."

Without turning his head, A'yu, who was walking at the front, said, "Then you can try it later."

Then, she slowed down and walked to Lin Yu's side.

Seeing the Yayu still lost in thought, seemingly a girl who had suffered some setback and was somewhat depressed, A'yu offered words of comfort.

"Don't blame yourself too much, I know... you were just unlucky."

Lin Yu looked up at A'yu, but instead of agreeing or thanking A'yu for her comfort, a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.

"Bad luck? Sister Yu... This isn't luck, I've never believed in luck."

He spoke in a low, cold voice.

"*Walking on the street without getting hit by a car; walking down the street without having your phone stolen; going to the bank without encountering a robber—that's what luck is, and only in the city can you find that. But where I live, wolves don't just kill unlucky deer. Every creature fights for itself; your intelligence and strength are what make you survive."

"The same goes for 'Death game,' places where people could die at any moment... there's only survival, no luck."

"I was caught by him today not because I was unlucky, but because I was weaker than him... Even if I die because of this, I can't blame anyone—I've even dragged you down with me."

As Lin Yu spoke, A'yu was stunned.

Liuli subconsciously continued to comfort him, "But, you are, after all, a 'Tier 1- Tier 1' who has only recently joined, while this 'Schreiber' is a 'Tier 3'..."

"It's not a matter of time or opportunity. A lion cub killed by a hyena has no right to dream about its future. Living in a harsh reality, one must always be prepared to face challenges," Lin Yu said softly, lowering his head. "I will remember today's defeat... Schreiber, you didn't kill me today, whether out of pity, disdain or whatever, I will not consider it a 'gratitude,' I will only consider it a 'disgrace.'"

"Someday in the future, I will repay you tenfold, a hundredfold."

Lin Yu spoke coldly. Liuli was about to say something more, but A'yu stopped Liuli and shook her head.

"Yayu, if you're alright after today, and Schreiber escapes... whatever you want to do, I will support you."

A'yu paused, then looked at Old Zheng: "You'd better not underestimate the 'Yayu,' she might be more dangerous than any of our 'Marauders' at the 'Tier 3' or 'Tier 4'."

Old Zheng looked at A'yu and Lin Yu and laughed.

"I have never underestimated this 'Yayu'... on the contrary, I have always held her in very high regard."

"Yayu, I have never spared your life out of pity or disdain... On the contrary, I know you will achieve extraordinary things in the future, because your potential is extraordinary."

"Today, I am your Trial, your opportunity for growth..."

"But in the future, perhaps you can also become my Trial!"

Old Zheng spoke, he adjusted his glasses.

"And I... will always look forward to that day!"

(*Some of the lines Yayu in this chapter are from the suspense film "Wind River")