After the prompt [Contract Signed] appeared, Qi Si put away the blade in his hand and reached down to haul Chang Xu up from the ground.
When he failed to pull him up on the first try, he let go without a second thought and stood aside with his hands in his sleeves, briefly recounting what had happened.
"The three puppets were Hans, Ye Linsheng, and Lu Li. After Hans died unexpectedly, I suspected Lu Li was one of the puppets, so I went to confront him. To keep me from exposing him in front of everyone, he transferred the Puppet Thread from Ye Linsheng to me and misled the other players into suspecting you."
Chang Xu pushed himself up on his elbows and questioned him. "Why would Lu Li want the others to suspect me? What would he gain from that?"
"Not bad. You're learning to analyze motives." Qi Si praised him. "As for what he gained, first, it let him gather all three puppets and completely clear himself of suspicion. Second, I guess he wanted to keep both you and me on the island, so you wouldn't compete with him for a survival slot."
Chang Xu sensed that the explanation was far-fetched and oddly unsettling, and couldn't help objecting. "Given Lu Li's abilities, he wouldn't need such a complicated plan to eliminate me."
"That's why I suspect he had some designs on you. He admitted as much yesterday. But for some reason, he later changed his mind and chose the NE route, leaving by boat." As he spoke, Qi Si bent down and hauled Liu Yuhan up from the ground. This time, he managed to pull her up, restoring some of his faith in his own strength.
Only then did Chang Xu catch on. He went to help