Finalizing the Candidate, and Solitary Confinement

To be honest, Yin Kuang had been wondering whether he could gather enough people. Even if he did, he worried their strength would be insufficient. He had not expected Tan Shengge to step forward and volunteer at this moment. After a brief stunned pause, though, Yin Kuang understood. At the same time, he cursed himself for being foolish again. His contest with Zhu Tong seemed like a confrontation between just the two of them, but in the broader sense, it was the second contest between Eastern Victory and Eastern Japan! Though this contest would not have any substantive impact on Eastern Victory's overall situation, it involved pride and reputation. As the saying went, "There are no small matters when it comes to face." There was absolutely no need for him to shoulder everything alone!

If he won, the positive impact would be considerable—but if he lost, the negative repercussions would be immense as well. Not only would they lose face and prestige, dealing a severe blow to the confidence of the Chinese students, but the intelligence Yin Kuang had obtained in Western God—and Yin Kuang himself—would also end up in Eastern Japan's hands. Bound by the agreement, even if Yin Kuang did not want to, he would have no choice but to submit to the Eastern Japan faction! So it was not just Yin Kuang who felt that he could not lose. Many others felt even more strongly that he could not lose!

Though he had thought it through, Yin Kuang did not show it. A person could be clever, but not too clever. Sometimes, it was necessary to play dumb—even if the other party knew you were pretending. Otherwise, if you always acted as though you saw through everything, few people would be willing to associate with you. Yin