Chapter 1052: The Wrong Paradise Gate

"Kid," Ren She said, "while you say it's about establishing a central institution that both sides can trust... what about the reality of it?"

"Oh?" Jin Yuan Xun blinked and asked, "What reality?"

"That place called 'Tian Tang Kou'—were you there?" Ren She asked.

"Yes."

"Looking back now... did you gain the trust of the 'Sheng Xiao,' or the trust of the 'Can Yu Zhe'?" Ren She asked again.

The short sentence struck Jin Yuan Xun like a sharp sword, rendering him speechless.

Although 'Tian Tang Kou' had initially strived in that direction, the leader Chu Tian Qiu didn't hesitate to trade corpses' eyeballs with the 'Sheng Xiao' in exchange for food for the 'Can Yu Zhe'.

But the 'Can Yu Zhe' didn't trust him, and neither did the 'Sheng Xiao'.

"So, the answer is basically clear..." Ren She said with a hint of regret, "Even if it seems reasonable, in practice, it's wrong. Not only is it difficult for both sides to trust this institution, but even the enemy forces can't trust it."

Chen Jun Nan looked at Ren She: "Are you sure...?"

"This answer is similar to your theory—it might sound feasible, but it's extremely difficult to put into practice," Ren She said. "They say each side sends someone to the central area to establish an institution, but how do we confirm that the person sent by the other side is really from their faction...? If we send someone to verify, we'd fall back into the original problem."

"Uh..."

"Besides, if the people in this institution are wearing the enemy forces' clothes all day, how can we be sure it hasn't been infiltrated when they go to deliver messages as our own people? If such an institution could really be established, no one would fully trust it."

Jin Yuan Xun had thought he had come up with a decent answer, but now it seemed completely off base.

Not only was his answer wrong, but 'Tian Tang Kou' had been wrong too.

At the start, the purpose of 'Tian Tang Kou' and Chu Tian Qiu's intentions were pure—it was meant to be a central organization that could help the 'Can Yu Zhe' and communicate with the 'Sheng Xiao'.

Yet Chu Tian Qiu never dared to tell the 'Can Yu Zhe' that he was trading with the 'Sheng Xiao', nor did he tell the 'Sheng Xiao' that their goal was to gamble on wiping out all the 'Sheng Xiao'.

It was called a middle organization, but it was more like a double agent.

No one saw Chu Tian Qiu as a good person, and no one truly felt grateful to 'Tian Tang Kou' from the heart.

"Let me ask you both," Ren She said again, "If you compare Chu Tian Qiu and Qi Xia to two generals, how would you launch an attack at the same time when you know someone is eavesdropping from above?"

"...?"

The two hadn't expected Ren She to suddenly change the topic, and they were stunned for a moment.

"Hold on," Chen Jun Nan said, "You don't even know about 'Tian Tang Kou', but you know about Xiao Chu?"

"I've spent a lot of time active on the 'Lie Che'," Ren She said, "and I've had enough time to chat with anyone. Chu Tian Qiu's name is probably known to most 'Sheng Xiao'."

Chen Jun Nan still felt something was off: "But aren't you afraid that what you're saying right now is being overheard...?"

"Qing Long is on the other side of the 'Men'," Ren She said, "He's too far away from me to hear what I'm saying."

"'Far'...?" Chen Jun Nan turned his head to look at that 'Men', unsure how Ren She defined "far"—he and Qing Long were only separated by a simple, shabby door.

"If I'm not mistaken, the method Qi Xia used was suggestion," Ren She said, "He used countless suggestions to make Chu Tian Qiu act subconsciously, striving to align the timing perfectly with his own plans."

"Ah...?" Chen Jun Nan felt like Ren She was about to say something he wouldn't understand at all.

"During this time, Chu Tian Qiu didn't know about the plan, and Qi Xia himself didn't know about it either," Ren She continued, "So no enemy forces could intercept any 'messengers' midway and disrupt this breakout. They couldn't even catch anyone to question about it. Even if the enemy forces attacked the stronghold and captured Qi Xia or Chu Tian Qiu individually, they still couldn't figure out the full picture."

"Hold on... what exactly are you?" Chen Jun Nan asked, "I'm getting a bit confused—aren't you one of the 'enemy forces'?"

"No, I'm a messenger," Ren She said, "I was sent out a long time ago, but unfortunately, I haven't reached the other stronghold yet."

Chen Jun Nan and Jin Yuan Xun exchanged glances, unsure of the current situation.

"Do you two have any influence in your teams?" Ren She asked again.

"Uh... sort of," Chen Jun Nan said, "I'm the second or third in command, and Xiao Jin... well..."

Chen Jun Nan paused, realizing that Jin Yuan Xun's position was probably similar to his own.

"I need you to tell Qi Xia and Chu Tian Qiu, without letting Qing Long notice..." Ren She leaned in closer and whispered, "The 'Cang Jie Qi' area they're in is the 'Lie Che'."

"Ah...?"

Ren She's voice was very soft, echoing lightly in the game area for half a second before fading away.

"No... hold on..." Chen Jun Nan said, "Are you kidding...?"

"Remember, the area they're in is the 'Lie Che'," Ren She repeated.

The two stared at Ren She quietly, at a loss for words.

"We've gone off track," Ren She said, "Kid, your answer doesn't count as correct, so the winner is Chen Jun Nan."

"Ah?" Jin Yuan Xun snapped back to reality and nodded hesitantly.

At that moment, he didn't have the energy to argue; he just felt that all the efforts he had made over the years had been in vain.

Fortunately, his memories didn't last long, and most of that hardship had already been forgotten.

Chen Jun Nan dropped his earlier carefree attitude and realized that Ren She was no simple character. He had never imagined, back in the interview room, that Ren She would have so many ideas.

When they got back, he had to get Qi Xia to talk with him. After all, as Ren She said, Qing Long was now deaf to them, so they could discuss anything.

Moreover, every question Ren She had raised since they entered the door seemed to have deeper implications.

Survivor bias, the challenge of coordinated attacks.

It felt like he was alluding to everyone, yet also specifically to Qi Xia and Chu Tian Qiu.

Those who didn't want to resist had already accepted their fate, while only a few were fighting back.

Could those few resistors turn this place upside down for their own will?

If so, how could Qi Xia and Chu Tian Qiu collaborate under constant twenty-four-hour surveillance and eavesdropping?