Chapter 317: Odd and Even

"Who?"

The person who answered the phone this time had a very sharp voice.

"Ah, hello, hello..." Chen Jun Nan said enthusiastically, "We're just calling to recommend a 'Dǔ Mìng Huó Dòng' to you. I wonder if you're interested?"

"Not interested," the man said coldly. "Who are you?"

Chen Jun Nan had a general understanding of this man's personality. Unlike the nervous person from before, he couldn't be easily intimidated into submission.

"I..." Chen Jun Nan paused for a second and said, "I'm the one gambling with Dí Shé."

"What?" The sharp-voiced man was stunned, then fell silent for about ten seconds before asking, "So, that long pause just now... was your doing?"

"That's right," Chen Jun Nan replied. "I'm calling to confirm your stance."

"I see." The man instantly understood everything. "So, calls can be deliberately ignored... You want to know if I'll support you or Dí Shé?"

"Yes," Chen Jun Nan nodded and said. "I want to make Dí Shé completely disappear from 'Zhōng Yán Zhī Dì,' but I can't do it alone. I need help."

"I'm not sure about that," the man answered honestly. "I don't want to get involved in your feud. I just want to wait for the game to end and leave with my 'Dào.'"

Chen Jun Nan nodded after hearing this: "In that case... wouldn't you want to earn a bit more? If we win the game, there are only forty-eight 'Dào,' but Dí Shé probably has more. If he dies..."

"I'm just an ordinary participant," the sharp-voiced man interrupted Chen Jun Nan. "I don't want to get caught up in the struggles of you big shots. Offending anyone isn't good for me."

"So, in other words... you're neutral?"

"I'm not completely neutral," the man replied. "I'm probably leaning toward Dí Shé, since 'Shēng Xiāo' is much more powerful than the participants."

"I understand..." Chen Jun Nan said, furrowing his brow. "If I ask you not to answer the phone later... would you agree?"

"I disagree," the man answered firmly. "You can do whatever you want, but I'll strictly follow the game rules. As long as the phone rings, I'll answer it."

"I see." Chen Jun Nan sighed. "In that case, I'll hang up."

After hanging up, Chen Jun Nan once again refined the current layout on his wall.

To the left of Xú Qiān was the "Jǐn Zhāng Nán Rén," and to his left was the "Jiàn Shēng Nán Rén."

Since the "Jiàn Shēng Nán Rén" refused not to answer the phone, Chen Jun Nan's scouting work had come to a halt here.

Fortunately, the overall personnel layout was now mostly clear.

Although the person to the left of the "Jiàn Shēng Nán Rén" was uncertain, it had to be a man, because to his left was the "Bái Yī Nǚ Zǐ."

Chen Jun Nan extended his finger and drew question marks on both sides of the "Bái Yī Nǚ Zǐ."

Among all the people, only the identities of those on both sides of the "Bái Yī Nǚ Zǐ" were uncertain—they were two men.

From this, it seemed that Zhōng Zhèn was right next to the "Bái Yī Nǚ Zǐ," though it was unclear if he was on the left or right, but they must have communicated via phone.

Now, Chen Jun Nan had no better option and could only call Xú Qiān to start passing the question, then wait for this round of phone transmissions to end.

A few minutes later, the screen in front of Chen Jun Nan finally lit up, and it seemed to have taken longer than any previous time.

"Something's wrong..." Chen Jun Nan narrowed his eyes into slits; things were not under his control.

"The final answer for this question is—'Yes.'"

A massive chain sound echoed overhead, and now the giant ball had moved to coordinate "1."

"What on earth is going on...?" Chen Jun Nan felt he couldn't quite grasp the situation on the field.

The answer was "Yes" again?

He figured his question had reached at least three people to the left, and their answers were likely all "No." Adding Yún Yáo and himself, that made five "No"s.

There were eleven people in total now—did that mean the rest were all "Yes"?

"This is ridiculous... What the hell?" Chen Jun Nan turned his head to his right, where the iron ball was now hanging above the head of the woman to Yún Yáo's right. Would she die?

"Don't do this..." Chen Jun Nan stood up and looked around blankly. "We don't have many chances... We have to smash Dí Shé..."

But in the empty, narrow room, his voice couldn't carry out at all.

He felt that among the remaining people, there was indeed a formidable figure who had started making moves.

The person receiving the question this round was "2," the "Mén Shēng Nán Rén."

Chen Jun Nan knew he was "-1," close to the other person, and since Yún Yáo wouldn't lie to him anymore, he had a high chance of learning the real question.

In no time, the phone rang.

Chen Jun Nan picked up the receiver with a stern expression.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know..." Yún Yáo's voice didn't sound very tense. "The girl to my right seems done for."

"Why are you so calm about it?"

"Chen Jun Nan... I just remembered something," Yún Yáo said. "I think I can't die..."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Do you know how close that iron ball is to you?"

"Yes, it's very close, but precisely because it's so close, I'm absolutely safe."

"What...?"

Yún Yáo took a deep breath and said, "Chen Jun Nan, I'm on an 'Shuāng Shù,' so now only 'Dān Shù' can die..."

For a moment, Chen Jun Nan didn't understand Yún Yáo's logic and just stared blankly at the layout diagram he had etched earlier.

"'Shuāng Shù' and 'Dān Shù'?"

He placed his finger on "1," then calculated, and slowly widened his eyes.

If it followed the rhythm of one, two, drop—one, two, drop... the iron ball at "1" would never reach Yún Yáo's "0."

"What?!"

Chen Jun Nan felt his mind was in chaos. Could it be that this game's iron ball only smashed "Dān Shù"?!

At most, six people would die?!

In just a few seconds, he sensed something was off and looked to his left.

Wait, that didn't make sense... There was an issue.

Yún Yáo's coordinate was "0," he was "-1," but "-2" had already died!

Right at the beginning, a "Shuāng Shù" had died. He quickly recalculated with his fingers, and everything seemed consistent—the answers and the iron ball's position were all as he expected.

"So, when exactly did the death target switch from 'Shuāng Shù' to 'Dān Shù'?"

Yún Yáo heard Chen Jun Nan's question and let out a long sigh, saying, "It was during the second iron ball drop, when we chose 'No.'"