Chapter 253 Clientele
Upon hearing these words, the rich individual let out a cold laugh, then, instead of retreating, reached into his pocket and drew forth a sharp dagger.
He held the dagger firmly in his hand, offering no further movement, but the change in the burly man’s expression was evident.
Qi Xia understood immediately that these {rich individuals} had likely prepared for this moment long ago; otherwise, such audacity would have been impossible.
The man holding the dagger made no attempt to soften his stance, nor did he threaten his opponent. Instead, he spoke slowly, his voice laced with experience, "Two choices—first, we each give you a fan, and you let us go. Second, we fight to the death."
His tone was that of someone thoroughly seasoned in such confrontations, clearly accustomed to the situation at hand.
The two options he presented were worlds apart—this was the negotiation tactic of a high-stakes business deal, where it was either a win-win or a lose-lose, with no room for compromise.
The burly man’s decision was subtly swayed by this approach.
After a careful pause, the burly man pondered cautiously. After all, two fans were a windfall for him, but should he choose to fight here, not only might he lose everything, but injury was a very real possibility.
"When you two escape, leave the knife behind." The burly man pointed at the sharp dagger in the hand of the man holding it. "Two fans, and one knife—then we have a deal."
His words were clear and precise, easily heard by all the participants in the room.
A tense atmosphere spread as the crowd's expressions shifted uncomfortably. They knew that if the burly man obtained this knife, the situation would surely take a turn for the worse.
Yet this concern was evidently not part of the {rich individual}'s considerations. He glanced at the dagger in his hand and gave a slow nod. "I will throw the knife back before I leave, but it must remain in my possession until then."
"Alright, alright." The burly man nodded eagerly, even going so far as to position himself behind the two men in an act of protection.
He then turned to bark at the other onlookers, "What are you all staring at? This deal is mine, so get lost!"
Qi Xia gave him a cold, assessing look before turning to the {rich individual} beside him. "You’re in danger. You’d better find someone to team up with."
The man wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief, his gaze distant as he nodded faintly. "Xiōng—Xiōngdì, aren’t you going to pair with me? You’re just as vulnerable here..."
"I’m afraid not," Qi Xia shook his head. "But I will ensure you make it out."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Qi Xia led the {rich individual} towards the other two {rich individuals} who hadn't yet formed teams.
These three appeared not to know each other, which presented an ideal opportunity.
"Xiōngdìmen," Qi Xia began, addressing the two men in front of him, "Are you aware of the situation we're in?"
The two {rich individuals} eyed him warily, uncertainty in their gazes.
"With roughly ten fans on each of you, the fact they haven’t been snatched yet is a testament to the small amount of rationality remaining here," Qi Xia whispered among the three. "Have you given thought to teaming up and fleeing?"
"Our escape or not has nothing to do with you..." one of the older {rich individuals} replied, his tone skeptical. "Why are you so concerned?"
Qi Xia nodded in acknowledgment of the question. "Indeed, it has nothing to do with me..."
Once he finished speaking, he gestured toward the {rich individual} by his side and said, "However, this person is my friend. If you team up with him first, I give a 100% guarantee that the remaining person will also make it out."
All three were momentarily taken aback, including the {rich individual} Qi Xia was safeguarding, who had never anticipated such words from him.
Qi Xia paused for a moment before continuing, "You should all know... the more time that passes, the closer you come to death."
The three {rich individuals} clearly sensed the danger but were unsure of how to proceed.
"Anyone willing to team up with my {friend}?" Qi Xia pressed, taking advantage of the moment. "You should know that in just a few minutes, the only people left with more than ten fans will be the three of you. Once that burly man gets the knife, he will undoubtedly direct his attention toward you. By the time you make a decision then, it will be too late."
The two men were now deep in thought.
After a moment of consideration, the older-looking one spoke first, "Young man, you make a valid point. I’ll team up with your friend."
"Ah? Really?" The {rich individual} beside Qi Xia chuckled. "That's great!"
The two exchanged a glance, ready to head toward the {Pairing Machine}, only to be stopped by the remaining {rich individual}.
"No... hold on a sec. What in tarnation are y’all doin'?" he asked. "Y'all teamin' up now, so what 'bout me?"
"I have a plan," Qi Xia said, reaching out to pat the broad-shouldered man with a thick Sichuan-Chongqing accent. "Da ge, don’t worry. I told you, I’ll make sure you get out."
"Come on, da ge, follow me," Qi Xia said as he draped an arm around the man's shoulder, guiding him to one side.
As they walked, Qi Xia kept an eye on the two men at another {Pairing Machine}, watching them press the button. Once they did, he slowly nodded.
This was all he could do. He could only pray that their {pairing} went smoothly.
"Hey there, fella, y'ain't pullin' no fast ones on me, are ya?" the Sichuan-Chongqing man asked. "Y’all got a plan, right?"
"Of course, of course," Qi Xia nodded. "I’ll quickly help you secure a partner."
As Qi Xia spoke, he led the Sichuan-Chongqing man toward Qin Dingdong's direction.
"Hmm?" Qin Dingdong, who had been eyeing new prey, immediately noticed Qi Xia bringing the broad-shouldered man to her.
"Qin Dingdong, didn’t you keep mentioning you were looking for someone to team up with?" Qi Xia gave her a nod. "This da ge here is also looking to leave."
"Oh? Really, da ge?" Qin Dingdong stepped forward and grabbed the man’s arm. "You want to leave as well?"
"Yeah." The da ge nodded. "Missy, you fixin' to leave too?"