Chapter 259 Far from Adequate
The square-faced man looked around quickly and hurriedly pressed the button.
His photo appeared on the screen, followed by the message {Partner still to be confirmed…}
Qi Xia keenly noticed that this man had already lost one pairing opportunity. If he guessed correctly, this person had deceived someone. And now, fearing retribution, he was eager to leave.
But how many fan pieces had he actually swindled?
"Xiōngdì, it's yer turn!" the square-faced man said.
"Alright," Qi Xia nodded and pressed the button.
For the first time, Qi Xia's photo appeared on the {Pairing Machine}, and all three of his chances were intact.
The square-faced man, seeing this, relaxed and took out two fan pieces, showing them to Qi Xia—one was {Sorrow}, and the other was {Happiness}. After displaying them, he placed them in the machine.
Qi Xia nodded, placed the {Joy} he had in his hand into the machine, and then took another fan piece from his pocket and inserted it as well.
The square-faced man let out a sigh of relief and repeatedly thanked Qi Xia.
"Don’t be so quick to thank me. It’s not over yet," Qi Xia murmured under his breath.
After a moment, the text on the screen suddenly changed.
The screen immediately went black.
The square-faced man was momentarily dumbfounded.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Qi Xia was the first to exclaim, striking the machine with urgency. "{Pairing Failed}? Just what is going on?!"
The square-faced man stood there for a moment, then instinctively started smacking the machine along with Qi Xia. "Is the machine broken...?" He paused, then turned to Qi Xia and asked, "Xiōngdì... are ye sure ye put in {Joy} an' {Anger} just noo?"
A flicker of displeasure crossed Qi Xia’s face. "What do you mean?" he questioned, his tone filled with frustration, "I lost two fans too! Who would joke around with their own fans?!"
The square-faced man knew Qi Xia was telling the truth. Even if he wanted to swindle another, he wouldn’t throw his own fans into the machine to deceive them afterward.
Could it really be the machine malfunctioning?
"How about...?" Qi Xia hesitated, then suggested, "We try another machine?"
At this point, the square-faced man only had one pairing chance left, and he seemed at a loss.
"Xiōngdì… I dinnae ken if the machine’s really broken..." the square-faced man began nervously, "But next time, mak’ sure tae check the fan afore ye put them in... I—I really cannae afford anither mistake..."
"I know... I know..." Qi Xia quickly nodded, his expression earnest. "This time, I'll open the fan and we'll confirm it together before putting it in."
The square-faced man, still trembling, joined Qi Xia in switching to a different machine. With a hesitant hand, he pressed the button, depleting his last opportunity.
"Xiōngdì... yer fans," the man urged.
Qi Xia nodded, then reached into his pocket.
"Ah, no!" Qi Xia suddenly exclaimed, his face paling with panic. "I don't have any more {Joy}!"
"I just remembered, I only have one {Joy}..." Qi Xia said, his voice tinged with regret. "The one you gave me earlier... I already put it in."
"Ye—!" The square-faced man started, only to pause as the realization set in. From the very beginning, Qi Xia had asked him for a {Joy}, a telltale sign that he had no surplus {Joy} in his possession.
After a long pause, the square-faced man reluctantly pulled out a {Joy} and handed it to Qi Xia. "Ye can use mine! But ye must put in an {Anger} in return! Otherwise, I'll be at a huge loss!"
Qi Xia nodded and took the {Joy}.
"No problem," Qi Xia said smoothly. "Now, let's get those fans into the machine!"
"Awright..." The man nodded and proceeded to drop his {Sorrow} and {Happiness} into the machine.
But the next moment, something didn't sit right with him. He had acted too hastily—Qi Xia still hadn't pressed the button.
Qi Xia paused for a moment, then casually slipped the {Joy} into his pocket. With a deliberate motion, he laid out all three other fans in his hand, opening them one by one.
They were all {Sorrow}.
"Xiōngdì, my bad, I made a mistake," Qi Xia said with a faint smile. "Turns out, I only have three {Sorrow} left, not even a single {Anger}."
A fleeting look of despair passed over the square-faced man's face. He fell into a long silence before finally speaking up, his voice filled with bitterness, "Ye’ve dragged me intae hell."
"Is that so?" Qi Xia responded coolly, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "If you give me an {Anger} now, wouldn’t we both be able to leave?"
"Do ye think I’d still believe ye?" The square-faced man snapped, his anger boiling over. "Yer nothin' but a swindler!"
"Thanks for the compliment," Qi Xia said, unfazed. "But I’m not negotiating with you."
With a slow, deliberate movement, Qi Xia extended his hand and placed it on the button.
"You still have a chance to survive," Qi Xia said, his voice smooth and unhurried. "You can wait quietly here, hoping someone else will come and become your partner. As long as someone else presses the button and submits {Joy} and {Anger}, you can still escape with them."
"Whit are ye on aboot?"
Qi Xia stated plainly, "It’s quite straightforward—surrender all the fans in your hands at once, or I will press this button and deplete your last remaining opportunity."
The square-faced man stiffened. He was well aware that if Qi Xia pressed the button, they would begin {pairing}, but without Qi Xia investing a single fan, all three of his chances would be depleted, ensuring his demise.
A chilling dread crept over him—this man was far too terrifying.
Though his hand rested lightly on the button, it felt no different from the cold edge of a knife against his throat.
"So, shall we call it a deal?" Qi Xia asked, his expression unreadable.
The square-faced man felt more powerless than he ever had before. He had used similar tactics to deceive others in the past, but never had he been so thoroughly outmaneuvered.
"Please—Please dinnae press it," he surrendered, his voice now tinged with fear.
He slowly pulled out all of his remaining fan cards—surprisingly, there were two left. It seemed he must have tricked someone else into handing over all their fans too.
"After I gie them tae ye... whit will ye dae then?" the square-faced man asked, his voice shaking with uncertainty.
"Though I’ve stripped you of everything, my target was never you," Qi Xia answered, his tone calm and measured. "At some point, I may even save your life."
"Why go tae such great lengths?" the square-faced man said in confusion. "Even if ye collect twenty fans, that’s jist a hundred {Dào}. Ye’ll be makin' enemies o' everyone... Will ye even make it oot alive efter the game?"
"Offend everyone to gain a hundred {Dào}?" Qi Xia smiled with mild amusement. "You’ve greatly underestimated me."
"Whit? Ye... how much dae ye actually want?"
"Just a little more than a hundred {Dào}."
After a long silence, the square-faced man slowly extended the fans in his hand to Qi Xia.
Qi Xia lowered his head and opened them: {Anger}, {Anger}, and {Happiness}. Along with the fans he had previously collected, he now possessed three {Sorrow}, two {Anger}, and one each of {Joy} and {Happiness}.
Having gathered seven fans, he had already met the threshold of a {rich individual}.
Though this would yield a modest gain, it was still far from enough to achieve his true goal of {winning all of Terrestrial Goat's Dào}.
True to his promise, Qi Xia collected the fan from the man and, without a moment’s delay, turned and walked away.