Game of Deception Chapter 110: A Real Team

"Wow!"

When Ming Po brought him to Gao Fan's house, Ai Shiping spread his arms wide, letting out an exaggerated gasp as if praising the sun. "My goodness!

"To think there's a villa this big in Shanghai!"

"It's actually quite ordinary."

Gao Fan replied modestly, ushering Ai Shiping inside and leading the way. "I actually own several properties. The villa over in Chongming is much more comfortable to live in. It's just that this is the only one that ended up becoming my base... Probably because this is the only place I truly consider 'ho'."

"...Ho?"

Hearing this, Ai Shiping paused, retracting his outstretched arms slightly. "Can a Mind Anchor... only be a ho?"

"Ah, not necessarily. Generally speaking, it's the place where your obsessions run deepest and where you feel the greatest sense of security."

Gao Fan said casually, "I know an old 'artist' whose Anchor Point is his art museum... because he spends all his ti there and never goes ho. I think it has sothing to do with his son being unfilial or sothing, but I didn't ask for the specifics."

"This guy is a true third-generation Shanghai scion."

Ming Po crossed his arms. "Not like a country bumpkin without a Shanghai residence permit like ."

Ming Po wasn't born in Shanghai. He had only moved there at a very young age with his parents, who were in business. His household registration, just like his neighbor Ti Key across the hall, was in Inner Mongolia. Both his parents were quite tall... which was the fundantal reason Ming Po was able to grow so tall.

He was just a bit luckier than Ti Key; back then, the residence permit system hadn't been implented yet. When Ti Key was going to school, if her parents hadn't accumulated enough residence permit points, she wouldn't have even been able to take the college entrance exam in Shanghai.

"...Ah, I'm not either. My grandfather is from Wenzhou."

Gao Fan smiled. "He was part of the first batch of university students in the early days of the country's founding, brought over by the talent introduction policy. My grandfather is actually still alive... The old man is in great health. He still goes mountain climbing, and no one can stop him."

"That's really impressive."

Ai Shiping sighed. "I'm so envious..."

Hearing this, Ming Po glanced at him.

Although it sounded like he was envious that Gao Fan had an impressive grandfather who could build such a large family fortune from scratch, Ming Po could hear the truth—he was genuinely, deeply envious that Gao Fan's grandfather was still alive.

Ai Shiping had been very close to his grandfather when he was little.

If one day, Ai Shiping decided to quit the Ga of Deception... perhaps he would also return to the ti before the great earthquake and flee with his family? Perhaps that was his true wish.

For his family to live happily together... without having to experience the pain of parting by death.

Thinking of this, Ming Po subconsciously tightened his grip on his own arms.

Because that also ant that he and Ai Shiping would never have the chance to et.

But Ming Po didn't say anything—he neither agreed nor objected, choosing to remain silent.

Ai Shiping keenly noticed that sothing seed to be weighing on Ming Po's mind.

"Right!" He laughed heartily, throwing his arms around both Ming Po's and Gao Fan's shoulders, his leaning body making him look like a zipline. "Let's go out to eat! I want to have sothing good!"

"...Just to eat?"

Gao Fan hesitated slightly, but then smiled warmly. "Sure, I'll book a restaurant then. What do you guys want to eat?"

He clearly felt this was a bit of a waste.

But Gao Fan's emotional intelligence and personality kept him from voicing any objections.

This could probably be considered a necessary team-building expense, Gao Fan thought to himself.

He had a good eye for people.

Even though this was their first eting, he felt that Ai Shiping was definitely a trustworthy companion.

That feeling was entirely different from what his past companions had given him... even different from the feeling Ming Po gave him. If anything, Gao Fan found it rather strange that Ai Shiping wasn't from the Domain of Virtue.

"How could I let you spend your money?"

Ai Shiping laughed brightly and held out his hand. "Since I brought it up, I should obviously be the one paying the chips!"

Seeing Gao Fan instinctively cup his hands underneath, Ai Shiping opened his tightly clenched right fist, and clinking chips poured out. It was a full thirty pieces of Hour's Red Copper.

"This..."

Gao Fan had never been unconditionally given so many chips by a companion before, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Is this appropriate? You're still a newcor..." A myriad of thoughts flashed through his mind, and his outstretched hands froze in mid-air.

"Accept it, Xiao Fan."

Ming Po suddenly spoke up. "This is just the kind of person he is. He genuinely wants to share with you from the bottom of his heart; it's not a test, nor is he just being polite."

"...Alright."

Gao Fan wasn't an indecisive person either, so the chips resting in his palms and those that had fallen to the floor all flew up and were absorbed into his body.

"My na is Gao Fan."

He looked at Ai Shiping earnestly. "How should I address you?"

"Just call him Xiao Ai," Ming Po said calmly from the side.

"Oh, no need to be so polite."

Ai Shiping smiled radiantly and unhesitatingly gave his real na. "My na is Ai Shiping! 'Shiping' as in world peace!"

He glanced at Ming Po with a smile. "Thanks, Ah Po. But I feel that since we are trustworthy companions, we have to open our hearts to each other. If we aren't even willing to give our real nas, how can we entrust our lives to one another?

"If we lack the resolve and trust to entrust our lives, wouldn't we just end up scheming against our companions? In that case, what's the point of having companions at all? Having soone who knows your information but whose stance is uncertain is actually more dangerous than having no one, right?"

Hearing this, Gao Fan was startled.

He looked nervously at Ming Po, worried that the two of them might start arguing because of him.

Not only would their newly ford team face a crisis of trust... they might even take their anger out on him.

"...You're right."

Unexpectedly, Ming Po, who was clearly the stronger one, slowly nodded after so serious thought and admitted his own shortcoming. Despite having a more dominant personality and stronger abilities, he was willing to respect the opinions and suggestions of the 'weak'...

"Let's consider this... our first eting."

Ming Po held out his hand to Gao Fan and said earnestly, "My na is Ming Po. 'Po' as in amber."

Gao Fan opened his mouth, montarily unsure whether to say 'Nice to et you' or 'It's an honor'.

He simply reached out and shook Ming Po's hand.

Even though his heart was still pounding when he reached out... he had even ntally prepared himself to be threatened or warned.

But unexpectedly, Ming Po didn't say anything this ti.

The mont their hands clasped together.

Gao Fan felt nothing but sincerity.

The fear and apprehension in his heart gradually faded away.

He looked up into Ming Po's calm eyes, and his own heart strangely settled.

It was an indescribable sense of security. A sense of belonging completely different from any team he had been a part of before.

"...Nice to et you."

Gao Fan said, matching his earnestness. "My na is Gao Fan. 'Gao Fan' as in 'the tall sail catches the distant wind, the lone island levels with the clouds'."

Right then, a sudden realization dawned on Gao Fan.

Even though Ming Po had already known his na, and even though they had already gone through a ga together...

Perhaps it was only now that their team had truly ford.