Game of Deception Chapter 54: Malicious Kindness

Chen Bingwen passed the question back to Ming Po.

The story he had just told revealed almost all of his secrets.

This ant that any of the three people present could use this secret to "kill" him or alter his existence.

The "wish" Chen Bingwen spoke of was rely a plea—if they wanted to destroy him as a Deceiver, they would be better off changing that segnt of his past.

If they did that, he would have no regrets.

This was practically his last will and testant.

Ming Po simply closed his eyes.

"...I accept."

He opened his eyes again, gazing calmly at Chen Bingwen as he pressed on. "But you said you do not kill people... Are you telling there hasn't been a single phase in the gas you've cleared so far that resulted in the deaths of others? This is nothing but hypocrisy."

"I only resort to self-defense when my own life is in danger."

Chen Bingwen answered without hesitation. "I have to take responsibility for my own life. Call it hypocrisy if you want. Even if no one in this ga cares about the law or procedural justice, I care, and that is enough.

"As for you..."

Chen Bingwen looked thoughtful before asking, "Do I know you? Or perhaps, did I indirectly cause the death of soone you knew? Is that why you're targeting so relentlessly..."

"Heh..."

Ming Po let out a soft laugh, a smile spreading across his face.

He reached up with his right hand and pressed it against the left side of his face.

Bit by bit, he tore his own face off.

Watching Ming Po's true features gradually erge, Chen Bingwen and Gao Fan widened their eyes in utter shock.

Chen Bingwen was surprised because he recognized him: It's actually you?

anwhile, Gao Fan's shock stemd from the timing: Why reveal this now?

"Rember , Fox?"

Beneath Ming Po's black-rimd glasses, a crimson glow flickered.

"...It's you!"

Chen Bingwen exclaid in astonishnt. "You're..."

He was a smart man, and realization dawned on him quickly. "You were using a fake na before? Did sothing happen to that person?"

He continued without a second thought, "It wasn't ! Please believe , I would never harm anyone!"

"Yes, sothing happened."

Ming Po nodded, his tone softening. "But I believe you."

Although Chen Bingwen appeared hesitant and timid, and had previously tried to lie to conceal information...

The story he told truly ca from his heart.

That resolute, unwavering willpower forged from within was absolutely genuine.

Ming Po could see that clearly, even without relying on the Table of Truth.

And despite his earlier attempts at deception, when pushed to his absolute limit, he had t Ming Po's malice with a direct, honest response.

Soone like that was perhaps worthy of trust.

The sa applied to Gao Fan.

The kid had his own cunning tricks and petty calculations, but he wasn't bad at his core.

Just as Ming Po had noted when he first obtained his player qualifications, very few of the people selected for the Ga of Deception were simpleminded.

...Is he trying to team up with ?

Chen Bingwen realized what was happening.

He had shared his story, laid bare his past, and confessed his dying wish...

And clearly, he had earned the "wolf's" approval.

"Let's forget about teaming up for now."

Ming Po smiled, his voice growing much gentler.

Since Chen Bingwen could guess his intentions, Ming Po naturally knew exactly what was going through Chen Bingwen's mind.

Even without words, he could answer the question the man had yet to ask.

"I am going to kill people, Classmate Chen. I will kill a lot of people."

Pinching his torn skin, Ming Po spoke softly.

He slowly pressed his face back together, and his tone shifted from reassuringly deep to bright and aggressive. "If you follow ... you'll suffer for it. We aren't on the sa path, and I'm not yet at the point where I'd drag you down to be my accomplice.

"But... at the very least, I don't hate people like you.

"Refusing to betray others and refusing to kill is undeniably a virtue."

With his human skin mask firmly back in place, Ming Po turned to look at Bai, who bore the "Naless" Title.

A malicious grin spread across his face. "Of course, Classmate Bai... consider this a warning in advance."

Ming Po pointed at Chen Bingwen while keeping his eyes locked on Bai. "If his existence as a Deceiver gets erased, I will kill you.

"He might not be so grand saint from the Domain of Virtue just yet, but he definitely isn't a bad person. This ga is dirty enough as it is; we need to keep as many people like him around as possible.

"No matter who takes action to dispose of this guy, I will kill you. Believe , I can make it happen."

He glanced back at Chen Bingwen, jerked his thumb toward Bai, and flashed a wicked smirk. "And you, stop telling that cliché tragedy of yours to anyone else. Otherwise, if sothing happens to you, she's going to die.

"Even if you don't care whether you live or die... you wouldn't want an innocent person to perish because of you, right?"

After delivering his threat, Ming Po burst into a fit of laughter.

This guy...

Chen Bingwen stared blankly for a mont.

His opinion of this erratic, moody lunatic had shifted sowhat.

It seed... his nature wasn't entirely rotten either.

Malicious kindness.

For so reason, that exact phrase popped into Chen Bingwen's mind.

Beside him, Gao Fan watched the scene unfold, his eyes growing brighter by the second.

He was increasingly convinced that he really had found an excellent big brother to rely on!

But just as the atmosphere around the table began to relax, the lights overhead flickered violently.

Bang!

A loud crash echoed through the room as the heavy door was abruptly shoved open.

The mysterious man with the echoing voice had returned to the room.

"—Have you reached a conclusion?!"

"—Who exactly is the mastermind?!"

"—If you don't hand over the mastermind, none of you are going back!"

The booming voice grew louder, radiating an intense, suffocating pressure as it drew near.

In an instant, Chen Bingwen and Gao Fan felt as if they had been plunged into an icy abyss.

It was then that Chen Bingwen realized... he was finally about to pay the price for leading their discussion astray.

Did they really have to surrender soone, no matter what?

Gao Fan also suddenly rembered that their debate hadn't actually reached a definitive conclusion.

Although they had practically pieced together the truth, they were still one step short...

They still hadn't found that "mastermind"!

Gao Fan instinctively looked toward Bai.

Right now, the one pulling the strings was undoubtedly Big Brother Xiao, the "Frankenstein."

He and Big Brother Chen had clashed earlier, but they seed to have reconciled.

Could it be... that she was the one who had to die?

But... she was supposed to be innocent.

Or rather, all of them were supposed to be innocent!

If things were exactly as his big brother had claid, and their four stories represented the four incidents "Yaoyao" had experienced, then they were all technically roleplaying the exact sa person!

All four options were Yaoyao!

There was never a choice to begin with!

Did they really have to falsely accuse and murder soone?

...If he points the finger at her, should I follow his vote?

Gao Fan subconsciously clenched his fists, his gaze gradually firming.

He would follow the vote.

anwhile, Chen Bingwen's heart sank deeper into his chest.

He didn't want to die. He absolutely refused to die.

He didn't want to be frad or pointed out... but he didn't want to cause anyone else's death either.

During the Death of the Minority, his vote had already cost soone their life. Back then, he had tried his best to remain silent, refusing to fight for dominance in the conversation or sway the voting block. He only spoke up in his own defense when forced into a life-or-death duel.

But that was a ga where "voting was mandatory." He had no other options, and he didn't want to perish.

Things were different now.

Even though acting this way would make every step forward incredibly difficult...

Still...

He would just take things one step at a ti.

Chen Bingwen made up his mind. He was going to abstain.

"Heh..."

Ming Po simply sneered.

His voice rang out with crystal clarity in the dark, silent space.

"Hand over my ass!"

Ming Po cursed without a shred of hesitation. "I didn't cheat!"

"—You must surrender a mastermind!"

The voice bood even louder, and raw fury filled the room.

The entire room shook violently, as if struck by a massive earthquake.

Yet they remained locked to their chairs, completely unable to move.

Ming Po, however, showed no fear.

Crimson flas danced in his pupils as he tilted his head back, his words unwavering.

"I said I didn't cheat! I'll give you the sa answer even if you ask ten thousand tis!

"Even if the whole class points their fingers at , I did nothing wrong!"

"—Then you will all stay here forever!"

The voice reached a fever pitch of rage, turning shrill and piercing. "Are you saying everyone else is wrong? And only you are right?!"

"I am right!"

Ming Po's voice was absolute steel. "Forget about one class, even if ten thousand people say I'm wrong, I committed no cri, and I am right!!

"Isn't this exactly what you've been waiting to hear?

"Or could it be that even you don't believe it anymore?

"Could it be that even you think you are the guilty one?

"—Speak to , Zhang Leyao!!"

The mont Ming Po's furious shout faded, the violently shaking room instantly returned to normal.

Click.

The lights were switched on.

The dim space was instantly illuminated.

They were sitting inside an empty teacher's office.

Standing by the doorway was Zhang Leyao, her face deathly pale and her body completely transparent.

She looked at Ming Po, who was staring directly at her, with a deeply conflicted expression.

She opened her mouth, but not a single word ca out.