Upon hearing Liu Shanhe's question, Lin Zhiyuan knew the final decision on whether to help Cifera now rested in his hands.
To be honest, after careful consideration, he still couldn't figure out what hidden motive lay behind Cifera's suggestion of taking a group photo.
But just because he couldn't figure it out didn't mean there wasn't one!
Lin Zhiyuan was convinced she wouldn't go to such elaborate lengths for something as trivial as "creating a sense of ceremony."
With that thought, he pushed up his black-framed glasses and calmly stated:
"Some of you might think I'm being cold-hearted, but I believe it's best not to follow her instructions.
"We should stick to Teacher Wang Lei's original strategy: against a cunning trickster like Cifera, the best approach is to avoid being led by the nose."
"Brother Zhiyuan, I strongly disagree with that!" Zhang Hong immediately countered.
"One thing at a time. Earlier, Cifera asked us to guess her plan, and we refused because the outcome was uncertain and we couldn't afford the risk.
"But now everything's clear: she just wants a group photo. There's absolutely no risk to us, while Cifera clearly faces a significant one—
"Namely, that taking the photo will inevitably cost her precious escape time."
"Looking at it this way, wouldn't agreeing to help her actually benefit us more?" Zhang Hong said.
Feng Chiyu stepped forward in support. "I agree with Brother Zhang, Zhiyuan. You're being too cautious this time. Didn't you sneak a peek at those detective novels again last night and not get enough rest?"
"Brother Feng, I didn't read any novels last night! Listen to me—I understand what Brother Zhang is saying, but—"
"Alright, that's enough!"
Before Lin Zhiyuan could finish, Liu Shanhe placed a hand on his shoulder, interrupting him with a calm and reassuring tone.
"Little Lin, I understand your concerns. You've always been cautious and thorough, and that's a good thing. Cifera is indeed a formidable opponent, and none of us can afford to underestimate her."
He paused, turning his gaze to Zhang Hong. "But Little Zhang also has a valid point. Cifera's proposal for a group photo carries minimal risk for us, while forcing her to sacrifice precious escape time. That's a clear advantage for us."
Liu Shanhe looked back at Lin Zhiyuan, his voice even more sincere. "I understand your worry about being manipulated by her, but if this disagreement within our team undermines our morale, wouldn't that be another way she's pulling our strings? Perhaps that's her true objective. What do you think?"
Being led by the nose in a different way...
So that's it!
In an instant, Lin Zhiyuan understood Cifera's scheme.
At the cafeteria earlier, Cifera had gleaned insights into the Expert Team's attitudes toward her by analyzing the personalized messages they wrote in her autograph book. She sensed that Lin Zhiyuan harbored particularly strong competitive feelings toward her.
Predicting he wouldn't comply with her wishes, she had turned his resistance into her advantage. By leveraging the seemingly harmless request for a group photo—one too trivial to refuse—she created a rift between Lin Zhiyuan, who declined, and the other experts who agreed.
As Old Liu had said, even the smallest crack within a team could prove fatal.
This was the pit Cifera intended to leave for the Pursuit Team before her departure.
True to his reputation, Old Liu had seen through Cifera's scheme all along, choosing to remain silent.
He had asked Lin Zhiyuan for his final opinion not to grant him the decision-making power, but to use this method to reveal the truth.
With this realization, Lin Zhiyuan bowed deeply to Liu Shanhe.
"Old Liu, thank you for your guidance. This junior has learned immeasurably."
"Ah, you young'un! This old man doesn't stand on ceremony," Liu Shanhe chuckled, quickly helping Lin Zhiyuan up.
After standing up, Lin Zhiyuan sincerely apologized to Zhang Hong and Feng Chiyu:
"Brother Zhang, Brother Feng, I was truly foolish this time. I almost fell for Cifera's trap."
"Ah... ha ha, as long as you've figured it out, Brother Zhiyuan, that's all that matters."
Zhang Hong had only realized they had narrowly avoided another pitfall after hearing Liu Shanhe's explanation. Seeing Lin Zhiyuan mistakenly assume he already knew, Zhang Hong decided it was best not to correct the misunderstanding.
Sharp-minded viewers in the live stream had also pieced together the situation from Liu Shanhe's words, drawing similar conclusions to Lin Zhiyuan. The audience now understood that Cifera had nearly tricked the Pursuit Team again.
[Damn, Cifera's mind is truly brilliant! She devised such an elaborate scheme to outwit the Pursuit Team.]
[It's clear Lord Lin's animosity toward her was too obvious. She almost used it against him.]
[As the saying goes, "An elder in the family is a treasure." I can't imagine what the Pursuit Team would do without Old Liu.]
[I missed yesterday's live stream and only watched the highlights. I immediately became obsessed with Cifera! I finally caught today's broadcast, and I thought the real excitement would start after the wanted notice was issued. I never expected things to get this intense so soon!]
[Exactly! One thing's for sure, this show is absolutely thrilling! The strategic games between the contestants and the Expert Team are mind-blowing!]
[Upstairs, please change the word "contestants" to "Cifera."]
[I wonder if Cifera has any backup plans now that her strategy has failed.]
Just then, Cifera's impatient voice boomed through the loudspeaker:
"You bunch of grown men have been dithering for ages! Can you just give me a straight answer already?"
Having reached a consensus, the Expert Team once again tasked Wang Lei, their human loudspeaker, to deliver the reply:
"We're coming, we're coming! I've decided—we'll help you!"
"That's more like it! Hurry down, then!"
Seeing Cifera's smile return, Lin Zhiyuan snorted inwardly, thinking:
No wonder even Old Liu couldn't see through this master of deception. That smile is so genuine, it's impossible to tell she's forcing it
But I know you must be frustrated by now. Keep playing your tricks—we're happy to play along.
Time's running out, though. Be careful not to play with fire and get burned.
As if sensing his gaze, Cifera suddenly turned to look at Lin Zhiyuan, her smile growing even brighter.
Moments later, all several dozen members of the Pursuit Team had gathered in an orderly fashion at the entrance to their base.
Under the Expert Team's direction, everyone quickly arranged themselves into formation based on height, weight, gender, and whether they were to sit, squat, or stand. The Expert Team members occupied the front row.
Cifera sat in the center position, with the esteemed Liu Shanhe to her left. The seat to her right remained empty for the moment.
Lin Zhiyuan and the others had initially hoped that Wang Lei, being the most senior, would take the seat. However, Wang Lei insisted he was just a junior member of the Production Team and firmly declined.
Left with no alternative, Lin Zhiyuan, Zhang Hong, and Feng Chiyu had to resort to a game of rock-paper-scissors to decide who would sit there. Lin Zhiyuan emerged victorious.
As Lin Zhiyuan eyed the empty seat beside Cifera, he found himself once again in that "no friendship, only victory" mindset he'd experienced while writing his message for her in the cafeteria—a state of burning competitive spirit.
Is this fate's cruel twist? he wondered. We're mortal enemies destined to clash, yet here we are, forced to sit together, feigning smiles for a photograph that will one day become the victor's badge of honor—a bitter irony indeed.
With this thought, Lin Zhiyuan straightened his black-rimmed glasses, puffed out his chest, and strode toward Cifera's side, preparing to take his seat with his most dashing posture.
Against a mortal enemy, one can't afford to lose momentum.
But just as he was about to sit, Cifera extended her hand, blocking the seat with an undisguised look of confusion.
"Wait, Little Lin, someone's already sitting here. You can't sit there."
"Huh?"
The imposing aura Lin Zhiyuan had been cultivating for so long immediately deflated. He glanced around, puzzled, and asked, "But everyone else is already in place. I'm the last one! Where's anyone else?"
"Little Bingbing, of course! You've already forgotten such a stunning beauty? I'm starting to question your preferences, Little Lin," Cifera said, staring at him with mock shock.
"Ah?!"
Lin Zhiyuan grew even more bewildered, completely forgetting to defend himself against Cifera's insinuation that he was gay. "But Little Bingbing is... 'unconscious'! How can she take the photo?"
"Simple! I'll go take a separate photo of her later, then use the studio's computer to Photoshop her into the empty spot in the group shot. You don't even understand that?" Cifera said, looking at him with a condescending smirk.
? ? ?
Seriously, look at the time!
You're still messing around with pointless stuff?
Do you even have time to escape?!
Hearing her explanation, Lin Zhiyuan's aura completely crumbled. He couldn't make sense of it...
Is Cifera really playing with fire?
No, she's not that reckless...
This has to be a new scheme!
There's no doubt about it—Cifera's making her next move!