Chapter 52: Women Are No Less Than Men

Yun Fu wasn't particularly interested; her attention was entirely captivated by the weapon in her hands. Even Lian Hanqi paid no mind to the conversation. However, Qin Yi, standing nearby, seemed quite intrigued.

"What sort of wager? Tell us," he asked.

"How about this: we find another person, make three teams, and each of us stakes something. Whoever wins takes everything."

The men had no objections to this proposal; after all, a little something meant little to them. Their gazes turned to the only woman present. Sensing their attention, Yun Fu lazily shifted her gaze from her weapon and nodded, "Fine."

Lu Ting then called over a young man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, giving off a refined air.

"This is Su Changzhou. Xiao Fu, you can call him Old Su."

"Come on, who are you calling old?" Su retorted.

After a few jibes between the men, they began to place their bets. Su Changzhou took off his watch, Lu Ting produced a nondescript-looking phone.

Yun Fu raised her brows at this.

"Tingzi, you're really going all in," Gu Zhishu remarked, eyes locked on the device. "Isn't that the internal-release model from KD Company? I can't believe you own one."

Seeing everyone so earnest, Gu Zhishu gritted his teeth and put forth his car keys. Qin Yi smiled, "What a coincidence, I was going to wager the same. Let's do it together, then."

When it was Lian Hanqi's turn, Yun Fu fretted over what a mere student could possibly stake. But Lian Hanqi spoke up, "Yun Fu's bet will be on me—a plot of land in the eastern part of the city."

"......"

"......"

"......Brother, that's a bit much..." They muttered, thinking he had lost his head over a woman.

With the bets placed, each more tempting than the last, everyone's enthusiasm was thoroughly stirred. Yet none believed Lian Hanqi and Yun Fu would win, even though Lian Hanqi was formidable.

"Brother Hanqi, why don't you team up with Xiao Fu and Tingzi? He's a professional, so it won't seem like we're bullying you."

Hearing this, Yun Fu glanced over, and Qin Yi couldn't shake the feeling that her look carried a trace of disdain.

Still, the teams were formed and the game began.

Right away, the other team of three swiftly concealed themselves. The forest was vast; with six people, a quick resolution was impossible. Ambushes were the only strategy.

Lian Hanqi, watching Yun Fu amble along with her weapon as if strolling, smiled helplessly and walked beside her. "Let's head this way. If you see anything, fire. But don't hurt yourself."

"Alright."

The two stepped cautiously over fallen leaves, alert to their surroundings. The silence was eerie. Lu Ting followed behind, protecting them.

"Bang!" Suddenly, a shot rang out.

Lu Ting was about to rush forward to shield the others, but the two ahead split left and right. Their movements were fluid—a roll, then they raised their weapons. "Bang, bang." Their watches displayed information.

They were A1, 2, 3. The other team was B1, 2, 3. Now, B1 and B3's life signs had dropped by thirty percent. If they fell below ninety percent, they couldn't move and would have to wait for rescue; otherwise, they could only survive ten more minutes.

"They got away," Yun Fu glanced in that direction, then looked disdainfully at her weapon. She hadn't expected it to be so inaccurate—tsk.

Lian Hanqi, watching her practiced movements, saw her figure overlap with that from his dreams. He couldn't quite place his feelings.

He stepped beside Yun Fu, shielding her in his arms, as if by doing so he could protect the lonely, helpless figure from his dreams.

"It's fine. Let them run. Let's proceed carefully," he said.

The two worked in perfect harmony—one forging ahead, the other covering. Lu Ting had no need to intervene.

Just as Lu Ting was beginning to doubt his purpose there, Lian Hanqi shouted, "Watch out!"

Enemies appeared on both sides. Without thinking, Lu Ting rushed to shield Yun Fu, taking a hit in the back.

A wisp of red smoke rose instantly; his watch showed his life signs had dropped by eighty percent.

"You alright?" His first reaction after being hit wasn't concern for himself, but worry for Yun Fu.

Seeing her safe in his arms, unscathed, he let out a sigh of relief, his tense expression softening.

Instincts never lie.

A flicker of confusion appeared in Yun Fu's eyes, quickly covered by a layer of frost.

Without needing to think, in a blink she identified the enemy's location, raised her weapon, and fired.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Two opponents. Their life signs dropped to zero, eliminating them both.

Lian Hanqi stood aside, watching the girl radiating fierce energy, and his heart tightened.

He suddenly regretted bringing her here.

"The young lady is formidable. Their suicide attack underestimated us," Lu Ting quipped, easing the tense atmosphere. He, too, felt relieved, though a bit out of place.

"Brother Hanqi, Yun Fu, I'll go ahead and block their path," he said.

Only the two of them remained.

Yun Fu looked at the mark on Lian Hanqi's back, her expression unreadable.

"Others are heroes saving beauties, yet here we've reversed roles," she remarked.

Seeing his relaxed, joking demeanor, Yun Fu's grip slowly loosened.

"Because you're weak."

"Yes, so I'll have to rely on Lady Yun to protect this frail, pitiable man," he replied.

"......" Yun Fu lifted her chin, too lazy to respond, and walked ahead, though her steps slowed considerably.

Lian Hanqi smiled, quickly following.

Yun Fu never lagged behind; every obstacle set by the game was effortlessly solved by her. She made the entire game base seem devoid of difficulty.

Meanwhile, in the surveillance room, the two "corpses" who had been eliminated sat in chairs, complaining. "I must have been crazy to underestimate a woman favored by Lian Hanqi. Look at her skills, her reflexes, her marksmanship..."

As they spoke, they popped grapes into their mouths.

Su Changzhou watched the monitor as the girl, accompanied by a "wounded" companion, swept through the challenges, dispatching danger with ease. Her movements betrayed no obvious technique—only a blur, then the obstacle was cleared.

Truly valiant, a heroine among men.

Her gaze sharpened.

"You said she's a celebrity, right?"

Qin Yi, chewing a strawberry, nodded in confusion. "Yeah, why?"

"My company happens to need a spokesperson."

Qin Yi sat up straight, staring blankly at his friend. "Your company?! Brother, you do know you're in the tech business—what else do you have..."