The four sat at the table in silence, a tension similar to a duel between top-tier masters. The only sound was the mechanical "clatter" of the Celestial Jade machine shuffling the tiles.
The first round was fairly uneventful. Qingque quickly called a win on Luo Hong's discard. The heavy atmosphere broke instantly. At the very least, it proved one thing: the "God" of this world could take damage!
"Are you thinking—" Luo Hong tossed his white outer coat aside and laughed, "—'Is that it?'"
"Uh..." Qingque, caught off guard, didn't dare lie to him. she nodded and said, "I've been playing this for quite a while. Isn't playing against you guys a bit like bullying?"
Even with the transparent rules, she held a massive advantage. In fact, the transparent tiles only made her tactical superiority even more crushing!
"Oh?" Luo Hong smirked as he continued to draw tiles. "Haven't you noticed? Look at Theresa and Bronya. Their discards are very systematic; they aren't playing like unpredictable novices."
Before the match, Luo Hong had introduced them. Qingque knew a bit about who Theresa and Bronya were.
"Theresa is a Principal, highly intelligent, and Bronya is a gaming genius. Isn't it normal for them to play logically once they know the rules?" Qingque glanced at the two. At least Theresa looks pretty smart when she isn't talking!
"Haha..." Luo Hong shook his head, amused. "It's not that simple. To ensure fairness, I've forcibly equalized the skill levels of all four players using the system."
"Otherwise, no matter how smart they are, they couldn't possibly go head-to-head with a veteran like you right from the start." Especially Theresa, he thought, though he didn't say it aloud to avoid making her "overheat."
"Wait..." Qingque looked stunned. "You can even do that?"
She discarded a tile to call for a win, but—
"Win!" Luo Hong intercepted her discard and smiled. "As the Lord, my power is absolute!"
"Ugh!" Qingque let out a piteous cry and reluctantly removed her outer robe. Fortunately, she had come prepared; when the rules were announced, she had used the excuse of "being cold" to put on several extra layers. Theresa and Bronya had done the same—fair is fair!
Luo Hong, who didn't care about winning or losing, dressed as usual. If he ended up stripped, the three women would be the ones feeling uncomfortable, so he had nothing to fear.
"However," Luo Hong added as Qingque realized her advantage was gone, "if you improve through the pressure of battle, that's allowed. If you have an epiphany during the match, I won't equalize the skill levels again. You have talent; show me what you've got."
He wanted Qingque to get competitive. But—
"I think I'll pass," Qingque said, shaking her head. "I play Celestial Jade for relaxation. If I have to be 'competitive' even for this, what's the point? Since our skills are equal, let's just leave it to luck!" She looked incredibly carefree.
"Heh," Luo Hong chuckled. He didn't push further. Qingque's attitude toward life was, in a sense, the correct one.
"Luo Hong," Bronya spoke up with a complicated expression after he finished talking to Qingque. "Why did you drag the Principal into this?" she asked, glancing at Theresa.
She knew Theresa would eventually be devoured—in fact, she'd already seen it happen once while Theresa was unaware. But she never expected to sit at the same gambling table with her principal.
"I didn't 'drag' her in~" Luo Hong looked at Theresa. "Your Principal came to me for information. She initiated the trade herself."
"Bronya... I never expected..." Theresa finally spoke, her gaze lingering on Bronya in disbelief.
Just moments ago, when Luo Hong informed her of the relationship between him and Bronya, she had been shocked to her core. What left her reeling even more was Bronya telling her privately and seriously: "Bronya and him are truly in love!" That was why she had been silent—she was still processing this earth-shattering news.
"Principal..." Bronya said, unable to meet Theresa's eyes. "If there is any intel you want, Bronya can ask for you. You didn't have to put yourself in danger."
"Luo Hong," Bronya turned back to him. "Can't you let the Principal leave? I will pay whatever the price is."
"No," Luo Hong laughed. "Last time was the one and only exception for 'proxy payments.' I've closed that loophole. Since the Lord Principal wants the answers, she must pay the price herself. Besides—" He looked at Theresa. "The Principal wouldn't want to use her student's sacrifice to buy information, would she?"
"Correct." Theresa nodded firmly. "Bronya, say no more. Since I am sitting here, it means I have the resolve to sacrifice myself. Countless people have sacrificed everything to fight the Honkai; I am no different. Besides... it's just this kind of sacrifice..."
Her stern face finally flushed red, but she gritted her teeth and finished. "I can afford to sacrifice this much!"
"Luo Hong..."
Seeing Theresa's firm resolve, Bronya turned to Luo Hong with a suspicious gaze. "Did you really not use hypnotism on the Principal?"
"I didn't," Luo Hong replied, his expression turning solemn. "I would never betray the conviction of a steadfast warrior!"
"Heh!" Qingque, unable to listen to any more of this, let out a soft, mocking laugh. She thought to herself: So you're using this despicable game of Celestial Jade to trample over a warrior's conviction instead? Luo Hong, you are way too petty!
Of course, she would absolutely, positively never dare to say that to his face!
The game continued. As their layers of clothing dwindled, the match finally reached a fever pitch of tension.