Despite the "Three vs. One" setup, the three girls weren't actually communicating or cheating. Qingque, as the player to Luo Hong's right, tried her best not to "Pon" (call sets) and discarded tiles that others could use to reduce Luo Hong's turns.
But Celestial Jade is a game of luck. Being too deliberate often leads to missed opportunities. While Theresa and Bronya scored a few wins, Qingque ended up losing the most—even more than Luo Hong—and was currently in dead last.
"It seems your strategy has a flaw," Luo Hong smirked while defending his hand. "My dear Diviner, do you think when the beast attacks, they'll push you forward so they can escape first?"
"Hmph!" Before Qingque could answer, Bronya—sitting opposite him—applied a bit more pressure with her foot under the table. "We would never do that. Don't dream of driving a wedge between us!"
"Exactly!"
Even though they hadn't known each other long—only through this single game of Celestial Jade tonight—Qingque had already accepted Bronya and Theresa as true comrades-in-arms. More importantly, she knew they would inevitably be "comrades" under the same fire in the future, so trust was their best policy for now.
"Lord," Theresa spoke up at the right moment. "I can win this round, but I choose not to."
She showed her tiles to Luo Hong and then cheered for Qingque. "Go for it, Qingque! You have to win!"
Currently, Theresa had the lowest sensitivity level, so she could afford to pass on a win to give Qingque a chance to recover.
"Theresa!" A flash of gratitude crossed Qingque's eyes. She was about to make a solemn vow of friendship, but just then—
"Win!"
Luo Hong chuckled as he called a win on Theresa's discard. "What a touching display of sisterhood. I'm almost moved to tears!"
Despite his words, his eyes were full of nothing but mischief.
"You... hmph!" Theresa puffed out her cheeks. Finally, even she, usually the most stable one, was "overheating" with embarrassment. She wasn't angry at Luo Hong, but at herself. If she hadn't been so distracted by talking and had paid more attention to Luo Hong's hand, she wouldn't have discarded his winning tile.
Still, her decision to pass on her own win was correct. If she had won, Qingque's sensitivity would have reached a critical level, risking an immediate "total defeat" at Luo Hong's hands.
Despite giving Luo Hong a win, Theresa's sensitivity remained the lowest and was still within the safe zone. She adjusted her state, gritted her teeth, and said, "Again!"
"You better work hard~" Luo Hong's smile grew wider as he saw their competitive spirits ignite.
Truthfully, if he played purely defensively, it would be hard for them to win against him. Since the system had equalized their skill levels, it was impossible for Qingque to suddenly outplay him in one night. Luck was now the deciding factor.
However, as Theresa and Bronya began passing up wins to help Qingque, Luo Hong seized the opportunity. He targeted the two of them and scored two major wins, closing the gap in their sensitivity levels.
"You two..." Luo Hong shook his head, using his foot to trigger another "fountain" performance from Bronya. "If you had just won earlier and asked me to leave Qingque alone for the week—or even the month—I might have agreed."
"Information or requests... they're all the same to me. But you insisted on this 'sisterhood' drama. Now everyone's sensitivity is nearly equal. One or two more wins, and the loser will be decided. Winning easily won't be an option anymore."
He understood why they hadn't realized this. At 1,000x sensitivity, their mental bandwidth was overloaded. All their energy went into the game; there was no room for complex strategy.
As for him? Even if Bronya's technique was "terrible," it was enough to keep him in a state of "Sage Mode" focus. He wouldn't show any mercy.
"Uh..." Qingque and Theresa exchanged looks, realizing he was right.
"Y-Yeah..." Bronya, gradually regaining her senses, looked full of regret.
Current Standings:
Bronya: 1,600x Sensitivity
Theresa: 1,700x Sensitivity
Luo Hong: 1,700x Sensitivity
Qingque: 1,900x Sensitivity (Small win: +100x | Major win: +200x)
The situation was dire. Even if they wanted to end the game now, only a win by Theresa could secure a safe spot to make a request to save Qingque. The game continued, and the atmosphere grew heavy. No one replied to Luo Hong's attempts at small talk.
Then... Bronya's face fell.
Bronya: ( )!
Her luck was actually too good this round; she was ready to win within the first five draws. But now, she was the one who couldn't afford to win. Helplessly, she discarded a safe tile, waiting for the others.
"Heh," Luo Hong chuckled when it was his turn. He didn't draw immediately. He looked at Bronya and said seriously, "Bronya, you rejected the luck of the Tile God, didn't you? Well now, I'll make sure you can't protect anyone!"
If Bronya had won, she could have at least saved one person. But now, Luo Hong felt a surge of "Heavenly Luck." He drew exactly what he needed, completing a high-scoring hand in record time.
The three girls felt the impending doom. Bronya was especially filled with regret. Just as Luo Hong said: "Hesitation leads to defeat!"
"Win!"
To the shock of the three, Luo Hong called the final win, becoming the ultimate victor!
Final Ranking:
Luo Hong: 1,700x
Bronya: 1,800x
Theresa: 1,900x
Qingque: 2,100x
Since Qingque exceeded the 2,000x limit, a mere stray draft caused her excitement gauge to overflow instantly. She collapsed onto the table, performing a final "human fountain." The scene looked exactly like a "Defeat CG" from a dark mahjong game.
Strange, yet undeniably lewd.