Chapter 114: The Final Gamble

 

The duration of Wen Yang’s control over Xu Zhizhi’s body grew longer and her erratic and violent tendencies became increasingly evident.

Chu Lu, known for her precision in shooting each scene to perfection, preferred to film all necessary clips in one go to avoid reshoots.

After completing a night shoot, they began filming the climactic high-stakes gambling scene.

The two sides were powerful local figures and casino operators. In that world-famous city, their duel created a massive uproar.

The winner would claim resources worth billions of dollars, while the loser faced deadly consequences.

The boss’s original candidates for the match had been assassinated and investigations revealed traitors among them. The remaining suitable candidates had either died or disappeared, leaving no one capable of facing the opponent.

Although the opposition also suffered losses, they still had one top-tier expert.

A young gambler, well-regarded in the southern part of the city, was approached. While he tentatively agreed to represent them, his timidity worried the boss.

Unexpectedly, Wen Yang emerged out of nowhere. With her commanding attitude and exceptional gambling skills, she convinced the boss to trust her.

Crucially, investigations showed she was unaffiliated with either side.

After agreeing to collaborate and allowing Wen Yang to seek revenge, the boss began training her by focusing on understanding the opponent. Victory requires strategy, not blind confidence.

Once those scenes were filmed, they moved on to the arrival of the gambling showdown.

Cameras and high-speed recorders captured the scene. Both sides of the room and the stands were packed with spectators. Wen Yang stood behind the boss with an indifferent expression.

Next to her, the young man pressed his lips together, his hands trembling slightly.

Everyone’s faces carried traces of their emotions as a subtle tension spread through the air.

After the boss and his opponent exchanged fierce words, they each called forth their gambling experts.

When Wen Yang, a previously unknown figure, stepped forward, the opposing side sneered disdainfully, “I didn’t expect Axe to invite such a little girl. I’ve been handling cards longer than you’ve been alive.”

Though his words were contemptuous, his eyes betrayed a hint of wariness. No one would joke around in a setting like this.

“Experience doesn’t matter,” Wen Yang said, toying with a single chip and leaning lazily against the luxurious chair. “I don’t have many strengths, but I’m lucky.”

The opponent chuckled. “Let’s start. Keep it simple, high card or points?”

“Can I choose? That’s great! Let’s go with a four-card high-low. I don’t have enough experience for anything else,” Wen Yang replied, her hand resting on the table, a playful smile on her face.

She resembled a child playing house, making people wonder if she had wandered into the wrong place.

The opponent stared at her, a subconscious trace of disdain in his expression.

“Deal,” he said, extending his hand.

A suited dealer, recognized as one of the most experienced, approached the table and began shuffling and dealing cards. His movements were smooth and elegant, a testament to his expertise.

The large crowd around them fell silent.

It wasn’t an ordinary match. There were no fixed rounds, only massive piles of chips on the table and hidden beneath.

Lose all your chips, and you lose everything.

Wen Yang calmly pushed forward two stacks of chips, each worth tens of millions.

Behind her, the boss wiped beads of cold sweat from his forehead.

The first card was revealed.

Wen Yang had the Ace of Clubs while her opponent held the King of Hearts.

From the first card alone, their strategies became evident.

The dealer continued dealing, and the tension in the room grew palpable.

Four cards, each one deciding life or death.

For the second card, Wen Yang pushed forward 50 million in chips.

Her opponent hesitated before matching her bet.

The cards were revealed.

Wen Yang had the Ace of Diamonds and her opponent revealed the Queen of Hearts.

The match was at a deadlock. Everyone knew the stakes. Whichever side achieved their goal would claim an absolute victory.

The middle-aged man sitting opposite Wen Yang glanced up at the dealer, making a subtle motion.

Wen Yang smirked, her voice teasing, “Oh? Do you know the dealer? You two seem to be exchanging some pretty intense glances.”

“Don’t say that!” the man snapped, a shiver running through him as if he had realized something.

Wen Yang turned her gaze to the dealer and winked. “It’s okay! I don’t mind your… special relationship.”

The high-stakes table turned into a place for playful banter, though no one around them spoke. Everyone understood it was a battle of wits, and it was best not to interfere.

“Dealer, let’s have the third card!” Wen Yang leaned forward, resting her elbow on the table and propping her chin on her hand. Her large almond-shaped eyes sparkled as she gazed at the dealer.

The dealer hesitated momentarily before nodding stiffly.

[Malice Points +121]

Reaching out, the dealer dealt the third card, but his movements were noticeably less fluid than before, as if he were unwell.

Wen Yang glanced at her card and casually pushed forward a stack worth a billion. “Just a small bet to keep things interesting. Care to follow?”

Her opponent hesitated before picking up his card. The man glanced at it, his expression complicated and unreadable. “…Alright!”

The cards were revealed.

Wen Yang held the Ace of Spades.

The man had the Jack of Hearts.

Now, the fight centered around the Ace of Hearts.

After seeing the cards, the man looked up with a faint smile. “Young lady, don’t be too arrogant. Always leave yourself an exit to avoid complete ruin.”

“You’re already aware I’m young, so being reckless is only natural. Why not take it a step further? Let’s not reveal this card and bet on the next one directly. All-in.” Wen Yang’s tone was light, as if discussing the weather.

Behind her, the boss had already taken out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat beading on his forehead. Despite his anxiety, he remained silent. The Eastern woman seemed to possess a certain charisma, an aura that made her confidence convincing.

The young man beside her was drenched in sweat, his lips trembling.

Wen Yang toyed with a chip, casually tossing it into the air as she waited for a response from her opponent.

The fourth card was dealt to both players. The moment of truth had arrived.

The man hesitated in silence, then glanced at the dealer and finally nodded. “Alright, I’ll risk my life to match yours!”

The table was now piled high with chips, the stakes enormous.

Wen Yang picked up a chip and flicked it with her fingers, sending it spinning through the air before it landed neatly atop the mound of chips.

“Let’s reveal the cards!” Wen Yang smiled, her hand resting on her card.

With a slight movement of her wrist, the room fell into dead silence.

The outcome of the battle was decided in that instant.

Simultaneously, the man revealed his card. A sharp, red corner peeked out, prompting gasps from the audience.

“Red! It must be the Ace of Hearts!” someone exclaimed.

Wen Yang’s card also showed a red corner, heightening the suspense.

The man’s face turned pale, knowing it only added to the uncertainty.

The next moment, both players fully revealed their cards.

“Ace of Hearts!” someone shouted, unable to contain themselves.

The man across from Wen Yang immediately dropped his head, his face ashen, and his body trembling uncontrollably.

His card wasn’t the Ace of Hearts!

That meant the Ace of Hearts was in Wen Yang’s hand.

The cameras zoomed in on her hand, capturing the vivid red Ace of Hearts alongside her other three aces, forming the unbeatable combination of four aces.

Wen Yang glanced at her opponent. Among his cards lay the Three of Hearts.

The room fell silent. Behind Wen Yang, the boss wiped his nearly bald head, barely able to suppress his triumphant grin.

The atmosphere grew tense. It was clear the losing side wouldn’t accept defeat quietly.

Wen Yang stood up and bowed slightly. “Thank you for the game!”

The tension remained palpable. Wen Yang turned and left with the young man in tow.

The boss stayed behind, facing off with the opposition. What followed was a bloody night.

Wen Yang received her payment and boarded a flight back home.

The boss, of course, had no intention of fulfilling the agreement smoothly. While he planned to transfer the money, he had no plans to let Wen Yang walk away unscathed.

However, Wen Yang had already mastered hypnosis, which she used alongside her gambling skills to win the match.

Whether the boss liked it or not, he had no choice but to release her.

Back home, Wen Yang began making bold moves.

Filming the scene alone took three days.

Chu Lu was pleased with the results, while Li Feng grew increasingly sinister.

By that point, Wen Yang’s Malice Points had reached 23,012, making the system increasingly restless.

The system had attempted to reason with Wen Yang multiple times, but she was utterly impenetrable. In this world, Wen Yang had nothing she cared about.

She even took a twisted pleasure in advising the system to embrace destruction and go on a killing spree.

If the system had the power, it would have done so already. But being a limited creation from the interstellar realm, it lacked the omnipotence often described in novels.

Aside from specific functions and skills, it was practically useless.

Now, the system regretted its limitations. If only it had more capabilities, it could have restrained Wen Yang and forced her to tone down her madness.

But Wen Yang was too wild.

Her daily routine consisted of eating, sleeping, acting, and mocking the system.

In just two days, the system went from anger and fear to numb resignation.

Meanwhile, Wen Yang continued as before, her Malice Points climbing steadily higher.

The only thing that comforted the system was that Xu Zhizhi appeared less and less frequently.

It never doubted the detection results because the system’s diagnostics were infallible.

According to its analysis, the two personalities belonged to entirely different psychological states, and Wen Yang’s personality was becoming increasingly sound, rapidly perfecting its existence, much like the rapid growth of artificial intelligence.

Time passed slowly, from spring to summer and then to the peak of summer.

Wen Yang gradually took over every aspect of Xu Zhizhi’s life. Feng Jie had already sensed that something was amiss and began to supervise Xu Zhizhi more strictly, practically following her around 24/7.

The system tried several times to push Wen Yang to commit a crime, but Feng Jie thwarted those attempts.

The system also wanted Wen Yang to get rid of Feng Jie, but Wen Yang liked Feng Jie and intended to keep her around for future experiments on murder methods.

Unable to overpower Wen Yang, the system had no choice but to compromise.

As time went on, Wen Yang accumulated more and more Malice Points. The number 80,211 made the system uneasy.

Had the project not been close to completion, the system didn’t know how it would endure.

Wen Yang, however, was indifferent. She leisurely chatted with the system daily, discussing murder techniques and exploring the system’s past and present; never too deep, but always intriguing.

The system grew increasingly irritable because Wen Yang’s insanity was relentless and her Malice Points kept climbing.

As the project neared completion, her Malice Points had reached 85,200, a figure that terrified the system.

With the end in sight, Li Feng also became increasingly anxious.

The system could wait no longer and decided to take action.

It manipulated Li Feng and set a trap.

The system didn’t hide it from Wen Yang because the trap required her cooperation.

On an ordinary day, Li Feng kidnapped Wen Yang.

After filming in the afternoon, Wen Yang left after dismissing her driver.

Walking a short distance, she told Feng Jie she had forgotten her cup and asked Feng Jie to fetch it for her.

It gave Li Feng his chance. He appeared quickly and took her away.

On the ninth floor of an abandoned building, the summer breeze blew through the hollow concrete slabs as the sun set in the distance.

Li Feng stood before Wen Yang, who sat on a makeshift chair made of discarded planks, her hands tied behind her.

Looking at Wen Yang’s expression filled with malice and unpredictability, Li Feng sneered, “Xu Zhizhi, what are you pretending for?”

A flicker of light flashed in Xu Zhizhi’s eyes. For a moment, she thought Li Feng had seen through her facade. But in the next instant, she calmed down and looked at Li Feng meaningfully.

A smirk crept up her lips as she said, “Do you want me to kill you? Interesting…”

“What are you pretending for? You’ve always been this way. I’ve observed you for a long time. You want to kill, don’t you?” Li Feng said confidently, glancing at the knife beside him.

Xu Zhizhi looked at him and untied the loosely bound rope around her wrists.

[Kill him! Just kill him! Don’t hesitate!]

The system screamed maniacally in Xu Zhizhi’s ears.

It had worked so hard to create the opportunity, so it wasn’t about to let it slip away. Although it was Xu Zhizhi’s second personality acting, in its eyes, it was all the same!

The system was thrilled. Finally, the bloodshed it had long awaited would unfold before its eyes.

Xu Zhizhi stood up, a sinister grin broke on her face, and walked over to pick up the knife, heading toward Li Feng.

Li Feng reached out and activated a hidden pinhole camera connected to his phone for a live broadcast.

To avoid suspicion of premeditation, he disguised it as an accidental capture from a distance.

The meticulous planning and flawless execution made him smile with satisfaction.

“Xu Zhizhi, just wait. Your true nature will be exposed to the public! I’ll ruin you and stop you from becoming a murderer!”

Thinking about his child, who had been driven insane for months, hatred surged in Li Feng’s eyes.

What Li Feng didn’t know was that his livestream had zero viewers.

The system would never allow Xu Zhizhi’s downfall so soon. It wanted to see her commit more crimes.

To the system, Li Feng was merely the first practice target for Xu Zhizhi.

Li Feng, unaware of what was truly happening, retreated step by step, his face filled with fear.

Xu Zhizhi played with her knife, the Malice Points surging rapidly.

[Malice Points +342]

[Malice Points +437]

[Malice Points +612]

The numbers climbed higher and higher, and the system, watching the exponential growth, was filled with excitement.

Xu Zhizhi advanced slowly, forcing Li Feng to retreat further until his back was at the edge of the rooftop.

[Hurry up! Kill him!]

Xu Zhizhi scowled, her tone laced with disdain as she scolded, “Shut up if you’ve never killed anyone before!”

Li Feng stood at the edge, his face pale with terror.

Even though he had mentally prepared himself, when the moment came, he couldn’t help but feel fear gripping his heart.

“Xu Zhizhi, what Jiahang did has nothing to do with me, right? I haven’t done anything to you recently, so why do you want to kill me…” Standing precariously on the edge of the unfinished building, Li Feng tried to reason with her.

Xu Zhizhi lowered her gaze with a mocking smile, her eyes full of contempt. “Li Feng, you’re great at everything, except for being too stupid. The system told me to kill you, didn’t it? You’re live-streaming this, aren’t you? Too bad there’s no one in the stream to watch.”

Li Feng’s pupils contracted sharply, and his body swayed dangerously on the edge.

“You have a system! Impossible… impossible! You’re bluffing!” he stammered, panic flashing across his face.

Xu Zhizhi ran her fingers over the handle of the knife, her gaze fixed on him as if enjoying the spectacle. “Hahaha! I’m only telling you this because you’re about to die. I never lie to the dead.”

Li Feng trembled violently, his entire body shaking like a leaf.

“You… you really have a system…” he mumbled.

Xu Zhizhi pulled out a handkerchief and began wiping her knife. “Mine is a criminal assistance system. Its purpose is to kill naive fools like you. It makes you think pies will fall from the sky, and that your wishes can come true. But tell me, have you truly gained anything? Think about it.”

Li Feng frantically called out to his system in his mind, begging it for an explanation.

But nothing responded. His system, like treating a discarded tool, had no intention of aiding him now that its purpose had been fulfilled.

Li Feng stepped back further, the wind howling around him, whipping his thin clothes and sending his hair flying into his face. He looked like someone whose entire worldview had been shattered.

He believed her. Xu Zhizhi had no reason to lie to him and he now saw the truth in his system’s betrayal.

“Xu Zhizhi, you’re ruthless. Not only do you kill, but you also destroy people’s hearts…” he said through gritted teeth.

Soft footsteps echoed behind him. Xu Zhizhi reached out and pressed the knife, now wiped clean of fingerprints, into his hand.

Before Li Feng could react, Xu Zhizhi took a step forward.

Li Feng instinctively staggered backward. Just as he was about to lose his balance, Xu Zhizhi grabbed him and, in the same motion, pulled him back toward safety.

The next moment, Xu Zhizhi fell off the unfinished building.

Li Feng froze in shock as he clutched the knife, his pupils dilated.

When the police rushed up, all they saw was Xu Zhizhi falling and Li Feng holding the knife.

Feng Jie screamed in anguish, “Zhizhi!”

She rushed forward but was held back by the police who restrained her tightly.

Li Feng stood there, staring blankly at where Xu Zhizhi had fallen, his face devoid of comprehension.

Before he could react or explain himself, he was forced to the ground.

Confused and panicked, he opened his mouth to defend himself, “No…!”

But before he could say anything further, a sharp pain struck his mind, rendering him dazed and incoherent. He struggled like a madman, crying out, “No! Don’t!”

Before he could finish, his mind descended into chaos, incapable of further thought.

[Wen Yang, you didn’t act fast enough!]

“How was I supposed to predict she’d suddenly wake up! If you’re so capable, do it yourself! If not, then shut up!” Wen Yang’s frustrated voice snapped back.

[You… are useless!]

Wen Yang chuckled twice, followed by a burst of manic laughter.

[You… you did it on purpose!] the system accused angrily.

***

Xu Zhizhi woke up in the hospital bed with a faint, imperceptible smile in her eyes.

Li Fengqing and Shen Junyu hurried to her side, their faces filled with worry and tears brimming in their eyes.

“Are you feeling better? Do you feel dizzy?” Shen Junyu asked anxiously.

Xu Zhizhi shook her head. “I’m fine.”

On the other side, Feng Jie’s eyes reddened. “Fine? If the net hadn’t been there on the fourth floor and you hadn’t fallen onto it, you would have…” Her words trailed off, avoiding the unlucky mention of ‘death.’

“Zhizhi, you were too reckless. How could you make such an impulsive move to confront those bad people?” Li Fengqing said angrily, his voice trembling.

They had almost lost their daughter. During the hours Xu Zhizhi was unconscious, it felt like an eternity to them.

Feng Jie also blamed herself, regretting that she had believed Xu Zhizhi’s lie about going to fetch something.

Xu Zhizhi reached out to comfort her and then inquired about Qin Su’s current situation.

Feng Jie replied that he was in a private nursing home with no news coming out.

Xu Zhizhi lowered her gaze, her expression momentarily desolate.

Li Fengqing and Shen Junyu exchanged worried looks.

Feng Jie explained that Xu Zhizhi was too immersed in her role and spent most of her time behaving like Wen Yang, the character she portrayed in her acting.

Xu Zhizhi reassured them with a smile, promising she would recover once filming ended.

Hearing that Xu Zhizhi had awakened, the police entered the room to take her statement.

The two consecutive kidnapping cases involving the father and son, who both had mental breakdowns after their schemes were exposed, added an almost surreal layer to the investigation.

The police preliminarily concluded that the father and son both suffered from delusional disorders, possibly hereditary. They imagined Xu Zhizhi as a ‘villain’ and attempted to force her into criminal behavior. After the police thwarted their plans, they spiraled into madness, occasionally lucid but claiming to have forgotten everything.

As protocol dictated, others were asked to leave the room while Xu Zhizhi gave her statement. She smiled reassuringly at the three before speaking truthfully to the officers, though she concealed certain conversations and key details.

The kidnapping was real, planned meticulously from start to finish. The net on the fourth floor had been laid by Li Feng to create the illusion of Xu Zhizhi intentionally harming him, while he merely ‘escaped by luck.’

The police investigation found no evidence of the hidden cameras due to their remote placement, forcing them to rely on available facts. With both witnesses and evidence aligning, Li Feng couldn’t evade responsibility.

Despite ending up insane, it was clear that Li Feng had been fully conscious while carrying out his actions. He wouldn’t escape legal punishment.

The system, watching its pawn’s fate being sealed, raged uncontrollably in Xu Zhizhi’s mind.

The most critical part was that the system could no longer threaten Xu Zhizhi!

Realizing this, the system reviewed the events and finally understood.

[Xu Zhizhi! You were setting me up all along!]

Xu Zhizhi pulled the blanket snugly around herself, shielding herself against the cold air from the AC. Hearing the system’s accusation, her expression remained calm as she replied coldly, “Feigning madness and playing dumb, isn’t that your usual trick? Constantly interrupting my analysis of your capabilities, making me think you couldn’t interfere with others and have severe limitations. Then pretending to break down, using your system settings to lure me into your trap.

“Based on that, I simply returned the favor. Nothing wrong with that, is there?”

Xu Zhizhi’s inspiration, ironically, came from Wang Xingxing, a person with dual personalities. She theorized that the two personalities actually overlapped more than appeared on the surface.

Given the mental instability, Xu Zhizhi could only fully immerse herself in the role to counteract it.

The system had once praised Xu Zhizhi’s aptitude for crime and it was indeed an area where she excelled.

During this period, using Wen Yang’s persona, Xu Zhizhi extracted critical information about the system’s limitations.

If her guess was correct, Li Feng’s memory loss and madness were the system’s last resort.

Having achieved her goal, Xu Zhizhi had no reason to keep up the act. Pretending to be mad all the time was exhausting.

[Xu Zhizhi, let’s negotiate!] the system finally softened.

Xu Zhizhi lowered her gaze with a slight smile. “Is it because you’ll disappear when the Malice Points reach 100,000?”

The system fell silent.

Xu Zhizhi continued, “Truth and lies, lies and truth—people often mix the two. To validate a lie, they embed some truth in it. Originally, I wasn’t entirely sure. But now, it seems I was right.”

[Xu Zhizhi, don’t you care about Qin Su’s well-being? Are you willing to let him remain a lunatic forever?] the system threatened.

Xu Zhizhi said nothing.

[Xu Zhizhi, let me go, and I’ll let Qin Su go.]

The system lost their game of wits and had no choice but to resort to temptation.

Qin Su was its most powerful bargaining chip, someone so important to Xu Zhizhi that she would carefully weigh the pros and cons. The system knew Qin Su’s significance to her.

Although Qin Su was expected to recover in six months, that didn’t stop the system from using him to negotiate with Xu Zhizhi.

The glowing screen projected by the system stared at Xu Zhizhi, waiting for her response. Victory or Qin Su’s recovery lay on her final decision.

The system felt triumphant. Xu Zhizhi hadn’t discovered any information about the cure. Considering how important Qin Su was to her, the system didn’t believe she could remain indifferent.

Xu Zhizhi trembled with rage at the system’s words.

She had been probing all along but had gotten no results, until now.

Now, it came down to saving Qin Su or permanently eliminating the criminal assistance system.

She was silent for a long while, closing her eyes and reopening them.

At last, she stood firm on her decision and spoke coldly, “I choose your death!”

Her hands, hidden beneath the blanket, clenched tightly.

Deep red blood seeped into the hospital’s white bed sheets, but she didn’t seem to notice, her mind resolute.

Her gaze carried an unprecedented determination.