Chapter 1203: Chapter 805: Friends 2
Datou, a person whom Yang Xiao observed, is a steady individual, not easily flustered, a definite veteran player.
Yang Xiao first speculated that Datou had secretly reached an agreement with Sopa, promising to cover for her, and in return, Sopa had to listen and work for him.
This speculation seemed fine, but Yang Xiao felt something was off, as if the problem wasn’t as simple as he thought.
In missions, the dynamics between teammates are also crucial, so Yang Xiao decided to test things out. After lunch, when they needed someone to return the meal containers and utensils, Yang Xiao made the excuse that his team had done it last time, and it was time for the other team to do it.
Women weren’t allowed to return the utensils, as precept blade Azan had instructed before.
Now with Ahmed dead, the other team only had three men left, and Hafeez was a newbie who was scared bad, so in the end, only Datou and Juan went.
Taking advantage of Datou’s absence, Yang Xiao took the chance to chat with Davi, naturally steering the conversation toward Datou, unexpectedly managing to glean some information.
When Datou was mentioned, Davi’s face was filled with gratitude, repeatedly stating that Mr. Datou is a kind person. Last night, when Maria was unwilling to team up with her and Sopa, it was Mr. Datou who stepped forward, voluntarily exchanging with Maria and leading her and Sopa to the Inner Buddha Hall for the mission.
Hearing this news, Yang Xiao’s expression was filled with admiration as he continuously echoed Davi’s words, but inside, ripples arose. He boldly concluded that the relationship between Datou and Sopa was not ordinary. They probably knew each other before the mission, not some ad-hoc team formation.
The reason was simple; if it was a temporary team-up, there wouldn’t be such a deep bond that would make Datou take such a huge risk.
For the newcomers, the Inner Buddha Hall’s risk factor was not on the same level as the Outer Buddha Hall. Datou’s decision to exchange places with Maria had nothing to do with kindness; it was just to protect the newcomer Sopa.
No... this Sopa was likely not a newcomer either; it was an act!
She had known Datou for a long time, and the two had planned to rely on each other, one in the light, one in the dark, before coming in.
Soon, as Juan and Datou returned, the group left the dining hall, heading back to their respective lodgings for rest.
In the afternoon, the two teams, living separately, received notices from the temple, instructing them to send someone to designated places to collect items needed for that night.
Yang Xiao’s team sent Yang Xiao and the newcomer Shari, as it was just picking up tools, and it was during the day, two people were sufficient.
This was something Yang Xiao volunteered for.
And through last night’s events, Aisha and Shari were mostly cleared of suspicion.
Last night, the three of Yang Xiao’s team had been watching Aisha and Shari all night; the two did nothing unusual, and they encountered no unexpected situations either.
Meanwhile, Juan’s team, receiving the message, sent Datou and Sopa as the delegates, as Juan, Aisha, and others were too lazy to move after last night’s ordeal.
In the end, Datou took on the responsibility, and newcomer Sopa stepped up, wanting to go with him.
Datou and Sopa left the room and slowly headed toward the designated place, but midway, they changed direction, arriving at a secluded spot.
Datou hid behind a big tree, looked back to make sure no one followed, then looked at Sopa, frowning slightly and whispering, "You shouldn’t have come with me voluntarily; it doesn’t fit your character setup, which might raise suspicion!"
"Someone has already noticed the relationship between you and me, and it’s that guy called Chu Xi. He took the opportunity while you were returning the utensils to find Davi and probe her."
"I later questioned Davi, and his conversation was centered around you and last night’s mission," Sopa spoke quickly, appearing smart and competent, a stark contrast to her previous demeanor.
Datou took a deep breath and nodded slowly, "I know. I realized this when he orchestrated the situation that made me leave to return the utensils."
"It was because you gave me too much food that aroused his suspicion. This guy’s hawk-eyed and not easy to deal with."
"In their team, there are a few experts, like Musa and especially Adila. The latter gives me a bad feeling," Datou’s face looked slightly gloomy.
"Brother, what should we do next?" Sopa asked for guidance.
"Do what we should do; being seen through isn’t a big deal. That Chu Xi is also smart; I think he won’t reveal our identities and might even seek us out," Datou replied after pondering for a while.
"Seek us out for what?" Sopa pondered, "You mean... cooperation?"
"Perhaps, if I were him, I’d look for a reliable ally. We’re from different teams, and if we can cooperate, it benefits both sides. At the very least, we can share information," Datou said.
Sopa thought for a moment, then added, "We need to keep our cool and wait for him to initiate the cooperation. Rushing won’t do us any good and might make him suspect our motives."
"You’re right. Besides, I need to see his abilities first. If he’s just a slightly clever guy, then cooperation isn’t worthwhile."
Experienced and perceptive, Datou added, "He’s not our only option; Musa is also quite good. As a religious person, he naturally has an advantage with this type of information."
Pausing, Datou scanned the surroundings, then continued, "I have a feeling this mission isn’t that simple, like some nasty business arising from those sinister religions."
"Alright, it’s about time. If we linger too long, people might get suspicious."
Datou walked out from behind the tree first, with Sopa following behind him as they headed to the agreed location.
But to their surprise, when they arrived, someone was already waiting for them: Yang Xiao and Shari.
Yang Xiao sat on the steps outside the door while Shari stood somewhat ill at ease on one side.
Next to Yang Xiao was a patched cloth bag, presumably containing the items needed for the night.
"It’s you two, what a coincidence," Yang Xiao said naturally with a smile, as he expected this errand was an excellent opportunity.
With many eyes on them in their team, it would have been difficult for Datou and Sopa to have a private conversation, so this opportunity was perfectly timed. Their team had just been through last night’s mission, and everyone was exhausted, so the chance readily fell to these two as long as they maneuvered a bit.
If before, Yang Xiao’s speculations about their relationship were just that, now upon meeting, Yang Xiao was certain his suspicions were correct.
These two indeed knew each other, veteran players.
By using the words "what a coincidence" in his greeting, Yang Xiao was subtly signaling to them that he had seen through their facade and knew about their connection.
This wasn’t a threat; Yang Xiao also knew his conversation with Davi couldn’t be kept secret. After all, Sopa was nearby at the time, and with some inquiry afterward, it wouldn’t be hard to figure out his goal.
Yang Xiao appreciated smart people. In the Nightmare World, going solo was inadvisable; everyone needed to learn to cooperate — to deal with ghosts, NPCs, and fellow teammates with ulterior motives.
"Mr. Datou, last night when you stepped up to protect the two ladies, that was truly commendable. I admire you. I hope we can get along well moving forward and help each other out."
With the "outsider" Shari present, Yang Xiao couldn’t speak too bluntly, but hopefully, the other party, being smart, would understand his implications.
Datou showed respect, smiling and nodding to Yang Xiao with a very courteous attitude, saying, "Mr. Chu is quite a talent. Young in age but sharp in insight. Us meeting here is fate, and helping each other is a given. I too would like to be friends with Mr. Chu."
"Hahaha, that’s great. I would also like to be friends with Mr. Datou,"
Datou showed respect, smiling and nodding to Yang Xiao with a very courteous attitude, saying, "Mr. Chu is quite a talent. Young in age but sharp in insight. Us meeting here is fate, and helping each other is a given. I too would like to be friends with Mr. Chu."
