Ten Day Ultimatum

"You're quite clever, old bastard," A'Mu's expression darkened instantly.

"Of course… I can be very smart when it matters most," Ole Lu replied with an ugly smirk.
"I really hope your teammates get to see that face of yours," A'Mu said, pulling five {Dào} from his pocket and scattering them on the ground like breadcrumbs.
Ole Lu quickly bent down to pick them up, stashing each {Dào} into his pocket one by one.

"Hehe, my teammates will understand," Ole Lu dusted off his hands. "I’ve always warned them that {the more critical the moment, the smarter I get}. It’s not my fault if they didn’t expect me to betray them."
A'Mu wore a smile that didn’t reach his eyes as he handed over the locked box and the golden key to Ole Lu.
"Then I’ll leave the next part to you."

……
In the {Recipient} room, Qi Xia sat in a chair, eyes closed in contemplation.
‘Is it the {Prisoner’s Dilemma}?’ he murmured. ‘No… it must be the {Bucket Effect}…’

‘The weakest member determines the team's overall strength…’ Qi Xia's fingers lightly tapped the tabletop as he mentally calculated the situation. ‘But which {stave} belongs to our bucket?’
‘Both teams’ {Infiltrators} should have met their respective {Correspondents} by now.’ Still with eyes closed, he attempted to vividly visualize their encounters.
‘About ten minutes have passed. Our {Infiltrator} hasn’t delivered the message yet, which means Lin Qin’s persuasion failed. After all, a woman in love has little reason to harm her partner.’

‘As for the other side…’
Qi Xia opened his eyes, his fingers idly playing with the silver key on the table.
"Ole Lu has likely betrayed us," he said, his expression growing heavier. "From this point on, the opposing team will have two {Infiltrators} on their side, pushing the situation toward disaster."

"The good news is that the {Bucket Effect} no longer applies; our team has no more short staves." A cold smile crept across Qi Xia’s face. "Now, it’s time to consider the {MiG-25 Effect}."
Just then, a voice unexpectedly came from the doorway, "When the former Soviet Union developed the MiG-25 fighter jet, every component was clearly inferior to the U.S.'s. Yet by maximizing overall performance, they created a world-class aircraft. That’s the {MiG-25 Effect}, right?"
Qi Xia turned. Standing outside the door was {Infiltrator} Jiang Ruoxue, her expression unreadable.

She held a locked box in her arms.
"Do you believe in the {MiG-25 Effect}?" Jiang Ruoxue asked.
"I’m not sure," Qi Xia °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° replied, equally expressionless. "I can’t guarantee the {components} I have will work—but your arrival erased all doubt."
"My arrival enlightened you? Then you must be a one-in-a-million genius," Jiang Ruoxue said with a mocking smile as she set the box on the table. "Go ahead and apply your {MiG-25 Effect} to open this."

Qi Xia examined the box. The golden lock held it shut. He tried his silver key, but it didn’t fit.
He lifted the box and shook it gently, hearing a distinct rustling sound inside.
There was definitely a letter.

"And you are?" Qi Xia asked.
"Jiang Ruoxue."
"Jiang Ruoxue, did you destroy the key?" Qi Xia asked.

"You think your teammates would just hand the key to me?" Jiang Ruoxue crossed her arms, as if enjoying the show. "People like you, who think they’re so clever, can’t open a box without a key?"
"She didn’t give you the key? Good," Qi Xia said, a faint smirk appearing as he looked at her. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"

"Footsteps," Qi Xia said. "This old hotel has poor soundproofing. You must’ve heard footsteps before making your move."
"So what?" Jiang Ruoxue scoffed. "The only ones able to move in this building are me and that old man. Footsteps aren’t unusual."
"Then why did he leave before you?" Qi Xia tapped the table lightly, fixing a sharp gaze on her. "Why did our {Infiltrator} move out before you?"

"You…" Jiang Ruoxue’s expression shifted, realization dawning.
"What do you think your survival odds are in this game?" Qi Xia continued tapping the table, pressing into her mental defenses. "If your team is cooperating with our {Infiltrator}, what’s left for you?"
"I get it now," Jiang Ruoxue’s gaze turned icy. "You can’t open the box, so you’re switching tactics and targeting me? That’s a bit naive, don’t you think?"

Qi Xia nodded. "So you’ve seen through it, huh?"
"Don’t think you can manipulate me," Jiang Ruoxue stepped back, her will unshaken. "I’ll never trust you."
Qi Xia didn’t reply. He only looked at his fingers as they tapped the table.

"Time’s almost up…" he muttered, his tone growing cold. "Let’s see how effective my {components} really are…"
Before Jiang Ruoxue could respond, loud shouting erupted from the other corridor.
It sounded like a fight had broken out.

But it was too far to catch the details.
"Excellent—they’re {premium components}," Qi Xia said, ending his tapping and slowly rising. "Miss Jiang, if you had agreed to cooperate earlier, the outcome would’ve been very different. But now, that chance is gone; you’re just a {spare part}."
"Hah, how amusing," Jiang Ruoxue said with a tired shake of her head. "I’m curious how you plan to get that letter now."

Qi Xia didn’t try to open the box. Instead, he pulled out his silver padlock and fastened it onto the box as well.
Now the box had two locks.
"Are you insane?" Jiang Ruoxue asked, stunned. "Adding another lock—are you trying to turn {two negatives into a positive}?"

"Am I insane? Possibly," Qi Xia said as he handed her the box. "Please return this to the {Correspondent}."
"What?!" Jiang Ruoxue froze.
Deliver a double-locked box back to the {Correspondent}?

"So that’s what you’re up to…" she went pale as the scheme clicked. "You—wait…"
Qi Xia didn’t let her finish. He pushed her out and locked the door behind her. As Jiang Ruoxue stood in the corridor, the countdown lit up on the wall—three minutes.
She held the box, face awash with conflicted emotions.

If only she’d pretended to cooperate earlier…
Down the hall, the noise grew louder.
Jiang Ruoxue snapped out of her thoughts and pressed her ear to the wall.

Soon, her expression hardened.
A'Mu’s voice roared in fury:
"You old bastard, how could you destroy the key?!"