deltrittennovels #604 - Who will the wolf kill tonight?
#604 - Who will the wolf kill tonight?
Tang Yin carefully listened to Wang Lina while wiping the utensils in his hand. He learned that her major was linguistic anthropology. When others curiously inquired about her specialization, she simply said she read books and wrote reports, suggesting it wasn't a rigorous academic pursuit. This was understandable, as Zhao Gang's earlier hints suggested that matters outside the banquet shouldn't be discussed at the banquet. This seemed to be an unwritten rule in the village.
The atmosphere in the cafeteria was indeed much more harmonious than in the morning. Sunlight streamed through the misty windows, adding warmth to the crowded space. Tong Xiaoliang occasionally turned to chat with Grandpa Wolf, who was sitting in the corner in a daze, his young face always wearing a faint smile. Qian Jin, on the other hand, frequently glanced at Hua Lu, his concerned gaze hard to ignore.
Tang Yin noticed Xia Hui sitting alone, her slender fingers unconsciously caressing the edge of her cup, her eyes filled with unease. He needed to find an opportunity to talk to her after finishing his work. Although everyone seemed separated by invisible walls, and the space felt somewhat cramped, it was indeed a rare moment of peace.
However, the more things appeared this way, the more uneasy Tang Yin felt. The current situation was actually far from optimistic. No matter how relaxed everyone's mood might be at this moment, someone was destined to be targeted tonight. While it was better than everyone being gloomy, it was worrying that no one was analyzing or summarizing today's banquet in this relaxed atmosphere.
Tang Yin's gaze slowly swept across the cafeteria as his mind raced. Judging from today's banquet, many people could become the wolf's target, especially those who posed a threat to the wolf. The two people who led the banquet today—Grandpa Gao and Qin Ming—both demonstrated extraordinary abilities, possessing not only the Ape role but also excellent leadership skills.
They both emphasized the importance of execution and suggested that personal preferences should be set aside to calmly choose the person to be executed. These suggestions were reasonable in themselves. However, the problem was that Grandpa Gao's attitude was too aggressive, like a blunt knife, cutting through people's fragile nerves. And as Grandpa Gao sternly pointed out, Qin Ming's explanation was insufficient, and his naive attitude was disconcerting.
More棘手的是, the relationship between these two was not harmonious. Although Grandpa Gao's wrinkled face always inspired awe, young people like Qin Yi and Tong Xiaoliang often didn't give him face. At this moment, although the cafeteria was peaceful, Tang Yin could sense undercurrents. The patches of sunlight projected through the glass windows slowly moved across the floor, as if silently telling of the passage of time. Every minute and every second pushed them towards the inevitable fate of tonight.
The clock hanging on the wall ticked, like some kind of merciless countdown. Tang Yin sighed deeply and wiped the last utensil clean before putting it back in place. In any case, the priority now was to keep a clear head and capture every detail that could relate to life and death under this seemingly peaceful facade.
Tang Yin's movements slowed slightly as he wiped the utensils, but his thoughts raced. The human camp's primary goal should be to eliminate the wolves, but at this critical moment of life and death, the power struggle between Grandpa Gao and Qin Ming complicated the situation. Once their ideas clashed, the entire situation would evolve into a generational conflict between young people and elders, and all the time and energy would be wasted on this pointless infighting.
His gaze swept across every corner of the cafeteria, watching the oil lamps cast dancing shadows on the wall. If it really evolved into that kind of situation, the human camp would probably not escape failure this time. He could only hope that Qin Ming, who had fallen silent at the end of today, could regroup tomorrow, reach some kind of delicate power balance with Grandpa Gao, and then cooperate. Of course, it would be even better if they could save their own lives in the process.
The utensils in his hand gleamed faintly in the light, and Tang Yin couldn't help but wonder how the wolves would view these two. Would they choose to exclude them and watch them continue to fight among themselves, or would they directly eliminate them? Both options were possible. If the wolves targeted others, they would have the opportunity to eliminate protectors other than the Apes. Once this important weight was placed on the scales, which side would the wolves favor?
Amid the sound of flowing water, his thoughts turned to other noteworthy figures. Zhao Gang's burly figure was currently leaning against the wall. He was caught between the generation gap of young people and elders. Although it was unknown how he would act next, his opinion could undoubtedly influence a considerable number of undecided votes. As for Qian Jin, although his influence on voting was limited, he was likely to win over key figures like Granny Rong to protect Hua Lu.
Speaking of Hua Lu, she was currently sitting quietly in the corner, her slender fingers gently caressing her teacup. Xiao Mie, on the other hand, was looking down and fiddling with her utensils, both exuding an aura of fragility that needed protection. This was Tang Yin's intuitive judgment. Of course, if this judgment was wrong, the consequences would be unimaginable.
The wiping of the utensils paused as Tang Yin's gaze inadvertently swept over Tong Xiaoliang, who was chatting and laughing with Grandpa Wolf. His young face wore an inscrutable smile, just like a troublemaker. His voting principle was simple to the point of absurdity—just do whatever was fun. Although he had helped a lot this time with his spur-of-the-moment decision, he was obviously more likely to trick them next time. The uncertainty hidden beneath that smiling face was like a ticking time bomb.
Finally, the last utensil was wiped clean. Tang Yin took a deep breath, watching the setting sun gradually descend outside the window. The sounds of laughter and conversation in the cafeteria still rose and fell, as if masking some kind of impending storm. Under this seemingly peaceful afternoon, undercurrents surged, and everyone was playing this survival game in their own way. Truth and lies were like the thick fog outside the window, making it difficult to see the road ahead.
Chen Xiang walked over with a cup of steaming tea, a gentle smile on her face: "You've worked hard, have a cup of tea." The aroma of tea slowly diffused in the air, bringing a sense of reassuring warmth.
"Thank you very much." Tang Yin took the teacup, walked through the counter, and headed towards the tables filled with diners. The wooden floor creaked slightly under his feet, and the dim light stretched his shadow long.
Qin Ming looked up, a smile appearing on his slightly tired face: "Hello, you've worked hard."
Wang Lina, sitting next to him, tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and curiously sized up Tang Yin: "It seems you've gotten used to working here?"
"I used to do these things at home too." Tang Yin shrugged, his tone calm.
Zhao Gang's burly figure leaned forward slightly, his gaze sweeping over the young people present: "That's amazing. You guys can't accept other people's favors, you have to study hard."
Gao Mei quickly lowered her head and responded: "I understand, Brother Gang." A blush appeared on her round face.
Tong Xiaoliang, however, pouted, looking mischievous: "I don't know, I'm going to smash all the bowls that the bed-wetting man fixed." Today he was wearing a tutu, the light-colored fabric glowing softly in the light.
"Never mind the bowls, just stop calling me that." Tang Yin rubbed his temples, this nickname was really a headache.
"Then what do you want me to call you?" Tong Xiaoliang tilted his head, looking at him with anticipation.
"For example, Uncle Tang?"
"Hmm, not bad. Then you can call me Xiaoliang." Tong Xiaoliang blinked, his skirt swaying gently with his movements.
"Yo, Xiaoliang." Tang Yin greeted him cooperatively.
Zhao Gang suddenly interjected: "...By the way, Tang Yin, aren't you going to make fun of his cross-dressing?"
Crap, Tang Yin felt a pang of anxiety, but maintained his composure on the surface: "It suits him very well, this style is very popular these days."
"Cute, right?" Tong Xiaoliang spun around triumphantly, his skirt fluttering.
Zhao Gang frowned: "Really? Are there a lot of people like this in the big city?"
"There are some." Tang Yin carefully chose his words.
"I don't get it..." Zhao Gang shook his head, and then added: "Ah, but Xiaoliang is a very special person, so I won't think too much about it."
Tong Xiaoliang suddenly stood up, his skirt rippling with his movement: "Because I'm a genius!"
"More like a disaster." Qin Ming blurted out, then turned to Tang Yin: "Alright, Tang Yin, is this a convenient time?"
His words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, and the atmosphere in the entire cafeteria instantly froze. The fog outside the window seemed to become thicker, making it hard to breathe.
"...I said it just now..." Zhao Gang's voice carried a hint of warning.
Qin Ming waved his hand gently: "Yeah, I know. But, I shouldn't have any ulterior motives, because I'm an Ape." His tone carried a hint of self-deprecation.
Zhao Gang was silent for a moment: "Okay... don't go too far."
"Yeah... let's go upstairs." Qin Ming stood up, the wooden chair making a harsh scraping sound on the floor. Tang Yin noticed that other people's gazes were following them, as if watching something dangerous. The air in the cafeteria seemed to freeze, with only the sound of the wind howling outside.
...
A faint ray of light filtered through the stairwell on the second floor, and the wooden floor creaked slightly underfoot. Tang Yin followed behind Qin Ming, feeling uneasy: "Is this really okay? A secret talk or something."
Qin Ming's back looked particularly upright in the dim light, his voice carrying a hint of firmness: "Yeah, after all, we've already stated that we want to talk, and I also want to find an opportunity to communicate openly with everyone."
Tang Yin thought to himself, was this to appear fair? Could this approach really succeed? The fog outside the window seemed to become thicker, shrouding the entire second floor in a haze.
Qin Ming suddenly stopped and turned around, staring intently at Tang Yin: "First of all, do you believe me?"
"There's no reason for me to doubt you right now." Tang Yin looked him straight in the eye, his tone calm.
"...Tang Yin, are you a protector?" Qin Ming's voice was even lower.
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"I can't say that." Tang Yin shook his head slightly.
"Why?"
"If I tell you, your attitude will definitely change subtly, and it will be troublesome if others notice. " Tang Yin's gaze swept over the faint sounds of conversation coming from downstairs, "I won't tell anyone until I survive tonight."
Qin Ming sighed softly: "...Okay. Then who do you suspect?"
"Don't know."
"Who isn't suspicious?"
Tang Yin thought for a moment: "...Wang Lina and Hua Lu, and Xiao Mie." As soon as he finished speaking, he added: "Why do you ask? Can you also give me some hints about the people you suspect?"
A complex look flashed in Qin Ming's eyes: "I understand your feelings, but in my opinion, Tang Yin, you yourself are very suspicious."
Tang Yin didn't waver and continued to explain: "If Wang Lina is a wolf, the risk of stepping forward to volunteer to die is too high."
"But Wang Lina doesn't even have a vote." Qin Ming retorted.
"At that time, no one had proposed voting yet, everyone was just discussing recommending candidates for execution, and Wang Lina was the first to volunteer to sacrifice herself." Tang Yin's tone became more determined, "Unlike you or Xiao Mei, there are no family members here who would protect her regardless of the consequences. From the wolf's perspective, this kind of behavior is too rash, right?"
"...Let me say something." Qin Ming suddenly spoke.
"What's wrong?"
"I think so too."
The two of them smiled knowingly, as if they had found a trustworthy companion in this crisis-filled environment.
Qin Ming continued: "...However, I'm not very clear about the other two. Especially Hua Lu, I can't rule out the possibility that she deliberately imitated Wang Lina to gain trust, maybe she has other plans in mind."
"Indeed, you're right." Tang Yin nodded in agreement.
"..." Qin Ming hesitated, then seemed to think of something, "Uh, actually, on second thought, it's more likely that she said that just so she wouldn't lose to Sister Lina."
"Huh?" Tang Yin didn't react for a moment.
"...Before the fog, Hua Lu and Sister Lina were already fighting over you, Tang Yin, right?" Qin Ming's tone carried a hint of teasing.
Tang Yin was stunned, his heart suddenly beating faster. How did he know? He clearly felt that no one was around at the time...
Seeming to see Tang Yin's confusion, Qin Ming explained: "There wasn't much homework yesterday, so I finished it quickly. Afterwards, when the three of us went to the cafeteria together, we happened to pass by that area."
The fog outside the window was still swirling wildly, shrouding the entire world in a gray and white color. Tang Yin looked out the window and suddenly realized that in this life-and-death game, everyone was wearing a mask, and the truth was like the fog outside the window, making it difficult to grasp. Personal feelings and survival games were intertwined, making the situation even more complex and unpredictable.