NOVPUBChapter 80: Chapter 80: Provocation
Chapter 80 -80: Provocation
Gu Pan laughed at Lin Feifei’s words. Was this the so-called situation of someone bringing a pillow when you want to sleep?
This was definitely an opportunity; she could take a gamble, and perhaps the issue of finding a water source could be resolved.
After a period of extremely hot weather came the drought, causing many rivers and lakes to dry up, but mountain springs might remain. She had Space, but if there was no known source for the water, it would arouse suspicion. Thus, the water source problem had to be solved no matter what. Archery competitions didn’t require close contact, so it was worth a try.
She looked at Lin Feifei and asked, “I’m not a professional, and I can’t use the kind of bow and arrow you have. If we’re going to compete, let’s do it in a field neither of us is familiar with—that would be fair.”
Lin Feifei also had some brains, “Just because you say it’s fair, it’s fair?”
“I didn’t even say what the competition is, and you already think it’s unfair? Do you really have a persecution complex, or are you just afraid?” Gu Pan challenged.
Sure enough, Lin Feifei took the bait, “Who says I’m afraid? I’ve been practicing archery since I was young; why would I fear you? Then you tell me, how shall we compete?”
“Since the apocalypse, the goal has been to survive. Archery isn’t just for show. Let’s go into the mountains and hunt. Five hours, whoever hunts more wins.” Because there were not many animals in the mountains now, the time was short; they might not find any, and a draw would be meaningless.
Lin Feifei had no objections to this competition, “Fine, I agree. We each bring a witness, so what if you cheat?” She had been up the mountain a few times with her peers, Yuan Jiang, Lin Mengmeng, and the others, and she had caught the most game. She was confident.
Gu Pan agreed to this as well, “Alright, we’ll swap someone from our side to bear witness tomorrow.”
“Good, it’s a deal. Let’s meet here at seven o’clock tomorrow morning,” Lin Feifei said.
Gu Pan nodded, “Okay, we’ve talked about the competition, now let’s talk about the stakes.”
Hearing about the stakes, Lin Feifei was a bit confused, “Stakes? What stakes?”
Gu Pan laughed, “Do you think I have nothing better to do than waste time with you? If there are no stakes, why should I bother playing with you?”
Lin Feifei’s fighting spirit was aroused, “Then you say it, what are we betting?”
Gu Pan took a few steps forward, lowered her voice, “We bet on the water source, do you dare?”
The mention of the water source startled Yuan Jiang, “You know?” Realizing his question was a bit silly right after he said it. They from the Inner Circle dressed so clean, and even their faces and hair were washed so cleanly; how could they not have water?
He quickly tried to disrupt the issue, “Look, friend, my sister isn’t the brightest. Don’t lower yourself to her level with this betting nonsense—it was just for fun.”
But Gu Pan had no intention of letting the opportunity slip away. Ignoring Yuan Jiang, she continued to provoke Lin Feifei, “Miss Lin, you wouldn’t lack confidence in your archery skills, would you? I thought those of you who have been practicing since childhood would be far better than someone like me, who had to start learning after the apocalypse.”
Lin Feifei was indeed triggered by those words, “Who says I don’t have the confidence to beat you? It’s settled then. If I win tomorrow morning’s competition, from then on, you are not allowed to speak to my Brother Yuan Jiang.”
Gu Pan nodded repeatedly, “A deal is a deal.” To be honest, she didn’t really have the slightest interest in talking to Yuan Jiang. The bet was practically nonexistent to her—no loss if she lost and a water source if she won. How blissful was that?
Yuan Jiang was extremely worried, “Lin Feifei, how can you make such a big decision on your own?”
Lin Feifei was confident, “Do you think my archery is not up to par?”
Yuan Jiang was really getting furious, “This competition isn’t about your strength. Hunting is not just about precision; it also requires familiarity with the mountain terrain and experience in killing live creatures.”
Lin Feifei exclaimed, “Haven’t I hunted rabbits and birds before when we went up the mountain? Both you and Lin Mengmeng together didn’t get as many as I did, right?”
Yuan Jiang was truly enraged and gasped for breath, “Those times, Lin Mengmeng and I were letting you win. Can’t you see that?”
Lin Feifei couldn’t believe it, “You’re just protecting her, so I don’t beat her, right?”
Yuan Jiang raised his head to the sky, feeling as if he wanted the heavens to strike him with a thunderbolt. It took a while for him to compose himself, “I can’t deal with you, but for such a big decision, at least you should tell your grandfather about it, right?”
Gu Pan shared the sentiment, “You can’t make the decision? And here I thought you were so decisive and self-assured. Turns out it’s all just a façade.”
Lin Feifei retorted, “Who says I’m just for show? Who says I can’t decide? I’ll write you a proof. My grandfather dotes on me the most; he certainly won’t go back on his word.”
Gu Pan was pleased, “Fine, then let me write it.” Saying so, she pretended to search her pockets, took out a notebook and a pen from Space, squatted down, and began to write. She wasn’t sure how much Lin Feifei’s grandfather doted on her, but those from the Inner Circle were probably people of substance; they wouldn’t renege on a promise. This was hopeful.
Yuan Jiang was shocked by her speed. Of course, he also realized that Gu Pan was setting a trap for Lin Feifei. Although she had ulterior motives, it was Lin Feifei’s own doing. He couldn’t stop her. Over the years, he had cleaned up after Lin Feifei countless times. The Lin family had protected her too well. Perhaps this was not a bad thing for Lin Feifei. If she suffered a bit, it might contribute to her growth, which should be good for her. So Yuan Jiang kept quiet, just watching.
Gu Pan took out two pairs of new disposable gloves from her pocket, donned a pair, finished writing, and placed the paper under a rock on the roadside. She then disinfected the gloves and the pen and placed them on the rock next to the paper. As everyone was wearing masks, there wasn’t much concern about aerosol transmission.
Then she turned to Lin Feifei, “Sign it.”
Lin Feifei had no choice but to put on the gloves and sign her name with the pen.
Gu Pan didn’t bother with the pen, just picked up the paper with the disposable gloves, put it in a sealed bag, sealed it, sprayed alcohol on it, then threw away the gloves. She was well-versed and deft in her actions.
Yuan Jiang, watching Gu Pan, started to make calculations. It seemed that the newcomers in the Outer Circle were not simple; if he completely fell out with Lin Feifei, he would need to find a team to rely on, and this might be an option. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝓬ℴ𝓶
At this point, Lin Feifei calmed down and started to regret it. What if she lost? If they lost the water source, her grandfather would surely be angry. But then she thought again, there’s no way she could lose to an amateur.
Gu Pan waved at them, “See you tomorrow morning.” Then she continued up the mountain.
However, she wasn’t looking for wood or digging earth, but observing which areas had more game and how to hunt more efficiently. She didn’t need to cheat because, in both her past and present life, she had a natural talent and was experienced in archery and hunting. After all, she had to find food in any environment during the three years of the apocalypse.
But understanding the terrain would allow her to better utilize her skills, so she still needed to go and observe.
