Wu Mangmang didn’t care about anything at all. She was like someone with nothing to lose who wasn’t afraid of those who had everything – no money, no power, at most she’d just take a bullet. So when signing the agreement, Wu Mangmang’s hand didn’t even tremble once.

Ning Zheng looked at Wu Mangmang. Today’s sunlight was very dazzling, spilling onto her face like scattered gold, making her skin appear crystal clear and translucent. Her short ponytail swayed slightly in the air, the little curl at the end like a fishing hook.

This was like Jiang Taigong fishing – those who were willing would take the bait.

Ning Zheng couldn’t help but poke Wu Mangmang’s ponytail with his finger, watching it sway in the air, feeling satisfied.

Wu Mangmang swatted away Ning Zheng’s hand. “What are you doing?” Her hair had just reached her shoulders, and this ponytail tied up looked like a rabbit’s tail, short and stubby. Wu Mangmang was very dissatisfied with it, but for the sake of combat there was no choice – after all, she needed to keep herself neat and tidy.

Ning Zheng raised his eyebrows and asked, “You signed so readily, aren’t you afraid?”

Wu Mangmang thought for a moment, then quoted from a book: “All under heaven bustle about for profit; all under heaven rush about for gain. I have no profit to be gained from, so what is there to fear?”

Ning Zheng let out a malicious laugh.

Wu Mangmang immediately understood Ning Zheng’s meaning and looked at him. “You wouldn’t play so dirty, would you?”

Ning Zheng thought for a moment before saying, “No.”

Everyone here was a person of status and reputation. If word got out about bullying someone, how could he hold his head up in this city? Besides, everyone who could come participate in the live combat had backing.

“Then I have even less to fear,” Wu Mangmang said.

After signing the agreement at the organizing committee, Ning Zheng helped Wu Mangmang pull her luggage to the front desk to get room keys.

On the way, Ning Zheng asked curiously, “By the way, if we’re not on the same team and you capture me, what would you do?”

Wu Mangmang didn’t need to think about this answer. “I’ve already thought it through. All my prisoners have to strip down to just their underwear and sing ‘Conquer.'”

Wu Mangmang laughed just thinking about this hilarious scene.

Actually, she had thought of another scenario – if she could capture Lu Sui, she would make Lu Sui kneel on the ground and kowtow to her, then respectfully call her “Mama” three times.

Wu Mangmang was thoroughly amused by her own fantasy.

Ning Zheng thought Wu Mangmang was really a big fool. If the stakes were so childish, the annual combat wouldn’t attract so many wealthy people.

“It starts tomorrow, you be careful. If you get captured by others, they won’t just make you sing ‘Conquer,'” Ning Zheng reminded Wu Mangmang.

“Don’t worry, I’d rather die than be captured,” Wu Mangmang said.

Wu Mangmang had already decided – she had no demands anyway, so death was death. The reason others were willing to be captured was because they held onto hope, hoping their teammates could rescue them, since only living victors got the prizes.

Wu Mangmang and Ning Zheng had arrived relatively early. After Wu Mangmang worked out in the resort’s gym and took a shower, when she came downstairs for dinner, she saw Lu Sui, Shen Ting, and Shen Yuanzi walking through the resort’s main entrance together.

Ning Zheng brought Wu Mangmang over to greet them. “Why are you so late? Hurry up and choose teams – once the teams are set, we can study strategy tonight.”

Shen Yuanzi looked at Ning Zheng and Wu Mangmang with a half-smile, her gaze sweeping over them before turning her chin to the side.

Ning Zheng was long used to Miss Shen’s arrogant temperament.

“If we’re all on the same team, this competition shouldn’t have much suspense, right?” Ning Zheng said.

The three of them filled out forms at the organizing committee, then chose teams. Basically, the team you chose yourself wouldn’t be adjusted, but the organizing committee would make small adjustments to balance the strength of both sides, mainly targeting female team members to ensure even distribution.

Watching Lu Sui sign his name in the “Storm” team column, Ning Zheng immediately said, “Lu Sui, what do you mean?”

Lu Sui turned to look at Ning Zheng. “What’s the point of a competition with no suspense? We’re all just playing anyway.”

Damn it, Ning Zheng thought – he had come here to win.

Lu Sui had already signed his name, so Ning Zheng could only cast a pleading look at Shen Ting. Shen Ting glanced at his sister, and sure enough, blood relations took precedence – he also chose the Storm team.

Shen Yuanzi naturally chose the Storm team without question.

“Yuanzi.” A male voice sounded behind everyone.

Wu Mangmang only regretted not having sunflower seeds in her hands – watching drama without seeds was like watching movies without popcorn, missing ten percent of the fun.

Because the person who came was Shen Yuanzi’s current fiancé, and also Ning Zheng’s half-brother – Ning Heng.

“Big brother.” Ning Heng walked over and nodded to Ning Zheng, casually wrapping his arm around his fiancée Shen Yuanzi’s waist.

Now that Ning Heng had been promoted by the Ning family and appointed as Executive President of Ning Corporation – which was originally Ning Zheng’s position – his aura and bearing were completely different from before.

Ning Zheng nodded lightly. “You came too?”

Although he said this, Ning Zheng was looking at Lu Sui, probably not understanding why his best friends would all collectively betray him.

He and Ning Heng were basically in a life-or-death situation.

Lu Sui said nothing, didn’t even give Ning Zheng a glance, and took out his pen to sign the agreement with his head down.

The crisp sound of “click click click” echoed on the marble floor of the lobby. Wu Mangmang turned her head to see Lu Sui’s girlfriend Zhao Xinyun.

However, this time Zhao Xinyun didn’t walk up to take Lu Sui’s arm.

Wu Mangmang puffed out her cheeks and poked them with her index finger boredly.

“Lu Sui.” Zhao Xinyun called out.

Lu Sui looked up, put away his pen, and nodded to Zhao Xinyun.

“Sorry, I said some things I shouldn’t have said last time,” Zhao Xinyun said graciously.

“I didn’t take it to heart,” Lu Sui replied.

Wu Mangmang watched these two and thought this was how normal ex-boyfriends and girlfriends should behave when meeting.

In comparison, she seemed inferior – she and Lu Sui were both trying hard to pretend they hadn’t seen each other.

Wu Mangmang thought to herself that next time if they met again, she should also go up and greet him graciously.

After Lu Sui’s group left, Wu Mangmang noticed which team Zhao Xinyun chose – Lightning team, the same as hers.

Wu Mangmang didn’t understand why Zhao Xinyun didn’t choose the same team as Lu Sui. Obviously Miss Zhao still had feelings for Lu Sui. Although she acted very graciously, the lingering affection in her eyes couldn’t be hidden.

After dinner, Wu Mangmang avoided Ning Zheng and ran back to the organizing committee’s table to ask, “Can I change teams?”

“Sorry Miss Wu, all team members have already been finalized.”

Actually, Wu Mangmang hadn’t held much hope. Even if the organizing committee agreed, she couldn’t get past Ning Zheng’s objection. This poor guy was too pitiful.

Karma for being a playboy – he was finally getting his comeuppance.

Wu Mangmang had reluctantly tried her luck mainly because her intuition told her that going up against Lu Sui wouldn’t lead to anything good.

Now she could only resign herself to fate.

That night Wu Mangmang went to bed early to rest up.

But she was woken up by Ning Zheng’s phone call. “Are you asleep? Want to come down for a drink?”

Wu Mangmang took a deep breath to control her anger. “I was already dreaming. What do you think – was I asleep or not?”

Ning Zheng’s light laughter came through the phone. “Come down and sit with me for a bit, okay?”

“No.” Wu Mangmang hung up.

But just as she was about to fall asleep, Ning Zheng’s call woke her up again. When men deployed their pity tactics, they were really quite sympathetic.

“Mangmang, come down and sit with me for a bit. Just half an hour. I feel terrible. What do you think Lu Sui and Shen Ting mean?” Ning Zheng hiccupped from drinking.

Wu Mangmang didn’t hang up this time. She sat up gently – she actually had a vague guess about the reason.

But Wu Mangmang wasn’t too sure, as thinking that way seemed a bit too narcissistic.

With a trace of guilt, Wu Mangmang went downstairs to see Ning Zheng.

Wu Mangmang found Ning Zheng in the first-floor bar, where he was already slightly drunk.

“Stop drinking, we’re going into the mountains tomorrow,” Wu Mangmang said.

Ning Zheng turned his head. “Don’t talk, just sit with me.”

Ning Zheng hung his head with a dejected expression.

Wu Mangmang obediently said nothing and sat beside him playing on her phone – she hadn’t finished the little game Du Yuntao had given her.

After waiting a long time without hearing Wu Mangmang say a single word of comfort, Ning Zheng had to sigh, “Why aren’t you talking?”

Wu Mangmang glanced at Ning Zheng, meaning “Are you schizophrenic?”

“With nerves as thick as yours, no wonder Lu Sui broke up with you,” Ning Zheng said irritably.

Wu Mangmang put away her phone and stood up. Her brain must have been waterlogged to feel guilty toward Ning Zheng.

“Better to die under peonies than live without romance” – he was seeking his own death, so what business was it of hers?

Ning Zheng grabbed Wu Mangmang’s wrist. “Alright, alright, don’t go. It’s my fault. But isn’t your temper a bit too big? When you were with Lu Sui, didn’t you seem quite well-behaved?”

Wu Mangmang frowned, not knowing why Ning Zheng kept bringing up Lu Sui.

“Are you gay? You’ve been secretly in love with Lu Sui all along, right?” Wu Mangmang said bluntly.

Ning Zheng laughed. “You’d have to ask my ex-girlfriends about that.”

Wu Mangmang sneered. “That’s not necessarily true. Otherwise, why would you be as miserable as if your parents died just because Lu Sui isn’t on your team?”

Ning Zheng glared at Wu Mangmang. “Do you know how to talk?”

Wu Mangmang was too lazy to humor Ning Zheng anymore and got up to leave again, but Ning Zheng yanked her back down, nearly making her fall onto him.

“I understand Lu Sui’s attitude. With Shen Yuanzi in the middle, he can’t clearly take sides. Besides, the matter between me and Ning Heng is between us – I don’t want Lu Sui and Shen Ting to get involved,” Ning Zheng said.

Since you understand so clearly, why the hell are you drinking away your sorrows? Wu Mangmang couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“Ladies shouldn’t roll their eyes casually,” Ning Zheng poked Wu Mangmang’s cheek.

Wu Mangmang swatted away Ning Zheng’s hand. “Don’t touch me.”

Ning Zheng asked somewhat hurt, “Mangmang, when do you think I can get promoted to official status?”

Wu Mangmang was speechless.

Ning Zheng knew his past was a big stumbling block, so he leaned over and asked, “If we win this time, can you agree to promote me to official status?”

“Sorry, Ning…” Before Wu Mangmang could finish her words, Ning Zheng blocked them with his mouth.

Wu Mangmang pushed Ning Zheng away and reflexively raised her hand, but before she could strike, she and Ning Zheng both saw Lu Sui and Shen Ting standing in front of them.