The Genius Game - Chapter 11

Jian Tanxi replied, “Yes, my parents disappeared, and I want to find them. Also, I have a friend named Gu Xinrou who vanished at my house, I want to find her too.”

“Are your relatives and friends not in that ecosphere?”

“I’ve looked, but there are too many people; it’s impossible to see clearly. I tried communicating with them, but with tens of thousands talking at once, I couldn’t make out what anyone was saying.”

“Did you try asking the others to stay quiet, so only your friends and family could speak?”

“I tried, but those little people wouldn’t listen to me.”

“Hahaha…”

In just a short while, Qu Chen had eaten half a bag of chips. Jian Tanxi gave him some water to drink.

Soon after, Qu Chen seemed a bit uncomfortable, furrowing his brows continuously.

Jian Tanxi asked, “Sister Qin Man, what’s wrong with Xiao Chen?”

Qin Man said, “He’s probably overeaten. We just had a meal two days ago. Nowadays, one meal is supposed to keep you full for ten days, but Xiao Chen doesn’t understand that concept. He still wants to snack whenever he sees food.”

“Given his current physical state, he doesn’t need to eat so many snacks. It’s normal for him to feel uncomfortable after overeating. Let him rest for a bit and digest; he’ll be fine.”

“I see. Then why not just not give him snacks?”

“I can’t. If I don’t give him snacks, I can’t manage him. I’m the only one taking care of him now; there’s no other way.”

“Sister Qin Man, you’re really having a tough time.”

Jian Tanxi now deeply understood the challenges of being a mother.

Qin Man smiled and said, “It’s fine, I’m used to it. Before, we had a nanny at home, so I wasn’t this exhausted. But now, everything depends on me, and I’ve managed to persevere.”

“If you had a nanny, why do you still look so worn out?”

“Because Xiao Chen is very difficult to handle, and he also has this condition…”

Qin Man didn’t finish, but Jian Tanxi understood.

Even normal children are hard to take care of, let alone a child with autism.

Such children can’t speak or express themselves; they can only cry or throw tantrums when they want something, but adults can’t always guess what they’re thinking.

Moreover, raising a child like this comes with immense psychological pressure. Qin Man probably also has to deal with gossip and ridicule from others, not only is she physically tired, but mentally exhausted as well.

In such circumstances, she likely doesn’t sleep well. So, it’s understandable that she might be graying early.

Jian Tanxi changed the subject: “Sister Qin Man, have any of your family members disappeared?”

“Yes, my husband disappeared. I don’t know where he went, maybe he’s living in some ecosphere too. I also can’t get in touch with my parents. I don’t know if they became challengers or if they were trapped in an ecosphere as well.”

“You and Xiao Chen are so intelligent; your husband must be very smart too, right? Why didn’t he become a challenger like you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he’s just not as clever as me, haha…”

Jian Tanxi laughed along, the earlier somber atmosphere completely gone.

She realized that Qin Man was very optimistic and good at finding joy in her situation. Without such a personality, she probably wouldn’t have been able to survive in this world.

After a while, Jian Tanxi asked, “Sister Qin Man, that pill you threw at Sun Lianhu earlier, was that a game reward?”

“Right, that pill is called the Insect Ant Pill. Anyone hit by it will feel itchy and painful all over, as if being bitten by insects and ants. However, there’s only one, and once it’s used, it’s gone. I also have two Height-Increasing Pills. After taking them, you can grow one meter taller, lasting for 20 minutes. I’m not sure what use they have.”

“Maybe they’ll come in handy in some special situations. For example, when we needed to reach that clock earlier, if you had a Height-Increasing Pill, you could’ve taken it and reached the clock immediately.”

“That makes sense. I hope there’ll be another chance to use them.”

“Qin Man, you just told me about the items you have without hesitation?”

“I feel there’s no need to hide anything from you. We’re teammates. Besides, I can tell you’re kind-hearted, and I can trust you completely.”

“Qin Man, thank you for your trust…”

“Xiao Chen also got two pills, but unfortunately, I don’t know what their effects are.”

“Mind if I take a look?”

“Sure.”

Qin Man drove with her left hand and passed over a gray bag with her right.

Jian Tanxi took the gray bag, opened it, and saw two gray pills inside.

Jian Tanxi said, “Why are they gray? I don’t know what these pills do… I have one red pill, which is a Resurrection Pill, and three blue pills, which are Healing Pills.”

Qin Man replied, “My Insect Ant Pill is pink, and the Height-Increasing Pills are white. They’re all different from Xiao Chen’s pills.”

“Since there are two, why not try one to see the effect?”

“I’ve thought about that too, but I’m worried these gray pills might have negative effects and harm the body. So, I don’t dare to take one myself, nor give it to Xiao Chen.”

“I see, that is tricky… We’ll just have to keep them safe for now and see if we can figure out what they are later.”

“Mm.”

Jian Tanxi handed the gray bag back. Without looking, Qin Man casually stored it in her pocket.

After driving for another twenty minutes, they arrived at another village.

This village appeared relatively affluent, with tall, beautifully designed buildings.

One of the buildings had an underground garage, and Qin Man drove the car inside.

After everyone got out, Qin Man said, “Let’s first walk around the village to see if there’s anyone else here. If there is, we’ll run immediately. If not, we’ll settle here temporarily and wait for the next game.”

Jian Tanxi nodded. “Okay.”

Qu Chen held onto his mother Qin Man with one hand and Jian Tanxi with the other, looking very happy.

He didn’t understand what his mother was planning, but as long as he was with her, he was content and didn’t fuss.

Qin Man said, “Let’s all stay quiet to avoid alerting anyone who might be here.”

Jian Tanxi nodded again.

The three of them silently explored the village and found no one else.

Relieved, they settled in.

The village was indeed prosperous, with rooms decorated in various styles, traditional Chinese old-money aesthetic, Nordic style, Japanese wabi-sabi, and more. Each household had its own unique, lavish touches.

They chose a Nordic-style house to stay in.

Jian Tanxi continued her daily exercises. Qin Man, who had to take care of her child and couldn’t go out freely, exercised indoors by doing aerobics and yoga or running outside with her child, ensuring she stayed active as well.

As for Qu Chen, he was practically like a little motor, running around wildly every day, with more energy than Jian Tanxi and Qin Man combined.

Since there were no other people here, and there was no need to worry about disturbing or bumping into anyone, Qin Man let him run freely.

Jian Tanxi lived each day happily.

However, deep down, she also had concerns about the future, she didn’t know what would happen next or when the gloom shrouding Earth would come to an end.

One day, while playing by the river, Qu Chen fell. Both Jian Tanxi and Qin Man reached out to help him up.

At that moment, Jian Tanxi felt her vision go dark, followed by the sound of howling wind in her ears.

This familiar sensation… was it teleportation?

After about ten minutes, the teleportation finally ended, and Jian Tanxi found herself in a church.

The church had a high dome, making it feel spacious. The seats were empty, but the aisles were filled with flowers.

On the stage stood a large speaker, playing the “Wedding March.”

So, was someone holding a wedding here?

But Jian Tanxi could see neither the guests nor the bride and groom.

Suddenly, someone ran toward her from behind.

Jian Tanxi turned around nervously, only to be overjoyed to see that it was little Qu Chen.

Qin Man also stood up from a corner and walked toward Jian Tanxi.

It seemed the three of them had been teleported here together. Qin Man might have fallen to the ground earlier, which was why Jian Tanxi hadn’t noticed her.

Qin Man quickly reached Jian Tanxi’s side, excitedly saying, “Great, we’re still together… Is this instance just the three of us?”

Just then, a noisy voice came from another corner: “What a coincidence, ladies. Are we going to tackle this level together?”

Hearing that voice, Jian Tanxi had a bad feeling.

She followed the sound and saw Sun Lianhu, the man who had harassed her in the mall.

What a small world, how could she end up in the same instance as Sun Lianhu?

Jian Tanxi clenched her fists. If Sun Lianhu dared to make any inappropriate moves, she would strike immediately.

Besides, with Qin Man by her side, there was nothing to fear.

Sun Lianhu smirked arrogantly as he approached them. “To meet again like this, it must be fate. Ladies, our descendants would surely be beautiful.”

Pointing at Qu Chen, he said, “Just as good-looking as this little one. Whose child is he? Yours? Or the beauty next to you?”

Sun Lianhu’s disgusting gaze lingered on Jian Tanxi and Qin Man. Jian Tanxi shielded Qu Chen, while Qin Man stepped in front of her, glaring coldly at Sun Lianhu.

Qin Man said, “Show some respect. You should know you’re no match for the two of us.”

Sun Lianhu replied, “Why all the talk of fighting? That’s no good. There aren’t many Earthlings left now; we should get along peacefully.”

Jian Tanxi retorted, “What do you mean, not many left? You’ve been through the game too, didn’t you see the ecospheres?”

Sun Lianhu said, “Ecospheres? Yeah, I saw them. There were lots of Earthlings inside… But in our group, no one was willing to take an ecosphere with them.”

Jian Tanxi exclaimed in surprise, “What? You… you didn’t take the ecospheres? Then where did the ecospheres from your group go?”

“Who knows? Probably taken back by the aliens.”

“You actually stood by and did nothing to save them?”

“Stand by and do nothing? That’s putting it far too harshly. Those people are living perfectly fine inside the ecological sphere, they don’t need saving at all. In my opinion, they don’t even need to return to Earth. If they come back, how am I supposed to dominate the planet and become the new father of humanity?”

Jian Tanxi frowned. “You’re truly selfish and disgusting.”

“How can you speak to your future husband like that? Considering your youth, I’ll let it slide this time. But if you dare disrespect me again, I’ll have to punish you.”

Jian Tanxi felt nauseated. She couldn’t understand why someone like Sun Lianhu could even exist.

Qin Man patted Jian Tanxi’s back and whispered, “Stay calm. Don’t let him get to you.”

Qu Chen didn’t understand anything and couldn’t distinguish between good and bad people. Seeing a stranger appear, he grew excited and ran toward Sun Lianhu.

Jian Tanxi and Qin Man tried to grab him, but it was already too late.