The Genius Game - Chapter 12

Sun Lianhu grabbed Qu Chen with ill intentions, saying, “What a cute child… Too bad he belongs to another man… All of you will marry me in the future. Only my descendants will survive. So, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

As he spoke, Sun Lianhu moved to strangle Qu Chen.

Qu Chen felt extremely uncomfortable and began screaming loudly.

Qin Man and Jian Tanxi wanted to save the child but couldn’t find an opportunity.

Just then, the music from the speaker stopped, and a mechanical voice announced: “Welcome to the new round of the game… Looking for the Groom, Looking for the Groom. Participants: Jian Tanxi, Qu Chen, Qin Man, and Sun Lianhu, four in total. As with previous games, no deaths are permitted in this round. If anyone dies, the others will also be unable to leave.”

Hearing this, Sun Lianhu released his grip.

Qin Man seized the chance to snatch her son back.

Qu Chen, now back with his mother, stopped crying.

The speaker continued to broadcast the game rules: “Now, let’s introduce the rules. In the Red Strawberry Kingdom, there is a lady named Jenny. She is very beautiful but remains unmarried at the age of 38. Miss Jenny has decided that she must get married today. She has already selected several men as potential grooms. Please help her find the perfect groom.”

“If the groom you find does not meet her requirements, she may resort to violence. How painful is her hitting? Of course, the resentment of a woman who has been single for 38 years is unimaginable. This game takes no responsibility for any injuries or fatalities.”

After the introduction, the Wedding March began playing from the speaker again.

Then, a large piece of paper floated in from outside the door. The paper was about the height of a person and featured a printed image of a woman in a wedding dress.

It didn’t look like a painting but more like a printed photograph.

The woman wore a pristine white wedding dress, was petite and delicate, and had golden curly hair, resembling a Westerner.

She was indeed somewhat attractive but not particularly striking. Despite her makeup, it was clear that she was no longer young.

The paper also had slender hands and feet. It walked up to Qin Man and asked, “Can you help me find the perfect groom?”

Qin Man asked, “Are you Miss Jenny?”

“Yes.”

Miss Jenny’s lips on the paper didn’t move, but the paper spoke, though it was unclear where the voice was coming from.

Qin Man said, “As long as you clearly state your requirements, we can help you find the perfect groom.”

Miss Jenny giggled, “It’s not that easy, but I wish you success.”

“What happens if we fail?”

“Nothing much. At most, I’ll just give you a beating.”

Then, Miss Jenny floated over to Qu Chen and asked, “Little one, can you help me find the perfect groom?”

Qu Chen stared curiously at the paper, then reached out to grab it.

The paper nimbly floated away and drifted over to Jian Tanxi.

Miss Jenny said, “I don’t like mischievous children. This little one didn’t answer my question and tried to grab me, that’s not very polite. But I don’t mind. Miss Jian Tanxi, can you help me find the perfect groom?”

Jian Tanxi nodded, “I will search carefully and find the one who best meets your conditions.”

“Hehe, I have quite a few conditions, but thank you in advance.”

Then, Miss Jenny floated onto the stage.

She didn’t speak to Sun Lianhu.

Sun Lianhu asked, “Miss Jenny, why don’t you ask me if I can help you find the perfect groom?”

Miss Jenny giggled, “You smell bad. I don’t want to get close to you.”

“How is that possible? I just took a bath yesterday.”

“But your soul smells bad. That’s something soap can’t wash away. I’m smelling the scent of your soul.”

“You…”

Sun Lianhu was a little angry, but he didn’t dare do anything.

Jian Tanxi and Qin Man secretly laughed.

Miss Jenny looked at Jian Tanxi and Qin Man, somewhat annoyed, “What are you two laughing at? Have you forgotten today’s task?”

Jian Tanxi suppressed his smile and said, “We haven’t forgotten. Miss Jenny, please state your criteria for a partner.”

“My criteria are: handsome and wealthy, gentle and considerate, with a respectable job, emotionally loyal, presentable in public and skilled in the kitchen, under 35 years old, never married, no children, taller than 185 cm, not too fat, not too thin.”

Jian Tanxi was taken aback, “So many requirements?”

“Are these too many? These are just the basics, right?”

Jian Tanxi seemed to understand why Miss Jenny had been unable to find a partner all this time.

Then, several lines of text appeared above Miss Jenny’s head, displayed just above her paper.

These lines were the criteria for a partner that Miss Jenny had just stated.

This was actually quite convenient, as they could refer to her requirements at any time without worrying about forgetting them.

To summarize her criteria: tall, rich, handsome, and good-tempered; not only must he have money, but his job must also be respectable, having no job or a poor job was unacceptable; he must be unmarried and childless, under 35 years old, and skilled at cooking; not only must he be emotionally loyal, but his physique must also be excellent.

Just these conditions alone could eliminate most men.

Moreover, no one knew how many men there were in her Red Strawberry Kingdom. If the total population wasn’t large, and after such strict screening, the number of eligible men would be as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

As far as Jian Tanxi knew, historically, many Western countries were quite small, which was why Western fairy tales were filled with princes and princesses, and a prince could invite all the girls in the kingdom to a ball. This was all due to the small land area and sparse population.

Qin Man asked Miss Jenny, “Miss Jenny, have you already selected a few candidates? Where are these candidates?”

Miss Jenny replied, “Yes, I’ve chosen six candidates. In a moment, His Majesty the King will bring them here. You must help me choose carefully.”

Jian Tanxi asked, “Miss Jenny, are you a noble of the Red Strawberry Kingdom?”

Miss Jenny said, “No.”

“Then why is the King personally involved in your marriage?”

“Of course, it’s because our Red Strawberry Kingdom is small, and the King has very little to do. So, he will preside over my wedding.”

“I see.”

It seemed that the Red Strawberry Kingdom also fit the scale of a Western fairy tale kingdom. Hopefully, the King would bring six outstanding men, making it easier to select the perfect groom.

After a while, the church door opened, and seven large pieces of paper floated in.

The first piece of paper had a king printed on it, while the following six pieces featured six men of varying appearances.

The king floated to a higher position and said, “I am the king of the Red Strawberry Kingdom and the referee of this game. Next, please select the groom that Miss Jenny desires from these six men. The game time is three hours.”

“If the task is not completed within three hours, no one will be able to leave. If someone dies, the others will also be unable to leave. Now, please line up the six groom candidates in order.”

The six candidates, or rather six pieces of paper, were arranged in a row, facing Jian Tanxi and the others.

Numbers from 1 to 6 were marked above their heads.

Jian Tanxi noticed that Candidate No. 1 was somewhat plump but had decent facial features. He was smiling all along, with a friendly expression, and his clothes looked expensive. It could be said that, aside from his physique, other aspects seemed to meet the requirements.

Candidate No. 2, on the other hand, was tall and thin with a good figure, but his expression was sharp, with heavy brows pressing down on his eyes. His forehead was furrowed, his lips tightly pressed together, and there wasn’t a trace of a smile, he seemed to have a bad temper.

Candidate No. 3 looked like a noble, very elegant and handsome. However, his fingers were extremely pale and delicate, clearly indicating he didn’t do manual work. He probably couldn’t cook.

Candidate No. 4 was handsome but relatively short in stature, and he wore worker’s clothes. His assets and occupation likely didn’t meet Miss Jenny’s requirements.

Candidate No. 5 was dressed in a high-end chef’s uniform, appearing to be a master chef, which satisfied the requirement of being able to cook. However, the profession of a chef probably didn’t fall under the category of “respectable work.” Moreover, this candidate’s appearance was rather ordinary.

Candidate No. 6 wore a lawyer’s attire and seemed like an elite, but his neck was slightly forward-leaning, and his posture didn’t meet the requirements.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed none of the candidates fully met the criteria.

Jian Tanxi asked, “Are all the candidates here?”

The king replied, “Yes, these are the six most suitable candidates in the Red Strawberry Kingdom. The others are even less fitting.”

“Your Majesty, I have a question. By just looking, we can only discern the candidates’ appearances, professions, and assets, but we can’t assess other aspects, making a comprehensive analysis impossible. Can we communicate with these six candidates?”

The king said, “What I’ve brought are photographs of these six candidates. They are not here in person. However, as long as you place your hand on one candidate’s photo, you can enter his world and observe him for a few hours.

He won’t be able to see you, but you can see him. After observing, just say ‘I want to return,’ and you’ll come back here. Each participant can choose one person for in-depth observation.”

Qin Man asked, “Can we only choose one? There are four of us, but six candidates.”

“That’s right, only one each.”

“My son can’t speak or communicate; he can’t describe what he observes. Can I choose one for myself and then choose another with Qu Chen? I’m not making an extra choice, I’m just observing on Qu Chen’s behalf.”

“No, each participant must observe on their own. Whether they can convey what they see is their own matter.”

Qin Man looked worried.

Qu Chen, however, was cheerfully oblivious to what was happening.

Jian Tanxi said to Qin Man, “Sister Qin Man, should we let Xiao Chen go and choose someone to observe?”

Qin Man shook her head and said, “After entering, you have to say ‘I want to go back’ to return here. Xiao Chen can’t say those words, I’m afraid he might be trapped in that world forever.”

At that moment, the King added, “If a contestant is unable to speak, they will automatically be brought out after two hours.”

Qin Man said, “If that’s the case, I think we can let Xiao Chen give it a try… Although it might not be of much use, it’s still better than wasting an opportunity.”

Jian Tanxi said, “Sister Qin Man, you’re his mother, you should be able to understand what he’s thinking, right?”