The moment the decision was made to retaliate against the group led by Yun Jin, who was behind Isabella, a hurried knocking sound echoed from outside the lounge door.
Hearing the sound and recognizing it as Cheng Minglang, I quickly got up to open the door.
As expected, it was Cheng Minglang and Han Jinlun!
Upon seeing them, I let out a long sigh of relief and then asked them in a deep voice, "What exactly happened just now?"
Hearing my question, Cheng Minglang and Han Jinlun exchanged a glance before simultaneously looking at me and asking, "Did something happen on your end!?"
Seeing their expressions, I immediately realized: I had been tricked by Isabella!
But if she hadn't made a move against Cheng Minglang and Han Jinlun, why would she have drugged the bottle of red wine that Xu Shiyu brought over?
With this thought in mind, I quickly recounted everything that had happened in the final match.
Of course, I didn't mention the matter of Isabella drugging me and Xu Shiyu.
Firstly, it was to protect Xu Shiyu's reputation, and secondly, I vaguely sensed that there might be a conspiracy behind the drugging.
After learning everything that had transpired on my side, Cheng Minglang and Han Jinlun also quickly shared what they had encountered.
According to their description, they were approached by Xiang Tianhua and willingly followed him.
This was because Xiang Tianhua had directly revealed that he knew why our group was here.
Furthermore, Xiang Tianhua had also said that if we wanted to find Yun Jin's whereabouts smoothly, he wouldn't mind helping us, but only if he was sufficiently compensated.
Finally, Xiang Tianhua had "thoughtfully" suggested that to avoid disturbing my match, Cheng Minglang and Han Jinlun should go with him to chat first.
When I joined them after my match, we could skip the process and go straight to the results.
And so, Cheng Minglang and Han Jinlun willingly followed Xiang Tianhua to negotiate...
After listening to their account, I slumped back onto the sofa, my heart filled with a mix of emotions.
Analyzing Isabella's earlier words, it was not difficult to deduce that she was an insider.
If Isabella was an insider, then undoubtedly, I had not lost to Yun Jin this time, but rather to my old rival, the Queen Bee!
On the surface, Isabella was someone arranged by the casino and was working for Yun Jin on the field. In reality, she was on the same side as Yu Shuang!
The conversation that forced me to concede was the most powerful evidence!
Moreover, when I was previously inquiring about Xiang Tianhua's whereabouts for Zhu Wenjing, I had heard whispers that Xiang Tianhua was currently very close to Yu Shuang.
While I had fought my way through to the finals with genuine effort, Yu Shuang, with just a few subtle moves and a strategy of "advancing on both fronts," had manipulated both me and Yun Jin into her palm!
When the snipe and the clam fight, it is the fisherman who profits!
From beginning to end, Yu Shuang was the true winner!
It seemed that my previous plan of a disguise and blending in had been exposed from the very beginning.
This competition should have been an excellent opportunity to get closer to Yun Jin, but I never expected it to turn out this way.
Now, not only have I lost the competition and the opportunity to get close to Yun Jin, but I also have to watch my old rival Yu Shuang get one step closer to the clues of the Thousand King Token.
Although I'm not sure if Yun Jin will fulfill his promise to give Isabella a mysterious reward in addition to the ten million prize money, one thing I am certain of.
Since Yu Shuang has chosen to make a move, this Thousand King Token... should be almost certainly hers!
What should I do? Should I really let Yu Shuang benefit from both sides without committing to either?
But if I were to truly make a move on this cruise ship, attacking Yu Shuang would essentially be a veiled attack on Yun Jin!
Unless, before deciding to make a move, I can find Isabella and gain control of her, and then have her reveal the truth of the final match to Yun Jin.
Otherwise, what I've lost this time is not just a competition, but all the clues related to the Thousand King Token!
After pondering in silence for a long time, and after much deliberation, I finally decided to play it safe and hold back, waiting for the cruise ship to dock before figuring out a plan.
As long as Isabella is still on the cruise ship, she cannot escape or hide!
Before making this decision, I laid out all the deductions that had been swirling in my mind without reservation, and signaled everyone to prepare for action.
...
That evening, I found Xu Shiyu's room and saw her packing her belongings.
"Although we didn't win the competition this time, I will absolutely not shortchange your team's compensation!"
"At the same time, I've decided to double the compensation for everyone under you, and double yours specifically, until this matter is completely resolved!"
These were the words I had just thought of, intended to compensate for what had happened in the lounge.
Hearing this, Xu Shiyu immediately stopped packing and looked at me, saying, "Can you stop thinking of me as so fragile?"
"Uh..."
My clumsy excuse exposed, I was instantly rendered speechless.
Placing the clothes she was holding on the bed, Xu Shiyu furrowed her brows and looked at me seriously, saying, "From now on, you'd better stop with those little thoughts of yours trying to compensate me!"
"Let me emphasize again, that incident has nothing to do with you, and you are also a victim!"
Before I could speak, Xu Shiyu continued, "Instead of racking your brain trying to figure out how to compensate me, you should use your mind to figure out how to deal with that Yu Shuang!"
"Because after that incident, Yu Shuang is no longer just your enemy, but... mine too!!!"
Xu Shiyu's final words, with her emphatic "mine," made me pause slightly.
After regaining my senses, I immediately asked, "You mean, you want to get revenge on her too?"
"Of course!" Xu Shiyu nodded heavily and said without hesitation, "I won't argue with you about what happens on the cruise ship."
"You want to give Ma Wei and the others double compensation, I have no objections, after all, they followed me out to make money, but..."
"After we disembark, from Isabella onwards, we will no longer be in an employer-employee relationship, but rather equal partners!"
"No money talk, only cooperation!"
Hearing this, just as I was about to refuse, Xu Shiyu suddenly said, "If you dare to talk about money again, then after we get off the cruise ship, I'll take Ma Wei and the others and go solo!"
Xu Shiyu's decisive and swift words left me speechless and in silence.
After a long pause, I finally replied, "Okay!"