Brilliant!
Hearing those cutting words, Cheng Shi nearly jumped up and applauded The Prisoner.
This Silence Chosen One was terrifyingly sharp. The mont he opened his mouth, he'd struck at the diocre Person Society's fundantal essence. Others challenged to get answers. He went straight for demolition!
And he wasn't tearing down the scaffolding President Gong hadn't even built yet — he was attacking the foundation that could let the Society grow taller and taller!
Interest!
That was the inescapable core of any organization's ability to win hearts.
Every player who'd survived this long was no fool. They might have low scores, but most certainly possessed a self-consistent survival logic, and at its heart lay the calculus of self-interest.
If the diocre Person Society was just like every other organization — requiring the masses to prop up a select few beneficiaries — then even diocre people wouldn't agree to be the workhorses they'd refused to be even before the apocalypse.
President Gong visibly stiffened at the incisive question, but quickly recovered. Smiling, he looked toward The Prisoner's artistic arrangent beneath Hu Wei's foot:
"The diocre Person Society hasn't even been established yet. With my diocre vision, I can't see that far ahead. But I can promise this: if, borrowing our friend's auspicious words, the Society truly reaches such heights soday...
I, as president, will absolutely not steal everyone's efforts to elevate myself.
I will... be the first to step aside and remain a diocre person!
Because all I want is to live!
Living is enough."
"Bravo! Well said!"
President Gong's words were indeed stirring enough to sway hearts. The audience responded with scattered approval. At least a handful of "diocre people" in the hall were beginning to waver.
But most weren't so easily persuaded. Joining a no-na, no-history, no-guarantee organization on the first eting? Everyone had their concerns.
For instance, from the middle section, a burly man crossed his arms and bellowed at the stage with undisguised disdain:
"Promises?
What good are promises these days? Haven't we been tricked enough by Deceit followers? How do we know you're not one of them?
Are there any high-level tricksters among us?
I'm sure there are.
If they're not in on this kind of entertainnt, I'll rip my own head off and let everyone kick it around.
So, brothers in deception — it's your chance to rehabilitate your reputation. Anyone brave enough to step up and tell us whether this 'President Gong' who won't even reveal his faith is a fraud or not?"
Before Cheng Shi could even laugh, soone in the crowd volunteered.
"I'll do it!"
Everyone followed the voice and found a thin, bespectacled man seated in the middle section, hand raised with a smile.
One look at that smile told Cheng Shi this was absolutely a genuine Deceit follower.
That grin wasn't the helpful sort — it was the gleeful, chaos-loving kind.
The bespectacled Deceit follower laughed loudly and called out to the stage:
"President Gong, right? Not bad — at least so far, not a single lie has left your mouth.
Don't look at
like that, everyone. My Master of Deception talent told
so.
I'll admit it — I've been above 2000 before, but I couldn't keep up with the big shots and fell back down.
An S-rank talent doesn't vanish when your score drops, so it's kept
scraping by below 2000.
By President Gong's logic, below 2000 we're all equal. So I'm the purest diocre person here.
Anyway, enough chitchat. President Gong, don't bla us Deceit folks for being blunt. Your words are wonderful, and the diocre Person Society sounds great — but I'm worried you might be one of us.
How about this: tell us a lie. If you can pull it off, I, Song Liang, will be the first to follow you. Deal?"
"Whoaaah—"
The Deceit follower's declaration set off a storm. People looked from stage to audience, weighing whether the bespectacled Deceit follower's Master of Deception was trustworthy and what faith President Gong actually held.
All eyes darted about. Even the Grand Marshal and his distinguished companion in the first row glanced back. Cheng Shi anwhile was practically itching to pull out snot water and Finger Bread to snack on while watching the show.
President Gong, hearing these challenges, straightened once more. His temperant seed genuinely good — no anger at such pointed questioning. Instead, he replied with an easy smile:
"Simple enough — it's just one little lie. I'm not a Deceit follower, and I don't have the Master of Deception talent, so naturally I've no fear of lying.
But even if I do lie, what happens if our Deceit friend here insists that I didn't? How do we settle that?"
The instant President Gong finished, Cheng Shi's eyebrow rose again.
'Interesting — this man truly didn't lie. At least, Master of Deception tells
so.'
'So, could he be a Deceit follower masquerading as president?'
But setting that aside, President Gong's concern wasn't unreasonable. Deceit followers never played by the rules. Nobody could predict whether they'd lie, or at which point.
Just as the standoff threatened to stall, the original mystery voice — the one whose body had never been found — spoke again. This ti, from right beside the bespectacled Deceit follower.
"What a coincidence — I have Master of Deception too.
Mr. Gong, go ahead and say it. I may not think much of you, but that bull-brother earlier had a point. I can't let one rat's dropping ruin our Deceit squad's reputation.
I need everyone to know that even among us liars, there are good people."
This got laughs from much of the crowd.
'Hilarious — Deceit has a "reputation"?'
'Calling soone a rat's dropping... isn't the entire Deceit roster a pile of rat droppings?'
'Every last one of them lies through their teeth. Who's cleaner than whom?'
The audience clearly didn't trust this voice. But regardless of credibility, at least soone had offered a verification thod. If the president kept refusing, it would look genuinely suspicious.
So, even knowing it might devolve into farce, President Gong had to respond.
With reluctant resignation, he shook his head and chuckled wryly:
"Fine. Apparently, if I don't tell a lie tonight, I won't earn the trust of any diocre person here.
In that case, here's my lie:
The underwear I'm wearing today... is red."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Silence again. But soon, stifled laughter rippled through the crowd.
Every eye turned to the bespectacled Deceit follower, hoping his reaction would reveal President Gong's true identity.
The self-professed liar blinked, then sowhat startled, nodded:
"President Gong does have sothing. Master of Deception told
he lied. So it looks like... he really might not be one of ours!"
Hearing this, reactions varied. The clever ones drew their own conclusions, but a noticeable number of people in the hall looked at the stage with newfound trust.
Rember — this was the "diocre people's" stage.
On top of that, the still-faceless voice chid in again:
"Heh — so he really isn't one of ours. Boring. Truly boring!"
This further softened attitudes toward President Gong. After all, the voice's response also implicitly confird the lie.
But hearing all this, Cheng Shi's smile froze — then widened to its absolute maximum.
'Interesting. So incredibly interesting.'
'This is no gathering of diocre people!'
'This is a feast of liars!'
Because Cheng Shi's Master of Deception told him that all three of them had been telling the truth!
Therefore!
This was clearly three liars performing on the sa stage!
And the show they were performing was a grand swindle called Deceit!
...
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