Foolish Game of the Chapter 990: Who Isn't a Puppet?

(Super super super long chapter!)

"Who's attending?"

Zhang Jizu had been curious about this for more than a day or two. He already knew about the Dragon King, Zhen Xin, and others joining, but he wasn't sure who else Cheng Shi had recruited.

"What's the rush? You'll find out when you see them."

Cheng Shi kept him guessing. He unceremoniously reclaid the bone bell, chatted with Squinty Zhang about this and that, and delicately expressed his potential need to "requisition" so supplies from the Cetery.

Zhang Jizu neither agreed nor refused, seemingly waiting for Cheng Shi to trade him so intel for an answer.

Seeing Squinty Zhang had wised up, Cheng Shi cursed him out, declaring their friendship wasn't even worth as much as his neighborly bond with Xie Yang. He then tried to swap Xie Yang's gossip for Cetery corpses.

Zhang Jizu listened to the gossip happily enough, but still didn't commit. The swindled Cheng Shi indignantly explained the eting protocols, dumped the venue's "renovation" onto this Cetery manager, and left without looking back.

Before departing, Cheng Shi tried to take along the skull that looked exactly like him — to preempt any future scapegoating — but Zhang Jizu was quicker, snatching it away. This irked Cheng Shi even more.

"I'm reporting you! I'm reporting you to the Fishbone Hall!"

Watching the furious little skull bounce away, Zhang Jizu squinted with a smile, gazing thoughtfully at the skull in his hand.

"Fear really does weigh people down. Right now, you're less fun than the love-struck neighbor you ntioned.

I'm actually looking forward to this so-called Joker Society. Cheng Shi, just how many secrets are you hiding..."

Though he didn't get the replica skull, at least Cheng Shi walked away with the bone bell.

Back on the rooftop rest area, he began contemplating the Fear Faction "guidance" the bone bell represented.

Discussing the universe under this bell's protection ant laying bare every piece of knowledge he had for that gentleman to see. The first question, then, was whether that gentleman even knew their current universe was nothing more than an "experint" from a higher dinsion.

So far, the gods Cheng Shi could confirm knew this secret numbered exactly five:

[Deceit] and [Ti], who'd discovered the truth. [Folly], who'd presumably lost His authority for seeing through it. [Birth], whom [Deceit] had probed. And [War], who'd made a deal with him.

As for the others, Cheng Shi hadn't exchanged words with Them on this topic and couldn't easily conclude anything.

If the [Death] boss truly was Fear Faction, then logically the Fun God should have already shared this secret with Him to bolster the faction's resolve. But what if the [Death] boss wasn't Fear Faction, and had instead played a clever hand — using this as a way to test the Fun God and His believer? What then?

After long deliberation, Cheng Shi decided it was manageable either way. If that gentleman truly wasn't Fear Faction, learning the universe's truth might push Him directly into it. And then, wouldn't Cheng Shi be the biggest contributor?

'Contributors deserve rewards... that's only fair, right?'

So no matter how he looked at it, the Joker Society had to happen.

This wasn't just about exchanging intelligence with the Jokers. It was also about reading between the lines to deduce Their intentions, and laying groundwork for an even grander plan in his heart.

Granted, the plan was rather fantastical. But what if it worked?

Once it proved viable, he could understand the Fun God's arrangents from multiple angles, finding a path within the Fun God's plan that belonged to him — but wasn't Fixed Destiny.

He didn't want to follow the predestined road into void. Regardless of whose Fixed Destiny it was, Cheng Shi refused.

Let's not forget: the Fear Faction's core principle was upward-facing fear.

So no matter how much shelter [Deceit] offered, Cheng Shi had to keep a contingency. Because His divine na was [Deceit]. Nobody could see through how many lies this [Void] ruler had told — especially "saving the world."

After contacting Squinty Zhang, Cheng Shi reached out to the other Jokers one by one. The Dragon King had no issues — he'd been eagerly awaiting this day.

The Doctor's reaction was more interesting. He neither accepted nor refused, simply saying his experint was at a critical juncture and his attendance depended on how it went.

Cheng Shi couldn't pry out what experint it was, so he left the eting details and hung up.

He wasn't worried about imposters. In the Joker Society, what was real?

Next was Zhen Xin. The History School's president had long been waiting for Cheng Shi to reveal the world's truth, so she agreed readily.

But Cheng Shi was less at ease. He stressed repeatedly that the only attendee must be Zhen Xin. If another personality appeared, he would permanently revoke all Zhen-surnad players' eting privileges.

Zhen Xin declined to comnt and instead tossed out a History School Vice President's slot to "bribe" the eting organizer.

Cheng Shi would never be so easily bought. He righteously... accepted the position.

"You can CC

on all regular intelligence. I won't participate in actual work — otherwise people will think I used your connections to compete with other Vice Presidents for power. Bad optics.

But that's that. The Joker Society welcos only you. As for Zhen Yi..."

Cheng Shi's face darkened. "Once she learns to behave, we can discuss it.

Zhen Xin, I'll say this once: the 'heh' weapon is for enemies, not for sabotaging your own people. You need to make her understand who the real older sister is."

Seeing how reviled her little sister was, Zhen Xin hung up with a smile.

With all Jokers assembled, Cheng Shi wasn't done reaching out. He still planned to recruit Long Jing — the acrobat who'd rged with [Ti] — into the Joker ranks.

He hadn't forgotten what the other world's Long Jing had said. And considering his future plans might require [Ti]'s assistance, President Gong deserved a seat among the Jokers.

But Cheng Shi didn't have Long Jing's contact information. To reach the right person, he had to pull so strings and find... Big Cat.

Of course, eting Big Cat wasn't purely about contacting Long Jing. He also wanted to give her a gift.

Hong Lin had been busy chasing the rat these past couple of days, wanting to confirm her judgnt was correct — that the Yu Go Cheng Shi encountered probably wasn't a real existence.

But Cheng Shi knew the Yu Go he'd t was absolutely real. After all, the [Decay] container was already sitting in his inventory.

As for whether the one Big Cat was pursuing was real — the answer to that question was crucial to validating his hypothesis about the two Yu Gos. So he strongly supported her continued pursuit.

The two t in a stretch of void. Cheng Shi was brief: he wanted to trade sothing for Long Jing's contact information.

Hong Lin wasn't surprised Cheng Shi wanted to reach Long Jing, but his formal manner baffled her.

Then Cheng Shi produced an hourglass that resembled gnarled wood, and she was even more bewildered.

Yes. The gift Cheng Shi intended was the [Prosperity] container.

Let's not forget — Big Cat currently possessed the title of [Prosperity] proxy but lacked actual divinity.

She'd been searching for her own divinity, but since learning about containers, Cheng Shi knew her efforts were futile.

With [Prosperity] fallen, the proxy had lost all avenues to obtain a container.

Her only four children: two were devoured. Dizel had defected to [Decay] and been dismantled. The sole remaining Le Le'er had plunged into the Sea of Desire, becoming the Mother Tree of Fear.

Even if Big Cat knew containers existed, even if she dared venture into the Sea's edge searching for Le Le'er, she'd still have to hope that this Mother Tree of Fear — long since transford into a [Corruption] Envoy — could still yield a [Prosperity] container.

Missing any single step, and for Big Cat — whom Cheng Shi had pushed onto the stage as proxy — it was checkmate.

But [Fate] was just that miraculous. Who would have guessed that Cheng Shi, out of sheer greed at the Sea of Desire's edge, would pick up this one remaining [Prosperity] container?

Sound familiar?

Illness — a doctor ca. About to die — the ga descended. Believed in fate — received divine authority. And now, from empty title to sighting a container...

Though it was Cheng Shi who brought it back, the first thing that flashed through Hong Lin's mind when he showed and explained it were those cold starlit eyes.

[Fate]!

"So this is the Destined Ones?" Hong Lin's mind buzzed. She montarily forgot to even ask where it ca from.

Cheng Shi didn't know what brainstorm Big Cat was experiencing, but seeing her suddenly so devout, his expression grew exceedingly strange.

Logically, with this container and the faith of countless [Prosperity] believers, Big Cat would soon develop her own divinity and gradually beco a "complete" Her. But...

'You're a [Prosperity] proxy. Why is your face screaming [Fate] devotion!?'

'Is this right?'

'[Deceit] conned [Death]. [Fate] stole [Prosperity]. So [Void] is just fleece-farming [Life]'s entire path?'

'Good thing [Birth] is stable enough to ignore everyone. Otherwise, this universe's origin would have nothing to do with [Life] anymore — [Void] would usurp it, becoming the fraudulent genesis of all creation.'

Watching Big Cat's pupils quaking with astonishnt, Cheng Shi smiled and nodded:

"This is the Destined Ones."

"But Cheng Shi, why didn't you keep it for yours— you have MORE!?"

Seeing Cheng Shi produce yet another container, Hong Lin's voice cracked. She snatched the [Decay] container from his hand:

"This is... you got it from that Yu Go?

Then the one I encountered was the simulation from an extrapolation!?"

"..."

'You don't always need to overthink things, Big Cat. You're different from everyone else — don't waste your talent on brainwork.'

Cheng Shi held back a laugh and said nothing.

The overwheld Hong Lin had no ti for embarrassnt. She scrutinized the two containers repeatedly, then asked uncertainly:

"You're really giving this to ?"

"In this entire ga, no one is more suited for it than you, right?"

'Why?'

Hong Lin wanted to ask, but suddenly felt she didn't need to. Her gaze toward Cheng Shi shifted and shifted again, until everything consolidated into steely resolve. She nodded solemnly: "Alright!"

That single "alright" carried such complex emotion that Cheng Shi could see "determination" made tangible in Big Cat's eyes — a sincerity that trusted unto life and death.

"What about the [Decay] container?

Factional opposition aside, honestly speaking, among [Decay]'s players, there probably isn't a single one worthy of it.

If you want to pick a puppe— ...an ally among them..."

Hong Lin furrowed her brow, beginning to consider candidates.

But Cheng Shi just smiled casually, took back the [Decay] container, and patted Big Cat's shoulder:

"I have my own plans for that.

But Big Cat, you said one thing wrong. You've never been anyone's puppet.

Not in the past, not now, and never in the future.

You are you. The Fate Weaver's friend, and the clown's pillar."

'Who's whose pillar is still up for debate...'

Hong Lin's nostrils flared, visibly moved. She silently pocketed the gift and produced Long Jing's contact artifact. After a mont of silence, she suddenly looked up, eyes blazing with ferocity:

"What did you just call ?

Cheng Shi, don't think tossing

a present now and then ans you can walk all over . You're asking for a beating!"

"?"

'Can't afford to provoke, can't afford to provoke.'

Sensing danger, Cheng Shi grabbed Long Jing's contact info and bolted. Watching the Fate Weaver vanish from this space, Hong Lin gazed at the containers in her hand, smiling — bright and carefree.

"Gods above, pulling the strings. Mortals below, dancing as told.

Who in this ga isn't a puppet?

The only thing luckier about

is that I can still choose to be a friend's puppet.

For that, I am perfectly willing.

Praise [Fate]!

The road here and the path onward — all is destined."

...