Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 52: Crossover Battle

The four companions exchanged glances, and the next second, they quickly ran to the corner of the courtyard and hid behind a hedge. Their actions for survival were so swift, and their choice of hiding spot was so in sync, it was like they were a dream team.

Fortunately, the simultaneous “dings” from their devices didn’t sound very loud outdoors, and the noise inside the villa was even louder, so this unexpected alert didn’t give them away.

After observing for a few seconds and confirming safety, the companions looked down at their messages.

[Cheat Sheet]: Welcome to [Villa Crossover Battle]. You have 15 minutes to cross the villa’s entrance hall, corridor, dining room, and living room and reach the back door to leave at leisure. Succeed, and the hospital welcomes you. Fail, and return to where you started tonight. Good luck.

Sheng, Wang, Jin, Qian: “……”

In the Sunshine Theatre, Yue Shuai’s team had been dominated by the terror of 59 points as well as the chance to taste the “joy” of a sea of zombie balls. =_=

Wu Sheng: “We have 14 minutes and 39 seconds left.”

“Not short of a tremble after ninety-nine bows*.” Xu Wang took a deep breath. “Let’s go in.”

*It’s a saying that derives from the act of doing a ritual (99 bows), and the only thing left to do is to complete it (with a tremble). It’s akin to phrases like “we’ve come this far” or “just short of [blank] (to complete this)”.

Qian Ai: “……”

Even in the apocalypse, can’t we just fight zombies simply! The “Owl” is a devil! TAT

The four reached the villa’s entrance, holding their breath as they entered one by one, treading lightly.

Inside, two zombie corpses lay in the entrance hall, one with a blown-off head; its original appearance was unrecognizable, and another with eyes pierced through.

Carefully stepping over them, they entered the long corridor.

The retro European wallpaper and dim yellow wall lights made the entire corridor, despite being well-lit, still feel dark and oppressive. The abundant bloodstains on the walls significantly contributed to the atmosphere. The corridor was lavishly decorated yet gloomy and winding, resembling that of a path to hell.

At the end of the corridor, they saw the dining room.

Xu Wang, leading the way, suddenly stopped, not daring to move forward. The three behind him also saw the scene in the dining room and were shocked.

This wasn’t a dining room, but more like a morgue. Overturned tables and chairs, a floor covered with zombie corpses, piled high, leaving almost no space to step. A collapsed wine cabinet was pressed under the pile of bodies. There was no sign of its wreckage; only the rich aroma of broken wine bottles mixed with the stronger smell of blood, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

Xu Wang looked back at his companions with a solemn gaze.

Everyone understood.

All the zombies in the villa were annihilated. If the team that did it had left, they could reap the benefits. But the situation was that not only had this team arrived before them, but they were also exceptionally brutal in combat, and damn it, they hadn’t left!

What must the living room look like to have such a team still struggling until now?

Xu Wang was startled when he noticed something familiar on a zombie corpse.

Though its rotor blades were damaged and its body and gun barrel split in two, the remains were there—enough to piece together a complete drone machine gun!

“We’re not giving up until the end. Don’t forget, we entered three minutes later than you. Even if we drag it out, once your 15 minutes are up, you’re back to the save point, and all effects inside the villa are forcibly nullified. We still have 180 seconds. Even a stroll will get us out…”

The fighting in the living room had stopped at some point, and a familiar voice came from there, straight into the dining room, then curving around the corner wall where the corridor met the dining room.

Xu Wang narrowed his eyes. This confident ease, this disdainful habit of underestimating the opponent—except for that [Cupid’s Arrow], no one else came to mind!

Sure enough, Cupid’s team had also saved, and their save point was definitely before the chaos at the amusement park.

So the drone machine gun, already blasted by Kuang Jinxin, was usable today.

If the gun was usable, then their stationery…

Damn, he didn’t want to get hit by [Cupid’s Arrow] again in his life!

Wait, who’s Cupid talking to? Is there another team in the living room?

Just as Xu Wang pondered, another familiar voice came from the living room. “Don’t be so sure. It’s not certain who will have the last laugh until the final minute.”

Hold up!

Is that Yue Shuai I know? Is this towering leader’s aura amplified by some magical tool?

Xu Wang made a “shush” gesture to his companions and pointed towards the wall connecting the dining room and living room.

The three companions, also understanding the situation in the living room, nodded.

The group, acting like thieves since entering the villa, crouched again, tiptoeing through the gaps in the piles of corpses, quietly sneaking into the dining room, and reached the corner wall next to the living room.

Between the dining room and living room wasn’t a door, but a partition-like wall.

At that moment, eight eyes stealthily peered over the wall’s edge.

Inside the living room, the view was unobstructed.

All the furniture had been pushed to the east and west sides of the room. Two teams, eight “old friends”, were lined up along the walls. There were no zombie corpses in the living room because, apart from the narrow strips of floor remaining along the east and west walls, the entire floor of the living room had turned into a square pool of stagnant water.

But the pool was certainly not filled with ordinary water.

Because the back door was on the north wall, if they couldn’t walk over, they could swim across, yet no one dared to enter the water.

Captain Cupid said, “After your 15 minutes are up, you’ll go straight back to the save point, and all stationery effects will be forcibly nullified.” Obviously, this pool of dead water was Yue Shuai’s doing.

However, this stationery seemed to not discriminate between friend and foe, treating everyone equally and leading both teams to avoid the water’s edge as much as possible.

On the east side of the living room, Han Buting stood on a TV cabinet, Li Zijin and Li Xia stood on a sofa, and Chi Yingxue was perched on a large sculpture of a spreading-winged Roc, unsure how long the Roc would hold up.

On the west side, Yue Shuai stood on a coffee table, which was the only thing relatively stable. Then there was Tao Anan, struggling to maintain balance on a folding screen, Wei Tianhang desperately clinging to a curtain, and Su Mingzhan hanging upside down from a crystal chandelier.

Saying earlier that the eight were divided on both sides was a bit imprecise, especially since Su Mingzhan alone dominated the airspace in the center of the living room. It was unclear how he got up there.

Although it was Yue Shuai’s team that used stationery to trap Cupid’s team, the situation clearly showed who had the upper hand.

The eight, too focused on the battlefield, didn’t notice the eyes peering over the partition.

Xu Wang and his companions quietly retreated to the dining room.

“A colorless, odorless, corrosive liquid,” Wu Sheng whispered, sharing his observations. “Similar to concentrated sulfuric acid.”

“So how do we get across?” Qian Ai, thinking of the scene in the living room, felt as if he was already being corroded and burned by the strong acid. “Can’t we just wait for their time to run out and then cross? We entered later than them.”

Wu Sheng shook his head. “First, we lose the initiative. Second, we lose our advantage.”

Qian Ai nodded, pretending to understand.

Xu Wang nodded, truly understanding. “Indeed, waiting means allowing one of their teams to get to the hospital first. We’d then have to follow, which is too passive. Moreover, with the battlefield cleared and both teams wearing each other down, we have the advantage of time and place. If we wait for the replacement zombie horde to return, we’ll surely be exposed, and all our advantages will be lost.”

Qian Ai looked up at the ceiling, finally understanding why he could never become a team leader.

“Replacement zombie horde?” Kuang Jinxin asked, puzzled.

Xu Wang said, “Listen carefully.”

Kuang Jinxin paused and listened, realizing the zombie howls outside the villa seemed to be getting closer.

“The zombies in this villa are probably replenished continuously,” Xu Wang explained. “Otherwise, the teams ahead would clear the way, making it easy for the teams behind.”

“We must act before the zombies are replenished.” Wu Sheng outlined the action plan. “Be proactive—swift and decisive.”

“The acid pool is manageable.” Xu Wang revealed his [Stationery Box]. “I have a small flying carpet.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “Captain, I think that’s called [Aladdin’s Magic Carpet].”

“It will definitely fly,” Xu Wang said. “Have you seen the flying carpet over the Endless Sea? I have a feeling it’s this one.”

Qian Ai: “Can stationery be repeated?”

Wu Sheng: “There’s no evidence it can’t be repeated. If it’s not forbidden, it’s allowed. We can try.”

Qian Ai: “The way you two talk, I’m getting nervous…”

“Of course, we still need a Plan B. If the magic carpet can’t fly…” Xu Wang looked expectantly at his teammate. “Lao Qian, you’ll use your [Swish Swish Hidden Blade] to cover our retreat.”

Qian Ai felt immense pressure in a flash. “Who gave you so much confidence in my combat abilities…”

“If the magic carpet really can fly, then there’s only one problem.” Xu Wang’s expression darkened. “They won’t just watch us fly over. If either of them has long-range weapons or stationery, we’ll be the first to return to the save point.”

Qian Ai understood. It was like crossing the safari park in a small cart, still in the wild animal area. =_=

“Then we’ll launch a surprise attack before using the flying carpet to cross the acid pool,” he said.

“The surprise attack is certain. The key is how to catch them all at once.” Xu Wang had been thinking of a way since earlier, his head aching with no solution in sight. If they couldn’t capture them all, the eight counterparts would surely fight back, and the outcome would be uncertain.

The stalemate between the two teams was just a brief respite after tiring from the previous fight, each calculating their next move.

In the struggle between the snipe and the clam, while the fisherman gains*. This was their only chance to seize the opportunity for a decisive strike.

*Idiom referring to while the main parties are engaged in their dispute, a cunning third party can seize the opportunity to gain an advantage or profit. It derives from a fable, which you can read in my Kinky Thoughts.

Qian Ai’s [Swish Swish Hidden Blade]? Wu Sheng’s [Invisibility Cloak]? [The Flood Overwhelms the Dragon King’s Temple]? Xiao Kuang’s…

Xu Wang hadn’t yet figured out what stationery Kuang Jinxin had when he caught a glimpse of Classmate Kuang’s clear gaze.

Suddenly, realizing that Kuang Jinxin had been unusually quiet since they started planning the surprise attack, Xu Wang looked at him earnestly. “There can only be one team to submit their papers. As the team captain, I don’t want to retreat, so I can’t always be open and honest when there’s no other way.”

Kuang Jinxin was surprised. He quickly shook his head and said softly but firmly, “This is a competition. Giving our all is the greatest respect we can show our opponents.”

“…” Overwhelmed by the unexpected support, Xu Wang’s heart swelled with emotion. “Then why were you staring at me just now…”

“I was thinking…” Kuang Jinxin lowered his head to look at his [Stationery Box]. “What kind of magical tool would be named [Kong Rong Giving Up Pears]?”

……

Living Room.

Han Buting looked at Yue Shuai on the coffee table across from him, his patience nearly exhausted. “I don’t want to waste stationery needlessly. Why do people like you keep pestering me?”

Yue Shuai was actually out of moves. Waiting until now was just to see if another team would come in and disrupt the situation, hoping for a slim chance of survival.

But he didn’t expect Han Buting to want a heart-to-heart.

Especially since the words were somewhat cryptic. “We… who?”

A shadow passed in Han Buting’s eyes, clearly not wanting to recall the past.

Li Xia didn’t even raise his eyes.

Li Zijin got closer. Seeing his captain’s face darken, he wisely kept quiet.

Chi Yingxue, bored riding the Roc, eagerly helped to clarify. “After you escaped yesterday, another team came to the amusement park and used up several of our great captain’s carefully nurtured stationery. Luckily, we had saved before that…” The words ‘great’ and ‘nurtured’ were tinged with subtle sarcasm. He seemed to savor the memory more as he spoke with a small, amused smile playing on his lips. “It was interesting.”

Yue Shuai could tell he genuinely found it amusing.

Which also meant Han Buting’s mood got even darker.

Despite being an opponent, at this moment, Yue Shuai felt an inexplicable sympathy for Captain Han.

But Captain Han wasn’t to be underestimated. Unmoved, he just coldly glanced at his watch and considerately reminded his opponents. “You have four minutes left.”

“Better listen to the zombies outside,” Wei Tianhang said, unable to bear it any longer as he slid down from the curtain, carefully stepping onto the narrow strip of floor along the wall. “It won’t take four minutes for a zombie horde to break in…”

“Wei Tianhang!” Su Mingzhan suddenly shouted from the chandelier.

Wei Tianhang shuddered in fright, glaring at the center of the ceiling. “Why are you shouting…”

Realizing his blunder, his retort stopped abruptly.

The last shred of hesitation in Han Buting’s eyes vanished as he tapped the owl symbol on his arm.

If not for the presence of the opponents, Wei Tianhang really wanted to slap himself! Reminding the other side about the incoming zombies was like forcing them to send his team back to the save point ahead of time!

Their stationery had already been used up in the previous fight. The reason they had held out until now was partly due to their bluff and partly because Han Buting always hoped to succeed with minimal loss.

Now, no matter how reluctant Han Buting was willing to part with it, he was determined to use his stationery.

[Owl: Someone has used [(Illusory) Kong Rong Giving Up Pears] on you~~]

The playful alert rang out, not in Yue Shuai’s team’s ears but in Han Buting’s, who was about to select a weapon.

He instinctively looked up, his sharp gaze sweeping across the four people on the opposite side.

Yue Shuai and his teammates were bewildered. Suddenly being glared at during stationery selection—what kind of tactic was that? A display of dominance?

Han Buting quickly realized. “There’s another team here!”

Hearing this, Li Zijin and Li Xia immediately went on alert, warily scanning their surroundings.

Even Chi Yingxue paused slightly, although he remained lazily perched on the Roc, the casual look in his eyes slowly fading.

Just as Han Buting was about to give further instructions, he suddenly felt something was off.

An icon was missing from his [Stationery Box], one that had only just returned today after he reloaded his save.

In [Kong Rong Giving Up Pears], Kong Rong willingly gave the bigger pear to his brother. Now, the brother was directly coming over and stealing the biggest, sweetest, and most attractive pear!

Han Buting wasn’t happy with how he was played by Kong Rong.

But such is life; never assume things can’t get worse.

[Owl: Someone has used [(Illusory) Cupid’s Arrow] on you~~]

This time, all eight present heard the soulful alert.

Then, a chubby little angel appeared in the air a little to the left of the center of the ceiling, since the center was occupied by the chandelier and Su Mingzhan. Holding a little golden bow, the angel spun around and started shooting little golden arrows.

The arrows, like osmanthus rain, struck each of the eight combatants in the heart.

Li Xia, Li Zijin, and Chi Yingxue simultaneously looked at Han Buting, the first two in disbelief, the latter bemused.

Han Buting nearly gritted his teeth in frustration. “They stole my illusory stationery.”

“Can you stop speaking in tongues?” An even more bewildered Yue Shuai couldn’t take it anymore, clutching his throbbing chest. “What do you mean, another team? Who stole your illusory stationery? What the hell is going on? Are you… trying to provoke us!”

As the situation was about to spiral out of control, a small flying carpet gracefully floated into the living room.

The eight fighters froze, understanding dawning in the moment they were struck by love.

On the Arabian-patterned carpet sat three teammates in a row, as orderly as schoolchildren on a spring outing. Only Kuang Jinxin stood at the end of the carpet, looking left and right, his gaze sweeping over everyone with a “lethal attraction”.

The carpet floated leisurely over the sulfuric acid pool, heading straight for the door.

The upright Captain Xu occasionally smiled apologetically to the left and right. “Sorry, sorry, we’re leaving first.”

Yue Shuai, Su Mingzhan, Tao Anan, Wei Tianhang: “……”

Han Buting, Li Xia: “……”

Chi Yingxue: “A flying carpet… How come they always have such cool stationery…”

Li Zijin: “Is now really the time to be envious?!”

They wanted to attack Kuang Jinxin, but each time the thought crossed their minds, they would become lost in overwhelming feelings of love.

They thought about attacking the other three, but every glance from Kuang Jinxin plunged them back into those suffocating feelings of love, making it impossible to bear the thought of harming his teammates.

The magic carpet finally arrived in front of the back door.

The door automatically opened, as if acknowledging the victors.

As the carpet slowly departed, the door began to close.

The eight watched as the gap in the door narrowed, and just as it was about 30 degrees from closing, two heads provocatively popped back outside the door.

There was Kuang Jinxin, still dominating the room with his gaze, playing a support role. Leveraging the cover provided by his teammates, Captain Xu and his colleagues dug their hearts out. “I can’t let you catch up. Otherwise, we’ll have to fight at the hospital. Sorry about this…”

Han Buting didn’t immediately understand, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Yue Shuai, seeing the gun barrel extend through the gap, despaired. “Oh no…”

The trigger was pulled, and a fierce stream of water shot through the living room, hitting a wall clock!

The door was held open by the force. The trigger remained pulled, and an endless water stream kept coming—one second, five seconds, ten seconds…

Deafeningly loud dynamic music erupted in the living room, almost lifting the villa’s roof and stirring the hearts of every zombie at the courtyard gate!

“Ow ow ow ow ow~~It’s below ten degrees~~ I forgot to wear my long johns~~ Rushing out the door~~ Walking on the main road~~”

“Not wearing long johns~~ Who can be cooler than me~~ Let the wild wind howl~~ even wildfires can be blocked~~*”

*These are lyrics to “Forgot to Wear Long Johns” by Hou Haozhong. Unfortunately, I can’t find the music to it.

The moment the zombies poured in, the back door slammed shut, perfectly sealed!

Yet they could still hear, fading away, “Qiu Qiu Qiu Qiu~~ Cool~~”

Doesn’t the “Owl” have a mute mode?!

As the horde of zombies surged into the living room, they fell into the acid pool with a clatter like dumplings. But a few managed to stop in time, realizing they had to seek the narrow strips of floor on either side!

In such a small space, a couple of hits and they’d all fall into the sulfuric acid pool!

No, they didn’t even need to fight; the first zombie had already toppled the folding screen, and Tao Anan was about to fall in!

Yue Shuai couldn’t care about anything else; he focused intently and dispelled the stationery effect!

The sulfuric acid pool vanished in an instant, and Tao Anan landed onto the floor with a thud, narrowly escaping disaster.

Han Buting and his team finally saw the acid pool disappear, but it was too late; the zombies had them cornered!

Yue Shuai’s team’s time had run out.

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: [Villa Crossover Battle] failed. Return to your starting point of the night.

Yue Shuai: “……”

Yesterday was the Sunshine Theatre, today the villa crossover; they must be fundamentally incompatible with these “game within a game”!

Yet, thinking of Xu Wang’s team crossing over, Yue Shuai felt a tinge of relief. If he had to choose, he would rather see Xu Wang breaking the finish line than Han Buting.

Regrettably, Han Buting’s team still had three minutes left. If they were agile enough, they might still break through successfully.

Amidst all his worries, Yue Shuai and his three teammates were instantly transported back to the Sunshine Theatre’s save point, where their challenge had begun that night.

His concerns weren’t unfounded; just two and a half minutes after their departure, Han Buting’s team had cleared all the zombies, calmly opened the door, and completed the villa crossover battle.

However, one thing neither Yue Shuai nor Han Buting had anticipated.

“Is there a rope?”

Stepping out of the villa, with the hospital just in sight, Chi Yingxue, who always lingered at the end of the team, suddenly spoke in a low voice.

When he spoke, his tone was often light and seemed careless. Once it dropped, it sounded calm, which was quite uncharacteristic of him.

“Yes.” Li Zijin, who was carrying a backpack, looked at him vigilantly. “What do you want to do?””

“I was bitten on the shoulder.” Chi Yingxue raised his eyes gently. “You’d better tie me up now, because in a while, I won’t be me anymore.””

There was no tension on his face, and his tone was light, but there was no joking in his words. It was him just stating the facts calmly.

It was so calm that Li Zi’s back became cold.

“Do as he says.” Han Buting didn’t step forward to confirm the wound because there was no need for Chi Yingxue to lie.

Li Zi almost swallowed his saliva, immediately removed his backpack, and pulled out the hemp rope inside. This was prepared for the bitten companions, because the condition for submitting the papers was that everyone bring the vaccine to the hospital together, but there was no requirement that they must be “healthy”, so once a teammate is bitten, they could just tie them up and drag them to the hospital and submit their papers for clearance. The bitten person would return to normal. They had been on this level many times, so they were quite prepared.

Chi Yingxue lowered his head and stood there motionless. His eyes gathered in the light and shadow of the lantern. The rare quietness made him look quite beautiful and ethereal at this moment.

Li Zijin shook his head abruptly, getting rid of his unrealistic illusion.

Pretty? Just wait until he goes crazy.

They had just circled the hemp rope once, but it hadn’t been tied yet when Chi Yingxue suddenly raised his head with a blank and surprised expression, as if saying, “Who am I? Where am I?”

Li Zijin was taken aback. “What are you doing?”

Chi Yingxue didn’t speak but quickly looked around and then at the three teammates.

Li Zijin was really panicked. He had only been with this new teammate for two days, and he couldn’t bear it. He looked back at Han Buting as if asking for help.

Han Buting frowned slightly and was also observing Chi Yingxue.

The first person to speak was the one who caused all this. “I was bitten, right?”

His voice was still very low, but it wasn’t the deliberate lowness of the previous one. It was more like an innate sense of lowness, but because Chi Yingxue’s voice wasn’t the magnetic low type, the conditions of the voice and the temperament of the voice produced a trace of dissociation.

Li Zijin was really going crazy. “Are you sick? Didn’t you tell us you were bitten?””

Chi Yingxue nodded, as if he understood again. “Sorry, you continue.”

Li Zi was almost dumbfounded. Chi Yingxue, apologized, to him?

“Hurry up.” Chi Yingxue urged, seeing Li Zijin stunned and motionless. “The incubation period of the zombie virus is only a few minutes at most. Once I get sick, it will be difficult to control me.””

Li Zijin: “……”

Although it was only a short sentence, it was well organized, concise, and pragmatic. Is this still the psychopath who pretends to fly on a pirate ship?!

“Fuck—”

Li Xia suddenly cursed, rushed over quickly, and threw Li Zijin down mercilessly!

At the same time, Chi Yingxue, who had just been tied up in a circle, was almost unbound again. He had already started biting the air in front of him!

If Li Xia hadn’t rushed over, it would be Li Zijin who would have gnawed on!

Li Zijin and Li Xia both got up quickly and retreated to Han Buting’s side. The three of them stood side by side, facing Chi Yingxue, who was already infected.

“It’s all my fault for moving too slowly!” Li Zijin hated himself for this.

“It’s not your problem.” Han Buting stared deeply at Chi Yingxue. “It’s his problem.”

Li Zi was almost speechless, but he only dared to complain in his heart. Of course, there was a problem. Chi Yingxue’s eyes were now covered with a red film, which was no different from the zombies in the north of the city!

As if expecting Li Zijin to groan, Han Buting further explained, “It has nothing to do with the zombie virus. I mean, he’s not right. But I don’t have time to worry about that now…” He stretched out his hand closer to Li Zi. “Give me the spare rope.”

Li Zijin immediately turned over the bag and handed it over.

They had countless ways to send Chi Yingxue home, but if they wanted to submit their papers, they could only catch them alive.

“Li Xia,” Han Buting said. “Seal his mouth.”

“Mm.” The silent young man who was named briefly responded, then put on his gloves and pulled out the hood and wide tape from his bag.

With the tools in place, the three of them scattered in a circle, surrounding Chi Yingxue in the middle.

Chi Yingxue looked at the three of them back and forth, as if choosing a target. When he saw the mask in Li Xia’s hand, he seemed to have a premonition of something. He suddenly started to dash towards Li Zi at a speed as if he was doing a 100-meter spring!

Li Zijin stood there motionless, as if waiting for Chi Yingxue to pounce!

In an instant, Chi Yingxue was already in front of him, and he was about to pounce on Li Zijin. The latter suddenly bent down and pushed his head hard against his stomach!

Under normal circumstances, people should stagger back uncontrollably, and Han Buting, behind Chi Yingxue, had already prepared the rope circle!

Without thinking about it, Chi Yingxue actually caught it and grabbed his shoulder at a very fast speed. Before Li Zijin could react, he lifted the person up and bit him hard at the carotid artery of his neck!

With this bite, there was no chance of mutation.

Li Zijin only had time to experience the tingling like a needle and then heard the banter of farewell—

[Owl: Dear~ I’m giving you an early holiday. Sending you home.]

At the last moment before bouncing back to reality, Li Zijin looked into Chi Yingxue’s eyes.

There was neither a zombie Chi Yingxue nor human Chi Yingxue. It was just an extremely dark abyss, that perhaps ghosts still resided there.

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Kinky Thoughts:

The Sandpiper (Snipe) and the Clam

One day, taking advantage of the sunny weather, a clam opened up its hard shell to bask in the sun on the banks of the river. A sandpiper saw it and quickly put its beak into the clam shell to peck at the meat inside. The calm hurriedly closed its hard shell and sealed the sandpiper’s mouth shut. The sandpiper couldn’t peck at the meat, and its mouth was sealed shut, so it threatened the clam and said, “If you don’t loosen your clamp on me, you will eventually die of thirst.” The clam responded without showing weakness, “Your mouth has been clamped by me. If you can’t pull it free, you’ll starve to death!” In this way, the clam and sandpiper fought each other on the beach, and neither would relent. Over time, they became exhausted. A fisherman happened to pass by, and when he saw that they were tightly entangled and neither could move, he easily caught them and took them both home.”

This story was told during the Warring States Period, when the Qin Empire was strongest. On one occasion, the Empire of Zhao declared war on the State of Yan. At the time, the king’s younger brother, Su Dai, was entrusted to go to the Empire of Zhao to persuade the King of Zhao not to send troops. When he arrived, the King of Zhao demanded what he was doing here, to which he told the fable.

After finishing, Su Dai said to the King of Zhao, “If the Empire of Zhao and the State of Yan go to war, the two sides will inevitably be at a standstill for a long time, eventually becoming exhausted. In this way, the mighty Qin Empire will be like the fisherman, who just needs to sit back and reap the benefits. Your Majesty, please consider it carefully before making a decision.” The King of Zhao felt that what Su Dai said was reasonable and dispelled the idea of attacking the State of Yan.

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