See the Law of Deception

Chapter 190 Control
As Lu Jinzhao entered the guesthouse, she noticed a faint sandalwood scent in the air. She saw incense placed in the corner, a very common and ordinary fragrance.

There were very few personal belongings in the room; as a tenant, Tian Lei didn't leave much of a personal mark here.

"Hello, I am Lu Jinzhao, you should know that, right?" Lu Jinzhao did not take the initiative to shake hands, she thought Tian Lei probably didn't want to do that.

"Hello, my name is..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lu Jinzhao deliberately interrupted her: "No need to repeat yourself, Tianlei, I know."

After speaking, Lu Jinzhao's gaze fell directly on the girl, carefully observing her reaction to this "rudeness".

She wasn't angry, just a little embarrassed, but there was also a strange reaction, like she was relieved.

Despite being interrupted during her self-introduction and encountering a somewhat sharp attitude from the other party, the girl named Tian Lei reacted in a way that was completely different from ordinary people.

Furthermore, after being interrupted, she fell completely silent, neither saying anything to ease the atmosphere nor retaliating out of dissatisfaction, but simply looking at the ground and waiting quietly.

Lu Jinzhao deduced that she was waiting for him to speak.

She completely relinquished control of the conversation and the meeting, and was relieved by the situation.

This might seem a bit "pathetic," but it's probably part of her survival strategy.

Lu Jinzhao's silence always has a purpose, but Tian Lei's silence seems to be different, more like an instinctive behavior.

Lu Jinzhao felt that she had a very obvious animalistic aura.

"Shall we start with the information you sent me?" Lu Jinzhao tried to soften his tone, to see what the outcome would be with a gentler and more consultative approach.

As soon as she made her suggestion, Tian Lei immediately blurted out, "Okay!"

Then there is no more.

She did not suggest which part of the data to start with, still waiting for Lu Jinzhao to make a decision first.

But this isn't right.

The information was sent to Lu Jinzhao by her, indicating that after learning about the preview information of this Death Platform, Tian Lei herself already had some vague "plans" for this platform, which is why she found this information.

She has her own ideas.

But at this moment, she remained completely silent.

"It's a bit troublesome."

"What?" Tian Lei's tone was somewhat bewildered.

Lu Jinzhao made no attempt to hide his feelings, saying, "You, I'd say you're a bit of a problem."

Tian Lei's already tense face turned deathly pale in an instant. Clearly, being described as "troublesome" had shaken her resolve.

This is something she is very afraid of.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized again.

It's even more troublesome.
But there is a solution.

"You actually have a lot of thoughts about this event, don't you?" Lu Jinzhao didn't use a question, but a statement. After saying that, she didn't give Tian Lei time to explain, and continued:
"Your information is clearly well-organized and very useful, and you have more experience than me, so why do you seem so insecure?"

Lu Jinzhao leaned closer to her and saw Tian Lei's constantly trembling eyes.

But her complexion had softened considerably.

Lu Jinzhao knew that this was because of her "praise," especially the phrase "very useful."

“It’s not that I lack confidence,” Tian Lei said softly.

"I know." Lu Jinzhao's tone softened again: "Is it because you're sick?"

“You can’t control your overthinking and you can’t bring yourself to express your own thoughts, right?” she said in a very understanding voice.

A hint of surprise appeared in Tian Lei's eyes: "Yes, yes." "It's okay, I know, I understand." Lu Jinzhao repeatedly said "I know," deliberately reinforcing this impression on Tian Lei.

“I don’t see you as a burden, but your personality is indeed a bit troublesome. I need to know your true thoughts, after all, we’re about to become teammates, aren’t we?”

As she finished speaking, a hint of embarrassment appeared on Tian Lei's face.

This is because she cannot trust Lu Jinzhao's words, cannot believe that she really doesn't see herself as a burden, and she also feels that there is no need to understand each other so much.

Even if we become teammates, an accident might happen soon after we enter the platform.
Lu Jinzhao realized that such a gentle attitude alone would not be enough. Her dark pupils stared directly at Tian Lei, and a not-so-pleasant emotion flashed across her face. Then, Lu Jinzhao's tone became stern.

“If you continue like this, even if I know it’s because you’re sick, I’ll still find you a nuisance, so I need to take some measures, okay?”

"Huh?" Tian Lei looked up blankly: "What... measures?"

As Lu Jinzhao expected, her first reaction was not to "refuse," but to ask, as if she could agree to anything as long as it wasn't too outrageous.

“We met often before we entered the Death Platform, right? Now, tell me, in what direction do you think our discussion should begin?” Lu Jinzhao said, looking at her.

As soon as she finished speaking, Tian Lei realized what Lu Jinzhao had said, and her breathing became rapid. Her mind was also a little confused. She didn't say a word, and her throat felt like it was glued shut.

She clearly wanted to refuse, but she was also afraid of the act of "refusing others" itself, so she paused there briefly.

The phrase "meet frequently" exceeded Tian Lei's expectations. If Lu Jinzhao had simply asked her to start by stating her plans, she could have done so. After all, unless it was a matter of life and death, she was indeed not good at refusing, and she would do it even if she had to force herself.

But meeting strangers so often went beyond simply forcing herself, and she felt very, very troubled by it.

Lu Jinzhao waited for about ten seconds, feeling that the pressure had been enough, so he stepped closer, raised his hand and grasped Tian Lei's wrist, his tone slightly gentler: "Don't worry, everything can be discussed, right? Now, I just want to know your opinion on this platform."

The words "Anything can be discussed" made Tian Lei breathe a sigh of relief, so she immediately whispered, "...Let's start with the statement that no one can escape it."

After saying that, she immediately pulled her wrist away after feeling Lu Jinzhao pull her hand away to relieve the pressure.

"Great," Lu Jinzhao said with a smile. "Isn't this a very insightful point?"

“You’re very smart. If it were me, I might start with genetics or bloodline, but thinking about it carefully, the fact that no one was spared is indeed a crucial piece of information.”

You're lying to her.

The sheepskin coldly exposed Lu Jinzhao's true colors.

Even a ghost wouldn't believe Lu Jinzhao's words.

Unfortunately, the girl in front of me, who had psychological and mental health issues, believed it. She even showed a hint of embarrassment on her face, and her mood clearly improved.

Although she felt somewhat uneasy about the topic of "frequent meetings" being left out, the affirmation from the person who had been acting very assertively and saying that she was troublesome completely shifted Tian Lei's attention to the current topic.

Why did you do so much for this ordinary person who is so timid?

[You went through all this trouble just to get her to talk to you more and trust you more?]

She might not be able to offer you any help.

Ordinary?

Looking at the seemingly harmless girl in front of him, Lu Jinzhao thought that if she was only shy, socially awkward, and a little neurotic as she appeared, she wouldn't have left such a reputation among the passengers, making people so wary of her.

The fact that she wasn't "eliminated" by Yuncheng's top-tier fighters indicates that her danger was manageable, and Lu Jinzhao wouldn't be so arrogant as to think she could clear the level alone.

The girl in front of me is dangerous, but she has some redeeming qualities.

What she needs to do now is try to turn this uncontrollable danger into something slightly controllable, or at least something she can control.

Lu Jinchao smiled at the girl in front of him and encouraged her, "Let's continue. Let's start with the fact that no one survived, and then what?"

Her hand grasped Tian Lei's wrist, which she had just pulled away from.

　Little deer, a great guide
　　Here she subtly used some techniques again.

　　(End of this chapter)