"My friends are few," Gouwen said, looking at Xia Qingtian. "There are only two people I can truly confide in."
"Indeed, one doesn't need many friends; two are enough," Xia Qingtian replied, going along with Gouwen's words.
"Unfortunately, both of them died because of you." Gouwen's gaze locked onto Xia Qingtian.
Xia Qingtian's lips twitched slightly. How was she supposed to respond to that?
After a moment of hesitation, Xia Qingtian finally spoke, "It's okay, you still have your sister."
"If it weren't for her, would I still be talking so much to you?" Gouwen raised an eyebrow slightly.
Xia Qingtian wanted to retort, but seeing Gouwen's expression and remembering that her time was short, she simply shrugged and didn't respond.
*Forget it, let her have this one last moment of bravado before she dies!*
"Xia Qingtian, I want to make a deal with you." Gouwen slightly moved her stiff and numb shoulder. The pain from her wound made her gasp, and after a moment, she continued, "I know where the person mobius has been looking for is."
"Help my sister leave that organization, and I'll tell you his whereabouts."
Gouwen was confident that mobius would be tempted by this deal. And as a member of mobius, Xia Qingtian would surely agree!
"Mmm..." Xia Qingtian looked at Gouwen hesitantly. "Helping your sister leave that organization sounds like no easy task. Putting aside other things, can you even last until that day?"
"You!" Seeing Xia Qingtian look at her as if she were already dead, Gouwen was infuriated and wanted to curse. She accidentally pulled at her wound, gasping in pain again. Her handsome and beautiful features contorted in agony.
"Don't get agitated. I'm just analyzing the situation realistically," Xia Qingtian said, resting her chin on one hand. "You know your own condition. Since we're making a deal, it has to be fair and just, right?"
"Then tell me, what would be considered fair and just?" Gouwen covered her wound with one hand and looked at Xia Qingtian, suppressing her anger.
"Mmm... for example..." Xia Qingtian's beautiful eyes turned. "You could tell me where that person is first. After mobius fulfills your request and helps your sister leave the organization, I'll tell him. How about that?"
"Do I look easy to fool?" Gouwen was truly amused by Xia Qingtian. "If I don't get angry, you think..." *hiss...*
"Don't get worked up. Think about it, the person you're making a deal with is mobius, not me," Xia Qingtian spread her hands. "Isn't it good for me to be the intermediary?"
"Aren't you mobius's person?" Gouwen frowned.
"Who told you I'm mobius's person?" Xia Qingtian's lips curled. Since when did she become Gu Yaoyang's subordinate? She didn't even know. "We just have some cooperation."
Seeing that Xia Qingtian didn't seem to be lying, Gouwen's gaze shifted, and then she suddenly burst out laughing again.
"First angry, then laughing..." Xia Qingtian weighed the knife in her hand. It seemed the self-defense item Er Ya gave her was indeed necessary!
"Xia Qingtian, you're more interesting than I imagined," Gouwen said, looking at her.
"I don't know what you imagined me to be, but... that's definitely not me," Xia Qingtian shrugged. She really hadn't thought that far ahead, nor was she involved in so much.
"Say whatever you want. If you lose, you lose." Gouwen's beautiful eyes drooped. Victory and defeat were clear, and she had nothing more to say.
She no longer trusted the organization, but she wasn't foolish enough to try and bargain with a tiger.
With her life hanging by a thread, her fate was sealed, and no matter how unwilling she was, it was too late.
It's just that...
The wound beneath her fingertips still hurt. Gouwen sighed and looked up at Xia Qingtian again. "She is Yue Chengfeng's wife. As long as she doesn't leave the organization, the Yue family will always be targeted. If the organization ever orders her to betray the Yue family, what do you think she will choose?"
"Listening to you, I think eliminating her would be simpler and more effective," Xia Qingtian played with the short knife in her hand.
"Yue Chengfeng won't forgive you if you kill her," Gouwen said, looking at Xia Qingtian. "I shouldn't need to tell you how things are between them."
"Are you trying to gamble with me?" Xia Qingtian's gaze shifted from the short knife in her hand to Gouwen.
"I am gambling with you," Gouwen's eyes were determined, her expression serious.
She was gambling; she had been gambling her entire life.
Betting her future, betting her life.
Xia Qingtian looked directly into Gouwen's eyes. After a moment, she chuckled and put away the short knife, smiling as she said, "Then it's a pity, you lost the gamble."
Hearing Xia Qingtian's words, Gouwen's lips turned downwards.
Even at the end of her life, fate was unwilling to favor her.
"You rest for a while. We'll talk later," Xia Qingtian knew the current situation was more advantageous to her.
Dragging it out would only make Gouwen more flustered, and what she needed to do now was to remain calm and see how far Gouwen would concede for her sister.
Turning to leave the compartment, Xia Qingtian wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but she found the atmosphere outside the research room to be even more tense than when she was talking with Gouwen.
Li Xiaoxiao looked bewildered, seemingly unaware of how the situation had escalated.
Tang Ruiyang dared not say anything, standing by, observing the situation while peeking at the compartment door.
Seeing Xia Qingtian finally walk out, he visibly relaxed.
Da Ya and Er Ya hugged each other. Their similar faces created a hazy, dreamlike feeling.
Professor Tang looked grim, his sharp eyes sweeping over Da Ya and Er Ya, his hands clenched tightly by his side, as if suppressing his anger.
"What exactly is going on!" Professor Tang roared, making everyone tremble.
Da Ya burrowed further into Er Ya's embrace. Er Ya frowned and said, "You've scared her!"
Professor Tang glared at Er Ya, then turned and pointed at Xia Qingtian. "You're the one with all the schemes! You tell me!"
Summoned, Xia Qingtian offered an awkward smile and said, "Tang Ruiyang, go and take care of Gouwen."
Hearing Xia Qingtian's words, Tang Ruiyang quickly walked into the compartment, no longer daring to show his face.
"Xiaoxiao, go to the cafeteria and buy seven portions of food to go. I'll transfer the money to you later," Xia Qingtian dismissed the irrelevant people.
"No, no, it's fine, I'll go first." Li Xiaoxiao waved her hand and hurried away.
The laboratory was left with only Professor Tang, Xia Qingtian, and the embracing Da Ya and Er Ya.
"Professor Tang," Xia Qingtian finally spoke, "you are from the Tang family in Kyoto, aren't you?"
Professor Tang did not answer, merely giving Xia Qingtian a sideways glance.