The Strongest Brain in the Interstellar

Jiang Hui slightly pushed the gunstock with her thumb, the long barrel casually resting on Xierman’s shoulder. As she moved, the barrel subtly shifted, almost imperceptibly aligning with a certain intense, almost tangible aura.

She was very careful, not making a sound, and even refraining from using her spiritual energy. But Jiang Hui knew that as soon as the other party made a move, she would simultaneously pull the trigger, a precise shot — it all depended on whose movements were faster.

Hurry up, hurry up… make a move, who’s afraid of who?!
Xierman remained silent, seemingly slowing his breathing to match Jiang Hui, nearly to the point of stillness. His shoulder was steady, not a single tremor as it supported the gun resting on it. His gaze remained fixed ahead, fingers tightly gripping the handgun in his hand.

Both of them held their breath, waiting for the moment the outcome would arrive.

‘Step, step, step…’ The aura disappeared as the person pulled away, growing fainter with each step, leaving behind the rustling sounds of movement.

It seemed like the person had whispered something to their companion outside, before leading their group further away, moving toward the direction where Huan Xian and the others had retreated.

They left?

Jiang Hui and Xierman exchanged a suspicious glance.

They waited for a long time, until the enemy, who had been facing off against Jiang Hui’s gun just moments ago in the forest, had completely moved out of range and away to safety.

After a while, Xierman finally sighed in relief. “Finally—”

Silent, Jiang Hui suddenly raised her hand and pressed down on Xierman’s right shoulder. He was caught off guard and nearly lost his balance, almost falling over. Unable to hold it in, a strange cry escaped his throat, and then they heard the sound of something slicing through the air, just a few centimeters past his ear.

The bullet, a “gift” from afar, followed its original path, piercing straight through the leaf that had fallen behind Xierman.

In the end, Jiang Hui caught the leaf, while the bullet lodged into the misaligned tree trunk behind them. Xierman stood there, dumbfounded.

“Th-th-this…” He froze for a moment before quickly raising his gun again, seemingly on alert for an enemy hiding somewhere, but uncertain of their exact position.

Jiang Hui, however, lowered her gun and glanced at the bullet hole in the leaf in her palm. Her eyes darkened as she seemed lost in thought.

“He was warning us,” Jiang Hui said in a low voice. Her long-restrained spiritual power finally began to dissipate, and she relaxed a little once she confirmed the enemy had completely left.

Had that person discovered them? Xierman snapped out of it and then asked, somewhat confused, “But why didn’t he act earlier?”

This was quite puzzling. The situation had been urgent at the time, and the two sides were no more than a few dozen meters apart. Xierman had been so nervous that he didn’t even dare to breathe, ready to assist Jiang Hui with her attack at any moment. Yet, to his surprise, the enemy had done nothing—hadn’t fired a single shot—and had swiftly left.

So, had he really discovered them?

If he had discovered them, how could he just leave without doing anything? Wouldn’t that be like letting the tiger return to the mountain? But if he hadn’t discovered them, then what was the meaning of his shot and Jiang Hui’s warning? It was all quite confusing.

Jiang Hui didn’t answer, but her silence spoke volumes. She knew that Huo Qi had discovered them, but it didn’t necessarily mean he knew that the person hiding behind the tree canopy was the one who had caused him to lose his first survival opportunity.

Otherwise, even at the risk of being eliminated, he might have wanted to settle things with Jiang Hui once and for all.

Even though Jiang Hui hadn’t actually faced him directly, she could tell from his way of operating that he carried an inherent pride. His pride was different from Clarens’s—it had an underlying hint of madness. Even though they were merely in close proximity, she could already feel the aura of someone who was “not to be trifled with.”

As for why he hadn’t fired, it was likely the same reason Jiang Hui hadn’t retaliated.

They were too close. So close that they didn’t need to use their spiritual power or any extra methods to sense the other’s presence in the space.

At first, Huo Qi might have been uncertain, but when he stood beneath the tree where Jiang Hui and Xierman were hiding and aimed his weapon at her chest, he would have surely known—there was an enemy exposed to his sights. A simple pull of the trigger would have revealed her immediately.

However, just like when he stopped in front of the tall trees, choosing to face off with her gun, Jiang Hui had already prepared for the worst. Even if she had to focus on hiding her presence, her gun was still ready, aimed at any enemy that dared to enter its range.

At the same moment that Huo Qi aimed at her, Jiang Hui also pointed her gun at him.

Facing each other, neither had the upper hand.

If both of them truly pulled the trigger at the same time, even with superior physical ability and reflexes, their options for dodging would be limited. They might manage to avoid a hit, but it was more likely they would be struck.

If either of them were hit, it would mean the end of the game for Huo Qi. This was because his team had no third chance for him to recover, and even if he also hit Jiang Hui, it wouldn’t change the fact that their team would exit in defeat.

For Jiang Hui, the outcome would be certain death. If she were hit but Huo Qi wasn’t, he would still have the opportunity to fire two more shots at her within the half-star mark where their actions were locked. This would also lead to her team’s elimination in a short time, no matter how much advantage they had gained beforehand. Even the efforts of Huan Xian and the others, who were luring the enemy from another location, would be in vain.

The distance between them was simply too close, too close to allow for any room to maneuver.

Therefore, when their guns were aimed at each other, it wasn’t just a standoff, but a game of strategy — it was all about how the other side would choose, and what choices they themselves could make.

Of course, this kind of game of strategy relies on both parties being clear-headed. Because if Jiang Hui understood the situation but Huo Qi became stubborn, or if Huo Qi understood but Jiang Hui couldn’t, then if either side made a rash move, even if the other side wanted to preserve their rationality, they would still have to take action to counter it, causing mutual harm.

Fortunately, both Jiang Hui and her companion were still clear-headed and didn’t make hasty decisions, which led to Huo Qi’s seemingly inexplicable retreat from the safe zone earlier.

Both sides needed a safer space to make their choices.

As for the shot Huo Qi fired unexpectedly, it was merely a warning born from his unwillingness to give up. He knew Jiang Hui wouldn’t be so easily tricked, but he still wanted to remind them — he hadn’t failed to notice them, he had simply chosen to let them go.

One couldn’t help but say, this man was still too proud… Really, at this point, does saving face even matter?