Chapter 26

As Mai blushed and approached Zhan Yi, the leader of the Maor tribe also stepped aside. She raised her wine glass and said to Zhan Yi with a very reluctant tone, "Mai offers you a glass, please drink it quickly."

Zhan Yi, looking at Mai's blushing face, felt as if she were a blooming crabapple, her beauty enhanced by a touch of coquettish charm, which made his heart beat faster. However, her reluctant attitude made him want to tease her a bit. When he reached out to take the wine glass, he pretended to brush her hand lightly with his fingers, then said smugly, "Beautiful woman and fine wine, truly a feast for the senses. Ha ha..." He then tilted his head and drank it all in one go.

"You...," Mai, feeling Zhan Yi's little move, quickly pulled her hand back and glared at him, wanting to say something but unable to, because she never expected Zhan Yi to be so bold in front of so many people.

The other contestants watched with envy, regretting that they hadn't thought of such a simple response. The leader of the Maor tribe, however, looked at Zhan Yi with increasing admiration and turned to the contestants, saying, "Ha ha... Alright, now let's have my daughter give you the second question."

This statement renewed the contestants' hope, and they all resolved to think hard this time, determined to make Mai offer them a glass of wine.

Mai, having composed herself, gave Zhan Yi a meaningful glare, only to find him still basking in the moment with his eyes closed. She was so angry she wanted to shake him awake, but she held back. Turning to the others, she said, "My second question is this: If one day our Maor tribe faces a disaster that cannot be resisted, what would you do?"

The contestants fell into deep thought, finding the question challenging. If a disaster is inevitable and cannot be resisted, isn't it a dead end? What would be the right thing to do?

After a moment, one contestant stood up, his face full of passion, and said, "Miss Mai, if I were to face such a disaster, I would lead the entire tribe to resist it to the end, even if only I were left. I believe that man can conquer nature. He raised his arm and shouted, 'Maor tribe, victory! Maor tribe, invincible!'"

After shouting, he looked around at the other contestants, his expression smug. However, the others looked at him as if he were insane, silently cursing him for being ridiculous.

Mai shook her head and said coldly, "Sir, you were told that it cannot be resisted, yet you lead the entire tribe to resist it. Isn't that just sending them to their deaths? And you think you'll be the only one left? Don't you find that laughable?"

The crowd burst into laughter, and the contestant blushed and retreated to the group. After the laughter died down, another contestant stood up, seemingly very confident, and said to Mai, "Miss Mai, I believe that if we face a disaster that cannot be resisted, the best course of action is to flee. As the saying goes, 'Of the thirty-six stratagems, flight is the best.' Han Xin endured humiliation, and Gou Jian slept on firewood and tasted gall. These are the best examples. I wonder if my answer satisfies Miss Mai."

Mai did not directly say whether he was right or wrong but asked another question, "What if you can't flee?"

"Well... I believe that with proper arrangements, it's impossible not to be able to flee," the contestant stammered, struggling to find words.

"Sir, you were told that you can't flee, yet you still want to flee. Why don't you just run now?" Mai, seeing the contestant's difficulty, gave him a disdainful look.

The contestant blushed and sat back down, and the scene became awkward again. Everyone looked at each other, unsure of what to say. Only Zhan Yi had a bright smile on his face.

From the previous two contestants' interactions with Mai, Zhan Yi had sensed something. This question wasn't about what methods to use, because if it can't be resisted, any method would fail. Instead, it was a test of the contestants' leadership decision-making and willingness to sacrifice.

Understanding this, and seeing that the other contestants were silent, he stepped forward again, "Miss Mai, I believe that facing an irresistible disaster, persisting would be like hitting a stone with an egg. Therefore, preserving strength is the best choice. However, in the face of disaster, someone must sacrifice themselves to buy time for others. If I were to become the leader of the Maor tribe, I would form a suicide squad and stand with them to protect the majority, even if it means sacrificing myself. But I have a question for Miss Mai: Would you stay with me?"

As he spoke, Zhan Yi's eyes were fixed on Mai, as if they were truly facing a life-or-death situation, but inside, he was secretly amused, eager to see how she would respond.

Mai, initially very satisfied with Zhan Yi's answer, had designed this question to test the contestants' willingness to sacrifice for the Maor tribe and their decision-making abilities in a crisis. After all, the future champion would succeed the tribal leader, and if they couldn't make the right choices in critical moments, or only thought of fleeing, or stubbornly resisted, it would bring great loss to the tribe.

However, she didn't expect Zhan Yi to turn the tables and ask her a question. His intense gaze made her heart race. She had already been somewhat attracted to him, so without thinking, she said, "Of course, I would stay with you." Suddenly, she noticed a smile on Zhan Yi's lips and realized she had been tricked again. She added, "After all, I am also a member of the Maor tribe," though she found her own excuse weak and blushed again.

"Miss Mai, you truly live up to your reputation as a heroine. However, I want to tell you that if such a situation really happens, you should decisively leave me behind. My sacrifice is to ensure that more people, including those I love, can survive and take care of our descendants. Ha ha..." Zhan Yi laughed heartily, feeling a great sense of achievement in teasing such a proud beauty.

"I... I won't have descendants with you," Mai, seeing Zhan Yi's wild and unrestrained demeanor, felt both attracted and angry, and after a while, said in a mix of embarrassment and anger.

She herself was confused. She had never felt this way about any man before, and no man had ever teased her. But with Zhan Yi, she always found herself at a disadvantage and unable to do anything about it.

Zhan Yi said nothing, looking at Mai's beautiful face, which was now flushed with embarrassment and a touch of defiance, making her even more adorable. Through her questions and conversations, he felt that she was a wise and devoted woman, which made him increasingly conflicted about whether to run away after obtaining the Five-Element Grass or to tell her the truth.

The other contestants, meanwhile, were in deep pain. Zhan Yi and Mai's interaction no longer seemed like answering questions but flirting. Even the most foolish among them could see that Mai was already attracted to Zhan Yi. In this situation, what would winning the championship mean?

The leader of the Maor tribe also nodded in approval. As the tribal leader, he could sense Zhan Yi's great potential. Although the young man seemed somewhat immature, his intelligence and courage were exceptional, and most importantly, he had a good sense of balance, neither rash nor hesitant.

Of course, he could also sense that his daughter was truly attracted to this young man. So he quickly stepped forward and said to Zhan Yi, "Mr. Zhan, you are indeed very clever, able to see through the true meaning of our question. Let Mai offer you a second glass."

Mai, hearing her father's words, quickly poured another glass and came to Zhan Yi, biting her lip and said, "Sir, your wine, drink it." Her tone was clearly reluctant.

Zhan Yi took the glass but did not drink it, looking at Mai and said slowly, "Miss Mai, why do you always seem reluctant when you offer me wine? And don't you think it would show more sincerity if you drank with me? Ha ha."

"You... drink it or not, if you don't, give it back to me," Mai, taken aback by Zhan Yi's words, said angrily.

"Ha ha... I will drink it, Mai. I will not only drink it now, but also when I win the championship, I will come back to drink the third glass with you," Zhan Yi laughed heartily and drank the wine, his demeanor truly heroic.

Mai's heart raced upon hearing Zhan Yi's words, her face as red as a piece of cloth. She knew what the third glass meant—drinking together meant being together.

The other contestants, seeing this, were already considering withdrawing from the competition. No matter how beautiful the woman, if she has no feelings for you, what's the point of winning the championship? Most importantly, Mai had already said she could refuse if she didn't like someone, leaving no hope.

Of course, a few determined contestants believed they were more charming than Zhan Yi and that winning the championship would win Mai's heart.

As everyone was lost in thought, the leader of the Maor tribe stepped forward and said solemnly, "Alright, the questions are answered, and everyone has eaten enough. I now declare that the competition will continue."