Chapter 78: Meeting Extreme Again

The so-called Caesar cipher is currently the simplest and most widely known encryption method.

In short, it involves shifting all the letters in the alphabet, such as changing "A" to "B," "B" to "C," and so on.

For example, the common English word "CAN," when encrypted with a Caesar cipher shift of one, becomes "DBO."

At first glance, it appears as a string of gibberish, but once deciphered, it can form an accurate word.

"Now, the only thing left to confirm is... how many shifts the letters underwent?"

Qi Xia wasn't an expert in cracking codes. Although he had a general idea, the remaining problem required the most straightforward and brute-force method—

Trial and error.

He first assumed each letter was shifted once, but after spending a few minutes decrypting, he still ended up with gibberish.

So, he tried a second shift.

This seemingly simple step made Qi Xia fall silent for a long time.

"MLGDRZDQVXL."

Without paper or pen, he had to rely entirely on mental calculations. Shifting this long string of letters two positions each—imagining "M" as "K," "L" as "J"—was no easy task.

"Still not right..."

A few minutes later, Qi Xia slowly furrowed his brow.

He had tried twice now and still hadn't cracked the code. Was his line of thinking wrong?

All letters could be shifted up to 25 times, meaning "A" could represent any letter except itself. If he had to calculate each one mentally, the workload would be unimaginably huge.

"Is this your method?"

Jiang Ruoxue leaned against the doorframe and asked.

Qi Xia didn't respond; he just steadied his mind and began the third round of shifts.

Now, he had to try shifting each letter forward three positions.

Imagining "M" as "J," "L" as "I."

But this time, after testing just five letters, Qi Xia's expression turned grave.

Jiang Ruoxue watched with interest: "Oh? Have you figured it out?"

Qi Xia's lips moved slightly as he recited his answer:

"Ji... Dao... Wan... Sui?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Jiang Ruoxue clapped her hands excitedly, "So decrypting it really gives 'Ji Dao Wan Sui'! I thought it hadn't worked."

The moment those four words were mentioned, Qi Xia showed rare signs of panic.

He slumped into his seat, staring at Jiang Ruoxue in alarm, murmuring to himself:

"What exactly are you people planning...?"

"It's nothing much." Jiang Ruoxue shook her head, "I'm going to die anyway, so this time, consider it a heads-up to you."

"Heads-up..."

Qi Xia gritted his teeth fiercely, "Last time you 'gave me a heads-up,' you killed two of my companions..."

"Oh? Did that happen?" Jiang Ruoxue paused briefly, "So Xiao Xiao was involved? She never mentioned it to us, but oh well, it doesn't matter. You'll just have to bear with it—Xiao Xiao's always been like that, though she's not a bad person."

"You're all talking nonsense to me..."

Qi Xia slowly stood up, "'Not a bad person'? I want to tear her to pieces right now..."

"You seem really angry..."

Jiang Ruoxue stepped forward and patted Qi Xia's shoulder, saying:

"In that case, after this game, I'll die. A life for a life—will that calm you down?"

Qi Xia didn't answer the question; he just felt that the Jiang Ruoxue in front of him was strange.

Or rather, the people of Ji Dao were all strange.

He paused, turned back to pick up the letter on the table, and asked:

"What about the original code? If you changed the code, won't that get my teammates killed?"

"What are you talking about? This is the 'code.'" Jiang Ruoxue looked at Qi Xia in confusion, "Isn't this a letter from your teammate?"

"You..."

Qi Xia was equally puzzled, "You mean 'Ji Dao Wan Sui' is the code? Are you and Di Gou on the same side?"

"Not at all; we have no connection to Sheng Xiao." Jiang Ruoxue shook her head, "Qi Xia, you need to understand the logic. Since Di Gou said 'the letter is the code,' and 'the letter is Ji Dao Wan Sui,' then 'Ji Dao Wan Sui' is the code."

"What...?"

Qi Xia felt this was a bizarre logical connection.

Jiang Ruoxue didn't seem like a complete lunatic without reason, but her words were still hard to grasp.

Qi Xia slowly walked to the cabinet and, with a mix of doubt and curiosity, handwritten the four characters "Ji Dao Wan Sui" on the touchscreen.

Seeing this, Jiang Ruoxue smiled and said:

"It's quite unbelievable to see those four words written by your hand."

With a soft "click," the cabinet door opened.

Zhang Chenze was sitting inside, shivering. As soon as she looked up, her eyes met Qi Xia's.

Before Qi Xia could say anything, Zhang Chenze lunged forward and hugged him tightly.

"Qi Xia!!"

"I..."

Qi Xia looked awkward, not knowing where to put his hands.

"Thank goodness... I was so scared..."

Zhang Chenze was trembling all over, whether from fear or cold, it was hard to tell, "I thought I was going to be roasted alive in there..."

"Zhang... Attorney Zhang, I remember you don't like people touching you."

"Ah..." Zhang Chenze quickly let go, wiping her tear-streaked eyes, "I'm sorry... I didn't cause you any trouble, did I?"

"Not really trouble, just startled me." Qi Xia shook his head, "I don't like things that go beyond expectations. In my impression, you're not the type."

"Sorry... sorry." Zhang Chenze slowly lowered her head, returning to her usual demeanor.

As the two fell silent, the room's broadcast system suddenly activated.

"A team has successfully rescued their teammate. The game is over."

The entire building erupted in noise.

As the saying goes, some rejoice while others worry.

Qi Xia heard a flurry of frantic footsteps, as if someone was rushing toward his room.

Sensing something was off, he quickly went out to check.

There he saw Lao Lv, bruised and swollen, running toward him like he was fleeing for his life.

"Qi, my boy... Help me!!"

Qi Xia frowned and noticed a green-haired man chasing Lao Lv from behind, like a mad dog.

"Old dog! I told you, didn't I?! If I die, I'll make you pay for it!!"

The green-haired man seemed furious, hot on Lao Lv's heels.

"Isn't that your boyfriend?" Qi Xia turned and asked, "Are all the Ji Dao people this crazy?"

"He's not from Ji Dao." Jiang Ruoxue crossed her arms, "My role-playing game ends here. Pretending to be a love-obsessed woman was exhausting."

"So, you're not getting involved in what happens next?"

Jiang Ruoxue shook her head, went into the room, sat down, and began to rest with her eyes closed.

Qi Xia nodded, grabbed the iron box from the table, and prepared.