She Outshines Them All (Athena and Matthew)

Chapter 321

In the dim light, Athena watched the organizer, the Messenger.

Their average build was hidden beneath a flowing black robe that concealed their hands and feet, making it impossible to determine their gender. What struck her was the tall, authoritative presence they commanded, exuding the calmness of a general ready to face any challenge.

From the top of the stairs, the Messenger scanned the gathered participants and spoke in a voice that had been altered to be indistinct. "Welcome, everyone, to tonight's gathering. As tradition dictates, please hand over your phones before we dive into our game. After that, pick a seat and help yourselves to your favorite desserts and drinks." Athena shared a silent glance with Matthew before she handed her phone to a masked attendant.

The attendant placed their phones into clear plastic bags, sealing them with tape, and reminded them, "Remember the number on the seal. Just say it when you want your phone back."

Athena noted that the seal bore a lengthy 14-digit number. The attendant gave them only a brief look at it before swiftly taking the bags away.

It confirmed her thoughts: this gathering was solely for those sharp-minded.

She and Matthew exchanged another look before making their way to the round table.

As they walked, the "Baharia Lady" brushed past her, whispering, "Make sure you come in first and fulfill my request. I'll reward you handsomely." Athena was here under the name Daniel.

Both she and Matthew had pinned on the brooch Zoe had given them. It was clear that the "Persian Lady," or Zoe, recognized them as her allies immediately. Athena merely nodded in response.

When she reached the table, she noticed that each seat was spaced 3 feet apart, and each had a number on the back. The only exception was the seat labeled "O," which had a 1.5-meter gap on either side and was the closest to the stairs. It was obvious that this spot was saved for the Messenger.

That wasn't hard to guess.

The Messenger waited until everyone was seated before descending the stairs and taking the "O" seat. Their voice now carried a playful tone as they said, "You're all geniuses, and there are three reasons to be here: to play games with smart people, to win rewards, and for mutual benefit. Since your time is valuable, I won't waste it any longer. Let's get started."

An attendant placed a box on the table.

The Messenger continued, "Inside this box are pure gold cards, each weighing 0.2 pounds.

"Each card comes with a question. You'll draw in order, and if you answer correctly, you keep the card. If you get it wrong, others can jump in, and the first correct answerer gets the card. Your performance will count towards your overall score." Athena nodded slightly, impressed by how well the Messenger understood people.

Not every genius was wealthy, and this kind of reward would certainly entice many in the room Sure enough, as soon as the Messenger finished speaking, some participants couldn't contain their excitement.

The Messenger said, "We'll start with the participant in seat number 1 on my left."

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The attendant placed the box in front of the first participant.

They drew the first card and handed it over.

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After reading it, the attendant announced, "This question needs to be answered in the dark, so I'll turn off the lights temporarily. Don't worry, they'll be back on shortly."

With that, the candles at the center of the table flickered out instantly.

Everyone was engulfed in darkness.

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Athena suspected that the chandelier above was rigged with an automatic lighting system-no one had to light or extinguish candles manually.

The attendant announced, "Here's your question: How many people walked through the villa's entrance earlier, and how many are seated at this round table? Exclude the Messenger, who's in seat 'O. Seat 1, you have one minute to answer."

The person in seat 1 took a moment to think, about 20 or 30 seconds, then finally answered, "There were 68 people who entered the villa, and 42 of them are seated here."

The attendant asked, "You still have time. Do you want to change your answer?".

Seat 1 responded confidently, "No, I'll stick with it."

The attendant said, "I'm sorry, but that's incorrect. Anyone else can answer now."

The moment those words were spoken, several buzzers lit up, only milliseconds apart.

one came

"There were 66 people who walked

"That's correct. This gold card is

chandelier above flickered

over, placing the gold card from seat

next person, "Seat 2, it's your turn to draw a

the question aloud: "Do you believe in ghosts? What's your reasoning for either believing or not believing? It's an open-ended question, and others can share their opinions too. The most persuasive answer will be determined by a vote." Seat 2 didn't hesitate and shook their head. "I don't believe in ghosts. Ever since humanity's been around, there have been countless stories about ghosts, but there's no solid evidence proving they exist. Now, if I saw one myself or found some real proof,

kind from myths. I think

"Ghosts could be real, but maybe they're just leftover information from someone's life, only showing up under

chimed in confidently, "I've seen a ghost myself, but

brilliant

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and Matthew stayed quiet, just listening to

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seat 2 had the most reasonable answer, earning them a

had voted for "don't

This is also an open-ended question, and others are free to give their opinions. The most convincing answer will be chosen by vote." Seat 3 answered with certainty, "The universe is way too big for humans to be the only intelligent life. I believe

question grabbed everyone's attention even more than the

into the conversation, and the

to historical records and archaeology, even diving into philosophical and

it came time to vote, she cast hers for

same, and seat 3 won a gold

up a good amount of time, the following questions were answered

in cash. How would you turn that into 20 million, and how long would

fix them." "You've earned 20 million through gambling. How

it might take someone ordinary an hour to crack them, these people could solve them in just a few minutes. That's the hallmark of a genius-someone with a high

was

on purpose. He was giving her the chance to take the lead because he knew how

the room as

the question

themselves, barely interacting with anyone else. Trying to figure out their professions would be a challenge worthy of a seasoned detective. Matthew lowered the card and glanced at the man in seat 5, who sat

a thick raincoat. His fingers were intertwined on the table, but as soon as he caught Matthew's gaze,

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speaking deliberately, "You've been pretty lively during this gathering, so I can tell this isn't your first time here. Yet you didn't have any alcohol; you opted for coffee instead,

conceal one's figure or looks. So it seems like you chose it because it's comfortable or

do have a fake mustache. That suggests you usually don't have one, which could be either a job requirement

picked desserts that are low in fat and calories, showing you're health-conscious and mindful

about human anatomy and surgical

area.

nails neatly trimmed, and the way you used your knife and fork to cut the bread was very

have to say. I believe

to him, a bit reluctant but

focused on the man in seat 42, who was bundled up in a hooded puffer jacket. "You've got noticeable dark circles under your eyes-you must be

are heavily prescribed, indicating your eyes are overworked and

your hands are on the table, your fingers tap lightly as if

headed straight for seat 42 without a second

chose a math problem, and in the living

an energy

a tablet hidden in your jacket, and you've got

say you're a

42 looked taken aback for a moment, then broke into an enthusiastic grin. "Wow, you're observant! You must know your stuff.

noticeable belly. He simply said,

eyes shifted to seat

seat 27 wore a large mask

seat 34 did an outstanding job. Here's a gold

was

Messenger announced,