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.

fastest one came from

people who walked through the villa's door, and

confirmed, "That's correct. This gold card

chandelier above flickered back to

from seat 1 into a small

attendant turned to the next person, "Seat 2, it's

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,

"I do believe in ghosts, but not the creepy supernatural kind from myths. I think they're just projections of beings from higher

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

ghost myself,

brilliant minds arguing back and

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Matthew stayed quiet, just listening to the

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majority agreed that seat 2 had the most reasonable answer,

had voted for

not believing? This is also an open-ended question, and others are free to give their opinions. The most convincing answer will

even more than

and the discussion lasted nearly twenty

to historical records and archaeology, even diving into

it came time to vote, she cast

participants voted the same, and

for seats 2 and 3 took up a good amount of time, the

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

minutes to spot the discrepancies in these accounts and explain how to fix them." "You've earned 20 million through gambling. How would you launder that money?" "You're playing rock-paper-scissors with another person. There are five

weren't exactly tough for the average person, but while 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

was Matthew's

now, he had kept quiet, never jumping in to answer, and Athena understood he was doing it on purpose. He was giving her the chance to take the lead because he knew how much she wanted to shine in this competition. Matthew's card read, "Analyze the professions of the participants in seats

the room as everyone began to

found the

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 diagonally

seat 5 wore a thick raincoat. His fingers were intertwined on the table, but as soon as he caught

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gathering, so I can tell this isn't your first time here. Yet you didn't have any alcohol; you opted for coffee instead, which hints that your job

raincoats in everyday life, and they certainly don't help to conceal one's figure or looks. So it seems like you chose it because it's comfortable or perhaps it's just a

dye in sight. You're not wearing any jewelry, but you do have a fake mustache. That suggests you usually don't have one, which could be either a job requirement or a personal choice. "You're not wearing contacts, and your vision seems fine, which indicates

low in fat and calories, showing you're

also answered questions about human anatomy and surgical procedures,

area.

knife and fork to cut the

to say. I believe you're

5 turned to him, a bit

seat 42, who was bundled up in a hooded

your glasses are heavily prescribed, indicating your eyes are overworked and you

your fingers tap lightly as if

in, you headed straight for seat 42 without

In the entrance test, you chose a math problem, and in the

an energy

tablet hidden in your jacket,

you're

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

a noticeable belly.

eyes shifted

wore a large mask and

"I'd say seat 34 did an outstanding job. Here's

was

announced,