The moment those words left her lips, the area fell deathly silent.

Wang Peng blinked in slight surprise, then burst into loud laughter. "Ha! Did I hear wrong, or have you lost your mind? You’re challenging me to an IQ contest? Ha! Best joke I’ve heard all year!"

His lackeys behind him roared with laughter too. "Ha! This freshman girl must’ve fried her brain from too many games. What nonsense!"

Yet Jiang Xuehan remained perfectly calm. "I just want to teach you something. Even though I’ve been a gaming addict since childhood—uh, *girl*—my IQ hasn’t dropped. It’s actually gone up."

"Oh? So gaming boosted your IQ? Ha! Are you out of your mind?"

"Why not test it and see? Let’s compare the IQ of someone who games all day with yours. Might even be higher."

Wang Peng’s eyes narrowed sharply, glinting with intensity. "Interesting. Truly interesting. A freshman girl daring to challenge me in the realm of intelligence."

"So? Do you accept or not?"

"Why wouldn’t I?" Like most men showing off before women, Wang Peng couldn’t back down. "This Friday night. I’ll invite the Student Council President to oversee the contest and set the rules. If you win, I’ll vote against disbanding your E-Sports Club at month’s end—no lies. But if you lose? Your club dissolves immediately. Wu De, as club president, do you dare agree?"

"Deal!" Jiang Xuehan answered instantly, overstepping her role.

Wang Peng and the girl locked eyes across the space between them, tension crackling like live wires. Even onlookers felt a jolt run through them.

Wang Peng finally turned away first, hands still stuffed in his pockets. "Haven’t had this much fun in ages! I’ll let you off the hook today. This Friday, I’ll show you exactly how terrifying a 170 IQ can be."

With that, the Organization Department members left. The crowd dispersed, leaving Wu De with a sour expression. "Xiao Han, you agreed so quickly... but can you really beat a 170-IQ genius?"

"Don’t worry, President. IQ tests are just puzzles. Find the tricks, and they’re not that mystical."

"Sigh... Our club’s future rests on you..."

At least the E-Sports Club’s booth avoided immediate eviction—though returning tomorrow was out of the question. Members scrambled to hand out flyers, barely scraping together 50 sign-ups. Thirty were recruited by Jiang Xuehan herself.

Walking back to the clubroom after packing up, veteran members trudged along dejectedly. Jiang Xuehan rallied them: "Moping won’t change anything. I’ll do my best to beat Wang Peng!"

"Mhm..." Their lack of confidence was palpable.

Jiang Xuehan ignored it. *Men need proof through action, not words.*

She had a shift at the internet café in two hours. Tugging Wu De’s sleeve, she suggested, "Recruitment’s canceled. You’ve got free time. How about practicing duo queue with me at the café?"

"Now? But the other two members—"

"We’ll start with two. I really want to beat that league champion."

Wu De hesitated, then realized: *Alone time with her? Perfect chance to get closer.* He changed his tune instantly. "Sure! I’m free after this. Just us two at the café."

Other members snickered, some flashing Wu De subtle "Go for it!" gestures.

Jiang Xuehan pretended not to notice. At the familiar Yin Yue Internet Cafe, they logged into *PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds* on adjacent PCs. Wu De moved slowly, stealing surreptitious glances at her fair profile, his mind clearly elsewhere.

*PUBG* allowed solo, duo, or squad matches. Official tournaments used four-player squads for better teamwork and tactics. With only two players, they queued for duo. Jiang Xuehan naturally took command: "Prep to drop on Pochinki. Rooftops. 1-2-3—go!"

As a guy, Wu De felt slightly irked being bossed around by a girl. But with his ulterior motives, he obeyed.

The match began with a parachute drop onto a vast deserted island. Timing the jump and steering mid-air created endless variables—potential landing zones spanned half the map.

But landing was just step one. Scavenging weapons and meds came next. Open fields held no loot; towns like Pochinki were hotspots. Spotting over ten parachutes converging on Pochinki mid-air, Jiang Xuehan braced for a bloody close-quarters fight.

Wu De landed cleanly near her. They split into neighboring houses to loot.

Inside a small building’s second floor, Jiang Xuehan snagged an S1897 shotgun and shells. She equipped it swiftly, a slight quirk tugging at her lips. *Lucky start.*

The Winchester M1897 Trench Gun—a pump-action shotgun designed by John Browning—was standard issue for U.S. forces. Its exposed hammer allowed rapid firing: keep the trigger pulled while pumping the forend, and it fired the instant the action locked. A beast in close combat.

Confident now, Jiang Xuehan prepared to clear more rooms.

Then Wu De’s panicked shout cut through her headset: "Xiao Han! I’m trapped inside! Help!"