Chapter 73 It's All My Fault

As soon as the riddle was presented, Zhao Han said, "Mr. Xu, you have a quarter of an hour... no, half a quarter at most. If you still can't answer by then, you'll both have to drink as a penalty!"

With that, Zhao Han hurriedly exchanged glances with Li Changsi and Wu Boyi.

Wu Boyi was the first to respond, "That's right, that's right. This question really isn't that difficult, so the time allotted shouldn't be too long. Half a quarter of an hour is plenty!"

Li Changsi didn't speak, but nodded in agreement.

Ning Yongqiang immediately protested, "Zhao Han, are you playing dirty? Why didn't you mention a time limit before?"

Xu Mo tugged Ning Yongqiang's sleeve and smiled reassuringly, "Young Master Ning, it's all right. Half a quarter of an hour is more than enough."

"Really, Mr. Xu?" Ning Yongqiang exclaimed in delight.

Xu Mo nodded, "Truly. Don't worry."

Zhao Han, however, thought Xu Mo was simply boasting. He cast a cold glance his way and scoffed disdainfully.

Ning Yongqiang, after a moment's thought, said quickly, "Mr. Xu, let me fetch you some paper and a brush, so you can work it out easily."

He stood as if to leave, but Xu Mo shook his head. "No need, Young Master Ning. If I needed paper and brush for such an elementary riddle, it would be far too embarrassing!"

With that, Xu Mo began calculating in his head.

Li Changsi was quietly astonished by this. He had solved the riddle before, but it had taken him more than a quarter of an hour, and that was with paper and brush at hand.

Ning Yongqiang, seeing Xu Mo's confidence, couldn't help but give him a thumbs up. "As expected of Mr. Xu!"

Xu Mo, a gifted student of the sciences, had solved countless logic and math problems like this since the second grade. If he struggled with a question of this level now, he would find a block of tofu and dash his head against it from shame.

As Xu Mo worked through the problem, the room fell into a tense and expectant silence.

The tension was entirely due to Zhao Han and Wu Boyi. Both wore grave expressions and clenched their fists under the table, silently praying that Xu Mo would either fail to solve the riddle or make a mistake. Otherwise, they would have to drink three more bowls of the revolting mixed liquor.

A moment later, Xu Mo nodded. "I've solved it."

Zhao Han started in surprise, "So soon?"

"Impossible," Wu Boyi echoed, turning to look at Li Changsi.

Li Changsi's face remained calm, but inwardly he was alarmed. From the moment Xu Mo began thinking to the moment he finished, not even two minutes had passed. To them, this wasn't just fast—it was almost miraculous.

In truth, Xu Mo could have been even quicker, but for caution's sake, he double-checked his answer before speaking.

"Please, Mr. Xu, tell us your answer," Li Changsi said.

Xu Mo smiled, "The father is twenty-nine, the mother is twenty-five, and the son is eight years old."

"That's... that's right!" Inwardly, Zhao Han was dismayed. He truly didn't want to drink three more bowls of that dreadful mixture. After the previous round, he was already beginning to feel tipsy.

Ning Yongqiang quickly checked the calculations and shouted with delight, "Right! Absolutely correct! Mr. Xu, you're amazing! Hahahaha..."

Ning Yongqiang's laughter filled the room.

Wu Boyi, seeing that he was about to drink again, immediately began to complain, "Zhao Han, what sort of lousy questions are you coming up with? I think you're just trying to set us up!"

Zhao Han, irritated, retorted loudly, "Wu Boyi, quit your whining! Who was the fool who couldn't solve it last time, even after all that effort? And you still have the nerve to speak!"

Wu Boyi was left speechless and could only look to Li Changsi for support. "Young Master Li, did you hear that? He's insulting people—how utterly vulgar!"

Li Changsi frowned, "Gentlemen, must you carry on like this? Is it so amusing to let others see us as a laughingstock?"

At that, Zhao Han and Wu Boyi finally fell quiet.

Li Changsi turned to Xu Mo and gave a formal bow. "Mr. Xu, may I ask how you managed to solve it so quickly? Is there a trick to it?"

"Yes, Mr. Xu, how did you do it?" Ning Yongqiang echoed. He had been trying to work it out too, but Xu Mo had solved it long before he even found a clue.

Xu Mo asked Li Changsi, "Young Master Li, if the father and mother together are fifty-four, the father and son are thirty-seven, and the mother and son are thirty-three, in these three equations, how many fathers are there in total?"

Li Changsi replied, "Two."

"And how many mothers and sons?" Xu Mo continued.

"Also two each," Li Changsi answered.

Xu Mo pressed on, "If you add up two fathers, two mothers, and two sons, what's the total?"

Li Changsi thought quickly, "That would be fifty-four plus thirty-seven, plus thirty-three... which is one hundred and twenty-four."

"Correct!" Xu Mo nodded. "Now, if you divide one hundred and twenty-four by two..."

At this, Li Changsi was instantly enlightened. He clapped his hands. "I see now, Mr. Xu!"

He continued, "One hundred and twenty-four divided by two is sixty-two, which is the sum of the father, mother, and son's ages..."

"And since we've already established that the father and mother together are fifty-four, subtract that from sixty-two, and you get the son's age—eight!"

"With the same method, you can immediately find that the father is twenty-nine and the mother is twenty-five!"

Xu Mo smiled, "Young Master Li, you truly have a sharp mind—one hint and you understand at once!"

Li Changsi bowed again, "I dare not accept such praise. Mr. Xu, you are the one with quick wit. I am deeply impressed!"

Saying this, Li Changsi began pouring himself a drink, declaring, "I certainly deserve this penalty!"

Once he had poured out three bowls of the mixed liquor, Li Changsi stood, lifted the bowls, and said apologetically, "Mr. Xu, I have offended you today. The fault is entirely mine. I hope you are generous enough not to hold a grudge!"

With those words, he downed the three bowls in quick succession.

"Young Master Zhao, Young Master Wu, surely now you must believe Mr. Xu is not famed in vain—he truly has real talent!" With this, Li Changsi set his bowl down and gently wiped the wine from his lips.

Zhao Han said nothing. After pouring himself three bowls, he drank them one after another. By the time he finished, his face was already twisted in discomfort.

Wu Boyi, however, lacked Zhao Han's composure. He stood abruptly. "Young Master Li, I suddenly remembered something urgent at home. I must take my leave!"

Before anyone could react, Wu Boyi had already left the room in haste, vanishing in an instant.

Ning Yongqiang, incensed by this, slapped the table and pointed at the doorway, "Hey! That Wu Boyi—he ran off with his tail between his legs, utterly shameless!"

Though Li Changsi said nothing about Wu Boyi's abrupt departure, he held him in quiet contempt.

At that moment, Zhao Han suddenly stood up, knocking over his chair with a bang.

With a crash, the chair hit the floor as Zhao Han rushed to grab the nearby wooden basin used for washing.

The next instant, the room was filled with the retching sound of Zhao Han vomiting.