Lin Yu didn’t suddenly deduce that those breathing sounds were suspicious after methodically ruling out every possibility.

Rather, when he replayed the scene in his mind, he noticed that the breathing itself was odd.

While Algae was thinking, Fern and Moss both suddenly changed their breathing patterns one after the other — a normal person at rest inhales and exhales through the nose.

Only during exercise or excitement, when more oxygen is needed, would a person use the mouth to assist breathing.

Also, if someone is simply breathing fast, normally both mouth and nose are used together for inhalation and exhalation.

Only in prolonged outdoor aerobic exercise like long-distance running, when the athlete intentionally controls the end of the breath, might you see inhalation through the nose and exhalation through the mouth.

In other words, when a person is sitting, it’s virtually impossible to voluntarily adopt a breathing pattern of inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.

Yet just now…

Both Fern and Moss each briefly used that breathing pattern.

But even though it was abnormal, it was the kind of abnormality that is extremely hard to notice.

Because that breathing pattern does exist, and breathing is one of humanity’s smallest, most common behaviors!

Even if someone noticed it, unless Lin Yu was already quite sure they were cheating, and the times when Fern and Moss exhaled through their mouths were even staggered, he couldn’t lock this down as the cheating method.

After all, even if someone did breathe like that, it could be explained away as emotion adjustment — deep breathing is a common way to calm nerves.

“I’m no genius after all, I still have to eliminate possibilities and verify them step by step before reaching an answer and a conclusion… Compared to that, Fern really is impressive for coming up with this.”

“Especially since this method is so efficient.”

Whether it was Fern or Moss, Lin Yu noted they only needed a few seconds and a few breaths.

They were using Morse code’s short-code — but the only thing Lin Yu couldn’t confirm yet was whether they were using plain code or an encrypted scrambled code.

However…

Determining that was easy, it just required reverse-engineering the known information at the table.

Among Fern, Algae, and Moss’s hidden cards, one must be a very small card that allows Algae to reach five cards, and one must be a very large card that would justify Fern folding when she already had a visible seven points.

Fern’s Morse code, that is, the lengths of her exhalations, were short, short, long — three times in total.

Algae’s was unclear, probably exhaled earlier during a noisier moment — Lin Yu hadn’t registered it then because the environment wasn’t quiet enough.

Moss’s, however, was long, short, short — also three times.

If mapped to the common domestic short-code for numbers, that would correspond to 2 and 8.

That fit well with the deductions from the table’s situation…

At that moment, Moss spoke and confirmed Lin Yu’s guess.

“I choose not to draw.”

Moss said calmly, and Twenty also spoke up.

“Alright, so… are there three people not drawing?”

“Then I’ll start drawing.”

Twenty quickly drew a card and placed it on the table — a Four of Clubs.

Combined with his revealed nine, Twenty’s face-up total was now thirteen points.

He tapped the table while looking at that card.

“Oh, not bad. I won’t draw anymore… Now, do you choose to swap your hidden cards?”

“Discussion is allowed, but you absolutely must not verbally tell or hint at others what your hidden cards are, okay?”

Hearing Twenty’s words, Lin Yu realized the moment had arrived.

Whether the actual code was plaintext still needed confirmation once the cards were revealed.

But he…

took a gamble.

“This method fits me perfectly even if I’m included… After all, I am someone who exhales when I’m thinking or calming myself.”

Saying that, Lin Yu let out a long exhale, as if naturally taking a deep breath.

“Huu—”

He noticed that at the instant of his long exhale, Fern, Algae, and Moss all clearly registered his movement.

Then came a shorter exhale.

“Huh.”

Lin Yu then returned to normal breathing.

Long, short.

In the domestic Morse numerical short-code, that represented the digit 9.

He flashed his hidden card — in plaintext.

If he was right, a moment later Fern would indeed speak first.

“I agree to swap.”

“I agree too.”

Algae immediately chimed in without missing a beat.

Lin Yu nodded politely.

“I agree.”

Moss also agreed: “Seconded.”

The four almost instinctively reached a unanimous decision.

Twenty asked with amused interest, “So how will you swap?”

Algae spoke first: “I’ll swap with her.”

Algae naturally pointed to Fern beside her.

At Algae’s words, Lin Yu could be ninety percent sure.

Because if Fern’s face-up card decoded as 2 in plaintext, giving that to Algae would make Algae’s five cards total 20 points.

Even without the “five-card rule” (where five cards that don’t bust can beat other totals), 20 is already quite large.

And this was the only one among the three hidden cards Lin Yu knew of on his team that wouldn’t make Algae bust.

With Algae supporting Fern’s move, Lin Yu understood.

“I know, he should be holding a T-card.”

Lin Yu thought for a moment, then said easily, “I understand. Looks like only the two of us should swap.”

He handed his hidden card to Moss.

Moss looked at Lin Yu; behind the plastic mask, their eyes were lively and clear, staring at him.

Earlier, Fern and Algae had been surprised but not shocked that Lin Yu was also participating in the “reporting” of points.

But now, Moss obviously showed a noticeable reaction to Lin Yu being able to see through the three of their cheating signals.

Yet compared to scrutiny or wariness, Lin Yu felt that Moss’s gaze at this moment contained more of…

an appreciation.

Regardless, Lin Yu smiled silently at Moss and then picked up the card Moss handed over.

“So it really is an eight…”

Both his and Moss’s hidden cards were sizable; both of them had shown T-cards face-up, and the hidden cards were an eight and a nine.

After the swap, Lin Yu lost a little ground.

But he didn’t mind…

Because if Twenty was going to ask one of the two of them to answer, Lin Yu preferred it to be him!

“Are all swaps done? Then let’s reveal.”

Twenty said with a smile. Lin Yu nodded and flipped his newly acquired hidden card — an eight.

His total was eighteen points.

Next was Fern — her hidden card surprised Lin Yu.

It was an Ace.

So Fern’s total was also eighteen.

“An Ace, huh…”

Lin Yu was a bit taken aback.

Algae’s original hidden card turned out to be an Ace as well!