Ma Xingbang didn't argue back. Instead, he casually took out his phone, found a random group chat, and started sending red envelopes*. He wasn't trying to hide his actions and finished doing it openly.
Everyone was puzzled by his actions and didn't understand what Ma Xingbang was up to. Soon, messages of thanks for the red envelopes popped up in the group chat.
"Thanks for the red envelope!"
"Thanks a lot."
"What, only one cent?"
"What?"
As everyone was wondering, Ma Xingbang clicked a red envelope for himself, showing an amount of 199.1 yuan, with a total of 10 envelopes sent. The other nine people only got 0.9 yuan in total.
Seeing this, Yang Ming was astonished, "Wow, you're lucky today!"
Ma Xingbang just smiled and sent out five more envelopes, each time getting himself more than 190 for himself, while the others got just a few cents or a dollar.
Gradually, everyone's expressions turned to disbelief and shock.
"So your ability's luck?!" Yang Ming blurted out, baffled.
Ma Xingbang shook his head, "It's not luck, it's Good Fortune."
Then, he suddenly vanished from where he stood. When he reappeared, he was at the other end of the room, the whole movement taking only a fraction of a second.
This time, it was Bai Qi's turn to be surprised.
"Is that fast speed?!" he exclaimed.
Ma Xingbang shook his head again, "Not fast speed, but Swift Speed, like swift wind. Now do you understand?"
Bai Qi looked shocked, clearly realizing something.
Yang Ming, on the other hand, was utterly astounded, "You have dual abilities?"
Ma Xingbang's smile froze, and he turned his head away from Yang Ming, addressing Fang Xiu and the others, "Before I became a third-tier, my ability was to copy. I could copy others' abilities through touch."
"What! Copy others' abilities?" Everyone was shocked.
They quickly connected the dots. No wonder Ma Xingbang was so polite initially, shaking hands with everyone; he was copying their abilities.
'Copying abilities? That's terrifying. Does that mean Ma Xingbang alone is like a combination of countless psychics?'
Fang Xiu suddenly understood everything. No wonder Ma Xingbang said he knew his secret. When they shook hands, Ma Xingbang copied his ability but found it wasn't foresight but pain.
Fang Xiu quickly spotted a problem, though. If Ma Xingbang truly copied his ability, then he should know that Fang Xiu's current ability was to absorb pain, which he obtained after advancing to the second tier.
So Fang Xiu deduced that Ma Xingbang's copying ability had certain limits. The copied abilities were probably a tier lower than the original owner's. Moreover, there must be a limit to the number of abilities he could copy, possibly even a time limit. It couldn't be an unrestricted copying ability.
Fang Xiu had noticed before that the more powerful a psychic ability was, the greater its limitations and the stricter its usage conditions.
"My ability was a secret within the headquarters as well, but since you refuse to acknowledge it, Fang Xiu, I have no choice but to reveal it. Before I reached the third-tier, my ability was to copy. After reaching the third-tier, my copying ability evolved into plagiarism."
"What's the difference between copying and plagiarism?" Yang Ming asked.
Ma Xingbang proudly smiled, "Copying is identical replication, but plagiarism involves adding one's own innovation to the original. Definitely not the same."
Everyone was speechless. It was no wonder he called luck 'Good Fortune' and fast speed 'Swift Speed'. He was simply rebranding things as his own.
While everyone was in awe, Fang Xiu realized the terrifying aspect of the plagiarism ability. Despite sounding somewhat funny, this ability was genuinely formidable.
As Ma Xingbang said, copying was just that, at best identical to the original. But plagiarism was different; it allowed for innovation and enhancement on the original basis. If done well, the plagiarized ability could even surpass the original.
Taking someone else's ability and doing it even better than them is the frightening aspect of plagiarism.
"So now do you understand why I say Fang Xiu's foresight is fake? Because the ability I copied wasn't foresight at all, but the ability to inflict pain and make others suffer! However, this ability isn't as useless as I thought. It allows me to transfer the pain I've experienced to others, making them empathize with my suffering. Considering the hardships I've endured, I can maximize the potential of this ability."
Hearing this, Fang Xiu instantly understood. Ma Xingbang had merely copied his ability but couldn't replicate the pain he held.
Which meant that when Ma Xingbang used the pain ability, he could only transfer the pain he had experienced himself.
"Fang Xiu, what excuses are you making now? You clearly don't have the ability to foresee the future, yet you claim to have it. How did you really survive and come out of the Green Mountain Mental Hospital?" Ma Xingbang stared coldly at Fang Xiu, his face exuding confidence as if he held the winning hand.
"If anyone doubts my ability, feel free to call the headquarters for verification; they have my records. Fang Xiu, all your miraculous performances, including your contributions, are based on your supposed ability to foresee the future. But if that foresight is a lie, then everything about you is a lie!
"I have a better explanation for your miraculous performances. The reason you were able to come out of the Green Mountain Mental Hospital alive is because you are part of the Pokers! You have connections with Green Mountain Mental Hospital. You did this to draw the Investigation Bureau's attention and join us.
"I heard you even made a call in advance to save Bai Qi from Ace of Spades. Haha, you don't need foresight for that because you orchestrated the assassination all along. The same goes for the Nightmare event; Nightmare is on your side, so naturally, you know all its abilities, including various information about the Specter Zone, which made you appear all-knowing!
"If I'm right, your goal is to draw the headquarters' attention, infiltrate us, become a spy, and achieve some unspeakable secret agenda! Fang Xiu, am I right or not?"
This line of reasoning made everyone look at Fang Xiu with doubt and suspicion. They couldn't fathom that Fang Xiu's ability to foresee the future was fake; it was completely unbelievable.
Fang Xiu looked at everyone calmly and said, "Pain is indeed my ability."
Hearing Fang Xiu's admission, Yang Ming and the others looked grim, while Ma Xingbang's lips curled into a cold smirk.
However, Fang Xiu's next words caused Ma Xingbang's smile to pause slightly.
"Or one of my abilities, I should say."