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Answer: 3


Call your first number $x$.

Doubling and adding five gives $2x+5$.

Doubling and adding two gives $2(2x+5)+2 = 4x+12$.

Subtracting $x$ then leaves $3x+12 = 3(x+4)$ which is always a multiple of 3.


This problem is taken from the UKMT Mathematical Challenges.
You can find more short problems, arranged by curriculum topic, in our short problems collection.