iuJiayiexpressionlesslyraisedthebottleofpoison.

Baiiuglancedatthepoisonousmistswirlinginsidetheglassvialinherhandandimmediatelycorrectedhimself.

“Althoughitwasveryquiet,hearditperfectlyclearly.rulyathunderousapology.xactlywhat’dexpectfromittleFriendiuJiayi.”

“...”

iuJiayirubbedherforeheadtiredly.

“Stoptryingtodistractmewithnonsensebeforerunningofftodosomethingdangerousaloneagain.’maskingbecausewanttoknowonething—doyouactuallyhaveaplan?”

Baiiuneverdiscussedplanswithhisteammates.

ealwayslookedapproachable,smiling,easygoing—butonceitcametimetoexecuteastrategy,hebecameanabsolutedictator.eonlyrequiredthepeoplearoundhimtofollowordersandchargeforward.eneverallowedanyonetoquestionhisdecisions—

Becausehewouldneverchangetheplananyway.

Soinhisview,discussingitbeforehandwasmeaningless.

Afterall,thismentallyunstablekingalwaysstoodattheveryfrontofhisowndangerousschemes.

“fyouhaveaplan,thencommunicateproperlywithyourteammates...”Asareservetacticianwhohadundergoneformalleaguetraining,iuJiayifoundsomeonelikeBaiiudeeplyfrustrating.“fsomethingunexpectedhappensduringexecution,canmakeadjustmentsandcoordinatesupportonmyside.”

Baiiuquietlylookedatherwithoutspeaking.

iuJiayiliftedherheadandmethisgazedirectly.

“knowwhyyoudon’ttellpeopleyourplans.Yourstrategiesaretooextreme.hemarginforerrorispracticallynonexistent.ncesomethingdeviatesfromyourexpectations,there’salmostnowaytorecover.hat’swhy,toyou,explainingtheplanornotexplainingitmakesnorealdifference.”

“Youunderstandgamesextremelywell,soyourgamble-likestrategiesalwayssucceed.”

“Butthatonlyworksinasingle-playergame.”

“nleaguematches,thisistheworstkindoftacticalthinking.”

iuJiayispokewithcompleteseriousness.

“Whatyou’refacingnowisn’tastaticdungeonmechanic.t’sfivehighlycoordinatedplayerswithmobility,teamwork,andhighstats.You’renotjusttryingtobeatthegame—you’retryingtobeatpeople.”

“fyoukeeppursuingthiskindof‘high-risk,winner-takes-all’strategy,you’regoingtolosebadly.hevariablescreatedbyteammatesarefarmorecomplicatedthanthevariablesinsideagame.”

“Don’tunderestimateyourfutureopponents.”iuJiayitookabreathandsteppedcloserwithherfistsclenched.“Anddon’tunderestimatetheteammatesyouchoseyourself.”

“ellmetheplan.”

BaiiustaredatiuJiayiforseveralseconds.

Shedidn’tavoidhisgaze.

verythingiuJiayisaidwascorrect.

Withoutrealizingit,Baiiuhadlonggrownaccustomedtofightingalone.Whenworkingwithothers,hemerelyissuedinstructionsratherthancoordinatingwiththemasequals.

heplayershe’dworkedwithbeforeusuallyfellintotwocategories.

netypesimplycouldn’tkeepupwithhisthoughtprocessbecausetheirntelligencestatsweretoolow—peoplelikeMuShicheng.

heothertypecouldkeepupintellectually,buttheirdependenceonBaiiuandtheirpsychologicalburdenspreventedthemfromproperlyparticipating—peoplelikeMuKe.

eithertypecouldtrulyjointheplanningstageofBaiiu’sstrategiesbecausetheinputtheyprovidedrarelyhadpracticalvalue.

Asaresult,Baiiu’splansnaturallyevolvedintothekindofstrategythateitherledto“instantwealthovernight”orcompleteannihilation.

nmultiplayercompetitiveleagues,thatstylewasobviouslyunsustainable.

iuJiayi,aftersettingasideemotionalinterference,wasthefirstteammateBaiiuhadencounteredwithoutstandingbasestats,combatawareness,andcompetitivethinkingallatonce.

ntermsofgameexperience,formaltraining,andunderstandingofleaguemechanics,iuJiayiwasactuallyfarmorematureandstablethanBaiiuhimself.

twasnowondertheKingsuildhadcultivatedherasoneoftheircorefutureplayers.

Sheexistedonanentirelydifferentlevelfromthe❖оvеl𝚒ght❖(xclusiveonоvеl𝚒ght)playersBaiiuhadpreviouslymet.

veninthepreviousgame,whileburdenedbytheemotionalweaknessthatwasiuuai,shehadstillmanagedtomanipulatetwoleague-levelplayerswitheasebeforeultimatelytriggeringthemainstorylinetorescueBaiiu.

Afterexitingthegame,shewasalsothefirstpersontocalmlyseekBaiiuout—

Andthefirsttorealizeangrda’sconditionwasabnormalandstepinfrontofBaiiutoblockthebullet.

omatterhowonelookedatit,iuJiayiwasabsolutelythekindofteammateworthseriouslycommunicatingwith.

AndtheadvicesheofferedBaiiuwasbothobjectiveandeffective.

oiuJiayi’ssurprise,Baiiucroucheddownuntiltheywereateyelevelandadmittedhismistakewithstartlinghonesty.

“You’reright.didn’tthinkthingsthroughcarefullyenough.should’vediscussedtheplanwithyou.”

iuJiayifroze.

Baiiusatcross-leggedonthefloorsoshewouldn’tneedtotiltherheadupward.henheopenedhissystempaneltowardherwithoutanyreservation.

“Mycurrentplanisthis...”

“...heirprimaryobjectiveshouldbekillingmeandtakingyouback.fthat’sthecase,thenwecanapproachitlikethis...”

Afterlisteningcarefullyfrombeginningtoend,iuJiayiimmediatelyrejectedit.

“o.histurnsyouintosolitarybait.ryingtolurefivepeoplealoneisfartoodangerous.fanythinggoeswrong,youwon’tevenhaveachancetoescape.You’lldieforcertain.”

Baiiuaskedmodestly,“henhowcantheriskbelowered?”

iuJiayifellsilentinthoughtbeforeopeningherownsystempanel.ShesearchedthroughheriteminventoryforalongtimebeforefinallytakingoutanAceofeartsplayingcard.

“...hisisaskill-storagecardtheQueengaveme.t’saone-time-usetrumpcardmeantforself-protection.”

SheslowlyexhaledbeforehandingthecardtoBaiiu.

“Basedonthestrategyyoujustdescribed,thinkthisitemmighthelpreduceyourrisk.”

BaiiuloweredhisgazetowardtheAceofearts.

“...Jiayi,you’resuggestingthatbothofusbecomebaitofequalvalue.”

nlythendidhefinallyreachoutandtakethecardbetweentwofingers.Afaintsmilecurvedatthecornerofhislips.

“Buttrustyourabilitytosurviveasbait.”

“hisgivesmeaveryinterestingtacticalidea.”

henBaiiucasuallyasked:

“Amongthosepeople,isthereanyoneyou’reespeciallycloseto?”

iuJiayipaused.

“...Yes.QiYifang.’vesavedhimbefore.Morethanonce.”

“h.”Baiiu’sexpressionbrightenedslightly.“earingtheprocessorexplaintheworkflowearlierremindedmeofsomething.QiYifang’spersonalskillisactuallyextremelyusefulduringtheprocessingstages.”

alfwaythroughwalkingforward,Baiiusuddenlystoppedandturnedaround.

hesmileonhisfacebecamesogentleitwasalmostfrightening.

“Really?hencanyoutellmemoreabouthim?”

iuJiayi:“...”

Achillinstantlyrandownherspine.

Baiiu’sexpressionpracticallyscreamed:

[Wow.Anotherlaborerdelivereddirectlytomydoorstep.]

...Sorry,QiYifang.

iuJiayisilentlyapologizedinherheart.

——————

QiYifangsneezed.

erubbedhisnosewhilestrugglingintothethickblackprotectivesuit,hoppingononefootashetuggedhisbootson.

heothertwoKingsuildplayerschangingclothesnearbybothlookedmiserable.

Althoughtheyhadn’tpersonallyclearedmanyevel3games,they’dstudiedplentyofgameplayvideosbefore.

Butthiswasthefirsttimethey’dencounteredadungeonwithsuchabsurdrules.

wohundredandfortykilogramsofdriedrosesperday—

hiswasn’tagameanymore.

hiswasstraight-upfactorylabor.

“BrotherQi,thisworkloadisinsane,”oneoftheplayerscomplained.“hethreeofustogetherneedtoprocess720kilogramsofdriedroseseverysingleday.Westillhavetosortthem,drythem,roastthem,andprocessthemafterward.here’snowherenearenoughtime!”

QiYifangfinallyfinishedchangingandpatteddownthethickprotectivesuit,thoughhestillfeltsomewhatuncomfortableinsideit.

Asherecalledtheprocessingprocedureshehadobservedearlierintheopen-airplaza—

Sorting.

Sun-drying.

Roasting.

Processing.

—hisexpressionremainedcompletelyrelaxed.

otonlywasheunpanicked,heevencasuallyslappedthetwoanxiousplayersontheshouldersandgavethemaconfidentthumbs-upaccompaniedbyadazzlinggrin.

“can’thelpmuchwithharvestingtheroses.”

“Butleavethosethreeprocessingstagestome.”

hetwoKingsuildplayersexchangedglances.

henrealizationhitthemsimultaneously.

Right!

QiYifang’sabilitywasperfectforthiskindofwork!

ewasa[WeatherForecaster]!

——————

angrdaadjustedthecollarofhisprotectivesuit,buthisankleswerestillexposed.eshifteduncomfortably.hezipperaroundthewaistandchesthadbeenstretchedalmosttothelimit.

hesuitwasclearlytoosmallforhim.

hefactoryworkerwhohadbroughthimoverscratchedhisheadhelplessly.

“hisisalreadythelargestprotectivesuitwehave.Waithereforamoment—’llseeifcanfindanextra-largeone.”

heworker’sgazedriftedsubtlytowardangrda’sforearms,whichstrainedtightlyagainstthefabric.

“...You’retootall.”

“Andyourmusclesarewaytoodeveloped...”

hisnewprocessorlookedmorelikeaprofessionalathletethanafactoryworker.

angrdaignoredthescrutinizingstareentirely.eremovedtheprotectivesuitandpolitelyhandeditback.

“Sorryforthetrouble.”

“Buthavingmusclesisagoodthing.”heworkerlaughedwhiletakingit.“Processingworkisphysicallyexhausting.Workhard.nceyou’repromotedfromprocessortofactoryworker,you’llofficiallybecomepermanentemployeesandwon’tbedismissedsoeasily.”

Justastheworkerturnedtoleave,theusuallysilentangrdasuddenlyspoke.

“Doprocessingworkersusuallyworktogether?”

heworkerpaused.

“otexactly.hedried-roseprocessingzonesinsidethefactoryaredividedintoast,South,West,andorthsections.heoutdoordryingareasarehuge,andtechnicallyyoucandryrosesneartheflowerfieldstoo...”

“Butifyoudrythemoutside,someonehastoguardthem.therwisetheRefugeeswillstealthem.Somostpeoplepreferdryingtheminsidethefactory.”

eshookhishead.

“fcourse,rookieprocessorslikeyouprobablywon’tgetspaceinside.heveteranworkerswillpushyouout.You’llmostlikelyendupdryingyourrosesoutsidethefactory.”

angrdacontinuedcalmly:

“sthereanyplacewhereallprocessorsgathertogether?”

heworkerthoughtforamoment.

“Yes.Aftersun-dryingiscomplete,everyonegathersatthenorthernfactoryentranceforcentralizedweighing.”

hen,asifsuddenlyrememberingsomething,theworkeraddedanotherwarningwhilecarryingoveranewsetofclothes.

“h,right.nemorething.”

“Paycloseattentiontotheweatherwhiledryingtheroses.fitrains,you’refinished.”

“Driedrosesthatfailtodryproperlywillstartmolding.Andiftherosesmold,thefactorypunishestheprocessorsforwastingmaterials.”

hedisclaimerattheendisjustthetranslator’spersonalcommentaryandnotpartofthenovelitself,soitshouldn’tbeincludedinacleaneditedrelease.