Chapter 95: The Digital Cruise (Part Eight)

Chapter 95: The Digital Cruise (Part Eight)

Meanwhile, although Liu Guangming and his group begrudgingly conceded, faced with the "Golden Leopard" squad and over forty players, they ultimately had no choice but to dutifully pay the forty-five unit ferry fee.

After settling the fee, they didn't depart, instead, they stood aside, ready to witness the unfolding drama.

After the twenty-three of them had paid, eleven more were required to pay forty-five units each; even after excluding Yan Xiaotong and her group, six individuals still needed to contribute.

Regardless, Liu Guangming and his group, a collaboration of four guilds, could swiftly devise a plan when the guild leaders convened, even if it meant drawing lots to determine the outcome.

However, behind Yan Xiaotong, a group comprising lone wolves and small factions, represented a disorganized mess.

Under such circumstances, how could she possibly identify six individuals willing to sacrifice themselves?

Yan Xiaotong seemed to be at a loss as well, surveying the sea of faces behind her, her brow furrowed in contemplation. She began by asking, "Is there anyone with a high enough score willing to voluntarily contribute an additional forty-five units?"

Liu Guangming wore a strange expression, holding back laughter only to avoid incurring Yan Xiaotong's wrath at a later point.

What a naive and ludicrous question! As if high-ranking players would willingly sacrifice an additional forty-five points!

I heard that the "Golden Leopard" squad revolves entirely around Ning Suisui, and now it seems the rumors were true! What kind of fool is this Yan Xiaotong?

As expected, over forty players exchanged glances, with none willing to voice their agreement.

With daily ship fees amounting to thirty, adding room and board costs, one could expect a daily expenditure of approximately fifty points, totaling to a hundred and fifty points over three days.

Until now, everyone is still uncertain how to accumulate points besides confiscating them from other players. Even those with higher scores wouldn't be foolish enough to voluntarily part with an extra fifteen points.

Yan Xiaotong's gaze swept over everyone present. After a moment's hesitation, she proposed: "Alternatively, I see about six teams here. Could each team spare one person to contribute? Would that be acceptable?"

No sooner had she finished speaking, a voice arose in dissent.

"Unacceptable!" the speaker argued with conviction. "Miss Yan, our six teams are barely making ends meet with today's ship fees. We aren't even sure how we'll manage meals later. If you don't believe us, we're willing to show you our point tallies."

True to their word, the six players pushed their way forward from the crowd, each displaying their point total on their wristwatches for her to see.

They were well aware that given their current scores, even those seeking to pilfer points would overlook them as targets.

Indeed, Yan Xiaotong's expression softened somewhat as she reviewed each display.

"You've been working hard."

The group of six all had scores ranging between thirty and thirty-five points. This uniformity wasn't the result of initial system allocation; they must have spent a significant time solving mathematical problems yesterday to gather enough for today's ship fees.

After showing their scores, the group did not retreat but stood firmly behind Yan Xiaotong and her team, clearly signaling, "Our scores are so low that even Yan Xiaotong sympathizes, you can't possibly expect us to contribute an extra fifteen points."

Promptly, two solitary players, inspired by this act, emerged from the crowd, revealing their substantially low scores before joining the ranks behind Yan Xiaotong.

At this moment, another player raised their hand.

"Miss Yan, my score is below thirty; could you assist me with the payment?"

Yan Xiaotong hesitated briefly before consulting with her team members, eventually nodding in agreement.

Each player could only assist one other, and with only five individuals in Yan Xiaotong's team, opportunities for assistance were limited.

Instantly, several more hands were raised, including a surprising number from guild members.

Last night, a few teams from the same guild decided to sacrifice some of their members upon realizing their cumulative low scores, leaving these sacrificial players with scores not just low, but null.

"Sun Ting? Didn't I assure you we would cover your fees today?"

The girl raising her hand merely glanced at the speaking guild leader, but considering her sister waiting outside the instance, Sun Ting refrained from further discussion, simply stating, "I prefer not to be a burden to the guild."

Receiving Yan Xiaotong's signal, Sun Ting promptly moved to stand behind her.

She was actually quite fortunate, having been randomly assigned over a hundred and forty points upon entering the instance.

As a result, the "friends" who entered the instance together that night decided to sacrifice her after a discussion.

"Tingting, it can't be helped. Firstly, your abilities are just average, you only managed to get through last year's national dungeon by sheer luck, and this year... Besides, your sister just started playing this game. I promise, if you unfortunately get left behind in this dungeon, I'll make sure your sister completes this year's national dungeon!"

The truthfulness of this statement is highly doubtful.

However, seeing the guild leader and others drawing their weapons, Sun Ting knew clearly that if she resisted, she might be able to exploit the system rules to kill the guild leader, but she definitely couldn't withstand the assaults from others.

And if these people managed to get out, her newly-joined sister would undoubtedly meet a tragic fate as well.

Left with no choice, Sun Ting could only follow the guild leader's instructions, transferring her points step by step to others.

When it came to the last step, with only eleven points left, Sun Ting issued an order to the guild leader who now had over a hundred and thirty points.

"I command you... to kill the butler NPC we saw today!"

This was the method she thought of that could potentially cause the guild leader's death.

If she had retained her original points, the guild leader would indeed be dead by now.

But that was not the case.

System notifications echoed in Sun Ting's ears.

【Ding —— Sorry, your points are lower than the target's, the difference will now be deducted.】

【Ding —— You don't have enough points, the maximum amount of 11 has been deducted.】

【Ding —— Your current point total is zero, please recharge as soon as possible to avoid attracting [Cruise Ship Wraiths].】

She relayed the content of the system notifications, but the guild leader only pondered for a moment, then acted as if he hadn't heard anything.

"Be careful tonight."

With that, he and the others left, leaving only a warning device at Sun Ting's door.

This device was not for Sun Ting's use, but to alert the guild leader and the others at the first instance, allowing them to gauge what the [Cruise Ship Wraiths] looked like and their capabilities.

Armed, Sun Ting stayed vigilant throughout the night, but the [Cruise Ship Wraiths] mentioned in the system notification never appeared.

Now with an opportunity to free herself from the guild members, Sun Ting did not hesitate.

Sun Ting immediately lit up her watch as she stood behind Yan Xiaotong. Yan Xiaotong, upon seeing her watch, understood what had transpired and anger surged visibly across her face. She quickly picked out the raising hands of the guild players from the other side to come forward.

These few players displayed a uniform row of zeros, and the others quickly realized how these points came to be.

Although everyone internally deemed it quite normal, witnessing Yan Xiaotong's furious demeanor, whether genuinely incensed or pretending to be, the crowd began to voice their accusations against the opposing guild.

"Have you no shame? To be able to team up for a level five instance, you all must have had a pretty good relationship, right?? Could you not at least leave a point for the person?!"

"Exactly, you're just like vampires! I see the guild leader over there; how can someone with such behavior qualify as a guild leader?"

A cacophony filled the air, yet those being accused remained strangely unresponsive.

Having progressed to the fifth level, weren't these kinds of necessary sacrifices quite common?

In a corner, Nie Shuangshuang watched the raucous crowd, unable to fathom, "What on earth are Sui Sui and the others trying to do?"

As she spoke, she couldn't help but steal a glance at Zhang Dao'an beside her.

Zhang Dao'an briefly hinted to her: "Time."

"Time?" Nie Shuangshuang turned her head back, looking at the clock hanging on the wall, and paused, "It's already eight fifty..."

Just a while ago, Yan Xiaotong stated that Liu Guangming and the others should pay the boat fare by eight-thirty. But harboring a slight hope for leniency, they dilly-dallied until about eight-forty to finish the payment, without Yan Xiaotong pressing them.

The NPC processed the transactions at a decent pace, but even so, there were still over forty people left.

Despite the urgent circumstances, Yan Xiaotong maintained a face of anger, unhurried and seemingly having forgotten about the necessity of paying the boat fee.

"What are they trying to accomplish?"

Soon, a player turned his head inadvertently and noticed the clock hanging on the wall.

He froze, then shouted at the top of his lungs: "Everyone, stop arguing! It's already eight fifty!!"

All the people in the place swiveled their heads simultaneously, breaking into a cold sweat as they spotted the time on the clock.

A quick-witted player with a high score quickly realized the gravity of the situation. Insisting on those fifteen points might mean missing his turn altogether, so he dashed to the front desk and swiftly completed the fee transaction.

But such astute individuals were limited to just three.

The rest, those with low scores who couldn't afford the forty-five points, stood behind Yan Xiaotong, while those with slightly higher scores were primarily guild players.

These players looked around, feeling somewhat confident in their guild's prowess. With only three players left who needed to pay the forty-five points, surely someone would step forward, right?

"Old Qin, there are seven people in your guild! You guys have to at least contribute one person, right? Hurry up! It's almost nine o'clock!!"

"Damn it, what does it matter that we have seven people? All of our scores are really low! We don't even have tomorrow's secured, and you want us to spare another? You guys have six people, why don't you contribute?!"

"Enough with the bickering! I propose we simplify this—let's have our six guilds play rock-paper-scissors! The three losing guilds will pay the forty-five points!"

"You think it's simple because you have a luck-boosting skill, don't you? Trying to pull a fast one on me?"

Someone became frantic: "There are only eight minutes left! If we keep fighting, no one will be able to pay! I think... I think Miss Yan, you should make the call!"

Hearing this, Nie Shuangshuang couldn't help but cover her eyes.

Yan Xiaotong, who had been intentionally stalling time, hesitated for a moment when tasked with this duty. She then began scrutinizing every person across from her with meticulous attention.

As seconds ticked away, Yan Xiaotong knew she couldn't make it too obvious. After dragging it out for half a minute, noticing the flushing faces of the players in front of her, she finally selected one.

"So... this one, perhaps? I'm sorry, but I genuinely have no clue which guild has higher scores and which has lower ones, I have to make an arbitrary choice."

The chosen individual's face darkened, ready to argue, but was pushed forward by the anxious players.

"Hurry up! We won't make it in time if you don't start contributing points now!"

The leader of the selected guild had no choice but to part with forty-five points initially, then stood aside with the remaining members, apparently waiting to contribute points immediately once the other two forty-fives were settled.

A player reacted promptly, "How about this? Our guild volunteers to contribute one forty-five, but we insist on being the second to pay the ferry fee!"

"Deal." Yan Xiaotong agreed.

The leaders of the remaining four guilds also realized, as time was running out, that it would be better to vie for the third place now rather than potentially fight over contributing points later.

Immediately, four hands were raised. Yan Xiaotong hesitated for a moment before randomly selecting one.

The chosen guild leader, with their members in tow, squeezed to the front, with the other players swarming after them.

The advantages of teaming up for the dungeon run were evident at this moment.

The few remaining solo players couldn't get anywhere near, and there were some with low scores who had paid their fees early and arranged for others to pay on their behalf, but now they were stuck on the outskirts, yelling fervently.

"Let me through! I have an arrangement with a player from that guild! They're covering my payment!"

"What cover payment?! Damn it, look at the time and you're still talking about cover payments? Those take longer and use up more time! Let those of us with over thirty points pay our ferry fees first before discussing your cover payment matters!"

This remark received unanimous approval.

Some players with low scores who couldn't break through were turning frantic, initiating attacks using their skills, but were beaten back by a united front from several individuals upfront, falling and trembling as they gulped down a potion.

"Idiot!" someone cursed.

Why was everyone crowding here, physically pushing forward without using items or skills? Were they out of skills?

Not at all; with such a crowd present, if everyone resorted to using skills and items to fight, no one would be able to pay the ferry fees.

This almost customary rule was adhered to by everyone; the youngster clearly had something wrong in his head, daring to use skills at such a moment?

At this time, with so many players crammed together, Yan Xiaotong and the large group behind her were also anxiously jostling forward, adhering to the rules.

They were numerous and indeed possessed great strength, swiftly pushing to the front, positioning themselves behind the third guild that had contributed forty-five points.

But as their turn to pay approached, Yan Xiaotong was about to take out her watch when a guild leader nearby voiced their strong dissatisfaction.

"Miss Yan, I believe those who are covering payments should be the last to pay, considering the process is more complex. The time it takes to process one cover payment could accommodate two payments of thirty points. How about letting those contributing thirty points go first, then considering the cover payments? Everyone agrees, right?"

A chorus of agreement echoed instantly.

Yan Xiaotong paused, looking hesitantly at the players beside her.

Not all players beside her were relying on cover payments. A few with low scores, barely enough for a single ferry fee, were also clustered around her. In the bustling crowd, where time seemed elusive, everyone wondered if it was nearly nine o'clock - the cutoff for payments.

"I think that's fair! Let's have these five wait for a bit! We're quicker, we can proceed first and then they can follow, right?"

"Exactly, everyone is saying the same, so we should adhere to this rule, shouldn't we?"

"Well..." Yan Xiaotong hesitated, it felt like she was suddenly nudged amidst the chaos, pushed out of the crowd.

"Xiaotong!" Her four companions immediately followed her, anxiously making their way out of the crowd.

The people behind them started making way.

Yan Xiaotong and her group could only stand "helplessly" on the outskirts of the crowd.

Without the individuals set for proxy payment, the five players who she had promised to cover could only follow suit, their faces etched with pleas for help and despair.

"What do we do now?"

"We have four minutes left! As long as they are quick enough, the moment those with thirty points finish, we'll race against time to make the proxy payments!" Yan Xiaotong looked earnestly at the people before her, her expression firm, "Rest assured, we won't abandon you until the last moment."

Her words bore a comforting power, but what good would that do?

Time was passing, second by second.

Three minutes left.

Two minutes.

One minute.

At last, the players with more than thirty points completed their ferry payments, and Yan Xiaotong rushed to the front desk with the first person who needed a proxy payment.

She pulled out her watch and handed it over along with the watch of the player who required proxy payment.

"Hello, I would like to arrange for a proxy..."

Boom — Boom —

The deep tolling of the clock interrupted her words.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile curled at the corners of Yan Xiaotong's mouth.

The NPC in front of her gave a slight bow.

"I'm truly sorry, ma'am, but we can only accept ferry payments before nine o'clock."

Yan Xiaotong seemed somewhat frantic: "Isn't there any room for flexibility?"

"I'm afraid not."

The NPC smiled, yet his gaze shifted towards the anxious players around, those who lacked the necessary thirty points.

"Guests who haven't paid the fee, please gather your belongings and disembark promptly by noon."

A hushed silence prevailed.

Nie Shuangshuang gazed at Yan Xiaotong on the other side, her face a complex tapestry of confusion and complexity.

Having a close relationship with Ning Suisui, she naturally mingled with others in her group, especially the sisters Yan Xiaotong and Yan Xiaoxi. The four young women often spent days together, indulging in food, drinks, and shopping sprees. If not for her early induction into Ronghua, where she found contentment, Nie Shuangshuang might have joined the Golden Leopard squad.

In her eyes, Ning Suisui and her group were akin to Ronghua – endearing players all.

But now, witnessing Yan Xiaotong intentionally delaying these players' payments, leaving nearly ten of them unable to pay their ferry fees, Nie Shuangshuang couldn't help but feel uneasy, despite knowing that taking advantage of others rather than being taken advantage of was the norm in this ruthless game.

Clearly, Ning Suisui and her team had some plan in mind to choose this course of action at this moment. While she could comprehend and acknowledge their reasoning, it still left a bitter taste in her heart.

"Is she using these players as guinea pigs?"

Zhang Daoan nodded: "Yes."

Put plainly, Yan Xiaotong was now forcing these players into a corner.

Everyone knew the formidable nature of the NPCs and their difficulty to contend with; under normal circumstances, as long as there's a sliver of hope, players would avoid confrontation with NPCs.

Just like earlier when it was revealed that because the people of Ronghua were exempted from the fee, others had to pay an extra fifteen, some players dared to negotiate with Ronghua. Even knowing that Ronghua had Jiefang Cheng, who could overpower NPCs, their initial reaction was always to target the "weaker" party.

Within the dungeon, players were perennial underdogs, a "lesson" deeply ingrained in many players' minds.

Without being pushed to the brink, players would never choose to engage NPCs in battle.

At this moment, Yan Xiaotong's performance was stellar; the players she duped were utterly unaware that, without her interference, they would have only had to forfeit an additional fifteen points.

But now, with Yan Xiaotong's influence, they had no choice but to stake it all, to fight with their backs against the wall.

Yan Xiaotong's gaze swept over these individuals.

Nine people.

Fewer than she had anticipated.

But it was still acceptable.

These individuals were unable to secure proxy payments, holding less than thirty points each. Even if they were to perish, such a paltry amount of points could be squandered.

Indeed, in Yan Xiaotong and her team's perspective, they were not targeting a particular player's score, but the cumulative points of all players.

Moreover, they aimed to seize these points as swiftly as possible to avoid daily wastage, which would amount to a significant loss.

Now, as Yan Xiaotong beheld them, her face displayed a hint of guilt yet remained steadfast.

"Everyone, do not despair. Rest assured, if the NPCs come to expel you at noon, we will stand with you, doing our utmost to fend them off!"

The nine people lifted their heads, their eyes momentarily sparkling with glimmers of hope.

"Miss Yan... I'm at a loss for words, thank you all!"

"If we can make it through today unscathed, please don't hesitate to command us in the future, Miss Yan!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

The crowd echoed in agreement.

Yan Xiaotong blinked, visibly moved, "Now is not the time to give up! Although the front desk mentioned that the ferry fee couldn't be paid past nine, think about it - with so many NPCs on this cruise ship, if we search together, we might find a place to make the late payment!"

"Yes, yes, thank you all!"

The group regained their spirits, rallying around Yan Xiaotong as they moved outwards.

Only then did Yan Xiaotong notice a group of Ronghua members watching them from a corner in the lobby designated for rest.

She paused briefly in her stride, then winked at Nie Shuangshuang, communicating with her through lip movements.

— Let's go out for a meal together.

Nie Shuangshuang felt an even more complex wave of emotions.

She could only nod, watching as Yan Xiaotong led the group away.

After Yan Xiaotong and her entourage had moved farther away, Nie Shuangshuang let out a wistful sigh.

Ning Suisui and the Yan sisters were not very old at the time of their deaths. Nie Shuangshuang knew that they were all very bright, the kind of intelligence accompanied by quick-witted charm that made them likable, rather than...

Jie Fangcheng glanced at her, leaning in to say, "Huh? I didn't expect your friends to be quite sharp, huh?"

Sharp!

Nie Shuangshuang gave him a sidelong glance: "This is called intelligence! Wisdom! Grace and kindness of character!!"

After saying this, Nie Shuangshuang paused, then shouted angrily, "Why did you say 'huh'? What didn't you expect? Are you implying something?"

Jie Fangcheng shook his index finger, "You're overthinking it, I generally don't imply things."

Nie Shuangshuang: "..."

Nie Shuangshuang swiftly pulled a fan from her bag, while Jie Fangcheng leisurely slung his staff over his shoulder.

Nie Shuangshuang put away her fan and turned to ask Zhang Daoan, "Big brother, what exactly are they planning to do, have you figured it out?"

Zhang Daoan just cast her a fleeting glance, "Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand."

"Hahaha," Jie Fangcheng scoffed.

Nie Shuangshuang turned her head, "Why are you laughing? Do you understand?"

"If he says it, I'll understand," Jie Fangcheng affirmed with confidence.

"I don't believe that," Nie Shuangshuang scoffed.

So, Jie Fangcheng inquired, "Professor, what are they trying to accomplish here?"

Zhang Daoan was momentarily stunned by the title, but quickly proceeded to explain.

"Yan Xiaotong and Yan Xiaoxi have switched places. What we saw just now was Yan Xiaoxi. She orchestrated this act not only to find pawns to gauge the NPCs' strengths but also to ascertain who has higher scores, before relaying the information to Ning Suisui."

"But why pass the information to Suisui?" Nie Shuangshuang couldn't help asking. "Despite Xiaoxi and her sister appearing gentle and frail, they are high-ranking individuals on the leaderboard, with considerable strength. If the goal is to identify high scorers to steal points from, why specifically assign this task to Suisui?"

Zhang Daoan looked at her, "What's the reputation of the 'Golden Leopard' squad like?"

"Uh... pretty good," Nie Shuangshuang replied, puzzled. "Despite Suisui's nature, she's actually a very nice girl who's just a bit thrifty. The 'Golden Leopard' team has a good reputation among players; many prefer to have them lead their instances and such."

Having said that, Nie Shuangshuang paused abruptly.

"You mean to say..."

"Ning Suisui has fallen out with the 'Golden Leopard', going solo with her low score, she has no choice but to seek assistance from lower-scored friends. Due to the proxy payment rules, they are forced to follow others' strategies, attacking other players like Gu Zailai to earn points. What do you think of this script?"

Nie Shuangshuang: "..."

Recalling Gu Zailai's actions yesterday, when Jie Fangcheng rushed out and nearly beat him to death, Nie Shuangshuang inwardly cheered wildly.

Even though Gu Zailai's actions weren't technically over the line, considering it's commonplace for players to deceive each other in level-five instances, Nie Shuangshuang fundamentally believed that his actions were utterly despicable, and anyone engaging in such activities was not human!

Now, the focus shifted onto Ning Suisui, and it seemed her actions might even surpass Gu Zailai's in severity.

She was teaming up with Yan Xiaotong to deceive someone who had offered to “help” them — although this assistance was interest-driven, they were still ostensibly partners.

Moreover, judging by Zhou Heqi's demeanor just now, despite his brute appearance, he seemed to have a decent heart.

"But... given the complexity of this instance, she might have had no choice," Nie Shuangshuang could only justify.

Zhang Daoan shook his head, "There's always a choice, and there's a simpler solution."

Nie Shuangshuang was stunned, "What is it?"

Zhang Daoan tilted his head slightly, gesturing towards Jie Fangcheng at his side.

"If I were her, I would have led my team to pledge allegiance to Ronghua on the first day, assisting them in restraining every player, then sweeping through the NPCs, safely passing these three days without any worries," he outlined.

Jie Fangcheng felt a sense of bliss upon hearing "without any worries", nodding in agreement, "Exactly, such a straightforward solution. Your friend is really not up to the mark, going through all this trouble and putting on an act, isn't it too bothersome?"

Zhang Daoan nodded, "At the end of the day, she's eyeing the rewards of this instance, the ocean treasure."

"Well, nothing can be done, it's only human nature," Jie Fangcheng conceded generously.

Zhang Daoan concurred, "Indeed, but she isn't smart enough."

Nie Shuangshuang interjected, "Why?"

"Because you are here," Zhong Dao'an stated matter-of-factly, "This is a dungeon that can be cleared purely based on combat power. Absolute power grants an unequivocal advantage. She is destined to lose."

.

In the rudimentary restaurant on the first floor.

Zhou Heqi rubbed his hands somewhat embarrassingly, "The second floor is too expensive, we are quite a group, perhaps we should settle for this place for now?"

Their scores were indeed not low, but upon reaching the restaurant on the second floor, Zhou Heqi was stunned.

A single person meal costs five points, and for the seven of them, that would amount to thirty-five points.

Thirty-five points might not seem much, but with three meals a day, it totals to a hundred and five points, which is exceedingly high.

However, a single person meal on the first floor only costs one point per person, which is very economical.

Of course, just by observing the surroundings, one could tell that it was truly rudimentary.

While the second floor was splendid and glittering, the first-floor restaurant seemed as though it had been immersed in water for an extended period. The walls were covered with aquatic plants, and the floor squeaked with each step, as if a little more pressure would break it. A window was broken, allowing seawater to seep in whenever the waves hit, leaving water marks all over the tables near the window.

The whole restaurant emitted a nauseating fishy smell.

The NPC quickly served the dishes.

Each person received a plate bearing oily and dark spaghetti, the composition of which remained uncertain.

Ning Suisui remained unphased, picking up a clump and tasting it without hesitation.

"It seems to be made with squid ink; it's edible," she remarked.

She commented so.

Seeing her so composed, Zhou Heqi also tried a bite, nearly spitting it out immediately.

How could it be so fishy??

Is this thing even worth a point??

Zhou Heqi frowned, but Ning Suisui calmly finished her plate bite by bite.

Seeing her finish, Zhou Heqi weighed his words for a moment before probing, "We are only being this frugal because our scores are not high enough. If we could earn a bit more, dining on the second floor wouldn't actually be that expensive."

"Leader Zhou, feel free to speak your mind," she urged.

Zhou Heqi cleared his throat, "Well, I wanted to discuss the point system; do you have any thoughts on it?"

"After we finish our meal, I plan to check if there are any quests available from the NPCs," Ning Suisui responded.

"Ah..." Zhou Heqi paused, bewildered, "What kind of quests could the NPCs possibly have?"

"If there are no quests, they can't possibly expect those of us with lower scores to just sit around waiting to die, right?"

This Ning Suisui with her high ranking, she couldn't possibly have overlooked the option of stealing points from other players, could she?

But this person is good friends with Nie Shuangshuang from Ronghua... She wouldn't be like those people from Ronghua, would she?

Zhou Heqi cautiously asked, "Perhaps... if there really are no quests, could there be any other methods available to us...?"

"Such as?"

"I'll just come out with it!" Zhou Heqi unfolded his "brilliant scheme" that he had been pondering for a long time, "Here's the thing, we know about that point rule, right? If a player with a lower score initiates a quest with a higher-scored player, they lose points. However, the higher-scored player gains points."

"Right."

"This is what I was thinking, Captain Ning, you're very powerful, right? Is there a possibility that you could persuade some lower-scored players to willingly issue quests to you?"

Ning Suisui paused for a moment, "You mean..."

"My idea is, we currently have a decent amount of points in hand, higher than many players. We could transfer these points to you, and you could negotiate with the lower-scored players, making a profit on the point difference. What do you think?"

Before Ning Suisui came here, she was contemplating how to convince the other party to transfer their points to her. She truly hadn't expected Zhou Heqi to voluntarily suggest such a "genius" plan.

It seems that the annoying youngster had a point; she really has a good judgment of character!

"Is that so..."

Ning Suisui feigned hesitation.

Zhou Heqi wasn't a fool. His confident offer of transferring points stemmed from his belief that he had Yan Xiaoxi under his control, forcing Ning Suisui to comply, didn't it?

At this moment, he displayed a very amiable demeanor, "Of course, this is merely a suggestion. But considering Miss Yan requires thirty daily, this is something we can afford. As for your score, Captain Ning, I wonder if it would be bearable?"

Ning Suisui fell silent.

Seizing the moment, Zhou Heqi pressed on, "Captain Ning, navigating through this dungeon is inherently a game of deception and strategy, isn't it?"

It seemed that Ning Suisui had finally come to a realization.

She let out a sigh.

"Indeed," Ning Suisui said with a look of resignation, "Do you guys have any targets in mind?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Zhou Heqi quickly produced a piece of paper, "We have individuals skilled in this aspect, here are a few players with confirmed scores."

Ning Suisui glanced down, the first name at the top was Xie Fangcheng.

Ning Suisui: "..."

Ning Suisui curiously asked, "Are you trying to send me to my death?"