Novel Bin Chapter 48.2
The passengers starting the second round of chasing, the stealing war where Mu Sicheng started stealing broken lenses and was attacked, Bai Liu waving his whip to transfer aggro, Du Sanying collapsing and turning back and then Bai Liu’s control of the situation… so many things happened in just two minutes.
No one could blink and they subconsciously held their breaths. During this process, people kept on coming over and quietly joined the group looking up at Bai Liu’s small TV.
Almost no one spoke. Before the results of this fierce struggle came out, all discussions were feeble. This was a battle led by Bai Liu. It was a huge gamble and the outcome was unknown. Before knowing who won, the judgment of the audience outside the game would be very one-sided.
Only success or failure could evaluate if Bai Liu’s crazy actions were right or wrong.
This lunatic, he controlled the third and fourth players on the rising stars ranking and succeeded.
Wang Shun, who was standing closest to Bai Liu’s small TV, let out a long breath. He had been too nervous so his breathing was slow for two minutes. Now he took a deep breath. His heartbeat was fast and his fingertips felt numb.
Wang Shun stared at Bai Liu’s quiet face on the screen in a trance. He suddenly couldn’t think of reasonable words to evaluate this newcomer. Bai Liu refreshed Wang Shun’s understanding of him again. Finding the broken lenses and collecting the monster book was normal gameplay but few people could maintain Bai Liu’s high clarity and cruel calmness, making decisions without hesitation.
It was like Mu Sicheng’s shaking and Du Sanying’s fear. In a game that determined life or death, it was difficult for humans to put living after victory, although the two were linked to a certain extent. Yet in the face of death, few players were willing to give up their lives to desperately win.
But Bai Liu… from beginning to end, he considered Mu Sicheng’s survival rate, Du Sanying’s survival rate and the progress of the game. The only thing he didn’t consider was his own survival.
His physical strength was drained and replenished in a few seconds. The blood of his body overflowed due to the extreme consumption and his health jumped and fell. Bai Liu waved his whip but in the later stage, he was in a very poor state. His entire body was lying on the car and swinging back and forth by the seat belt.
Nevertheless, the accuracy of his whip was maintained from beginning to end. Then after the passengers got off the car, the first thing Bai Liu did was to firmly grab Mu Sicheng’s clothes and ask for the broken lenses.
Bai Liu’s crazy and chilling desire to win shocked Mu Sicheng and Du Sanying in the game and the audience who saw his performance outside the game. They couldn’t help coming to the burial mound dancing area. They wanted to see how far this newcomer could go from his own perspective.
“This guy really has enough means.” Wang Shun moved his numb fingertips. He took a deep breath again and lowered his head to open his wallet. “Seeing you so desperate because you have no money, it is too awkward.”
The other viewers also lowered their heads and whispered.
“If this player Bai Liu can come out alive this time, he will be a great god in the future.”
“He only has 21 health… but I always think he won’t lose.”
“It’s horrible. 33 bottles of physical supplements in two minutes. Doesn’t this newcomer have an F-grade attributes panel? My god, how can he stand it? If my C-grade panel was drained in one minute and refilled, I would vomit three times.”
“…I’m a viewer of Du Sanying’s small TV. I’ve never seen Du Sanying fight like that.”
“I came from God Mu. I’ve never seen God Mu being forced like this…”
“How can this newcomer Bai Liu have so much courage? Du Sanying and Mu Sicheng, the third and fourth place players on the rising stars rankings are completely suppressed by him. They are following his commands.”
In the midst of the whispered discussions and exchange of opinion, the sound of people opening their wallets continued to sound. Wang Shun turned his head and looked at the crowd that he didn’t know when they had gathered behind him. He saw the admiration and complicated emotions on their faces and sighed with relief.
Bai Liu who fell to the burial mound dancing area could come back quickly with absolute expressiveness. It was almost a match for the 1st ranked Spades.
[9,706 new people liked Bai Liu’s small TV, 10,000 new people have bookmarked Bai Liu’s small TV, 7,900 people have charged player Bai Liu and 12,081 points have been charged.]
[15,900 new people are watching Bai Liu’s small TV. You have 99% of the viewers in the burial mound dancing area and you are the popular king of the small TVs in the burial mound dancing area!]
[It will take 37,588 more people to like you, 40,854 people to bookmark your small TV and 2,643 points to be charged before the player Bai Liu can leave the burial mound dancing area.]
[System tip: Player Bai Liu has been charged 12,081 points. Do you want to buy items?]
Bai Liu smiled slightly. [It is a good harvest. I want to buy items.]
Bai Liu, who had sold misery to trick the viewers, responded to the system in his mind and quickly swiped through the interface of the system store. He seemed to discover something and his sliding fingers stopped. [Why does it show that items like rocket launches, atomic bombs, fire hydrants, high-pressure water guns, etc. can’t be bought in this game?]
[System: The game will prohibit players from purchasing items that will greatly disrupt the balance of the game.]
[Items that will greatly disrupt the balance of the game…] Bai Liu’s eyes narrowed. [Help me find if there are any bomb or water type items that can be purchased.]
The system was silent for a second. [Sorry, player Bai Liu can’t buy it.]
Sure enough, it didn’t work. No wonder why Mu Sicheng resisted trying to buy items to douse the fire on the passengers with water. It turned out that it was impossible to buy.
Bai Liu realized something. [It seems that the bomb and water can only be found locally.]
“Bai Liu, you’re right. The broken lenses are indeed on the passengers’ bodies. However, your plan consumes too much from all of us.” Mu Sicheng’s hoarse voice called back Bai Liu’s attention. “I lost 24 health clearing one station. I simply can’t support it for the remaining eight stations. Based on my calculations, I can only hold on for three platforms.”
Mu Sicheng paused for a moment before continuing. “That includes you, Bai Liu. Your health is only 21. You can hold on for two platforms at most. We simply can’t collect all the broken lenses.”
“Indeed but I don’t plan to use your life to steal the broken lenses.” Bai Liu looked down at the broken lenses in his hands before throwing them to Du Sanying, who was shrinking back in a corner to reduce his sense of existence. “You keep the broken lenses, Du Sanying.”
Du Sanying hurriedly took the broken lenses. Then he pointed his index finger at his nose with astonishment. “Are you sure you want to give them to me?!”
“Yes.” Bai Liu explained before Mu Sicheng could frown. “Du Sanying, it is safest for you to hold them. No one can easily take them away from you, including the puppet master.”
Mu Sicheng sensed something and stared at Bai Liu. “What do you want to do?”
Bai Liu didn’t answer Mu Sicheng’s question directly. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the ground and started writing on it using his fingers. He analyzed the plot of the game. “I just took a look through the store and all water and fire type items are banned. In other words, players can’t use items to extinguish the flames of the passengers.”
“My guess is that the system wants to force the players to be burned by the passenger and lose one health in order to get a broken lens. This should be the difficulty of the game, that is, the players need to use their health to collect the items and pass the level.”
Bai Liu dipped his finger in the black dust on the ground and wrote two numbers, [700] and [20].
“We have seven players and a total health of 700. According to this game’s mortality rate of 50-80% and the equation of one health being reduced for every lens, the total health value is 700 multiplied by (50-80%). The number of broken lenses in this game should be in the range of 350-560.” Bai Liu wrote the range [350-560] on the ground with this finger.
Then Bai Liu used his finger to draw a circle around the number 20 and continued calmly, “We have collected 20 fragments at one station. The three of us basically occupied half the carriages and the puppet master has the other half. Assuming that the number of fragments collected by the puppet master is the same as ours, the total number of fragments at a station is around 40.”
“There are 10 stations so the total number of lenses should be about 400.” Bai Liu pointed to the range of 350-560. “The number of fragments is in this range so I’m inclined to believe this is the total number of fragments that needs to be collected.”
“400 fragments means that 400 points of health needs to be consumed.” There were no ups and downs in Bai Liu’s tone. “There are two game clearance plans. First, the seven players reach a cooperative relationship. Every person will actively consume 57 points of health in exchange for the fragments and everyone will live to the end. However, Puppet Zhang won’t care about this plan.”
“The second plan is to consume 100 points of health from four players in exchange for us to clear the game.” Bai Liu paused subtly and that was that confident smile on his face again. “I know that the two of you were forced to cooperate with me previously but I believe you have seen my determination to not let you die. You probably don’t want to be one of the consumed players, right?”
“Perhaps we can really work with each other honestly?”
Mu Sicheng sneered. “Can’t you control us? Why bother to talk about cooperation when you can manipulate us?”
“There is a good chance I won’t be able to focus on controlling you in the next scenario.” Bai Liu ignored Mu Sicheng’s strange tone and sincerely spoke. “If you don’t want to cooperate with me, you can leave now. Of course, that’s if you’re fine with being alone and being a target of the puppet master so your health would be consumed to obtain the mirror fragments.”
Once Bai Liu finished speaking, there was a strange silence between the three people. Only the sound of the wind as the train moved was heard, as well as the sound of the train swaying. The sound of the three people breathing was almost non-existent.
Bai Liu used the slightly euphemistic word ‘consumption’ but it couldn’t hide the bloody connotations.
A long time passed before Mu Sicheng spoke blankly, “Tell me your specific plan.”
Du Sanying bit his lower lip and hesitated.
His luck value made him less likely to be one of the ‘four consumed players’. He didn’t want to keep following Bai Liu. This person’s gambling behavior made Du Sanying subconsciously reject him.
Moreover, his current hunch was very complicated. Misfortune and luck were intertwined so that Du Sanying couldn’t tell if he should follow Bai Liu or not. In particular, he had already been pitted by Bai Liu once…
Bai Liu seemed to notice Du Sanying’s thoughts. He turned his head and suddenly smiled. “Du Sanying, are you thinking that if you don’t cooperate with us, the puppet master won’t be able to see you and will let you go? Then you will be lucky to clear the game after the puppet master, right?”
Du Sanying was startled by the words.
“First of all, clearing this game requires four people to complete the level. It isn’t enough even if the puppet master kills me and Mu Sicheng. Do you think the puppet master will sacrifice his own puppets before you?” Bai Liu raised his eyes and stared at the pale Du Sanying. “In addition, I think you will be the first player the puppet master will target.”
Du Sanying was startled by Bai Liu and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. “Why is it me? He has more of a grudge with you!”
“Wrong.” Bai Liu shook his index finger and made a ‘no’ gesture while smiling. “Our value is much greater to the puppet master than you.”
“One of his purposes for entering the game is to catch me and Mu Sicheng as puppets. You are no use to him and your 100% luck value is one of the biggest obstacles to the puppet master clearing the game. If I was the puppet master, I would sacrifice you first and then control me. After turning me and Mu Sicheng into his puppets, he can casually sacrifice three insignificant puppets.”
“Then after all his goals are achieved, the puppet master will fully pass the level.” Bai Liu smiled amiably. “What do you think, Du Sanying?”
Du Sanying was silent for a long time. He lowered his head, his lips trembling and his fingers curling up as he thought about Bai Liu’s words.
Meanwhile, Mu Sicheng watched the frightened Du Sanying before turning to look at Bai Liu. There was unwillingness and a deep gloom in his eyes. How familiar was Bai Liu’s statement to Du Sanying? It was the exact same fucking statement that Bai Liu gave to Mu Sicheng the first time they came to the subway station!
—First, establish a common enemy and then push you into desperation through various hypotheses. Let you see from his hypotheses that if you don’t cooperate with him, you will destroy yourself. Finally, show his weakness and goodwill appropriately, letting you see his sincerity and kindness to you to finally draw you into the same camp.
[We are both targeted by the puppet master.]
[Have you thought about the consequences if he controls me? Then you will have five opponents?]
[You don’t want to fight against this type of group attack type player alone, do you?]
[I won’t let you die. Mu Sicheng, you have to believe me. You are my most valuable card.]
His tone was sincere and gentle, his eyes pure and flawless, almost showing weakness to the extreme. He looked at people like that while fucking using them! He was a completely heartless animal! This guy must be doing MLM in the real world, right?
Mu Sicheng closed his eyes and recalled the entire process of him falling into Bai Liu’s plan. He gritted his teeth at the thought of this person planning it out from the beginning of the game!
Bai Liu had now completely tied him and Du Sanying to his boat. From now on, the three of them were grasshoppers on the same rope. In order to live, they had to desperately cooperate with Bai Liu, just like during the stealing battle with the passengers. They might not want to cooperate with Bai Liu in their hearts but Bai Liu had cut off all other avenues.
Only this way was left for them.
Du Sanying was a lamb with only luck and he simply wasn’t enough to play against Bai Liu.
Du Sanying finally raised his hand and looked at Bai Liu, still stammering slightly. “B-Bai Liu, what is your plan?”
Proofreader: Purichan