novelraw Chapter 231
Chapter 231
After Dalong and Old Qiu left, Su Wangchuan received a phone call from Su Wan and was summoned to the 75th floor.
Although Su Wangchuan was already tightly bound to Caobang and could not possibly leave, she still had to report the intelligence properly. After all, Su Wangchuan was now one of the Warring States Game Studio’s important assets, and the studio would still do its best to ensure his safety.
Su Wan briefed Su Wangchuan on everything they had learned about Crimson Pavilion.
Unlike Monk Dalong and Old Qiu, who found it hard to believe, Su Wangchuan remained unusually calm, as if he had known the relevant details about Crimson Pavilion for a long time.
Su Wan could not help feeling curious.
“Wangchuan, did Old Seven already brief you on Crimson Pavilion’s intelligence?”
“He told me a little. I also told Captain Bai some information about Crimson Pavilion. It was not as detailed as what you investigated, but it was close enough.”
Su Wangchuan’s tone was even.
Su Wan could not help looking him up and down.
When she had first met him, he had been stiff and overwhelmed, like an old country bumpkin wandering into a grand garden for the first time.Later, he had been bombarded by all kinds of information about spirit realm in front of her, to the point where he could hardly digest it.
And after that, she had been able to toy with him at will.
But Su Wangchuan now truly looked different.
Ever since he had entered Caobang and become the Helm Leader of the Sanjiang Branch Helm, he had gained more opportunities to access intelligence about spirit realm. His influence had also grown; the ranked martial artists he interacted with had risen accordingly, and his entire aura and confidence had steadily improved.
“You called me up here just to tell me this?”
“Please. I am busy.”
Su Wangchuan rose, ready to leave.
Su Wan called after him from behind.
“A Crimson Pavilion assassin, and you are not worried at all?”
“What is the use of worrying? If I worry, will the Crimson Pavilion assassin stop coming? Or are you saying the studio has the ability to solve this trouble for me?”
Su Wangchuan stopped and turned his face slightly to the side. His voice carried a faint, bitter edge of mockery and resignation.
“Captain Bai has not broken through to the fourth rank yet. Even if he does, he still will not be a match for a Crimson Pavilion Bronze-Ranked assassin. Chief Steward Su, you are probably just reminding me to be careful. The land-clearing team still has to leave when it is time to leave, does it not?”
“…”
Su Wan stared at his back, left speechless for a moment.
“You are right.”
Su Wan lowered her head, her tone heavy. “For the sake of everyone else’s personal safety in the studio, the moment you take the seat as the Helm Leader of the branch, the land-clearing team will formally leave Hejiang Town. Captain Bai will return to Qingcheng Sect to cultivate a fifth-rank martial art. The others also need to avoid the impact from Crimson Pavilion assassins. The Sanjiang Branch Helm will need you and Caobang to face this.”
“Chief Steward Su, you are truly cautious.”
Su Wangchuan sounded a little helpless.
“In order to sever the threat Crimson Pavilion might bring, you are even willing to give up the position and benefits of Deputy Helm Leader of the Sanjiang Branch Helm. You are afraid that if I die, Caobang will take advantage of the situation and appoint a deputy helm leader to take over this seat… I understand.”
For him, this truly was not good news.
The Sanjiang Branch Helm would be losing another second-rank source of support.
Just as he was about to step out, Su Wan’s voice came from behind him again.
“Recruit more reserve disciples and strengthen the branch’s overall power. That is the right approach. For the next period of time, stay in the branch helm to cultivate as much as possible, and go out less.”
“…”
Su Wangchuan paused slightly, said nothing, and walked out.
Only the shadow beneath his hair seemed darker than before.
…
The Warring States Game Studio giving up the position of Deputy Helm Leader of the Sanjiang Branch Helm had truly caught him off guard.
But after thinking it through carefully, Su Wangchuan realized the studio was not wrong.
The studio existed to funnel resources upward—to feed the very top boss and create all kinds of profits for that boss—not to get dragged into the Jianghu grudges of a single gold-farming team member.
He, in the end, was merely an insignificant little figure.
The Warring States Game Studio could not revolve around him.
The real core was the big boss.
Even Captain Bai, who was on the verge of breaking through to a fourth-rank martial artist, revolved around that person.
The Warring States Building armor that the big boss had spent tens of billions to build was meant to protect the big boss, not to make risky moves for him.
When Su Wangchuan logged back into the game, his emotions had already settled.
At the very least, Su Wan had not immediately withdrawn Captain Bai and the people from Land-Clearing Team One…
Within the scope of her authority, that already counted as a trace of human warmth.
“Ergou.”
After returning to the branch helm, he immediately contacted Chen Ergou and instructed him.
“Has there been any news from Yulong Gang lately?”
“I have run into quite a few brothers recently. Many of Yulong Gang’s brothers were very happy after they learned that you have completely taken control of the branch helm!”
“And some people, after hearing that our benefits are better, are tempted to come over.”
Chen Ergou was beaming.
Facing familiar old faces from the past, he was now a lofty Caobang disciple. His confidence and presence had risen as well.
“Right.”
“I also saw Fei Zai.”
“Hall Master He has already broken through to the second rank, and Fei Zai seems to be close to breaking through to the first rank too.”
Su Wangchuan nodded.
“Go to Huishui County and quietly count how many of our former brothers are willing to come to the Sanjiang Branch Helm to make a living. I want those who know 《Archery》 and lightness skills. It would be best if they have the strength of full-fledged martial artists. Later, I will speak to Lin Xun and have him release them.”
Chen Ergou’s eyes lit up. He immediately accepted the order.
“Yes!”
“I also think this branch helm is far too big, and we have too few guards each day. It is worse than the Huishui County hall back then! I will arrange people to contact them at once. At the latest, I will report back to you tonight.”
Su Wangchuan nodded.
In a few days, Land-Clearing Team One would withdraw completely. To be honest, he was a little panicked.
He had not revealed even a hint of it in front of Su Wan—his masculine pride was at work.
But that did not mean he would sit and wait for death.
He had seen the strength of a Crimson Pavilion assassin.
It was formidable.
Even Captain Bai had nearly been no match.
If it came to him, it would probably be over in two or three moves.
He had to do something.
Recruit and expand.
Su Wangchuan muttered to himself.
“Even though I do not yet have the qualifications to build the Warring States Game Studio’s kind of armor, and I do not have that ability, in the game, at least I still have a small advantage.”
Compared to the people in the land-clearing team, his greatest advantage was his identity as the Helm Leader of Caobang’s Sanjiang Branch Helm.
With that identity, he could mobilize all disciples in the branch helm.
With that identity, the subsidiary gangs across the Sanhe River waters would have to give him face.
And…
He had Old Seven behind him.
Strictly speaking, that was also a visible layer of armor.
A Crimson Pavilion assassin had died. For Crimson Pavilion to pull an assassin from the coast and send them north to carry out an assassination mission would take time.
Now that ten days had passed, he had to seize the time and build the Sanjiang Branch Helm into a stricter fortress as quickly as possible.
At the very least, it had to be more tightly guarded than the Huishui County hall had been.
Recruiting Yulong Gang’s old hands from the Huishui County hall was only one method.
He then summoned Wang Yuehui inside.
“Helm Leader!”
Wang Yuehui saluted.
Su Wangchuan went straight to the point.
“Among Li Degui and Cao Xingwen’s trusted men, I have heard that several with the cultivation of full-fledged martial artists are being heavily squeezed out right now. Find them and bring them to me.”
“Yes!”
Wang Yuehui was slightly startled, but he immediately issued orders for people to carry it out.