Chapter 24: Blackmail
Chapter 24: Blackmail
September 25, 2017
Thanks to 'One Word Mistake' for the reward.
Seeking recommendations and collections...
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Zhang Wen, who had been repeatedly harassed by Lu HaiKong, eventually became his subject or 'follower'. However, his loyalty to Lu HaiKong was dismally low at 30 points, a level where he would likely flee at the slightest dissatisfaction.
Lu HaiKong didn't mind this situation. After all, he had already secured the benefits for himself, and as for Zhang Wen, he could keep him around for cultivation. It would be best if his loyalty increased, but if it didn't and he fled, it wouldn't matter. Currently, Lu HaiKong didn't need a scholar, and he was quite indifferent in this regard.
Zhang Wen's attributes were actually quite decent, especially his Persuasion skill, which was genuinely impressive. If used well, it could significantly contribute to Lu HaiKong's development. However, it was precisely because of this skill that Lu HaiKong, currently short on funds, disliked Zhang Wen, as the skill required a hefty price of 1 gold to activate.
Lu HaiKong felt that those who constantly demanded money went against the harmonious socialist melody and were a cancer of capitalism!
Lu HaiKong didn't bother to supervise Zhang Wen and directly commanded Wang Chao MaHan and the others to skillfully gather the spoils of war. Today's battle had been fruitful; they obtained 12 gold from Zhang Wen, 5 gold from the four leaders of the refugees, and nearly 7,000 copper coins from the two to three hundred refugees.
Additionally, there was a large warehouse filled with steamed buns in the refugee camp, containing at least two to three thousand catties of them.
Lu HaiKong's financial difficulties suddenly eased, and with such a good harvest, his mood naturally improved. However, his happiness was short-lived.
As Lu HaiKong led his team out of the refugee camp, carrying their spoils, the trio of Wang Ke, who had been waiting for a long time, appeared with mischievous smiles, eyeing Lu HaiKong as if he were a fattened sheep.
"Hey, buddy, you took down such a large refugee camp. Not bad, but we've been keeping an eye on this camp for several days. You didn't even give us a heads-up before taking it down. That's not very nice, is it?" Wang Ke said with a fiery gaze fixed on Zhang Wen beside Lu HaiKong, his tone sinister.
Lu HaiKong was taken aback. He had encountered only a few Unusual Individuals, and the first one had led him to raid a bandit camp. Now, he was facing three more, and they were clearly here to rob him.
A bandit being robbed by others—how embarrassing! He should kill them, dismember their bodies, and fry them alive!
Lu HaiKong's inner demon roared, but his face remained cheerful. "You guys are players too, right? This game has so few players that I've been playing solo for days. Finally, I've found an organization. From now on, I'll stick with you guys. Please take good care of me."
Lu HaiKong approached them with enthusiasm, but as soon as he reached their side, Wang Ke kicked him, causing Lu HaiKong to stumble back a few steps.
"Don't try to shrug this off. Do you think you can just join us? I just said that we should split the loot, and you happily went ahead and took the camp. We've been watching this camp for days, and you didn't even give us any compensation. That's not right."
In truth, Lu HaiKong could have easily dodged Wang Ke's kick, but he chose to take it.
Lu Hai Kong had a peculiar trait; he never picked fights easily, but once he encountered a problem, he wanted to thoroughly resolve it. Deep down, he hoped to settle this conflict peacefully, as players killing each other in the game left him with a lingering sense of guilt.
Alright, it was clear that Lu Hai Kong was contemplating murder, but let's ignore his inner turmoil for now.
"There's no need for this, brothers. We're all Outsiders. It's not worth it over such a small matter. Here, I have 5 gold. Take it and go drink. Let's just forget about this." Lu Hai Kong took out 5 gold and smiled as he handed it to Wang Ke.
Who knew that the guy would flick his hand and send the 5 gold in Lu Hai Kong's hand flying? With a cold smile, he said, "5 gold? You're treating me like a beggar. Don't you know that even the smallest raid on your Refugee Camp would yield at least 15 gold? You think you can get rid of me with just 5 gold? That's a bit too optimistic."
'Calm down, calm down. Murder is illegal. In this game, Outsiders only have two lives, and they're precious. Don't resort to killing at the slightest provocation!'
Lu Hai Kong struggled to control his anger. Oddly enough, this guy's thought process seemed off. In his eyes, was there no middle ground for this conflict other than a peaceful resolution or murder? Was there no other path to take?
"Then, what do you suggest we do to resolve this?" Lu Hai Kong asked through gritted teeth.
Wang Ke, standing opposite him, didn't state his conditions right away. Instead, he exchanged a smile with his two hangers-on and strode up to Lu Hai Kong, saying, "Let's set aside how to resolve this for now. You're a Bandit, aren't you?"
"It's not hard to tell," Lu Hai Kong replied coldly, glancing back at Wang Chao MaHan and the others.
"Oh, you're getting cocky now!" Wang Ke smirked and raised his hand to slap Lu Hai Kong across the face.
This was a slap in the face, literally! But Lu Hai Kong wasn't one to take this lying down. He wasn't a masochist, and he easily dodged the slap by stepping back.
A perfect 69 in the 169 version!
"Do you believe that if you dare to lay a hand on me, I'll make sure you can't move a muscle!" Lu Hai Kong's face turned icy, and his tone made Wang Ke shiver.
At this moment, Wang Ke realized that this guy before him might not be easy to deal with. However, confident that he had Lu Hai Kong's weakness, he wasn't afraid of any tricks Lu Hai Kong might pull.
"Oh, you're getting arrogant! Do you think I won't expose your identity as an Outsider Bandit?"
At these words, Lu Hai Kong's expression changed. Yue'er had warned him before—it was best to keep his identity as an Outsider Bandit hidden. If exposed, it would undoubtedly attract a siege, and it would be a relentless pursuit until they were all dead.
Lu Hai Kong did take this matter to heart. Otherwise, given his personality, he would have long gone to the county town to cause trouble.
Wang Ke, seeing Lu Hai Kong's expression change, thought he had him cornered. He became even more smug, "What's the matter? You don't want to be officially sieged, do you? If you don't want that, then follow my instructions to the letter."
"First, hand over all the gold you have. I also want the 'Village Foundation Document' you should have. I'll take the NPC behind you as well. From now on, you'll deliver 100 gold to me every month. Got it?"
(End of Chapter)
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