Chapter 31 The Infinite Boss Invites You to "Eat Melon" 31. You...

Jiang Yan, the "Elemental Messenger"?

Lu Yu's eyebrows twitched slightly; he hadn't expected that their team would be the first to approach them.

But upon closer reflection, it makes sense. Being called the "know-it-alls of the game," their team's understanding of certain secrets must far surpass that of other players. It's normal for them to make the first choice and try to seize the initiative.

The second fragment of divinity is approaching; this is the perfect time to take a gamble.

In his previous encounters with players, Lu Yu had laid out his bait but hadn't said much. He wanted to catch players who had enough information and weren't entirely committed to the Smile Game. However, these players were often veterans with many concerns, and many were inevitably greedy for the power the Smile Game offered and unwilling to give it up. Therefore, Lu Yu hadn't expected to catch any big fish at the beginning.

But as things stand, there are always enough bold and clever people.

As for whether the text message might be fake or a sinister plot, of course it could be, but does Lu Yu need to be afraid now?

“Elementalists…” Lu Yu pondered, “If their team’s stance is reassuring enough, then they could be considered the most suitable allies for Yan Zhi and me.”

He thought for a moment, then replied to Pei Yanzhi, explaining the team building activities and Jiang Yan's situation as concisely as possible.

Pei Yanzhi quickly replied: [Jiang Yan has always been a smart person; it's not surprising she was the first to approach us. The only concern in cooperating with someone like her is whether her stance is firm enough.]

Lu Yu: [We can stabilize her position. I plan to use my purification power.]

Lu Yu had already discussed the strategy of winning over and dividing the players with Pei Yanzhi, and Pei Yanzhi had no objections at the time. But now, things seem different.

Pei Yanzhi: [Are you going to use passive purification on Jiang Yan and the others?]

This message contained no emoji and seemed like just a simple question, but Lu Yu keenly sensed a hint of emotion within it.

He couldn't discern what this emotion was, but even without intimate contact, his passive purification required direct contact. What could cause his lover to have feelings about this? Of course, it was jealousy! Even the wise and mighty realm lord was already captivated by him and couldn't think straight.

Lu Yu sighed sweetly and typed: "Don't worry, baby. I definitely won't purify them right after forming an alliance. At most, I'll select two people, pat them on the arm, and let them feel the power of purification. True purification will only happen when they demonstrate sufficient value, obtain the second fragment of divine power, and further unlock the power of purification, allowing them to actively purify."

Pei Yanzhi was initially a little worried that he had sent an inappropriate message in his nervousness, fearing that Lu Yu might notice something. But now, after receiving this message, although he vaguely sensed that Lu Yu seemed to have misunderstood something, this misunderstanding came at just the right time.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief: "Okay."

Then, as if remembering something, she added: "By the way, the second phase of the story mission has started. Detailed information can only be received at the in-game transfer station. I need to take the afternoon off to go back home; I might not be back until tomorrow noon. Are you coming over tonight?"

Lu Yu thought for a moment: "Then I won't go. I haven't been back to Chenhun Apartment for two days. I'll go back and pack my usual things and clothes to take with me tomorrow."

Pei Yanzhi deliberately said: "...Judging from your tone, you're planning to live together? Who gave you permission?"

Lu Yu calmly typed: 【My husband, Pei Yanzhi, approved it. Didn't he tell you?】

Pei Yanzhi: [...]

Pei Yanzhi: [Get lost. I'm not talking to you anymore.]

After two messages, there was another emoji, which was a very bad cat pooping.

Lu Yu raised his hand to cover his lips, trying to suppress his laughter, but his eyes couldn't help but crinkle into a smile.

After admiring the kitten pooping for a while longer, Lu Yu reluctantly closed the chat interface, replied to Jiang Yan's text message, and arranged to meet near where he picked up his car after get off work that evening.

Lu Yu processed the good news, while the boss, who had been giving a long and rambling speech in front of his workstation, had finished his nonsense.

The main idea of ​​the last paragraph is that he went to great lengths to make sure everyone had a good time and fun. You bunch of ungrateful employees shouldn't be ungrateful; you must be grateful to him and the company, and work hard to make the company happy.

At the end of the rambling, a colleague boldly raised his hand: "Boss, can we bring family members to this team building event?"

The word "still" indicates that there has been a precedent.

“Sure,” the boss turned around and held up a finger, “but you can only bring one person. You can’t bring seniors over sixty or children under sixteen. You’ll have to manage everything yourself, sign a waiver, buy your own insurance, and pay the team building fee quoted by the travel agency. We’re all family, so I’ll give you a 1% discount…”

My colleague's mouth twitched wider and wider, but he still didn't say anything.

Lu Yu used to not care whether family members could bring them to team building events, but this year he had to. Adhering to his principle of being a tough nut to crack in the workplace, he secretly slipped into Lao Miu's office and had a fierce negotiation with him, managing to get the team building fee for family members reduced. In the end, they settled on 20% of the original price, which was still a lot, but at least much better than a 1% discount.

Having just received a windfall from Chen Jia, Lu Yu was extremely extravagant and immediately paid Pei Yanzhi's team-building expenses.

Lu Yu sent Pei Yanzhi a message: 【Thank you Mr. Chen Jia for his generous sponsorship.】

Pei Yanzhi then copied: 【Thanks to Mr. Chen Jia for his generous sponsorship.】

Then each of them sent a cheeky high-five emoji.

This Monday was pretty ordinary for Lu Yu after he lost his anticipation of returning to Pei Yan's house in the evening. He slacked off, took a paid bathroom break, and coasted through get off work until the end of the day before taking the subway to pick up his car.

After picking up his car, Lu Yu had a quick meal nearby, and it was almost time for his agreed meeting with Jiang Yan.

He parked his car, took the address Jiang Yan gave him, and after many twists and turns, entered a very remote, obviously illegal internet cafe.

After struggling through the strange stench of cigarette smoke mixed with the smell of instant noodles, Lu Yu found the private room number Jiang Yan had mentioned among the groups of internet-addicted teenagers.

Number 666 is very auspicious.

Lu Yu raised his hand and knocked on the door.

Who is it?

A lazy young man's voice came from inside, sounding like someone who frequents internet cafes and stays up all night.

Lu Yu checked the room number again to make sure it was correct, and said in a deep voice, "I am Lu Yu."

There was a two-second silence in the private room.

The next moment, the door to the private room opened, and a bright and elegant woman with curly hair poked her head out with a slightly apologetic expression: "Excuse me, Mr. Lu, I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly. Please come in."

Lu Yu was ushered into the private room.

Upon entering, I was taken aback by what I saw inside.

This can no longer be considered a private room in an internet cafe.

Looking from the outside, he estimated the space inside to be no more than one or two square meters, but in reality, it was more than ten square meters, a hidden world inside.

At least twenty or thirty screens of various kinds are suspended and spread out, full of futuristic technology. Below the screens, there are comic books, crystal balls, strange little fish, and bizarre mist, which are mysterious and fantastical, displaying countless clear or hazy images.

On the table directly opposite the door, there is a pen that is writing automatically.

His frantic writing, not daring to stop for even a second, piqued Lu Yu's curiosity. What kind of secret could it be that required such anxious recording?

He squinted slightly and subconsciously looked down at the pen.

Cherrapunji, in northeastern South India, is known as the world's "rainiest place".

Figure 1 is a sketch map of South India. Figure 2 shows the annual precipitation distribution in South India. Use the figures to answer the following questions…

Lu Yu: "..."

“This is the strange object ‘Pre-School Ballpoint Pen.’ It likes to go out and steal some summer homework to finish when it has nothing to do,” Jiang Yan explained with a dry laugh. “Come, come, have a seat here.”

Jiang Yan pulled out a gaming chair, and Lao Bai and Lin Xiaoman flanked her, one bringing a Coke and the other snacks, showing great hospitality.

Lu Yu: "..."

Is this the official meeting between the SSS-level dungeon boss and the sixth-ranked player on the Smile Game leaderboard, the vice president of the War God Guild? Is something amiss?

Lu Yu pondered for a moment, then expressionlessly pulled the tab on his iced cola, trying to change the subject: "So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

“Let’s work together to eliminate the Smiling Game.” Jiang Yan said solemnly, getting straight to the point.

She could tell that Lu Yu didn't want to waste time talking to them, so she simply decided not to waste any more time.

"Cooperation?" Lu Yu raised an eyebrow. "I don't deny that I need some players to cooperate with me, otherwise I wouldn't have leaked that information to test you. But the question now is, why should I choose you out of so many players?"

Jiang Yan was not surprised by Lu Yu's attitude.

The disparity in strength between the two sides is too great, and whether this cooperation succeeds or fails, the initiative is not actually in their hands.

They came seeking cooperation, or rather, they came to actively seek refuge; it's normal for them to be picked over. Being arrogant and unable to recognize their place is a major taboo. But being self-deprecating and allowing themselves to be exploited is also unacceptable. They also have their own bargaining chips.

“I know that you and the Realm Lord have joined forces, and soon, Crimson Dawn will probably join your camp as well. Xiaoman and I only have two small teams, and at most we can recruit some people from our respective guilds. Of course, our value is incomparable to that of the Realm Lord, but we also have something that they cannot match,” Jiang Yan said calmly. “The achievement of any goal cannot be without the support of intelligence. In this regard, I think we have a value that no other team can replace.”

“Besides that, there are also exploration points,” Jiang Yan said. “You should already know how helpful they are in finding the fragments of divinity. Our team obtained the full ten exploration points during the exploration phase of the SSS-level dungeon. Even though we used some in the first phase, we still have more than half left. Combined with Xiaoman’s team, we still have more than ten points left. As long as we use them properly, it will be more than enough to lock in the remaining two unclaimed fragments.”

Lu Yu raised his eyes: "Whether it's intelligence or exploration points, only what can be used by me is valuable. If we cooperate, what can you do for me with these?"

"We can help you obtain all the remaining fragments of divinity," Jiang Yan said, her eyes gleaming.

“I can get it even without you,” Lu Yu said calmly.

“But with us around, things will go more smoothly,” Jiang Yan said. “The fewer accidents we have, the better, right?”

"And you may not have understood what I meant. I said 'all the remaining fragments of divinity,' 'all,' not 'two pieces.'"

Jiang Yan emphasized.

Lu Yu paused: "You mean..."

“Yes,” Jiang Yan nodded, “including the other three fragments of divine essence scattered among the players.”

Lu Yu frowned slightly.

Now that the decision has been made to collect all the Godhood fragments, Lu Yu naturally intends to reclaim the three fragments currently held by the players. Two of these fragments are in the possession of Ji Chengchuan, and one is in the hands of Pei Yanzhi. The former bears the mark of Smile Games, while the latter does not.

This understanding mainly came from the gossip system, and was supplemented with details from candid chats with Pei Yanzhi over the weekend.

Yes, Pei Yanzhi has already discussed his pendant with Lu Yu and said that once the pollution has stabilized, he will give the pendant to him. Once it awakens, it can be fused together, at the latest within a week.

Lu Yu had no doubt about this.

Strictly speaking, we've already got our hands on that fragment.

As long as Jiang Yan lives up to their reputation as the "King of Intelligence," she wouldn't be unaware of these things. Therefore, the meaning of her words is quite clear: she is willing to take sides to the greatest extent possible, to make her stance clear, and even to wage war against Ji Chengchuan, who is the "golden son" of Smile Games, for this.

Jiang Yan's resoluteness was somewhat unexpected by Lu Yu.

He scrutinized Jiang Yan: "If you can do that, then it is indeed very valuable. But Smile Game will not be unprepared for players to defect. Before the SSS-level dungeon opened, it must have promised you great benefits and set up some restrictions to ensure that you would not betray us. What are these? And how do you plan to overcome them to cooperate with me?"

Although his eyes were sharp, his tone was ordinary. Even so, Lin Xiaoman and Lao Bai next to him couldn't help but look nervous.

Clearly, this is a question they will find difficult to answer satisfactorily.

The two knew that an unsatisfactory answer could potentially provoke the Boss's anger.

Even though they already knew that Chen Jia, who had previously tried to seduce the Boss, was still alive despite being sent back to Jinshui Star and losing all her savings, they didn't dare to be so audacious as to try and see what would happen if they angered the Boss.

They came seeking cooperation, not to court death.

“I’m sorry,” Jiang Yan said calmly, “I can’t go into details about these things because of the game rules. But you’ve already revealed the control methods that Smile Game can use on us; it’s nothing more than game corruption.”

"We currently have some means that, while we cannot completely avoid its interference, we can at least do some things within its limitations."

"That means you can't provide any positive, direct help," Lu Yu said.

Jiang Yan paused for a moment: "That's right... But with our intelligence support, you will be able to proceed very smoothly, whether you act openly or covertly."

Lin Xiaoman peeked out from the side: "Yes, yes, besides, you already have a lover who can be called the strongest combatant among the players, so our little bit of positive help, whether it's there or not, is about enough for you, right?"

Lu Yu glanced at Lin Xiaoman; this person was quite good at flattery.

"Alright," Lu Yu said, putting down the can of cola in his hand. "Let's not get into these superficial things."

His gaze was indifferent: "It's not surprising that you came to me wanting to join forces with me to take down Smile Game. But it's not normal for you to be willing to throw out so many chips at once when it comes to 'joining forces.' What you want from me is definitely more than just taking down Smile Game together."

Jiang Yan's expression remained unchanged: "Purification. We know you have the ability to purify pollution. We hope that when you are willing to trust us, we can help you purify some of the pollution and break free from the clutches of the Smiling Game. Although we have long been prepared to perish together with the Smiling Game, who would choose to die when there is a chance to live?"

Having said that, she naturally wouldn't hide it anymore.

Lu Yu paused for a moment, but was not surprised.

This subtlety might be hard for ordinary players to notice, but those in intelligence gathering are unlikely to miss it. Perfect timing, since he was already planning to use his purification abilities to win over and divide the players; now he can save himself some trouble. The only problem is that he needs to strike a balance between kindness and power, and not rely entirely on human nature.

Jiang Yan's heart sank slightly when she saw that Lu Yu did not speak immediately.

Although she wasn't almost overwhelmed by pollution like Pei Yanzhi, she was in a better state, so who would want to refuse? However, they couldn't force her to accept this anyway.

“Of course,” Jiang Yan suppressed her sigh and tried to remain calm, “even if you are unwilling to help us purify, we will still help you obtain the remaining fragments of divinity, as long as you are willing to take action and eliminate Smiling Game. Please believe that when it comes to eliminating Smiling Game, few players can surpass our determination.”

The last sentence seemed to trigger something, causing Lao Bai and Lin Xiaoman to change their expressions slightly, with a hint of hatred that they forcibly concealed flashing in their eyes.

Lu Yu's eyes flickered slightly: "What do you mean?"

He knew that asking this question would be like reopening old wounds, something he would never normally do, but right now, the players' stance was far more important than the value they could bring, so he had to ask.

Jiang Yan tugged at the corner of her mouth: "Like your lover, the three of us standing here have also lost everything that could be called family because of the Smile Game."

Lu Yu's fingers, which were tapping the armrest of the chair, suddenly froze.

Almost simultaneously, the long-dormant gossip system suddenly popped up, notifying users that new content for the "The Untold Story of Pei Yanzhi" entry had been unlocked.

Lu Yu did not open it.

Jiang Yan didn't notice Lu Yu's momentary loss of composure; she continued to recount some past events in detail.

Clearly, she was unaware that Lu Yu was completely oblivious to the tragedy that had befallen Pei Yanzhi. Judging from Lu Yu's current attitude towards the players, she assumed that Pei Yanzhi's past had most likely already been uncovered.

In fact, Lu Yu had vaguely guessed something from Pei Yanzhi's rarity about his family. But he wanted him to know these things because Pei Yanzhi wanted him to know, and Pei Yanzhi had no intention of playing the victim to his lover, so he brought them up on his own initiative.

So, by a twist of fate, the two of them never talked about these things.

Now, Lu Yu is hearing about these things for the first time, but only through descriptions from other people.

“There are no standards for who gets involved in the Smiling Game; it doesn’t discriminate based on gender or age,” Jiang Yan said. “Not long after the Spring Festival, my whole family got into the game. From what I understand, Pei Yanzhi’s parents were probably in the second or third batch of players, even earlier than my family…”

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Author's Note: [Laughing out loud] Please, little angels, give me some nutrient solution!