"I?"
Su Lin raised an eyebrow. After Xiao Linlin pointed this out, he quickly understood: "Xu Zhiyi used my name. If I stand on the opposite side of the Self-Help Association, it will have a huge impact on her."
"Because the biggest source of confidence for the self-help group is the confidence to not be afraid of failure; for survivors with not much assets, even if they fail to get promoted this time, they can still recover some of their losses through their status as members of the self-help group, or even receive special compensation from Xu Zhiyi afterward."
“But once I break ties with the Self-Help Association, the group’s confidence will be weakened by at least half. Without hope, confidence and benefits, who would be willing to risk their life for Xu Zhiyi?”
“The others know this too, so they try to win me over and find ways to stand with me.”
"At that time, whether I fight against the Self-Rescue Association or help the Self-Rescue Association... at least the survivors standing next to me will have a much higher chance of avoiding being ganged up on or targeted, and will be able to advance in rank based on their own abilities."
As Su Lin spoke, he suddenly turned around and looked behind him. He saw the blond-haired boy's panicked eyes and then awkwardly raised his hand to greet him.
"It seems there are already some clever people out there."
Xiao Linlin noticed Huang Yi in the distance. He was still reluctant to leave and kept lingering nearby. This guy wasn't in a hurry to get the badge; he was focused on figuring out how to make contact with Su Lin.
Given the shrewdness of the survivors in Zone C, at least half of them know that the badge is not the key to promotion at all; it is Su Lin and the Self-Rescue Association's attitude that matters!
Besides them, powerful figures like Luo Han, Yin Wunan, and Wang Dingguo, who had previously formed the Survivors' forces, were also key factors.
The only way to advance is by vying for badges, and it is the most powerless act of a lone wolf against the prevailing internal forces.
"So, do you think I should target her?"
Su Lin humbly asked, and found that Xiao Linlin's growth rate was no slower than his own, but the two focused on different things.
No rush.
Xiao Linlin shook her head: "Let's see what Xu Zhiyi does next. At least I can be sure of one thing: my brother's promotion is definitely not a problem, it's just a matter of how high or low his promotion ranking is."
This was something Xiao Linlin had just confirmed. She understood the moment she saw the game rules in the resettlement area that her brother would definitely be promoted.
But this time, promotion doesn't seem to be the most important thing.
Xiao Linlin frowned, still deep in thought, with a serious expression she hadn't shown even during her last promotion.
"If that's the case, what are you still worried about?"
Su Lin gently stroked Xiao Linlin's head and asked thoughtfully, "I've always wondered, you should dislike Xu Zhiyi more than I do, so why did you seem less dislike her during these two encounters... while you were testing her?"
Su Lin knew Xiao Linlin well enough that he had noticed the little girl's subtle changes in attitude long ago.
Especially since Xu Zhiyi proposed transferring a percentage of the membership fee revenue during their last meeting, Xiao Linlin, knowing herself as she did, was certain that she would refuse.
But instead of refusing on my behalf, she relayed the message to me and asked for my opinion.
This is indeed a sign of respect for Su Lin, but it also shows that Xiao Linlin herself is struggling internally and is hesitant about this matter.
"I hate her because I never saw her clearly."
Xiao Linlin shook her head and said in a low voice, "I didn't understand her very well before, probably because I was too stupid. I always felt that this woman was too strange. She said she wanted to be my brother's friend, but her words and actions were not very likable."
"She can foresee the future and use better means to win over her brother, yet she repeatedly shows that she is 'scheming'."
"But she didn't calculate any core interests. Instead, she helped her brother a lot and had to sacrifice herself for it."
"I later thought that she might be showing off her abilities, or she might be trying to gain more benefits by helping her brother, but... but my intuition told me that wasn't the case."
Xiao Linlin murmured, "She must have something to do, but we don't know what she's really plotting."
Xiao Linlin was almost certain that Xu Zhiyi, like Su Lin, had already embarked on an unfamiliar path.
These two people are so similar; they both have something they're pursuing that others can't understand. But the question is, what exactly is Xu Zhiyi pursuing?
Su Lin was on her way, and the two didn't have any core conflicts of interest... Logically speaking, they could have become partners instead of being so wary of each other now.
Take your time, there's no rush.
Su Lin gently comforted Xiao Linlin, whose attitude towards Xu Zhiyi had shifted from wariness and dislike to one of inquiry.
She wanted to uncover Xu Zhiyi's secrets and see what this woman was really like.
"She's the one who's anxious."
Xiao Linlin looked up at Su Lin, then lowered her head again: "Never mind, I don't know what she's so anxious about. Let's keep watching."
"Brother, pick a badge."
Xiao Linlin looked around at the passageway and pondered before making her next plan: "In my opinion, even Luo Han and his group will not be the first to break the current balance. They will stop after taking four badges at most."
"This way, I can ensure my chances of promotion without becoming the target of everyone's criticism: to be the first survivor to collect all five badges."
"But someone has to break the balance, and your brother is the most suitable. No one dares to stand in front of you casually."
Xiao Linlin smiled and said, "Even if the number of badges results in not enough promotion slots, it is only natural for the top-ranked player to take one slot. No one will object. You alone have the same deterrent power as the entire Self-Salvation Association."
"Um."
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