Chapter 454
Zhao Shuying was unclear about many things; she had never witnessed the strong side of Yu Xunge's character. After all, Yu Xunge was the strongest presence in Zai Jiu, capable of traversing the Zelan alone even in her weakest early days, and she could even collaborate with Ding Hai to exchange gold for coins.
But one thing was clear to her: Yu Xunge never bullied the weak just because she was strong.
She pursued power, yet she never used strength or talent as the sole or highest standard for her actions or friendships.
From their first meeting to now, she had been a bystander, witnessing Yu Xunge's rise.
Yu Xunge's methods had become bolder and more assertive, yet her attitude towards herself remained unchanged.
When Zhao Shuying first visited this villa, Yu Xunge would joke with her. Now, upon her return, Yu Xunge still engaged her in light-hearted conversation.
She would connect with Zhao Shuying outside the villa's lightning net, rather than sitting inside and remotely activating it, then sending her a simple message: "Come in."
She could easily do that, and Zhao Shuying would have no complaints, but that was not the kind of person Yu Xunge was.
As she pushed open the door and walked along the path into the villa, Zhao Shuying shared her feelings with Yu Xunge.
After she finished speaking, Yu Xunge and Tu Lan suddenly stopped in their tracks, staring at each other wide-eyed.
Zhao Shuying's heart sank; she sensed something was off.
Yu Xunge slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Oh!"
Tu Lan followed suit, "Oh!"
"How did I not think of that? We could have done it this way!"
"Little Zhao, you really are a natural leader! You're way better at this than we are!"
"Isn't that the truth? We fighters are just too straightforward! And what’s with this 'Little Zhao' nonsense? Call her Director Zhao!"
"Director Zhao wouldn’t be doing this every day in her office, would she? Ahem, come in."
"Maybe she would! She might even take a sip from her thermos and say, 'Good job, Little Tu.'"
The two of them bickered and entered the house, acting out their roles without checking if Zhao Shuying was following.
Zhao Shuying: "..."
Meanwhile, the B8017913, who had been silently perched on Tu Lan's head, turned back to scan Zhao Shuying with a sympathetic look, as if it had heard the sound of a heart breaking.
...
Inside the house, the coffee table was laden with various drinks, desserts, and fruits.
Before discussing business, Zhao Shuying brought a gift from Ding Hai—100 items that could increase distributable attribute points.
There were skill crystals, food, gems, little puppets that granted attribute points after just five minutes of play, and clothes that could increase an attribute point after being worn for a day...
They were neatly arranged in a large box and presented to Yu Xunge.
Yu Xunge asked, "A trade?"
Zhao Shuying replied, "A token of gratitude. You don’t need to promise anything; it’s given willingly by Ding Hai."
Yu Xunge accepted it; it was what she deserved.
This box of gifts was reminiscent of the Legion Orders from years past. The giver seemed to ask for nothing in return, yet both sides knew that the recipient would never take such a gift for granted.
Once the serious discussions began, upon hearing that Yu Xunge wanted to use the [Old Blacksmith] skill to build an engineering workshop and an alchemy workshop nearby, Zhao Shuying immediately had her subordinates send over the electronic map of Yu Xunge's area.
Then, she drew a large circle on her tablet, centered around Yu Xunge's villa, and said, "This entire area is yours. Is it enough?"
She almost included the Liang family estate in the circle, but Yu Xunge had no intention of expanding it further. The Liang family being nearby was quite beneficial, serving as a defensive line. Plus, once the battle tower was constructed, if the Liang family caused trouble, she could swiftly deal with it.
She pointed to several nearby villa districts and asked, "What about the players living here?"
Zhao Shuying answered, "Ding Hai will provide them with generous compensation—new housing, dungeon slots, equipment, potions, and gold—enough to make them willingly relocate, leaving all players who hear about the compensation regretting that they weren’t the ones moving."
Working with Zhao Shuying was comfortable; her mind was as intricate as lotus roots, and she understood Yu Xunge's intentions with just a word.
As Yu Xunge selected locations for the engineering and alchemy workshops on the map, Zhao Shuying quietly remarked, "You really don’t have to be this generous. You’ve done so much for Zai Jiu; if you want them to move, they wouldn’t refuse, nor could they."
This statement left Yu Xunge momentarily stunned. She shot Zhao Shuying a strange look but remained silent, lowering her head to continue selecting locations.
Zhao Shuying turned to Tu Lan for clarification, "What does she mean by that?"
Tu Lan, munching on fruit nearby, replied, "She’s being generous because Ding Hai is covering the relocation costs. If you made her pay for those, just watch her find an excuse to go against Ding Hai."
Zhao Shuying was momentarily speechless, then continued, "What about those players who refuse to move?"
Tu Lan looked at Zhao Shuying as if she were foolish, "That wouldn’t sound good if it got out, would it?"
Catching a glimpse of Yu Xunge nodding in agreement, Zhao Shuying silently crossed her legs, straightened her posture, and placed her hands on her knees.
Tu Lan was at a loss for words; it wasn’t that serious.
She felt as if she were witnessing the successor of a deflated balloon manufacturer.
Finally, after selecting the locations, Yu Xunge drew two small circles on the map, both not far from the villa—one for the engineering workshop at three o'clock and the other for the alchemy workshop at twelve o'clock.
As for the cooldown time of [Old Blacksmith], Yu Xunge assured Zhao Shuying that she needn’t worry.
Her [Time Reversal] skill could be used once every hour, reducing the cooldown time by 50% each time.
With an 850-day cooldown, it could be reset in less than a day. By the time the old blacksmith finished one workshop, she might be able to use the skill again.
However, Yu Xunge didn’t explain all this in detail; she simply reassured Zhao Shuying:
"Once I finish building the engineering and alchemy workshops, I can summon the old blacksmith for you. You’ll help me supervise the workshops and meet the old blacksmith's needs. I’ll summon him for you for free the first time, and then we can discuss the details later."
Such fairness left Zhao Shuying with no reason to refuse.
Before her arrival, everyone in Ding Hai had prepared to serve Yu Xunge without charge.
But this time, she was determined not to praise Yu Xunge any further.
**Chapter 519: [Old Blacksmith] & Y1130**
During the time Zhao Shuying stayed for lunch at Yu Xunge's house, the area around the villa was cleared.
With various divine talents in play, not only were all the players relocated, but the previous residences were also demolished, and all construction debris was completely cleaned up.
Yu Xunge stood with Tu Lan and Zhao Shuying on the cleared land, surrounded by a dozen players responsible for handling the old blacksmith's requirements and observing the construction techniques of the workshop.
She raised her hand and activated the [Old Blacksmith] skill.
The moment the towering figure of light appeared, Zhao Shuying worriedly asked, "Is the old blacksmith responsible for the workshop materials?"
Yu Xunge wasn’t sure; that was precisely why she had brought Ding Hai into the mix. What if materials were needed? Would they just stand by and watch?
As the light dimmed, a giant, conservatively estimated to be three meters tall, sat down and looked at Yu Xunge, speaking in a language she couldn’t understand.
Neither she nor Ding Hai's current translators could decipher it.
Fortunately, B8017913 understood and translated, saying, "I’m hungry!"
After Yu Xunge translated for Zhao Shuying, Ding Hai's people brought out the prepared food and drinks, half of which were ordinary dishes and half gourmet meals crafted by master chefs.
If there was one thing Yu Xunge worried about, it was that the old blacksmith would demand exquisite cuisine, which would mean she would have to step in and spend time preparing meals for him.
But thankfully, the old blacksmith wasn’t picky; he just had a big appetite.
While the old blacksmith ate and drank, Yu Xunge managed to establish initial communication with him.
She wasn’t in a hurry about the alchemy workshop; getting the engineering workshop built first would benefit Tu Lan in researching protective measures for the villa.
Moreover, she was greatly influenced by Hufflepuff.
That was a legendary figure who could brew batch after batch of potions from a humble corner of an alchemy shop.
The environment was important, but not overly so.
Give her a study and a crucible, and she could brew potions.
She outlined her various requirements for the engineering workshop to Tu Lan, and the old blacksmith, Tom Jerry, took note of them one by one, also presenting his own demands.
Tom Jerry required 200 pounds of food and 100 pounds of wine daily, with a quality rating of at least 80. Given sufficient food and drink, he could complete a 1,000-square-foot workshop in ten days, and Yu Xunge figured at least half of that time would be spent eating.
As for materials, they would naturally have to be provided by Yu Xunge—steel, ore, wood, and metal. The better the materials, the better the workshop he would build.
If the materials were precious enough, some magical properties might emerge, such as increased inspiration or a chance to upgrade potions.
Yu Xunge asked, "Aren't you supposed to create a top-tier workshop according to my wishes?"
Tom Jerry replied, "The materials you provide are your wishes."
Yu Xunge: "..." It was a pity this old blacksmith wasn’t in sales.
After translating this exchange for Zhao Shuying, Yu Xunge fell silent, crossing her arms and gazing at the sky, prompting Zhao Shuying to follow suit.
The atmosphere grew quiet.
A player standing behind Zhao Shuying couldn’t hold back any longer and whispered, "What does that mean?"
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