Chapter 65: Activate!

Wen Nan was overjoyed. Speak of the devil, and the devil appears?

He straightened his nonexistent cuffs, leaned back into the sofa with tactical composure, and soon saw a familiar figure burst into his cramped reception room.

Blondie?

Back at the teahouse in the [Feng Shui Huan] guild, hadn’t this guy been knocked out of the game by an opponent’s skill and vanished on the spot? How had he come back to life at full health?

As he pondered this, the blond young man walked up to the sofa, glanced at Wen Nan seated, at Yu Shujun standing, and finally fixed his gaze on Wen Nan. He nodded and asked, “Are you the guild leader?”

“That’s right,” Wen Nan replied, gesturing to the single armchair beside him. “Please, have a seat.”

Blondie eyed the pitifully small armchair, thinking, Is this a toy for dolls to play house? It’s so tiny that he couldn’t even fit half his backside on it. Was this an elaborate joke? Still, he swallowed his complaints and simply said, “No need, I’ll stand. It’s fine.”

With that, he pulled up an electronic business card from his system, bent slightly, and handed it to Wen Nan. “My name is Huang Yan. I’ve already completed a trial map, and my player level is lv4. I’d like to apply to join your guild. Here’s my card, and my personal CV is attached on the back. I hope your esteemed guild will consider it.”

Hmm? Something seemed off...

Just a moment ago in the [Feng Shui Huan] guild’s teahouse, wasn’t this Huang Yan the arrogant newcomer who strutted as if he owned the place? The one who didn’t even spare a glance for the six major guilds—why was he now so respectful when faced with this barely established, obscure guild of Wen Nan’s? Had he really transformed so drastically in just a few hours?

Wen Nan couldn’t help but look over at Yu Shujun again, suspicion in his eyes.

Yu Shujun shrugged and silently mouthed: This time, it really has nothing to do with me.

So you admit you meddled the previous times, then? No more pretending?

Wen Nan redirected his attention to Huang Yan, scrutinizing him anew. He was definitely the same guy who’d been so provocative in the teahouse earlier; Wen Nan couldn’t be mistaken.

Could it be... that the [Feng Shui Huan] guild was up to something shady again? Perhaps they’d taken out the real Huang Yan and sent out an imposter in his place to cause trouble? But that didn’t make sense—[Feng Shui Huan] prided themselves on etiquette and wouldn’t stoop to such underhanded tactics.

So what was with this guy’s attitude now?

Feigning a studious examination of Huang Yan’s résumé, Wen Nan’s mind raced with possibilities. The sight of the blond’s furrowed brow and grave expression only added to the mystery. Huang Yan seemed inexplicably nervous, a sheen of sweat breaking out on his back; he licked his dry lips, his palms cold, fists unconsciously clenching at his sides as if terrified of rejection.

Wen Nan, catching this out of the corner of his eye, grew even more perplexed. This was just a fledgling guild with only a single leader and still in its trial period—who would get this anxious about a membership interview?

He summoned the system, opened up his skill panel, and activated [Mind Reading], targeting the young man before him.

The next moment, the skill took effect, and beneath Huang Yan’s silent exterior, a torrent of frantic thoughts poured forth—

“Damn it all, these past twelve hours have been the darkest of my life. I’ve never been this miserable before.”

“That pack of bastards from [Feng Shui Huan]—they’re inhuman! First, they used a trick to hide me, then knocked me out with some item, and dumped me behind their guild’s outhouse. I had to climb out stinking to high heaven.”

“And worse, these hypocrites, so prim and proper on the outside, completely ruined my future! If they wanted me gone, fine, but did they have to destroy my prospects too?”

“I was too naïve, never realized how treacherous people can be. Smiling tigers—they won’t cross you in public, but stab you in the back in secret!”

“No one ever told me that offending [Feng Shui Huan] was as good as offending all six major guilds. Now I’m blacklisted—none of them will ever take me in.”

“If I were only banned from the big guilds, that would be one thing. But in just a few hours, word has spread to all the major and mid-sized guilds. I’ve tried everywhere—none of them dare take me.”

“Forget big guilds—even the mid-sized ones have caught the scent and won’t sign me.”

“Just now, someone from [Feng Bing Huan] even mocked me, saying that in another day, not just the hundred-member guilds, but even the tiniest twenty-person guilds will be too scared to take me in.”

“At this rate, even if I make enough money to start my own guild, who would dare join me?”

“If I’m condemned to struggle alone from now on, that’s just too tragic.”

“No—I have to find a guild before the news spreads any further.”

“The dungeon run is about to start. I don’t have much time left...”

This entire mental journey was almost too vivid.

He was nothing more than a brash newcomer who’d offended the six major guilds, found himself at a dead end, and now had come to Wen Nan for refuge.

Taking him in carried the risk of offending the six major guilds; not taking him in would mean Wen Nan would lose any chance of ever establishing his own guild. And really, hadn’t he already offended [Feng Shui Huan] the moment he’d turned down their invitation? What difference would one more offense make...

With that thought, Wen Nan glanced at the countdown in front of him—ten minutes left. He put away Huang Yan’s e-business card, stood up, and extended his right hand.

“Congratulations, your application is approved. Welcome to the [Steady Victory] guild.”

Huang Yan was overjoyed, gripping Wen Nan’s hand tightly and shaking it vigorously. “Thank you, thank you! It’s an honor!”

Both of them seemed pressed for time and hastily signed a three-year membership contract in the system.

9527: [Congratulations! You have successfully completed the first stage of the mission, bringing you one step closer to officially establishing your guild! Keep it up, and good luck!]

Wen Nan breathed a sigh of relief and turned to say a few words to Huang Yan, but in the next instant, Huang Yan’s figure vanished before his eyes.

Almost simultaneously, Wen Nan’s vision went black, his body plummeting rapidly downward, and the system notification rang in his ears—

[Welcome to the beginner dungeon of “Help! I’m Surrounded by Them!”]

[Classic map “The Office’s Forbidden Taboo**” has been unlocked.]