Section 100: Misdirection and Deliberation

"So, what does it take to defeat you?"

She asked this with a faint smile on her face.

How to defeat me? In truth, I have come close to failure many times. If you had been able to think from a global perspective, if you hadn't been so arrogant at times and so greedy at others, if you had avoided pointless internal friction and managed your internal distribution of interests effectively, I would have lost long ago.

Throughout the process, my core strategy has always been to apply pressure to force you into making mistakes. If you could have recognized this and avoided those errors, I would have lost all the same.

If you had grasped my way of thinking and adopted targeted strategies, I would have lost even more surely.

I won simply because I seized upon the tiny cracks revealed when you—the powerful—stopped thinking and let your actions be guided by experience and instinct. The great web of "instinct," woven together by your greed, arrogance, and stupidity, is the greatest guarantee of my victory.

If you had realized all this and launched a targeted attack against me, I would naturally have lost. But why would I tell you that?

"My compatriots, the people of China, are the best and most trustworthy." Wang Luo, still in a state of excitement, began to speak.

"At the same time, their behavior is the most in need of guidance—because when it comes to matters that do not concern their own interests, most of them, most of the time, are not in a state of thinking."

"Therefore, it is necessary to explain things clearly to them and reveal the truth. No god will inexplicably bring happiness to their doorstep. If they want to escape their plight and live a better life, they must strive for it themselves."

"The people of China are the best people, because once they understand this, they are willing to work for it. It is not enough to simply have many people to be called 'the people' or 'the masses'; they could just as easily be ignorant mobs, rioters, rabble, or gangs."

"We are not resigned to fate like the people in some places, nor are we pathologically lazy like those in others, or insatiably greedy like those elsewhere. My compatriots yearn for a better life and are willing to put in the effort to achieve it—this is our civilization, our pride, and our glory."

"I love them! Being one of them is my greatest honor! People like us are qualified to attain happiness and qualified to stand at the highest peak!"

"Here, there is not much I can do, just a small contribution: to point them in the right direction and provide them with the opportunity to win and reap rewards after their efforts."

"The power I possess is not mine alone. It is also the power of the people. The desire of the masses living here for a better life has converged, as have the efforts made for a better life. If you want to defeat me, you only need to defeat that."

After all, even the power of the people, condensed and armed in spirit, is formidable, but not invincible. In Korea, the United Nations forces could not be completely annihilated; it could only be considered a draw. And if all the people were slaughtered, then "the people" would cease to exist—an asteroid could easily accomplish that.

But this approach only works on small nations. Lu Zhi's method is like trying to bail out the ocean with a small ladle. Such an attack, based on the instincts of landlords and powerful clans, is clumsily ridiculous when faced with the vast, surging sea of the masses.

"I want to know, in the next scenario, will you still be able to wield such power?"

Her voice was soft and calm, with no trace of malice in her tone.

"Well," Wang Luo scratched his head. "If I dispose of everyone who knows the truth, then next time, with no one the wiser, I can still build it up from scratch without the other side being aware."

"I don't want to do that, I really don't. But if it becomes necessary," Wang Luo stared into her eyes and curled his lips, "they have all seen what happened to the others, haven't they?"

"Besides, if those who lost want to win back their losses, wouldn't it be better for them to join my team, work for me, win with me, and then study, search, and figure out how to win for themselves?"

Lin Feirui looked at him for a moment and sighed softly. "Can our assets be returned..."

"That depends on your choices. If you agree to join my team, then yes; if you refuse, then no."

"Those who lose forfeit everything. That is the nature of the battlefield. It is not that I am unkind, but I do not waste that emotion on my enemies; it is better spent on my compatriots."

"You are truly excessive..."

Her eyes turned red, and tears seemed about to fall. "If, if only..."

"A performance," Wang Luo sniffed. "Enough. A team like Wuzhou would not be led by a pitiful woman."

Upon hearing this, the pitiable look and the plea vanished from her face in an instant, and her eyes flashed with the ferocity of a wild beast.

Wang Luo recoiled instinctively, a flicker of fear crossing his eyes for a split second.

"I thought you would like the weak type," she smiled. "I only did that out of courtesy."

"Thank you," Wang Luo replied with a smile. "But in our previous battles, the impression has already been formed. It cannot be influenced or changed by appearances for the time being."

"Then I will be blunt. The price I mentioned earlier is fair. Even if you kill us, you won't get a better return."

"But for you, the losses will be even greater."

"We would rather die than be blackmailed!"

"Then there is nothing I can do—that is what a former boss of mine used to say. Now I suddenly feel it makes perfect sense."

"Even if they join your team, they won't be loyal to you."

"But they can work. Don't forget what I said earlier: loyalty requires a reason; betrayal does not. If they join my team, I will provide them with a reason for loyalty."

"Then I would rather kill them."

"That is assuming I let you walk away first? I had intended to... but since you put it that way, I'm afraid you'll have to stay here until the scenario ends."

"Fine! I'll add another five thousand points, fifteen thousand per person. Are you satisfied now?"

"Of course not. Fifty thousand, not a point less."

"Can we pay the remainder after returning to the space? We can sign a contract."

"Refused. It must be paid in full now."

The bargaining continued this way. Lin Feirui alternated between threats, pleas, stating the stakes, and describing potential future cooperation. But Wang Luo ignored it all, refusing every suggestion.