WTNL Chapter 387

(2/10)

Anchor Hall
Chapter 387: Still have to meet the “temporary partner”

On the way back, Chen Mo finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and asked,

“President, why did you go and provoke Oracle?”

Although he wasn’t entirely sure what Wen Jianyan had done, based on the instructions he’d received earlier, he could more or less guess.

After all, the guild’s location and architectural style were personally chosen by Wen Jianyan.

The only thing Chen Mo couldn’t understand was why Wen Jianyan would do something like this.

Wasn’t he worried about retaliation?

“Do you remember when I took over your guild…”

Wen Jianyan seemed to realize he’d said the wrong thing and quickly corrected himself, “No, no—I mean, when I accepted your invitation to become guild leader, do you remember what I said the guild’s goal was?”

Chen Mo: “…”

Did you just say “took over”?

His mouth twitched, but he lowered his eyes and carefully recalled, then replied, “To become number one, right?”

Although it was a bold claim Wen Jianyan made on his very first day in the guild, Chen Mo had to admit that he hadn’t truly believed it back then. So now, looking at the current guild ranking and the brand-new building bearing their guild’s name—even if the name was a bit embarrassing…

He couldn’t help zoning out for a moment, a strange sense of unreality washing over him.

“That’s right.”

Wen Jianyan smiled faintly and glanced at him. “Do you think Oracle would willingly give up the top spot?”

Chen Mo: “…No.”

“Exactly.” Wen Jianyan lightly patted his shoulder. “Whether we provoke them or not, Oracle is already planning to eliminate us. So why should we tiptoe around them, trying to please them?”

His voice was calm and composed, not the least bit emotional—but somehow, it stirred something deep inside Chen Mo.

…True.

No matter what they did next, Oracle would never just stand by and watch them rise. Since that was inevitable, then what was the point of trying to play nice?

“Right?” Wen Jianyan beamed and walked ahead.

“?”

Chen Mo blinked at his retreating back.

Why did it feel like he’d just been cleverly talked into something?

He shook his head and quickened his pace to catch up with the young man.

Walking ahead, Wen Jianyan raised his head to look at the guild headquarters in the distance, eyes narrowing slightly.

He hadn’t lied—he truly did think that way.

But if that were the only reason, it wouldn’t have been worth the trip. After all, he was someone who never made a move without personal gain—he always preferred to pay the lowest price for the highest return.

Aside from the satisfaction of stirring things up, he had other plans in mind.

Based on what happened in the last instance, and the negotiations with Nightmare afterward, it was clear that Nightmare didn’t yet trust him enough to view him as a loyal pawn. So, when Wen Jianyan proposed to replace Oracle as the top guild—and possibly gain access to Nightmare’s inner core—Nightmare had refused.

So, if he really wanted to achieve his goal, Wen Jianyan had to offer more chips on the table.

He knew the current meteoric rise of his guild’s ranking was mostly due to him gaming the system.

By capitalizing on the victory in the [Xingwang Hotel] instance and stirring public opinion on the forums, he had attracted a flood of anchors hoping to join the winning team. Then, using time and information asymmetry, he absorbed them all into the guild—focusing on quantity over quality—using the massive number of members to rack up guild points.

But that wasn’t sustainable.

With so many members, a normal guild couldn’t maintain basic benefits. In other words, once the cooldown period for switching guilds ended, there would inevitably be a mass exodus. The current surge was just a mirage—an economic bubble that was bound to burst.

So time was short.

Before the bubble popped, Wen Jianyan had to obtain the leverage needed to negotiate directly with Nightmare. That was why he was doing everything he could to provoke Oracle.

If a fight was inevitable, then why not start it early?

Moreover…

A smile tugged at Wen Jianyan’s lips as he stepped into the building that—for now—belonged to him.

The next instance would be the perfect opportunity.

After all, he didn’t plan to lead his own team into the instance. Instead, he would temporarily join Orange Candy’s team as a hired anchor. Not only was Orange Candy an expert in team battles, but judging from the current situation, Hugo was also highly likely to join.

And Wen Jianyan was especially skilled at riding the coattails of others.

“Let’s go,” he said with a smile, turning back to glance at Chen Mo.

Chen Mo gave him a side-eye but didn’t respond.

Even though that guy looked perfectly amiable, there was just something about him—like all his internal organs were pitch black… He definitely had something up his sleeve!

Soon, the two of them entered the building.

Although the base had just been completed, its interior was already fully equipped—and everything matched the gaudy gold extravagance of the exterior.

Chen Mo couldn’t help pressing his fingers against his eyelids.

…Way too bright.

He looked toward Wen Jianyan and tentatively asked, “Since we’ve already accomplished the goal of provoking Oracle, do you think we could tone down the interior decor…”

The outside was flashy enough—no need to torture their eyes inside too.

But before he could finish, Wen Jianyan glanced around, seemingly very satisfied, and nodded approvingly:

“Not bad!”

Chen Mo: “…”

So the real reason for choosing this design wasn’t to provoke Oracle—it’s just that you actually like it?

Wen Jianyan was indeed in a great mood.

Since the guild would only have this brief window of glory, as a true hedonist, he was all for lavish spending and over-the-top indulgence! The more luxurious, the better. The more outrageous, the better!

Anything less would be a betrayal of his nouveau riche status!

“Over there. And there. And that one too.”

He pointed at several spots.

Chen Mo: “Hm?”

Wen Jianyan: “Still not flashy enough. Switch it all to gold.”

Chen Mo: “……”

He took a deep breath and barely squeezed out a sound from his throat: “…Okay.”

“By the way, are all the senior members online?” Wen Jianyan asked.

Chen Mo: “Most of them, but…”

Wen Jianyan: “?”

“Su Cheng shows as online, but we haven’t been able to get in touch with him.” Chen Mo lowered his head and checked the terminal. “According to guild records, he hasn’t entered any instances, but for some reason, I can’t reach him at all. It’s really strange.”

Chen Mo continued, “Maybe you should try contacting him yourself?”

Wen Jianyan frowned slightly. “Alright.”

“I’ll take care of it. You contact the others and have them gather here—we’ll have a quick meeting.”

“No problem.”

Chen Mo nodded.

Wen Jianyan arrived at Su Cheng’s quarters and raised a hand to knock on the bedroom door.

Inside was dead silent—no response.

“…”

Wen Jianyan frowned.

He lowered his head and called Su Cheng’s terminal.

From behind the door, the faint sound of a ringtone could be heard.

So he was definitely inside.

The ringing went on for a long time, but no one picked up.

Wen Jianyan knocked again.

Knock, knock, knock.

The silence was unnervingly heavy.

“Su Cheng?” Wen Jianyan raised his voice. “Su Cheng?!”

Still no reply.

Just as Wen Jianyan’s patience wore thin and he started looking for a way to force the door open, he finally heard slow, heavy footsteps dragging toward the door.

Click.

The door was unlocked from inside.

The room was pitch black—not a hint of light.

In the dim glow filtering through, Wen Jianyan saw Su Cheng—his longest-standing teammate.

Maybe it was from staying inside too long, but the man’s face looked deathly pale, as if he hadn’t slept in ages. There were dark shadows under his eyes, and his pupils were so dark they seemed almost bottomless. The way he looked over sent a chill down Wen Jianyan’s spine.

His hair was a mess, and stubble darkened his jaw. That face, once gentle and scholarly when they’d first entered Nightmare, now looked cold and brooding.

Wen Jianyan couldn’t help but feel that something was different.

“You’re back,” Su Cheng said.

He recognized Wen Jianyan, ran a hand through his messy hair, and stepped out of the room.

“The instance is over? How did it go?”

But when he spoke, he sounded just like the Su Cheng Wen Jianyan remembered.

Gentle and reliable. The kind of seer who always worried too much but never dragged anyone down during instances.

“As you expected,” Wen Jianyan shrugged. “Total victory.”

“That’s good.” Su Cheng smiled faintly. “I knew you’d be fine.”

“I’m fine. What about you?”

Wen Jianyan studied him. “You haven’t left this whole time? Chen Mo said he couldn’t reach you—did something happen?”

“No,” Su Cheng said lightly.

He stepped forward and closed the bedroom door behind him, blocking Wen Jianyan’s line of sight.

“I was just too exhausted. Slept for a really long time.”

“I just saw Chen Mo’s messages on my terminal. You’re holding a meeting?” Su Cheng asked.

Wen Jianyan nodded. “Yeah.”

“Alright, give me a minute.” Su Cheng rubbed his chaotic hair and walked toward the bathroom. “Let me clean up and I’ll join you.”

Soon, the sound of running water echoed from inside.

Wen Jianyan turned his head to glance at the now-closed bedroom door, frowning.

As someone intimately familiar with human behavior and emotional nuance, he could tell that Su Cheng was hiding something.

But exactly what—that, he couldn’t tell.

Behind the thick door, the room remained in darkness.

The bed was a mess.

And on the bed and floor, countless tarot cards were scattered—torn to shreds, faces barely visible.

Death. The Hierophant. The Empress. The Knight…

They lay motionless in the darkness.

After freshening up, Su Cheng looked much better. He tied his shoulder-length hair back and shaved off the stubble on his face.

Now, he looked just like he used to.

Wen Jianyan brought him to the guild headquarters.

Along the way, he gave Su Cheng a concise rundown of what had happened in the last instance and the current state of the guild, syncing him up with their progress so far.

Although he had already mentally prepared himself, Su Cheng was still stunned when he saw the blindingly golden building that looked like it could sear one’s eyes. His steps even faltered slightly.

“What do you think? Not bad, huh?” Wen Jianyan said with great pride.

“…”

Su Cheng was silent for a moment before finally offering a rather forced compliment. “It’s… pretty unique.”

Following Wen Jianyan, they took the elevator down to the lowest floor, where the conference hall was located.

The hall was a large, circular space with enormous floor-to-ceiling windows that curved outward. Ignoring the gaudy interior décor, it was actually quite beautiful.

Wen Jianyan swept his gaze over the room.

All the anchors who had been part of the guild before the expansion had already gathered here, waiting for him.

Chen Mo and Ji Guan looked about the same as before. Blond was curled up in a corner, sitting stiffly straight, clearly uncomfortable with the environment. Yun Bilan had her long, slender legs propped high on the table, the legs of her chair barely touching the floor, delicately maintaining her balance as she waited in boredom. Unlike before, there was now a rare lack of smile on her face, with twisted brambles crawling across her pale cheek, giving her a fierce and menacing look.

Wen Ya frowned as she looked at Yun Bilan, appearing somewhat concerned.

“Looks like everyone’s here,” said Wen Jianyan.

Everyone raised their heads to look at him.

“In that case, I’ll keep it short.” Wen Jianyan wasn’t the kind of person who liked leading from the front. Having always operated in the grey areas, he also wasn’t used to having meetings in such bright, pristine places. So, to save time, he skipped all the formalities.

“Some of you may have already noticed—using your talent inside an instance comes at a cost.”

Wen Jianyan spoke.

Back in the Changsheng Building instance, he had only vaguely sensed this. But after everything that happened afterward, he was now certain of it.

“Your talent is inherently a part of you. The Nightmare system merely provides a way to materialize it—it’s not a ‘gift.’ So, continued use will drain your mental energy, your body, and even your lifespan.”

At these words, the newer anchors who hadn’t yet experienced side effects held their breath, while the more experienced ones showed thoughtful expressions—they clearly understood what he meant all too well.

“So, in future instances, if you can avoid using your talent, then use it as little as possible.”

Wen Jianyan concluded.

“Of course, if you’re facing life or death, then don’t hold back.”

Wen Jianyan sighed silently.

This was the best advice he could give.

Even he couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t run into a situation in future instances where he’d be forced to use his talent. As for the others, it was even more uncertain. Even though they knew it was like drinking poison, they had no choice.

“Especially you, Yun Bilan.” Wen Jianyan turned to her, his tone serious. “You’re not allowed to enter any more instances.”

Due to the repeated overuse of her talent in the Xingwang Hotel instance, Yun Bilan had become the guild member with the most obvious side effects. If she continued, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“But…” Yun Bilan frowned.

“No buts.” Wen Jianyan was firm.

“Oh, and for the next ten days, no one is allowed to enter any instance,” Wen Jianyan added. “If you’re about to be forced in or run out of points, come to me—I’ll lend you some.”

Given how petty Oracle was, they would never ignore such a provocation.

So, they were bound to retaliate.

The chances of new guild members being targeted were slim—they were too many, and not important enough. That meant the veteran members were likely to become the targets.

The real purpose of forbidding the guild from entering any instance was to force Oracle into making a move ten days later when Wen Jianyan entered an instance himself.

“Alright, that’s it—meeting’s over!”

Wen Jianyan clapped his hands, turned on his heel with flair, and left behind a room full of dazed people.

“Su Cheng, come with me.”

Su Cheng nodded and followed.

In the dazzlingly shiny lobby, everyone looked at each other in confusion, still reeling from Wen Jianyan’s whirlwind appearance and the sheer amount of information he’d dumped on them.

“You’re coming with me on the next instance.”

Wen Jianyan looked at Su Cheng and said.

After all, this was Orange Candy’s commission, and her team specifically needed a Prophet. Wen Jianyan knew very well what his own limits were. While he was quick-witted, being able to foresee what was going to happen—like a Prophet—was beyond his abilities.

Su Cheng hesitated.

“?” Wen Jianyan immediately picked up on the hesitation in his expression. “You don’t want to go?”

“Of course not,” Su Cheng said after a moment’s thought. “I just want to bring one more person.”

That was an easy request.

Orange Candy wouldn’t object.

Wen Jianyan: “Who?”

But Su Cheng’s answer truly caught him off guard:

“Yun Bilan.”

Wen Jianyan was stunned. “Her?”

He frowned. “Why?”

“A hunch,” Su Cheng looked at Wen Jianyan with his deep black eyes. “She might be useful in the next instance.”

Wen Jianyan refused flatly. “Not necessary.”

The difference of one or two people wasn’t something they couldn’t manage.

“All right then.” Su Cheng didn’t press the issue, as if it wasn’t that important.

“Oh, right.” Just before returning to his room, Wen Jianyan seemed to remember something. He turned and looked at Su Cheng. “You said you’ve been sleeping this whole time?”

Su Cheng: “Yeah.”

Wen Jianyan narrowed his eyes slightly and asked casually, “Had any interesting dreams?”

“…”

Su Cheng’s steps faltered. He turned his face slightly. “No.”

Wen Jianyan nodded, and the two went their separate ways.

Back in his room, the relaxed expression Wen Jianyan had been wearing peeled off like a mask, revealing a deep seriousness underneath.

Something was definitely wrong.

And the earlier conversation confirmed Wen Jianyan’s suspicions once again.

If Su Cheng had only been hiding something before, this time he was outright lying.

In the dark room, Wen Jianyan sat silently on the soft sofa, letting himself sink into the shadows.

His pale-colored eyes flickered faintly.

…Dreams, huh.

In fact, he’d already noticed something was off during the Xingwang Hotel instance.

The white-clad woman had repeatedly mentioned, “This is a dream,” and the content of her diary had also left a deep impression on him.

Perhaps… the reason it’s called the Nightmare Live Broadacst wasn’t just because it sounded appropriate for the theme, but because there was something deeper—something fundamentally linked.

Countless theories bloomed and withered in his mind.

Wen Jianyan raised a hand, pinched the bridge of his nose, and exhaled a long breath.

On his knuckles, the silver ouroboros ring shimmered faintly.

Although he really didn’t want to see Wu Zhu again after the last instance, things were unfolding in such a way that he had no choice but to try extracting some intel from that “temporary partner.”

Wen Jianyan turned the ring, gritted his teeth, and seemed to come to a decision.

He would go in.

But before he did, he had to make some preparations.

After all, he didn’t want a repeat of what happened last time.

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