WTNL Chapter 601

Lucky Cruise Ship
Chapter 601: You’re a real vengeful bastard! 

Figaro was bound and hoisted onto the shoulder of Kong Wei, who possessed the greatest raw strength among them.

Strictly speaking, this wasn’t entirely necessary. After all, there wasn’t just one high-level anchor present. Whether it was Blond or Ma Qi, both were ridiculously overpowered in terms of observation and sensory perception. Control-type anchors like Wen Ya and Chen Mo weren’t exactly pushovers either.

And if that wasn’t enough, there was also Wen Jianyan’s non-human ally moving with them. Even without the physical restraints, the probability of Figaro escaping was low.

But Wen Jianyan obviously decided to take things a step further.

He hadn’t just tied Figaro up; he had gagged him and trussed him up tightly like a zongzi, adopting a stance of stone-cold resolve that screamed “no negotiations.”

“President, are you really planning to sell him out?” Ma Qi leaned in, whispering into Wen Jianyan’s ear.

Wen Jianyan tilted his head to look at her. “Why? Is that a problem?”

“Not exactly…” Ma Qi leaned in a bit closer.

However, before she could say anything else, her small-animal-like survival instinct suddenly flared. A shiver ran down her spine. She subconsciously looked up, only to meet a pair of golden pupils gazing silently in her direction. There was no emotion in that look, yet Ma Qi shuddered and instinctively took a large step back.

The eyes looked away.

Ma Qi: “…”

?

Baffling!

The packed auction hall had long been left far behind. Not far ahead lay the agreed-upon trading point.

“Mmph! Mmph mph! Mmph mmph mmph!”

Figaro, still draped over Kong Wei’s shoulder, began to struggle violently. His typically narrow eyes were widened into rare circles, seemingly trying to convey some urgent message through his gaze alone.

Wen Jianyan, in a show of great benevolence, ripped the tape off Figaro’s mouth. “What? Did you want to say something?”

He hadn’t held back any strength when tearing off the tape, causing Figaro’s expression to distort for a second.

The moment his mouth was free, Figaro hurriedly cried out, “About my betrayal last time, I’m truly sorry! I apologize profusely!”

A wise man submits to circumstances.

Figaro knew this principle better than anyone.

Generally speaking, he rarely fell into such a disadvantageous position, but this time… he truly was suffering in silence.

Wen Jianyan smiled, eyes curving into crescents. “It’s okay. I’ve already forgiven you.”

As he spoke, he raised his hand, preparing to slap the tape right back on.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Figaro shouted again.

“What now?” Wen Jianyan paused.

“You aren’t really going to hand me over in exchange for Vice President Qi, are you?” Figaro looked miserable. “This isn’t what we discussed at the start!”

It was true that he was Carl Bell’s contact and possessed certain privileges because of it. But the problem was that this privilege was highly tied to Carl Bell itself. It was a privilege, but also a shackle. The fact that his location had been pinpointed the moment An Xin’s shackles were unlocked proved that.

Once he was handed over to Carl Bell as a traitor, there would be no one to hear his pleas, no matter how loud he screamed.

“How could I?” Wen Jianyan’s smile was kind. “Our previous agreement was that I would help you rescue Qi Qian, and I wouldn’t care about anything else after that. Now, not only have I fulfilled our agreement, but I’ve even brought Carl Bell right to you. Buy one, get two free. You’re getting a bargain.”

Figaro: “……”

In the “Integrity First” livestream room chat:

“…”

“Good lord, there’s really no way to argue with that logic.”

“Holy sh*t, I thought Figaro was shady enough, but I didn’t expect you, kid, to be even more freaking masterful at it!”

“Impressive. You are truly impressive.”

“However,”

Unexpectedly, Wen Jianyan smiled, and his tone suddenly shifted.

“It’s not completely non-negotiable.”

“!” Light burst into Figaro’s eyes.

Good!

As long as there was room for negotiation!

The young man in front of him toyed with the strip of silver tape, lifting his eyes nonchalantly. The smile in his eyes gradually faded, creating an inexplicable sense of dread.

“First, tell me. Who exactly hired you?”

“…”

Kong Wei felt the body on his shoulder tense up briefly. Muscles honed in desperate situations went as hard as rocks, as if accumulating some terrifying power, but as if realizing he was being observed, Figaro instantly relaxed again.

“What do you mean…” Figaro put on an expression of wronged innocence. “Haven’t I already told you? It was Vice President Qi, naturally.”

“Have you thought this through?” Wen Jianyan stepped forward, looking directly into the other man’s eyes. His smile didn’t reach his gaze. “I’m warning you in advance—tricking me might be a bit difficult.”

Figaro smiled out of habit. “Why… do you suspect I’m lying?”

“No.” Wen Jianyan smiled. “On the contrary, what you said is likely the truth.”

Truth told only by halves is the most brilliant kind of lie.

“Qi Qian did indeed hire you, and everything that happened during your operation was real. However, the person who gave you the actual orders shouldn’t be him. Otherwise, when the operation failed and all the members were in danger, you wouldn’t have sought my help. You even voluntarily took out an item to gain my trust to ensure the mission’s completion—he couldn’t afford that high of a fee, and you wouldn’t put yourself in such a passive position for him.”

In the “Integrity First” livestream room chat:

“Good lord…! I was wondering why the anchor prepared to negotiate with Qi Qian’s side from the start, but didn’t immediately agree when Figaro offered to help. Instead, he acted distrustful. Turns out he was baiting the other side to see if they would invest more.”

“Do these two have eight hundred ulterior motives between them?”

“Still not talking?”

Wen Jianyan scrutinized Figaro’s face, then suddenly laughed. “Then let me guess.”

“Your real employer,” Wen Jianyan tapped his cheek lightly, narrowing his eyes, “is Dan Zhu, right?”

The expression on Figaro’s face slowly dissolved. The laughter deep within those narrow eyes vanished, leaving only a stagnant silence.

“There are many reasons you refused to reveal my employer’s identity, but from your reaction just now, I only saw fear. In this entire instance, the only person who could make a anchor of your level feel fear is Dan Zhu.”

“Moreover, she previously cooperated with me to kill a member of the management layer. So, obviously, targeting the next level of management is a possibility.”

“What I don’t know is, why does Dan Zhu want to do this? And why use Qi Qian instead of doing it herself?”

In the “Integrity First” livestream room chat:

[…]

[Damn, I take back what I said. He has eight hundred ulterior motives all by himself!!!]

“So, now you have two choices.” Wen Jianyan held up one finger. “One, I throw you to Carl Bell and complete our ‘transaction’.”

He held up a second finger. “Two, answer the question I just asked, and I might consider helping you complete your ‘mission’.”

Figaro: “…”

After a long time, he finally spoke slowly, “You don’t understand. It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s just—”

Before he could finish, Wen Jianyan took a step forward and cleanly sealed Figaro’s mouth with the tape again. His movements were decisive and ruthless. Then, he patted Kong Wei’s back.

“Let’s go!”

“?!” Figaro’s eyes widened. He stared at Wen Jianyan in disbelief, seemingly unable to accept that the other party would be so heartless.

From this angle, he could already see the massive cage not far away, and the pitch-black “Carl Bell” guarding the outside of the cage.

“…”

Figaro turned his head with difficulty, watching “Carl Bell” getting closer and closer. His pupils vibrated violently.

“Mmph mmph mmph! Mmph mmph! Mmph mmph mmph!”

He began to struggle on Kong Wei’s shoulder, thrashing so violently that even Kong Wei couldn’t hold him still.

Wen Jianyan raised an eyebrow at Figaro. “Choosing option 2?”

Figaro: “Mmph! Mmph mmph mmph!”

He nodded vigorously.

Only then did Wen Jianyan stop and step forward to rip the tape off his mouth.

The lower half of Figaro’s face was red from the ripping. He slumped, dejected, looking like a fox with wet fur. He spoke weakly, “Fine, you win… I’ll talk. I’ll tell you everything.”

In the “Integrity First” livestream room chat:

[This is the first time I’ve seen Figaro get played this hard… The anchor’s methods are insidious, his mind meticulous. I am filled with awe.”

[Filled with awe.]

[Filled with awe.]

“Strictly speaking, Dan Zhu didn’t tell me what her goal was,” Figaro gritted his teeth, seeming to restrain something. A few seconds later, he spoke in a very low voice. “But, I suspect she is attempting to control this ship.”

“…!” Wen Jianyan’s heart skipped a beat involuntarily.

“The so-called ‘Contact Person’ is just a nice-sounding term,” Figaro said. “Strictly speaking, we shouldn’t be called ‘Contact Persons,’ but rather ‘Successors’.”

“You should have realized by now that this ship operates on a ‘Token System’ and a ‘Replacement System’,” Figaro continued. “Those who obtain the token gain the right to challenge the administrator, and as a Successor, gain part of the administrator’s authority.”

The Croupiers reported directly to the Casino Manager, Mesvis.

Killing the three Croupiers who held the agate stones allowed one to become the Casino Manager and gain privileges.

Figaro’s privileges were obviously obtained through a similar method.

Then… if the power transition at higher levels followed a similar system?

Wen Jianyan immediately recalled what Dan Zhu had looted from the corpse of the Accommodation Floor Manager, Eaton Ethan, when they cooperated previously.

A thick, heavy coin that was completely black and looked very ancient.

The three Administrators reported directly to the Captain of the cruise ship. Therefore, killing these three Administrators and seizing their tokens meant—becoming the “Successor” to the Captain of the Lucky Cruise.

“However, the vast majority of anchors who gain privileges don’t want to succeed the position, as that would trap them on this ship forever. So, ‘Successors’ became ‘Contact Persons’. We don’t actively attack the higher-ups, so naturally, we can enjoy the privileges without paying the price.”

“So, your second question is also easy to answer. Why didn’t Dan Zhu act herself… It’s not that she didn’t want to, but that she couldn’t. Non-Successors who kill management must pay a price.” Figaro sighed. “Dan Zhu made her move on Eaton Ethan too early—she shouldn’t have done that.”

“So, she hired you?” Wen Jianyan narrowed his eyes at him. “But you don’t want to be trapped on this ship to death, do you?”

“Correct,” Figaro smiled slightly, his eyes as cunning as ever. “You guessed right—so I wasn’t the one who made the move.”

The answer to this question was coming out.

It was Qi Qian.

That was precisely why Qi Qian, currently inside the cage, had sustained such heavy injuries. That was likely the so-called “price.”

“But you don’t need to worry too much about Vice President Qi,” Figaro said. “He knew the risks of this trip beforehand, and with his talent, he’s strong enough to withstand one more curse. As long as the operation succeeds, no one will die in this instance.”

Wen Jianyan frowned thoughtfully.

“Dan Zhu wants to challenge 001 and become the Captain of the Lucky Cruise. But the problem is… why?”

Wen Jianyan couldn’t figure it out.

If the ship hadn’t left the Anchor Space yet, then Dan Zhu’s desire to kill 001 and seize their position would be rational. But the situation had changed. The Lucky Cruise had become a newly born Instance. Becoming the Captain meant staying in the Instance forever…

Why would Dan Zhu be willing to do that?

“You’ll have to ask her that yourself.” Figaro shrugged—a gesture that looked somewhat comical while he was still draped over Kong Wei’s shoulder. “She didn’t tell me the reason, and I didn’t ask. I’m a merchant; knowing what the customer wants is enough. As for why they want to do it, I never care.”

“…Alright, I understand.”

Wen Jianyan took a deep breath, pulling himself out of his thoughts.

Figaro was let down. He rubbed his wrists, grimacing, and stretched his stiff joints.

“So, what do you plan to do next?”

“Me?” Wen Jianyan’s voice pitched up at the end.

“?” Figaro froze for a moment and looked up.

He seemed to have a bad premonition.

“I only said I would consider whether or not to help you complete your ‘mission’,” the young man smiled gently, light flowing in the depths of his eyes. “I never made a promise.”

In the “Integrity First” livestream room chat:

[Insidious!]

[Cunning!]

[Shameless!!]

Behind him, watching the human youth with the wicked smile, Wu Zhu silently hooked the corners of his lips.

In the “Integrity First” livestream room chat:

[?]

[Am I seeing things? Did that guy just smile?]

[Ah, no, bro, don’t lie to me. I’ve been following since the first livestream! Don’t think I didn’t see how you got backstabbed in Fukang Hospital. Why are you wearing rose-tinted glasses now?!]

[…Brother, you’re being a bit of a pervert, just saying.]

“However…”

Wen Jianyan blinked, smiling, his calculation blatant and unapologetic.

“When the benefits of helping outweigh not helping, I don’t mind making a few compromises.”

These were the words Figaro had said when he backstabbed him back then, just slightly modified.

Figaro: “…”

You hold a grudge like a motherf*cker!

---

In the end, Figaro humiliatingly added several unfair clauses to their previous contract, finally securing Wen Jianyan’s help.

Soon, carrying the “bound” Figaro, Wen Jianyan approached Carl Bell and handed him over.

“Carl Bell” leaned down. Its hollow face, devoid of features, moved close to Figaro, seeming to scrutinize him with invisible sight. Figaro appeared extremely uncomfortable under its scrutiny, his upper body involuntarily leaning back slightly.

Finally, it cackled with satisfaction:

“Very good.”

The moment its voice fell, the door of the cage opened slowly with a creak.

An Xin rushed forward in a flash, supporting the teetering Qi Qian inside.

In that instant, Wen Jianyan glanced at Wu Zhu. The other seemed to understand immediately. The chains that were originally solid fell away from Figaro’s body, the darkness dissipating and vanishing like water droplets falling into a lake.

Figaro had long been prepared for this moment.

He leaped backward. In the next second, a massive scythe arrived silently, carving a bright arc through the air.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Carl Bell” jerked its head to look at Wu Zhu—after all, Wu Zhu was the customer who had actually won the bid for Qi Qian and made the deal with it. Its voice hissed, carrying a strange killing intent that made one’s scalp tingle.

Behind it, countless ghostly shadows were slowly emerging.

“What, can’t you tell?” Wen Jianyan wore a lazy smile on his face as he raised an eyebrow. “We plan to take it all.”

“Mhm.”

Wu Zhu looked up at “Carl Bell” not far away and nodded solemnly, his voice devoid of emotion.

“Mhm, just like he said.”

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