Infinite Ebullience
Chapter 230 - 49: Yin Shangwu’s Conspiracy

Chapter 230: Chapter 49: Yin Shangwu’s Conspiracy

"It’s not the Vodka Squad. It’s another one. Otherwise, if they had shown up, we would all be dead. Not to mention, taking out four of their members." Yin Shangwu’s response was decisive. She knew the members of the Vodka Squad too well.

"Then why?" Tang Zheng could no longer proceed. He thought Yin Shangwu hadn’t gotten a grip on the enemy’s true strength. He didn’t expect this kind of answer and felt both amused and confused at the same time. "What’s the purpose?"

"Whenever I see the Russian Trojan Squad, I just want to annihilate them all. Don’t look at me that way. It’s not racial discrimination, it’s just a genuine hatred that encompasses everything they are associated with." Yin Shangwu’s face was unperturbed, but the coldness in her voice was enough to freeze daylight.

"What did you do to Liu Nai? Are you sure they won’t notice?" Tang Zheng directly pointed to the heart of the issue, furrowing his brows, "What if she can’t be found?"

"Isn’t there your plan book? Besides, Ai Li is also a card in play." Yin Shangwu teased Tang Zheng, "What? You can’t bear to risk her once you’ve taken her to bed?"

"Don’t sidestep the issue." Tang Zheng didn’t like Yin Shangwu’s attitude. In her eyes, he seemed to always be the butt of the joke.

"I put a tracker on her. Ah yes, a specialty prop from the German Trojan Room." Yin Shangwu dropped another bombshell and then said, "You should know what specialty props mean, right? So even if those Russian bastards chop Liu Nai into pieces, they absolutely won’t be able to find it."

"How did you get into the German Trojan Room? Or did you loot the spoils of the Germans?" Tang Zheng nodded and then quickly ignored Yin Shangwu’s disgusting metaphor, asked curiously, "Have you been to any other Trojan Rooms?"

"That’s a secret. Besides, even if I told you it would be worthless. I will tell you after you help me kill the Arctic Vodka Squad and the American Hero Squad." Even though the living room was pitch dark, Yin Shangwu still picked up on Tang Zheng’s displeasure.

"Don’t push your luck." Tang Zheng was genuinely angry, "Don’t mess around with me."

"Alright fine, I’ll tell you something for free. Actually, there are plenty of unknown secrets and rules in the Trojan Horse Game that you need to uncover yourself. If you do find them, there are rewards." Yin Shangwu raised her index finger, regardless of whether Tang Zheng could see it, and gave it a wave, "You’re aware that you can’t buy props in the game, right?"

"Yes, having points but not being able to spend them is frustrating. Like Bai Guo, she didn’t have any points during the room stage, and now even though she’s managed to accumulate some, if she doesn’t get a chance to return to the room, she can only take them to her grave." Tang Zheng grimaced, clearly not fond of this rule, "The Trojan Game is too cruel. If everyone could purchase props in-game, at least the chance of survival would be much greater."

"Hahaha, you’re joking right? The Trojan isn’t a charity. You should be grateful you have one opportunity to revive. Think about how many people die in the world every day, how many of them would get a chance like this? Aren’t you being a bit too greedy?" Yin Shangwu ridiculed Tang Zheng mercilessly.

"So what’s the point of you telling me all this? Is it just idle talk?" Tang Zheng was annoyed, but he quickly calmed down, realising that Yin Shangwu was trying to provoke him.

"Haha, you catch on pretty quickly. Too bad I can’t see your priceless, frustrated face." Yin Shangwu finished laughing, finally straightened her expression and lowered her voice, "Alright, enough of this. Actually, in the game there’s something called a vending machine. Just like in the real world, you insert a coin and buy an item, punch it three times in frustration, and it opens a purchase interface for props."

"What?" Tang Zheng’s heart was pounding. He understood how significant this secret was.

"Our team captain discovered it. At the time the vending machine had swallowed the poor guy’s money. He pounded it a few times and then he could purchase props." Yin Shangwu seemed to recall the captain’s misfortune, letting out a small chuckle.

"Are there any limitations?" Upon hearing such genuine laughter, Tang Zheng couldn’t help but feel a sense of respect. Yin Shangwu was indeed very close to the members of her squad.

"Not every vending machine allows it. It depends on luck. The odds are roughly one in ten, our captain has tested it." Yin Shangwu stood up, "I’m going to sleep now. Do you have any other questions?"

"Are you planning on following them?" Tang Zheng began to think from another perspective, saying, "Wait a few days until they let their guard down, and then launch an attack?"

"Of course. Rest assured, as long as they’re killed, it won’t matter even if they had twenty days of control time." Yin Shangwu moved towards the stairs.

Tang Zheng fell silent and leaned back on the sofa.

"Tang Zheng, honestly, I don’t think you’re fit to be the team leader." Yin Shangwu stood at the stairway, suddenly voicing a gentle accusation, or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it advice.

"What? Want to play the psychologist?" This remark made Tang Zheng very uncomfortable.

"Do you feel that, because you are tactful and have high combat power, you naturally deserve to be the leader?" Yin Shangwu shook her head, denying it outright, "No, if you continue like this, you will always struggle alone. Indeed, you have integrated team members and assigned them tasks, but only under forced circumstances. Moreover, all you did was assign trivial tasks, because deep down you don’t trust them."

"I..." Tang Zheng began to argue, but was cut off.

"Even Lin Weiguo and Li Xinlan, you’ve only made verbal promises to them, you’ve never actually entrusted your life to them. This morning, you were angry because Liu Nai was taken away, right? Otherwise, given your personality, why would you have slept with Ai Li? And you often stay alone, thinking about things, you don’t communicate and chat with them at all - they are your team members, Tang Zheng. They feel a lot of pressure being with you because you are taking on everything alone. This makes them feel helpless."

Tang Zheng fell silent again, believing he had done well, he didn’t expect to be criticized so harshly by others.

"I don’t see any vitality in this team, no booming cohesion, all I can feel is your arrogance, a powerless Pang Meiqin trying to flatter, a silent and uncommunicative Lin Weiguo, and Bai Guo’s blind obedience and adoration of you." Yin Shangwu’s words were like a sharp knife, scraping at Tang Zheng’s heart. "As for Li Xinlan, she doesn’t care if she needs to die to be with you. She spends all day wishing to be alone with you. And Qin Yan is probably pulling an all-nighter to think of a battle plan, trying to share your burdens. You have no clue what your team members want. Do you think that just by giving a slogan ’I’ll lead you to survive’, they will follow you?"

Tang Zheng felt as if a thousand pounds were pressing on his chest, preventing him from breathing properly. When he realized that what Yin Shangwu was saying was the cruel truth, he suddenly felt unbearable shame.

"Do you know why every newcomer disrespects you? Apart from some idiots, what have you done to make them listen to you?" Yin Shangwu ruthlessly retorted, "Whether it’s threats or persuasion, your methods are far from being enough."

Tang Zheng was taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself down, but to no avail. Under the faint moonlight, he was shaking uncontrollably on the sofa. It was the kind of lost and unsettled feeling after one’s life values got negated.

"Tang Zheng, you’re too proud, so proud that you look down on the newcomers, treating them with disdain, as if you were doing charity. With your intelligence, you could fully understand these newcomers, but you’re too lazy to conquer them. For instance, have you ever talked to the Leopard Print Woman? Why didn’t you accept Zhang Lanyu, who was an obvious bait?"

"Tang Zheng, you’re too kind, too kind to severely criticize anyone. You’ve thought about using them as bait, as stepping stones, but up until now, have you really abandoned anyone? The three games you’ve been through have been too smooth-sailing for you. With your intelligence, you’ve managed to cope, so you just don’t understand the cruelty of the Trojan Horse Game. The moment when you truly face a difficult choice will also be the moment you feel the most despair in life." Yin Shangwu suddenly laughed, "I’m curious about your upbringing. It’s incomprehensibly unsophisticated."

Seeing the lost look on Tang Zheng after his life was denied, Yin Shangwu laughed happily. Indeed, the best part of playing with toys was when they’re broken, worn out and have lost their usefulness. However, she soon began feeling a twinge of sadness and reluctance.

"I hope you can become more outstanding, more perfect. Only when toys like that get broken will I experience true satisfaction." Yin Shangwu glanced at Tang Zheng’s silhouette under the moonlight and retired to her bedroom on the second floor. Even though she had found an excuse, she was still feeling irritable and distressed. She decided to open the floor-to-ceiling window and step out onto the balcony.

Dust stirred under the moonlight, and the night wind whispered like an intimate friend.

"Leader, I’ve found a man like you. He’s kind, intelligent, filled with courage, a bit naive too. But, how can someone like you guys possibly survive in this cruel Trojan Horse Game?" Experiencing the warm night breeze, Yin Shangwu wiped her cheek, discovering that it was wet with tears. She finally understood why she had said those words. It wasn’t to manipulate Tang Zheng, but to help him survive.

"Leader, Little Mo, Little Ying, Little He, and you too Old Xiao. You bunch of bastards, wait for me down there. After this round, I’ll have enough points, then I’ll get revenge for you guys, and come down to join you." Yin Shangwu’s hands were clenched so tightly on the balcony railings that her fingernails began to peel and bleed. But she didn’t notice. Staring at the night sky, she seemed to see the smiling faces of Little Ying and the others. "One more match, and I can also be relieved."

"Tang Zheng, why haven’t you gone to bed yet?" Li Xinlan came out from a bedroom and was somewhat surprised to see Tang Zheng still sitting on the sofa. She also felt a bit embarrassed, "Sorry about the Liu Nai situation."

"Sister Xinlan, I’m the one who should apologize." Tang Zheng saw Bai Guo trailing behind, and he asked, "Are you staying up for the night?"

"Yes, Brother Tang, I’m sorry for letting you down." Bai Guo was like a child who had done something wrong, craving for a grownup’s forgiveness.

"Come sit here, let’s talk!" Tang Zheng patted the sofa next to him with a smile. He wanted to understand his team members better. (To be continued. If you like this novel, feel free to vote, or offer monthly support on qidian.com. Your support fuels my motivation to continue.)