Ten Thousand Ways To Eliminate Players
Chapter 63 - 063 Is this it?

Chapter 63: 063 Is this it?

"Why be a paparazzo instead of playing the game properly?! I’ve seriously lost face this time!"

Dumbelldore gritted his teeth. He had anticipated that his act of stealing Lin Bai’s credit would be exposed, but who could have guessed it would be in such a way? Delete his account? Or not? He was truly reluctant to let go of the Nine-Days True Scripture that he had acquired! But when he scrolled through the replies to the post, he was shocked to find that while one or two occasionally mentioned him, the vast majority of the attention was on Lin Bai. He was like a tiny ripple before the massive wave Lin Bai had stirred, insignificant and barely noticeable. He had actually lost to an NPC? This realization made Dumbelldore even more dejected. Having tasted the sweetness of being adulated by thousands only to plummet to rock bottom, Dumbelldore’s heart surged with intense unwillingness.

Recalling all his experiences since meeting Lin Bai, Dumbelldore instantly made up his mind: he would not delete his account. The reason he was ignored, in the end, was simply a lack of strength. He knew his own talents; if he deleted his account and restarted, losing Lin Bai’s powerful support, he would truly become a nobody. A bad reputation was still a reputation. He decided to stay by Lin Bai’s side.

Currently, Lin Bai had already incited public indignation. Those players clamoring to eliminate Lin Bai had no idea how meticulous and terrifying his mind truly was. If anyone could kill Lin Bai, it would probably only be him, Lin Bai’s close disciple. One day, once those people had suffered enough at Lin Bai’s hands, he would make a sudden move, eliminate Lin Bai in one fell swoop, and still be a hero to the players. Perhaps there would even be a great reward. That’s right! Even if Lin Bai didn’t teach him Martial Arts, killing him would still make him drop the secret manuals. The result would be the same...

Dumbelldore’s thoughts suddenly cleared, and the more he considered it, the more excited he became. An NPC’s health bar was fixed, but players could grow infinitely! Lin Bai might be crushing him like a newbie now, but once his Level was high enough, everything would be reversed. Lie low until the time is right to shock the world. Endure humiliation and bear heavy responsibilities, all to ultimately eliminate the big boss and sabotage the game company’s conspiracy—a stunning, major reversal! Just thinking about it is exciting!

...

Jiamucheng was undergoing major construction. Song Qing’s family and others had undertaken most of the projects. The young masters were busy helping their families, so the nightclub venture had temporarily quieted down.

Lin Bai, currently in a state of rest, was in the shop teasing Little A Piao. Just then, a cacophony of voices erupted outside. Black Heart, Black Liver, Black Lung, Black Spleen, and Black Eye pushed open the door and walked in, chattering away. Of course, in the eyes of a "genuine" NPC, they were merely a few quiet customers entering.

Jimmy Navada went up to greet them, "Distinguished guests, are you here to experience our nightclub services?"

"We’re just looking around," Black Eye said. He looked at the levitating Navada family, surprise fleeting in his eyes, then made his way to a table and sat down. Simultaneously, Black Liver, Black Heart, and the others each found different tables and sat down. Five people occupied five tables.

Jimmy Navada paused, then subconsciously glanced at Lin Bai. Lin Bai shook his head at him. Although these "colorful internal organs" had changed their appearances and names, he recognized them instantly as the five audacious individuals from that morning. Interesting! These guys are planning to wear me down, huh!

...

"...Comrades, armchair strategizing is pointless. Whether it’s a bug, an NPC that’s gained sentience, or a ploy by the game company, we need to come and verify it ourselves..."

"Aren’t the NPCs in this game intelligent? Isn’t he running a shop to make money? We brothers are going to wear him down here..."

"Today, each of us will order a plate of peanuts and sit here all night. Tomorrow, we’ll come back and sit all day. Not to eat, just to occupy the seats. Let’s see if this NPC loses his temper!"

"If he dares to make a move, we’ll first report him to the City Lord’s manor, then file a complaint with the game company..."

"If we can’t beat him, can’t we at least ruin his business?"

"Are players who get bullied by NPCs even still players?"

...

"Big Brother Lin, they look like they’re here to cause trouble," Song Ling whispered timidly. "Should we have Father throw them out?"

"No need. All who come are guests, and they haven’t broken any of our shop’s rules," Lin Bai said softly. "You just serve the food; don’t worry about anything else."

These players had come specifically to aggravate him. To them, it was just a game; as long as they were happy, they could play however they wanted. Causing trouble in a game was also a form of entertainment. Besides, a Level one alt account lost nothing if it died. Moreover, they were live-streaming, and plenty of people were sending them gifts... They might even gain some fame from this. It was a win-win for them...

...

The saying ’Abusive Language Hurts People’—indeed, harsh words can be chilling even in June. Lin Bai sighed. He had planned to rest more before farming again, but now it seemed he was being forced to start early.

"Waiter, a plate of Fried Beef!" five voices called out almost simultaneously.

Jimmy Navada looked at Lin Bai, who nodded at him.

Jimmy Navada floated over to Black Eye, carrying a dish of peanuts, and SLAMMED the plate onto the table. "Special price: seventy coins."

"We’ll pay after we eat," Black Eye retorted; he was there to cause trouble and didn’t care a whit about the price.

"Shop rules: pay first, then eat. It’s the same for everyone," Jimmy Navada stated coldly, offering no pleasantries to these troublemakers.

CLANG! A piece of broken silver landed on the table.

Jimmy Navada collected the silver and served a plate of peanuts to each of the five tables.

"Alright, brothers," one of the five players said, exchanging glances with the others and grinning. "Operation: Annoy the NPC officially begins! Let’s see how you, Lin, the Storekeeper, get driven mad..."

"Shopkeeper, how about a few auspicious words?" Black Heart asked, picking up mismatched chopsticks, popping a peanut into his mouth, and smiling at Lin Bai.

"Most people look good when they smile. You, however, are different. You look quite laughable," Lin Bai replied, a faint smile on his face.

"..." Black Heart froze.

"Don’t be sad, kid. Eat up. No one here will laugh at you. It’s not your fault you’re ugly." Lin Bai casually glanced at their tables, shook his head with a pitying expression, and added, "Being poor is."

"..." Black Heart looked at his comrades and switched to private chat. "I think he’s insulting me."

"You think? He’s not just insulting you; he’s insulting all of us," Black Liver typed, looking at the solitary plate of peanuts on his table. "I’m already tempted to throw money in his face."

"Don’t be impulsive. Ordering more dishes is falling into his trap," Black Eye advised. "Stay calm. We’re here to waste his time, not to actually eat."

"Don’t be sad, child. You’re not actually lonely. Look at your friends around you. Aren’t you all hanging out together because you’re poor?" Lin Bai chuckled. He then retrieved a plate of beef, a plate of pig’s trotters, and several cold dishes from the back kitchen, placed them on the table before him, and sat down to eat by himself. His composed and elegant demeanor formed a stark contrast to the players at the other tables with their single plates of peanuts.

PFFT! Song Ling couldn’t help but burst out laughing, looking at the players as if they were a troop of clowns.

In the livestream chat, which Lin Bai couldn’t see, comments were already flooding the screen:

"Damn, that was brutal! Not a single swear word, yet every sentence hits you right in the feels!"

"I feel attacked even just watching through the screen!"

"Shopkeeper, 666!"

"Old Black, don’t just stand there stunned! Say something! Let the Shopkeeper show off some more!"

"Being dissed by an NPC... damn, that’s too much. I’d be out of my seat by now."

"I actually feel sorry for these troublemaking streamers. It’s like Lin, the Storekeeper, is bullying them!"

"This must be what they call intellectual ownage!"

"Just order a few more dishes, guys! You’re not just embarrassing yourselves; you’re disgracing all players!"

"Fight back! Roast him hard!"

"Love it, love it!"

"I never expected Lin, the Storekeeper, who can speak so sweetly, to also be so elegantly scathing!"

...

[Anger from Black Eye, Black Heart, Black Liver, Black Lung, and Black Spleen; +1+1+1]

"Boss, maybe we should order a few more dishes?" Black Liver typed, feeling as if he were sitting on pins and needles. "I feel less like we’re causing trouble and more like we’re a bunch of sitting ducks!"

"No, we can’t order. We need to get the upper hand," Black Eye replied, looking at the perfectly composed Lin Bai. "Shopkeeper, sometimes, ordering only one dish isn’t because one is poor..."

"I know, young man. No need to explain to me," Lin Bai interrupted with a smile. "Keep walking your own path, and don’t worry about what others think of you. Because, frankly, no one is looking at you." He paused, then added, "Life’s like that. When you think my words are harsh, take a look in the mirror. You’ll find they’re perfectly reasonable!"

"Poor and ugly, HAHAHAHA!"

"Lin, the Storekeeper, sure has a way with words!"

"Noted!"

"How can you bear to bully such an interesting NPC?"

"You’ve got it wrong! It’s not the streamers bullying Lin, the Storekeeper; it’s Lin, the Storekeeper, bullying the streamers! Can’t you see they can’t even stomach their peanuts anymore?"

"If they don’t order more dishes, doesn’t that just prove they’re poor and ugly?"

"Flip the tables!"

"Flip the tables and you lose."

"They’ve lost even without flipping the tables. This is too damn humiliating."

"Boss, what do we do?" Black Heart asked. "Do we order or not? It feels like we’re just his props right now. We haven’t annoyed him at all; if anything, we seem to have amused him!"

"..." Black Eye was silent. He had never felt so conflicted. If they didn’t order, he couldn’t stand Lin Bai’s contemptuous gaze. But if they did order, it felt like walking right into Lin Bai’s trap!

Lin Bai let out a soft sigh, picked up a calligraphy brush from the counter, and dipped it in ink. Under their bewildered gazes, he walked over to the wooden menu board on the wall and began to write, altering the prices:

"Fried Beef: one hundred seventy coins; Unleavened Bread: one hundred thirty coins..."

Seeing this, the five players nearly went insane. It was seventy coins just moments ago! After a brief exchange, the price had jumped to one hundred seventy coins. This was a deliberate attempt to provoke them! If they ordered now, they’d be utter fools—not just poor, but stupid too!

In the livestream chat, the audience was ecstatic.

"So vicious!"

"Lin, the Storekeeper, 666!"

"He’s got these streamers wrapped around his little finger!"

"Flip the tables!"

"Can’t flip the tables! If they do, Lin, the Storekeeper, will have a reason to retaliate. They’ll drop everything if they die, and the money will still end up with Lin, the Storekeeper. He can’t lose either way!"

[Anger from Black Eye, Black Heart, Black Liver, Black Lung, and Black Spleen: +1+1+1]

"Let’s go." Black Eye slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and said with a dark expression, "Lin, the Storekeeper. The green mountains don’t change, and the clear waters flow long. We’ll meet again."

"That’s it?" Lin Bai raised an eyebrow, tossed the brush aside, and said disdainfully, "If you put a block of tofu on the table, even a pig would show more composure than you lot!"

"..." The Black Organs were speechless.

"Esteemed guests, please come again soon!" Song Ling called out cheerfully.