Weird Rules Rumor: At The Beginning, He Insisted That He Was Not Dead
Chapter 122: "Watch the Shop, I’ve Already Dug the Pit"

When Bai Lian cleared the beginner dungeon with an S-rating, many organizations had already received the news.

However, it hadn’t caused much of a stir back then. Everything changed when Bai Lian earned an SSS-rating for clearing an official dungeon.

Organizations that learned of his achievement could no longer stay indifferent and began closely monitoring Bai Lian.

His clearance speed and the events following his success were especially attention-grabbing. Ignoring him was impossible.

Bai Lian had predicted this long ago. Hearing Li Xin’s words, his expression remained unmoved.

“That’s it?” Li Xin stared at Bai Lian, who showed no reaction, in disbelief. “Most people, upon hearing they’ve attracted attention, would at least be slightly startled, even if they don’t panic. But you…”

Instead, Bai Lian kept playing with the groundhog perched on his shoulder. Fanfan also seemed interested in Facai and came over to offer it snacks.

Are these two even listening to me? Li Xin watched them stone-faced, then rapped her knuckles on the table. “Could you at least pretend to respect me?”

Bai Lian glanced at her briefly and replied coldly:

“I thought it was important news. Turns out... this is it? Why drag me here?”

“Exactly! My boss is busy—his time is precious! Little Li, next time, don’t call him unless it’s serious!” Wu Fanfan chimed in, fully backing Bai Lian.

But before she finished, her ear was yanked. Li Xin glared at her:

“You’re siding against me now?”

“Boss, Li Xin’s bullying me! See? She dares bully your junior! Boss, save me!” Wu Fanfan immediately turned to Bai Lian for help.

Bai Lian smiled:

“Seems your days at ‘Nullification’ aren’t so great either. Why not send her to work for me? I happen to need staff.”

Wu Fanfan’s eyes lit up:

“Boss! I don’t wanna run a shop—I wanna fight alongside you!”

“Go eat your snacks!” Li Xin snatched the treats from Facai’s paws and shoved them at Wu Fanfan. “With him, you’d just sit in a shop all day. With us, you at least get to dive into dungeons!”

Pushing Wu Fanfan aside, Li Xin shot Bai Lian a disdainful look:

“Stop tempting her. Your little shop is under the spotlight now. Anyone who steps inside will be watched by every major faction. For a girl like her, getting noticed isn’t ideal.”

Bai Lian nodded slightly, not arguing. He changed the subject:

“Actually, I need to ask you for a favor.”

Li Xin crossed her legs, her black stilettos swaying:

“Not another scheme to scam other factions, is it? The door’s over there. Walk through it.”

As captain, she’d helped enough already. Bai Lian wasn’t part of their organization—she owed him nothing. Their relationship was merely cordial.

Nullification had once tried recruiting Bai Lian, but now that other factions were moving against him, they’d grown cautious. If Bai Lian fell in a dungeon, their early investments would mean massive losses.

“Of course not. It’s simple,” Bai Lian said.

Li Xin studied him, her face unreadable:

“Simple or not, your ‘favors’ always benefit you, while Nullification gets nothing.”

Bai Lian gave a thumbs-up:

“That’s why you’re sharp. You understand me best.”

“What is it?” Li Xin relented, knowing how thick-skinned he was.

“I’ve got a batch of items and Class Change Books. Want to…”

“Stop!”

Li Xin cut him off, raising a hand. She smirked:

“So that’s why you came so fast! You were setting me up.”

“Nullification doesn’t need Class Change Books. Just post in global chat—someone’ll bite.”

“As for items, our vault’s already overflowing with earlier hauls. Our members have all they need. More would just gather dust.”

“In short, I can’t help.” She added, “Our faction’s funds are tight, especially at the branch level. Revenue gets split: some rewards active members, some goes upstream. Everything’s audited—I can’t blow funds on your junk. Besides, if you’re not using them, why dump them on us?”

“Fine.” Seeing Li Xin’s pragmatism, Bai Lian shrugged. “Seems no one wants this Perfect Walkthrough Guide for the Genetic Tower. I’ll see if global chat bites.”

He finished his cappuccino, stood, and turned to leave.

“If there’s nothing else, I’m off.”

“Wait…”

Li Xin’s expression shifted. She stepped forward, blocking his path. Today, she wore a sheer black skirt and blazer. When she moved, her long legs drew attention.

Bai Lian’s gaze flickered to her legs, then back to her face, feigning surprise:

“What now?”

Li Xin tugged her skirt down, her tone serious:

“I just remembered—Nullification is short on items. That deal you mentioned... we can discuss.”

A Perfect Walkthrough Guide for the Genetic Tower— even if she couldn’t use it now, it’d be invaluable for her faction. After all, a perfect clear meant not just top rewards, but guaranteed titles!

A guide wouldn’t ensure an SSS-rating, but it would boost success odds. Worth every Rule Point.

“Knew you were business-savvy.” Bai Lian smiled and sat back down.

He handed his cup to Wu Fanfan: “Refill this.”

“Yes, Boss! Another cappuccino? Or something else? We’ve black tea, green tea, milk tea…” Wu Fanfan eagerly listed the camp’s drinks.

Bai Lian listened, increasingly pleased. Food, drinks, air conditioning—he wondered how many Rule Points they’d spent.

Li Xin noticed his gaze, hurriedly signaling Wu Fanfan: “Just refill it!”

Wu Fanfan pouted and went to pour coffee.

Li Xin and Bai Lian resumed bargaining. He pulled out a thick stack of Class Change Books—over seventy!

Li Xin stared at the pile, stunned: “You brought all these? And you claim you weren’t setting me up?”