Chapter 17 - 017 Lin Bai doesn’t have much time left
The blacksmith and the carpenter had the same idea. Really, it was to be expected. The news about the Dreadful Mansion had spread like wildfire; it remained deserted to this day. The people at Tooth Line could silence a few mouths, but the truth would be revealed with a little inquiry. When something like this happened, even a fat lamb would eventually consider themselves unlucky. So, every craftsman’s plan was to delay as much as possible. They hoped that when Lin Bai realized it was too difficult and withdrew, the matter would naturally resolve itself. But who would have known they would encounter such a tough character this time?
As a result, the blacksmith inevitably shared the same fate as the carpenter. After Lin Bai used the ghosts to harvest his negative emotions, he had no choice but to work overtime, seething with anger, to rush the job for him. The poor, naive, and kind ghost family was portrayed by Lin Bai as fierce ghosts that devoured people whole, bones and all, terribly ruining their reputation. Oh well, oh well!
But it had to be said, working under duress certainly made things go much smoother. In Lin Bai’s mind, the progress bar for the Incomplete System’s task, which had been stagnant, slowly began to crawl forward again. The Negative Emotion Value was also rising alongside it. With three ghosts hovering over their heads, forced to work overtime, and knowing the finished product had to be intentionally flawed, nine out of ten people would be filled with resentment. In that short time, Lin Bai had already watered the tree twice; to some extent, they could also be considered to be contributing to environmental protection.
"People are acting, the heavens are watching; dishonest people should be punished." Most people’s happiness is built on the pain of others, and Lin Bai was no exception. At this moment, he was very happy. Gaining positive emotions took deliberate effort and careful management. Negative emotions, however, could be easily acquired and would continue to grow. Choosing negative emotions was like choosing the expressway; he could hit top speed right from the start. It was practically guaranteed happiness.
At the Blacksmith Shop, Lin Bai encountered a player named Dumbelldore. The player was dressed in the attire of a blacksmith’s apprentice, complete with an apron, and was busy pushing the bellows; he clearly had a profession.
However, Lin Bai pretended not to see him.
His current success had all been achieved by riding on the coattails of others. At Luo Congwen’s House, he had borrowed the prestige of the never-before-seen Old Master Luo to earn his startup capital. Dealing with the ghosts, he had exploited the players’ invulnerability. Dealing with Crispy Rice, he had leveraged the power of the Government Office and the Beggar Gang. In urging the craftsmen to work, he had, in turn, leveraged the fear of the ghosts. Lin Bai was like a master strategist, maneuvering between various factions. His assets and gains might be increasing, but every step was like walking a tightrope. If any party saw through his schemes, it could set off a powder keg. What’s borrowed is never truly one’s own. To forge iron, one must first be strong. In the end, he was just an empty shell right now. The natives themselves were very powerful. Players were a unique group; for the sake of Experience Points, they were passionately enthusiastic about everything. As long as they found a method, they could level up with incredible speed. Lin Bai didn’t have much time left. He had to gain the strength to deal with the fallout before any of his schemes blew up. So, no matter how envious he was of the players’ potential, he couldn’t afford to provoke any more of them. He needed to maintain a low profile. At least until he possessed sufficient Martial Power, he couldn’t risk attracting more trouble.
As it turned out, even just a sliver of a crescent moon in the night sky could draw more attention than all the surrounding stars.
Lin Bai had just left the Blacksmith Shop when Dumbelldore, newly promoted to blacksmith’s apprentice, could no longer contain his curiosity. "Master," he asked, "what was that all about with that fellow just now?"