Chapter 140: Beauties Struggle to Resist Heroes, The Trust Game

Day 61.

Because of the fierce battle in the abandoned mine the day before, Ren Zhong took a legitimate excuse that his equipment needed maintenance and repair. He announced that he and Zheng Tian's team were taking the day off and would not go out hunting.

However, this was merely a smokescreen.

That very morning, a scavenger accidentally bumped into the town outcasts' beloved Valkyrie, Ma Xiaoling, appearing together with Ren Zhong in the Iron Bug Forest.

In this dangerous death zone for ordinary outcasts, a hunting ground where risk and reward coexisted for bottom-tier scavengers, the pair had actually laid out a cloth by the riverbank. Sitting cross-legged upon it, they happily snacked on melon seeds and treats while chatting merrily.

Yes, these two were on a date.

The scavenger who stumbled upon this delightful scene witnessed Ren Zhong and Ma Xiaoling holding hands, sharing a small embrace, and even saw Ma Xiaoling giggling as she stole a kiss on Ren Zhong's cheek.

Upon returning to the town, this scavenger who had pried into the sweet secret did not broadcast it everywhere; instead, he headed straight for Spark Resources.

Aside from being a relatively successful scavenger, he was also a senior informant planted by Yang Bingzhong among the ordinary scavengers.

His intelligence could reach the highest ears directly.

In truth, he could have reported to President Yang via his newly purchased official wristwatch, but such bombshell news definitely called for in-person credit-claiming.

Yang Bingzhong listened expressionlessly to the informant's report, then glanced at the secretly recorded video. Though not particularly sharp, the video clearly distinguished the male and female protagonists as Ren Zhong and Ma Xiaoling. Pondering for a moment, he said, "Alright, I know. Go collect a bounty of 200 points."

"Thank you, President Yang!"

……

Two hours later, Ren Zhong appeared in town. This time, at the military hardware mall, he was engaged in pleasant, lively conversation with the town's other highly popular woman—Ju Qingmeng.

"Ren Zhong, come to the company. I have something to ask you."

Yang Bingzhong had given careful consideration to Ren Zhong's position.

He was very optimistic about this man's potential and was willing to place a certain bet on him.

However, whether someone could be trusted was always the primary consideration for any person in power when choosing a confidant.

Yang Bingzhong had already analyzed various possibilities in advance.

Ultimately, he ruled out the possibility that Ren Zhong was an informant planted by Ma Dafu around him.

Ren Zhong could not possibly be an informant.

Otherwise, this informant would be operating at far too low a level.

Having already gained his trust and appreciation, along with a multitude of favorable conditions, a professional informant ought to have laid low much better and deeper.

Daylight wilderness dating and rendezvous with Ma Xiaoling, and even getting caught by someone—that was simply too foolish, clearly acting as if he had too much time to live.

It was foolish to the extreme, full of an unreal quality, which instead greatly reduced Yang Bingzhong's suspicion toward Ren Zhong.

Yet the video could not be faked, and a senior informant would not dare to tell such a lie.

After all, who in the company didn't know by now that Ren Zhong was President Yang's newly rising favorite?

Framing him would not only yield no reward, but might also result in Yang Bingzhong selling him out as a personal favor to Ren Zhong.

Thus, the affair between Ren Zhong and Ma Xiaoling became quite intriguing to ponder.

After turning it over in his mind and carefully analyzing the evaluation report previously submitted by the late Lin Wang, combined with the intelligence gathered by his own informants, Yang Bingzhong ultimately decided to have a frank and open discussion with Ren Zhong.

Maintaining his usual overbearing yet relaxed posture, Yang Bingzhong asked, "Someone saw you and Ma Xiaoling acting intimately today. I need an explanation from you."

Ren Zhong wore a blank expression. "Huh?"

Yang Bingzhong frowned slightly. "You're not planning to tell me nothing of the sort happened, are you?"

Ren Zhong shook his head. "Of course it happened. I just didn't know how to bring it up."

"Whatever the situation is, just tell it like it is."

Ren Zhong sighed. "Sigh, Captain Lin previously mentioned your conflict with Ma Dafu to me, President Yang. To be honest, I didn't want this either, sigh, it's just..."

"Just what?"

Ma Xiaoling is indeed gorgeous. That figure, that face—they hit every single point of my aesthetic preference. I simply couldn't resist. Plus, I feel like she actually has some feelings for me too."

Yang Bingzhong nodded. "I actually knew about that. Ever since you first came to town, Ma Xiaoling has treated you uniquely. You once killed a man in the slums, and Ma Xiaoling was the one who arrested you. Not only did she not put handcuffs on you, but she even made you sit on the back seat of her motorcycle. You even wrapped your arms around her waist."

"Yes, I knew nothing could be hidden from President Yang. Actually, we started chatting right from that moment. Although killing a stranger in the street counts as a crime on my part, I was merely stepping forward to dispense justice upon seeing an injustice. She quite appreciated my courage and integrity, and was willing to smooth things over for me. Because of my friendship with Manager Ju and my past citizenship status, Mayor Ma didn't dislike me either, so he used me to do his daughter a favor."

"We chatted quite a bit that day. Hearing that she liked playing video games, I registered a gaming account myself, following her around every night in the game to fight national wars, and before I knew it, our relationship turned out like this. She has also more than once brought me to the military hardware mall for mecha warrior training; my rapid improvement owes a huge debt to her help."

Yang Bingzhong gave a rare smile and flashed a thumbs-up to Ren Zhong. "You mean a simp who simps to the end gets everything in the end? You've got some skills, kid. But now that we're about to leave, tell me about your future plans."

Ren Zhong replied without hesitation, "Spark Town is practically finished, and who knows where Ma Dafu and Ma Xiaoling will go next. What if they want to return to the county seat? I'm merely an outcast; how could I possibly be qualified to enter the county seat? Of course I'll follow you, President Yang! You are my true benefactor."

Yang Bingzhong nodded with satisfaction. "You certainly see things clearly and transparently. But surely that's not all, right?"

Ren Zhong froze, and after a long moment, he said sheepishly, "I also have Ju Qingmeng and the two girls in my own squad. She wanted me to cut ties with them. I... I just can't do it. I can't give up an entire forest for a single tree. Of course! Sigh, I'm the kind of person who's fine in every other aspect, but I simply can't control myself when facing a pretty woman who catches my eye. Whenever I encounter one, I always want something to happen between us."

"Don't tell me that's how you managed to lose your citizenship in the first place, you brat?"

Ren Zhong: "Uh... let's not bring up the past. Anyway, I've already lost my citizenship and am just a lowly outcast now, sigh. In short, if President Yang is unhappy about this, I can immediately cut ties with Ma Xiaoling right now?"

Yang Bingzhong carefully observed every movement, action, and word of Ren Zhong, matching them one by one against the intelligence in his mind.

This young genius of citizen origin truly possessed a carefree playboy personality. He was quite good-looking, articulate, and genuinely possessed a certain upright aura and natural charm with women. He exerted a fatal, irresistible attraction toward relatively kind, innocent female citizens like Ma Xiaoling and Ju Qingmeng.

The speed at which Ju Qingmeng had thrown herself into his arms was proof of his personal magnetism.

It was entirely logical that he could win over Ma Xiaoling, who possessed physical might but lacked brains.

Shifting the conversation, Yang Bingzhong said, "Let me ask you a personal question. You don't have to answer."

"Please go ahead, President Yang."

"How far have things gone between you and Ma Xiaoling?"

"Uh..." Ren Zhong seemed to hesitate, as if wanting to speak but holding back, before finally summoning the courage to say, "Everything that should have happened has happened. After all, we're both adults."

"Hahahaha!" Yang Bingzhong suddenly burst into wild laughter. "Good, very good! That fool Ma Dafu has fought with me for over a dozen years without a single victory. If not for Ma Xiaoling's astonishing talent, I would have kicked him out two years ago. And now look at this—you, Ren Zhong, helped me win the final match. As far as I know, Ma Xiaoling hasn't even been in a romantic relationship until now, yet she fell right into the hands of an old veteran of the floral paths like you. Brilliant!"

Ren Zhong wore a bitter expression. "President Yang, the way you phrase that sounds rather strange. You mustn't let this spread; I'm actually somewhat serious about Ma Xiaoling. I'm afraid..."

Yang Bingzhong, "Afraid of what?"

"I'm truly afraid she'll mistake me for just playing around with her. After all, she's a captain of the guards and extremely powerful; I'm afraid she might kill me out of rage. I was just trying to figure out a way to break up with her peacefully."

"That won't be easy. Someone like Ma Xiaoling is single-track-minded, straight-laced, obsessed with combat, and has a violent temper. She rarely falls in love, but once she truly gives her heart, it's virtually irreversible."

"Ah! What should I do then?"

Yang Bingzhong narrowed his eyes. "I have a plan that will make her not dare to easily kill you."

……

"What is it? Please instruct me, President Yang."

"But you must sign a ten-year long-term contract with me containing the highest restriction privileges. For the next ten years, you must be—and can only be—an employee of my company."

Ren Zhong thought for a moment and asked, "Are you planning to help me regain my citizenship, President Yang?"

"Yes."

Ren Zhong: "By taking the four-tier authentication route?"

"That's the fastest and most convenient way."

Ren Zhong looked troubled. "That's inconvenient; it requires..."

Yang Bingzhong: "I can take care of the corporate authentication and citizen voting right here. As for the approval of the guard captain and the mayor, isn't that a breeze for you right now? I give you permission to tell them a little lie."

"Ah? What lie?"

"Ma Dafu lost completely in my hands. I imagine he won't be reconciled even if he retires. You just need to tell him that as long as he helps you become a citizen, not only can you act as his internal spy inside my camp to gather information on me, but you also promise to marry Ma Xiaoling. Isn't that enough?"

Ren Zhong: "Ah, well... but won't they worry that I won't be able to secure your authentication and citizen vote, President Yang?"

Yang Bingzhong smiled. "This is what we call a dual suspicion chain. They will advise you to first take their approval, then gradually win my trust, and figure out the rest once we reach the new town. After all, Ma Dafu knows my methods; he shouldn't doubt my ability to seize control of the new town. They will obediently hand over the power in their own hands, which at least creates a certain possibility for this matter to unfold."

Ren Zhong scratched his head. "I'm a bit dizzy, President Yang. This is too convoluted."

"Don't think too much about it. Opportunities wait for no one, so don't hesitate. Do as I say right now. Otherwise, once we go to the new town, I'll have to lay out my connections all over again. By then, with my company's scale expanded, I might not necessarily still look out for you."

Ren Zhong's expression flickered rapidly, and finally, unable to hold back, he asked, "President Yang, um... there is something I don't know whether I should say or not."

"Speak."

"If they really treat me that well, aren't you afraid I might actually switch sides to them and betray you?"

Yang Bingzhong laughed heartily and pointed toward the upper right corner of his office wall.

Ren Zhong turned around and drew a sharp intake of breath.

It was a security camera.

President Yang's simultaneous use of benevolence and severity was truly flawless.

Ren Zhong instantly wilted. "Then I must thank you for your kindness, President Yang. I will work hard."

"Good, I'll wait for your good news."

Ren Zhong walked out of the office, once again casting a grateful glance back at the doorway.

As for Yang Bingzhong, whether he was truly clever was debatable.

Yet to call him foolish would be going too far; otherwise, he could not have reversed the internal decline of the company over sixteen years and subsequently suppressed Ma Dafu externally.

And yet, when matters reached this critical juncture, he had actually fallen easily into his own trap simply for the sake of disgusting Ma Dafu and his daughter.

He had even cooked up some dizzying dual suspicion chain.

In reality, none of Yang Bingzhong's logics held up under close scrutiny; he was merely gambling on a possibility.

Human nature, after all, has always been complex and hard to fathom.

……

That afternoon, Ren Zhong obtained one of the four-tier authentications—the corporate authentication.

That evening, Ren Zhong secured the approvals of the mayor and the guard captain.

Immediately following that, on the morning of the second day, under Yang Bingzhong's summons, the citizens of Spark Town convened a long-overdue general referendum.

At the assembly, a total of nearly six hundred citizens cast votes of approval. Only the father-daughter duo who feigned sudden ignorance and rushed over in an emergency, the town government secretary, and a few guard members with formal citizen status cast futile opposing votes.

Although the father-daughter duo's votes carried greater weight, the motion for Ren Zhong to advance in citizenship still achieved an approval rate as high as 90%.

The moment the vote counting concluded, Ma Dafu swept his gaze across the numerous citizens in the hall with complicated feelings.

Although the entire affair had been plotted by Ren Zhong and himself, looking at this 90% approval rate and the pitiful dozen or so opposing votes, Ma Dafu still felt a stinging sensation.

Intuition told him something was wrong.

On the other side, Ren Zhong had already returned to the Spark Resources office with Yang Bingzhong.

Yang Bingzhong smiled happily.

"The opposing votes from Ma's father and daughter—you coordinated that with them in advance, didn't you?"

Ren Zhong nodded. "Yes."

"To increase the credibility of your role as an insider?"

"Yes."

"Alright, for the next few days I grant you a complete holiday so you can properly accompany Ma Xiaoling."

"Understood! Thank you, President Yang!"

Once Ren Zhong left, Yang Bingzhong, the mastermind behind the scenes, couldn't help but sigh, "Beauties have a hard time passing the scumbag's test. This Ren Zhong really is a top-tier scumbag who can even fool himself. I'm damned if I can learn that. A genius."

……

Inside the town government's second-floor private reception room.

Ren Zhong and a solemn-looking Ma Dafu sat opposite each other.

Ma Dafu picked up his teacup and chugged the tea in large gulps, much like a cow chewing peonies.

After a long silence, he set down the cup and let out a long sigh. "I'm such a fool. I really didn't foresee this... sigh. Every time a town is decommissioned, there's always a similar citizen trial vote. In the past, such votes were mostly just going through the motions; rarely would citizens actually vote to death all the outcasts who had sustained them for decades—they'd usually leave a way out. But this time... sigh! Yang Bingzhong isn't even bothering to act anymore, using this opportunity to clearly and unequivocally tell me that I've been completely hollowed out."

Ren Zhong nodded. "Indeed. I've caught wind of some news."

"What news?"

"This matter is also related to Crystalline Mining and the Mendu Group. It happened like this..."

Upon hearing this, Ma Dafu turned pale with fright, but quickly pulled himself together. "The situation is actually this severe? Fortunately, we still have you as our trump card."

Ren Zhong suddenly looked at him with sorrow. "Old Ma."

"Hmm?"

"Do you trust me?"

"If I don't trust you now, who else is there to trust? These citizens are truly... sigh!"

Ren Zhong took a deep breath. "I don't know how to put it into words; right now, I can only give you a promise. No matter what, I am your own man. Whatever happens between you and me from here on out, you can be angry, you can hate me, and you can even have Ma Xiaoling kill me. But I hope you only display anger and never spill everything we've plotted all this time, choosing mutual destruction with me."

Ma Dafu, intelligent as he was, shuddered all over and stared blankly at Ren Zhong. "What do you mean?"

Ren Zhong locked eyes with him. His gaze held a thousand unvoiced words, meant only to be apprehended rather than explicitly stated.

Sometimes, saying nothing conveys emotions far better than words.

"Old Ma, you are actually a very smart person, but unfortunately you met an opponent who is wealthier than you and utterly devoid of a bottom line, which is why you lost so miserably. But I can swear to you that one day I will help you win, and I will realize your ideals. I'll even let you see higher ideals of mine—just not this time, not right now. This is a game concerning trust that will determine our future. I hope you will trust me one last time and do as I say. I'm sorry, I must leave."

With that, Ren Zhong stood up and walked away.

Ma Dafu did not ask him to stay, sitting alone in the private reception room in hollow silence for a long time.

After leaving the town government, Ren Zhong went to the supply store to collect a Level 5 wristwatch—an item only accessible to citizens—which he had ordered that afternoon and which had just arrived, valued at 30,000 points.

That night, Ren Zhong's post-tax earnings in the dormant space increased from 50 to 300 points.

Yet his expenditures also suddenly spiked significantly.

He declined Ma Xiaoling's offer to accompany him in training, choosing instead to enter the Level 5 virtual reality training supported by the Level 5 wristwatch on his own.

The eight-hour training fee was a staggering 20,480 points, breathtakingly expensive.

Yet the training results were equally remarkable.

His adaptability to his sixth sense grew increasingly higher.

Moreover, the growth rate of his brain reaction index experienced another leap.

Before swapping wristwatches, when using Level 4 virtual reality training, the nightly increase in his brain reaction index was 108.35.

The Level 5 wristwatch boosted this growth rate by 200% on top of that, reaching 325.05.

After a single night of training, his brain reaction index started from 1,739.6 and ultimately reached 2,064.65.

As a side note, on the day the battle with Lin Wang concluded, just as the stimulant's aftereffects were about to fade, Ren Zhong donned his armor again and measured his parameters.

At that time, his bioelectric load capacity was 2,501.1 kilowatts, his brain reaction index was 1,522.9, and his comprehensive physical fitness index was 2,501.1.

The efficacy of the Star-Source Injection had been completely expended during his bloody battle with Lin Wang.

Once the drug's effect wore off, the growth rate of his load capacity and physical fitness slowed, dropping to an average of about 33.8 per day.

At 6:00 AM on the 63rd day, Ren Zhong woke up and re-measured his parameters: bioelectric load capacity was 2,584.45 kilowatts, brain reaction index was 2,064.65, and comprehensive physical fitness index was 2,584.45.

Over the next two days, Ren Zhong did not follow Yang Bingzhong's instructions to pester Ma Xiaoling.

He gave Yang Bingzhong an explanation.

Indeed, things couldn't be pushed too far, otherwise no one could withstand a furious Ma Xiaoling. If he pushed it past the limit and threw away his life over it, it wouldn't be worth it.

Yang Bingzhong didn't object.

On the morning of the 65th day, Wang Zhaofu made another trip to Spark Town, taking away Lin Wang's twin guns along with a large batch of spare parts stripped from Lin Wang's armor and Ren Zhong's old armor, with a total value of 3.23 million.

Once the funds arrived, Ren Zhong's personal wealth reached 4.19 million.

Concurrently, the internal components of his equipment underwent a comprehensive renewal. In Ju Qingmeng's words, whatever was usable inside Lin Wang's exoskeleton, possessed better performance than his previous armor, and met the compatibility threshold, had all been crammed right in.

Ren Zhong's armor at this moment looked like Level 3 on the outside, almost identical to when he first took possession of it, but the inner workings had undergone a world-changing transformation. The power ceiling had smashed through the 1,000-kilowatt wall of Level 4, reaching 15,000 points, and its performance even surpassed Lin Wang's Level 4 equipment.

Naturally, even if Lin Wang had obtained this set, he could not have fully unleashed its power.

The higher the performance parameters of equipment and the more terrifying its maneuverability, the greater the demands placed on the body. Leaving aside those physical demands, when operating at full throttle, an ordinary human brain simply could not react in time; taking a single step would result in crashing into a wall.

At this juncture, the importance of combat intuition was fully demonstrated.

For a Level 5 warrior, amidst a lightning-fast, ever-changing battlefield, the brain simply lacked the time to carefully analyze things the way one would when reading a book or solving a test; decisions had to be—and could only be—entrusted to instinct, which was combat intuition—the "sixth sense."

At 3:00 PM that afternoon, under the gazes of countless people filled with panic, nervous despair, or heavy hearts, the anti-gravity engines inside the Spark Resources submarine building began to preheat.

Two thousand outcasts from the entire Spark Town broke through the barrier of the white-walled guards and flooded outside the gates of Spark Resources.

They knew this meant the final doom trial for the town outcasts had finally arrived ahead of schedule.

Ren Zhong, alongside Zheng Tian's team, Tang Shuying's team, Jiang Kai's team, dozens of Spark Resources security bodyguards, and a large hunting contingent of nearly a hundred people temporarily hired by Yang Bingzhong, stood fully armed atop the walls of the Spark Resources plaza, looking down condescendingly upon the masses.

Before the masses stood the guard unit led by Ma Dafu and Ma Xiaoling.

A game of trust belonging to Ren Zhong, Yang Bingzhong, and the Ma family father and daughter had officially unfurled its curtain.

The father and daughter raised their heads to gaze at Ren Zhong on the wall.

Ren Zhong lowered his gaze, looking back at the father and daughter with a calm expression.

It was time to leave.

The gamble of fate had reached the moment of revealing the cards.

Just how much he could win this time depended entirely on how deep the Ma family's affection and trust in him truly ran.

He still remembered on the night he killed the burly man surnamed Zhang, when he met with Ma Dafu, the seemingly honest old fatty had delivered a piece of logical analysis that had struck him as astonishing.

Hidden beneath Ren Zhong's calm expression was a burning anticipation.

Old Ma!

Teacher Ma!

Don't let me down!

Unleash your anger to your heart's content!

Yet please maintain your most basic trust in me!

I dream of becoming comrades with you who can share everything.

How I wish you could know all my thoughts.

But the time is not yet ripe; we both need time.

Please give me the most perfect curtain-call performance in Spark Town.

Let's fool the world together!

I'm begging you!