Mu Jiashi is sweating inside. Oh wait, did he disrupt dalao Lin Qinâs plans for courting XĂź Beijin?
XĂź Beijin doesnât look the least bit aware of Lin Qinâs feelings for him!
Oh shit oh shit oh shit⌠The two words keep looping inside Mu Jiashiâs mind. Now how is he going to salvage this?
He is also slightly surprised inside at XĂź Beijinâs shockââThe Tower resident in question isnât the least bit aware even though the entire bottom floor is talking about it?!
What Mu Jiashi doesnât know, however, is that the rumours have even spread to the floors above by now.
Mainly because of the uproar the decadent Missiontakers have caused because a certain crownless King of the bottom floor has confiscated almost the entire supply of drinks of the floor to appease his target of romance.
The collapse of the supply is even affecting many downstream Necessities Merchant, too.
In fact, Mu Jiashi has even been approached by an acquaintance from his Golddigging days, asking if he might be able to pull any strings to help dissuade Lin Qin from the utterly disruptive chaos heâs causing in his romantic pursuit.
That acquaintance promised to return the favour how ever he could; Mu Jiashi thought of Su Enya, and asked.
The acquaintance did not know her well, but he knew somebody who does, and told Mu Jiashi that that somebody is interested in this Nightmareââthis possible candidate for the Ultimate Nightmare, and so if Mu Jiashi could dig up valuable information from the Nightmare, or even achieve a True End, he would have good stakes for bargaining for information on Su Enya.
That is why Mu Jiashi is here.
He didnât expect to meet XĂź Beijin here, of course, but since he did, he could also mention what the acquaintance asked him to help with to him.
Mu Jiashi is aware that the drinks Lin Qin has is what Ding Yi handed over before she left. He is also equally speechless at the market chaos itâs caused so far, as he is acutely aware that, rather than actually going after Lin Qinâs supply of drinks, the chaos from the Missiontakers and Necessities Merchants, for that matter, is largely to do with the gap in the market left behind by Ding Yiâs departure.
Everyone has eyes on what she left behind. The inventory is one, but the her market connections even more so; she left most of that to her subordinates, of course, but who knows who that large amount of regulars she had might decide to choose after she has left?
That is why they need to see a response, a signal, a direction⌠a decision, from Lin Qin.
They might call Lin Qin the âCrownless Kingâ of the bottom floor, but Lin Qin is utterly unaware himself. That is no deterrent, however, to how the pragmatic and sly Missiontakers of the bottom floor enjoys pushing him to the forefront instead of themselves.
If someone really does acquire the âgo-aheadâ from Lin QinââOr at least, something that could constitute a firm âgo-aheadâ in otherâs eyes, to allow them to take over the operations as a representative for Lin Qin, then that would certainly grant them an immensely powerful cover.
This isnât just some fantastical scheme either, because they all know two things about Lin Qin if nothing else,
One, his fighting strength practically makes him a bug;
Two, he is a bit, eh⌠simple, in the head.
So, in other words, if they really managed to rope Lin Qin in, to be some kind of front for themselves for realâŚ
Up to this point, though, no one has managed to convincingly elicit a permission from Lin Qin, nor has anyone managed to get away with anything by stating that Lin Qin is behind their backs, for now.
However, since Ding Yi has left the bottom floor of the Tower in the wake of the rumours that someone has left the Tower, and now with the new rumours of the Ultimate Nightmare circulating around as well⌠Someone is getting impatient.
Regardless of their trade, from Necessities Merchants, to Tailors, Golddiggers, Carddealers, Vultures⌠All of them, and the powers behind them, and the forces beneath the surface, are all ready to muddy the waters themselves.
Departure from the Tower notwithstanding, theyâre interested in advancing their own powers, at least.
All of that, led to Mu Jiashi being asked for help.
Is that acquaintance that concerned over some drinks?
No, of course not! Mu Jiashi gets it. He is tired of it, evenââThis is the Tower! This is the fucking Tower!
Why is it that even in somewhere like the Tower, where everyone is trapped in a hyper realistic escape game, where it is so dark and depressing that everyone is a living corpse, humanityâs squabbles are still ongoing?
⌠Humans, reallyâŚ
In the Nightmare, when he heard XĂź Beijin tell them about the motto, âHumans are the Impurities of the Earth,â there is one moment in there where he, exhausted, exasperated, actually felt a concerning⌠concordance⌠with the sentiment.
He could actually agree with the school of thought that humans are impurities on Earth.
No matter how much he agreed with that, though, he still packs his emotions up immediately, and then relay to XĂź Beijin what his acquaintance asked him, about the drinks.
The acquaintance knew about the fact that Mu Jiashi once got a clue to a Nightmare from XĂź Beijin using drinks, so he asked if Mu Jiashi could talk to XĂź Beijin.
Mu Jiashi never thought that XĂź Beijin wasnât actually aware of Lin Qinâs advances on him!
Mu Jiashi is in a bind.
Keep rushing, and he might ruin dalao Lin Qinâs efforts; retreat, and heâll have to go back on the promise with his acquaintance.
Frustrated, he is thinking, damn, canât this world just go boom already?
Since Mu Jiashi has experienced that unprecedented defeat on the upper floors, it seems his mental stability is crumbling more and moreâŚ
Meanwhile, back to our XĂź Beijin, whose jaw is on the floor.
In the stream, the audience are plastering the comment barrage with exclamation marks before going âhahahaha.â
âi knew the little apple wanted something something with Beibei!â
âcalled it!â
âhmm, yes, a brawl⌠the kind taking place on the bed!!!â
âlittle apple, little apple, so you were such a kind of little appleâ
âBeibei, you canât lose your self to the little apple, ok? [cry emoji]â
âBeibei, you cant lose yourself in the little apple, ok? [cry emoji]â
âmommy doesnt approve of the date! you hear me Bei???â
âlooking at Beibei⌠ok, Beibei does not know, dense Beibei is sadâ
XĂź Beijin ââŚâ
What do you mean by dense?! Since when did Lin Qin like him? Itâs⌠Itâs just Mu Jiashi talking bullshit!
XĂź Beijinâs ears have gone red and, after patching up his cracked facial expression, says seemingly exceedingly calmly, âyou misunderstand. Lin Qin does not like me in that sense.â
Mu Jiashi gives him a strange look.
Really�
Mu Jiashi is unconvinced, and instead concludes that Xß Beijin is helplessly dense. Or rather⌠you know, Tower residents. They are a stream of data in the game.
So Mu Jiashi suddenly understands.
Right! Of course! How could an artificial intelligence comprehend feelings a human might hold towards some 1s and 0s?
He is even giving a glance that reads pity, sympathy and relief at XĂź Beijin; if XĂź Beijin had to translate that face into words, he would try âdonât worry about it my boy, thatâs how utterly depraved humans are.â
XĂź Beijin ââŚâ
What are you thinking about this time, man?!
XĂź Beijin is positively vexed.
Now, only two thoughts occupy his mind,
One, go back to the Tower and have a comprehensive talk with Lin Qin;
Two, have a comprehensive talk with Mu Jiashi.
Though after thinking about it somewhat, XĂź Beijin realises, sadly, hopelessly, that he might be able to convince neitherâŚ
A rather long time passes, until even the Server is hurrying him along, that XĂź Beijin finally picks up his stiff legs to walk towards the fountain again.
Also, there seems to now be some sort of unspoken agreement between him and Mu Jiashi now, that Mu Jiashi would not mention how Lin Qin likes him, nor would XĂź Beijin act like he is the least bit aware.
⌠Seriously, how could Lin Qin even fall in love with him!
That dumb little apple about as smart as his namesake�!
Does he even have the capacity for romance right now�!
Countless questions flash through XĂź Beijinâs mind, each of them possibly leading to a more serious minefield of topic, like âwhat kind of people would actually fall in love with someone without EQ while being excessively clingy?â
XĂź Beijin does not know, but XĂź Beijin can say it is not him.
Apparently, XĂź Beijin isnât aware of how big of a flag he just planted for himself there to be recovered in the future.