Gratitude

The sudden voice of the Battle-Damaged Guy immediately cut through the bickering between Dr. Lin and Dr. Zhao, plunging the entire area into an instant silence.

Dr. Zhao slowly turned his head, his gaze falling heavily on the Battle-Damaged Guy.

Ren Yi felt the surrounding temperature drop by half a degree in a literal sense, becoming somewhat chilly and grim.

"Are you... talking to me?" Dr. Zhao's voice carried no warmth, laced with an unquestionable sense of pressure.

He quietly stared at the thin, wounded human before him. After a few seconds, he suddenly let out a low chuckle.

There was a hint of playfulness in the laughter.

"Then tell me, what exactly is wrong?"

The Battle-Damaged Guy's face was pale, but his eyes held a streak of ruthlessness as he spoke each word clearly.

"You just said, 'it's just a matter of a single chip.' That statement is incorrect."

He gritted his teeth and lifted the case in his hand, opening it with a click.

Inside, it was packed to the brim with chips, shimmering with an enticing luster.

This was likely almost all the chips he had won earlier.

"What you damaged was an asset that is constantly appreciating in value."

"I believe you should provide compensation based on the maximum potential value of this asset."

Does he mean he can earn more chips?

Ren Yi wasn't surprised that the Battle-Damaged Guy understood the nature of his own "property."

Because he wasn't sure how the rules defined it, Ren Yi had performed a complete "purchase action" whenever he interacted with any of the stowaways.

Ren Yi immediately sensed the Seed inside the Battle-Damaged Guy, confirming that it was in a normal state and that nothing beyond his control was happening.

The Battle-Damaged Guy likely had both Ren Yi's Seed and Dr. Zhao's contamination within him simultaneously.

The fact that the Seed hadn't withered meant the despair contamination wasn't very severe.

So, was this guy being influenced by some kind of intelligence-lowering halo?

Was the effect that strong? He actually dared to charge into a group of Anomalies to face off against Dr. Zhao?

However, Ren Yi quickly dismissed that thought.

His additional ability couldn't even be considered contamination; its cognitive influence on people was negligible.

At most, it gave people the "courage to do things they originally wanted to do but were afraid to," rather than making them mindlessly rush to their deaths for no reason.

In that case, the Battle-Damaged Guy must have his own reasons for doing this.

The information he could have gathered was limited. Aside from Ren Yi's previous purchase behavior, it was mainly the conversations between the parties during the conflict.

Dr. Lin and Dr. Zhao had made a huge scene without much attempt to hide anything.

But that farce shouldn't have revealed much direct, useful information.

So, what kind of logical leaps had he made in his head?

Ren Yi stood to the side with interest, waiting to see which direction things would take.

To his surprise, the first person to respond wasn't Dr. Zhao.

"I believe... this gentleman has a point," the waiter actually spoke up first.

As soon as he said this, the eyes of everyone present were drawn to him.

Dr. Zhao's brow instantly furrowed. He looked at the waiter with utter astonishment, his tone more surprised than angry.

"What is wrong with you today? Are you for real?"

He looked like a man whose best friend had suddenly betrayed him, leaving him unable to process the situation.

Not only was Dr. Zhao stunned, but Ren Yi was also full of questions.

The original situation seemed to be the three of them against the conflict between the entertainment city and Dr. Zhao.

Now that his side had finally gained a bit of an upper hand, the entertainment city itself had suddenly defected and turned around to screw over its own ally?

A simple street-side spat had turned into a brain-burning game of double-crossing in the blink of an eye. The once clear relationships between everyone were now a tangled mess.

Ren Yi was having trouble keeping up with the rhythm of these reversals.

All the surrounding waiters remained expressionless, appearing exceptionally impartial.

"I am merely protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the entertainment city's customers. Sir, I do not understand what you are implying."

They spoke in unison, their voices converging into a buzzing echo that made Ren Yi's scalp tingle.

In this moment, he once again realized intuitively how bizarre the existence of the entertainment city's Boss truly was.

Its limbs pervaded the entire building. Every waiter was merely an extended tentacle, all sharing a single consciousness.

But what exactly had caused it to change its attitude so suddenly?

Ren Yi's gaze involuntarily drifted toward the Battle-Damaged Guy nearby.

Was it because of him?

On the other side, seeing the entertainment city's grand and impartial display, Dr. Zhao didn't grow tense. Instead, he looked intrigued, stroking his chin as he teased.

"What's going on? So, I've managed to incur public wrath? Am I really that much of a target?"

At these words, the area fell silent once more. No one responded.

Dr. Zhao waved his hand helplessly, no longer bothering to argue with the entertainment city.

"Fine, fine. I'm done playing with you all."

His gaze returned to the Battle-Damaged Guy, the playfulness back in his voice.

He glanced at the chips in the case and raised an eyebrow. "I see it. You have indeed earned quite a lot."

"But I don't see how the appreciation of this asset has reached the owner's hands?"

He paused, then challenged him. "So, your argument seems groundless, doesn't it? It doesn't prove that your asset can truly appreciate."

"I understand what you mean." The Battle-Damaged Guy didn't panic. Instead, he smiled and spoke calmly, "I will prove it to you right now."

With that, he carried the full case of chips and walked quickly to the gambling table in front of Ren Yi. He placed the case on the table, his eyes incredibly earnest.

"The reason the asset can appreciate is, of course, because I know how to be grateful."

"As a reward for your previous help, all these chips I've earned should rightfully belong to you."

What's going on?

Ren Yi silently took two steps back, his eyes full of wariness.

After all that arguing, they were finally here to give him money?

What is this guy up to?

"Ho!" Dr. Lin, who had been watching the show from the sidelines, suddenly scoffed and slapped his thigh.

"Kid, not bad! You're playing it smart!"

Ren Yi shot him a glare, not bothering to respond.

He turned back to the Battle-Damaged Guy and spoke expressionlessly, "Sir, I've heard the saying, 'A sudden show of kindness always comes with a catch.'"

Free things were always the most expensive; there was no such thing as a free lunch.

So, human, tell me your goal.

"I know you don't trust me. I wouldn't trust me either if I were in your shoes." The Battle-Damaged Guy smiled somewhat bashfully, pushing the case further toward Ren Yi.

"But I truly don't want this case of things. I'll just leave it here. It doesn't matter whether you accept it or not."

He let go and took a step back, clearly intending not to touch the case of chips again. His tone became serious.

"But as for my goal, or rather, my request—I do have one."

"I don't have a formal identity, so I can't challenge the God of Gamblers directly. Therefore, I hope you can help me by issuing a challenge to the entertainment city on my behalf."

"For you, there won't be any risk. It's just a matter of saying the words."

The Battle-Damaged Guy took a deep breath, his eyes determined as he spoke each word with conviction. "I want to challenge the position of the God of Gamblers."

Ren Yi didn't speak.

He looked at the Battle-Damaged Guy, then at the waiters, and suddenly smiled.

"I see."

He instantly understood the key to the whole situation.

"You want to gamble with the God of Gamblers for the invitation in his hand, don't you?"