Proxy War

Ren Yi snapped back to reality, a flicker of realization crossing his eyes.

So that was how it was.

The entertainment city had hinted before that, due to Instance rules, the God of Gamblers was very difficult to handle. It had been quite helpless, forced to let him remain within the Instance.

So, the Battle-Damaged Guy wasn't the entertainment city's target at all, but rather their tool?

However, according to his brother, the entertainment city likely hadn't realized the Battle-Damaged Guy's uniqueness before.

It wasn't until Ren Man noticed something was off, notified the entertainment city's superior, who then informed the manager, that they belatedly realized the Battle-Damaged Guy was the best candidate to deal with the God of Gamblers.

The entertainment city wanted Ren Yi's consent because they intended to use the Battle-Damaged Guy to deal with the God of Gamblers—someone they couldn't handle themselves.

As for Ren Yi being dragged into this, it was because the Battle-Damaged Guy, as his property, required an initiator for the challenge.

Wait a second. Ren Yi froze again.

So, the root of the current situation was a work error by the entertainment city? They had accidentally let him "intercept" the Battle-Damaged Guy, who was a "key tool"?

He wasn't sure if his guess was entirely correct. After all, there were too few clues, and many points didn't quite add up yet.

Forget it, this is all such a mess.

After a moment's hesitation, Ren Yi decided to ask Ren Man directly.

"Brother," Ren Yi turned to Ren Man, first quickly explaining his understanding and conjectures.

Then, his tone became serious, carrying a hint of a plea for help.

"What exactly is the situation now? Should I agree to the entertainment city's request?"

Ren Man tilted his head, looking at him with a calm gaze. His tone remained flat, without any hint of pressure or attempt to force his own ideas on him.

"It's up to you."

Well, that was an answer about as unhelpful as "whatever."

Fortunately, Ren Man soon followed up with a suggestion.

He thought for a moment, then suddenly looked up, glancing at Dr. Zhao, who was still complaining nearby. The corners of his mouth curled into an extremely faint arc.

"If you want a bit of revenge, you can."

"Huh?" Ren Yi blinked, quickly processing the hidden meaning in his brother's words.

Was his brother saying that by agreeing to the Battle-Damaged Guy's request, he could take revenge on Dr. Zhao—the man who had previously deceived him and spread Contamination to kill his "property"?

That implied one thing.

"Brother, do you think he can win against the God of Gamblers, who possesses 【Luck】?"

Ren Man nodded slightly without the slightest hesitation.

Ren Yi felt a wave of shock.

If even his brother said so, it seemed the Battle-Damaged Guy's talent was truly extraordinary.

"Brother, what is his talent?"

This time, Ren Man didn't answer.

Well, it probably didn't mean he didn't know.

Was he supposed to analyze it himself?

Ren Yi rubbed his nose.

He changed the subject and asked about another doubt: "But if I do that, once he gets the invitation, won't he really be able to escape?"

"Would the entertainment city allow that?"

"That is not his responsibility," Ren Man said, looking down at him with his usual flat tone.

Then, he slowly followed up with a second sentence.

"This person, now, is yours."

"Huh?" Ren Yi's eyes widened, looking at Ren Man in disbelief.

"Brother, are you saying that he is my responsibility now?"

Even though he was technically Ren Yi's property, hadn't the Battle-Damaged Guy just had a status upgrade, like an ugly duckling turning into a black swan?

"Yes," Ren Man nodded, confirming once more.

"In your terms, you stole the kill."

Ren Yi massaged his forehead helplessly.

What did that mean? Had he accidentally stolen the entertainment city's job?

Wasn't he supposed to be someone nobody wanted?

Did anyone remember that he had originally come here just to browse the mall, see the sights, and maybe buy a few things?

How had he ended up getting dragged into such a mess and gaining a "responsibility"?

Ren Man seemed to see through his thoughts and suddenly said softly, "He is very valuable."

Ren Yi was stunned and subconsciously asked, "Who?"

Ren Man looked up, glancing briefly at the Battle-Damaged Guy in the distance, without saying another word.

Ah... Brother, you actually have such a practical side?

Ren Yi was secretly shocked, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"It's fine."

Seeing Ren Yi's shocked expression, Ren Man added a reassuring sentence.

"If things don't work out in the end, I will handle it."

Ren Yi understood.

His brother's meaning was: You can try it first, go ahead and do what you want; I'll back you up if you fail.

So... wait. Was his brother fanning the flames earlier too?

He looked down and thought. Combining his own guesses with his brother's words, he now had a thorough understanding of the situation.

To put it simply, the entertainment city had taken on two tasks from the Alliance.

They were Mission A, involving the God of Gamblers, and Mission B, involving the Battle-Damaged Guy.

But Mission A had been stuck and unable to progress due to rule restrictions and the God of Gamblers' bug-level ability.

And the core "item" for Mission B, the Battle-Damaged Guy, had been accidentally "bought" by Ren Yi. He had essentially intercepted the tool.

Since it was the entertainment city's own work error for failing to keep an eye on the Battle-Damaged Guy, they had to swallow the loss and didn't dare cause trouble for Ren Yi.

Then they discovered that through this special item from Mission B, they might be able to jumpstart Mission A.

So now, they had no choice but to swallow their pride and carefully ask for Ren Yi's help.

As for the specific reason Mission A was stuck:

The entertainment city had performed a "neutralization" process on the God of Gamblers, but due to rule restrictions, they could only let him remain within the Instance.

This clearly didn't meet the final work goal assigned by the Alliance.

Therefore, they hoped to use the Battle-Damaged Guy's challenge as an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone—getting rid of the God of Gamblers once and for all, or at least completing the stalled Mission A.

On the other hand, the Battle-Damaged Guy needed to engage in a gamble with the God of Gamblers.

So, although the two parties hadn't communicated openly, they each had their own agendas and were in perfect agreement.

But because of the entertainment city's previous oversight, the Battle-Damaged Guy had become Ren Yi's "property."

They had to wait for Ren Yi, the holder of the "key tool," to give the nod before the challenge could officially begin.

Ren Yi massaged his forehead and sighed helplessly.

But soon, a playful smile curled his lips.

If they were going to gamble, the Battle-Damaged Guy would surely continue using his talent.

That might reveal a weakness.

Very valuable, right?

Since his brother called it "stealing the kill," he couldn't just walk away with nothing, could he?

Since he had his brother to back him up and there were benefits to be gained, he might as well try.

"I understand, Brother."

"If he is my responsibility now, then..." He took a deep breath, his gaze becoming sharp.

"Before it's your turn to handle it, I want to give it a try first."

Hearing this, Ren Man nodded quietly, the corners of his mouth curving slightly.

Ren Yi got the feeling that his brother was also a bit eager for some action.

Ren Yi turned and walked back into the crowd.

Although his thoughts had been complex and he had considered many things just now,

In reality, only a minute or two had passed since he had pulled Ren Man aside.

Everyone on the scene was still waiting for his answer.

He glanced at the nearby entertainment city waiter, who looked quite restless, his eyes filled with anticipation and trepidation.

If everything went as expected, he was about to engage in a unique "proxy war" with this person.

His proxy was the Battle-Damaged Guy, while the entertainment city's proxy was the God of Gamblers.

It was just that the masters of both sides were in a cooperative relationship, and neither particularly expected their own "proxy" to come out completely unscathed.

The waiter nearby seemed to notice they had finished their conversation and hurriedly stepped forward, asking respectfully.

"Mr. Ren Yi, have you made your decision?"