Chapter 855: Airship
Watching the Tycoon inhale his sixth bowl of rice with devastating efficiency, even mixing the oil-slicked dried chili segments into the meal before wolfing them down, Lin Yu couldn't help but marvel.
"Boss, you were really starving, huh."
The Tycoon said nothing, merely pouring some water into his bowl and drinking down the rice grains mixed with the oily residue.
Only then did the Tycoon let out a satisfied burp.
"Yao, you've been surviving on one pack of scallion crackers every three days. You're hungry too."
"How did it get so rough, Boss?" Lin Yu asked, shocked. "What, did you just crawl out of Lop Nur? Your outfit doesn't exactly scream desert wanderer!"
The Tycoon sighed. "Out of money. Day before yesterday, my yearly membership renewal for the streaming sites came due, and it wiped out all the money I'd set aside for food..."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yu felt a surge of profound respect.
One of the member benefits of the Jiang'an Hall was shared access to premium streaming site memberships, usable by all members for free.
He'd never imagined the Tycoon had been footing the bill for all of them out of his own pocket.
But even with that explanation, doubts still lingered in Lin Yu's mind.
"But Boss, I still have a question. How much could a few streaming site memberships possibly cost?"
"With your financial standing... logically speaking, this shouldn't be an issue, right?"
After all, just that suit the Tycoon was wearing could probably buy the entire restaurant outright.
And this was actually the source of Lin Yu's long-standing confusion about the Tycoon.
The impression the Tycoon gave was that he was rich one moment, and dead broke the next!
The Tycoon spoke with a melancholic air. "Yao, that's a sharp question... Actually, people who've known me for a while, or the experts among the Players who've interacted with me, most of them can more or less guess the answer. So there's no harm in telling you."
"As a 'Unique Class' who didn't awaken 'Boss' or 'Vendor' but instead awakened 'Capitalist,' it's only natural that my 'Class' has its special characteristics."
"My basic abilities, my 'Class Items,' my 'Specialized Items,' my 'Exclusive Item,' and even my 'Heart Domain'—all of them are tied to my real-world assets and money."
"So my spending and expenses are restricted by many factors... Sometimes, for me, money isn't money—spending it flows out as easily as water."
"And sometimes, for me... every single cent matters, to the point where I end up in situations like this, unable to afford a meal."
"I'm telling you this because I consider you a confidant, Old Yao," the Tycoon said earnestly, patting him on the shoulder. "Even within the Jiang'an Hall... this is a secret."
"Some people are smart enough to have figured out the general principle, but none of them have ever gotten confirmation from me."
Lin Yu was somewhat taken aback. "Really? Why is that? Haven't they known you longer?"
"I'm not trying to sell myself short... but I honestly can't figure out why you trust me more. Is it just because I'm closer to the 'Director'?"
The Tycoon shook his head. "No. To me, the core members of the Jiang'an Hall and you, Old Yao, are all people I trust deeply. Trust isn't determined by time."
"It's just that... for me, there is indeed a difference between you and them. Your relationship with the 'Director' is the reason for that difference, but it's not like you think. It's not because you know Brother Lin Yu that I hold you in higher regard."
"The reason is actually quite simple, Old Yao... The people of the Jiang'an Hall joined too early. Many of them rely on me too much. They've completely made me their backbone, trusting me almost unconditionally."
"If all player organizations were ranked by cohesion and loyalty, I'm confident our Jiang'an Hall would take first place... but that's also the problem."
The Tycoon sighed. "As the sole pillar of the Jiang'an Hall and everyone's 'leader,' I absolutely cannot show any weakness!"
"They trust me so much that I can't let them down... I have to take responsibility for them."
When the Tycoon got to this point, Lin Yu gave a slight nod.
This middle-aged man in front of him truly valued bonds and carried his burdens with honor.
"So, the reason you brought me into the Misty Islands this time, instead of your old subordinates... that was also a consideration, right?"
The Tycoon nodded. "Yes, Old Yao... You're different from them. Your connections and social network aren't limited to just the Jiang'an Hall. In other words, while they're subordinates I can trust, most of them are just my soldiers... Only you can be my strategist."
"Even though you've already joined the Jiang'an Hall, you're more like a retainer to me... Comparing you to Zhao Yun and Wei Chijing earlier wasn't quite accurate. To me, Old Yao, you're more like Xiao He and Liu Bowen."
"So this mission, only you can handle it. The reason is, while I'm confident I can ensure your safe extraction from the 'dungeon,' after you're extracted... I actually can't guarantee that I'll definitely defeat 'Lacan' in a last-ditch struggle," the Tycoon said in a low voice. "After all, the 'Psychological Society' will definitely send out many of their best hands."
"These are things I can't say to those members of the Jiang'an Hall."
Lin Yu took a sip of his tea. "But... even if no one in the Jiang'an Hall can help, shouldn't the 'Order' and the 'Night Watchmen' at least send some people?"
"But their primary target definitely won't be Lacan," the Tycoon said, breaking into a hearty laugh. "Alright, Old Yao—enough of this."
He pulled a ticket from his chest and slapped it onto the table.
"This is the one-way airship ticket to the Sixth Island of the Misty Islands—also your entry ticket for tomorrow."
"Additionally, this is your tracker... Keep it on once you're on the island. I'll hurry over from wherever I am in the Misty Islands."
The Misty Islands world not only had fog that obscured vision and interfered with most navigation items, but all the islands were also 'moving.' So for high-tier Players to reach a specific island, they needed a 'coordinate.'
Lin Yu took the airship ticket. The yellowed, lightweight paper bore the illustration of a round, plump airship.
It was different from the "Land of Certain Death" entry ticket he'd seen before, but similar to the one Fluoxetine had.
There were two types of 'items' that allowed one to enter the Ten Realms without using the 'Map' privilege.
The first was an 'invitation' form created by High-Ranking Beings who knew of the existence of 'Players' and the 'Game.' These generally had a short duration and a relatively closed scope of activity. The "Land of Certain Death" entry ticket was of this type.
The second was in the form of opening an additional 'dungeon,' usually directly awarded to a 'Player' by the 'Death Game.' It could also be created by certain High-Ranking Beings who had reached the realm of gods, using the rules of the 'Death Game.'
What Lin Yu had received this time was clearly the latter!