Chapter 423: Hand Over to Wan Yi

Cheng Shuili's gaze slowly swept over Guang Hui's guilty face, saying little, but that calm look added another layer of cold sweat to Guang Hui's back.

He lowered his head, daring not to look directly at Cheng Shuili.

Cheng Shuili turned back to the twelve spear‑like upright warriors, a perfectly measured surprise and puzzlement on her face, and said gently, "May I ask why you have come?"

Offering courtesy without cause is either treachery or theft.

"It's best to state directly what these people are here for."

Shan Luan's expression remained unchanged, still maintaining the standard reporting posture, his stature upright, voice resonant:

"Report, Commander! Our orders are: to fully assist Hei Yu An Quan Qu, ensure the stability of the plague‑medicine trading point, and guard against and eliminate any potential safety hazards and hostile infiltration!"

"During this period, we will completely obey Commander Wu Ya's dispatches until the mission ends or you order a withdrawal!"

"Completely obey my dispatches?"

Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow slightly and repeated those crucial words.

"Yes! Completely obey!"

Shan Luan answered decisively, and the eleven teammates behind him straightened their chests in unison, eyes firm, without any hesitation or dissent.

This scene not only made the surrounding Black Feather onlookers gasp silently, but also stirred a trace of emotion in Cheng Shuili's eyes.

She realized in an instant that, if she didn't want to let go, this squad would be hers.

At any time, people are the most crucial component of a force.

The other side sent people over directly; Cheng Shuili naturally understood the deeper meaning.

Great Wall Watch's investment this time was larger than she expected, and its posture was lower than she anticipated.

They handed her the elite sword hilt, letting her wield it.

This decisiveness and boldness raised her assessment of Zhan Lang Hun Bu Mie a few notches.

He is still someone who dares to place heavy bets!

Since that is so...

Take it!

A sincere smile appeared on Cheng Shuili's face; she stepped forward a few paces, her gaze scanning each of the twelve resolute faces.

"Fine! Since your leader trusts me so much, I won't decline. The crowd in the safe zone is mixed, and experienced professionals are indeed needed to manage the situation."

"Your arrival is timely!"

She changed tone and said, "Captain Shan Luan, and friends of Great Wall Watch, Black Feather welcomes your assistance!"

"The primary task in the safe zone now is to ensure order at the medicine trading point and to screen personnel who might incite chaos."

"Your two squads: one led by Captain Shan Luan will handle perimeter guard and emergencies at the trading point. The other, I need you to immediately engage in monitoring and countering identified and suspicious targets within the safe zone."

As she spoke, she opened the temporary management panel of the safe zone and shared the information on suspicious personnel marked 001 with Shan Luan.

"These are the basic info and coordinates of players previously flagged by patrols for abnormal behavior."

She didn't tell the truth; there was no need to be truthful to these outsiders.

Cheng Shuili cleared her throat and continued, "They mostly come from other regions and reacted especially strongly after the price announcement. I want you to keep them under close watch, record their contacts and abnormal actions. If they engage in order‑breaking, incite riots, or attempt to steal medicine…"

Cheng Shuili paused, her gaze calm, and uttered two words:

"Capture."

"No reports needed! Act directly!"

"All your actions are directly accountable to me; no need to go through other levels."

This is a clear mission, explicit authority, and unabashed trust.

A spark of brilliance flashed in Shan Luan's eyes, feeling for the first time the resolve of this Long Guo top figure; he saluted again, "Understood! Mission will be completed!"

He raised no extra questions or bargaining, immediately began assigning tasks, and the two squads dispersed swiftly and silently, like droplets merging into the sea, slipping noiselessly into their posts.

The high efficiency and strict discipline made many nearby Black Feather players uneasy and deepened their respect for their own Lao Da.

Getting a force like Great Wall Watch to send elite troops to obey orders—Lao Da's skill truly is unmatched!

Cheng Shuili watched their backs fade into the crowd, pondering for a long while.

Zhan Lang Hun Bu Mie's contribution was not only manpower, but also a strong signal—a weighty show of sincerity.

Accepting and wisely using this force is tantamount to taking the olive branch offered by Great Wall Watch, initially establishing a Black Feather‑led cooperative relationship between the two powers.

Of course, having received Great Wall Watch's authority also means shouldering responsibility.

Used well, it is a boost.

Used poorly, or if something goes wrong, it could become a talking point or even a fissure.

But Cheng Shuili fears no challenge.

"Guang Hui," she said lightly.

"Present! Lao Da!" Guang Hui flinched, replying quickly.

"I accept the gift from Great Wall Watch. In return, prepare some medicine as a reciprocal gift, to show our sincerity."

"Also, in my name, send a thank‑you letter to Zhan Lang Hun Bu Mie, phrased sincerely. You know how to write it, right? You're the best at this."

"Yes, Lao Da! I'll handle it right away!" Guang Hui, as if pardoned, turned to leave.

Cheng Shuili waited until he turned, then said slowly, "Hold on."

Guang Hui's steps halted instantly, his back to Cheng Shuili, his shoulders subtly tightening.

He slowly turned back, trying to keep a calm face, but the unease in his eyes betrayed him.

Cheng Shuili said nothing at once, merely tapping the wooden railing with her fingertips, producing a crisp, rhythmic "da, da" sound.

The sound rang especially clear in the now‑quiet hall, each tap seeming to strike Guang Hui's heart.

"Guang Hui," Cheng Shuili finally spoke, her tone neutral, "you handled this gift well."

"Lao Da, I…" Guang Hui's Adam's apple quivered.

"Don't rush to explain."

Cheng Shuili raised a hand and cut him off.

"I know you're very busy — drug sales, resource allocation... a thousand things at once."

"I also know that when you saw Great Wall Watch and Special Support, your first reaction was definitely diplomatic goodwill — you wanted to deal with it as quickly as possible so you could focus on more pressing matters."

Every sentence she spoke pinpointed Guanghui's state of mind at that moment with precision.

Guanghui's head dropped even lower.

"But—"

Cheng Shuili shifted her tone; her voice remained steady, but it carried weight now.

"Guanghui, you're not an ordinary squad leader. You even hold access clearance to the core zone. Do you know what that means?"

Guanghui parted his lips, but whether from a dry throat or from being unable to muster any defense himself, he made no sound.

"Power is responsibility."

Cheng Shuili continued:

"It means that any decision you make on assumption or for convenience could let danger straight in."

"Today, the ones who came were Great Wall Watch's elite — blades offered in good faith."

"But what if... what came weren't blades, but poison? What if those twelve passes were handed to twelve dead men carrying high explosives or some other lethal devices?"

Cheng Shuili's gaze rested calmly on Guanghui's face: "Have you thought about those consequences?"

Guanghui's face went pale in an instant.

He truly hadn't thought that far — or rather, under enormous work pressure, he had subconsciously shied away from deeply considering this low-probability but highly lethal risk.

Now that Cheng Shuili had laid it bare, he felt a chill surge from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head, and a belated dread flooded over him like an icy tide.

Modern people had almost no habit of kneeling to apologize, but in this moment, Guanghui dropped to his knees almost subconsciously.

He was genuinely frightened, and he truly recognized the gravity of his mistake.

This was not mere negligence — it was a betrayal of Lao Da's trust and a grave threat to the entire Hei Yu An Quan Qu.

The few Black Feather members who still hadn't fully dispersed all held their breath, even taking a step back, clearly startled.

Cheng Shuili also hadn't expected this guy to just drop to his knees like that.

But having been knelt to by wolf-tribe beastmen and bear-tribe beastmen so many times, she didn't notice anything amiss at first — it was the reactions of those Black Feather members that alerted her.

She sighed, bent down, and pulled him to his feet, then said: "The access permissions still need to be adjusted. From now on, hand over all your current permissions to Wan Yi for management. Your duties remain the same, but the authority to make decisions goes to Wan Yi."

His permissions had been drastically reduced — almost equivalent to being half-stripped from his position as chief manager.

But Guanghui actually felt relieved inside — he deserved this.

"Additionally," Cheng Shuili continued, "write a three-thousand-word self-criticism and submit it to me by tomorrow morning."

Cheng Shuili herself deeply disliked self-criticisms, and had even once felt they were mere formalities with no substantive effect.

But making others write self-criticisms...

Cheng Shuili had to purse her lips to suppress the corners of her mouth from rising.

"Yes! Lao Da!" Guanghui responded immediately.

"Alright, go do whatever you need to do." Cheng Shuili waved her hand. "The return gifts and letters of thanks — handle them as I just said."

"Understood!" Guanghui and the others quickly dispersed, each getting back to their own tasks.

Cheng Shuili was left alone where she stood.

She looked up at this building that had long since been renovated and now could be called brand-new, and a genuine smile appeared on her face.

While Cheng Shuili was busy, in the regional channel and the World Channel, the storm of discussion about Black Feather and the plague-curing drug was sweeping through with even greater intensity.

Within the Long Guo major region, there was near-universal jubilation and gratitude.

"I got the medicine! I really got it! Black Feather is so efficient!"

"Thanks to Wuya Dalao! Thanks to Black Feather! I'll never forget this life-saving grace!"

"Fair prices, good order too — anyone who tried to cut in line or make a racket got promptly shown the door. So satisfying!"

"Did you see? Those guys from other major regions all turned green in the face, and they still had to line up obediently and pay up. Haha!"

"From now on, Black Feather is NO. 1 in my heart! Wherever Wuya Dalao points, I'll fight!"

Meanwhile, in the channels of other major regions, anger, jealousy, helplessness, and deep worry pervaded.

"800 Game Coins! People in Long Guo only pay 500! This is blatant discrimination!"

"What can you do? The medicine is in their hands, the safe zone is theirs — naturally they set the rules."

"What about the big factions in our major region? They talk big all the time, but when it really matters, they're completely useless!"

"Forget about researching medicine — we don't even have a safe zone!"

"Are we all going to have to look to the Long Guo major region, to that Wu Ya's whims from now on?"

"What else? Do you want to die? This plague doesn't care which major region you're from!"

Panic and dissatisfaction were fermenting; some radical voices began to emerge, calling for collective pressure, even hinting that extraordinary measures could be used to obtain the medicine!

But there were also some relatively clear-headed faction leaders who, after their shock and frustration, began to think calmly.

They had seen the strength and methods Black Feather had demonstrated. Making an enemy of such a faction — especially when the other side held a life-saving lifeline and had obvious home-field advantage — was decidedly unwise.

Thus, nearly all factions in other major regions began attempting, in more official and formal tones, to reach out to Black Feather and to Cheng Shuili herself through the message boxes provided by the safe zone or by seeking intermediaries.

The contents of their inquiries were largely similar:

Could they make bulk purchases?

Could the price be negotiated?

Could a stable supply channel be established?

Or even... was there any possibility of cooperation?

The message inbox of Hei Yu An Quan Qu was instantly flooded with emails in various languages and formats.

Cheng Shuili merely glanced at it briefly, then marked it as unread and ignored it.

It's not yet time to talk with these people.

The World Channel hasn't even appeared yet; cross-zone trade can only happen in safe zones, with no other means, and even everyone's rankings aren't together—talk about cooperation…?

Just talk about cooperation?

Cheng Shuili knows what these people are thinking; they fly the banner of a major power, hoping she'll give them a discount out of respect for their strength.

Giving a discount means earning less money; as for face…

How much is face worth?

Cheng Shuili couldn't care less.

……

Inside Hei Yu An Quan Qu, trade continues to boom.

A long line slowly but firmly moves forward, each person's eyes burning with the desire to survive and the ecstasy of obtaining medicine.

A few players mixed in the line, from another major zone, exchange grim signals.

They originally planned to create chaos after getting close, seize a batch of medicine in the confusion, or at least disrupt the trade point's operation, to cause trouble for Black Feather.

But the longer they stood in the line, the more they realized the problem.

It seemed that every member of their squad had been locked onto by several fleeting, cold gazes.

What's even more alarming is that several people always stood with arms crossed in the shadows not far away, seemingly casually scanning the crowd, but their gaze swept over their position each time.

That gaze sent chills down their spines.

That is the kind of gaze only a hunter who has slaughtered countless targets possesses.

To act under such covert pressure…?

They don't have that kind of courage.

The plan died in the womb.

They could only honestly wait in line, paying three hundred Game Coins more than others, obtain that life-saving medicine, then hastily and guiltily flee the safe zone, fearing that lingering even a second longer might bring misfortune, after all this is someone else's turf.