Chapter 174: Playing Him for a Fool

Kui Hai changed the subject. “Wifey, how about we have barbecue tonight? With all that meat, we’ll help Zhong Teng and the others ‘test the flavor’ first.”

Yinghua shot him an amused glare. “Just say you’re craving it.”

Kui Hai only smiled and didn’t argue.

After working hard all afternoon, you had to eat something good—otherwise how were they supposed to go back and brag about how delicious Earth Village’s meat was, and lure over those old stubborn guys in the Long Teng camp who refused to move no matter what?

But in the end, they still didn’t get to eat the meat they’d personally opened up, because over in Earth Village’s plaza, Yun Qimu was directing the villagers to hold a grand barbecue party.

The villagers absolutely refused to keep the things they’d scavenged off Blackbeard’s group—they insisted on presenting them to Yun Qimu, the village chief.

Yun Qimu took a look. Blackbeard really did have quite a lot of energy coins on him, and apparently their Black Tiger Tribe lair had even more hidden away. That made her so happy she practically bloomed.

And then there were Mu Tong and the other interstellar pirates—what they carried was even more valuable, all looted from various ships and starcraft. Not only did they have three of the latest-model vehicles, they also had several expensive mechas.

Mu Tong alone had three spatial buckles, far more extravagant than Zack, the former leader of the Black Skull pirate gang.

When Yun Qimu poured everything out of Mu Tong’s spatial buckles and started counting, Zack—who’d rushed over to watch after hearing the news—went red-eyed on the spot.

Seeing was believing. And after Hou Qi’s brainwashing these past few days, Zack’s heart had already started to waver. Now, witnessing it with his own eyes, it completely proved that Mu Tong—this “good second brother” of his—had been playing him for a fool from beginning to end.

He could never again say something like “second brother is a good brother.”

If someone hadn’t held him back—and if he weren’t afraid of angering the game system—he would’ve charged over and beaten Mu Tong senseless already.

No wonder. No wonder back then he’d hijacked so many starcraft and still never got anything good, and even cursed those people out for being broke. Turns out the problem wasn’t them at all.

All the good stuff had been swallowed by his “good second brother.” What he’d been left with was nothing but junk.

For a captain and boss, he’d been pathetic—and ignorant—to the extreme.

Ahem. That’s enough of that tangent.

After Yun Qimu accepted the villagers’ goodwill and claimed the spoils for herself, she generously decided to throw a celebratory barbecue banquet. Tonight’s grilled meat, vegetables, and fruit would all be on her—rewarding the villagers for their hard work.

Huan Linyuan, Kui Hai, and the others who’d helped earlier were naturally welcome too—free food and drink.

The moment Kui Hai and his group returned and heard the good news, they were so delighted they forgot everything else. They scampered over, grabbed their meat, and joined the villagers in celebration.

After a full meal of free eating and drinking, the villagers were buzzing with excitement, and Kui Hai’s group quickly grew closer to Earth Village’s residents—laying a solid foundation for future exchanges.

The only ones unhappy were Zack and a few other old slaves, and Blackbeard’s group, who’d been captured and now huddled together, shivering.

They’d been placed in several empty wooden houses not far from the plaza—houses with absolutely nothing inside. The main AI had set them up for free specifically so the “horses would run.”

This labor force could generate more value, after all—it couldn’t let them freeze to death.

The main AI watched them in secret with an excited gaze, like it was raising little piglets.

Piglets, piglets—grow up fast. Fatten up so I can slaughter you for meat, hee-hee…

Mu Tong felt a chill at the back of his neck. The bad premonition intensified—but he quickly steadied himself. Still, the way he was being stared at made his refined, gentle face feel prickly; his smile was getting hard to hold.

“B-big brother.”

Zack snorted coldly, glaring at him with eyes like bronze bells. “Don’t call me big brother. I don’t have a second brother with ambitions as big as yours.”

Knowing he couldn’t escape this, Mu Tong forced himself to argue. “Big brother, listen to my explanation. Before, I had no choice—I did it for the Black Skull—”

Zack slammed a palm into the wall—bang!—then roared at Mu Tong, “Don’t you f*cking spew nonsense at me anymore. I won’t believe a single word you say again. Hmph—lying up and down the chain, you dog. I trusted you that much—handed everything in the pirate crew to you—and this is how you repay me? It’s my fault too—my fault for being stupid enough to believe a two-faced bastard with nothing but a pretty face.”

Zack spat fury, literally spraying saliva. His enraged bellow gave Mu Tong no chance to speak, and in the end he even declared that he and Mu Tong were enemies for life.

Mu Tong’s face shifted from green to white. He wiped the spit off his face and simply shut his mouth.

Zack didn’t hit him, and Mu Tong wasn’t about to throw away his pride and beg a brute like Zack.

They were all slaves now—prisoners at the bottom. Who was nobler than whom?

Since it was already exposed, Mu Tong didn’t feel he was worse than Zack in any way.

Zack had more men, sure—but Mu Tong had also pulled plenty of people to his side within the Black Skull crew. Other than the few who’d originally followed Zack out like idiots to chase people, most of the rest had been bought over by him. They were all standing with Mu Tong now. If a fight broke out, Mu Tong’s odds were better.

Once he thought it through, Mu Tong sat there, letting Zack’s words go in one ear and out the other, ignoring him completely while he started thinking about how to get out of this situation.

Make him a slave? Hah. Absolutely impossible.

[Ding-dong—The villagers’ gathering has concluded. Slaves Mu Tong, Zack, and Blackbeard are to proceed to the plaza to clean up. Ensure not a single stain remains.]

Zack, mid-curse and ready to continue, shut his mouth reflexively. Without even looking at Mu Tong, he called his brothers over with a cold face and hurried toward the plaza.

Now that Mu Tong had been caught—this person they’d placed their biggest hopes on was totally useless—Zack and the others were even more afraid to disobey the system. They obediently followed orders.

But the newly arrived Mu Tong and his group didn’t know any of that.

They sat there without moving, acting as if they hadn’t heard.

Clean-up? Whoever wanted to do that could do it.

Jason—who’d once been a slave in Earth Village for three days—did know how terrifying these forced tasks could be. He walked over and reminded Mu Tong, “Second Boss, we should hurry over too.”

Mu Tong glared at him, face ugly with rage, trembling. “You’re telling me to go clean? To do that kind of lowly work?”

Jason rubbed his bald head and nodded awkwardly. “If you don’t, it’ll be really scary.”

Blackbeard had a bad temper too. He glared over. “What’s scary about it? What, someone’s going to come beat me up? Hmph.”

Jason wore an indescribable expression. “Scarier than that.”

Blackbeard didn’t believe it. He raised his voice and shouted, “I’m not going. If you’ve got the guts, come hit me! Come beat me! I’ve got thick skin and tough flesh—I’m not afraid.”

[Ding-dong—Detected: Slave Blackbeard possesses severe anti-game consciousness. Punishment mode activated: Level 2 electric shock.]