Gamers Are Fierce-Chapter 682 - 680: The Cold Crow

"..."

The mule, wearing a BoJack Horseman mask, entered Ken McDonald's Restaurant. He saw Li Ang and Liu Wu Dai sitting opposite each other. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing, walking straight over and sitting down at their table.

"This gentleman is an information broker..."

"No need, we know each other."

Li Ang interrupted Liu Wu Dai's introduction, feeling slightly surprised. Liu Wu Dai actually knew the mule and had even invited him to join their newly formed guild. It didn't seem like the mule was the type to get deeply acquainted with other players. Even if he wanted to join a guild for protection, he'd likely choose a large organization like the Special Affairs Bureau or the Global Occult Coalition, not some fledgling small guild that hadn't even gotten off the ground. Or could it be that the mule, like him, was just temporarily joining to team up for the script task and earn some Experience Point rewards...

"Is that so."

Liu Wu Dai nodded, also somewhat surprised, not expecting Li Ang to know the mule. This was the downside of being a Lone Wolf Player. Every Lone Wolf Player had to be wary of all other players. Even with acquaintances, it was impossible to become friends, let alone trusted companions—always wary, suspicious, and on guard. It was like some dark forest trapped in societal atomization.

DING-DONG—

The door was pushed open again, and Wanli Fengdao, wearing sunglasses and his signature beach shorts, walked in.

"Yo, Little Brother Dao."

Li Ang waved at him. Wanli Fengdao gave a helpless quirk of his lips, walked over, sat down, picked up a glass of plain water from the table, took a sip, and asked Liu Wu Dai, "Just the four of us? Is everyone here?"

"Two have declined the invitation, so we currently have only four," Liu Wu Dai said indifferently. "If you have suitable candidates, you can recommend them."

No one spoke. This wasn't like when the Game Square had just launched. Many stronger Lone Wolf Players had already joined guilds or societies; few still chose to venture alone. Besides, participating in a script task wasn't child's play. Every teammate had to be carefully chosen. Each additional person increased the task's difficulty. Bringing in a weak teammate wouldn't just fail to decrease the difficulty; it would create an even greater burden.

"Four it is then. Quality over quantity," Wanli Fengdao shrugged. He didn't know the mule, but since Liu Wu Dai had invited him, he figured he was reliable. "When are we establishing the guild?"

"Let's do it now. The task could be assigned at any time. It's best to get this done early and avoid future worries."

Liu Wu Dai took out a guild establishment application scroll from his inventory and spread it on the table. "The guild will be tentatively named Cold Crow, with me as Guild Leader. Before we complete the next script task, we won't appoint a vice-leader. Is that okay?"

"It's your guild; you decide."

Li Ang spread his hands, expressing no opposition. He wasn't stubbornly set on being a leader rather than a follower. He wasn't a specialist whose duty was to lead. Besides, whether he'd even stay in this guild in the future was debatable; he was just here to earn Experience Points and level up.

Seeing no objections, Liu Wu Dai signed his player ID on the application scroll, then put down the pen for the others to sign.

Li Ang glanced over the scroll, confirmed there were no issues with the terms, and signed his own ID as well.

[You have joined the Level 1 guild "Cold Crow." You can check related information in your Personal Panel - Guild section.]

The System notification sounded in their ears. Liu Wu Dai collected the scroll and led the three out of the restaurant.

A newly established guild required a fixed location for its office. Less wealthy guilds might buy a small property, perhaps fifty or sixty square meters. Even poorer ones might rent the upper floor of a two-story shop, giving off the vibe of an unlicensed cosmetic clinic.

But the place Liu Wu Dai led the three players to was a... nearly one-hundred-story modern skyscraper. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"..."

Wanli Fengdao looked at Liu Wu Dai with astonishment. He knew the Liu Family was rich, but he'd never imagined they were *this* wealthy. A hundred-story building in the Game Square... How many 'small targets' would that cost?!

"This isn't mine."

Liu Wu Dai glanced at Wanli Fengdao and explained nonchalantly, "This is an office building constructed by a commercial alliance of dozens of transnational corporations from various regions. I merely have usage rights to a few floors."

Usage rights to a few floors...

Wanli Fengdao took a deep breath, trying his best to suppress his envy and maintain his composure, though internally he was grumbling, Damn it, why don't I have money? Would I be like this if I were rich?

Liu Wu Dai led the three into the building, ignoring the bowing attendants at the entrance. They took the elevator to the fifty-fifth floor. In the office-style hallway, he tore up the guild application scroll, confirming this floor as their headquarters.

Several more System notifications reached their ears.

The Guild Leader could personalize the interior decorations.

The guild provided free storage of over 50 slots for members.

Any level of guild could offer players minor buffs, such as a 20-point increase to their Sanity Value limit and a 1% boost to Spirit Energy Value recovery speed. The higher the guild's level, the more numerous and potent these buffs. These buffs were always active, whether in script tasks, the Game Square, or the Mortal Realm.

As a Level 1 guild, Cold Crow Guild offered its members a 1% increase in running speed—better than nothing.

"By the way, what kind of decor do you guys like?" Liu Wu Dai turned and casually asked.

The mule stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall by the elevator entrance. Li Ang and Wanli Fengdao were scrutinizing an artwork on the wall—mainly debating if it was a genuine masterpiece and how much it might sell for.

Hearing Liu Wu Dai's question, Li Ang casually replied, "Something that looks good, I guess."

Liu Wu Dai nodded and snapped his fingers. Instantly, the office building's simple, plain decor transformed into a style of understated luxury with a classic, reserved ambiance.

(Transforming the guild's interior, much like store renovations, could be done with money. Ordinary guilds usually hired someone for the job, but Liu Wu Dai, awash with cash, preferred the convenience of a one-click makeover to save trouble.)

None of the players present needed the public storage, nor were they particularly desperate for buffs. So, Liu Wu Dai went straight to the point. Using his authority as Guild Leader, he issued a summons within the Cold Crow Guild, inviting members to join the next script task.

The guild allowed players below Lv20 to team up, but all participating members had to be within two levels of each other. This prevented scenarios like an Lv19 player carrying ten Lv1 players.

The three players clicked the buttons in their fields of view and confirmed. After a brief exchange in the headquarters, they cursorily introduced their equipment and specialized abilities to facilitate collaboration in the upcoming script task.

Soon after, they logged off to await the System's notification.