Chapter Seventy: The Temptation of Lin Hei'er

In the game’s timeline, in April, Yuan Shikai was about to suppress the Boxer Rebellion in Shandong, so Chen Hao never intended to get too deeply involved with the Boxers. Since saving Wang Wu, he had participated in attacking the Qinghe Cathedral and had cooperated with Lin Hei’er in hijacking the prison wagon. Fortunately, both times he had handled things cleanly and avoided ending up on the authorities’ blacklist.

If you walk by the river long enough, you’re bound to get your shoes wet. If he continued to be entangled with the Boxers, and ended up on Yuan Shikai’s bad side—the future ultimate boss—life would become very difficult. Hijacking the prison wagon would certainly alarm the Denglai Military Command, and Penglai County would become the focal point of official investigations.

If Lin Hei’er and Cuiyun followed Chen Hao back to the county town, the chances of being discovered by the authorities would be extremely high. Not only would they be in danger, but Chen Hao would also be implicated. Even if luck was on their side and the two managed to hide successfully, if they demanded Chen Hao assist in assassinating Liu Ziyuan, he could very well be charged with treason.

Though Mr. Liu held a high status, he was merely a civilian, not an official of the imperial court. Liu Ziyuan, on the other hand, was a real imperial official—assassinating him would be tantamount to rebellion. If the court dispatched its top agents to investigate, Chen Hao would be in a precarious position.

Rebellion against the Qing court was the gravest of crimes. Once involved, the only way forward would be to change beliefs and join the revolutionaries, something he absolutely did not want.

Upon hearing Chen Hao’s refusal, Lin Hei’er was displeased. “Chen Baxian, we Boxers are not afraid of death. Wherever we are, we oppose the court. If you keep making excuses, you’re no longer one of us.”

Chen Hao’s expression darkened. He replied coldly, “Aunt Lin, I’ve helped you twice out of respect for our master, but I’ve never joined the Boxers. How could I be considered one of you? If you insist on returning to Penglai County, I can only wish you luck. I will absolutely not take part in your assassination plan.”

Lin Hei’er’s face was livid with anger, but she was powerless against Chen Hao. They shared a connection through their master, and he had just aided her greatly—she couldn’t possibly harm him.

In truth, Lin Hei’er understood well how dangerous it would be to return to Penglai County. The reason she entertained the idea was because Chen Hao had commanded the recent battle flawlessly. She believed he was clever and resourceful, and surely had a way to help them kill Liu Ziyuan.

Seeing the tension between Chen Hao and Lin Hei’er, Cuiyun stepped forward to mediate. “Senior Sister, Baxian is right. The hijacking of the prison wagon will put the entire Denglai Military Command on high alert. If it were just the two of us, it might be manageable, but we still have to arrange for Junior Sister Zhang Yuanyuan and the others. Now is the time to leave Shandong and return to Tianjing before the authorities launch a full investigation.”

Chen Hao grew increasingly impressed with Cuiyun. Although he had no intention of becoming too involved with the Boxers, he also didn’t want to fall out with Lin Hei’er. He spoke in a deep voice, “Aunt Lin, my advice against returning to Penglai is well-intentioned.”

Lin Hei’er gritted her teeth. “If Liu Ziyuan isn’t killed, the anger in my heart will never be quelled.”

Chen Hao shook his head. “Liu Ziyuan certainly deserves to die, but Aunt, there will be plenty of chances to deal with him in the future. There’s no need to rush.”

Unexpectedly, Cuiyu smiled. “I have an idea. Senior Sister and I shouldn’t show ourselves, but Baxian is familiar with Penglai. It might be more suitable for him to handle the assassination of Liu Ziyuan.”

Lin Hei’er’s eyes lit up. “Cuiyun, you’re clever—why didn’t I think of that? Baxian, if you find a way to kill Liu Ziyuan, I promise you won’t be unrewarded.”

“Player Chen Baxian, NPC Lin Hei’er has issued you the quest ‘Assassinate Liu Ziyuan.’ Quest objective: Kill Penglai County Magistrate Liu Ziyuan. Reward: Unknown.”

Upon receiving the system prompt, Chen Hao declined without hesitation. He was unwilling to cooperate with Lin Hei’er against Liu Ziyuan, let alone wield the blade himself.

Now he held both money and guns and was acquainted with Commander Wu of the patrol battalion—a crucial time to practice marksmanship and improve his abilities. Additionally, he was a disciple of the great scholar Li Piseng, which allowed him to steadily enhance his cultural attributes. Why risk provoking disaster in Penglai?

If he became a rebel, his training would be ruined, and the esteemed Li Piseng would surely disown him. The price was too steep. So, even though Lin Hei’er’s reward was unknown and could potentially be something valuable, Chen Hao could not accept.

Having been refused, Lin Hei’er was furious. Her brows furrowed. “Chen Baxian, we share a bond through our master, and yet you are so heartless?”

Chen Hao snorted coldly. “If Aunt Lin still remembers our connection, you shouldn’t force me to do what I don’t want. You’re the leader of the Red Lanterns, I’m just an ordinary citizen. Can’t I choose not to oppose the authorities?”

Lin Hei’er was momentarily speechless. Chen Hao was not one of the Boxers, and risking his life to help her twice was already extraordinary. To force him into a deadly scheme was unreasonable.

Lin Hei’er’s temper was fiery, and her hatred for Liu Ziyuan ran deep. If Liu Ziyuan wasn’t killed, how could she be satisfied? After a moment’s silence, she took out a blueprint. “I killed a Russian of some status and found this blueprint on him. I don’t know its purpose, but the system god informed me it can only be awarded for an A-rank quest.”

“I’m issuing you the assassination quest for the county magistrate; it barely qualifies as A-rank. If you help with the assassination and succeed, I’ll reward you with this blueprint.”

“Player Chen Baxian, NPC Lin Hei’er has issued you the quest ‘Assassinate Liu Ziyuan.’ Quest objective: Kill Penglai County Magistrate Liu Ziyuan. Reward: Command Center Construction Blueprint.”

Hearing the quest prompt, Chen Hao’s breath grew heavy. In the early stages of the game, the most precious item was not machine guns or cannons, but the command center construction blueprint. Countless players aspired to become regional heroes, but even if they controlled some territory, development required the command center blueprint.

With the blueprint, players could purchase building materials, hire construction workers, and build a command center. Once established, the system would recognize them as having a base, allowing them to search for other blueprints and construct power plants, textile mills, armories, shipyards, and more.

In Chen Hao’s memory, the first stronghold in the Huaxia region wasn’t established until over a month after the game launched. If he could kill Liu Ziyuan soon and obtain the blueprint, he could become the first player to establish a base.

Given his current wealth, even if he built the command center, he wouldn’t be able to proceed with further construction. Thus, he would choose to sell the blueprint, which would fetch a substantial sum in real-world currency. In his memory, after graduation, he joined Li Hongbo’s gaming studio. Now, with his memories intact, he clearly wouldn’t make that choice.

With only two months left until graduation, Chen Hao could not let his parents worry. He needed money to settle himself in reality. If he could acquire and sell the command center blueprint, not only would it solve his real-life concerns, but it might even allow him to establish a small gaming studio of his own.