Chapter 184: The Rose Factory

The processor in charge of weighing the two Liu Jiayi's was dumbfounded by the similarity of their movements.

"So this, exactly, is a dried leaf rose for one of you ......," said the processor, holding up the sack in a breathless manner.

The two Liu Jiayi looked at each other, as if they had agreed in advance, and together they pointed to the calm Liu Jiayi on the right: "Give her the rose."

The processor's eyes went to Liu Jiayi on the left: "If it's definitely hers, then you'll be demoted to flower-picker."

Liu Jiayi, on the right, nodded his head as if he had been waiting for this moment: "Am I to start picking flowers tonight? The reward is the same as before, 40kg of dried leaf roses for a bottle of low grade rose perfume, right?"

The weighing processor was increasingly confused by the scene before him, but he was just playing by the rules, so he replied honestly to Liu Jiayi on his left: "Yes ...... later you and I will collect the flower picker's clothes and tools."

"As for you." The weighing technician looks to Liu Jiayi's right and hands her the weighed dried leaf roses, "That's 360kg, take it to the factory for the next step in the process."

The two Liu Jiayi, one ready to follow the processors to collect their flower-pickers' uniforms and the other carrying the sacks of dried leaf roses to the piazza, got into the swing of things.

But Qi Yifang and his group were looking at this one and that one, and the two Liu Jiayi were walking in a completely different direction, one inside the factory, the other outside the flower field.

One of the King's Guild players looked to Qi Yifang with a dizzy head and asked, "Brother Qi, which one of these two little witches should we follow?"

Of the two Liu Jiayi, one must be the real Liu Jiayi and the other Bai Liu, but now the question arises, without knowing who is real and who is not - the two Liu Jiayi, who do they follow?

Qi Yifang wrinkled his brow at the two parting ways, Liu Jiayi with a calm expression.

Tang Erda gazes at the two Liu Jiayi.

Liu Jiayi was clearly only the executor and conciliator of Bai Liu's plans, her wishes were not decisive and it was clear that only Bai Liu was in charge of deciding who would follow which path.

In a rare moment of unanimity, their innermost thoughts were in agreement: which path would Bai Liu choose?

Tang Erda ponders - if Bai six is anything to go by, based on his profit-maximising approach to planning and his dictatorial and over-controlling personality, he won't leave important mainline tasks to others, he'll do them himself.

At this point, Tang Erda's eyes move to Liu Jiayi, the processor who is grunting and panting as she moves through the factory carrying a sack that is a little too heavy for her - this Liu Jiayi is more likely to be Bai Liu.

But there was one thing that struck Tang Erda as being out of place.

Tang Erda's eyes moved to the back of Liu Jiayi, the recently demoted flower-picker, who was walking towards the flower fields, a familiar sight to Tang Erda, whose eyes narrowed slightly at Bai Six's habitual walk.

To be honest, he didn't believe that with Bai six's means, he couldn't even complete the side mission of 720kg of dried leaf roses for two people to continue working together as processors.

The guy had figured out a way to not know how many roses he'd whisked away from him for nothing last night under even tougher circumstances, and arguably overshot the mark significantly.

But today, for a much simpler task, Bai Liu ended up with only 360kg of raw roses, and this weight of dried leaf roses was just enough for one of him and Liu Jiayi to continue as processors and enter the factory to continue processing.

And if the plan [of two Liu Jiayi] was simply to confuse him with the King's Guild group, then surely it was better to have two Liu Jiayi in one place.

This way the King's Guild's power to protect them is more concentrated and it is more difficult to tell who is who.

Bai six never makes useless arrangements, so what is the point of this [Liu Jiayi], who has abandoned the main quest and been demoted to the role of flower-picker?

...... but the main line of the game is indeed to become a factory manager and the bonus props for the game Rose Factory must be available only after completing the main line of the game ......

After some deliberation, Tang Erda gripped the gun in his hand and followed Liu Jiayi, the processor, inside.

Qi Yifang repeatedly looked at both Liu Jiayi and found himself unable to guess Bai Liu's intentions, and after seeing that Tang Erda had already followed one of them into the processing plant, he had no choice but to step up his game.

"Split up the team." Qi Yifang took a deep breath and turned his head to the flower-picker Liu Jiayi, "I'll follow this little flower-picker witch, you guys follow the other little witch, remember if anything happens, remember to come and contact me."

"We've all had our lives saved by the little witch, make sure you protect her." Qi Yifang instructed with a serious look in his eyes as he exhaled, his expression becoming vaguely complex, "...... she tried so hard to protect another person ...... If you can, please protect the other [ her] it."

The other two members of the King's Guild looked puzzled as they understood Qi Yifang's meaning.

"We all owe her that."

After Qi Yifang said this, he pushed the roses he was holding to the other two men and turned to follow the little flower-picker witch with determination.

----------

Games hall, graveyard bounce area.

The members of the King's Guild swarmed after the fallen Bai Liu's TV, their faces stark with anger and resentment, nakedly directed at the little witch who rightfully kept slaving and teasing Qi Yifang on the TV.

But soon their demeanour changed.

When Liu Jiayi pulled out the Hearts Aces playing card and handed it to Bai Liu, almost everyone's expressions became stunned and unbelievable.

What they could not believe was that the Queen had given such a high level of trust to the Little Witch, and what was even more unbelievable was that the Little Witch, with such favouritism and trust from the Queen, had actually betrayed her.

--telling another person the Queen's skills so clearly and unobtrusively, and also handing that person Hearts' skill base to use, is almost the equivalent of giving another person a hands-on grasp of what the Queen's core desires and weaknesses are.

"Emperor, Empress." A player next to her spoke cautiously, "Little witch she, she turned on the little TV mute, except Bai Liu, she should not have the idea of making your skills public, she should have only told Bai Liu, probably just a moment of rebellion, please don't be angry with her ...... "

At the end of the sentence, the player's voice also weakens feebly and fearfully, but he still insists on finishing the last sentence, "Please, please forgive her!"

They all understood how the Little Witch had done an irrefutable act of betrayal, but they still didn't want the Queen to get really angry and kill the Little Witch, so they were defending her.

The little witch really did save them, and if she could return, this little girl would surely go on to save many more.

They knew it, the little witch was not a good child, but she was really good to them and that was enough.

The Little Witch is the only saving grace for them, players who are not strong enough or have not yet developed in this huge, level-hardened guild in this cruel game.

Even if the little witch did betray the guild, they did not want to see her dead.

Hearts didn't seem angry, her eyes were calm as an autumn lake as she watched the small TV, and there was a bit of languor from standing around for too long.

The way Liu Jiayi tilted her head and puffed out her chest at Bai Liu's little TV, demanding, I want to be part of your plan, reminded her for a long time of the first time she had seen this little girl.

Wretched, wary, precocious from over-intelligence, and full of hostile suspicion mingled in an indistinguishable mass on her face, the newborn witch stood on the edge of self-redemption and self-destruction with her grey eyes blind to the world, holding the poison and the antidote.

Hearts loves this prickly little girl who sees her former self in Liu Jiayi's obsession and doubts about Liu Huai, so she reaches out to Liu Jiayi and pulls her into her arms.

Liu Huai is not the right brother for this child.

If Liu Jiayi is to emerge from her shaky mental state into a bright future and become a pillar of the team, she needs to have a teammate and family worthy of her trust as a solid last line of mental defence.

Her brother should rightly never betray, always love her, and die for her in thorns and briers.

Hearts' eyes fell on Qi Yifang and the two King's Guild members from Bai Liu's small TV.

The entire reserve team is made up of [older brothers] that she has carefully selected for Liu Jiayi.

They are grateful, loyal, capable, fully cooperative and of good character. Having worked with Liu Jiayi many times, the eight-year-old girl is still soft-hearted and has gradually begun to accept, despite her rejection, these reserve team members who genuinely give her love and care.

If one of them can one day take the place of [Liu Huai], then the King's Guild will be the true home of this promising young witch.

Hearts is probably the person who knows Liu Jiayi best in the world, and she knows better than anyone that this little girl could betray anyone but her own family.

Even if she had been betrayed by her family a thousand times, she would have willingly died for them.

When that time comes, Liu Jiayi will be the next queen and spiritual symbol of the King's Guild, the unassailable tactician of the team.

Unfortunately, this perfect process of empathy and nurturing was interrupted by Bai Liu.

But interrupting doesn't mean you can't continue.

These three members of the reserve team were deliberately chosen to enter the game in order to prevent the Rose Hunters from harming Liu Jiayi.

But the hunter was, by nature, a man of moral principles, and although he didn't know what had happened to get Liu Jiayi shot, twice since entering the game, Hearts had sensed inner turmoil in the other man, not as if he had murderous intent towards Liu Jiayi.

The other side of the coin is to shake Liu Jiayi's psychological choices.

Hearts looks up, dazzled, at the determined Qi Yifang on the small TV, chasing Liu Jiayi, the flower-picker...

Little Witch, this is one of the members of the reserve team with whom you have the best bond, the ideal look for your brother, and if you choose to join Bai Liu, you will have to sacrifice Qi Yifang and two other members who treat you with sincerity in order to leave the game -

--Can you do that?