Thieves (Repost)

Shimen City, Huquan County.

Sixty kilometers from the city center, Red Maple Food Factory was located in this county.

As a former state-owned enterprise, Red Maple Food Factory had once enjoyed great prestige. Back then, it had supplied provisions to the military.

When Yang Genshuo graduated, he had even pretended to be a food engineering student to take its exam, but he had failed.

It had gradually been converted into a private joint-stock company a few years ago, though he had no idea how it was doing now.

"Still, private companies are easier to do business with."

He drove into Red Maple Food Factory. The security guard at the entrance glanced at the car logo, stubbed out his cigarette, and briskly stood up to salute.

"Sir, I'd like to order some custom compressed biscuits. Where should I go?"

"The business department. Look over there, where I'm pointing—that office."

When he went to the business department to ask about renting a compressed biscuit production line, he never expected to run into an old classmate.

"Xu Mengqi?"

"Uh, are you Genshuo? You've put on weight since school. I almost didn't recognize you."

Xu Mengqi wore professional office attire wrapped around black stockings. Beautiful and mature, she had been the belle of the food science department back in college. Her looks could still hold their own now—if anything, she had gained even more charm.

"Hehehe~ You haven't changed much either. You're still so beautiful."

"Your little mouth is still so sweet. What, are you entering the food industry?"

"Yeah, I've got a new product."

Yang Genshuo explained his requirements to his old classmate, drawing a surprised look from her.

"Compressed biscuits with just one ingredient replaced? That can be done, but compressed biscuits barely have any market share these days. Can your product really make it? Don't end up losing money."

"No need to worry. I have my own sales channels."

Yang Genshuo smiled mysteriously. With the market right at his doorstep, sales were nothing to worry about.

Next, he toured the workshop and, incidentally, admired how Xu Mengqi's white shirt looked ready to burst. By the end of the process, he had paid a 20,000-yuan startup fee and secured the production line with ease.

After hauling over the Spirit Wheat, he made a point of telling Xu Mengqi.

"This wheat is a new variety that hasn't appeared on the market yet. It's extremely expensive, so make sure you handle it carefully. I don't want a single bit of these fifty jin of wheat wasted."

"No wonder you're so confident. Your wheat really does smell amazing. Don't worry! Leave it to me. You can come pick up the samples in two days."

Fifty jin of Spirit Wheat was not even enough to fill the gaps between the teeth of such a massive production line.

"Alright, I'm off. Call me if anything comes up."

"I'll see you out."

Xu Mengqi, who had maintained a faint air of reserve all along, underwent a subtle change in expression when the Bentley Bentayga's diamond-cut headlights lit up.

At that moment, her old classmate's image suddenly became mysterious and towering.

Yang Genshuo got into the car and waved. "See you another day."

"Mm... next time you're free, I'll treat you to a meal."

"Sure."

Vrooom!

The Bentley Bentayga's engine roared, blasting out a wave of kinetic air as it carried Yang Genshuo away from Red Maple Food Factory, leaving Xu Mengqi standing there in a daze, her mind filled with nothing but the winged car emblem.

By the time Yang Genshuo had dealt with the Spiritual Soil and Spirit Wheat, half a day had passed.

Only half a day had passed in the game as well, and it was night there too.

Yang Genshuo was about to switch to accelerated mode when he noticed something off in the image.

Three openable Character Cards were actually floating in the open space outside the teahouse entrance.

"What the hell!"

If this game had been an online game, Yang Genshuo would have thought his internet was lagging and the character models had failed to load.

Once he zoomed in, he discovered the problem.

Beneath the three Character Cards were faint humanoid glows from the system prompt. The surrounding light could not penetrate them, leaving only pitch-black darkness.

Yang Genshuo opened one of the Character Cards.

Name: Miao Renfeng
Identity: Miao Family member
Lifespan: 36/95
Realm: Embryonic Breath Ninth Layer
Spiritual Root: Five-Element Spiritual Root
Comprehension: 10
Fortune: 20
Talent: Spirit Object Perception (Mortal Grade)
Skills: Five-Element Transfer Art, Empty-Handed Theft (mastery), Light-Bending Art, Divine Movement Art, Fire-Spitting Technique, Spirit Rain Art, Entanglement Technique.
Status: Light-Bending

The other two were also surnamed Miao. Their skills were more or less the same, and they all cultivated the Five-Element Transfer Art, though their cultivation was somewhat lower—one was at Embryonic Breath Seventh Layer, and the other at Fetal-Breathing Fifth Layer.

"Light-Bending Art? No wonder I couldn't see what these three were doing outside our teahouse."

As Yang Genshuo pondered it, the three figures under the Light-Bending effect began speaking.

"Once we get inside, find those nine boxes of Three Kingdoms Kill cards. The moment we have them, we retreat."

"Big Brother, Yang Shi is an agent under the Blackstone Sect. Won't doing this bring trouble to the family?"

"The Blackstone Sect's people have already left. By the time he calls for help, we'll have taken the cards and flown far away. These cards sell for ten Spirit Stones a box on the black market—nine boxes. Pulling this job will earn us enough for a whole year."

"This place's defenses are weak. It doesn't even have a formation. We excel at Concealment, coming and going like the wind. Even if they lose them, they won't know who stole them."

"But what if someone sees us?"

"Kill them!"

Listening to the three discuss their plans, Yang Genshuo was suddenly startled!

There were thieves in the house!

And, by sheer coincidence, Yang Shi, Jiang Xiaobai, and Huzi were all at the teahouse today!

After the ancestral rites, they had been sorting and storing the batch of supplies Yang Genshuo had sent in. Jiang Xiaobai had even made an account book, and several pages were already crammed full of records.

There was no time to lose!

First, buff their status!

Vitality + Calm Mind, directly applied to all three of them.

Though it could not directly increase their combat strength, even a slight improvement in reaction speed and mental state was enough. Better than nothing.

Feeling the changes in his body, Yang Shi immediately raised his head and looked toward the ancestral spirit tablet.

"Why has the Ancestor bestowed Blessing upon me at this time?"

Jiang Xiaobai and Huzi stood up.

"I felt it too."

"How strange. Is this the ancestral blessing Brother Shi mentioned?"

It was Huzi's first time receiving Yang Genshuo's Blessing.

Yang Shi's brows immediately furrowed.

The Ancestor did not normally bestow Blessing without cause. It only happened when he was training diligently.

It must have consumed some of the Ancestor's cultivation as well.

"Something's wrong. Something is about to happen. Prepare for battle!"

Yang Shi had already reacted by the time Yang Genshuo began typing.

At that moment, a line of large golden words appeared above his head.

"Thieves are at the entrance. Their intentions are hostile. I will mark their respective strengths and positions for you."

They were going to kill thieves!

Yang Genshuo would not let Yang Shi cling to any wishful thinking that these people would leave after stealing a few boxes of cards. There were so many good things in the rear courtyard, as well as an entire crate of Three Kingdoms Kill cards.

These three thieves were definitely no good people!

Yang Shi said, "Do you remember the joint attack technique I taught you? Follow my commands."

"Mm!"

"Mm!"

"Put out the lights."

The rear courtyard lights all went out, plunging Yang's Board Game Teahouse into darkness. But for Yang Shi and the other two, this place was so familiar that they would not get lost even with their eyes closed.

At that moment, the main door creaked open.

The three Miao thieves quietly slipped inside.

In the pitch-black main hall, the large golden words above their heads were exceptionally conspicuous.

Through a crack in the window, Yang Shi saw the disparity in strength between friend and foe, and his mind began whirling at full speed.

The Thirty-Six Stratagems and The Art of War began frantically unfolding in his mind.