Zhang Guangmu almost failed to hold back his laughter.
That attitude made Lin Xuan glare at him, grief-stricken and furious, wishing he could beat him to a pulp right away.
Just as the two were about to clash, another Script Hint appeared for Zhang Guangmu.
Lin Xuan was the Fort Master's seventh son, but among the Fort Master's many children, he was not favored.
Although I looked down on such a good-for-nothing, I had always remembered the Fort Master's kindness. For the Fort Master's sake, I did not intend to make things too difficult for him.
Lin Xuan... No matter how unwilling he was, he was still nothing more than a good-for-nothing.
Human destiny was decided from the moment of birth!
The Script Hint, disguised as inner thoughts, left Zhang Guangmu stunned for a moment.
The Control Group was pretty good!
Their ability to make decisions on the spot was impeccable!
The moment he encountered the protagonist, Lin Xuan, this side had immediately worked overtime to produce a related mini-plot.
If he really blurted out "good-for-nothing" under the influence of these hints, that would instantly max out the hatred level, and the conflict in the plot would emerge.
Following the normal progression of the Main Plot, it would not be long before Lin Xuan took off under the influence of the little Flame Wolf beside him. Then, like crushing an ant, he would completely crush Zhang Guangmu.
Zhang Guangmu understood.
Perhaps...
In the eyes of the production team, he was an insignificant minor character. His only purpose was to establish the protagonist's image, create small moments of satisfaction and explosive plot twists, and, incidentally, lay the groundwork for the final battle between the protagonist's group and the big villain's forces.
"Before answering your question, I have to refute your mistaken viewpoint."
Zhang Guangmu had no intention of following the Script Hint.
Subconscious Actors with rebellious hearts were as common as carp crossing a river. Those who completely obeyed their "inner voices" were instead in the minority.
Thanks to the contributions of his predecessors, Zhang Guangmu did not need to worry about the consequences even if he tore the script as recklessly as he pleased.
Having understood this, Zhang Guangmu decided to let himself go completely.
Standing beside Flame Wolf Bai Yue, he fixed his burning gaze on Lin Xuan and said arrogantly, taking advantage of his association with someone powerful, "First of all, I wasn't the one who insulted you. Your accusation doesn't hold water at all."
Bai Yue had eaten Zhang Guangmu's roasted meat and was very cooperative. The wolf spread its legs, bared its teeth, and held a few sparks of terrifying heat in its mouth.
Lin Xuan's expression was ugly. His heart pounded wildly, and his breathing quickened, but he did not look away. Instead, he clenched his teeth and met Zhang Guangmu's eyes without yielding an inch.
"Secondly, even if I did insult you, you can insult me back. What are you trying to do with that look? Kill someone? Oh? You dare glare at me! Don't tell me someone thinks that will scare people? Are you a child?"
At this point, Zhang Guangmu smacked his lips and said in a boastful tone, "Finally, don't let my appearance fool you. I'm an executioner whose hands are stained with blood. If you want to scare me, you're still far too inexperienced!"
"Lastly..."
"What you said just now lacked a little force."
"If it were me, I'd say it like this..."
Zhang Guangmu's expression changed. His formerly carefree appearance transformed in an instant. His brows knitted together, his eyes turned sinister, and his expression grew furious. In the blink of an eye, he seemed to become a volcano suppressed to its limit, ready to erupt at any moment.
His eyes widened, his gaze seemed ready to split apart, and he shouted himself hoarse, every word dripping with blood: "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river! Never bully a young man for being poor!"
Lin Xuan's gaze froze. He felt that the anger filling his belly no longer had anywhere to vent.
Was it really necessary to get angry at someone like this?
When all was said and done, the one who had spouted those outrageous words was not the Wolf Rider before him, but the sharp-tongued commoner beside him.
"I more or less understand what you mean."
Lin Xuan warily watched Flame Wolf Bai Yue, then refocused his gaze on Zhang Guangmu. "I'm not narrow-minded. Since this was merely a misunderstanding, let's consider the matter between us settled."
"However..."
Everything feared the words "but" and "however." Once such words indicating a turn were spoken, they often meant that everything said before had merely been pointless groundwork. It was secondary. The real point came after the turn.
Lin Xuan's gaze shifted to the Extra bystander, and his expression became somewhat ferocious. "Filthy lowlife! You're merely a commoner, not even a Wolf Rider, yet you dare point fingers and wag your tongue behind my back! Who gave you the courage?"
"Kneel!"
"Cut out your own tongue, and I'll spare your life!"
At these words, the Extra's face turned deathly pale. Cold sweat instantly drenched him, and his entire body went limp as he collapsed to the ground. He wanted to beg for mercy, but it seemed he could not get any words out.
Some White Balls floating in the air were confused by Lin Xuan's performance.
"A lowlife? A commoner?"
"Yang Chi could say something like that? That's unbelievable..."
"It should be part of the plot arrangement. Don't rush, everyone. Keep watching!"
"Bullshit! There wasn't even a Script Hint above Lin Xuan, played by Yang Chi, just now! He said that because he really thinks that way! Got it?"
"Uh... Another one has gone off the rails!"
Smack!
Zhang Guangmu snapped his fingers, drawing everyone's attention.
With a grin, he said, "Although I've always thought 'Don't urge others to be kind unless you've suffered what they have' makes a lot of sense, we're all grown men. Being insulted a few times won't cost us any flesh. You can curse him a few times or beat him up; either is fine. But making him cut out his tongue is going too far."
"Besides, someone as nameless as me doesn't even have anyone around to insult me."
When the shrewd and mercenary Extra heard this, he immediately knelt before the two of them and furiously slapped his own face. With every slap, he cursed himself for having "eyes but failing to recognize a great man" and for "looking down on others."
Lin Xuan felt Zhang Guangmu's words seemed to make some sense. Seeing the insignificant figure admit defeat changed his mood somewhat, but he was still unwilling to let the matter go so lightly.
Thus, he tightly furrowed his brows and pondered hard for a while. Then he looked at Zhang Guangmu and challenged him, "Just looking at the Flame Wolf beside you, it's obvious that you absolutely can't be some nobody! Besides, what person in this world would be willing to be insulted for no reason? I don't believe that if our positions were reversed and you were insulted, you could still remain calm!"
Zhang Guangmu narrowed his eyes and said indifferently, "When you asked my name earlier, I didn't answer. I can give you an answer now."
"I'm an orphan taken in by the Fort Master. I have no surname and no name—not even a code name. When people address me, they just say 'Hey' or 'You brat.'"
"From that perspective, I really am a nobody."
To Zhang Guangmu, every oversight by the Production Team was a weapon he could make full use of!
"Besides..."
Zhang Guangmu tilted his head and said seriously, "Negative emotions from the outside world can make people grow stronger rapidly—that's common knowledge! You didn't know that?"
After hearing all this, Lin Xuan was completely numb.
Common knowledge?
How could such common knowledge exist anywhere in the world?
Was this guy's brain damaged?!
Then again, the other party really was a "nobody."
Lin Xuan felt that he was still too young.
After being bombarded by Zhang Guangmu's verbal barrage, Lin Xuan suddenly discovered that the little resentment and fury remaining in his heart had miraculously dissipated quite a bit.
"I didn't know."
Lin Xuan replied absentmindedly. Looking at the unfamiliar youth before him, he was somewhat surprised to realize that he could not summon much hostility at all.
Having fallen behind in the battle of words, he felt that he should say something to regain face.
But the moment he opened his mouth, he asked a brainless question: "What's your name? I can't exactly call you 'Hey,' can I?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Lin Xuan wanted to slap himself. He was so embarrassed that he wished he could sink straight into the ground.
He took a deep breath and stubbornly continued, "I didn't express myself clearly just now."
"What I mean is that everyone should have a name."
"You should give yourself a name."
The exchange between the two made the White Balls floating along both sides of the street start discussing among themselves.
"I thought they were about to fight, but that's it? That's what you're showing us? What is the Director doing? Where's the Production Team? Yang Chi's performance is so disappointing!"
"Don't spout nonsense if you don't understand! Watch if you want, and get lost if you don't! The Lin Xuan character was never that great to begin with. Yang Chi has already acted very well! Defeat instinct—do you think just anyone can do that?"
"To be honest, although they didn't start fighting, the interaction between this pair is pretty interesting. This newcomer has potential. It's genuinely rare for someone to hold his own against Yang Chi in a scene."
"Are you redefining 'hold his own'? Fine! In this scene, Zhang Guangmu is obviously crushing Yang Chi, all right?"
"I don't know whose Subconscious Actor is stronger. I only know that Yang Chi has changed. He's no longer the Hot-blooded youth he used to be."
"Sigh... That's true. People's subconscious minds really do change. When Yang Chi first debuted, he was so kind! Now, just because someone said a few things behind his back, he makes them cut out their tongue or threatens to kill them. He doesn't seem like a righteous character at all. He looks more like a villain."
"Good guy? Villain? Hahaha, are you all that naive? The world isn't simply black and white!"
"Everything fears comparison! If Zhang Guangmu weren't there for comparison, Yang Chi's performance really would be above the standard line. Unfortunately, there are no ifs!"
"I've decided that when I follow 'Wolf Fortress,' I'll keep my perspective locked on Zhang Guangmu from start to finish!"
"High EQ—I am a nobody. Low EQ—I'm an orphan!"
"I don't really understand, but I'm deeply shaken. Are people who come out of an Orphanage all this interesting?"
"I don't know if they're interesting, but they're all pretty domineering. After all, orphans can only rely on themselves from childhood. If they aren't tough, they'll easily be bullied."
Zhang Guangmu rubbed his chin as if he were thinking of a name for himself, but in reality, he was peeking at the screen and getting free information.
Unfortunately, the only useful information the jokester audience provided this time was that Yang Chi's Character Setting had suffered a minor collapse. Zhang Guangmu could already feel that without their saying so.
The good news was...
Yang Chi's protagonist, Lin Xuan, had given him a legitimate opportunity to choose a name in full view of everyone!
From an Extra with no name to a named supporting character...
Zhang Guangmu's situation in this production, "Wolf Fortress," seemed to be gradually improving.
Ah, it's still 6,000 words!
(▽)!
See you tomorrow, buddies!
Before you continue