The Court's Arrival, Across a Thousand Miles of Sea

As for how to refuse, Jiangnan1912 thought for a moment and decided to use the tactic of delaying.

Anyway, he neither said yes nor no, he just played dead in the group chat.

Then he felt a sense of fear towards these people.

After all, the other party was able to sway his mind remotely through certain words.

This shows that as long as a certain connection is established, those spells can take effect.

Therefore, this time, one cannot blindly rush to climb the physical fitness rankings.

If you allocate all your resources to physical fitness just for the sake of ranking, that's irresponsible of yourself.

In comparison, the spirit is more important.

Physical attacks are predictable and can be dodged, but mental attacks are unpredictable and can strike without warning.

Just like in the offline world, there are also psychological attacks and various forms of PUA (Pick-Up Artist) tactics. They may seem insignificant, but in some people, they can lead to death!

This is the terrifying nature of psychological attacks.

Even in the materialistic real world, it can still possess extraordinary power.

However, although Jiangnan1912 decided not to speak for these people, he still decided to convey their wishes to Gao Linzhi.

He just doesn't say it himself.

The physical fitness ranking event has entered its third day.

Compared to the previous events, this time the excitement was limited to the public chat.

The ranking on the list is all alone.

I won't go into the Island Ranking; many only make it to the top ten.

Because most players use up their Free Attribute Points as soon as they have them.

Those who can afford to hoard attribute points are all Company Executive Players. Corporate Players are naturally divided into two categories: cannon fodder players and Company Executive Players.

The Overall Ranking only goes up to 75th.

[Rank, ID, Island, Points]

[75 players, One Stick Sweeps Forbidden City, Dragon Han Island 3333, 2000]

"Unfortunately, I don't have a single Free Attribute Points."

"I can take it, but I can't stay Level Lock 19 any longer. I need to break level 19. At level 20, I can learn another job skill, but the price of level 20 monsters suddenly increases tenfold!"

"Like me, it's all about snowballing now. The people who ranked high on the top lists all have a few free attributes, and now they can use them."

"Of course, the big boss doesn't care."

"It's infuriating! Why can't we top up our accounts with money?"

"Yeah, is a game that doesn't allow you to spend money still a good game?"

"That's right, at least a monthly subscription should be required? Wasn't it a subscription-based game before?"

"Damn it, when are they going to fix this game?"

"They don't even talk about updates, it's just one event after another."

"Alright, you guys should be content. Before this game, I was a near-death cripple, but now I'm finally better. I'm extremely grateful for this game; I'm a mindless fan. Anyone who criticizes the game will face my wrath!"

"Speaking of which, I used to be the family's good-for-nothing, but now that I've activated my purple-tier talent in the game, the entire family revolves around me. I'm a die-hard fan of this game!"

Gao Linzhi glanced at it, but didn't seem to care.

That's how gamers are; the harsher they curse, the less willing they are to give up.

On the contrary, those who remain silent may give up one day.

They'll only get more and more addicted to it.

Just then, something suddenly happened in the event channel:

"Everyone be careful! People from the imperial court have appeared. They just came to our village. There was a clerk with two other people. They said that the imperial Grand General is recruiting soldiers. Descenders joins the army will be given a captain's rank as soon as they start."

"Hahaha, he's obviously a liar. Does he even know how high a rank a captain was in ancient times?"

"The Eight Colonels of the Han Dynasty were imperial guards personally appointed by the emperor. Their official rank wasn't very high, but their positions were often very important. The key was that they held actual Military Authority, second only to a few permanent generals."

"Yes, corporal - sergeant - captain - Captain of a Hundred - Commander of the Fang Gate Cavalry Colonel - lieutenant. Look, how many ranks does a private need to climb to the rank of captain?"

"Yes, after that there are General of the Guards, Major General, Major General, and General of Miscellaneous Ranks, followed by the Four Conquerors Generals, the Four Garrisons Generals, the Generals of the Front, Rear, Left, and Right, and Right, the General of the Guards, the General of Chariots and Cavalry, and finally the Grand General."

"With so many official positions, he just casually told you you were Grand General who ordered the recruitment of soldiers. Isn't that ridiculous?"

"That's right, this scam is on par with Qin Shi Huang Sends Money."

Gao Linzhi frowned.

The crowd found it amusing, but their laughter would soon fade.

What makes scammers so despicable is their ability to precisely grasp your psychological needs, fabricate what you require, and make you willingly believe and follow them.

This is actually a screening process, filtering out the clever Descenders from the sky and leaving only the target group.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before players started wailing.

"I'm shocked. A government official came and issued a mission at the gate of the town, saying that if you pay 500 taels of silver, you'll get a Skill Book that you can learn immediately."

"A few of us went to the town to sell the precious furs used for Talisman Crafting. Everyone was immediately interested, especially since there was a ranking event happening this time."

"Yu Wan and the others chipped in, and the man took the money, saying he would go back to the fort to get us the books. We waited for a long time, and when we went to the town fort to ask, we found out that the man wasn't a government official, but a local ruffian impersonating one."

Upon seeing this, Gao Linzhi but shake his head.

Isn't this a classic case of local authorities using the imperial court to deceive the people?

The imperial court would also deny it outright, refusing to acknowledge that this person was one of their own.

"Holy crap, the game's hints were actually true! The imperial court really is targeting us!"

"It seems like this is just a test, and they haven't really broken off relations yet, but I believe that after this test, a storm of attacks will follow!"

"Damn it, thank goodness we're on a remote island, with a two-year buffer period. If the monsters go into hibernation within two years, the imperial ships will bring their experts to the island to reap the rewards!"

"Yeah, we need to develop quickly; two years will pass in the blink of an eye."

"That's right, my child was in third grade, and now he's in seventh grade. I don't even remember what happened in between."

"Everyone needs to focus on their training. We need to connect all our different professions and organize ourselves."

"Yes, Flowing Cloud Pavilion is recruiting. Applicants must have at least 100 points in each of their two main attributes and at least one complete skill set. Combat professions are preferred, but highly skilled life skills are also welcome. Once you join, you'll receive excellent benefits, including a basic welfare guarantee of one Revival Stone per year, plus a bonus of 500 jin of gold."

"Wow, such high pay?"

"The Supreme Alliance is recruiting! Experts come, trash get out! The reward is Respawn Point Reset Talisman, which can help you transfer to our island. Once you join the alliance, we'll arrange a wife and children for you, solving all your life's problems in one go."

"Holy crap, is this some kind of takeover bid?"

"Silly Zhu was overjoyed."

"Wow, a lot of organizations are starting to recruit, but I still want to go to the Four Village Trading Company Wolf Snake Island. That's a paradise for Rogue Players, but the Respawn Point Reset Talisman are too expensive, I can't afford them."

"There's nothing good there; it can't even climb the Island Ranking, and I heard there are at least a thousand players there."

"A server with over a thousand players is considered a large player base even in typical virtual reality games."

"Yes, the competition must be incredibly fierce."

Seeing this, Gao Linzhi nodded. That's more like it.

Only by organizing can we resist the imperial court.

Without organization, they will only be defeated one by one by the imperial court.

He was curious; was this how players used to lose to the imperial court?

Not long after, Qingcheng* arrived in a hurry out of boredom.

"Boss, boss, something terrible has happened! I heard that the imperial court is sending a large ship to our island to collect tribute. Apparently, they've heard that our trade is thriving and that we have many local specialties."

Gao Linzhi immediately smiled.

He then understood the true nature of the "imperial court causing trouble" mentioned in the game's hints.

It's not a scam, nor is it a conspiracy.

It's a simple trick: collect tribute.

Under feudal dynasties, as long as ordinary people lack the ability to negotiate with the imperial court, the so-called market and economy can never develop and will forever remain in an endless cycle of nascent stages and eventual collapse.

When officials squander resources without restraint, they plunder from the people; when popular uprisings are imminent, they plunder from the merchants.

A seemingly simple act of collecting tribute from the imperial court could cost the lives of countless ordinary people.

You can never imagine how many tricks they have up their sleeves in this area.

Local officials racked their brains to offer tribute in order to gain the emperor's favor, while common people racked their brains to avoid offering tribute altogether.

Liu Luoguo was willing to betray the emperor for a mere taro.

Although it was just a joke by the screenwriter, it still reveals a lot.

"Fine, let them come if they want, but what they encounter on the way is not up to them." Gao Linzhi's eyes flashed with a cold light.

The company reached out to him, so he chopped off his hand.

The dynasty opened its mouth to him, and he pulled out a tooth.

He was the free surgeon, Gao Linzhi.

At this very moment.

Amidst the endless waves, a large ship rises and falls.

This is a three-story large ship, built with the help of extraterrestrial technology, making it extremely large and spacious.

It is over 100 meters long and over 20 meters wide.

It is made entirely of mysterious ironwood, and its surface is covered with countless expensive runes.

They were all drawn stroke by stroke with blood and tears by the master astronomers of the Imperial Observatory.

On the third floor of the building sat a high-ranking official in a bright red robe.

The high-ranking official was flipping through a notebook.

"Wolf Snake Island was originally a remote place, more than a thousand miles away from the county island."

"Since the arrival of extraterrestrials, the region has gradually become prosperous and strong, with numerous local specialties."

"Among them are rare items such as the Immortality Stone and Skill Scroll."

"Extraterrestrials have come to this world several times, bringing both fortune and misfortune. Several dynasties have collapsed because they failed to handle matters concerning extraterrestrials properly."

The high-ranking official exclaimed confidently, "Our Sky Wolf Dynasty is different. We have found a way to utilize the extraterrestrials. As long as we can get them to willingly make offerings, the previous problems will naturally not occur again."

At this moment, the clerk beside him asked curiously, "Master, may I know this method?"

"Hehe, Master Wu, what are you saying?"

"Between you and me, we are master and servant in name, but in reality, we are blood relatives. Naturally, there is nothing I cannot tell you."

"The method is that they seem to be controlled by a mysterious organization that gives them tasks and then rewards them, which they enjoy immensely, even working for 12 hours straight."

"As long as I can get some favorability and a little bit of reward, that's fine."

"We only need to imitate this process, usurp their positions, Substitute the Plum for the Peach, to be able to control these so-called extraterrestrials," the senior official said confidently.

"I see, the imperial court is truly wise," the advisor said with genuine admiration.

"Hehe, they're just some barbarians from beyond the borders. They can't possibly cause any trouble. This time, we'll go and take all the good stuff they have under the guise of a mission," the senior official laughed.

"Yes, yes, those things are a waste if they stay in their hands. They only have value in the master's hands."

"Haha, the advisor is right."

At this moment, the ship cuts through the waves against the wind.

Suddenly, a shipwright rushed in panic, shouting, "Under the sea! Under the sea! There's a giant hand!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a gigantic hand reached out to grab the large ship.

That palm was tens of square kilometers in size; grabbing a ship was like a human hand grabbing dust.

Who could resist such power?

"Don't be nervous, push the offerings down." The advisor went over to handle the situation.

Soon, with a series of heavy thuds, the sacks fell into the ground dozens of times.

Before long, the giant hand slowly descended from beneath the sea surface back into the deep sea.

"It's alright now."

The clerk went down to the engine room in the ship's cabin and berated the hardworking boatmen.

They are pedaling the wheels, which are spinning rapidly below.

This large ship has incorporated extraterrestrial propeller technology, but its power source is a local intelligent power system.

Low energy consumption, high intelligence, self-maintenance, and self-production.

A 100-kilometer journey only requires four steamed buns and a serving of bean sprouts.

"Keep pedaling, don't stop!"

"Those things have nothing to do with you!"

Everyone lowered their heads, knowing how formidable their opponent was.

Don't underestimate the seemingly insignificant advisor; he can decide who becomes the tribute.

It turned out that the ship was carrying several hundred people.

Thus, they sailed from Jun Island all the way to Wolf Snake Island, losing more than two hundred men in the process.

When we go back, we won't need so much.

Because those strange occurrences subsided.

This was a secret that the dynasty had discovered long ago.

As long as enough offerings are made, there is no need to worry about strange occurrences.

However, doing so is very costly, so they only do it when there are very significant benefits.

After all, it's not easy to arrest hundreds of people at once.

While this may effectively alleviate the conflict between people and land, arresting people is not the same as arresting pigs; people will often still resist.

If all else fails, they can escape, fleeing into the mountains or the sea, preferring to Mutual Destruction with the monster rather than be offered as tribute.

Therefore, officials in the imperial court would often use various means to lure people onto the ship under the guise of recruitment.

That's how those hundreds of people were tricked into going up there.

And now they have all become tributes.

Soon, the large ship had traversed a thousand miles and gradually came into view of Wolf Snake Island.

To their surprise, very few strange occurrences seemed to happen around the island.

"As expected, there's a great treasure on this island!"

"This time, it's my turn to make a fortune!"

The high-ranking official laughed heartily.

He looked into the distance and saw a lively scene that was clearly visible to the naked eye.

Everywhere was filled with people, and tall wisps of smoke rose straight into the sky.

He was immediately thrilled; he wanted to hurry up and grab all the treasures for himself.

We also need to get them to hand it in voluntarily.

No need to put in any effort yourself!