Holy shit, these two bitches are completely insane!
Massacring the whole map, firing indiscriminately—did they even want to finish the quest properly?
Compared to the first time he'd experienced a Plot Kill, Li Wei was much calmer now.
He didn't rush to make a choice. Instead, he left the fields and returned to the shabby little courtyard in the glow of the setting sun.
Just as he'd expected, Phila had already made dinner. Penny was eating happily, as if nothing had happened. Only Sam, the newcomer, looked utterly horrified and didn't know what to do.
When Li Wei appeared, Sam looked at him as if pleading for help and frantically blinked. But Li Wei couldn't help him. He pretended not to notice, served himself a bowl of Wild Vegetable Soup, and ate with relish.
That was how a family should be: harmonious and loving.
But he'd already made his choices.
Reject Phila being bitten to death by a venomous snake.
Agree to Penny being struck dead by lightning.
Reject Sam being crushed to death by a rock.
Reject himself being mauled to death by a pack of wolves.
But he hadn't launched a Plot Kill himself. He wasn't qualified to compete for head of the family yet, so there was no point wasting Family Contribution Points.
That was right. The reason Phila and Penny were launching Plot Kills like crazy was to deplete their rival's Family Contribution Points and compete for the position of head of the family.
It was that simple.
The Plot Kill vote results came in soon.
More or less as expected.
For the option where Phila would be bitten to death by a venomous snake, there was one vote in favor, one abstention, and two votes against. That was predictable, because the newcomer Sam was in a state of mind that was impossible to imagine. Before this, he'd thought this was just an ordinary farming and management game.
So he'd definitely abstained.
But he'd probably get the hang of things soon.
Then, for the option where Penny would be struck dead by lightning, there were two votes in favor and two against, making it invalid.
For the third option, where Li Wei would be mauled to death by a pack of wolves, there were, as expected, two votes in favor and two against. The two bitches had obviously voted in favor, while he and Sam had voted against, so that one was invalid too.
For the fourth option, where Sam would be crushed to death by a rock, there was one vote in favor and three against. Naturally, Sam got to keep living without having to pay anything.
You could see the kid let out a long breath of relief, but for a brief moment, Penny looked at him sharply. She hadn't gotten what she wanted.
In this round, she and Phila had each spent six Family Contribution Points on the four Plot Kill options, yet they'd ended up in a dead heat. How the hell was she supposed to put up with that?
She was competing to become head of the family this month. If she didn't bring down Phila's Family Contribution Points, how could she compete? How could she develop the route tied to her profession?
"George, you've worked hard clearing the fields these past few days, especially without proper tools. Do you still have that shovel? Once Sam and I finish building the Blacksmith Shop, the first thing I'll do is repair it for you. And we'll need some sharp weapons for hunting, too. The wolf pack you ran into last night will threaten us sooner or later."
Penny spoke casually, as if she were just making conversation.
But in reality, she was introducing a new plot point. What she said wasn't meaningless chatter. Like dialogue in a movie, the words took on a narrative role the moment they were spoken. The others needed a good enough reason to refuse or make a counterproposal; otherwise, they had to agree, because it was only logical.
How hard had it been for Li Wei to clear the fields? Shouldn't Penny, as his older sister, have noticed and felt for him, lying awake at night with worry?
This was also Penny's way of winning him over.
So while Sam was still standing there in a daze, Li Wei had already nodded with delight. "That'd be great. I'll need a shovel and at least one small knife."
There was nothing wrong with his answer. The family's only knife was a short one, and Phila had been keeping it. If he wanted to hunt, he needed a small knife.
"That shouldn't be a problem. But tomorrow, I need you and Sam to look for some black rocks upstream. I think they can be smelted into iron," Penny said again. There really were some black rocks in the stream; she just didn't know whether they were Iron Ore. Still, they probably were. As a Professional Craftsman, Penny wouldn't mistake something like that.
Li Wei and Sam nodded at the same time. The latter nearly thought the family was getting along again, but he didn't know that Li Wei had struck a deal with Penny.
The next second, Penny launched another Plot Kill and shot Sam a stern look.
[Professional Craftsman *** has launched a Plot Kill, hoping that her mother, Phila, will be bitten to death by a venomous snake within twenty-four hours. Do you agree? Friendly reminder: whether you agree or refuse, you won't have to pay any experience, and your choice will have a far-reaching impact on the subsequent quest storyline.]
This time, Li Wei agreed without hesitation. That was how a deal was supposed to work.
A few seconds later, the Plot Kill results came in.
Two votes in favor and two against. The Plot Kill was invalid.
What the hell?
Sam!
Sam had voted against it!
He'd abstained last time!
Li Wei froze for a moment and couldn't help glancing at Sam, who'd been so anxious just a little while ago. The guy was now calmly drinking Wild Vegetable Soup, looking like he didn't know anything and didn't want anyone asking him about it.
Well, well!
This one was no simpleton. A real pro.
Without making a fuss, he'd tricked Penny into spending three Family Contribution Points.
But since Phila hadn't launched a Plot Kill, that meant she had a three-point advantage.
If she donated something now and became head of the family, she'd be able to issue the family's Main Quest without a doubt.
That meant she'd control the family's future development. It could earn them a better clear rating.
Sure enough, the next moment Li Wei received a message.
[Professional Chef *** has decided to donate the five units of wild vegetables, dried mushrooms, and other supplies belonging to her to the family. She has therefore gained five Family Contribution Points. Her Family Contribution Points now exceed twenty. Since she has the most Family Contribution Points, she will become head of the family.]
Well, well—five units!
Li Wei immediately looked at Penny. If she wanted to turn things around now, her only option was to donate her little Brick Kiln.
But Penny didn't make a move. Was she giving up?
Looks like she didn't have enough Family Contribution Points.
Li Wei thought it over. Phila and Penny had probably been launching Plot Kills like crazy because they had exactly the same number of Family Contribution Points, so neither could become the new head of the family.
Then Sam had stabbed Penny in the back, leaving her three points behind Phila.
So even though her little Brick Kiln was worth more, there was no point donating it now.
She'd lost another round.
But her expression remained calm.
Phila looked at Penny with a kind, affectionate gaze, then spoke gently to Li Wei and Sam. "Penny's been working hard lately. She's a good girl, just a little stubborn. Still, things have started to improve for us here. You two can help out as well. I think we need to start preparing for winter. George, Sam, you're young and strong. You can go hunt some game in the valley. Just be careful of that pack of wolves. I think they're hostile toward our family."
Before you continue