The Stirrings Begin (Seeking Follow-ups)

Time is like a wild donkey; once it starts running, it never stops.

In the blink of an eye, it has been over a week since the players arrived at the refinery.

Of the 4,961 players, everyone now has a little over one hundred Imperial Coins in their pockets.

If this number were in the real world, it wouldn't even cover a decent hotpot meal.

But here, in this living hell known as Alru No. 3 Refinery, it represents hope, it represents armaments, and it represents... the capital to stir up trouble.

Wang Zhong, Tax Brother, and Xue Brother, having taken a larger share on the first day as the terminal investors, have reached an average of 221.6 Imperial Coins per person after their hard work over these days.

However, no one has spent their money recklessly.

They are waiting.

Waiting for a storm, waiting for an opportunity to turn this steel hell upside down.

The refinery's ore output remains consistently sluggish, a stagnation as stubborn as the worst athlete's foot in Nurgle's garden—no matter how it's treated, it just won't go away.

The pressure on the One-Eyed Overseer is mounting; his one good eye is bloodshot, and he finds fault with everyone he sees.

Every day before the shift, he paces in front of the ranks, wielding his power whip like a restless, rabid hound of Khorne, lashing out at unlucky souls every now and then to vent his rage.

"Scum! Trash! You can't even sort the ore properly!"

"The supplier's quality report says the ore is fine! So where is the problem? Huh?!"

"Are you maggots slacking off?!"

The players keep their heads down, mentally roasting him:

The problem is in our pockets, you idiot!

We steal so much ore from you every day, how could it not be low?

By the Emperor, I fear this overseer's brain was put through a blender by Tzeentch.

But on the surface, everyone wears a miserable expression, acting as if they are being wronged: "My lord, I am innocent! I work so hard, how could I have the strength to steal ore when I'm not even fed enough?"

After a week of honing, their acting skills have reached a state of perfection.

Even the real NPC workers, glancing over occasionally, feel that these poor newcomers are being bullied to the brink.

Though the way they constantly huddle together, winking and grinning at thin air, is admittedly a bit eerie.

The players eventually learned the name of the young NPC worker who had proactively approached Wang Zhong: Ren.

These past few days, Ren would drift over at irregular intervals, sometimes seeking out Wang Zhong, other times approaching other players who still seemed to have a spark in their eyes, chatting about seemingly trivial matters.

"The overseer's temper has been getting worse lately."

"I heard another group was dragged away to the cleanup zone last month."

"Do you miss home?"

The players maintain a unified front, showing just the right amount of indignation and reluctance, yet appearing too afraid to speak their minds.

"Who doesn't want to leave? But how?"

"This life... it's truly not fit for humans."

"Damn it, if they push us too far, we'll fight them to the death!"

This half-veiled attitude seems to have gradually lowered Ren's guard.

On this day, after the shift ended.

The players did not rush to log off, but instead gathered in a corner of the rest area.

Wang Zhong speaks in the area channel:

[Loyal to the Emperor Forever]: "Brothers, it looks like they are going to make a move soon."

"When that guy Ren talked to me today, his eyes were different—he was hesitant, like he had something to say."

"I reckon their resistance organization can't hold back anymore."

[Soul of Cadia]: "They've held it in for a week, it's time to let it out!"

"If they don't, I'm going to get hemorrhoids. Does the Emperor sell hemorrhoid cream?"

[Tau-kun, you are right, but Bolter is righter]: "They definitely want to recruit us. There are over four thousand of us; even if we're just miners, we can pile up enough bodies to bury a few overseers."

[Mechanicus Oil-Lover on the Run]: "Analyzing from the perspective of organizational behavior, utilizing sudden external instability to break the existing balance is a common strategy in resistance movements."

"In their eyes, we are the perfect destabilizing factor."

[Schrodinger's Loyalist]: "So, are we the pawns? Or the players?"

[Loyal to the Emperor Forever]: "First we are pawns, then we become the players."

"My plan is: when they reach out, we pretend to agree."

"Once they make their move and create chaos, we immediately start redeeming our gear and start the fight!"

He pauses, his tone intensifying:

"Remember, brothers, our top priority is not to escape!"

"It's to loot!!"

"How many good things are in this Refinery?"

"Those ores, those pieces of equipment, those transport vehicles... see that large Promethium smelter in the northwest corner?"

"I secretly scanned it with the system; the recycling price is eighty thousand Imperial Coin!"

The channel was instantly flooded with "holy shits."

[Did White Scars speed today]: "Eighty thousand?! How many guns can that buy?!"

[Want Silent King's Crown but cannot afford]: "I suddenly feel... the Refinery doesn't seem that hateful anymore?"

[Slaanesh Chosen Reserve]: "The joy of robbery... is also a form of ultimate pleasure..."

[Nurgle Loving Father Loves All]: "Accept this gift, even if the method might be a bit rough."

[Loyal to the Emperor Forever]: "Right! Let's pull off a big heist! Even if we die and drop all our gear, as long as we successfully recycle one or two big machines, we'll make a killing!"

"Respawning after death only costs 5 coins, and one machine is worth tens of thousands—this trade is worth it!"

"So, everyone, perk up!"

"Don't panic when the time comes. Follow the pre-arranged groups: Group One is responsible for creating chaos and drawing fire, Group Two is responsible for picking locks and dismantling equipment, and Group Three is responsible for hauling and submitting!"

"Do you understand?!"

"Understood!!!"

The roars in the channel were deafening, though in reality, they were just quietly crouching in the corner, but everyone's eyes were glowing.

It was a thirst for Imperial Coin, an anticipation of revenge, and an infinite passion for causing trouble.

The next day, not long after starting work.

A frantic message from [Soul of Cadia] suddenly popped up in the regional channel:

"Northeast corner! Over by the abandoned warehouse! A few NPC workers snuck inside! They don't look like overseers!"

"What's the situation?" [Did White Scars speed today] asked immediately.

"Don't know. The door is closed. I circled to the back and heard hushed voices inside; they seem to be arguing about something."

[Soul of Cadia] replied.

"Need backup?"

[Tau-kun, you are right, but Bolter is righter] was eager to try.

"Don't! Too many people will get us spotted. You guys keep working; White Scars and I will keep watch."

[Soul of Cadia] was very cautious.

Wang Zhong felt a stir in his heart.

The players had long since noticed that abandoned warehouse in the northeast corner.

The main gate was locked with rusted chains, and the windows were boarded up with metal plates; it had always been considered a place for storing useless scrap.

Now, NPCs were sneaking in?

He thought of Ren.

"Could be a resistance organization, or... something else."

He said to Tax Brother and Xue Brother in the squad channel: "Keep an eye on that side, there might be a situation."

About half a standard hour later, [Soul of Cadia] and [Did White Scars speed today] returned, their expressions a mix of excitement and confusion.

"How was it?" Wang Zhong moved near them when the overseer wasn't looking.

[Soul of Cadia] lowered his voice: "There was more than just those few workers inside!"

"We waited for them to come out and followed them for a bit, only to find them splitting up and blending into different work zones. But guess who one of them was?"

"Who?"

"It was Ren!" [Did White Scars speed today] chimed in.

As expected!

Wang Zhong understood. Ren was indeed a member of some organization.

"What did they go in there for? What did they say?" Tax Brother asked.