Even though Lin Ruoyu wasn't involved in politics in real life, he could tell at that moment that Connie's idea was a display of truly world-shaking wisdom.
Never mind whether it was wise. Could anyone deny that her plan would shake the world?
Would it work?
Lin Ruoyu didn't think so.
But if you asked whether he supported Connie's plan...
Lin Ruoyu would, of course... support it!
Whether Connie's plan succeeded or failed, there was bound to be plenty of entertainment. So why not do it?
At worst, he'd just die.
Though Lin Ruoyu was a retired police officer offline, in his previous game he had been a notorious bandit who masterminded two "Wall Street operations"!
He had always been the sort who watched chaos unfold and wished it would get bigger, or watched a funeral and wished for more mourners.
And if Chris suffered the backlash from the players' actions and died?
Then he died. At worst, the game would end.
It's not like I deliberately assassinated this important story NPC. I'm just advancing the plot. If he can't handle it and dies, then he dies. That's not on me, right?
Then it's settled!
"Yes, I think your plan is excellent!"
Lin Ruoyu nodded to Connie with solemn seriousness, endorsing her world-shaking plan.
"Really?"
Connie looked delighted.
"I told my father about my idea once, but he said I was naive."
"You're not naive. Your father is just too timid. He doesn't have the courage to make a decision.
All right, tell me. Where is the First Prince, and what's your plan?"
"He lives in Nobles' City, District One, in Inyama. There are lots of police and Royal Guards protecting him there. My people and I can't get close.
But I know there's a human-trafficking gang that serves the nobles. Their boss knows of an underground passage into the Noble City.
If we capture him, we can get him to tell us about the passage, then go in and assassinate the First Prince."
This plan... well, it's certainly bare-bones.
Lin Ruoyu thought to himself.
But that was fine. The simpler a plan was, the more it suited players' tastes, because it meant greater freedom in the quest and more things they could do.
"Where is that human-trafficking gang?"
"I don't know. The whole reason I was working here as a waitress was to pick up their trail, but then you lot came along and slaughtered everyone here."
Connie's utterly matter-of-fact expression made Lin Ruoyu's teeth ache.
Fine, I have to admit that this world-shaking wisdom has its drawbacks. Someone who's all world-shaking and no wisdom is hard to communicate with and can easily give you a headache.
"Do you have any ideas?"
Lin Ruoyu asked.
"My idea is to keep selling drinks in the tavern and wait for the traffickers to show up. This is one of their bases, and Hubbard was their partner. They're bound to come here."
"So we're waiting for them to walk into our trap... uh, what I mean is, how long will the tavern have to stay open? And how will we make it look like business as usual so the traffickers don't see through it?"
Lin Ruoyu asked two questions in quick succession. Connie stared at him with wide eyes, holding that blank expression for quite a while before she finally understood what he meant.
"It'll be fine. I've asked around about the gang members and their boss. Everyone says they're idiots. As long as the tavern keeps selling drinks, they'll come here on their own. They won't know Hubbard is dead."
Lin Ruoyu slapped his forehead. Once again, he wondered whether working with Connie had been the right decision.
But there was no turning back now. It seemed a little late to change his mind.
Let's just go with it.
"You handle the tavern. I'll discuss things with my buddies. Leave the killing to us, and we'll leave everything else to you. Any problems with that?"
"No problems."
Connie spoke cheerfully.
"I just searched the tavern with my people. Besides the hundred-odd silver coins you gave me, I found Hubbard's savings elsewhere-another two hundred or so silver coins. There are also twenty barrels of liquor. How should we divide all that?"
"We'll split the money evenly. You've got people to support. Keep the liquor to sell. How could you run a tavern without any?"
"I like that proposal."
"Go on, then. Head downstairs and ask my buddies to come up. I'll talk to them here."
"Okay."
Connie turned and left. Before long, a flurry of footsteps sounded outside the door, and Little Ghost squeezed in with the other four players.
Lin Ruoyu told them about his conversation with Connie and the decision he had made, then asked what they thought.
The five players were unanimous.
"I don't see anything wrong with it. Sounds great. Now I know what this game's main story is. This young prince wants to restore his kingdom, so there's definitely going to be war and plenty of people dying along the way."
"No objections. You did great, boss."
"Same here."
Since everyone agreed and approved, the little bit of guilt Lin Ruoyu felt for making the decision on his own vanished.
"Good. Since nobody objects and you all trust me, it's settled. Next, we just wait for Connie to find the traffickers..."
Before Lin Ruoyu could finish, he and the five players heard sounds of fighting from downstairs, along with Connie's shrill, excited cries.
"Don't let those three get away! Grab him! Grab him!"
Lin Ruoyu froze for a moment, then realized something had happened on the ground floor. He hurried down with the others to help.
Holding his dagger in a reverse grip, Lin Ruoyu rushed around the turn in the stairs and saw Connie's young men grappling with three burly men who looked like bad news at a glance.
Connie was holding up her skirt and lashing out with her long leg, repeatedly kicking a man who had one of her subordinates by the throat.
With no time to think, Lin Ruoyu charged forward with his dagger, driving its sharp tip toward the burly man's neck.
Connie screamed when she saw him.
"Don't kill him! He's the traffickers' boss!"
What? He's the key NPC for the assassination quest?!
Fortunately, Lin Ruoyu was well trained. A split second before the dagger struck the burly man, he forcibly twisted his body, pulling the blade away and slamming his elbow into the man's head instead, knocking him to the floor.
Then, following his momentum down, Lin Ruoyu raised his knee and planted it precisely across his target's back and neck, performing a textbook American Police Restraint and preventing him from resisting at all.
Lin Ruoyu's movements were so clean and efficient that by the time the other burly men, still wrestling with Connie's subordinates, looked up, their boss was already down.
Before they could get up to rescue their boss or flee, the other five players came charging down the stairs, throwing themselves at the men with wild cries.
These five lacked Lin Ruoyu's polished, practiced arrest techniques, but they made up for it by fearing neither death nor pain and having strength in numbers. They all piled in at once and soon subdued the remaining two traffickers.
"Great! Now we can find out about the underground passage to the Noble District!"
At the sight, Connie couldn't help pumping her fist in delight.
Before you continue