Outside the village.
Old Qu looked at Mad Dog without showing any anger.
He was getting on in years, steady by temperament and more thorough in his considerations. "Old Yu, it's pretty rare for a Star Gate to have this many Players. There must be a reason the Star Gate set things up this way. The Night Walker's combat strength is terrifying. He can wipe out a squad in a single attack. It might look like he's reducing our competition, but personally, I don't think it's a good sign. If the Players don't band together and everyone fights on their own, our numbers will keep shrinking, and the story will progress slowly. There are seven villages. Are we supposed to dig up all the clues with just our few dozen people? What if the death toll reaches a certain threshold and the Star Gate declares that we've failed? Wouldn't all our efforts have been for nothing?"
Yu Weifeng fell silent at that.
"Besides, we should be the largest group in this Star Gate," Old Qu added. "Can either of us guarantee that the Night Walker won't ambush our people? The bigger we are, the more likely we are to get targeted. To put it bluntly, if one of our squads gets into trouble and you can't protect them, why should they keep listening to you? What can you offer everyone?"
"Yes, I understand what you mean." Yu Weifeng nodded slowly.
"And if you take the lead on this, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks," Old Qu said quietly.
Yu Weifeng paused, then focused on Old Qu. "What benefits?"
"Prestige and goodwill," Old Qu replied succinctly.
Yu Weifeng waved a hand. "I know my own limits. I can draw a group of people together, but uniting everyone? My name doesn't carry enough