Clone No. 5

Xing Yao patted Clone No. 3 on the shoulder, speaking earnestly, his face wearing an expression that said, "I'm doing all this for the bigger picture."

"I'm not doing this to deliberately make things hard for you, or to deliberately squeeze labor out of someone who's only just broken through to the second tier.

Rather, after calculating everything from all four angles-cost, returns, risk, and market-this is the only way that's the safest, most likely to recoup our costs, and most likely to make money.

We're already broke. The villa drained all our savings, and all we have left are those few hundred old cards we can convert into Resentment Points.

Every single Resentment Point has to go toward the cutting edge of the blade. We absolutely can't waste any, much less spend them on a losing business.

So, Clone No. 3, we really can only ask you to put in the hard work.

Take your time, keep a steady footing, and make them one by one.

It might be a little more tiring and a little slower, but every card is pure profit. Make one, earn on one. Small gains will pile up, and in the end, we'll definitely recoup our costs, make money, and buy you all computers."

After listening to this long string of perfectly clear, perfectly explicit explanations,

Clone No. 3 froze completely. He opened his mouth, but couldn't find a single word to argue back.

He understood the reasoning,

he had sorted out the logic,

and he understood the costs and returns too...

But understanding didn't mean it didn't hurt!

Clone No. 1 was off to the side copying cards with ease, feasting on the good life;

meanwhile, he had to put in the effort and expend his Law, and he couldn't even copy them-he could only grind away...

Why the hell should he have to?!

Clone No. 3's usually steady, composed face completely crumpled. His eyes were resentful, the corners of his mouth drooped, and he visibly wilted, even the earth-element aura around him turning limp and listless.

Meanwhile, beside him, Clone No. 1, Clone No. 2, and Clone No. 4,

the three exchanged glances and could no longer hold it in,

each lowering his head, shoulders shaking wildly,

struggling to suppress explosive laughter, never afraid of making a spectacle worse,

while inwardly, they had long since bloomed with delight.

Xing Yao looked at Clone No. 3's face, which said he had nothing left to live for. His plan had succeeded completely,

and he secretly reveled in it, but kept a perfectly serious face as he encouraged him again:

"All right, stop hanging your head.

Come on, work hard, and hang in there!"

Just then-

a faint rustle of someone turning over suddenly came from the meditation room in the corner of the mental world.

A figure slowly sat up, first lazily raising both arms and stretching long and high, his back extending as a series of faint cracks came from his joints.

His neat, short hair was slightly tousled, his eyes heavy with sleep, and a trace of just-awakened dazedness still lingered at the corners of his mouth. His whole bearing was lazy and unhurried.

It was Clone No. 6.

He had been in secluded meditation all this time, sleeping until heaven and earth had gone dark, completely unaware of the farce outside. Only just now had he finally woken up.

Clone No. 6 rubbed his eyes, gave a little yawn, slowly rose from the floor, and walked toward the others with lazy steps.

As soon as he approached, he heard Xing Yao's final line, "We can only ask you to do the hard work of making them one by one; you can't copy them," and clearly saw Clone No. 3's face, which couldn't possibly have been darker or more crestfallen.

After thinking it over briefly, then glancing at Clone No. 1, Clone No. 2, and Clone No. 4 beside him, who were gloating and shaking from suppressing their laughter, he instantly grasped the general situation.

Clone No. 6's eyes brightened slightly, and a smile appeared on his face, the kind that welcomed a spectacle getting even worse.

He walked up to Clone No. 3 in a few strides and patted the earth-element clone, who was about to be squeezed to his limit, on the shoulder. Wearing an encouraging expression that was utterly sincere, utterly friendly, and utterly punchable, he shouted each word in a clear, full-throated voice:

"Clone No. 3! You can do it!"

"You're the best!"

"We all believe in you!"

As those words fell-

Clone No. 3: "..."

His already pitch-black face darkened all the way to the bottom.

He stood rooted to the spot, his gaze blank, as though the final straw had smashed into his soul, utterly extinguishing the light in his eyes.

When Clone No. 1, Clone No. 2, and Clone No. 4 heard this, they couldn't hold it in anymore.

With a "Pfft-" they burst out laughing on the spot.

The entire mental world instantly filled with a merry atmosphere.

Standing to the side, Xing Yao watched this scene, the corners of his mouth rising wildly. His plan had succeeded completely, and delight had long since blossomed in his heart, but he still kept a perfectly serious face, cleared his throat, and announced loudly:

"Good! Since everyone's morale is so high, we're officially starting work today!

I'll go melt down all those few hundred old cards into Resentment Points right now!

Clone No. 3, get ready to inject the Law of the Earth Element at any moment!

Everyone else, perform your duties and work together!

Our goal-make money! Buy computers! Rebuild and get rich!"

"Yes, original!"

Apart from Clone No. 3, who was weak and listless, with nothing left to live for, everyone answered in unison, their voices ringing loud, their momentum soaring into the sky.

Sunlight spilled into the mental world.

It was a scene of blazing activity and boundless drive.

Except for that lone figure in the middle-

Clone No. 3.

He looked up at the sky, wanting to cry but having no tears.

Working life began with a "You can do it" from the freshly awakened Clone No. 6.

Just as Clone No. 6 stretched, patted Clone No. 3's shoulder with a face full of sincerity, and shouted:

"Clone No. 3, you can do it!"

Xing Yao's gaze fell on the newly awakened Clone No. 6, and his brain abruptly jolted. He instantly remembered someone who had been completely forgotten!

"Oh no! Clone No. 5!"

He gave a sudden start, only then abruptly realizing-

Clone No. 5 had gone to buy breakfast ages ago. By now, he must have arrived!