Quadruple split.

Chapter 2883 The Reason for Entering the Game

"I have to say..."

Mo Tan couldn't help but cast an admiring glance at the captain of the enforcement team in front of him, and revealed a somewhat helpless smile: "This is really a bit too early."

"As I said, at that stage, I only had 'doubt' about you."

Foster shrugged, his gaze somewhat subtle, and said, "To be frank, if my lovely junior, Theresa, hadn't insisted on impersonating me and using the compound potion to impersonate Foster Ward, a top player from the [Dannu Military Academy], to play against Pastor Black Vane, which led to a series of tragic accidents... I wouldn't have known that Black Vane was also the uncrowned king of our [Clown Card], and I wouldn't have had much suspicion towards you either."

Looking back on that unbearable past, which wasn't actually that long ago, Mo Tan sighed deeply, even though he hadn't personally experienced it, because it was entirely his own experience: "That was clearly an accident that's hard to judge."

"But it's not necessarily a bad thing."

Foster opened a folding fan inscribed with the words "Slack Off" and said in a light tone, "Theresa has fulfilled her wish; [The Clown Card] has obtained a witch whose strategic and tactical talents are astounding; this is clearly a brilliant accident that kills two birds with one stone. As for the fact that the Black Vane Priest exposed his identity in the chaos... Believe me, Brother Mo, from my position, even if you two can hide your identities for a while, there will always be a time when I discover them, not to mention..."

Mo Tan narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "What else?"

"Besides, I don't think JOKER ever intended to hide it from me; he simply didn't reveal your identities."

Foster gazed at Mo Tan's helpless eyes and said with a half-smile, "It's clear that while there's unwavering trust between you, there are probably many more blatant disagreements beyond that, aren't there?"

Mo Tan remained silent for a long time, then finally nodded with a wry smile and said, "I think you are right."

"Next up is JOKER's move from a while ago."

Foster smiled and continued on the previous topic: "Given my personal abilities and value, I can access, investigate, and even participate in most of the operations within the [Clown Card]. So when you took down Viper's 'Wheel Worm' at Anka Market, and JOKER immediately got involved and invested a lot of resources, including... that [Black 2] lady, combined with the previous siege in Academy City, I can basically confirm that you are another 'uncrowned king'."

Mo Tan narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Why 'basic'?"

"While the [Woof Woof Adventurer Squad] may not be the best choice in my eyes, they do possess extraordinary qualities."

As Foster fiddled with his fan, he said casually, “Night Song is an apprentice of some big shot in Tianzhu Mountain. Deer Sauce has a similar status and potential. Ms. Gu Xiaole is also an outstanding strong person among you otherworldly people. Anthony Dabus is a rare two-headed ogre, and even a two-headed ogre who is half otherworldly and half local. Yaya is also exceptionally talented. As for Mr. Diesel… although he may not be an excellent mage, he is undoubtedly the best knight I have ever seen.”

Mo Tan chuckled and shook his head, saying, "He's not."

Foster shook his head and said calmly, "He could be."

"He'll never be able to."

Mo Tan looked at the other person calmly, his expression neither happy nor sad, and said in a calm tone: "Jadka was seriously injured not long ago. Although he was saved with the help of Tianzhu Mountain, he only survived.

"what?"

Foster's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Mo Tan: "You mean..."

"He confronted an out-of-control legend head-on, successfully buying precious time for us, his comrades."

Mo Tan smiled slightly and said calmly, "The price is... he can finally be freed from the curse called 'talent' and pursue what he wants without distraction or regret."

Foster was silent for a few seconds, then surprisingly smiled and said sincerely, "If I have the chance, I will congratulate Mr. Diesel in person."

He'll like your reaction.

Mo Tan nodded happily, then his gaze sharpened slightly as he said, "Well then, it's time to continue our previous conversation, King of Hearts."

"I am honored to be the 'uncrowned king' of the 'Clown' card."

Foster raised his teacup to greet Mo Tan, then took a sip and said softly, "To be honest, from the perspective of the 'King of Hearts,' I don't think now is the best time for the 'Clown' to provoke the 'Viper Guild.'"

Mo Tan nodded noncommittally and asked succinctly, "The reason?"

"It's simply because we're too weak."

Foster's answer was equally crisp and decisive. He snapped his folding fan shut and said in a calm tone devoid of any emotion, "While I must admit that among most organizations in their early stages of development, the [Clown's Card]'s configuration is undeniably luxurious and impeccable. Putting aside those two 'aces' who turned the Violet Empire upside down a few months ago, Teresa and I alone are potential assets that countless forces would dream of. Moreover, the cadres and executives are not to be underestimated; they are full of hidden talents... But even so, compared to the [Viper Merchant Guild], the [Clown's Card]'s foundation is still too weak."

Mo Tan shook his head and calmly retorted, "We are not fighting alone."

"I'll take your so-called 'we' as the [Clown Card] and the [Woof Woof Adventurer Squad] for now."

Foss stared intently at Mo Tan, and asked in a calm yet oppressive tone, "Are you suggesting that, besides us, the Diesel family behind Mr. Diesel, Tianzhu Mountain behind Ms. Nightsong, the Danu Military Academy behind Teresa and me, and the Lehman family behind 'Plum Blossom Ten' Evie Lehman, are willing to extend a helping hand to us?"

Mo Tan nodded slightly and added, "There's also the Holy Church Alliance behind Black Brahma, the Violet Empire and the Mist Moon Sage who are on good terms with those two trump cards, the Wanderer's Inn behind Junwu, and the professional players who stand with many otherworldly beings."

"It does sound like a reassuringly strong lineup."

Foster's lips curled slightly as he asked directly, "So what? What do you think these forces can do for us? Can Tianzhu Mountain evaporate all the 'snake heads' in an instant, just like it did when it destroyed the Sun Dynasty? Or can the Wanderer's Inn share all the Viper Merchant Guild's intelligence with us in detail? Or can you directly get the Holy Church to send all its Guardian Knights to help us?"

Mo Tan did not answer the question, but simply said, "Someone has to do something."

“I don’t think strong beliefs and impeccable justice can change anything. They might do some things, or even trigger small-scale ‘miracles,’ but so-called ‘miracles’ are not enough to convince me to place my bets.”

Foster stared intently at Mo Tan through his glasses and said softly, "I'm not talking to you about ideals and ambitions, Mo. In other words, if all I can hear is this kind of empty talk... Thanks to the [Clown Card] system, even if it contradicts the opinions of the two aces, I'm still 90% confident that I can keep this organization, which I still have to take some responsibility for, out of the picture."

Mo Tan nodded slightly and said to the King of Hearts in front of him, who, despite his sharp words, remained polite and calm, "I think those two aces would be genuinely happy if they knew what we were talking about."

"That is to say..."

The tall dark elf relaxed slightly, leaning back in his chair, and asked, "You plan to have those two persuade me? Thinking about it carefully, it is indeed the method with the highest theoretical success rate." "But that's just theory."

Mo Tan smiled casually and said in a relaxed tone, "Let's put it this way, King of Hearts, whether it's you and me, or those two aces, we all face the same problem: time."

Foster raised his eyebrows and repeated meaningfully, "Time?"

"If someone wants to prove something, the least cost-effective way is to build a high-quality project from scratch, especially someone as outstanding as you. If you are determined, you can prove yourself anywhere in a very short time."

Mo Tan shrugged and said slowly and deliberately, "The difficulty of making a name for yourself in a large power with a complete system, foundation, accumulation, and influence by virtue of your extraordinary abilities is on a completely different level than the difficulty of building a power that is qualified to enter the inner circle by virtue of your extraordinary abilities."

Foster smiled noncommittally: "So?"

"So only truly insane people... or those who are broadly considered insane, would choose to sit in the King of Hearts position."

Mo Tan spread his hands and calmly said, "We can understand it as someone who can genuinely and firmly hold the position of the King of Hearts in the 'Clown Card' position. In just a few years, he will be able to become a high-ranking figure in other large forces who can wipe out more than a dozen 'Clown Cards' with a single sentence."

"Go on, Brother Mo."

“You’re a smart person, a smart person who would never fail to do this kind of calculation. So the reason you’re still willing to join the [Clown Card] is either that you’re too impatient to wait even two or three years, or that you don’t want to be tainted by other forces, or... both.”

"I'm a little flattered, Brother Mo."

"You saw Tan Mo's abilities and then initially recognized his potential, wanting to make a 'venture investment' in the limited time available. Now, the return on that investment is enough to make you decide to stay longer, for example... from now until you officially graduate, which is almost a year."

"I hope this will be a wonderful year."

“And I never thought that you and I would have any disagreement on the definition of ‘wonderful’, so whether this opportunity is in the interest of the ‘Clown’ is not important at all. The most important thing is that it is in the interest of you, Foster Ward.”

"To my shame, I have never considered myself a pragmatic person."

"I'm the complete opposite; I've always considered myself an extremely selfish person."

So you're saying we actually have the same goal?

"In our world, a commentator once described so-called capital in this way—"

Mo Tan raised his index finger and smiled, saying, "If there is a 10% profit, it will be used everywhere; if there is a 20% profit, it will become active; if there is a 50% profit, it will take risks; for a 100% profit, it will dare to trample on all human laws; if there is a 300% profit, it will dare to commit any crime, even risk being hanged."

"And the downfall of the Viper Merchant Guild, centered around the [Clown Card]..."

Foster Ward took off his glasses, carefully wiping them with a piece of silk, and said without looking up, "Even the most extravagant numbers seem pale and powerless."

"So the topic we're discussing today has never really been 'whether the clown card will help the Woof Woof Adventurers' team fight against the Viper Merchant Guild.'"

Mo Tan picked up the cup of hot tea that Foster had pushed in front of him, and looked into Foster's eyes through the steam rising from the cup: "It's about how much you're willing to pay for this crazy hypothesis."

Give me a reason.

Foster put his glasses back on and said seriously, "A reason, however clumsy, is enough to get me involved."

"Not interested."

Mo shook his head and casually said, "Think for yourself."

"Tan Mo created the [Clown Card], and today, this organization has transformed into an existence that, although still somewhat immature, is enough to make even an old-fashioned gray organization like the [Angel of Death] tremble with fear; Hei Fan only took less than a year to become one of the leading figures of the younger generation of the [Holy Church Alliance], wielding real power and renowned throughout the continent."

Foster smiled and said firmly, "I don't think you're any worse than them."

"You flatter me."

"This plan against Viper is a large-scale operation led by you, with the other two also involved to some extent. I think even if the success rate is limited, we should still have a 50% chance of success."

"It seems you think highly of me, so this is your excuse?"

"No, that's still not enough. For someone like me with a very clear self-awareness, a 50% success rate is not enough."

"How much would be enough?"

"At least 10%."

"How can we achieve 10%?"

"I will dedicate myself fully to this operation."

"That would make it 10%?"

"That would make it 10%."

"Okay, then you can join."

“Very good reason, you've convinced me, Brother Mo.”

Chapter 2874: The End

(End of this chapter)