my pokemon player.

"Yes!" Hao Ren nodded, confirming Patrick's guess, "It's Tengluo Town."

Patrick's expression instantly became incredibly complex, a mixture of shock, bewilderment, and a hint of absurdity.

He opened his mouth wide, and it took him a long time to utter a sound: "This Wisteria Town doesn't seem to be an enemy town, does it?"

"To be precise, this town is currently neutral, but that doesn't mean it won't become a hostile town in the future," Hao Ren corrected.

"Even if Wisteria Town becomes an enemy town in the future, that's a matter for the future. Right now, it's still neutral!"

Patrick put his hand on Hao Ren's shoulder and asked with concern, "Brother Hao, are you sober?"

"Didn't you always say that wars in this era are all about having a legitimate reason for war, and that we should restrain our tempers and not start wars lightly when we are adventuring abroad?"

"Now you want us to go and attack a neutral town? Doesn't that make us invaders?"

"And what will Lord Ryan think? What if we end up not only failing to gain merit and contribution points, but also losing Lord Ryan's favor? Wouldn't all our previous efforts have been in vain!"

Hao Ren looked at Patrick's astonished expression and calmly shook his head: "First of all, I am perfectly sober right now."

"Secondly, haven't you heard the saying, 'The past is the past, and the present is the present'? Don't use the past to talk about the present."

"I told you to be careful before because I hadn't figured out the strength of our territory yet, and I was afraid you would provoke a powerful enemy."

“Things are different now. We’ve taken Guanhai City, wiped out the Shadow Church’s branch, and are even going to war with Lion’s Nest City. Is there any enemy stronger than them in the entire Southeast Province?”

Patrick instinctively replied, "No."

"What are we afraid of?!" Hao Ren waved his hand. "We're the players who call ourselves the Fourth Calamity, not some righteous army. Of course we can fight whoever we want!"

"Besides, who said we were invading Wisteria Town? We were clearly rescuing the oppressed civilians and Pokémon there!"

"According to the information provided by Qian Duoduo, Tengluo Town almost failed to survive the last beast tide and has not yet recovered."

"The lord of Tengluo Town not only failed to help the common people rebuild their homes, but also exploited them even more severely, imposing exorbitant taxes and levies. Those common people couldn't even afford to eat and were on the verge of starvation!"

"So we are not invaders, but rather we are here to rescue them from their suffering. This is a just act, and the people of Tengluo Town will thank us!"

Patrick Star stared at Hao Ren in disbelief: "So you're saying we're still the army of justice?"

Hao Ren said solemnly, "Whether we are a righteous army or not is not important; we only need to have a clear conscience!"

Lord Narayne

Before Patrick could finish speaking, Hao Ren interrupted him, saying:

"You don't think Lord Ryan is a stubborn man bound by fame, do you? Don't forget what his dream is that he always talks about!"

"He wants to create a world where humans and Pokémon can coexist peacefully, but this dream can't be realized just by talking about it."

"Lord Ryan needs greater strength, a larger territory, and we need to sweep all those corrupt old forces that hinder the birth of the new world into the dustbin of history!"

"Therefore, there will definitely be more and more wars in the future. This is also a way for the game to retain players. As the protagonist of the game, Lord Ryan will naturally not be against war."

Looking at Patrick Star, who seemed lost in thought, Hao Ren pressed on, "Do you remember the Player Expansion Order in the event? Those generous event rewards were meant to encourage us to actively start a war!"

"As for the reason for starting a war, any excuse will do, such as the fact that Wisteria Town is trying to join forces with Spring Town to launch a surprise attack on Rose Town. They have the means to do so."

"Lord Ryan must have realized that Wisteria Town was a hidden danger, so when I subtly probed him, he tacitly approved my suggestion."

Patrick Star's eyes flashed with surprise upon hearing the last sentence:
"What? Lord Ryan has already tacitly approved our attack on Wisteria Town?"

"Really? You didn't misunderstand him, did you?"

Hao Ren pulled a map from his pocket and answered with certainty:

"How could I misunderstand? Lord Ryan even gave us the route map of the Merchant Guild to trade with the Wisteria Town as a reward. Isn't this an implication that we can attack Wisteria Town?"

Patrick Star looked at the route map in Hao Ren's hand and clicked his tongue in amazement:
"Indeed, Lord Ryan practically told you directly. It seems he's wanted to take down Wisteria Town for a long time."

Old Ma chimed in, "How can we allow others to snore beside our bed? The only place we haven't occupied in the rear of our territory is Tengluo Town."

"Although Tengluo Town poses almost no threat to our territory, we should still take precautions and occupy it once and for all."

"At that time, we will not only gain a lot of merit and contribution points, but we may also increase Lord Ryan's favorability. It can be said to be killing two birds with one stone."

Attacking Wisteria Town was the best strategic choice determined by the analysis team's experts based on their guild's current strength and the situation on the battlefield.

Therefore, Hao Ren and Lao Ma worked together to try to persuade Patrick Star, the nominal chairman, to agree to the plan.

Although they could have acted first and informed the other party later, gathering all the players who had agreed to join the guild and forcing Patrick to agree to attack Wisteria Town.

Anyway, given Patrick's personality, he would only get a little angry, and a few flattering words would be enough to appease him.

However, doing so would undoubtedly undermine Patrick Star's authority and set a bad precedent for the guild.

Regardless, Patrick is the guild leader and the link between the entire guild, so they would rather patiently persuade Patrick than risk jeopardizing the guild's future.

"Now that you mention it, Tengluo Town does seem like a good choice, but..."

Patrick scratched his head, still somewhat worried: "If we want to attack Wisteria Town, we have to cross the Firefly Forest. Isn't that a bit too risky?"

"The risks are high, but the rewards are also high!" Hao Ren said with a determined look in his eyes. "Precisely because Tengluo Town is located inside the Firefly Forest, it is not the main battlefield of this war."

"So other players basically won't choose that area as their main attack direction. Do you know what that means?"

Old Ma replied cooperatively, "It means there's less competitive pressure. We don't need to compete with veteran players for credit, and we can take all the credit for ourselves!"

“That’s right!” Hao Ren chimed in, “And crossing the Firefly Forest isn’t as difficult as we imagined.”

“We have access to the trade routes of the Merchant Guild, which allows us to avoid the territory of high-level Pokémon. In addition, we can also purchase insect repellent spray to drive away wild Pokémon.”

"Even if we're incredibly unlucky and encounter unexpected situations, it's not like we can't be resurrected. We can get through it even if it costs us our lives!"

"As long as we can get through the Firefly Forest and find Wisteria Town, we can easily take it over. Then, using Wisteria Town as a springboard, we can find an opportunity to attack Spring Town to the north and catch them off guard!"

Patrick Star was already impressed by Hao Ren's rosy vision and was about to nod in agreement when a crucial question arose. "Wait a minute, what do you mean we can easily conquer Wisteria Town as long as we find it? Our guild is full of newbies; their levels aren't high. Can they really defeat the enemies in Wisteria Town?"

Hao Ren said confidently, "Of course we can beat them. Don't use the fighting strength of our territory's towns to judge Tengluo Town."

"Their lord does not allow the militia to capture Pokémon, and the only real threat is the Knights."

"Besides, didn't I just say that they haven't recovered from the beast tide attack? What can they use to stop our attack? The still unrepaired city walls and the badly damaged knights?"

Patrick nodded in agreement: "That's true. We players can resurrect, and we can overwhelm them with sheer numbers. Plus, we can call on Brother Crow for help and let them experience the thrill of carpet bombing!"

"So, Chairman, you agree?" Old Ma asked impatiently.

Patrick Star took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over Hao Ren and Lao Ma's faces, and finally he raised the corners of his mouth and said:
"Your plan is so perfect, wouldn't I be a fool if I disagreed!"

"I've made up my mind. We'll do as Brother Good Guy suggested. Our main target will be Tengluo Town!"

Hao Ren smiled as well: "A wise choice. You, as the president, have quite the courage."

Old Ma chuckled and flattered, "I knew the chairman would agree. He's a man who wants to conquer the ocean, so naturally he wouldn't take the mere Tengluo Town seriously!"

"Hahahaha, keep it low-key, keep it low-key. It's not too late to praise me after we take down Wisteria Town!" Patrick said, but his smile grew even brighter.

"Isn't this just a matter of time!" Old Ma continued to flatter, "Our guild is about to take off! Maybe after this battle, everyone will get an invitation and reach the pinnacle of life!"

"Alright, it's not even close to being a done deal yet, and you're already dreaming." Hao Ren poured cold water on their enthusiasm.

"We can despise the enemy strategically, but we cannot underestimate the enemy tactically, lest we end up with nothing to show for our efforts."

Upon hearing this, Patrick Star calmed down and nodded repeatedly to Hao Ren.

"Brother Good Man is right, we can't be too happy too soon."

"So you tell us, what should we do next?"

Seeing how much Patrick Star trusted him, Hao Ren couldn't help but smile slightly.

"The first thing to do is, of course, go to Rose Town and gather the players who have agreed to join our guild."

“Some players may still be hesitant. We don’t need to force them to join. We can team up with them first.”

"Once we conquer Wisteria Town and prove our guild's strength, they will naturally join us."

Patrick Star, upon hearing this, was immediately filled with enthusiasm, as if he could already see his achievements rolling in, and eagerly said:
"Alright! Without further ado, let's head to Rose Town now, gather the players, plan our route, and attack Wisteria Town!"

"Hehe, rewards and invitations, I'm here, Patrick Star!"

After saying that, Patrick turned to leave, but Hao Ren grabbed him back as soon as he took a step.

"Where are you going now?"

"Is that even a question? Of course, we're going to Rose Town!" Patrick Star declared confidently.

Hao Ren sighed helplessly: "What's the rush? The war hasn't even started yet. Are you trying to draw all the players' attention to Tengluo Town?"

"Uh, I didn't think that much about it." Patrick Star awkwardly touched his nose.

Hao Ren shook his head and said in a deep voice, "To put it bluntly, our attack on Tengluo Town this time was just picking up the scraps."

"The veteran players may not care about the merits of Tengluo Town, but the new players who enter the game in the next two waves will definitely be tempted!"

"Therefore, it's best for us to wait until the war breaks out and most players have arrived at the front lines before we take action. We must not leak any information before then!"

Patrick nodded slightly at first, then frowned and asked, "But if we can think of attacking Wisteria Town, wouldn't other players think of it too?"

Upon hearing this, Hao Ren gave Patrick Star an approving look. This guy was indeed not stupid; he just didn't like to use his brain.

“There are many smart players among us, and some of them will definitely think of this. For example, when I was discussing this war with the taciturn master, he suggested that we attack Tengluo Town.”

Patrick's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed with genuine admiration, "Wow, as expected of the taciturn master! If you had said it was his suggestion earlier, I wouldn't have asked so many questions!"

"No, actually this is... never mind, just take it as his suggestion."

Hao Ren was too lazy to explain. If he had known that bringing up the name of the taciturn god would have been enough to convince Patrick, he and Lao Ma wouldn't have had to waste so much breath.

"Besides him, there must be other players who thought of Tengluo Town, but the veteran players should be focused on the main battlefield and won't compete with us for these merits."

"As for some clever new players, we are not afraid to compete with them. After all, we have the roadmap rewarded by Lord Ryan, as well as the air support from Brother Raven."

"But not being afraid of competition doesn't mean we have to compete with all the new players. So we still have to keep a low profile and make a fortune. Those smart people probably think the same way."

"At that time, we won't have to swallow all the merits. We can share some with other players to prevent them from fighting to the death. We can even take the opportunity to recruit them into the guild."

After hearing Hao Ren's analysis, Patrick's eyes lit up: "Yes, yes, yes, it would be best to bring them into the guild. I like smart people the most!"

"Don't worry, I'm very tight-lipped. I won't leak any information before the operation!"

Hao Ren nodded noncommittally: "I hope you can keep your word. Let's go."

"Where are we going? Didn't you say we weren't in a hurry to go to Rose Town?" Patrick asked, puzzled.

Hao Ren's lips twitched slightly, and he looked at Patrick Star with a frustrated expression:

"Didn't you say you wanted to see the first Paradox Pokémon? Otherwise, why did we come to Firefly Town?"

Patrick suddenly realized, "Oh right, I was so focused on Wisteria Town that I almost forgot about this!"

"The group owner has accumulated enough Time and Space Origin and is preparing to transform his Misdreavus into Paradox Pokémon."

"If he succeeds, he will capture the first Paradox Pokémon in the game, and we will witness history!"

"Such a big celebration, we can't miss it! Let's hurry, or we'll miss out on seats!" (End of Chapter)