Nobody told me this wasn't a game.

After nightfall, all the carts were moved to the center of the camp for guarding, while the horses pulling the carts were gathered together for feeding.

Under the cover of darkness, Captain Li and Lizhi saw three shadowy figures, who were about to wield their knives and behead a horse with a single stroke!

The horses were startled and began to whinny!

Hearing the commotion, the guards in the camp jumped up: "Hey! Killing horses! Someone is killing our horses!"

"what?!"

"Captain Li, someone's killing horses! Someone's killing our horses!"

In the camp, the members escorted by the giant shield immediately erupted in cheers!

Captain Li looked at him with surprise, but Zuo Chang remained calm and said, "This step is not difficult to achieve. We just need to bribe a few guards with high profits. Captain Li, the three who just killed the horse must be your men. Killing the horse will prevent you from moving the goods. At this point, most caravans will choose to abandon the goods to save their lives."

Lychee asked, "What about the rest?"

Zuo Chang laughed and said, "There are also some escort teams who are willing to sacrifice themselves for their reputation. They will abide by the contract and fight to the death with the bandits to protect the goods... In order to make the plan more successful, experienced bandits will plant people in the caravan in advance to act as troublemakers."

"Li Bo! What kind of behavior is this? Is this how you act as a team leader?!"

It's as if it was all pre-arranged.

No sooner had Zuo Chang finished speaking than an old man with a white beard, his hair standing on end in anger, walked over while cursing.

Zuo Chang whispered, "Captain Li, you know what to do next, right?"

Captain Li, being a seasoned veteran in the industry, immediately understood: "This 'Mr. Xi' must be here to persuade me to abandon the goods. I'll just take advantage of this and abandon the goods directly, since the Iron Gallbladder is already in our hands anyway."

Zuo Chang smiled and said, "This is my second option. As long as the performance is convincing, by the time others start to doubt you, you'll have already taken Tie Dan and flown far away."

What he said made perfect sense; he wasn't just spouting nonsense.

All of this knowledge comes from practice.

In the game, when robbing a caravan, if you don't try to kill the horses first, you can just order your followers to charge straight in—

Even if they managed to break through, the caravan would still have a high chance of escaping by vehicle, making it impossible to intercept all the goods.

If you kill the horses first, you'll not only have a high chance of seizing all the goods, but you'll also inflict a "panic" debuff on the caravan, weakening their fighting ability.

As for the skill of arranging for someone to stir up trouble, Zuo Chang only mastered this skill after acquiring a follower.

There is an informant within the caravan's camp, who can be allowed to "spread rumors" once per turn.

The caravan members were affected by the rumors, which further weakened their fighting ability and gave them a chance to desert, thus completely undermining the enemy's morale.

Speaking of which——

"My rumor-spreading tool has a really nice character design. It's because I got her that I was able to plant an informant at no cost."

I remember her name was "Xia Li, the Thousand-Faced One".

Like Blood Rose, Thousand Shapeshifters are followers with low stats but unique abilities.

After Zuo Chang banished Blood Rose, the Thousand-Faced One took over the position of "Chief of the Security Bureau"—

However, the Thousand Changes is not as useful as the Blood Rose.

The role and influence of the Security Bureau also declined sharply after Blood Rose stepped down, gradually turning from Zuo Chang's most valued department into an ordinary, unremarkable department.

Zuo Chang didn't like using the Thousand-Changer as much, and his impression of her wasn't as deep as that of Blood Rose.

at the moment.

Mr. Xi, with his white hair and beard, had arrived in front of them, and Captain Li also stood up.

Mr. Xi's old eyes were practically spitting fire as he bluntly rebuked, "Giant Shield Escort, a ten-year-old establishment! Captain Li Bo, is this the job you've done? Ah—what do we do now? Our horses have all been killed! What do we do!"

Li Bo has adjusted his mindset.

He displayed just the right amount of unease, though he desperately wanted to run away, his eyes gleaming with fierce determination: "Mr. Xi, don't panic. It's precisely at times like these that we mustn't lose our composure... We can discuss the specifics of what to do slowly."

Chapter 10: The Cruelty of Gamers Is Nothing More Than This

discuss?

Take advantage!

Mr. Xi appeared furious, but inwardly he was completely at peace!

Just as Zuo Chang had predicted, he was the bandit gang's mole planted in the caravan.

But contrary to Zuo Chang's expectations...

Mr. Xi and the people behind him want more than just spoils of war; they also want the lives of everyone present!

The differences stem from differences in thinking and identity.

In the game, Zuo Chang's main target when robbing is the goods. He is not very willing to clash with the caravan guards because clashes inevitably result in casualties, and the combat phase is a waste of time.

Why not take the spoils without shedding a drop of blood?

but……

Mr. Xi and his group wanted "absolute certainty" from the very beginning.

For them, the possibility of any one member of the caravan returning alive could lead to a leak.

Only the dead remain silent!

As for the dead and injured...

Often, those in power in reality are more ruthless than players.

For players, it's natural to feel distressed when their retinue suffers losses. The more they invest, the more distressed they feel.

For those in power, the death of their subordinates is no big deal; as long as they have money, they can find any kind of desperado.

It's just consumables.

"This Captain Li has a low rank, but he's a veteran who joined when the business started. Although he hasn't been appreciated and has been a low-level leader on field missions for ten years, he must have a deep affection for the Giant Shield Escort."

"Captain Li certainly doesn't want the Giant Shield Escort mission to have its ten-year perfect record broken! Especially not under his command!"

"So... with just a little provocation, I'm sure he'll make a decision soon, ready to go down with the cargo!"

"At that time, we will put him to death. Before he dies, he will have the name of a brave and unyielding man. Captain Li, you have lived a worthwhile life."

Mr. Xi shook his head vigorously and sighed repeatedly.

His anger dissipated, replaced by a bitter expression: "What...what sins have I committed! At my age, to encounter something like this! Sigh, Captain Li, I know that your Giant Shield Escort always values ​​contracts and won't break them and run away, but the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. You can't be sure of victory, can you? Why don't we just let it go and tolerate it for now? Phoenix Cry City isn't far away, let's go back first!"

Captain Li remained silent.

For a moment, everyone present looked at him, waiting for him to make a decision.

After a moment, he sighed heavily and said, "Mr. Xi, what you said makes perfect sense. Let's go back to Fengming City first."

"???"

Mr. Xi was slightly taken aback and didn't react immediately.

no……

Leaving now?

"Everyone! Line up!"

Before Mr. Xi could speak, Captain Li gave orders and began to deploy his troops.

More than twenty guards stood in two neat rows, protecting Zuo Chang, Wang Tianyou, and other passengers in the middle, making it seem like they were really about to retreat.

This……

How can this be!

Mr. Xi stepped forward and grabbed Captain Li's arm: "Captain Li, are you really going?"

Captain Li nodded: "A wise man knows when to yield. If things are hopeless, we have no choice but to retreat."

"No... what about the goods?" Mr. Xi pointed to the carts of raw silk. "You're just going to abandon my master's goods?"

Captain Li remained calm: "Don't worry, we insured the goods before we set off. We'll compensate you for any loss; you won't suffer any losses."

Mr. Xi was furious: "Li Bo! Don't forget your place! The Giant Shield Escort's reputation of ten years is about to be destroyed by your hand tonight! Don't you feel any regret at all?"

Captain Li frowned in confusion and turned to look at him: "Mr. Xi, what's wrong with you? Didn't you just say to retreat first? Why are you so belligerent now?"

Mr. Xi was speechless.

He pointed to the surrounding guards and said, "Captain Li, I think this matter needs further discussion. You may want to retreat, but your men may not! They are part of the Giant Shield Escort; how can they surrender without a fight? Don't forget, adventurers have honor!"

"Damn...who is this old man?"

"Old man, if you don't want to leave, then stay by yourself. Why drag us along? You think it's easy to watch others carry the load? So you're not the one who'll be doing it later, are you?"

"Why risk your life for a monthly salary of ten thousand yuan?"

The guards escorted by the giant shield have been waiting for Mr. Shi for a long time!

Jumping up and down!

What the hell!

Giant Shield Escort is at most a company with some official backing, and it's said to have deep ties with Lord Qian.

but……

Those present here are just ordinary employees who receive a salary.

If Captain Li Bo orders a fight to the death, they have no choice but to obey.

Now that Captain Li has said he's leaving, they're relieved enough that they're not willing to stay.

Anyway, the criticism from above will only target Captain Li; what does it have to do with us lowly employees?

One of the guards, who was bolder, spoke up: "Captain Li, let's go! This heartless old man... he's utterly depraved! Everyone has elderly parents and young children to support, and every one of us brothers is the pillar of our family. If we die here, who will take care of our families!"

"Let's go, Captain!"

"Captain, I, Liu San'er, will remember your kindness. If you are fired because of what happened tonight, I, Liu San'er, will follow you without hesitation!"

As people around him continued to talk, Mr. Xi's expression grew increasingly cold.

With his hands behind his back, he suddenly sneered and scoffed, "A bunch of cowardly cowards! You think you can survive tonight? Haha!"