Arknights' Lock of Heaven

"Ah, this..." Krol finally realized what she had done and immediately understood that she had made a stupid mistake.

"sorry, I……"

"Oh, it's nothing," Xia Yu waved her hand, "Just be more careful."

"Let's continue."

"After the reconstruction project starts, Big Bob, you send a few people to keep an eye on the households that the elders are responsible for. You don't need to do anything, just find fault with them."

"What do you mean by 'we don't need such good materials,' 'there's too much waste of materials,' 'there's no need to repair certain parts,' etc.? Just pick and choose, don't bother with your reasons."

"Make them understand that you're here to cause trouble!"

"The main threat is to tell them not to spend too much money!"

"What if they resist?" Big Bob asked cautiously, referring to the specifics of the job.

He knew that these people were most likely incapable of resisting.

But just in case, let's make it clear beforehand.

“If only they had that courage,” Xia Yu shook her head. “If they dared to resist, the bounty hunters wouldn’t have been stuck here for two years.”

“But…” Korol still hesitated.

“Don’t hesitate,” Xia Yu shook her head and said, “Don’t worry, I will definitely not let you make the repairs you prepare turn into a shoddy project.”

"While you are harassing the households under the care of the village elders, you should also send people to harass Korol."

"Don't make it seem too special, just use the same excuse as other places."

"By then, Chlor, you'll have to stand up for yourself."

"When faced with their demands, you must stand firm and argue your case, and then you should act like you're going to take action, Big Bob."

“Now is the time for Grani to make his appearance,” Xia Yu said, turning to Grani.

"Huh?" Grani pointed at herself, looking completely bewildered. "Is there still a scene for me?"

“Of course there must be,” Xia Yu said with a smile, “How can Lore not have someone backing her up?”

"And you, and Rhodes Island behind you, are the source of Chlor's courage to challenge Big Bob and his crew!"

"No one is more suitable for this position than us right now."

"The people of Drip Village all know how strong Skadi is, right?"

“Before we leave, I’ll take Skadi for a walk around the village. Big Bob, you guys need to act like you’re giving her a wide berth.”

"You need to convince the villagers that you are afraid of Skadi."

"Given Skadi's previous experience of slaughtering bounty hunters in the village, they probably won't have too many doubts."

"So when they and Chlor are at each other's throats, Grani, you, the champion of justice, will have to step in."

"There's no need to say much, just act like you value your reputation immensely. This tactic might not work elsewhere, but it will in Kazimierz."

"After all, it is the land of 'knights'."

"Before that, Coral, you need to spread the word that we don't want a penny from the treasure, we just want fame, so that the villagers will get the impression that we're here to make a name for ourselves."

“Then Grani, you can use the argument that cutting corners will ruin our reputation to deal with Big Bob and the others, and they will stop in fear of Skadi’s reputation.”

"At least, that's how it seems to the villagers."

"But remember, no matter what those village elders say to you, you can only stand up for Carol."

"Finally, on one side are the village elders who cut corners in rebuilding their homes due to pressure from bounty hunters, and on the other side is Krol, who is doing her best to argue her case, and then there are the villagers' homes that have been completely renovated."

"People's hearts and minds will soon be clear, and if we do this a few times, the effects will be seen quickly."

"Korol, by then, there will be a steady stream of people coming to you to seek justice."

"But remember, don't take on the entire reconstruction work just because a few families have come to you."

"Whoever comes to you, you take on the reconstruction work for their house; don't bother with anyone who doesn't come."

"And no matter what those village elders say to you, as long as you act like you've figured out the sore spots of the Reunion Movement, they won't dare to do anything to you."

"You must appear confident and composed in front of everyone in order to gain their trust!"

"If things continue like this, any family that has encountered a problem through your advocacy will definitely come to you first."

"Because in their eyes, you are the one who can truly benefit them, while the village elders only make them suffer losses and keep telling them that suffering losses is a blessing."

"After that, the village elders lost all their prestige, and no one listened to anything they said."

"What if someone sees Chlor disobeying the coercion and tries to do the same thing as her?" Grani raised her hand and asked, "Wouldn't that greatly diminish the effectiveness of the plan?"

Upon hearing her question, Big Bob and Xia Yu exchanged a smile.

“I’ll be at the construction site he’s in charge of as soon as possible,” Big Bob said, clapping his hands.

“If there really is such a smart person,” Xia Yu continued, looking at Carol, “you should try to win them over.”

"After Big Bob gets involved, take Grani to help him out; he'll thank you."

"Then the prestige will still be yours, while that person will be ostracized by the village elders because he betrayed their creed."

"He can only side with you."

"Considering the age of the village elders, he can at most be your deputy and won't pose a significant threat."

"This is also why we don't let those who are in their prime and have strong abilities participate in the management team."

"However, you still need to find capable people from among those people."

Krol was completely stunned.

Grani clutched his head, muttering to himself, "It's just a small village... why are there so many twists and turns..."

"These conspiracies and schemes... also..."

“What kind of conspiracy is this?” Big Bob laughed when he heard this. “These are all old tricks that others have used to death. If you used them on any big shot, you’d be made to lose face in no time.”

“It can only deal with ignorant villagers,” Xia Yu continued, “and even that might be seen through by someone.”

"Oh no, what should we do?" Krol's joyful expression froze.

“It doesn’t matter, so what if I see through you?” Big Bob raised his right hand, which was as big as a fan, and clenched his fist. “See this fist the size of a sandbag?”

"If they had really dared to resist, how could they have ended up in this situation?"

160 Skadi's Fear

"Does it really make sense for us to do this?"

Skadi and Xia Yu strolled through Drip Village, while the Reunion Movement members, who were armed and used to intimidate the villagers, kept their distance from their presence.

The plan is already in the initial stages of implementation.

but……

“It’s like child’s play,” Skadi commented bluntly. “I don’t think what we’re doing here makes any sense.”

She had longed to return home for a long time and had never been so eager to go back to Rhodes Island.

Spectral shark... Spectral shark...

Her comrades-in-arms to whom she entrusted her life, her compatriots with whom she shared blood, her last hope for the past...

Skadi couldn't wait to go back and see her.

She repeated this to herself to mask her unease.

Skadi tried to keep her thoughts on Specter.

Has she remembered herself? Has she remembered the past? Has she returned to normal...?

At the same time, she also had too many questions to ask Ghost Shark.

For example... does the latter know what Agor is really like now?

Even if she already knew the answer in her heart, Ghost Shark would probably be just as clueless as she was even after waking up.

But she still couldn't suppress her heartfelt expectations.

Those who have been away from home for many years long to return.

Moreover, given Agor's abilities, perhaps...

She still believes in her motherland.

An Integral Movement member, who was facing a terrified villager with a forced smile and his hands on his unsheathed sword, suddenly looked down and saw his shadow at his feet. The threatening smile on his face froze.

He turned his head shakily and found that Xia Yu and Skadi were both looking at him expressionlessly.

hiss……

He took a deep breath, forced a stiff smile, removed his hands from the knife, nodded stiffly as a greeting, and then immediately turned and fled.

Although Big Bob told them it was all an act.

I've explained every aspect of the plan to them.

But he was genuinely afraid of those two people.