Starry Sky Railway: No one understands the Amber King better than me.

"how?"

Just as Jing Yuan was about to speak, he saw a figure walking towards them, led by Yunqi.

Before he even arrived, the young man's cheerful voice rang out:

"General Jingyuan, I heard you were looking for me? Well, here I am, uninvited. In the Xianzhou dialect, this is called 'great minds think alike'... right?"

Jing Yuan looked closely and saw that the company representative was smiling and had already arrived in front of him.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and cut to the chase:

"I've been calling you 'young friend' for so long, but this time... I'll still call you Representative Lin."

Jingyuan paused slightly in his speech.

"As for whether great minds think alike... Luofu is currently facing a crisis, and what it needs is not heroes, but—"

Friend or foe, you may choose one.

..........

(Jing Yuan vs. Lin Yuan, did you know? The first phase of the Immortal Ship's battle power rescue is activated!)

Chapter 196 Playing Chess is Like Fighting a War

"Friend or foe, you may choose one."

As soon as Jing Yuan finished speaking, his gaze fell on Lin Yuan, as if trying to see through him.

Lin Yuan was surprised. Had Lao Jing taken a tantrum today? Why was he acting like this from the start?

He narrowed his eyes and calmly said:

“General Jingyuan, I said this on my first day in Luofu—I came here for cooperation.”

"Oh?"

Jing Yuan's tone was slightly somber.

"In that case, could Representative Lin explain his actions in Luofu these past few days? Including... what you did at the Pill Cauldron Division before the star core erupted?"

He paused, his gaze becoming even sharper.

"...Given the current situation in Luofu, there are only two options when faced with threatening variables."

Either leave Luofu for now... or prove that it won't be detrimental to Luofu.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan remained outwardly calm, but his mind raced:

"Is the intelligence from this prison really that accurate... or is it just a trick?"

After a moment, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and a hint of helplessness appeared on his face.

"General, you've found out after all—it's finally come to light that I was talking badly about you to the Little Divine Physician Bailu at the Alchemy Department."

"White Dew?"

Jing Yuan's eyes flickered slightly, though he tried to conceal it, but Lin Yuan caught it clearly.

"Ha, they were just trying to trick me."

Lin Yuan made up his mind and said smoothly:

"I met the White Dew Dragon Girl at the Alchemy Bureau. She said that the general always brought a lot of sweets when he went to see her for treatment, and that you asked her all sorts of questions, acting more like a physician than she did..."

Hearing Lin Yuan's words, Jing Yuan fell silent.

After a moment, his gaze became somewhat complicated.

"But General..."

Before the other party could speak, Lin Yuan changed the subject.

"This trip to the Dan Ding Si was indeed unexpected, and there is something I must tell the general."

I originally went to the Dan Ding Division to see if there were any opportunities for cooperation, and I mainly met with the Dan Master named Dan Shu.

But on my way back, I was ambushed by the secret techniques of the Medicine King.

He looked directly at Jing Yuan and said, word by word:

"They probably want to get rid of me and then frame Luo Fu."

"Oh?"

Seeing Jing Yuan's gaze sharpen, Lin Yuan pressed his advantage:

"Therefore I am aware of the crisis Luo Fu is facing now, and I also understand your concerns, General."

My trip is on behalf of the Interstellar Peace Corporation. This is out of goodwill between the company and the Alliance, and out of a desire for market stability.

I am indeed here for peace and cooperation; the company hopes to stand with Luofu.

Lin Yuan's voice gradually became more resounding, and a purple-gold light shone from his body.

"On this matter, King Amber, I guarantee it with [protection]..."

"The power of the God of Heaven and Fate..."

Upon seeing this, Jing Yuan's expression immediately changed.

He stood up from the table, stepped down the stairs, and walked to the front of the hall, looking at him.

"Representative Lin, can your words represent the company's will?"

"of course."

Lin Yuan said frankly.

"As the special representative for matters concerning the Immortal Ship, I am fully responsible for everything on this Luofu Mountain. Even the board of directors cannot change anything."

"it is good!"

Jing Yuan's eyes brightened slightly, and he reached out his hand in invitation.

"Young friend, please take a seat. I wonder... have you played this kind of game before?"

Lin Yuan sat down at the table. Before him was a square chessboard.

He glanced at it and noticed that it was somewhat similar to Go in his hometown, except that the board was larger and the variations were more complex.

Lin Yuan did not reply, but simply took a black piece from the chess box and placed it on the star point.

Seeing this, Jing Yuan was slightly surprised, then picked up the white pieces and began to play against Lin Yuan.

.......

Moments later, just as the game entered the middle stage, Lin Yuan lost an entire large group of stones.

He shook his head with a wry smile, admitting defeat.

"Is this your first time playing this kind of chess, young friend?"

Seeing the other person nod, Jing Yuan felt a pang of emotion.

"Such skill in chess, young friend's talent is truly remarkable. Let's set aside the outcome of this game and focus solely on the playing style."

Xiaoyou's style is characterized by bold and decisive actions, using force to break through obstacles.

This style of play, though dangerous, possesses an undeniable grandeur and overwhelming momentum.

The general paused slightly, his gaze becoming deep.

"Just like this situation in Luofu. Regarding that Great Lord of Annihilation... is there anything else you haven't told me?"

Lin Yuan looked at the chessboard and slowly said:

"General Jingyuan's vision is astute, but in my opinion, his chess style is a perfect blend of orthodox and unorthodox tactics."

It has both a well-planned strategy that reflects the general trend and ingenious tactics that lead to victory.

So, regarding the cooperation I mentioned earlier... what is the General's current perspective?

"Playing chess is like fighting; one should seize any opportunity that arises."

A sharp glint flashed in Jing Yuan's eyes.

"Since that's the case..."

Lin Yuan nodded.

"As far as I know, the Immortal Ship Alliance has faced the military might of the Annihilation Lord [Star Howl] in the past. But judging from their current actions, they do not seem to be acting like those lords."

The company speculated that a powerful ruler, obsessed with the dual destruction of "spirit and matter" and fond of instigating internal chaos and disintegration within civilizations, had secretly infiltrated the Immortal Ship Luofu…

"Illusory".

Before Lin Yuan could finish speaking, he noticed that Jing Yuan's expression was rather unpleasant.

"Indeed, it is this very king."

Lin Yuan put the chess pieces into the chess box one by one.

"Therefore, General Jingyuan, I have long heard of your reputation as a wise general, and I have also heard of your power to move mountains and shift peaks from the storiesteller of the Immortal Boat."

But facing a Great Lord of Destruction, you probably can't be entirely confident that he won't inflict heavy damage on Luofu. Therefore..."

Lin Yuan's eyes shone brightly.

"I intend to join forces with the general and, once that illusionary figure appears, together eliminate him here."

How to lure them out and create an opportunity for battle—I think this shouldn't be a problem for the general, given his strategic acumen. But we'll discuss that later.

"I think General Jingyuan is probably thinking right now—why should a mere special envoy be allowed to fight alongside him against the messenger of [Destruction], and even have the audacity to declare that he should be killed?"

"Then, let's give it a try, General."

Lin Yuan no longer concealed his aura, revealing his immense power.

His gaze held both fervor and absolute confidence in himself.

"Compared to hand-to-hand combat, I still prefer the visceral, bone-crunching action of real fighting. Through combat, I think the general will be able to better understand my strengths, and as for me..."

Lin Yuan paused, his sharp edge now fully revealed.

"I also wanted to test your strength—you're supposedly the weakest among the Imperial Bow Generals, but what are you really capable of?"