Great, now we are dead!

"I don't understand complicated things, but basically you're trying to lure all the adventurers to this island, right?"

"Yes."

Ye Shou said with a smile, "Tonight, a rumor will circulate among the adventurers:"

The labyrinth on the island is merely the ruins of the ancient kingdom of Golden Country. The capital and royal palace are located deep underground, guarded by powerful monsters along the way. Moreover, it is too far away, and considering the burden of carrying heavy loads, even if one could reach it, it would be impossible to bring the treasure back.

However, an adventurer once arrived there, but got lost and was trapped for a long time. When he finally escaped, he found that he had left the island and appeared on another deserted island in the northeast sea!

Originally, a piece of the ancient Golden Land had split off, forming this desolate island, whose underground is still connected to the labyrinth. Unlike the entrance on the main island, this entrance leads directly to the eighth underground level, where the Golden Land's royal palace is located!

The adventurers were rescued by a passing noble cargo ship. They formed a small team and re-entered the labyrinth, eventually emerging from the large island and confirming their theory.

So, this nobleman saw the potential of the Golden City labyrinth and decided to buy the island's ownership for a large sum of money... but somehow the news was leaked to the island's owner, and the two sides couldn't agree on a price, so the meeting ended badly.

"It's a slightly convoluted story... but the question is, why would such important information be leaked to the island lord, or even the adventurers?"

Senxi pondered for a moment and said, "Shouldn't someone notice the problem?"

"Theoretically, it should exist."

Ye Shou laughed sarcastically, “I made up this story on the spot, without much preparation, without even a witness, and there was no time to fake the ruins on the deserted island. If you really want to tell the story, it’s full of loopholes—but it makes people believe it without a doubt.”

"why?"

Because gold doesn't lie!

Ye Shou's expression turned serious.

He gave away real money!

Everything else may be fake, but the treasure the adventurers obtain is real!

A group of people risking their lives to enter the maze don't consider whether it's a scam; they only expect to gain as much profit as possible from it.

Even if Ye Shou told them now that it was fake, they wouldn't give up even the slightest possibility and would still come to this deserted island to try their luck!

So what if I got scammed? What can I possibly lose with my worthless life?

When teaching Yoshihiro how to fish, Junpei Kuze once said that fish are very cunning creatures. Sometimes they will deliberately test you, and even eat the bait and spit the hook back out without you realizing it.

But people are different; they can't wait to swallow the bait and hook together, and you'll be resented if you kindly advise them against it.

Fishing for people is much simpler than fishing!

Moreover, in most cases, anglers use artificial bait that is only for show and not for eating, but Ye Shou really went all out this time!

"If adventurers flock here, that island will lose its value and can be easily acquired, right?"

Chilchuck thought for a moment: "But with your financial resources, you can buy the island through legitimate means, right? That island owner is a money-grubbing man. In fact, I think he was already tempted at the time. He was quite anxious when you left."

“Normal transactions are fine, but it’s very difficult to drive adventurers away.”

Ye Shou shook his head: "In a sense, the maze is also alive. When it gets out of control, the people on the ground become its nourishment. On the other hand, the more adventurers enter the maze, the more chaotic its order becomes, and the sooner it will collapse."

In my plan, these uncontrollable factors are unnecessary... Their desires are too strong and will only enhance the power of the labyrinth and the demons.

"Once I become the island's lord, I can order the expulsion of adventurers, but how long would that take, and how many people would be needed?"

Just imagining that scene made Chilchuk grin.

Adventurers are generally of questionable quality; they may lack education, but they are cunning beyond measure and will never obediently leave.

They dared not directly defy the orders of the lords and nobles, but as the saying goes, where there's a will, there's a way; there are plenty of ways to stall for time. Chilchak could come up with seven or eight ideas just by thinking about them.

The simplest way is to just enter the maze and say you don't know the command, right?

Exploring the maze for seven or eight days, then spending three or four days arguing about it afterward, and maybe someone else will even repeat the same process... Meanwhile, the "Canary" has already come to kill them!

If Ye Shouyao directly gave money to the adventurers to make them obey, it would lead them to speculate that "they are giving us money, they must have something else in mind," further fueling their enthusiasm for the labyrinth and the island.

After much thought, Ye Shou's method, though a bit roundabout, could undoubtedly stimulate all adventurers in the shortest time, drawing them like koi fish to the place "with bait."

To be honest, this whole process might cost more than buying an island through the normal procedure, but Ye Shou is in a hurry.

"correct!"

Chilchak, for some unknown reason, suddenly took out a pen and paper and began to write things down.

"I need to remember your method! I'll tell my family not to fall for it!"

"Ah"

The halfling has a keen business sense. Ye Shou's operation seems crude and not cost-effective, but it is based on the fact that he did not have time to make arrangements in advance and could only increase the intensity to improve the effect.

If given enough time to manage and set up, the same effect can be achieved with a third or even less of the budget.

At that time, they can create the illusion that the large island has lost its value, easily buy the island, and gain a monopoly on the maze.

After that, the adventurers will be squeezed out of their initial gains through various means!

Rent, casinos, brothels... a group of people without self-control are too easy to manipulate.

Chilchak keenly realized that this method was novel in this world, most people couldn't distinguish it, and it seemed to be able to spawn many variations... With a kind of intuition, he thought it would be better to record it—even if it was just to warn his people.

Ye Shou's gaze deepened as he watched Chilchuck do this.

This kind of scheme is simple yet effective, especially in the real estate and finance industries, where variations of similar tactics abound.

— Create buzz, attract traffic, and then trap the culprit.

Even in the information age of the 21st century, so many people still voluntarily become fish to be caught, let alone in this other world where messages are relayed by writing letters.

Chilchuck may have meant well, but you should know that some people study law not to obey it... especially halflings, who love to play tricks.

However, in feudal times, using such tactics would easily lead to a "just judgment" from noble lords. This era did not tolerate economic crimes, so the risks were far greater.

Actually, there is one thing Ye Shou feels slightly guilty about towards Chilchak:

His plan was a bit crude, but he still plugged the major flaws—using the halflings' "reputation".

Will the news of "another entrance/exit" be leaked to the island owner?

Because there was a halfling in the nobleman's hired party.

Why do so many people know the location of the deserted island?

Because halflings cannot explore the maze alone, they must cooperate with others to obtain the treasure.

The stereotype that halflings are greedy, opportunistic, and untrustworthy makes it easy for adventurers to accept this notion.

Ye Shou's previous choice to spread rumors through the Half-Body Labor Union was also based on this consideration!

"..."

Ye Shou's slightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed as he turned his gaze away from Chilchak.

Chilchuck is a person with a bad attitude but is actually very responsible. He will even take the initiative to protect the reputation of the halflings and restrain the behavior of his fellow tribesmen on the island.

Ye Shou's actions may seem like going with the flow, but upon closer examination, they are actually a kind of "betrayal," destroying what Chilchak wanted to protect—even though the halflings already had a bad reputation, he probably didn't even realize that anything had changed.

In response, Ye Shou could only try to compensate Chilchak in other ways.

Even if someone is unknowingly made to take the blame, they should still be given the treatment they deserve.

"Okay, let's get to work!"

Upon landing on the deserted island, Ye Shou began assigning tasks: "Everyone, please work hard. I plan to set up about fifty treasure chests on the island, enough for adventurers to search for for a while. Once these few days are over, everything will be settled... Senxi?"

Just as everyone was discussing how to "build a nest", the dwarf cook was looking at the hilly terrain of the island, lost in thought, which caught Ye Shou's attention.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing."

Senxi shook his head, and the strange sense of déjà vu dissipated considerably: "I just feel that the mountains here look somewhat familiar."

"look familiar?"

People found it a bit strange but didn't pay much attention.

It's mountainous! Most of the hills on these islands look pretty much the same!

Senshi is probably more sensitive to these things because of his race.

Then, just as everyone entered the forest and agreed on the trail markers and meeting point, a sharp cry echoed from the sky, rousing everyone to attention.

"eagle?"

"Be careful, there might be monsters on this island... Let's split up again, Chilchuck and I will go together."

Everyone remained relatively calm, after all, they were all veteran adventurers.

Only two people were different: one was Leos, who looked excited and expectant; the other was Sensi, whose expression was somewhat stiff for some reason.

"That sound definitely comes from a raptor-like monster. I wonder if it's a harpy or a griffin. If it's a roc, we've hit the jackpot!"

Leos was overjoyed, but Sensi's breathing became rapid and he was completely flustered after hearing "griffin"!

Ye Shou, who hadn't paid much attention at first, now became serious and gave the cook a special look:

Could it be that there really is an entrance to a deeper labyrinth on this island? Or is it some kind of randomly generated gap?

Was it the Golden Rule, his unfortunate constitution, or the power of the treasure hunter that caused him to randomly pick... such a coincidence?

Chapter 72 This capitalist is too kind-hearted

The dwarf Sensi feared the griffin.

No, to be precise, it is a fear of "what it reveals".

It is well known that dwarves are a race keen on mining and forging. Although not every dwarf is a craftsman, they do rely on large mineral veins to establish settlements. This gives dwarves something in common with nomadic peoples who move with the flow of water and pasture.

Their social structure is relatively loose, ranging from tens of thousands of people to hundreds or even dozens of people, each forming an independent group.

The dwarves are also highly hierarchical, even more so than the elves. They are sometimes incredibly united, but at other times they fight each other, causing various small groups to come together and then break apart.

Sensi once lived in a large settlement, but then an internal conflict broke out. He and a few companions banded together with a leader and escaped. It was a typical small nomadic group—only six or seven people.

But they were very happy!

While working odd jobs in various places, they also mine and explore, dreaming of getting rich. Their lives are meager, but the internal harmony is very good.

One day, while exploring, they unexpectedly discovered a magnificent underground ruin that looked resplendent in gold—even the pillars and floors were gilded!

Unable to resist the allure of gold, the dwarves were immediately tempted and ventured deep into the land unprepared and without sufficient supplies, only to lose their way.

It's incredible that dwarves get lost underground. At first, everyone thought they would find their way out quickly, but it wasn't until one of their companions was attacked by monsters that they realized this wasn't just a simple ruin, but a labyrinth that had been activated!

The dwarves were not lacking in courage, but they lacked experience and supplies, struggling to survive in the labyrinth while fleeing from the monsters' pursuit. If there had been a calm person like Leos in the party, the outcome might have been very different, but unfortunately, there wasn't.

They soon found themselves in dire straits with no food to eat. At this point, they should have made a "trade-off" and prioritized those who were able to fight, but the leader of the group insisted on giving the precious food to Senshi, who was still a child.

Finally, their food supply ran out completely, and the remaining three began to fight amongst themselves. Young Senshi was terrified and at a loss. In the end, the leader arrived with "monster meat," but he never got to see the corpse of his other companion...

The leader soon succumbed to his injuries. Senxi survived for a while by eating "monster flesh." He accidentally discovered the pattern of change in the maze, successfully left, and encountered orcs... Many years later, when he returned to the surface, the environment was completely different!

He didn't know where he entered the labyrinth from, nor could he find the marks he had left behind. He only knew that he had come to a completely unfamiliar island, a human kingdom.

Later, Senxi settled here and made a living in the shallow part of the labyrinth until six years ago when the entrance to the labyrinth was discovered by humans and the island gradually prospered. He has been here for fifty or sixty years!

His research into monster cuisine stemmed from a deep-seated doubt and fear: he wanted to find the "monster meat" he had eaten years ago... Was it truly monster meat, or...?

That experience from back then affected everything he did, and he would never be able to find peace of mind until this mystery was solved!

The boss once asserted that the monster that attacked everyone was a "griffin"!

So all these years, Senxi has been hoping to encounter a griffin again, to see if the meat tastes the same as it did back then, so that he could determine what it really was...

Logically, Senxi should be happy now, after all, his long-cherished wish has finally come true. But in reality, he was unusually shaken and flustered, as if the timid boy he once was had returned.

He was terrified!

What if the griffin meat and the "monster meat" are different?!

just in case……

"Oh! I saw it!"

Chilchak, who had climbed up a tree and shaded his eyes with his hand, shouted, "It really is a monster, and it's quite big... Hmm... but it doesn't seem to be a griffin. Its hindquarters are that of a horse, not a lion."

"Won the jackpot!"

Leos's eyes glazed over, his face beaming with joy: "It's a swift eagle! A swift eagle even rarer than a griffin!"

Is it really necessary to get this excited?

"My brother really likes monsters."

Swift Eagle?