Fang Lin was dead.
Before he died, Fang Lin had destroyed everything he could. Naturally, the Dice of Gambling Madness, which had been set to 'fight to the death' mode, was no exception.
However, unlike last time, Fang Lin's headless corpse was left behind.
The last time Fang Lin died, Su Baiye had been in a hurry to throw the match. By the time Wang Luo and the others turned back to look, the body had already been cleared away by the Lost Train.
This time, not only was the body still there, but the barrier from the Dice of Gambling Madness had also vanished. The bloody scene, coupled with the overwhelming stench of blood, was so shocking it shattered Wang Luo's composure, and he began to dry-heave on the spot.
"Retch—"
Even Tang Ruyu's face was grim. He patted Wang Luo's back while trying to regulate his own breathing.
Su Baiye, on the other hand, was perfectly composed, completely unaffected.
Wang Luo dry-heaved for a moment. When he recovered, his face was still pale, but he had managed to stabilize his emotions.
The three remaining people in the carriage fell silent, and the atmosphere became awkward.
"Um... if there's nothing else... I'm going to head to Carriage No. 1 to lie low for a bit..."
Tang Ruyu shuffled timidly toward the other end of the carriage, explaining as he went,
"I can stay there for three days at most. If word gets out during these three days, it definitely won't have anything to do with me!"
He didn't have much food, but starving a little in Carriage No. 1 was better than getting into more trouble with Su Baiye.
Fang Lin had brought his death upon himself; no one else was to blame. But sooner or later, the score would be settled on Su Baiye's head. The people behind Fang Boss would definitely make a move.
The later that reckoning came, the better it would be for Su Baiye!
Right now, what Su Baiye needed most was time!
Tang Ruyu's current stance was also for this reason.
Su Baiye didn't mind Tang Ruyu leaving, but there was one thing he didn't understand. He asked,
"Why did Fang Lin buy a 10,000-Point Strategy when his entire net worth was only a few thousand Points?"
In the round where Su Baiye went all-in, he had only bet 7,000 Points. If Fang Lin had been a little more well-off, he wouldn't have been wiped out.
Fang Lin had chosen mutual destruction, preferring to leak the strategy rather than 'keep the green hills, for there will be firewood to burn.' Su Baiye couldn't understand it.
Tang Ruyu rolled his eyes disdainfully. "What money? He bought it with a loan! He made a down payment of 30% at most!"
According to Tang Ruyu, the Strategy Group offered a convenient loan service. You paid the interest first, then the principal, and the interest rate wasn't even high—it corresponded to the carriage number.
Carriage No. 3, so the loan interest for the strategy was 3%. Per week.
After all, people died on the Lost Train every day. Anyone who survived for half a year was considered a veteran Player. Monthly interest had too much uncertainty; weekly interest was more convenient.
More convenient for sucking them dry.
Tang Ruyu explained,
"Once you clear a Carriage Game, you can't get any more Points from it, with the exception of Challenge Tasks. So, the idea is to take out a loan for a Perfect Strategy, use it to get the Points from the Challenge Task, pay back the loan, and still make a small profit."
Many people on the Lost Train operated this way.
Fang Lin's net worth was low partly because of the hefty weekly dues he had to pay, and partly because he was already burdened with a huge loan. The money he worked so hard to earn through robbery just went to paying off the interest. He could only prevent his financial situation from worsening, not actually accumulate any wealth.
Tang Ruyu didn't know much more about Challenge Tasks, so Su Baiye would have to inquire at the Free Market.
"Um... Boss Su..."
For a moment, Tang Ruyu wasn't sure what to call Su Baiye, so he addressed him as 'Boss,' just as he had with Fang Lin.
"Boss Su, if you trust me, there are a few things I'd like to offer my personal advice on..."
Only after Su Baiye nodded did Tang Ruyu dare to continue.
"First, don't let anyone know that Fang Lin died at your hands. Even if people suspect you, you must never admit it!"
Su Baiye was clear on this point.
Behind Fang Lin was the Service Group, and behind the Service Group was the Strategy Group.
Although in Su Baiye's eyes, Fang Lin had died by 'suicide,' the trap Fang Lin had laid for him before dying was a true case of 'a feather that weighs a thousand pounds.'
If Su Baiye fell into the hands of the Service Group, things would not end well for him. He was well aware of this and held no illusions.
Tang Ruyu continued,
"Second, Boss Su, you've been spoiled. Regardless of your intentions, you're now on the Strategy Group's blacklist. There's no way for you to join the Service Group now. Even if you did, you'd be dealt with by their internal rules if the truth came out.
The people in the Item Group are all out for themselves, a disorganized mess, so you can't count on them... The Training Group is a viable option for you. I've heard that in the Talent Market, there are powerful figures who have come down from the 'second layer.' Since you have Points, Boss Su, you could try your luck there."
Fang Lin had a background and backers. If Su Baiye wanted to survive, he needed to be strong enough himself, but time was clearly not on his side. When you were weak, finding a powerful backer could also be a path to survival.
It had to be said, Tang Ruyu's advice was sound. He was genuinely analyzing the situation and strategizing for Su Baiye based on his own understanding of the Lost Train. Because now, they were accomplices, grasshoppers tied to the same rope.
Su Baiye was a little surprised. "I never noticed you were so eloquent before."
Tang Ruyu scratched his head helplessly.
"I was forced into it... If I had known Fang Lin was going to die, I never would have gotten into this line of work..."
If a newbie died, they could just cover it up. Everyone would go on eating, drinking, and making merry as if nothing had happened.
But Fang Lin was different. His death would trigger a chain reaction. A single wave from it could be enough to drown Tang Ruyu.
"With Fang Lin's death, you're the one taking the heat, Boss Su, so I can still breathe. If you're gone, that disaster will fall right on my head."
Tang Ruyu sighed, clapped his hands, and cupped his fists in a farewell gesture. "I've said what I needed to say. I wish you unstoppable success on the Lost Train, Boss Su!"
Tang Ruyu believed that a person like Su Baiye, as long as he could survive, would definitely make a name for himself on the Lost Train.
Before parting, Tang Ruyu left him with one last piece of advice.
"If it were anyone else, I would never say what I'm about to say. To be honest, before I met you, Boss Su, I never even had such a bold thought..."
Tang Ruyu paused, then urged him sincerely,
"Boss Su, whatever you do, do not cause trouble for the Service Group, and especially do not go against the Strategy Group."
After saying this, Tang Ruyu himself couldn't help but laugh.
Cause trouble for the Service Group? Go against the Strategy Group?
The power gap between them was like the difference between the clouds and the mud. They might seem to be in the same carriage, but in reality, they were beings from two different worlds.
It was impossible to win...
But then Tang Ruyu had a second thought. Fang Boss himself had met such an end, so what if...
He shook his head. There was no 'what if'.
In Carriage No. 2, only Su Baiye and Wang Luo remained.
After Tang Ruyu left, Wang Luo finally had a chance to speak. He asked curiously,
"Baiye, what did you do for work before this?"
Su Baiye had mentioned he worked on a Charity Project, but what kind of charity project made you so calm in the face of a dead body?
Su Baiye answered casually,
"It depends on the project. Wilderness rescue, recovered a few bodies. I also followed up on the cremation and burial of unidentified bodies..."
Su Baiye had indeed dealt with corpses before, which was why he wasn't reacting like Wang Luo.
Changing the subject, Su Baiye looked at Wang Luo.
"What are your plans now?"
Wang Luo thought for a moment and said seriously,
"Should I give you the 200 Points first?"
Wang Luo still remembered his promise to chip in 200.
"Do I look like I need your 200 Points?"
Su Baiye was quite well-off now. He said, annoyed,
"However, there is actually something I need your help with..."
Without a second thought, Wang Luo didn't even ask what it was and just nodded. "Leave it to me!"
Su Baiye slowly explained,
"Fang Lin is dead. Before he died, he spoiled three people: you, me, and Tang Ruyu. The Strategy Group has ways to detect spoilers, so this was Fang Lin's way of sending a message to the outside world: his killer is one of the three of us.
To outsiders, Tang Ruyu is the most likely suspect. In their line of work, backstabbing is probably the norm. But anyone who really knows what's going on can see right through Tang Ruyu and would know Fang Lin could never have been taken down by him. Ultimately, the suspicion will fall on you and me."
This was also why Tang Ruyu had chosen to run off immediately, hiding in Carriage No. 1 to stay out of the storm, offending no one.
The favor Su Baiye needed from Wang Luo was simple:
"This is a Poison Resistance Physique fruit, this is a Pass, this is a Flame Stone, a private chat channel, a Thousand Mile Ear...
With these items, no one in Carriage No. 1 or No. 2 should be able to stop you. I need you to take these, show your face in Carriage No. 2 from time to time, don't get caught, don't gamble with anyone, and run if you encounter danger!"
After speaking, Su Baiye added,
"Except for the Pass, the other items are compensation for your 800 Points. I'll give them to you whether you agree to help me or not. If you're willing to help, you can take the Pass too."
Fang Lin hadn't been able to destroy the Pass, so it had fallen into Su Baiye's hands. It was a black card with a special serial number, and using it would likely leave a trace.
Wang Luo looked at the items before him and instantly understood Su Baiye's meaning. "You want me to attract their attention, and then..."
"Exactly. You'll buy me some time, create a window of opportunity."
Su Baiye nodded and revealed his plan.
"As long as I can break through to Carriage No. 4, I'll be safe!"