Global Game: I Can Choose Instance Rewards-Chapter 353 - 275: All Sides (Part 2)

Chapter 353: Chapter 275: All Sides (Part 2)
But after he had shouted twice, not a single person emerged from the cattle shed; only the guardsman in short attire outside was unable to contain himself and reminded him:
"Elder Statesman, the soldiers, due to months of lack of pay, have all returned home this morning."
"What nonsense! Unauthorized departure from the camp is a grave offense! Quickly call them back to receive punishment!"
Before the guardsman finished speaking, the elder statesman was already flushed with anger. He had long been aware of the chaos in the Feng Country army camp but didn’t expect these soldiers to be so audacious. They had all ran away completely.
"Do not be anxious, Statesman. There is a reason for the soldiers’ departure, and the fault lies with me."
Seeing this, Wang Zhifan first comforted the elder statesman who was about to explode with anger, then he smiled at the lone guardsman in black attire who remained:
"Why did you not leave with the others but stayed to guard the camp instead?"
" to Your Highness, I am an orphan and have nowhere else to go except the military camp..."
The young guardsman answered truthfully, indicating it wasn’t that he didn’t want to escape, but he had nowhere to flee to, or rather, hadn’t yet figured out where to go.
"Hmm... From now on, you’ll be responsible for watching over this military camp. I will resolve the matter of military pay shortly."
Wang Zhifan promptly patted the shoulder of the guardsman in short attire, encouraging him briefly, then walked forward a few steps and took a cursory glance at the now empty military camp. Afterward, he mounted his horse and departed from the place where he had realized the dire state of reality.
The elder statesman was also with him on the way back. He appeared gloomy and evidently felt extremely disappointed by such circumstances, believing the country he was determined to support was nearing hopelessness.
"Statesman, is the treasury already empty?"
" to Your Highness, the treasury is currently indebted to the civilians by three hundred guan."
"Can taxes be collected to fill the gap?"
"Taxes for the coming year have already been received."
...
The conversations along the way made Wang Zhifan increasingly aware of how empty the Feng Country treasury was, but he didn’t find the issue too thorny because he already had a certain idea in mind.
"Statesman, do you know where the Xin Family’s territory lies?"
At this moment, he inquired about the adversary against whom he had eliminated several hundred people. More precisely, he had just intended to go to the military camp to gather forces to deal with this adversary, but the soldiers had fled, forcing him to find an alternative.
"Does Your Highness wish to eradicate the Xin Family? However, the Xin Family’s presence spans the country; they should not be underestimated. One must plan before acting..."
This old man surprisingly had similar thoughts to Wang Zhifan, but being a local, he knew the strength of this family and even if he wanted to act, reason dictated that he must deliberate carefully.
"No matter, just find me dozens of hands; the Xin Family will be eliminated today, and the treasury’s emptiness will also be resolved."
Unable to find soldiers in the army, Wang Zhifan had no choice but to seek the help of this elder advisor. He believed this elder could find him some reliable hands in this country to help accomplish a few tasks; otherwise, relying solely on himself as the monarch wouldn’t work.
The Cloth-Clad Elder Statesman was somewhat surprised by his sudden statement but not overly so, as he recalled the strange scene he witnessed at the palace entrance earlier and knew Wang Zhifan wasn’t speaking lightly; he surely had something to rely on.
Therefore, the subsequent time became tense; Wang Zhifan and the elder advisor discussed preparations briefly, then launched an attack with thunderous momentum, starting a campaign in his country to attack the rich and distribute wealth. Naturally, they met significant resistance, but all these were nullified before his power. It not only allowed him to solve his financial problem as monarch quickly but also made those fortunate enough to accompany him against malevolent forces realize his might, generating great awe and beginning to form a group of followers, establishing his initial base.
Meanwhile, as he was busy eradicating families and seizing wealth, the players in the same game scenario gradually figured out their plans from initial confusion and began operating according to their various ideas.
For instance, in Tao Country south of Feng Country where Wang Zhifan belongs, a dozen players were in a roadside tea stall discussing their strategy, planning to advance and retreat as one, choosing the best country to assist in its imperial ambitions.
"Everyone, let me emphasize one point first: although this scenario seems to encourage us to compete by lifting the punishment barrier, it is clearly a trap. We must not follow the scenario’s meaning and engage in deadly internal conflicts but must maintain consistency in our goals. Anyone who disagrees with this is no brother of Huang Pengfei."
At the table in the middle of the tea stall, a young man of average build but with a refined demeanor glanced around. The equipment on him appeared quite extraordinary, all visibly high-end goods, and his words were taken seriously by the other players.
"Boss! Don’t worry! If anyone dares to oppose you, I won’t spare him first! I’ll make him regret crossing the most reputable operative in the capital!"
A muscular man with fierce eyes immediately echoed, seemingly a staunch ally of the young man.
"Ahem... Quit interrupting with your nonsense."
The well-equipped young man coughed twice, a bit speechless after hearing the muscular man, but quickly continued:
"According to the information we’ve just gathered, there are numerous countries in this scenario with several having potential for dominance. For instance, the Tao Country we’re currently in recently won a great victory; the southern Huan Country and Lv Country are also well-known powerful states. There are also other countries far away that possess strong power... We need to analyze these countries’ situations long-term and choose the most valuable one to assist, completing this scenario."
"Boss, I believe intelligence analysis is necessary, but when choosing, we don’t have to be overly cautious. We can try several options, because this scenario doesn’t restrict changing the object of assistance."
Suddenly, a slender young man who appeared to be from the mage profession spoke in response.
"In theory, that’s possible."
The leading young man nodded at him upon listening.
"However, during our intelligence gathering, we’ve discovered a characteristic of this scenario world: all countries highly value loyalty and righteousness. If we defect to one country and then abandon it for another, we might face a moral dilemma, greatly increasing the difficulty of joining the second faction, which will certainly impact our scenario completion, so I stress the importance of choosing carefully."
He further explained.
"So that’s the case... Boss, there’s another way to clear it; surely you have considered it. Is there any possibility of success?"
The slender mage player asked again, raising his hand to touch his chin.
"Possibility exists, but I assert it’s much harder than joining others."
The well-equipped leader showed a slight smile.
"Regarding powerful countries, our capabilities definitely make controlling them challenging, with the slightest carelessness leading to moral dilemmas and adding extra risks. While it’s indeed easier to take over a small country, what use is controlling a minor state? We lack the energy to slowly develop it, facing external power changes requiring close attention. Achieving a goal would be quite difficult, the only efficient approach is identifying the highest potential country and leveraging its potential to position it center stage. This opportunistic strategy is the most effortless."
As these players were discussing their plan in the tea stall, far away thousands of miles distant, in a grand country named Huáng’s capital city, a player sat on the throne’s seat looking down at the assembly of officials with a mysterious smile.
"Hahaha... I wouldn’t have thought this time my VIP status would place me as the Monarch, and a mighty nation’s sovereign at that. How could I lose? With my invincible summoning army, how could I lose? It’s simply a winning hand!"
It turned out he’s a strong summoning profession player who also holds VIP player status. Unlike Wang Zhifan, who became the monarch of a weak lesser country, he held an incredibly robust foundation, seemingly securing victory when the scenario started.