Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 117 - 112 Immature Thoughts (Extra - for Monthly Pass)

Chapter 117: Chapter 112 Immature Thoughts (Extra Chapter for Monthly Pass)

At that moment, Su Chengbai also woke up from his sleep.

He suddenly flipped out of bed, took off the virtual reality helmet, and threw it onto the bed, still visibly shaken.

A total nightmare!

The flow of time in the "Dark Sand" game was much faster than in reality, so he felt as if he had been tortured for at least ten or twenty hours that night.

Constantly being killed by bandits and having to restart over and over, it was horrifying!

He made up his mind never to touch the game again! The officials had given him this trial not with good intentions!

However, after washing his face and coming to his senses, the fear quickly faded away.

One second he had resolved never to touch the game again, but the next second he felt it wasn’t so scary.

There’s a saying, "Once the scar heals, the pain is forgotten."

But Su Chengbai’s recovery from his "scar" was perhaps a bit too fast.

He didn’t realize there was anything abnormal, instead, he started to look up information to point out the falsehoods in the details of "Dark Sand."

Because he wanted to prove the game wasn’t real history, to prove he was right!

Many people were tagging him on Weibo, but he ignored them, stubbornly searching for answers in historical records.

...

Meanwhile, Meng Yuan and his companion were eating breakfast.

"The players are in good shape, but as for Su Chengbai..." his companion said while eating, "you weakened his memory of last night to make him suffer a few more days in the instance?"

Meng Yuan nodded, "Not weakened, just temporarily shielded some of the pain. One night is not enough to determine the influence the demons had on him, it needs a few more days.

"This is also a good opportunity to let him struggle a bit longer. The more he tries to prove ’Dark Sand’ is false, the more he’ll prove it’s real history.

"When the instance ends, the truth will be clear.

"After all, our primary goal this time is not to mentally break down a V who distorts history but to solidify history and make more people understand it."

His companion scooped up a big mouthful of rice, "But I still think you’re wasting too much energy on him."

Meng Yuan shook his head slightly, "You’ll see later, he has other uses.

"Players have already started writing guides, and tonight I will also start focusing on pioneering the new instance!"

...

At 10 p.m.

Li Hongyun entered the game world of "Dark Sand" again.

Like last time, he chose the staff officer line, took the talent for keen observation, and began his trials.

Governor Lin surveyed the staff officers as before and said, "Puning Port has been besieged for a long time, and the capital has held us accountable multiple times.

"If we don’t respond soon, my position as governor is at risk, and even Elder Yan won’t be able to protect me.

"I heard that the terrain of Puning Port is not very high, and there’s a river levee nearby. What do you think about demolishing the levee to flood the bandits?"

The staff officers reacted differently, some surprised, some astonished, while others bowed their heads in contemplation.

No one responded at that moment.

Previously, Li Hongyun had also chosen to remain silent since he hadn’t known how to respond and was afraid of showing weakness.

But this time, he decided not to be silent.

Although he hadn’t found a specific way to break the situation yet, after consulting with his colleague, he had grasped a general direction.

If he could explain these analytical points to Lin Xiangmin in detail, it would be enough to make him think highly of Li Hongyun as a staff officer, which was very beneficial for clearing the instance.

So, while the other staff officers were still contemplating, Li Hongyun took the initiative to speak.

"Lord Governor, perhaps this isn’t your idea but rather a suggestion from Elder Yan?"

At this statement, the other staff officers were somewhat shocked.

Their expressions seemed to say, "Dude, are you cheating?"

Governor Lin had only mentioned "demolishing the levee to flood the bandits," without saying anything else, the other staff officers were still pondering his intention, and yet Mr. Xu had already guessed it was Elder Yan’s suggestion?

How on earth did he guess that!

The intellectual gap made the other staff officers struggle to maintain their composure.

Lin Xiangmin maintained a calm demeanor, "Mr. Xu, why do you say that?"

Li Hongyun couldn’t help but feel impressed, truly fitting of a great figure, to remain so composed even when I hit the nail on the head, indeed very meticulous.

"Unfortunately for me, I possess the gift of ’keen observation’!"

While others couldn’t discern anything unusual in Lin Xiangmin’s behavior at the moment, Li Hongyun could tell from his subtle expressions and demeanor that he was in a state of "Mr. Xu is indeed reliable after all."

Since he had guessed correctly, that made things easier.

Li Hongyun decided to strike while the iron was hot, "Clearly, my lord’s worries are not about the southeast, but about the imperial court. The issue of suppressing bandits doesn’t lie with General Deng, but with the Cabinet, and specifically with Elder Yan, Mr. Gu, and His Majesty himself.

"I’m afraid that the most urgent motive to destroy the dikes and flood the bandits comes from Elder Yan.

"Lord Governor, with your question, you must be even clearer about this than I am."

The expressions of the other staff varied: some were still confused, but others suddenly understood.

But no matter how you looked at it, their intelligence was clearly overwhelmed!

A trace of relief finally appeared on Lin Xiangmin’s face, and he waved his hand, "Alright, Mr. Xu stays. The rest of you can leave now."

Li Hongyun could hardly contain his joy.

Excellent, after a round of screening, I had emerged successful!

The next discussion would surely involve top-secret matters that, if mishandled, could result in the extermination of one’s entire family. Governor Lin’s question seemed to be a form of screening, to keep only the sufficiently intelligent to discuss the matter.

As for those aides who couldn’t grasp the intricacies, it was better they left early than risk leaking secrets or being unable to assist.

Although some of the other staff were somewhat unwilling, since Governor Lin had already spoken, they could only leave.

Li Hongyun adjusted his mindset, preparing to face the upcoming challenges.

He knew that the first step was actually not difficult. Since Mr. Xu was Lin Xiangmin’s most trusted aide and spoke with substantial weight, having advanced knowledge allowed him to exploit the informational advantage and easily accomplish this first step.

The hard part was what came next.

After all the other staffers had left, Lin Xiangmin then adopted a worried expression.

"I have pondered this matter for three days and nights, but still can’t see a way out. Mr. Xu, since you instantly guessed that this was Elder Yan’s intent, you must see the court’s situation more clearly than I.

"Please, Mr. Xu, teach me!"

Li Hongyun struggled to contain the joy in his heart, maintaining his appearance as a detached sage, and elaborated point by point.

"Lord Governor, the matter is said to involve destroying the dikes to defeat bandits, but in truth, it has nothing to do with banditry at all. Ultimately, it’s all about ’money.’

"Elder Yan urgently needs the silver from salt taxes to secure his position as Grand Secretary, to prove his worth to the Emperor. Thus, this secret command for you to breach the dikes, though casually mentioned, is actually a direct order; you must act whether you wish to or not.

"If Lord Governor does not comply, Elder Yan will find someone else capable to do it; but if you do, I fear you might be dishonored for eternity."

Li Hongyun reviewed the situation for Lin Xiangmin based on the analysis he had previously concluded with Chu Ge.

He included the current imperial intrigue among the Emperor, Yan Maoqing, and Gu Qingzhang, as well as the state of the empty national treasury and the motivations behind destroying the dikes—all explained in considerable detail.

Lin Xiangmin probably already knew most of this.

Having reached such a high-ranking position, he was certainly no fool.

Li Hongyun’s speech mainly served to further demonstrate his capabilities to Lin Xiangmin, while also leading into the subsequent discussion.

As expected, after Li Hongyun finished, Lin Xiangmin’s demeanor became even more serious, "Then I wonder, Mr. Xu, do you have any good strategies?"

Li Hongyun paused slightly before responding, "Lord Governor, the current infighting in the Cabinet is a clandestine battle, not an open conflict. Mr. Gu, deeply cunning and cautious, won’t openly oppose Elder Yan without certainty of victory, while Elder Yan is actively working the salt tax, trying to subdue his rivals without a fight.

"So, you, Lord Governor, need to find a way to turn this hidden battle into an open conflict, perhaps even make Elder Yan appear slightly disadvantaged to give Mr. Gu hope of overthrowing him. Yet, Elder Yan must not be completely defeated.

"Once that happens, your importance in controlling the southeast will increasingly manifest, and the Emperor will then recognize your significance!

"If you could be summoned by the Emperor to balance the power between the two Cabinet members, this crisis might have a chance of resolving."

Lin Xiangmin’s expression sank further, ’But this matter... it sounds easy to speak of, yet is as tough as ascending to heaven!’

Governor Lin didn’t elaborate further, but everyone understood the state of the current Emperor.

No matter how many memorials are presented, expressing the dire need for military funds in the southeast, it’s utterly futile— the Emperor couldn’t grasp the urgency of the situation, merely seeing Governor Lin as whining, and thinking him an incompetent leader.

Not only could this fail to secure military funding, but it could also backfire disastrously.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Hongyun added, "Lord Governor, I do have a somewhat immature idea.

"At the moment, Elder Yan and Mr. Gu are only fighting covertly, not openly. Mr. Gu, with his deep and cunning plans, will not tear his face with Elder Yan without guaranteed victory, while Elder Yan is also trying to operate the salt tax, wanting to subdue his rival without a battle.

"So, Lord Governor, you need to find a way to turn their covert struggle into an open conflict, and perhaps even make Elder Yan slightly disadvantaged to give Mr. Gu hope of overthrowing him. However, Elder Yan must not be completely defeated.

"At that point, your role in securing the southeast will continuously become more pronounced, and the Emperor will recognize your importance!

"If you could be summoned by the Emperor to balance the forces between the two Cabinet members, that could offer a potential solution to this predicament!"