The Shelter Game: Me, Starting with a Tenfold Drop Rate
Chapter 126 - 126: The Initial Layout

After the security manager of Ocean Group left, only Irving and Benjamin remained in the office.

By this time, Benjamin had already changed from his bulletproof vest into a regular suit. To Irving, Benjamin now looked like a young professional who had just started working.

With a calm expression on his face, Benjamin coldly said to Irving, "President Tang has just called me. I'll immediately execute the decisions you and she have agreed upon. When do you plan to enter the shelter game? I'll familiarize you with the mines and subordinate guilds under my control."

Benjamin was indeed a man of action.

He was well aware of the relationship between Irving, the chairman, and the chairman's daughter. His task now was to minimize unnecessary trouble and demonstrate his capabilities and loyalty.

Without wasting a single word, Benjamin had already mapped out the next steps.

"Since we are partners, I should naturally offer you some help," Irving said, pulling out a dozen ordinary weapons and a few advanced ones from thin air.

"Consider these as my contribution. Distribute them to your people quickly so they can familiarize themselves with them."

Benjamin didn't refuse and swiftly collected the weapons. He knew this wasn't the time for politeness. These weapons were crucial for boosting their combat effectiveness and supporting the entire team.

"Are you suggesting we will soon face a critical situation?" Benjamin's expression remained calm, but his tone showed a hint of concern.

"Why do you ask that?"

"There's no need for you to rush to distribute these weapons unless you anticipated an urgent situation. Given your willingness to help, merely providing the weapons would suffice. The only logical explanation is that you know we will face a critical situation in the shelter game soon. Considering your background, you must have crucial information."

Benjamin laid out his reasoning directly.

Irving scrutinized Benjamin from head to toe, feeling that Benjamin was a man of deep mystery.

"I'm really not sure if I should cooperate with you," Irving said hesitantly.

Although Benjamin had been helpful and was loyal to both Ocean Group and the Smith family, Irving couldn't shake the feeling that Benjamin was hiding other secrets.

"Whether or not you cooperate with me is entirely your decision. My job is to follow President Tang's orders. If she commands me to cooperate with you, then I will," Benjamin replied.

Benjamin had originally hoped that Irving would answer his question. He didn't expect Irving to still be suspicious of him. However, Benjamin had encountered similar situations before. When faced with others' doubts, he never bothered to explain himself.

After all, they didn't have a foundation of trust yet. This cooperation was a good opportunity for both sides to achieve a certain level of understanding and increase mutual trust. So, explanations were useless; the most important thing was to get things done right.

"Do you have any other matters to discuss? If not, let's enter the shelter game together," Benjamin urged, wanting Irving to quickly familiarize himself with the mines and the guild members under Ocean Group's control.

Irving looked at Benjamin and finally nodded in agreement. "I'll return to my place as soon as possible. Once I'm in the shelter game, I'll notify you." With that, Irving left immediately.

Irving could have entered the shelter game from Benjamin's shelter, but doing so posed significant risks for him. He wasn't sure yet if Benjamin was entirely trustworthy.

After Irving left, Benjamin glanced at the documents on his desk. After a moment of hesitation, he picked up the phone on his desk.

"Old Chairman, I still have some concerns. Irving has hidden a lot from us. He must know more detailed information about the shelter game."

"That's not your concern," came Donald's voice from the other end of the line. "Just follow the President's orders and continue cooperating with Irving. For your safety, I'll have others keep an eye on Irving. You don't need to watch him anymore."

Donald didn't fully trust Irving either. He had initially ordered Benjamin to keep a close watch on Irving. But after Vicky decided to cooperate with Irving, it became impractical for Benjamin to keep a close eye on him. After all, in the shelter game, Benjamin and Irving would need to coordinate in battle.

"I understand! I'll cooperate with him properly!" After hanging up, Benjamin prepared to enter the shelter game. Before Irving contacted him, he needed to inform others about the cooperation with Irving.

On his way back home, Irving carefully pondered his conversation with Benjamin. He felt that Benjamin was hinting at something more. But after thinking for a while, he decided not to waste any more energy on it.

"No matter what information Benjamin is hiding, I've already completed the initial layout. Not only have I collaborated with James and the Green Ivy Group, as well as the Green Family Guild, but I also have close ties with the Angel Guild. Now, with this cooperation with Ocean Group's guild, I have considerable support in the shelter game."

With so much support, I can safely navigate the upcoming crisis in the shelter game. However, I must remain vigilant. The Night Blades are about to stir up a rebellion in several cities around the City of Warding. I need to be fully prepared.

Irving had indeed completed the initial layout. His strategy involved not only the shelter game but also the real world. Irving knew very well that if the Night Blades gained a significant advantage in the real world, no one could stop them in the shelter game.

Upon returning home, Irving immediately entered the shelter game. His shelter hadn't yet been moved to the agreed-upon castle. Looking at the surroundings of his shelter, Irving couldn't help but sigh, "I'm about to leave this place. I feel a bit reluctant. After all, I've been through many battles here."

As Irving was lost in thought, he suddenly received a message from Benjamin.

"I have everything ready. Send me the location of your shelter, or you can come to my current location. I'll send you my coordinates."

Benjamin directly sent his location to Irving. After confirming everything, Irving chose to teleport to Benjamin's location.

Benjamin's shelter was situated beneath a snow-capped mountain. The mountain provided excellent cover for the shelter, and Benjamin had relocated all his subordinates' shelters there as well. When multiple shelters are connected, their defensive capabilities increase significantly. Additionally, Benjamin had set up a series of traps outside his shelter.

Combined with the imposing presence of the distant snow mountain, Benjamin's shelter became nearly impregnable.

"It seems you're quite skilled at choosing shelter locations. Moving your shelter beneath this snow mountain was a brilliant move. You haven't faced many attacks, have you?" Irving remarked, impressed by Benjamin's shelter setup.

Benjamin nodded. "My shelter hasn't encountered much enemy aggression. But now isn't the time to discuss that. The mines we control are not far from here. Let me take you there."

Under Benjamin's guidance, Irving soon arrived near the mines controlled by the Ocean Group guild. He found that the ore produced by the mines wasn't particularly valuable to him.

"It seems you can't provide me with much help. Do you only control this one mine?" Irving asked, slightly disappointed.

Benjamin's expression finally changed. Irving could tell that Benjamin was a bit angry.

"We put in a lot of effort to secure this mine. How can you be so quick to judge that it won't be of much help to you?" Benjamin retorted, clearly displeased.

Faced with Benjamin's retort, Irving responded with a wry smile.

"I don't need ordinary ores anymore. What I need are rare ores to continually upgrade my equipment. Can the mines you control produce such rare ores? Even if they can, it might not be that important for you. After all, you haven't yet acquired weapons that require rare ores for enhancement."

Irving's explanation was indeed quite reasonable.

Resource allocation is crucial at this point. Rare ores might not be of much use to others right now. Even if they manage to mine them and store them at home, there's no way to convert them into combat power. This is detrimental to the entire team's combat effectiveness. Effective teamwork requires rational resource distribution.

Benjamin realized that his earlier reaction might have been a bit excessive. His expression returned to a state of calm.

Benjamin wasn't foolish; on the contrary, he now understood the importance of team collaboration even more. Quickly enhancing combat power and upgrading the gear of capable fighters was of utmost urgency. In light of this, he immediately realized the need to take Irving to some mines that might yield rare ores.

"In that case, let me take you to another mine. It's located farther away and will take us about an hour to reach."

Irving nodded and followed Benjamin as they continued on. He wasn't concerned about spending an extra hour. As long as he could find the rare ores he needed in the other mine, the time would be well worth it.

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