"Pathetic acting." Fang Xiu shook his head, mildly disappointed.
He had expected Lu Ziming to be more cunning, to pull something unexpected. But in the end, he was just another Wei Xin—relying on the same cheap tricks.
Fang Xiu spoke slowly, emphasizing each word. "Alright, repeat after me: I am willing to provide free lodging for everyone, without charging any Spirit Money."
The moment those words left his lips, Lu Ziming’s expression darkened. "Fang Xiu, what are you trying to say? I invited you all into my home out of goodwill. If you don’t want to stay, fine. But do you really have to make this so difficult for all of us?"
His reaction was so defensive that even the usually oblivious Yang Ming caught on. "Hey, hey, you sneaky little snake! No matter what, you just won’t say the words ‘it’s free,’ huh? Is it that hard? Just say it!"
Lu Ziming’s face grew colder. "If you don’t trust me, then no amount of words will convince you."
His gaze shifted toward Luo Qingxin, Xiong Tianguang, and Li Xiaoru, trying to appeal to their emotions.
"Qingxin, Xiong, Li—you know me. Your new Chief Commander is clearly targeting me. If he doesn’t trust me, fine. But you should!
"I personally brought you all into headquarters. I would never just stand by and watch you die in the Land Between.
"It’s almost dark! Hurry and come inside!"
Luo Qingxin and the others hesitated. Their bond with Lu Ziming was deep—he wasn’t just a senior; he had been their mentor.
But they weren’t naive. Their trust in Fang Xiu, combined with Lu Ziming’s dodgy behavior, made them wary. Something wasn’t right.
Yang Ming, on the other hand, looked like he was about to explode. "I swear, you are the most annoying person I’ve ever met! Just say it! ‘It’s free.’ Four simple words! You’ve been dancing around this forever, and it’s driving me nuts!"
Then, Fang Xiu’s calm voice cut through the tension. "He won’t say it, because the moment he does, he loses his leverage."
Lu Ziming stiffened.
"He’s been acting friendly, reminiscing about the past, lowering your guard. It was all just to make sure we’d stay in his shed."
"But why?" Yang Ming asked, frowning.
In this timeline, they had never encountered Wei Xin’s schemes, so they weren’t aware of the Land Between’s trade rules.
Fang Xiu, however, had seen this game before. He had been suspicious of Lu Ziming from the moment he offered them shelter. That was why he had insisted on paying—to test him.
And sure enough, Lu Ziming had taken the bait.
Fang Xiu explained, "In the Land Between, there are transaction rules. If someone offers you help and you accept without asking the price, they can demand any amount they want afterward."
"What?!" The group was stunned, turning to Lu Ziming in disbelief.
For Luo Qingxin and the others, the shock was overwhelming. Their emotions were too tangled to put into words.
Yang Ming clenched his fists. "Xiu, I get it now! That’s why this bastard kept dodging the question. He didn’t want our money upfront—he wanted to trap us inside first. Once we were settled, he’d name his price!
"Holy shit, you’re evil! Scamming your own friends like this?!"
"Scamming friends?" Fang Xiu chuckled. "This is much worse than that. If we step inside, he won’t just charge us a high price—he’ll demand a fortune. And once we’re in debt, we’ll be stuck. In the Land Between, having no money is slow suicide. If we owe him, we’ll be forced to work for him just to survive."
"But here’s the real kicker—the debt never ends."
"Because as long as you’re broke, you’ll need a place to stay. And every night, he’ll charge you rent."
"And that means the debt will only grow deeper… and deeper… until you can never escape."
Upon hearing Fang Xiu’s words, everyone’s faces darkened.
This wasn’t just about betrayal—Lu Ziming had been planning to turn them into his personal slaves.
The once-friendly, cheerful smile on Lu Ziming’s face had long since vanished.
"…Sir, is this true?" Luo Qingxin’s voice trembled, her face pale.
Her mind was on the verge of collapse.
Years ago, Lu Ziming had been Luo Qingxin's mentor, someone she respected like a big brother. He had saved her life more than once. His sudden disappearance had been a turning point in her life—one of the reasons she had become so cold and distant.
And now, standing before him again, she felt he was like a complete stranger.
Lu Ziming’s gaze locked onto her—three parts anger, three parts pain, three parts hope, and one part desperation. "Qingxin… you don’t trust me either? You once told me you had no family, and I'm like your brother."
Luo Qingxin trembled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Lu Ziming turned his gaze to Xiong Tianguang and Li Xiaoru. "And you two. When headquarters was selecting recruits, no one believed in you. Xiong, everyone thought you were just some loser gamer. But I fought for you—I got you in.
"Li, when we were trapped inside the Plague Specter’s Domain, who saved your life?
"Have you forgotten all of that?
"And now, you’re choosing an outsider over me?"
Xiong Tianguang and Li Xiaoru clenched their fists, their eyes turning red.
Memories of the past surged into their minds.
Their emotions screamed at them to believe Lu Ziming.
But their reason told them Fang Xiu was right.
Yang Ming, unable to hold back, snapped, "Cut the emotional crap! If you really want to prove your innocence, then why are you dodging the question?
"You still won’t say it’s free!"
Lu Ziming’s face remained unreadable. "Why should I? If you trust me, come in. If not, then leave."
Yang Ming nearly exploded. "Motherf— Xiu, can I just punch him already?"
But before Fang Xiu could respond, sudden laughter echoed behind them.
Everyone turned sharply—
And saw Wei Xin, the Zombie, standing there.
Beside him was a disheveled woman with lifeless eyes.
She was thin, with delicate features, but her face was completely devoid of emotion. Her empty, soulless gaze sent chills down their spines.
Wei Xin smirked. "Well, well, boss. What did I tell you? This Fang Xiu kid has mind-reading abilities. You were never going to fool him."
"Boss?" The single word sent a shockwave through Luo Qingxin and the others.
They turned back to look at Lu Ziming—
Only to see his expression had gone completely cold.
Cold enough to be unrecognizable.
Lu Ziming shook his head. "It’s not mind-reading. I have Mindflare protection. No psychic ability can read my thoughts."
But saying that was no different from admitting his true intentions.
Luo Qingxin’s voice cracked. "Sir… how… how could you become like this?!"
She couldn’t believe it.
She didn’t want to believe it.
The man she had once admired most had become this.
Lu Ziming’s face twisted, his expression turning vicious.
"How?
"HOW?!
"If I hadn’t changed, I’d be dead already!
"I’ve been stuck in this cursed place for THREE YEARS!
"THREE YEARS!
"Do you have any idea what I went through?!"