Pei Guang had only one thought after reading this: Eat. It. Immediately.
This was the first time he had acquired a consumable that permanently increased base stats!
Sure, 0.1 years of lifespan was basically nothing for him as a player—he didn't even have a lifespan system to begin with. But as a true gamer, even if something wasn't useful, it had to be obtained.
And even if it wasn't useful for him, it was useful for NPCs.
Even if NPCs didn't need it, the system had specifically labeled this fish as 'delicious.'
His cooking system only ever rated dishes as "perfect" at best—but this fish? It was inherently classified as delicious before even being prepared!
How could he possibly resist that?!
As soon as Pei Guang finished explaining, March 7th, Stelle, and Elysia all stared intensely at the still-flopping fish.
Despite being infused with Abundance energy, this fish was still just a fish.
Sure, it might have been a formidable creature in water, but on dry land? Against people who could smash apart Abominations of Abundance with their bare hands?
It didn't stand a chance.
March 7th: "No way… it actually increases lifespan?! We could make a fortune selling this!"
Even 0.1 years of extra life would be enough to drive people mad—let alone a potential total of 10 whole years.
Pei Guang, however, was still deep in thought. "No rush. Based on my years of experience, the loot you get from fishing depends on the environment and the bait used. Let's experiment a bit first and see what else we can catch." His eyes lit up. "Oh! What if we can reel in an item that boosts intelligence?"
March 7th: "Wait, what? Ah Guang, are you saying you feel like you're not smart enough?"
Pei Guang: "Of course not! I was just thinking—if we increase IQ enough, maybe we can casually walk into the Genius Society like it's our own backyard."
Pei Guang analyzed seriously, "Look, the Genius Society only accepts geniuses, right? So according to game mechanics, to enter the Genius Society, you first have to be recognized as a genius and receive an invitation. Once you get the invitation, you need to pass Nous' assessment to join.
But if we manage to get our hands on permanent intelligence-boosting consumables, wouldn't that mean we can just mass-produce people who meet the assessment criteria? Then, once the Genius Society is filled with our people, it'd basically be no different from our own faction."
March 7th exclaimed, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get moving! Ah Guang, if I boost my intelligence, do you think I can get into the Genius Society?"
Pei Guang pondered, "I think it's possible. We'll just max out everyone's IQ and sneak in together!"
March 7th cheered, "Awesome! I suddenly feel so motivated!"
Pei Guang declared, "Alright, let's get to work! Wait a second—Elysia, you can't fish with us. You've got something else to do."
Elysia pouted playfully, "Ehh~ Just tell me what you need. I'm your lieutenant, after all, so of course, I'll follow your orders~"
Pei Guang reassured her, "Don't worry, you'll just have to put in some overtime today. Once we take care of Lord Ravager, I'll give you a long vacation—on the house—to go sightseeing in the Xianzhou. Here's the deal: I have an idea that requires you to take charge of a task."
Even though the game mechanics were fully integrated, some things in a realistic world were still inconvenient compared to a computer game: unlike simply clicking a few buttons to command units, here, Pei Guang needed a proper chain of command. He needed someone to relay orders, someone with enough authority within his team to ensure smooth execution.
That's where Elysia came in.
Pei Guang explained, "I need you to lead a team and figure out how many of our people can actually open loot from various containers. It doesn't matter what their job is—if they can open loot, we level them up as much as possible. But honestly, I doubt there'll be many of them. After all, anyone who can loot alongside players has to be at least an important supporting character at minimum."
Elysia smirked, "Oh? So in your eyes, I'm just a supporting character?"
Pei Guang clarified, "I said at minimum! You're not just a side character—you're part of our crew. You're the kind of person I'd definitely bring along if we were robbing a bank."
March 7th perked up, suddenly sensing something intriguing. "Ah Guang, when are we robbing a bank? I've never done anything illegal before—this is kinda exciting~"
Pei Guang reassured her, "Don't worry, robbing a bank may be illegal, but as players, how could we not do it at least once? If I remember right, Nanook has a faction under him called the Annihilation Gang, right? Once we find their headquarters, I'll take you all on a full-scale heist. We'll rob every last credit they've got. Just make sure you have your masks ready—I'll handle the actual robbery."
Elysia, meanwhile, was baffled at how quickly Pei Guang and the others had shifted from discussing fishing and loot boxes to planning a full-blown bank heist. The mental whiplash was a little unreal.
Elysia cleared her throat. "Ahem~ So after I find people who can loot, what else do you need me to do?"
Pei Guang instructed, "Once that's done, have those who can loot 'treasure chests' conduct a thorough search of the entire city. I mean a full-scale sweep—don't miss a single box. And you, my dear Elysia, I have another job for you. Head back to the rear base, gather enough manpower, and notify me when everything is set up.
Once you're ready, I'll transfer the looted items into the shared storage space, and you'll be responsible for retrieving them on the other end and organizing them with the logistics team. I'll also set aside some recovery items for you—if you're feeling exhausted, take some. One more thing: once everything on your end is ready, let me know. At that point, I'll activate Berserk Collection Mode. Until then, we'll fish while we wait for you."
Elysia patted her cheeks. "You're seriously exploiting labor here~ Ugh, I don't think I'll get any sleep today. Staying up late is terrible for my skin, you know!"
Pei Guang reassured her, "I know, but pulling an all-nighter isn't the same as staying up late. Staying up late is unhealthy, but an all-nighter? That's fine~"
Elysia blinked. "Huh? That actually makes sense. Alright, then—it's decided. We're pulling an all-nighter~"