"Huh?"
Jiang Yaqing’s face was filled with disbelief in the wristband projection.
"How many sets?"
Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat at this question.
He had been discovered!
This—
This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Given Jiang Yaqing’s personality, how could she have spotted this loophole?
It was unbelievable.
It seemed that life in the underground cave had also made her grow.
"Three sets, three sets."
Since she had already found out, Chen Yu didn't bother to stubbornly insist any further.
There was no need.
Even three sets of equipment were incredibly worthwhile for leasing Silver-tier experts. For him, crafting three sets of equipment would only take a few seconds, with a cost of only a few thousand resource points.
For Jiang Yaqing, she had struck a good deal.
And so had Chen Yu.
"You know what's good for you," Jiang Yaqing said, tilting her chin slightly in the wristband projection, her eyes narrowed. "Seriously, trying to set a trap for me at a time like this. You really think I'm stupid."
"You're the smartest."
Chen Yu spread his hands in surrender and said seriously.
"I might need them within these two days. How many Silver-tier experts do you have available?"
"I'll need to check that," Jiang Yaqing replied, spreading her hands. "But I'll find as many as I can for you. You should be able to take them all, right?"
"Yes."
"Then we'll be in touch."
*Click.*
The video call ended.
Watching the image disappear, Chen Yu pursed his lips. This fat sheep was probably tired of him hanging up on her so many times, and now she wanted to get back at him.
He had actually wanted to say more in these calls, but he had ended them so quickly.
After a moment of thought.
He still clicked open the private message window.
Chen Yu: (▼ヘ▼#)
Chen Yu: Are you in a hurry to steal corn? I have something else to say~
Jiang Yaqing: (๑＞ڡ＜)✿
Jiang Yaqing: What is it?
Chen Yu: You promised me twenty percent of your ice crystal mine, right~
Jiang Yaqing: Mm.
Jiang Yaqing: Don't worry, I've got it all accounted for. I'll give you twenty percent of the total output when it's mined. What else could I possibly withhold from you?
Chen Yu: No.
Upon receiving this message, Chen Yu quickly refused.
This was exactly what he feared.
Given Jiang Yaqing's mining rate recently, she likely had hundreds of thousands of ice crystals. If she gave him twenty percent after mining, it would be fine if it was a small amount, but if it were hundreds of thousands or even millions, his camp wouldn't have enough space to store it.
Ice crystal ore.
It was intensely cold.
Even if his camp could accommodate it, his camp's surrounding area would likely turn into an icy domain.
Chen Yu: Isn't there a mining right for mining? Just give me twenty percent of the mining right. That way, it'll be easier to distribute. If you give it all to me, my camp won't be able to hold it.
*Ding.*
Almost the instant the message was sent, Jiang Yaqing sent a video call invitation.
A light tap of his finger.
Accept.
"Hey, Jiang Yaqing, please don't mail it to me, okay?" Chen Yu said solemnly into the wristband projection. "I want the mining right. I won't take the ones you've already mined either."
"What is a mining right?"
Unexpectedly, Jiang Yaqing looked blank and confused.
"Does your ice crystal mine not have mining rights assigned?" Chen Yu asked, puzzled, then frowned. "Wait for me a moment, I'll find someone who knows about this."
*Ding.*
Chen Yu invited Jiang Yaqing and Yu Pu into a group chat.
Jiang Yaqing: ???
Jiang Yaqing: Chen Yu, you know Yu Pu?
Yu Pu: Whoa, Jiang Yaqing, the person on the leaderboard! I pay my respects, I pay my respects! orz
Chen Yu: ...
Chen Yu: Start video.
After sending the message, Chen Yu directly initiated a video call in the group. Shortly after, two images appeared on the wristband projection: Jiang Yaqing and Yu Pu.
One was leaning against an ice mountain, the other against a coal mountain.
Two mine bosses.
Only Chen Yu sat quietly in his camp, with an unremarkable farmland as his background.
"Wow, it can do this too? It's quite similar to the social apps we used before," Yu Pu said, his face covered in soot, grinning and showing his two rows of white teeth. He then bowed respectfully to Jiang Yaqing, "Hello, Goddess Jiang, hello, hello."
"Is that a coal mine you have?"
Jiang Yaqing, with the sound of wind and snow behind her, looked surprised.
"Heh, I was lucky enough to find a coal mine. Goddess Jiang, you have a mine behind you too, right? What kind of mine is it?" Yu Pu said, scratching his head sheepishly.
"Ice crystal mine."
"It sounds much more advanced than my coal. Truly worthy of Goddess Jiang."
"Hey, hey, hey!"
Seeing the two mine bosses start to praise each other, Chen Yu couldn't help but tap the virtual projection twice, his eyes wide.
"Can you two stop flattering each other? You both have mines. I'm just a miserable laborer. Look, I'm planting crops behind me."
"Serves you right, nya nya nya~" Jiang Yaqing stuck out her tongue.
"Don't nya nya me. Such a flexible tongue makes one feel... involuntary," Chen Yu chuckled. Jiang Yaqing's expression changed instantly, and she tilted her head. "Something's not right with you."
Chen Yu grinned but didn't dwell on the topic.
He got straight to the point.
"Yu Pu, tell Jiang Yaqing how you got your mining rights," Chen Yu said softly.
Mine rights allocation.
He desperately needed it.
Otherwise, resource gifts wouldn't have loopholes, and all the resources would pile up in his camp, wasting space and affecting the ecological environment around his camp.
"Just occupy the mine." Yu Pu said softly.
"Ah?!"
Jiang Yaqing frowned upon hearing this.
"Occupy it."
"Yeah, unclaimed mines can be occupied, and then you'll have the right to allocate resources," Yu Pu stated seriously. "You should get a notification when you approach the mine."
In the projection, Jiang Yaqing frowned and walked out towards the mining area.
She circled the mine several times.
"There's nothing," Jiang Yaqing said, looking back sideways. "It just shows 'Eternal Ice Vein Ice Crystal Mining Area' and no other information."
"Who is the holder?"
"No one."
"That's strange," Yu Pu said, spreading his hands. "As soon as I got close, it showed that it could be occupied. Perhaps your type of mining area cannot be occupied?"
"I don't know."
Seeing that mine rights couldn't be allocated, Chen Yu said a few words and then disbanded the group video.
After disbanding, he opened the group chat again.
Chen Yu changed the group name to 'Cave Three Giants'.
Chen Yu: From now on, if any of us need anything, we'll contact each other here. We'll share intelligence and resources. If you need anything, just say it in the group, and I'll do my best to provide it for you.
Yu Pu: Alright!
Jiang Yaqing: ...
Jiang Yaqing: Now that you have a resource exchange center, you're getting cocky. Before, you had to rely on me for resources.
Chen Yu: (^_−)☆
After sending an emoji, Chen Yu exited the chat page. Unexpectedly, Jiang Yaqing sent him a private message.
"How do you know Yu Pu? He's third on the overall leaderboard. I saw his coal mine, and it's not small. He's a proper coal magnate."
"Interested?"
Chen Yu sent the message, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
"Shall I play matchmaker for you? How about 50 million resources? I'll give you his contact."
"Are you crazy?" Jiang Yaqing instantly replied. "Scram, you lunatic, you idiot, leave me alone, you have a problem, go die!!!"
Looking at the messages on his wristband, Chen Yu silently stared at Jiang Yaqing's barrage of insults.
He blinked involuntarily.
A woman's heart is like a needle in the sea, so difficult to understand.