11: Chapter 11: Players shower each other with gifts and try to curry favor.

After Xing Jianwan sent that foul-mouthed player back to the resurrection point with a single fireball, the area around the earthen mound fell completely silent.

Everyone who had been sour earlier shut their mouths.

The way they looked at Lin Zhe turned into a mix of respect and fear.

A player who could reflect damage.

Someone who could pin down the Elite Boar King.

And now, he was personally protected by the server's number one goddess.

Anyone who still treated Lin Zhe as an ordinary refugee NPC must have a hole in their head.

In the crowd, a Warrior player swallowed hard and suddenly fished out a freshly dropped green dagger from his backpack, carefully placing it at Lin Zhe's feet.

"Big Shot Lin, this... it's just a small token of my appreciation."

After speaking, he immediately took three steps back, fearing he might offend Lin Zhe by being too close.

The surrounding players were stunned.

A second later, someone immediately reacted.

"Damn, you can even gift green gear?"

"Kid, you really know how to suck up!"

"This is called being sensible! Don't you get it?"

A female Priest quickly took out two bottles of Basic Health Potions from her bag and placed them there as well.

"Big Shot Lin, I don't have anything good, please don't look down on these potions."

Another Archer pulled out a piece of roasted rabbit meat.

"I just bought this in the village, the most expensive spiced roasted rabbit, ten copper coins a portion!"

"Ten copper coins? You're really willing to spend!"

"What do you know? Giving it to Big Shot Lin is worth it!"

Once there was a first, there was a second.

Soon, the players' behavior completely changed.

Just a moment ago, they were thinking of testing, attacking, or just spectating.

Now, everyone was rummaging through their backpacks.

Green-grade daggers.

White-grade bracers.

Health potions.

Wild fruits.

Rabbit meat.

Some even took out the moonlight grass they had just gathered.

"Big Shot Lin, I have a life profession, my things aren't worth much, please take them."

"I have some wolf pelts here, used for making armor."

"I'm giving three bottles of potions, please don't think it's too little."

Standing beside Lin Zhe, Xing Jianwan looked at the pile of items growing higher and higher at their feet, a trace of helplessness flashing across her cold face.

She raised her staff and tapped it on the ground.

"Form a line."

As those two words fell.

The originally chaotic crowd immediately behaved.

The players spontaneously formed a crooked line, stepping forward one by one to drop off their items.

They left immediately after dropping them off.

No one dared to linger.

No one dared to even reach out and touch Lin Zhe.

A few players even took the initiative to stand on the outer circle to help Lin Zhe maintain order.

"Don't push! One at a time!"

"Didn't you see Goddess Xing said to line up?"

"Anyone who dares to cut in line, I'll screenshot it and post it in the channel!"

"Stand back a bit, don't get too close, Big Shot Lin doesn't like noise."

Lin Zhe stood where he was, his expression calm.

He didn't refuse.

Nor did he speak.

He just watched indifferently as these players went from wanting to kill him for loot to competing to give him gifts.

This contrast was very satisfying.

It was also very realistic.

What players feared wasn't the NPC.

It was the rules.

It was the fear of losing out on benefits.

As long as he could bring them profit, they would be more sensible than anyone.

Just then, a thin and small life profession player stepped forward.

The ID above his head was [Little Tailor A-Qi].

He was only Level 2.

He wore dusty novice cloth armor and looked like he had no combat power.

He held a cloth bundle, his hands trembling slightly from nervousness.

"Big Shot Lin, this is the first blue-grade item I've just crafted."

The surrounding players were instantly shocked.

"Blue gear?"

"A life profession can already make blue gear?"

"For real?"

A-Qi gritted his teeth and opened the cloth bundle.

Inside was a pair of light blue cloth shoes.

[Breeze Cloth Shoes]

[Rank: Blue-grade]

[Attributes: Movement Speed +3%, Evasion +1]

For the novice stage, these attributes were already quite good.

A-Qi carefully placed the cloth shoes at Lin Zhe's feet and whispered, "I know you might not need this, but it's the best thing I have right now."

"Thank you for letting us solo players grind monsters here in peace."

As soon as he finished speaking.

*Buzz.*

A layer of faint golden light suddenly lit up on A-Qi's body.

A notification popped up in front of him.

[You have gained Lin Zhe's Favor]

[Obtained Extra Luck buff, duration: 1 hour]

[Effect: Drop Rate +10%]

A-Qi was completely stunned.

The next second, he shouted so loud his voice cracked.

"I got a buff!"

"A Luck buff! Drop rate increased by 10%! For one hour!"

*Boom!*

The crowd instantly exploded.

"What?"

"Giving gifts can really trigger a buff?"

"Drop rate +10%? Holy crap!"

"A-Qi, screenshot it! Quick, take a screenshot!"

A-Qi hurriedly projected his status bar.

Everyone clearly saw that faint golden buff.

Source: Lin Zhe's Favor.

These words drove the players crazy.

A-Qi himself was dazed.

He just wanted to express his gratitude; he never expected to actually get a reward.

A Level 2 wild rabbit happened to respawn nearby.

A-Qi subconsciously grabbed his small dagger and rushed over, wearing down the rabbit in a few strikes.

*Clatter.*

A green light fell to the ground.

[Green-grade Longsword]!

The whole place went silent again.

A-Qi looked at the green longsword on the ground, his mouth wide open.

"It... it dropped green gear?"

The next second, the earthen mound completely boiled over with excitement.

"It's true that giving gifts grants a Luck buff!"

"A-Qi just gave blue gear and immediately dropped green gear!"

"Holy crap, I want to give something too!"

"Don't push! Let me go first!"

"I still have two bottles of potions in my bag!"

"I'm going back to the village now to buy food, the most expensive kind!"

The news quickly spread back to the Luofeng Village channel.

[Confirmed! Giving gifts to Lin Zhe can trigger a Luck buff!]

[Little Tailor A-Qi gave blue-grade cloth shoes, got +10% drop rate, and dropped a Green-grade Longsword on the spot!]

[Quick, come to the mound at the village entrance, if you're late you won't get a spot in line!]

[Don't talk nonsense, not everyone gets it, your attitude must be sincere!]

The entire Luofeng Village was on the move.

Players at the potion stalls stopped buying potions.

Players at the blacksmith's stopped repairing gear.

Newbies who had just accepted quests also turned around and ran toward the village entrance.

Before long, the gifting line stretched from the mound to the wooden fence at the village entrance.

Some carried roasted meat.

Some held potions.

Some carried white-grade shields they had just looted.

A few life profession players even set up stalls on the spot to craft items, just to make a decent piece of gear to give to Lin Zhe.

Xing Jianwan took a light breath as she watched the increasingly exaggerated line.

"There are too many things here."

Lin Zhe nodded.

He glanced down at the mountain of supplies at his feet and spoke indifferently.

"Keep the useful ones."

"As for the useless ones, distribute them to the solo players around here."

Xing Jianwan was slightly stunned, then nodded.

"Okay."

She began to organize the supplies.

Health potions were kept.

Blue gear was kept.

Rare materials were kept.

Common food and extra white gear were distributed to the solo players who had no guilds or equipment.

Several solo players' eyes turned red as they received the white-grade bracers and potions.

"This... is for us?"

Xing Jianwan glanced at Lin Zhe and said coldly, "He ordered them to be distributed."

Those solo players immediately looked at Lin Zhe, bowing excitedly.

"Thank you, Big Shot Lin!"

"If anyone dares to cause trouble here in the future, we'll be the first to object!"

"Right! We'll guard Big Shot Lin's place!"

More and more players joined the shouting.

"Guard Big Shot Lin!"

"Anyone who dares to mess around, kick them out!"

"Even if the Wild Wolf Gang comes back, don't let them get close!"

Lin Zhe stood where he was, feeling the awe and gratitude constantly gathering around him.

It was a very fine power.

Strand by strand, it flowed into his body.

It wasn't strong.

But it was very steady.

The system panel popped up silently.

[Power of Rules: 2.7%]

[First fetus gestating]

[Current offspring rank: Elite-grade 99%]

[Note: Approaching the threshold of Rare-grade]

Lin Zhe's eyes flickered slightly.

Almost there.

Just a little bit more.

His eldest son would be able to step from Elite-grade into Rare-grade.

And this was only the beginning.

He looked up at the long line of players.

Each of them had been looking at him like a monster just now.

Now, they were afraid they weren't giving gifts fast enough.

Outside the crowd, several figures from the Wild Wolf Gang hid behind an old locust tree, staring this way with ugly expressions.

Lin Zhe glanced over indifferently.

Those few people immediately shrank back behind the tree.

He didn't pursue them, merely withdrawing his gaze.

Xing Jianwan was putting away the bottles of potions and asked in a low voice, "Those people, do you want me to deal with them?"

Lin Zhe looked at the swaying shadows of the trees in the distance, his tone flat.

"No rush."