121: Chapter 121 Why didn't you answer the phone!

"Defense." Lei Lie's voice was deep. "The settlements are scattered across the fields without a unified city wall for protection. If we encounter an enemy attack, how will we defend?"

This question made the Council Hall go quiet for a moment.

"We still need a city wall," Zhou Yun nodded, "but we can use a different construction method."

He turned his head to look at Elder Tie: "Elder Tie, what do you think if we line up psychic small jianmu to form an inner wall, and then build a layer of stone as an outer wall?"

Elder Tie was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up: "The hardness of Little Jianmu is even stronger than obsidian; even a Bronze Rank axe can't cut through it. It's more than enough for an inner wall! Plus, it's alive; if it gets damaged, it can grow back on its own!"

"The outer wall doesn't need to be too thick," Zhou Yun continued, "it's mainly to block fire attacks. Prioritize height; the thickness can be appropriately reduced, which will also shorten the construction time."

Lei Lie's brows relaxed slightly, but he was clearly still deducing more detailed defensive deployments.

"The crown and branches of the Little Jianmu can grow into watchtowers," Zhou Yun added finally. "Battle platforms for Archers and mages can also grow directly from the trees. The inner wall itself is a defensive fortification."

Lei Lie pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded: "If we also coordinate with the rapid assembly capability of the Hongdao Array... the garrison of each settlement can converge on any node under attack within half an hour."

He raised his head, his gaze sharp: "It's possible. But the patrol system needs to be redesigned; I... need some time."

"I trust you with it." Zhou Yun smiled.

The atmosphere in the Council Hall warmed up again. Several ministers gathered around Elder Tie's blueprints, pointing and gesturing, their voices growing louder. Strategist Zhu Ge had, at some point, pulled the bamboo slips from his sleeve and was whispering to Wan'er about the node layout of the Hongdao Array.

Zhou Yun leaned back in his chair and picked up his tea, which had already gone cold. Just as he brought it to his lips—

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

He was slightly taken aback, put down the teacup, and reached out to pull out his phone.

The screen lit up. What popped up wasn't a message, but an incoming call request.

WeChat voice call.

From Wang Shuai.

The noise in the Council Hall continued; no one noticed Zhou Yun's actions.

He looked down at the green icon pulsing on the screen, his thumb resting above the answer button, unmoving.

The smile on his face faded bit by bit.

...

Qing City. City Lord's Mansion.

Wang Shuai stared at his phone screen, took a deep breath, and tapped the voice call button.

Beep— beep— beep—

The waiting screen lasted for nearly half a minute.

The green ripples expanded and retracted in circles; no one answered.

Then the screen went dark: "The other party has hung up."

Wang Shuai licked his dry lips and tapped the call button again.

This time, the wait was shorter.

After a dozen seconds, it hung up.

The muscles in his jaw tightened.

His thumb landed on the call button for the third time.

The screen lit up and immediately went out.

Disconnected in a second.

Wang Shuai's chest heaved violently twice. He switched to the input box, his fingers tapping rapidly on the screen:

[Why won't you answer the phone!!]

Less than three seconds after the message was sent, the other side replied.

[Don't want to.]

Wang Shuai slammed his fist onto the table with such force that the teapot lid bounced up and fell back down, making a crisp porcelain clinking sound.

He closed his eyes, forcefully suppressing the surging anger, and started typing again.

The speed of his fingers on the screen slowed down; every word seemed weighed:

[You're afraid, aren't you?]

This reply also came very quickly.

[I just don't like to.]

Wang Shuai stared at those three words for several seconds, his mouth twitching.

He changed his posture, leaned back in the chair, and started typing a longer message:

[You're feeling guilty, aren't you! You deliberately had Old Dao spread rumors in my city, thinking I wouldn't know? Let me tell you, the people spreading the rumors have already been caught by me!]

Send!

The other side was silent for a little while.

Then four words floated up:

[You shouldn't have done that.]

Wang Shuai sneered.

This was the reaction he was waiting for—feeling guilty, right? Exposed, right?

His fingers tapped rapidly on the screen again:

[Don't you think it's ridiculous to have them spread rumors everywhere that your Flower City has sixty thousand Professionals?]

This reply came very quickly, with only five words:

[That is indeed not quite right.]

Wang Shuai raised an eyebrow, the sneer at the corner of his mouth finally relaxing.

Sure enough, he was feeling guilty!

He couldn't even back up his own bluff, could he?

His tone when typing became a little lighter:

[You know that too?]

The reply from the other side was almost instantaneous:

[It's not sixty thousand; it's one hundred thousand.]

Wang Shuai's fingers froze above the screen.

He stared at that line of text, his expression solidifying bit by bit, as if someone had poured a layer of wax over his face.

After a long while, he suddenly laughed.

It wasn't a sneer, but the kind of laugh where one tries hard to convince oneself that "this is very funny."

He even let out a "haha" sound, laughed twice, then looked down to type, his fingers tapping quickly and forcefully:

[Stop with this flashy nonsense! If you had that capability, you would have already attacked!]

After sending it, he paused for two seconds, then typed another paragraph:

[I'll give you a chance. For the sake of us being classmates, hand over the city lord seal, and on the day of the decisive battle, I can spare you once.]

He stared at the screen for a while and felt it wasn't enough.

After hesitating for a moment, he continued typing:

[You should know how deep the strength of my Wang Group is. If you give in, I don't mind taking you under my wing. As for the city lord seal, I can return it to you at that time.]

Send.

The screen went quiet.

A minute passed, no reply.

Two minutes, no reply.

Wang Shuai gripped his phone, stood up from his chair, and paced back and forth in the study.

His footsteps were steady at first, but gradually he walked faster and faster, as if being chased by something.

He kept glancing at the screen.

At the bottom of the chat box remained the message he had sent, with a blank space below it.

Five minutes.

He's thinking about it, right?

He must be seriously considering it.

After all, the terms were generous enough; he promised to return the city lord seal, and the resources of the Wang Group were laid out.

As long as Zhou Yun wasn't a fool, he should know this was the best way out—

The phone vibrated.

Wang Shuai almost snatched the screen open.

Two messages, less than a second apart:

[I was busy with something just now.]

[Also, thanks for the pie, but I'm full.]

When Wang Shuai finished reading the first message, the color had already drained from his face.

When he finished reading the second one, he froze in place, as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water over his head.

He had spent five minutes weighing his words, turning things over in his mind, and pacing back and forth waiting.

The other party had just been busy with other things.

Even the terms he had carefully thrown out were only worth a "thanks for the pie."

"Bang!"

The desk was kicked over.

The teapot, pen holder, and inkstone rolled all over the floor with a clatter, and ink splattered into a shocking black stain on the bluestone floor.

Wang Shuai stood in the middle of the mess, his chest heaving violently, his teeth gnashing together.

He looked down at his phone, his thumb trembling as he poked at the screen for a long time, typing out five words:

[Then we'll see each other on the battlefield!]

After sending it, he threw the phone hard onto the ground, turned around, braced his hands against the wall, and pressed his forehead against the cold stone surface.

His shoulders were heaving.

It was unclear if he was gasping for air or laughing.