Chapter 373: Duan Someone's Business Philosophy

After her victory, the Magician showed no signs of joy.

She simply gave an elegant bow, a final display of composure for her former opponent, before turning to leave.

The Magician’s fondness stemmed from the pressure her opponents put on her. The stronger the opponent and the greater the pressure, the more she liked them.

But once victory was achieved, that fondness would turn to indifference, and the thrill would vanish completely.

Back in her office, the Magician turned on the TV and saw that their puppet had already begun his inauguration speech.

According to his proposal, they would next impose economic restrictions on the Merlin Branch, including but not limited to tax hikes, limits on the number of companies, and forced breakups.

Things had reached a point of no return.

Celebratory flowers filled the office and a bottle of champagne sat on the table, but victory had rendered it all tasteless.

Though she had no appetite for it, she opened the champagne anyway. She stood alone by the window, gazing at the brightly lit city before her, and sank into the emptiness that followed her triumph.

As if in response to her loneliness, she saw the distant lights begin to go out.

First, it was just the city’s outer rings. Then, the lights went out circle by circle, plunging the entire city into darkness.

Next, vehicles on the streets began to stop, their Energy running out—something that hadn’t happened once in the past half-month.

Seeing this, the Magician’s mind raced, and she suddenly understood.

The appliances in the room began to shut down. Everything that required Energy from the Tesla Tower ceased to function. The only thing still working was the television.

On the screen, the new mayor had been pushed aside, replaced by Duan Fei and his companions.

“I’m very sorry to inform you all, but we’re leaving,” Duan Fei said, wiping away non-existent tears. “Since we are about to be treated unfairly, we’ve decided to get out of here. For how long, we can’t say for sure.”

“Before we go, we will be shutting down our Tesla Tower. All Energy supply will be cut. But don’t worry, you still have your app. This was your choice, and I have no right to interfere.”

“Finally, let me be blunt. Are you all stupid? The Energy industry is this important, and you just give it up? You thought you could make us hand over real power without having any leverage? Maybe your brains are full of water, but mine isn’t. Even though you’re all just a bunch of NPCs, I still have to say it: you’re hopelessly dumb.”

“Alright, that’s all. Go on, keep using your app. Oh, wait, I forgot. Without Energy, you can’t even turn on your phones. Hope you get used to life without them before you can find a power bank. Bye-bye!”

After he said this, the power to the television was cut, too.

The last light in the entire city came from the Tesla Tower in the city center, but even that spire, which pierced the clouds, was slowly shutting down.

Only then did the Magician understand Duan Fei’s true intentions, but it was too late.

Unlike their pleasure-focused product, the app, the Energy Duan Fei provided was something far more fundamental and essential.

Back when Duan Fei chose the path of Energy, they had mocked him for picking such a thankless route.

After all, software was so much simpler. You could just modify what already existed to create an aura of sophistication and prestige.

But now that it had come to this, she realized just how naive she had been.

Energy was Energy. No matter where you were, it was the most important thing.

Sighing deeply, the Magician sank into her lounge chair, trying to retrace her steps and figure out where she had gone wrong.

‘Perhaps I was wrong from the moment I got my priorities backward.’

Just then, the door was pushed open. The Acrobat appeared at the entrance, his expression grave. “Magician, our puppet mayor has been impeached.”

“It’s only been a few hours. Are those NPCs really that fast?”

“Yes. What do we do now?”

“There’s nothing we can do. Duan Fei’s mayor will take office and start coming after us. People can’t live without Energy, but an app is all too replaceable. Duan Someone could even take our app, slap a new skin on it, and all the groundwork we laid will become his.”

“Then we…”

“A loss is a loss. Let’s just leave. It’s a more dignified way to lose. Now, get out. I need some quiet.”

After the Acrobat left, the Magician took another sip of champagne.

The champagne that had tasted so bland just moments ago was now sweet again.

And the emotion in her heart, which she thought had died, was rekindled at this very moment.

The emotion, rekindled from the ashes, burned hotter than before, filling her with even more joy. Hugging her own shoulders, she trembled and said, “Duan Someone, you truly are a worthy opponent.”

The next day, the Knight Order’s puppet mayor stepped down, and Merlin’s puppet mayor took office.

Then, the Tesla Tower came back online, and Energy returned.

Afterward, the new mayor announced sanctions against the Knight Order’s app. A new app would appear to replace the original.

On the fifth day, members of the Knight Order launched a series of suicide attacks, but the Law Enforcer team appeared in time to nip everything in the bud.

Not long after, the Knight Order filed for bankruptcy and departed in disgrace.

And Merlin, in the end, had the last laugh.

Taking off his helmet, Duan Fei got up in the Merlin office and stretched his body. ‘This scenario was pretty decent,’ he thought.

‘Even though I never figured out what my Talent was this time, it was fun, and that’s all that matters. No need to worry about the rest.’

In contrast to his easygoing attitude, Merlin, who was in charge of liaising with him, had a conflicted expression on his face.

This Great Mage was already several hundred years old. Although he updated his brain annually to keep from becoming too rigid, he still couldn’t accept such bizarre player thinking.

It wasn’t just him. All the Great Mages and their assistants had the same thought when they reviewed the players’ actions.

“These Descenders… are just too weird.”

They seemed to have no bottom line when they did things, yet at other times they showed a surprising amount of conscience. It was like dealing with Demons and Angels appearing at random, leaving them completely baffled as to how to interact with the Descenders.

The more they analyzed, the stranger it became. Their contradictory behavior made it impossible to summarize their personalities, so in the end, they could only have Merlin make the final inquiry.

Avoiding his still-sleeping granddaughter, Merlin invited Duan Fei to the balcony, personally poured him a drink, and asked, “Duan Someone, thank you for helping us obtain ownership of the city’s shops. The Merlin Company extends its gratitude. From now on, we will provide you with goods from our stores free of charge, and all your requests will be given top priority.”

“Oh, thanks. Is there anything else?”

“Yes, one question. How are we supposed to do business with you Descenders?”

“You’ve come to the right person for that,” Duan Fei said with certainty. “It has to be unique.”