Welcome to the Nightmare Live

Chapter 126: Is he a born Capitalist?

Joyful music drifted through the air as employees dressed in various costumes danced and hopped along with the music, entering the Kid’s zone. Vehicles adorned with balloons and colorful lights were sandwiched within the group of people, slowly moving forward. Inside these vehicles stood plush animals waving to their surroundings.

Wen Ya dashed forward with Blondie in her arms, coming to a stop before reaching one of the vehicles. Despite her urgency to find Lilith, it didn’t mean that Wen Ya had lost her sense of danger. This instance was of high difficulty; such a high-profile parade couldn’t be entirely harmless.

“Keep an eye out.” Wen Ya’s gaze fell on the parade team, and she lowered her voice, “Immediately let me know if you spot someone matching Lilith’s features. Understood?”

“Understood,” Blondie nodded.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Blondie wobbled his short legs in the air and whispered, “Um, could you maybe put me down for now?”

“Oh, right.”

Wen Ya suddenly remembered that the other person was still in her arm, so she quickly put him down.

After setting him down, she reminded, “If your visibility isn’t sufficient, feel free to tell me. I can carry you.”

Blondie: “…”

Thank you, but I really don’t need that.

This was the kind of vehicle parade that almost all amusement parks had. In regular real-world amusement parks, happy visitors would follow the vehicles, taking photos and interacting with them along the way.

However, in this crisis-filled instance world, the situation was completely reversed. As the instance progressed, there were very few surviving visitors left. All the anchors had intentionally distanced themselves from the advancing vehicles, as if avoiding a plague.

Yet, the employees within the vehicle parade seemed oblivious to this. 

They danced happily to the music, waving their hands at the empty spaces around them, creating an almost eerie atmosphere of joy.

The parade team passed by Wen Ya and Blondie.

Blondie’s gaze swept across the employees in costumes from front to back.

Wen Ya glanced at her watch; there was less than ten minutes left. Her face turned slightly pale.

“Do you need me to take you to the back of the parade?” she asked.

“Not necessary,” Blondie replied.

Blondie’s eyes were fixed on the parade; a faint bead of sweat formed on his forehead. While his talent was visual enhancement, deliberately using it was vastly different from casual observation. Although he was just standing there, he could already take in the entire parade, yet identifying such subtle features within this crowd was still very challenging.

At this moment, his gaze landed on a corner of the parade team, causing him to pause.

“Lift me up,” he said.

Blondie was too focused on his objective to worry about his pride.

“Higher,” he requested.

Wen Ya stepped forward and lifted him.

“Higher,” Blondie insisted.

Wen Ya stretched her arm, raising him above her head.

Despite the training from the instance that had bolstered her stamina beyond that of an average person, lifting a child of several tens of pounds was causing her veins to bulge.

She gritted her teeth.

“Found it!” Blondie exclaimed.

Wen Ya’s eyes lit up. “Where?”

“Over there!” Blondie pointed at the third vehicle, which was not far away. Three plush animals dressed in costumes were on top of it: two cats and a sheep.

“Do you see it? The one on the far right, waving at us!”

With certainty, he declared, “That’s the one you’re looking for!”

Wen Ya’s gaze fixed on the cat, and she trembled with excitement and exhilaration.

Lilith, I’ve finally found you.

In the nightmares, she had lost too much.

Temporary teammates and long-term partners alike would sometimes vanish before her eyes. Sometimes they would complete a single instance, only to return as grayed-out names. Eventually, her emotions and empathy had also been worn away, replaced by a faded and numb sensation.

This was Wen Ya’s first time…

The first time she had a chance to reclaim what was lost. Finally… she could turn a grayed-out name back into a living person.

Lilith.

***

Inside the Frog Food Processing Factory.

“Hello.”

The young man stood with one hand behind his back, elegantly bowing toward the sky. “Clearly, we’ve met more than once.”

Inside the circus tent, when he was spiritually polluted, he had seen these things before.

It seemed they weren’t illusions but rather “real.”

He tilted his head up, his amber eyes sweeping from bottom to top. A hint of a smile graced his lips.

“It’s a great honor.”

The eyes didn’t respond.

They simply stared silently at the human under the blood-red sky. It was as if they were waiting, yet also scrutinizing, creating an almost eerie feeling of being watched by the entire world.

The next moment, a familiar system notification sound rang in Wen Jianyan’s ear:

[Ding!]

[Plot Deviation: 75%, Reward Points: 30000]

The previously stagnant plot deviation surged forward again, increasing by 25%. This speed could almost be described as a rapid leap forward.

Clearly, every action he took now was pushing the entire instance’s plot back toward its original course.

Through the floor-to-ceiling window, Wen Jianyan’s gaze rested on the sky.

“Your park is truly beautiful.”

He praised, “Whether it’s the Fatnasy Amusement Park or the Frog Food Processing Factory, they are all as beautiful as artworks. The entire machinery is built on perfect operational logic, just like an assembly line, manipulating and harvesting all life…”

Wen Ya’s voice subtly paused, the smile at the corner of his lips deepening as he continued with a light tone:

“No, Frog.”

In the  “Integrity First” live broadcast room:

[Damn, this anchor’s speech is something else. He’s practically positioning himself as the manager!]

[I’m truly shocked. This is the first time I’ve seen an anchor in such this situation… F*cking interviewing for the Fantasy Amusement Park’s director! How unexpected!]

[It suddenly makes sense why he skyrocketed to the top of today’s leaderboard out of nowhere. There’s definitely something to it.]

“Since you’ve seen me in the ocean ball pool, you should also know my current situation.”

Wen Jianyan pulled out the recruitment paper from his pocket and elegantly unfolded it:

“Clearly, I’ve already successfully signed the contract to sell myself, becoming a member of your factory’s night shift workers, forever offering my life and enthusiasm to the customers.”

“It’s a done deal, so I might as well find a more comfortable spot for myself on this ship.”

He lifted his eyes, and the amber eyes reflected the blood-colored sky, as if blood melted into a pale honey color: “I will prove my worth to you and hope to gain your favor and trust.”

“Your factory has been completely formed; the entire operation process is highly efficient, nearly flawless, but not without any loopholes.” Wen Jianyan pointed to himself and sighed lightly:

“Otherwise, I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you.”

“As a machine, your factory is efficient and convenient, but within this vast machine, there is an element that is the least controllable, and that’s humans.”

Under the gaze of the blood-colored pupils, the young man smiled and pulled out the note he had found on the pirate ship from his pocket:

“Perhaps you’ve already noticed that some humans have seen through the disguise in the amusement park and started trying to find the truth inside the park. Clearly, he’s come very close… otherwise, I wouldn’t have found a way in through his notes.”

“Humans are difficult to control beings; they will always be the unpredictable element in a perfect system. Although they fear death, strangely, sometimes even under the threat of death, the allure of truth and freedom becomes stronger. It might even make them give up immediate, easily attainable benefits.”

“The amusement park always needs more employees and customers; humans are an indispensable part of our park. So, if you want to maintain the efficient operation of the park, you need to find a way to nip this imperfect element in the bud.”

“Interestingly, in a certain sense, humans are quite easy to control.”

“Let’s categorize the employees in your park into three groups: the first group is the oblivious daytime workers. They work in your park, receive high economic compensation, and know nothing about what’s really happening in the park. The second group is the cleaning staff; they have been polluted but still hold value. They engage in crucial transportation work within the park, almost like the hub of an assembly line. The third group is the night shift workers; they are completely your slaves, carrying out tasks at your command.”

“In this system, the most challenging to control are the employees between the first and second groups. They realize there’s something wrong with the park, but they don’t know where the issue stems from. They understand that everything is beyond their control and that their lives are in danger, yet they don’t know how to break free. In this situation, the employees become uncontrollable, and something dangerous emerges: free will.”

“Actually, the old methods can solve this problem.”

“The boiling frog method.” Wen Jianyan used a clever pun.

“Making them not realize the danger is difficult, but feeding them lies is simple.”

“Lies are poisonous honey; they can immerse humans in fantasies of comfort until escape is no longer possible.”

“Firstly, instill in them a poisonous sense of heroism. Make them believe they are dedicating themselves to a nobler goal and contributing to all of humanity. They are the final barrier against danger, the frontline fighters against both danger and the divine, leading them to generate a false sense of sacrifice towards the wrong targets.”

“Secondly, offer them the possibility of leaving. Though we know they can never leave, they don’t need to know that. Just dangle a carrot in front of a donkey; they’ll think that someday in the future, they’ll get to eat it.”

Wen Jianyan smiled, the sincerity of the smile evident in his eyes:

“For instance, you can give them points or coupons symbolizing a way out. Just collect enough, and you can redeem your own soul. As long as they do their work well, someday they’ll be able to leave this place.”

In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:

[?]

[??]

[??? This approach? Wait, why does it seem so familiar?]

“Of course, we can’t take the first and third group employees lightly either. The first group is a breeding ground for risks. We can establish a reporting mechanism of mutual exposure among them.”

“We can allow those who know nothing to leave, implanting the illusion of this place before they depart, enticing even more humans to come.”

“Although the third group employees have no possibility of betrayal left, their enthusiasm as permanent slaves is hard to ensure. So, we can implement profit-sharing through stock ownership, involving them in the management of our factory. Tempt them with promises of eternal life or pleasures in the afterlife, raising their work enthusiasm…”

In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:

[…]

[…Wow, just a moment ago, you were cursing the amusement park, and now you’re being more ruthless than anyone!]

[Are you a born capitalist?]

[Wait! What’s the anchor doing? Look at his hands behind his back!]

From the moment Wen Jianyan started bowing, his palms naturally rested behind him, never to be seen again.

His fingers were slender and nimble. From the concealed cuff, he produced a metal paperclip, pricking his index finger and drawing blood. Drop by drop, the fresh blood oozed from the wound, falling precisely onto the mirror fragment framed by the Ouroboros.

The black shadow stirred silently, sucking, gradually growing stronger under the nourishment and feeding of the blood.

[Ding]

[Plot Deviation: 85%, Reward Points: 20000]

“My master, your fantasy amusement park needs a reform-minded manager.”

As Wen Jianyan continued to nonchalantly feed his former master, his gaze cleverly addressed the pairs of eyes in the blood-red sky, bowing in submission.

The smile at the corner of his lips was respectful and devout:

“Trust me, I will be your most loyal employee and the most useful follower.”

In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:

[?]

[??]

[F*ck? Such manipulative talk??]

[Hahahaha, this is too familiar! You’re saying the same damn thing as you told the previous evil god!!!]

The author has something to say: 

Wen Jianyan: I have unique skills as a backstabber.

Stabbing a god every day gives me new experiences every time!