Chapter 50: The Terrifying Big Pineapple
"Two old yinbis?"
Su Xiao could basically confirm that this young girl hadn't come to assassinate him.
"Yeah, two old yinbis. Red Jester and Kurolo have teamed up. They're preparing to launch a major attack on the auction house. From what I overheard, it seems they want to kill the same person."
The person Jester and the regiment leader wanted to kill was, of course, Su Xiao. Weini didn't know this yet; she only knew that Su Xiao held a high position within the Ten Old Men's organization, which was why she came to him seeking cooperation.
"So it's those two joining forces."
Su Xiao vaguely sensed trouble. Neither Jester nor the regiment leader was easy to deal with, and together they would be even more troublesome.
"That's basically the situation. If you need proof, I can provide it. Not just me, but aside from Jester, most contractors will be moving toward the auction house. If the auction can't proceed, no one can escape the penalty of -3 to all attributes."
Weini stared intently at Su Xiao, a faint sense of unease rising in her heart.
"Cooperation, Jester, regiment leader, unknown creatures..."
Su Xiao now understood the situation. Jester and the regiment leader had allied, wielding not only the regiment's own combat power but also a large number of unknown creatures.
"If we cooperate, intelligence sharing is the most basic condition. What are those unknown creatures?"
Su Xiao looked at Weini with a smile. She had probably come to him out of desperation.
A special grenade suddenly appeared in Weini's fair little hand. This grenade was quite large, resembling a pineapple in shape.
"Hey, I just came to cooperate with you. Don't stare at me like that; it's giving me goosebumps. What, are you trying to get with me? If not, then you must be planning to kill me."
Weini raised her arm, her hairs standing on end. The distance was too close.
"I just thought of something."
Su Xiao spoke as he slowly drew the Dragon-Slaying Flash.
"What?"
"About that sniper shot you took at me before... it's really surprising that you dare to show up in front of me. That shot felt pretty good, didn't it?"
The moment Su Xiao finished speaking, Weini pulled the pin on the pineapple grenade in her hand.
"Look, to show sincerity, I should probably flash some skin, but if you take one more step closer, I'll let go."
Weini raised the pineapple grenade. Though it looked unremarkable, it made Su Xiao feel threatened.
"See for yourself."
Weini sent a short video clip through the Reincarnation Mark. Su Xiao opened it, watched the forty-second clip, and sheathed the Dragon-Slaying Flash.
"What time are Jester and the others attacking?"
"Nine o'clock sharp, right when the auction starts. Jester's brain must be fried. If the mission fails, he'll also suffer the -3 to all attributes penalty. Damn it."
Weini stomped her foot in frustration. What she didn't know was that this was exactly the style of violators.
Violators didn't care about completing main missions. Aside from the penalty of forced execution, they would endure any other punishment, as they had other ways to gain benefits.
For example, if Red Jester razed the auction house, causing the auction to fail, he would also be penalized.
But Jester didn't care about that. He had other ways to compensate for the -3 to all attributes penalty, and there would be even greater gains afterward.
While Jester reaped rewards, all contractors in the Hunter world would suffer. This was precisely why Reincarnation Paradise had Su Xiao hunt down violators.
Reincarnation Paradise's purpose was unclear, but from its many actions, it seemed to be making contractors stronger so they could complete more dangerous missions.
Based on Su Xiao's speculation, Reincarnation Paradise likely profited when contractors executed missions. The two sides had a good symbiotic relationship, which was why Reincarnation Paradise wouldn't issue suicidal missions.
Violators broke this balance. They not only screwed over contractors but also indirectly harmed Reincarnation Paradise. If not for the rules binding it, Reincarnation Paradise would directly execute violators. That was why hunters were created—to eliminate violators within the rules.
Reincarnation Paradise wouldn't intervene in conflicts between contractors, as it was a form of survival of the fittest. But when violators directly interfered with contractors completing missions, that was something Reincarnation Paradise couldn't tolerate.
Red Jester must have done something that broke the rules, otherwise the blue-haired girl's main mission wouldn't have suddenly changed. The change in the main mission had put all contractors on the same side.
"I refuse to form an alliance, but I won't stop you from fighting Red Jester or kick you out of the auction house."
Su Xiao wasn't used to close cooperation with contractors; it risked exposing his identity.
"So it's every man for himself? Hmm, good. That's actually what I wanted too. We've been enemies before, so neither of us would trust the other with our backs. Just let me set up defenses in the auction house."
"Deal."
"Deal."
Weini extended her fair hand, as if to shake, but her other hand still held the pineapple grenade.
Su Xiao also reached out. Weini bared her neat, white teeth and smiled slyly.
"Never mind. Close contact with a melee expert like you isn't a pleasant experience. What if you get any funny ideas and pin me down?"
Weini reinserted the pin on the pineapple grenade and carefully put it away.
"What is that thing?"
Su Xiao was curious. That 'grenade' in her hand could actually threaten him.
Just as she was about to put away the large pineapple grenade, Weini perked up.
"This?" She waved the pineapple grenade. "It's my original creation, the Big Pineapple PST3. Uh, to put it simply, it's a hydrogen bomb compressed with spatial technology. Pull the pin, release the safety valve, and it goes... boom. You, me, and most of Yorknew City would disappear."
Weini giggled, her face slightly flushed.
Su Xiao raised an eyebrow. There really were no normal people in the regiment within Reincarnation Paradise. If he had drawn his blade just now, this girl would have unhesitatingly taken them both out.
"Would I have come to talk to you without being sure? I'm going to set up turrets at the high ground. Also, that sniper cannon you used isn't romantic at all. Caliber is justice. Caliber!"
Weini walked toward the door, glanced sideways at Bubu Wang, and winked at him.
Bubu Wang tilted his head back and gave Weini a Wang of contempt.
"Eh~"
Weini's hand froze on the door handle. She had been looked down upon by a 'husky.'
"Were you just looking down on me? You were, weren't you?"
Bubu Wang turned his dog head away, his gaze clearly saying: "Yeah, I was looking down on you. So what?"
"Eh~"
Weini glanced at Su Xiao, then at Bubu Wang.
"A cold guy and a husky. What kind of combo is that? Unbelievable. Oh, by the way, my name is Weini."
Weini left the room. Though being looked down on by a 'husky' was a bit annoying, she had achieved her goal: participating in the defense of the auction house.
At nine o'clock in the evening, Jester and the regiment leader would attack the auction house. The exact method of attack couldn't be confirmed yet, but the possibility of them using heavy weapons could be ruled out.
The reason was simple: if they dared to bomb a densely populated city like Yorknew, they wouldn't live long. Organizations like the Hunter Association and the V5 would hunt them down, and being torn to pieces would be the best outcome.
The Hunter world had a rule: no mass slaughter of civilians. Once a certain number was killed, the V5 organization would step in. This was a lesson learned by contractors who had paid with their blood.