The game's influence on the player was weak, which was why Divine·Valentine, upon boarding the ship, immediately realized that his good friend had been replaced.
In comparison, Itheri and others had spent two days with Li Changzhou but hadn't harbored the slightest doubt.
The others were also shocked by Yang Qinglan's statement.
Actually asking Divine·Valentine to help Li Changzhou?
"This is just like persuading a black hole to spit out what it has swallowed," Hoho used a metaphor.
Yang Qinglan, as if she hadn't seen everyone's reaction, continued:
"He is currently short of manpower, and attacking Konglu Star will inevitably lead to a protracted war. In a protracted war, more people die. If you join, overwhelming combat power will minimize casualties.
"..." Various people had nothing to say.
"Seeing you help the enemy, perhaps Konglu Star will simply choose to give up and then prepare to lose the Constant Star. If the preparation is adequate, there might not even be any casualties," Yang Qinglan continued.
"...Right, that makes sense!" The Dinosaur Head Warrior pounded his right fist into his left palm.
"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Divine·Valentine looked at Yang Qinglan, "It seems you aren't the ruthless kind of player. If so, why not help me? Maintain the past peace of Konglu Star?"
"We leave, and there will be another," Yang Qinglan walked to Li Changzhou's side, caressed the captain's throne, turned to Divine·Valentine, "Can you stop the IAO? Or better yet—marry him, and this disaster will naturally end."
"Don't talk as if this disaster was caused by me. What did I do wrong? Just because I sing well, am beautiful, and come from a noble family, so all the wrongs in what those men did for me are on me?" Divine·Valentine retorted.
"Of course not," Yang Qinglan said calmly, "but now you want to save Konglu Star, yet have us bear the brunt of mission failure. Is the error on us?"
Without waiting for Divine·Valentine to speak, she continued:
"If you want to save them, you must pay the price—either join us, to lessen their suffering; or join Konglu Star and resist to the end with them, instead of begging us for mercy."
Turquoise Pool laughed, addressing Divine·Valentine:
"Even if you join Konglu Star and repel us, IAO still exists. He will feel more humiliated, more furious. You are a noble member of the Divine Race and a major star, as well as a player. IAO might not be able to do anything to you, but what about Konglu Star?"
Even the three-meter tall waitress thought there was some sense in what the two said.
She turned to look at Divine·Valentine.
Divine·Valentine lifted her eyelashes: "You're overlooking an essential problem—what did the people of Konglu Star do wrong to deserve this disaster?"
"When I was little, I often followed my dad with a shotgun and killed bears. The bears hadn't done anything wrong," Bi, who had been unconcerned and only eating sugar, suddenly spoke up.
Everyone looked at the little girl.
"Remembering this pain prevents greater suffering. If you join us, you can help Konglu remember the lesson while also reducing the cost of that lesson. What do you think?"
People didn't rush to look at Divine·Valentine, instead taking another good look at Yang Qinglan.
"The line from 'That star's woman' was too accurate," Hoho couldn't help but say, "The prettier the woman, the more dangerous."
If it were Turquoise Pool, she would have smiled and thanked him. Unfortunately, it was Yang Qinglan, who didn't even spare a glance as she watched Divine·Valentine.
"Miss Valentine, let's just not bother anymore," suggested the three-meter-tall female attendant.
"No," the person speaking was Yang Qinglan, "Only by helping us can you reduce the casualties on Konglu Star."
...This is too much!
"I asked you to come here to help me, and I guess your task is to assist me as well," Divine·Valentine suddenly said, a bit annoyed.
This was one of the reasons Li Changzhou had been tempted by the concept of "money."
Between him and Yang Qinglan, only one side was destined to complete the task—advance to Immortal after the ship mission, where the "Black Card and White Card Competition" still existed, just without the subway.
"I am here to help you," Yang Qinglan replied, "but does helping a person mean accomplishing what she wants to do?"
"Isn't it?"
"Yes, but have you thought it through? What is it that you truly want to do?" Yang Qinglan gazed at Divine·Valentine.
What is it that you truly want to do? Of course, it's to help Konglu Star avert this disaster.
But what if the disaster is inevitable? What is it that you truly want to do then?
"If I join forces with Konglu Star and help them oppose Li Changzhou, what do you and Qian Xia plan to do?" Divine·Valentine looked intently at Yang Qinglan.
"What do you think my relationship with him is?" Yang Qinglan's jade hand rested on Li Changzhou's shoulder.
"We've been discussing having a child recently," Li Changzhou played with Bi's little hand in his arms.
Bi had the sensation of being a baby.
"Hey, what about me?" Turquoise Pool asked discontentedly.
"Move aside, be serious when we're discussing important matters."
"I even gave you a mirror to bribe other women and win their favor, and you tell me to move aside?"
"..."
Divine·Valentine turned to Li Qianxia: "What about you?"
"Me?" Li Qianxia paused and then said awkwardly, "Well, I'm different from Qing Lan, I'm not a woman whose heart is only filled with men, I do feel sympathy for Konglu Star, but, well—"
She struggled to find the right words, conflicted.
"Sisi," she found a way to express herself, "As a child, I often fought with my brother. Of course, he definitely wouldn't hit me. There was a time he pinned me down on the bed with just one hand. I used all my might, like I was nursing, and he still wouldn't budge, and he could even leisurely eat dried sweet potatoes with his other hand!
"To this day, sometimes before I sleep, I still remember that scene. I'm really furious, feeling like I could never beat him in my whole life, yet I also feel, ah, my brother is truly impressive, and then I fall asleep very peacefully."
"Hold on!" Da Yi shouted, "He pinned you down with one hand, and with the other, he wasn't unzipping his pants but eating dried sweet potatoes?!"
"Worse than a beast!" the Dinosaur Head Warrior said, expressing a sentiment of utter disappointment (this translation is on point).
"I—" Li Qianxia was rendered speechless.
The point wasn't the sweet potatoes... no, wasn't the point that she couldn't beat him? What did it have to do with pants?
"Enough," Divine·Valentine realized it was impossible to have a serious discussion with this group that somehow stayed sane in space.
She first glanced at Yang Qinglan, then said to Li Changzhou, "I'll go with you, but as for what to do, I'll decide when the time comes."
"Tomorrow," Li Changzhou turned Bi's head to face the robot, "Pour the Great Ming star the finest tea."
"Captain! May I have the cup that Sisi has used?!" Da Yi yelled.
"Thanks, but no tea for me," Si's expression remained indifferent.