Grid Tower (The Dominator) Chapter Eighty-six: Humans Who Cannot Understand Each Other

The Bee Division was a peculiar department within the Butterfly Organization—internally rife with fierce competition, yet outwardly presenting a united front. Anyone who defeated the Queen Bee would assume her position as the new monarch. Nearly every Queen Bee ascended to her throne by stepping over the corpse of her predecessor. The same applied to every other rank; defeat your superior in an open and honest contest, and the position was yours. Seniority and personal connections counted for nothing here.

It was a rather ruthless environment, but if one disregarded the deaths and underhanded tricks, there was little to find fault with. In most places, seniority and personal ties mattered more than ability because trustworthiness was paramount. After all, if a newcomer was immediately entrusted with a high position and then defected with sensitive information, what then?

But for reasons unknown, this concern did not exist within the Bees. Considering the mental assimilation of the neighboring Ant Division, it seemed likely the Bees were not entirely aboveboard either. The Butterfly Organization always had a streak of the uncanny about it, which was why Wu Hui had yet to decide whether he should truly join them.

There were, after all, only five Level 13 players in the world: one a lone wolf, another the Chessmaster of the Chessboard Organization, and the rest belonged to the Tribunal, the Butterfly, and an American-based power called Palman. The leader of Palman called himself the Brain, and his subordinates were divided into units named after body parts: Ears, Tongues, Hands, and so forth.

To be honest, from what Wu Hui had gathered on the forums and from his sister, Palman was no better than the Butterfly Organization—perhaps even worse, and much farther away besides. As for the Tribunal, it was simply too restrictive. Thus, Wu Hui decided to remain with the Butterfly for now, especially since the Spider Division still had a relatively normal reputation.

He was, however, a bit worried about Wu Tong, who was in the Bee Division.

The Tribunal, it was true, maintained strict discipline. After failing to get a response from Wu Tong, Deng Ruqi had simply left without causing Wu Hui further trouble. This had surprised Wu Hui somewhat.

In reality, Deng Ruqi had been summoned by his superiors—disturbances had broken out along the nearby coast, and although Deng Ruqi was loath to go, he had no choice. At least he wouldn’t risk his life for it.

Li Xiaoyue sidled up to Wu Hui and, feeling the coolness radiating from him, refused to leave his side. Remembering that they’d already hugged and kissed the other night, she saw no reason to be reserved any longer and simply clung to him.

“Sis, don’t stick to Wu Hui so much—you two barely know each other,” Li Xiaojing protested, forcibly pulling her sister away. “Don’t you prefer reading under the sunshade?”

“You brute!” Li Xiaoyue, slight as she was, was utterly powerless against her younger sister.

Come to think of it, neither of the sisters had interacted with Wu Hui all that much on their own. Their current high levels of affection—scoring in the eighties or nineties—were partly thanks to the suspension bridge effect and partly due to their shared memories and emotions stacking atop each other.

Wu Hui made no comment on their antics.

“Almighty Wu Hui, please help us!” cried the eldest of his roommates, running over. “The time has come for you to step in!”

Wu Hui’s expression didn’t change as he looked at him. What kind of tone was that?

“To defend the honor of Dorm 502 in Building D, you must help us! If this goes on, we’ll lose to those elementary schoolers!”

So, not only are you competing with kids in building sandcastles—you’re actually about to lose? Wu Hui was baffled.

Surveying the beach, he saw the uneven mounds his roommates had made and compared them to the orderly cluster of cylindrical buildings the children had constructed. The difference was obvious.

How had his friends managed to be this incompetent?

Honestly, even winning against elementary schoolers would be embarrassing. Wu Hui had no desire to get involved. But when faced with three desperate roommates pleading at once, he could only sigh inwardly and, maintaining his indifferent demeanor, squat down to help them build.

He quickly abandoned the notion of mere sandcastles; under his direction, the four of them built a miniature city out of sand, easily outclassing their competition in both scale and artistry.

His three roommates then strutted over to the children, puffed up with pride.

“See, kids? That’s what adults are capable of!”

“Hmph, as long as we take it seriously, you elementary schoolers don’t stand a chance.”

“Exactly!”

Wu Hui truly couldn’t be bothered with them. The children, though a bit disgruntled, left without protest. In truth, they displayed much better manners than his three friends.

By now, dusk had fallen, and it was time for dinner. On the beach, people gathered around bonfires, grilling meat. It was quite hot, prompting Li Xiaoyue to sidle up to Wu Hui once more for his cooling presence.

Li Xiaojing had long since given up trying to restrain her. After the recent events, her sister had become even more lovestruck than herself—everything Li Xiaoyue had once teased her for could now be thrown right back at her.

Their telepathic communication continued non-stop, and even during the barbecue, they would occasionally jab each other with skewers.

Wu Hui, meanwhile, received plenty of offerings of food, once again drawing envious glances from his roommates.

Suddenly, Wu Hui gazed into the distance.

No longer swimming, he had put on his glasses again.

Ren Yin noticed as well. A fight was breaking out somewhere, yet Li Xiaoyue and Li Xiaojing seemed completely oblivious, their guard utterly down.

“Observe for now,” Wu Hui said through the psychic link Li Xiaoyue had created. “As long as they don’t approach, we can ignore it.”

Changqing City was indeed restless lately; with so many players around, conflict was inevitable. But with the Tribunal maintaining order and the Butterfly Organization assisting, things remained generally stable. Large organizations like these cooperated with the authorities, and Cocoon Corporation was now a military supplier for the United Human Government.

As for troublemakers like the Gothic Troupe, ever since the Queen Bee and the Tribunal’s Level 12 player Iron Hand had arrived, they’d kept their heads down.

So, what could be causing a fight near the beach now? Judging by the commotion, it was probably only mid-level players, nothing to be concerned about for the moment.

Wu Hui looked around at his companions and decided not to leave early. He had to admit it wasn’t the most rational choice, but finding a suitable excuse to make everyone leave wasn’t easy either.

Ren Yin nodded in understanding.

At a nearby spot, the elementary schoolers were also having a barbecue. The roommates announced that they’d rented tents and planned to camp nearby for the night.

Hmm… probably not the best idea, especially for ordinary people like them. Tonight, for some reason, the sea breeze was weak, making the air humid and stifling.

Of course, Wu Hui was unfazed by heat or humidity.

There were three tents, each accommodating three people. The girls would obviously share one, so one of the boys had to sleep alone. Wu Hui volunteered for the solo tent.

The tents were close enough that they could see the lights glowing in one another’s shelters.

Li Xiaojing clung tightly to her sister to prevent her from sneaking off to Wu Hui at night. Li Xiaoyue insisted she wasn’t that obsessed and wouldn’t try a midnight visit, but her sister was having none of it.

Telepathy was truly a nuisance. Li Xiaoyue ground her teeth in frustration.

Ren Yin remained silent by their side.

Wu Hui, however, had already left his tent, donning all his gear as he walked along the shore.

Not far away, a shadow emerged from the sea.

P.S. This is the third update of the day. Honestly, the author is probably most like that roommate whom Wu Hui regards with a look reserved for idiots.