In Baiguo City, Rank Studio.
Lauren stood by the window, her gaze absent as she murmured to herself, "The number one player in Infinite Dimensions—just a week ago, he was still one of my subordinates. It's really laughable. What did I even do for fate to play such a joke on me?"
"Um... Lauren, is there something you need to discuss with me?" Charles's voice came from behind her.
Lauren snapped out of her thoughts and turned to see him. Her lips twitched, unsure of what to say.
"Charles... my Charles, you're putting me in a very awkward position!" Lauren said with a smile that barely concealed her frustration. She was about to snap at him when Charles did something that made her hold her tongue.
Lauren's gaze shifted downwards, where she saw Charles standing upright with a serious look on his face, kneeling in front of her with great form. His posture was impeccable, the kind of thing he had clearly practiced many times.
"You've left me speechless. The way you're kneeling is just perfect—did you rehearse it privately?" Lauren asked awkwardly.
Charles had been working for her for five or six years, known for his competence in handling things. Who would've guessed he'd ruin her big plans over something so small?
"I... I deserve to die a thousand deaths! I have elderly parents and young children, please don't fire me!" Charles started crying, his voice breaking as he poured out his troubles.
He was a clever man, and as Orson's rise to power in Infinite Dimensions became more obvious, Charles knew that he was entirely to blame for what had happened. He was the one who had driven Orson away, and now, everything had turned on its head.
"Uh... Orson... didn't Boss Lin say he'd sell us a stronghold for cheap?" Charles hesitated, still trying to hold onto a shred of hope.
Lauren's face darkened immediately. "What are you talking about? He's the king of Infinite Dimensions now! Even with Dragon's Kiss Guild and SSR teaming up, they can't take him down. Do you really think he'd care about us, the minnows?"
"Well... yesterday I went to his place to talk about his sister, but when I got there... I found he had... moved out." Charles said, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. Seeing the change in Lauren's expression, he didn't dare continue.
Lauren felt as though she might burst into tears. If Orson were still at the studio...
She didn't even dare think about how glorious her life could've been if things had gone differently. Those capitalists who once looked down on her would probably be begging to kiss her feet now.
But alas, there was no "what if."
With a sigh, Lauren set aside her brief moment of naive hope. She understood now that someone like Orson was not just another player in the game. Even if he hadn't clashed with Charles, it was hard to imagine keeping him around.
"Guess it's time to tighten the belt, reduce outflow, and start running gold farming teams in shifts," she murmured, shaking her head. The number of small studios like hers in Infinite Dimensions was in the thousands. With her limited funds, trying to buy a stronghold was nothing but a pipe dream.
Her phone on the desk vibrated, and Lauren waved Charles away with a tired gesture.
"The Luanmo Stronghold is yours now. I've sent the ownership certificate to your email," came a cold voice from the other side.
"You, you, you are…?" Lauren froze, her hairs standing on end. Her heart raced as she scrambled to check the phone contact—"Orson!"
"Have Charles make the transfer. Three million. And I still think that year-end bonus is something I'm entitled to," Orson's voice continued. After a brief pause, he added with a hint of amusement, "Also, I'm done with you, Boss Liu."
"What are you saying? We're friends, right?" Lauren chuckled awkwardly, trying to play it off.
"Don't mention the three million year-end bonus, thirty million wouldn't be out of the question," Orson said, his tone casual but with an underlying seriousness.
The surprise was overwhelming. Lauren felt a rush of excitement, but also an awkward laugh as her fingers trembled in disbelief.
"Forget the bonus, I'm grateful for the job you've given me these past years," Orson said, his tone now calm and composed.
Charles and he may have had their differences, but that didn't change the fact that Rank Studio had taken him in after the match-fixing scandal, when no one else would touch him. It was a favor, and though Orson had his complaints about being exploited, the fact remained.
As for Charles's care for Sienna's surgery, Orson decided to let the Luanmo Stronghold go to Lauren as a return favor.
"Let's chat some other time. I'm still busy," Orson said, before hanging up.
Lauren's tone completely changed when speaking to him. The difference in status was clear—Orson had the power to command respect, while she was left stammering in awkward gratitude.
Back at Bone Dragon Stronghold, Orson tossed Bradley two thousand gold and instructed him to tally the contributions of each member to distribute the rewards according to the previously agreed-upon plan. The rest of the gold would be used as a welfare bonus for the guild.
"Iron Cavalry: Time for a speed battle, time to test your luck! As the number one knight, I declare long live the boss!" Iron Cavalry declared dramatically.
Bradley rolled his eyes. "I'm just here wondering who the hell kept shouting about splitting off from the guild."
Iron Cavalry, undeterred, continued with an exaggerated expression, "Godslayer's glory, brother here to protect it! To the death, to eternity!"
The rest of the guild quickly drowned him out with jeers, ignoring him completely as they focused on the guild's first red envelope—1000 gold coins, with one million votes attached.
As soon as the announcement was made, everyone rushed to click on the red envelope in the chat, eager to collect as much as they could. Some even tried to open multiple envelopes at once.
After the excitement died down, Madman approached Orson with a serious expression, followed by Bradley, both clearly puzzled by Orson's decision to sell the stronghold.
"I still don't get it," Madman said, his tone urgent. "Why sell such an important asset? Aren't these strongholds crucial to our success?"
Orson calmly explained, "It's simple. Small strongholds are useless to us. Even if we control every stronghold in the first battlefield, they're just a waste of resources."
Madman furrowed his brow. "But didn't you hear? Each stronghold contains important dungeon entrances."
"You're talking about the underground ruins, right? But every player can only enter once a day," Orson replied with a slight smile.
The bigger the guild's stronghold, the more resources the guild could gather from the ruins. However, owning too many strongholds would spread resources too thin.
"The Bone Dragon Stronghold is the most valuable of all the strongholds. But managing multiple strongholds dilutes our focus. Having one major one is better."
Madman considered this for a moment. "But think about it, Orson. Having multiple strongholds means we can have more guild members. The larger the guild, the more we can field in battle, and that's a huge advantage."
Orson nodded. "I understand your concerns. But don't worry. The Bone Dragon Stronghold is by far the most valuable. And once a certain project is completed, we'll need a lot of funding. A few billion gold might not even be enough."
"Are you serious? That place is just a large stronghold; what's so special about it?" Bradley asked, confused.
"You all forgot the official description of the stronghold battle, didn't you?" Orson grinned, looking at the two of them.
"The Hundred Stars?" Madman suddenly gasped. "Wait... do you mean there's a hidden stronghold?"
"Exactly," Orson said, his smile widening. "Right under our feet, at the Bone Dragon Stronghold." He looked over at the NPC guarding the stronghold—an imposing middle-aged warrior whose mere presence commanded respect.