Chapter 58: What if I don't want to join the Optimus Club?

As soon as these words were spoken, the members standing behind Liao Yuanfeng were also greatly startled, looking at Jiang Yi as if they had seen a ghost!

They even subconsciously took a few steps back.

One of the guys almost tripped and fell over the aged and decayed corpse of Li Shoude!

However, they quickly came to their senses—

How could that be possible!

Wasn't it said that the Jiang Yi who abruptly took the top spot on both leaderboards had come across regions to Jiangcheng District?

This Jiang Yi right before their eyes...

How could it be possible?

In no way could it possibly be him!

Captain Liao must have made a mistake!

Jiang Yi, however, did not reply immediately, still pondering the bizarre black talisman from just moments ago.

That black talisman was emitting dark mist and had a grotesque appearance.

He had subconsciously assumed that thing was meant to harm people.

Yet Liao Yuanfeng's reaction just now seemed to suggest he had gained some benefit from that eerie black talisman?

In that case...

Jiang Yi was actually thinking—

Killing Liao Yuanfeng should also allow him to seize that bizarre black talisman!

However.

At his core, he was not a merciless butcher.

Liao Yuanfeng had no grievances or enmity with him.

Earlier, when facing Wu Xu, Liao had even stood on the club's side and backed him up.

Furthermore.

That weird black talisman indeed exuded an ominous aura.

As far as Jiang Yi knew in this doomsday game, truly good items were bound to players by life and death.

For instance, special options from the special roulette wheel, once drawn, were bound exclusively to a single player.

They would not transfer upon death.

Yet that bizarre black talisman was clearly different.

Following Li Shoude's death, it had transferred onto Liao Yuanfeng.

Originally, it had even intended to transfer onto Jiang Yi!

It actually went to latch onto the killer after its master died!

Such a thing that would betray its master...

Coupled with the fact that Li Shoude's corpse instantly aged and decayed upon death.

All these phenomena left Jiang Yi with zero favorable impression of that weird black talisman.

Besides, in his past life, Li Shoude had never amounted to much.

After some thought, Jiang Yi decided there was no need to kill Liao Yuanfeng just to snatch the black talisman.

Instead, he could use Liao Yuanfeng to observe and wait a little longer.

Having sorted this out, he looked toward the nervous Liao Yuanfeng and smiled slightly.

"Captain Liao, don't be nervous."

"Isn't the Jiang Yi who grabbed the number one spot on the level leaderboard already confirmed to be a cross-region player?"

"I joined Letian Club a few days ago, so how could I possibly be some cross-region big shot?"

...

Hearing this, Liao Yuanfeng and the others inexplicably let out sighs of relief.

As for suspecting Jiang Yi of lying?

Actually, if Jiang Yi had claimed to be the big shot at the top of the level leaderboard, they would have doubted him instead!

This current answer was the one that fit their understanding, a logical and reasonable response.

However...

Liao Yuanfeng glanced again at Li Shoude's horrific corpse.

Then he recalled how Jiang Yi had unhesitatingly pulled him in to block the black talisman earlier.

Frowning deeply, he continued to look at Jiang Yi with caution: "Even if you aren't the Jiang Yi from the top of the leaderboard, your strength... seems a bit off, doesn't it?"

"You're talking about my strength?" Jiang Yi smiled again, his entire demeanor looking extremely relaxed.

"After coming to this fierce beast world, I had a bit of a fortuitous encounter, and now I'm an official player."

Hiss...

Official player!

As soon as these words dropped.

The non-official members among them cast gazes filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred toward him!

Especially among them was...

Zhang Peng!

Previously, when Zhang Peng had been in Luo Shan's team, he had been ruthlessly knocked down by Jiang Yi.

Now, he had witnessed with his own eyes Jiang Yi killing Li Shoude!

The very instant Li Shoude died, he had been scared nearly out of his wits!

Terrified that the next one to die would be him!

Initially, upon hearing Jiang Yi say he wasn't the big shot atop the leaderboard, Zhang Peng had felt a slight sense of relief.

He had simply figured that with Jiang Yi being so arrogant, Captain Liao would definitely deal with him!

Yet now Jiang Yi was saying...

He was already an official player!

Damn it! How could this guy's luck be so good!

Since he had become an official player, wasn't Li Shoude's death completely in vain?!

Although the club had regulations forbidding members from killing each other.

The reality now was that Li Shoude was already dead!

And he had no powerful backers to stand up for him!

As long as Jiang Yi possessed decent strength, he could easily pin the blame on Li Shoude and effortlessly escape the club's punishment!

Zhang Peng's heart turned deathly cold.

At the same time, he was overcome with deep regret...

Cursing himself for ever offending Luo Shan and Jiang Yi in the first place!

Right now, he could only lower his head fiercely, trying his best to minimize his presence.

Meanwhile, Liao Yuanfeng was somewhat surprised by Jiang Yi's answer, yet not entirely surprised.

He blurted out a question: "What is your combat power right now?"

However...

When this question was asked, Jiang Yi did not answer.

He merely raised an eyebrow at him casually.

Liao Yuanfeng touched his nose awkwardly, realizing that he no longer had the qualification to be "impolite" to Jiang Yi.

...

Thus, the topics of checking data panels and asking about combat power were brushed past.

Liao Yuanfeng frowned and said instead:

"Other things can be left unsaid, but regarding the matter of you killing Li Shoude, I'm afraid you still need to give an explanation."

Jiang Yi did not conceal anything, simply stating that after acquiring his fortuitous encounter, he had been targeted by Li Shoude.

Li Shoude had then schemed against him using a curse roulette.

When the scheme failed, Li Shoude had escaped.

Now that they had met again, he was merely settling accounts.

Liao Yuanfeng was startled upon hearing this: "That Jiang Yi who listed the curse roulette for sale was you after all!"

Jiang Yi gave a slight shrug and nodded.

Liao Yuanfeng's expression shifted repeatedly, who knows what thoughts were running through his mind.

In the end, he let out a sigh and spoke in a deep tone once more:

"Alright, regardless of whether what you said is true or not, let's treat this as Li Shoude being in the wrong first."

"As for the club, we won't punish you."

"The premise, however, is that once you return from this fierce beast world, you must come back to the club with me and become an official member."

At this point, he specifically elaborated:

"Actually, the establishment of various official factions isn't simply a matter of gathering a group of people together."

"It's because this doomsday game possesses specialized faction tokens."

"For instance, club tokens and guild tokens."

"Letian Club was established precisely based on a club token."

"As for those guild factions, the guild tokens they use are far more advanced than club tokens, and their factional functions should be much richer as well."

"Don't look down on Letian Club, though."

"Top-tier guild factions have extremely high thresholds for recruitment."

"Ordinary players don't even need to dream about it!"

"To join any faction, the prerequisite condition is first being an official player."

"Therefore, all official members of Letian Club are official players."

"Take your former captain Gao Chang, for example; regardless of his strength, he would still need to become an official player to be an official club member."

"You can be considered the one doing best in your suicide squad team, actually becoming an official player first."

"If you run into Luo Shan and Gao Chang and the others later on, you'll probably shock their jaws right off!"

A trace of a smile even accompanied Liao Yuanfeng as he mentioned this.

Then he continued:

"Once we return to Letian Club, someone will be assigned to let you use a club token once."

"By then, a club-related function will be added to your player interface."

In truth, Jiang Yi was already aware of everything Liao Yuanfeng had just explained.

As for the non-official players listening, the looks they cast toward him grew even more envious.

Yet!

Amidst the envious and jealous gazes of those non-official players,

Jiang Yi ungratefully blurted out a single sentence:

"What if I don't want to join Letian Club?"