The entire 'Main God' space remained exactly as when Zheng Zha had departed. Lori was still curled up on the plaza, appearing to be sleeping quite soundly, a thin line of crystal clear fluid clinging to the corner of her mouth. Chu Xuan's actions, however, were far more direct. He walked beneath the 'Main God,' closed his eyes, and after a significant pause, finally spoke: "I have a general understanding. It aligns mostly with my deductions: the reward points I earned in the horror movie where I died were not calculated. Given that I had already eliminated six waves of the Cursed One's ghosts, according to your stated reward system, I should have accumulated points, but I only received the points from the period between the Alien movie and The Grudge. If that’s the case, you can resurrect Zero Point after the next horror movie concludes, and he will be resurrected here within the 'Main God' space."

Zheng Zha’s heart soared with joy. Traveling to the Immortals vs. Phantoms world would require a B-grade sub-plot and 8,000 reward points—both substantial expenditures. If they could resurrect a team member using fewer sub-plot requirements, it was undoubtedly cause for celebration.

Zheng Zha immediately stated, "Then, besides resurrecting Overlord and Wang Xia, perhaps we should bring Zero Point back too. You’ve calculated his points and sub-plots, haven’t you? If my memory serves, he only has one C-grade sub-plot and about 4,000 to 5,000 reward points remaining—that should be more than enough to resurrect him. Zero Point’s unparalleled sniping ability..." "I refuse."

Chu Xuan pushed up his glasses and stated calmly, "I fully support resurrecting team members, but who we bring back must be decided based on the current situation. Right now, you have sub-plot credits but limited reward points. Ten thousand reward points might sound like a lot, but after resurrecting the newcomers from their first film—playing defensively—resurrecting one significant member will deplete most of it. While Zero Point’s long-range sniping is certainly vital to us, Jialan's utility supersedes it."

Zheng Zha asked sternly, "That’s what puzzles me. Why neither let me resurrect Jialan in the Immortals vs. Phantoms world nor resurrect Zero Point here? Do our team not need them?" "No, we need them very much."

Chu Xuan responded directly, "Precisely because we need them that we cannot resurrect them so soon. The reason for not resurrecting Jialan is that our current strength is insufficient to perfectly protect this genius. She possesses two incredibly useful mental skills—something every team requires—and she herself is a rare talent in psychic ability. Resurrecting such an asset with minimal sub-plots and reward points is possible, but what if she dies because our current strength is too weak? Considering she has almost no combat capability, once she dies, she cannot be brought back. This is why I firmly disagree with resurrecting her this early."

"As for Zero Point, he does possess some self-preservation ability, but the critical factor is this: the two people you wish to resurrect are newcomers who haven't completed a single horror movie. Resurrecting them requires zero reward points or sub-plots. But do they have weapons? Your reward points are needed for us to exchange for weaponry. Myself, Overlord, and Wang Xia need to collectively exchange for weapons, along with various items required for the next movie. These reward points cannot be spent on resurrections right now. That is the fundamental situation."

Indeed, this was Chu Xuan; that was the only thought in Zheng Zha’s mind. Always calculating based on the highest probability and maximum gain. A man like this would be terrifying as an enemy, but incredibly dependable as an ally. At least until he deemed him useless and discarded him, Chu Xuan would remain an utterly reliable partner.

"In any case, from now on, we are partners. Although I know this request is excessive, please, when you are strategizing and deducing, do not treat us as mere pawns or tools! We are your partners! Partners who can take that fatal blow for you at a crucial moment, partners who will stand beside you until death! Therefore, I will try my best to follow your strategies and suggestions within reason, but please, when planning, consider the emotional bonds of partnership. That's all." Zheng Zha spoke quietly.

Surprisingly, Chu Xuan did not refuse. Instead, he frowned in thought. "Hmm. I will endeavor to take the concept of 'partnership' into consideration."

This state of affairs stunned Zheng Zha for a long while. Only now did he realize how much both he and Chu Xuan had changed. In the past, he wouldn't have tolerated Chu Xuan’s callous disregard for human life and emotion. But he had changed. And the Chu Xuan of the past would never have accepted his suggestion to seriously consider human life and sentiment. But he too had changed.

"Perhaps," Zheng Zha mused, "this marks the beginning of the transformation for our Central Team!" According to Chu Xuan's analysis, the Central Team's early and middle stages would necessitate a dual focus on personal enhancement and technological weaponry; neither aspect could be abandoned. For example, Zero Point's Gauss sniper rifle, or the heavy weaponry Overlord would use after resurrection, combined with Wang Xia's expertise in traps and landmines—these all fell under technological armament.

"Of course, I will also utilize technological weaponry, particularly handgun-based combat. There is a theory from a certain film concerning Gun Fu: utilizing one's individual shooting stance allows one to strike any blind spot near the body, increasing bullet efficacy by twenty percent. Although this theory sounds absurd, I once saw the exchange skill for it in the 'Main God' system—it was a B-grade skill. My mid-term objective is to dual-wield Gauss pistols and master the Gun Fu skill," Chu Xuan told Zheng Zha.

Zheng Zha nodded. He initiated contact with the 'Main God' and selected the option to resurrect former team members. He began focusing on the names and faces of Overlord and Wang Xia in his mind. Soon, Overlord’s image materialized in his thoughts.

This was inside a steel corridor. Overlord, Chu Xuan, and Zero Point were sprinting desperately, then burst through a steel door into an armory piled high with weapons. Overlord snatched up a massive automatic weapon from a rack, aimed it at the steel door, but before he could fully settle his stance, a violent impact shook the door. An Alien's tail pierced straight through the metal, plunging into Overlord’s chest. Simultaneously, the massive gun in Overlord’s hands fired.

These were soldiers from the first wave of displaced special forces after the fall of the Soviet Iron Curtain. Stranded abroad, they formed an international mercenary group, fighting across numerous battlefields. With no family, no nation, and no future, all they had were the comrades standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them—smoking, loudly discussing women, counting money, and worrying about settling debts. This was the world of men, the world of mercenaries.

After accepting a mission to engage several major drug lords, Overlord’s mercenary unit launched a raid, killing several of the targets, with only one lord escaping. Subsequently, the unit suffered brutal retaliation; Overlord’s closest partner was captured by the drug lord’s forces. Days later, he received his partner's skull. Overlord’s unit immediately initiated a relentless, months-long hunt for the drug lord, finally killing him in a remote base. In that battle, Overlord was hit seven times, his entire body soaked crimson with blood. This occurred near the border with Northeast China.

Overlord materialized on the ground abruptly. The massive through-and-through wound in his chest began to heal at a visible rate. Within half a minute, his skin had returned to that of a normal person, as if the scar had never existed. Zheng Zha sighed silently, redirecting his focus back to the 'Main God.'

This was a vast, dark warehouse. As the warehouse doors opened, a large crowd entered from outside. Zheng Zha, Jialan, and Wang Xia were among them. As Zheng Zha and Wang Xia raised their firearms, Zheng Zha suddenly scooped up Jialan and bolted toward the exit. Wang Xia seemed to snap back to awareness, but just as he managed a few steps, a furious burst of flame erupted behind him.

This was a modern laboratory. A line of sharp, uniformed soldiers stood rigidly at attention before a white-haired researcher. He spoke incessantly about induced hypnosis, ability selection, physical conditioning, entering a horrifying world of inquiry, strengthening oneself, acquiring technology, and repaying the motherland.

Outside a village nestled among green hills and clear waters, the white-haired mother silently stroked her soldier son’s arm. Even though he was now a sharp-looking soldier, her tears would not stop flowing. The elderly mother removed a jade pendant from her neck, her trembling hand placing it around her son’s neck. Tears streamed down her face relentlessly. The mother was well into her sixties; the son knew that once he left, there might be no return, that he would never see his mother again. Though men were not prone to easy tears, the son silently bowed his head, dropping to his knees, pressing his forehead hard against the ground until it bled.

"Perhaps many in this country have been corrupted, but I have not been corrupted!" Wang Xia’s silhouette also gradually appeared on the ground. His entire body was charred black, but like the penetrating wound on Overlord’s chest, his body was healing at a rate visible to the naked eye. In less than a minute, his skin had returned to a normal level, as if no wound had ever existed.

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