"Brother Ye, I don't really get it..." Xiao Xuan scratched his head, confused by Ye Zhongming's words. In his view, Mechanical Genius's choice wasn't wrongâ
Choosing to fight when it's easy and buy when it's difficult seemed like a clear strategy. Why would the boss call it stupid?
Ye Zhongming chuckled while watching Mechanical Genius's ongoing battle and explained: "Many things aren't black and white. They're not just one or two."
"Often, it depends on the situation. Our Cloud Peak warriors have many strengthsâbravery, fearlessness, loyalty, obedience... But as we grow, there will be times when I or the captains can't always be by your side to give direct orders. In those moments, you'll need to assess the situation yourselves and choose the best solution."
Many, especially the young fighters of the Youth Army, froze momentarily before focusing intently on the task at hand.
They understoodâthis was the boss training them for independent operations, even leadership roles in the future.
Ye Zhongming pointed at the Bright Star where the deceased black warrior had fallen: "You all saw that monster. How strong was it?"
"Very strong. Didnât you say it was level eight?" a Youth Army member answered.
Several Female Guard fighters stifled laughs.
"Was I wrong?" The young fighter, realizing his mistake, scratched his head sheepishly.
"Beyond level eight. It was very close to level nine," Dai Zhi stated.
Their experience and skill allowed them to estimate the Nether Moth's strength at a glance.
Ye Zhongming agreed.
"If the Bright Stars' difficulty progresses step by step, and the early ones are already this tough, the later ones will be far worse. At first glance, challenging the easier early stars to save resources for later purchases seems logicalâbut thatâs precisely the problem."
He paused, watching the battle on the Bright Star. Mechanical Genius was indeed skilled, controlling his mechanical army with precision, already gaining the upper hand.
Yet, the star's native lifeforms were equally formidable. Despite losing ground, they fought fiercely, having already destroyed over ten combat puppets.
"I believe the final trial wonât be something you can buy your way through."
Everyone nodded. The last challenge for the Mountain King Crown would never allow purchaseâthat would render previous trials meaningless and defy the wheel space's nature.
"So itâll be extremely difficult." Ye Zhongming sighed faintly. "Facing such a final test, what should we do?"
Without waiting for answers, he continued: "We must conserve strength for that ultimate battle."
"If we emulate Mechanical Genius and challenge early stars, with our strength, weâd winâbut to what standard? How many challenges? Once we enter the chaotic central zone, do we just buy? What if we run out of funds after a few purchases? Fight every star manually?"
Each question plunged Cloud Peak into silence.
For an ultra-wealthy faction, these concerns would be irrelevantâthey could just buy their way to the final trial.
But reality was harsh. Each Bright Star's price was exorbitant. No faction, not even Ye Zhongming and Cloud Peak, could afford to purchase them all.
Currently, Ye Zhongming was strapped for resourcesâmost materials went into equipment, magic crystals, and potions were invested in the Youth Army, and the rest of their assets remained at the mountain villa.
This created a dilemma:
They couldnât rely solely on money, yet needed to preserve strength for the final showdown. What then?
"Thereâs no perfect solution, but we can keep things within our control."
By now, Mechanical Genius's battle was reaching its climax. Victory seemed certain.
"We canât emulate Mechanical Genius by sending our entire force into challengesâonly individuals can enter. Using myself as the benchmark, Iâll gauge our opponents."
Ye Zhongming pointed again at Great Americaâs failed star: "If I faced that creature, Iâm confident of victoryâespecially since I can bring Yellow Ball, Yangos, even Red Hair. At worst, Iâd sustain minor injuries, easily treatable with potions and healing crystals. So if our Bright Star is of this difficulty, weâll challenge it."
"Other factions all chose to purchase, so we canât judge their starsâ difficulty. Only Mechanical Genius challengedâhis was the eighth star. There, the enemies werenât individually strong, but their numbers are overwhelming. If I entered that challenge... honestly, I wouldnât be certain of victory. Even with a 70% win rate, I canât guarantee the extent of post-battle damage."
Hearing this, the Youth Army erupted in murmurs. Theyâd known the challenges were tough, but not this tough. Even their boss, with Yellow Ball, Yangos, Icebird, Ball Ball, and Red Hair, couldnât guarantee victory?!
"Yet I donât want just to purchase outright. We need to save funds for stars we absolutely canât defeat. So what do we do?"
Ye Zhongming scanned the Youth Armyâs youthful faces.
After a few seconds of silence, a voice piped up:
"Lower the difficulty first, then challenge."
Ye Zhongming smiled approvingly at the speakerâa rare female Youth Army member nicknamed "Sister Hui" (not due to age, but because sheâd taken care of several younger members). Those few called her that, so the others followed.
"Correct. Lower the difficulty. For stars we canât confidently conquer unscathed, we spend just enough to reduce the challenge to a winnable levelâthen fight!"