Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

The hotel's heavy wooden doors slammed shut behind us with a dull thud.

Lin Yi pressed the embedded bolt with his other hand, and a dozen shadowy soldiers appeared silently, like ink seeping into the walls and shadows, quickly sealing off all possible passages and blind spots on the floor.

In the absolute silence, only the sound of their still-breathing breaths remained.

The next second, Lin Yi and Gulu turned their heads at the same time, their eyes colliding in mid-air.

No words.

Gulu's bloodshot eyes stared intently, their undisguised defiance and provocation evident.

Lin Yi's eyes were much calmer, but the sharpness and unwavering resolve in them were equally clear.

The two stood in the middle of the living room, staring at each other like two frozen statues, each controlling even the slightest muscle tremor to the limit, as if whoever blinked or looked away first would lose.

Time ticked by in a suffocating silence.

The ticking of the second hand on the antique wall clock was amplified infinitely.

five minutes.

Gu Lu's eyes began to sting and swell, and physiological tears uncontrollably accumulated, trying to moisten her dry eyeballs.

She forced her eyelids open, and could even hear the faint trembling of her own eyelashes.

She tried to force him to back down with a fiercer look, but Lin Yi's gaze was like a bottomless pool of cold water, swallowing up all her emotions and only returning an infuriating calm.

Finally, just before reaching his physical limit, Gulu suddenly turned his head, let out a muffled but vicious curse, and quickly covered his eyes with both hands, rubbing them vigorously until his knuckles turned slightly white from the force.

“…Damn it!” Her voice was muffled, filled with obvious frustration.

Almost at the same instant she turned her head, Lin Yi also immediately closed his eyes, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

He swiftly retrieved a small, sterile eye drop from his personal storage space, skillfully pried open his eyelids, and precisely applied two drops of the clear liquid.

The brief stinging sensation from the cool liquid soaking his overused eyeballs made him take a deep breath.

He put away the medicine with a blank expression, but inwardly he was thinking: If anyone dares to say that someone is ruthless in killing, he will be the first to jump out and refute them with his own experience.

Gulu rubbed her eyes for a while before she recovered, and the area around her eyes was slightly red from being rubbed.

She shook her hand, and the obvious frustration on her face was quickly overshadowed by a more practical issue—the division of spoils.

She plopped down on the sofa, sinking most of her body into it, ignoring the dried bloodstains on her body, and immediately started taking things out of her storage space.

There was a clanging and tinkling sound.

Several pieces of equipment, shimmering with different colors, were casually tossed on the coffee table.

A leather armor gleamed with a tough, oily sheen, a ring was set with a deep gemstone, and there were several oddly styled props.

Finally, she took out a metal box made of a special material, opened it a crack, and a rich and pure soul energy fluctuation instantly overflowed. Inside were more than a dozen perfectly cut, high-quality soul crystals.

"Well, that's about it. I haven't calculated the odds and ends of the materials and props in detail yet; I'll do that later." Gulu clapped his hands, raising his chin slightly. "How should we divide them according to the contract?"

Lin Yi didn't look at those things immediately. Instead, he walked to the single sofa opposite her and sat down, taking out a few items and placing them on the other side of the coffee table.

His harvest appeared to be less in quantity than Gulu's, but of higher quality.

Then, he pulled out a palm-sized calculator with a blue-lit screen.

Gulu's lips twitched uncontrollably, and his eyes clearly conveyed: Are you fucking kidding me?

Lin Yi ignored her expression and began to move his fingers rapidly across the calculator keys, accompanied by a calm narration.

"The total battle lasted approximately three hours and seventeen minutes. According to the data retrieved from the battlefield record module, my total damage output accounted for 55.7%, while yours accounted for 44.3%. Considering the presence of a large number of low-value mobs on the enemy side, your area-of-effect clearing efficiency is higher, so this item's weight has been reduced by 10%."

"Key target: number of decapitations. For units of Priest level or above, I will kill nine, and you will kill six. Among them, three are High Priests, I will kill two and you will kill one. The summoned creature 'Watchdog' is the main threat, and I will take 72.3% of its damage and independently complete the final control and kill. This item's weight has been increased by 25%."

"Battlefield support contribution, this item is weighted separately, based on the Paradise Support System Contribution Formula V3.7, taking into account battlefield environment coefficients and average enemy strength..."

The clicking sounds of the buttons and Lin Yi's straightforward words echoed in the room.

As Lin Yi spoke, he even pulled out a standard A4 sheet of paper and an extremely fine black ballpoint pen from somewhere, and began to write and draw on the paper, listing a long string of incredibly complex algebraic formulas.

At first, Gulu listened patiently, but the more he listened, the more his brows furrowed, and by the end, his eyes were almost wide open.

Finally, Lin Yi put down his pen and gently pushed the paper, filled with densely packed numbers, formulas, and final conclusions, onto the coffee table in front of Gulu.

At the very bottom of the paper, the two circled final numbers stood out starkly.

"Based on the overall calculation, your contribution accounts for approximately 21.5%. Taking into account the odd amounts and some unquantifiable factors, I've decided to round it up for you to 20%. I'll take 80%. These supplies will be distributed proportionally."

Gulu stared at the glaring "20%", then looked up at Lin Yi's calm and expressionless face, his chest heaving violently.

The next second, she slammed her hand on the coffee table, making the equipment and soul crystals jump.

"Twenty percent?! Are you trying to fob me off?!" She practically spat out the words through gritted teeth. "Who came up with this lousy formula? I'll kill them when I get back."

Lin Yi pointed to the illusory contract document floating between the two of them, "The formulas used are all internally recognized standard calculation modules of the Reincarnation Paradise. The process is reasonable and legal, and the data sources are notarized and valid. If you have any objections, you can pay a fee to apply for arbitration with the Paradise."

"Arbitration my ass!" Gulu angrily scratched her head. "I don't accept it! Recalculate!"

“Okay.” Lin Yi surprisingly didn’t insist and took back the paper. “Then let’s eliminate all formulas and estimate based on the simplest concepts. I will definitely defeat the final boss, right?”

Gulu was speechless for a long time before finally letting out a snort: "...If I hadn't depleted a lot of its power, would you have been able to seize the opportunity so easily?"

"Your clone remained under the Abyss Force Field for four minutes and twelve seconds, during which time it dealt approximately 18% of the effective damage to the Watchdog, which did provide assistance." Lin Yi nodded, and then continued as Gulu's expression softened slightly, "Therefore, I calculated your contribution to the final kill at 25%. That's already quite high."

Gulu: "!!!"

She found that it was impossible to reason with this guy. His logic was self-contained and as tight as a safe, coldly quantifying all the details of life-and-death battles into infuriating numbers, and yet it was all perfectly logical and well-founded.

The next half hour became a tug-of-war between Gulu's unreasonable nagging and Lin Yi's limited concessions.

"You think summoning five clones is free? You have to pay extra!"

"The cost of summoning clones has been included in your overall output cost ratio, which is already reflected in the formula."

“Compensation for emotional distress is not included in the standard contract terms.”

"I don't care! You have to add it for me!"

"...at most 0.5%"

"Five percent! I'll rip the roof off if it's even one percent less!"

"One percent. This is a premium based on the risk of a decline in combat effectiveness leading to further losses."

"3.5! That's my bottom line!"

"One and a half. Final price."

"……make a deal!"

"And another thing! When we first charged into battle, if I hadn't been at the front, would you have been able to sit back and watch the show so calmly?"

"According to the records, I blocked or deflected six of the attacks you took in the first seventeen minutes. Would you like to review the battle footage?"

"...Then...once, a priest almost attacked me from behind, was it you who reminded me?"

"That reminder was worth 0.2 percent of the contribution."

"Too little! At least one percent!"

0.3.

"0.8!" "0.4, no more than that."

“…Alright! 0.4 it is!” Gulu seemed to have gotten a great deal and immediately made the decision, afraid that Lin Yi would change his mind.

After a fierce round of bargaining, Gulu collapsed onto the sofa, his face flushed and panting. He felt even more exhausted than when he had faced the army of hell head-on, and his temples were throbbing.

Lin Yi then picked up the pen, paper, and calculator again and quickly recalculated.

Then, he pushed the new result to the center of the coffee table.

"Your final contribution percentage is 39.7%. I'll make a further concession and give you 40%. This is the final offer."

Gulu stared at the number, his lips moved as if he wanted to argue again, but when he saw Lin Yi's eyes, which were already slightly narrowed and conveyed the meaning of "if you dare to say another word, you won't get a single cent," he finally swallowed his words.

Forty percent.

Although it's still short of her expected 50%, it's already double the initial 20%.

She knew that this was probably the limit she could squeeze out.

"...Fine! Forty percent! You've got a good deal!" she said gruffly, sweeping over her few pieces of equipment and soul crystals from the table in a swift motion, as if afraid Lin Yi would change his mind.

Lin Yi's face looked extremely grim, as if he had suffered a great loss, and he silently put away the remaining 60% of the resources.

However, in the instant he lowered his head, a barely perceptible smile flashed across the depths of his eyes.

It became.

The calculation method he just used was indeed the standard formula recognized by the Paradise of Reincarnation, but it contained a lot of "techniques" that he learned from the unscrupulous merchant Caesar, which seemed reasonable but could actually be used to subtly manipulate data.

Even if Gulu were to seek arbitration, he might not be able to find any obvious problems; at most, he might be able to determine that there is a "disputed area".

The result of 40% actually slightly exceeded his bottom line - he originally estimated that with Gulu's personality and negotiation skills, he could get about 45%.

This wave of huge profits.

After the two finished counting their spoils, the atmosphere in the room temporarily eased.

Gulu held the soul crystal he had received, like a squirrel holding a pine cone, and finally a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

But at this moment, the storm outside has only just begun to brew.

……

The research institute headquarters, at the top of the tower.

Bliss stood somewhat awkwardly in the president's office, facing the elderly president with white hair and beard, dressed in a simple scholar's robe.

The office is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and the air is filled with the smell of old paper.

"So, that gentleman, he only conducted some routine transactions and intelligence purchases with you before?" The old chairman's voice was gentle, revealing little emotion.

“Yes…yes, Mr. Chairman,” Bliss replied respectfully, his palms slightly sweaty. “The transaction was very proper, and all payments were in hard currency. I didn’t expect him…” He paused, seemingly still struggling to process the news, “…to actually be able to…”

"To take down a major stronghold of Hell all by himself?" the old guild leader finished for him, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy eyes. "And so quickly."

Bliss nodded with difficulty; he was completely stunned when he heard the news.

He knew Lin Yiqiang; the rumors about the black market weren't unfounded. But for him to be this strong was beyond his comprehension of "individual strength."

That's no small, insignificant organization; it's a hellish force that has been entrenched in the City of Sleep for years, causing headaches for all the major powers.

The old chairman tapped the smooth mahogany tabletop lightly with his fingers, pondering for a moment: "He didn't show a strong desire for destruction or expansion, right? More like... trading and a thirst for knowledge?"

“Yes. At least when I was around, he was very rational. Even a bit…” Bliss struggled to find the right word, “…like a shrewd businessman.”

"Merchants..." The old chairman nodded slowly, "It seems that this time, those madmen from hell accidentally stepped on the tail of a sleeping beast. Well, those scum who desecrate life should have been cleaned up long ago."

He looked at Bliss: “Maintain contact with them. Give him whatever he needs, as long as it doesn’t violate the principles of the Society, according to market rules. Don’t get too close, but never offend them either. Treat them as top-level collaborators.”

"Yes, I understand." Bliss breathed a sigh of relief and quickly agreed.

……

Unlike the Research Society, the headquarters of the other established powers in the City of Sleep were in complete chaos.

Salvation, a secret council chamber deep underground.

"Half a day! In just half a day! Hell is gone! Tell me, if those two had turned their guns on us, how long could we have held out?!" A voice roared excitedly, echoing in the closed stone chamber.

"Calm down! Olsen! Panic won't solve anything!" Another, more composed and aged voice tried to control the situation. It was Elder Macao, who was in charge of diplomacy and intelligence. "According to the pieces of intelligence we've pieced together, Hell attacked that man's temporary residence first, which led to this swift and devastating disaster! They haven't shown any tendency to attack indiscriminately!"

“Reasons? Macao! Do those powerful figures need reasons? Maybe they just don’t like us! Maybe their next target is one of our collections of relics, or maybe they simply think we’re in their way.” Olsen’s voice was filled with anxiety and a sense of shared fear. “We must prepare for the worst and immediately activate the ‘Rock Solid’ highest-level protection plan. All teams deployed on missions, regardless of mission level, are to be recalled immediately!”

Panic won't solve anything!

Inside the council chamber, conservatives, radicals, and pragmatists argued amongst themselves, and fear and doubt spread silently among them like a deadly plague.

The final decision was made: raise the alert level to the highest level, recall some key personnel, and temporarily suspend the full activation of the final evacuation plan, but all combat units must be on standby at all times.

……

The Survivors' Organization, Core Meeting Room.

They are known for their intelligence, but this incident is far beyond what "intelligence" can handle; it's more like a natural disaster.

"Pass down the order: all external business is suspended. Reassess the risk level of all ongoing projects. In particular, sever all ties with those who had indirect dealings with Hell before, and erase all traces." The sinister-looking old man in the lead finally gave the order; they didn't want to be eliminated by those two evil stars over any old grudges.

……

The Vatican, prayer hall.

The dim candlelight flickered, illuminating the blurred face of the statue.

“Pure destruction is not the silence and end that my Lord proclaims…” a priest murmured, his voice trembling slightly.

“But they cleansed hell, of those worms that twist life and steal souls,” another priest said hesitantly.

"Be careful what you say! Their actions are devoid of any faith, driven only by cold-blooded killing and self-interest! They are unpredictable variables on the path of our Lord!"

"Should we try to make contact? Perhaps..."

"Absolutely not! Observation, and nothing more. Any unauthorized contact before the divine decree of our Lord will be considered treason."

The hall fell silent again, broken only by the occasional crackling of the burning candles.

……

Similar arguments were taking place within every faction in the Sleeping City that was qualified to know about the matter.

The assessment level of "natural disaster" was quickly communicated, confirmed, and archived.

Images of Lin Yi and Gulu were classified as top secret. The first page of the file was marked with a stark red rune, a clear warning:
[Absolutely no conflict! Absolutely no provocation! Maintain a minimum observation distance (500 meters or more recommended)! Any contact must be approved by the highest level of authority in advance! No activities that could be misinterpreted as hostile may be conducted within a 1000-meter radius of the location without permission!]

Lin Yi and Gulu suddenly burst into the City of Sleep like comets, and in a violent and domineering way, they shattered the old order. In a very short time, they became the sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of all forces.

At this moment, the two people involved in causing this massive earthquake are staying in a hotel room that is heavily sealed off.

After Gulu had thoroughly polished the soul crystals she had been given to her until they shone, she carefully stored them in the safest corner of her storage space, a rare look of almost pleasant relaxation on her face.

The raging waves outside seemed to have nothing to do with them.

At least for now. (End of Chapter)