“Boss, have you thought it through? If we lose the Tuoba family's protection, do you think Haotian will let this go?” Lengfeng Juejian said worriedly. They, who had withdrawn from Bi Luo Cang Qiong, knew Haotian's character very well.

“I've already made up my mind. I definitely can't stay here. I'll move to Nanlin and become a freelance gamer,” Shui Se Yantou said, hoping that Haotian wouldn’t be able to find him in a new location.

“Since Boss is leaving, what's the point of us staying here? I'm also quitting Kuye Studio. I'm done.” Lengfeng Juejian had withdrawn from Bi Luo Cang Qiong together with Shui Se Yantou. They had shared joys and sorrows for five or six years, and this kind of relationship was inseparable.

“I'm also quitting. It's just a penalty for breach of contract. I saved enough a long time ago. If it weren't for Boss being here, I would have quit Kuye Studio a long time ago,” Mu En said from the side.

“I'm also quitting,” Lunhui Zhi Zhu echoed.

“Me too.”

For a time, Kuye Studio was in turmoil, and people stood up one after another. Many of them were brothers who had come out of Bi Luo Cang Qiong together.

Among the five or six hundred people, more than a hundred responded. Others also wanted to leave, but they couldn't afford the sky-high penalty for breach of contract.

“Lengfeng, Mu En, what the hell are you two doing? You both have families to support, and you're still acting like children,” Shui Se Yantou scolded angrily. His withdrawal from the studio came at a heavy price, and he didn't want his brothers to suffer as well. Quitting Kuye Studio was his personal matter, and he didn't want to involve anyone else.

“This isn't childishness! Boss, do you remember what you said when we withdrew from Bi Luo Cang Qiong with you back then? You said that it was good, that we had nothing and had to start from scratch, that we were poor but couldn't be without ambition. You said that as long as you had a bite to eat, you would never let us brothers go hungry. How difficult was it when Kuye Studio was first established! The studio didn't have a single business deal and could only rely on selling equipment online. You went out to get orders every day and were often threatened by Haotian. The studio was smashed several times, but we still made it through, didn’t we? We went through thick and thin together to get where we are today, and now that we're rich, with most of us having millions and some having tens of millions, how can we not share the difficulties? Does having money mean we can forget about brotherhood? I despise those kinds of people! You quit Kuye Studio, do you think we old brothers will stay?” Lengfeng Juejian said. True friendship is revealed in times of adversity. They still remembered how much Shui Se Yantou had done for them back then. One can't forget one's roots!

“Lengfeng is right, so what if we become poor? So what if we're kicked out with nothing? We survived even more difficult times! How much money have we worked so hard to earn for Tuoba Hongye over the years? Have they ever considered us? Quitting the Niuren Tribe to join the Kaixuan Empire – how could he even say that? Ungrateful and treacherous, that's a despicable person!” Mu En cursed.

“Yeah, Boss, you said you wouldn't let down any brother and wouldn't quit the Niuren Tribe. Are you asking us to be despicable people?” Lengfeng Juejian asked rhetorically.

“What about your wives and children? You have to think about them too. Are you going to let them suffer with you?” After hearing Lengfeng and Mu En's words, Shui Se Yantou was indeed a little touched, but quitting Kuye Studio was a major decision after all. They were being too impulsive!

“Suffering is a blessing. As a family, the more we suffer, the more we understand the value of true feelings!”

“We only have one boss, called Shui Se Yantou. If you quit Kuye Studio, what's the point of us staying here?”

“Yeah, Boss...”

“Damn, I'll go to the bank for a loan and pay back the money from Kuye Studio. I don't believe I can't earn it back as a professional gamer, especially now that we have the Assassin Alliance to take on quests!”

...

Listening to his brothers’ words, Shui Se Yantou’s nose felt sore, and his eyes became a little blurry.

“Boss, say something! We brothers are all here. Even if you quit Kuye Studio, we can open a Hongye Studio, a Ziye Studio. We brothers swore to share hardships when we withdrew from Bi Luo Cang Qiong! No matter how difficult it is, we still have a bunch of brothers, don't we!” Lengfeng Juejian panicked when he saw that Shui Se Yantou wasn't saying anything.

“Yeah, Boss, we can earn money again, but we can't lose our brotherhood! Wherever you go, we brothers will follow, as long as you don't mind us being a burden and holding you back!” Mu En said. With their strength, as long as Shui Se Yantou didn't lose confidence and started over with nothing, even if they couldn't reach the same level as before, they could still make a name for themselves. But he was very worried about Shui Se Yantou's current state.

Shui Se Yantou was deeply moved. He took a deep breath, calmed his mood, and said solemnly, “I, Shui Se Yantou, am lucky to have you brothers. It's all worth it in this life. To anyone who is willing to follow me, Shui Se Yantou, I still say the same old thing: as long as I, Shui Se Yantou, have a bite to eat, I will never let my brothers go hungry.”

“Boss, with your words, we brothers all have confidence. With our skills, we're not afraid of not being able to make a name for ourselves!” Lengfeng Juejian said emotionally. Hearing Shui Se Yantou say this, he understood that the old boss was back, and his eyes welled up with tears.

“What I miss the most are the days when we brothers had nothing and worked hard together. How passionate we were back then, when we could taste shark fin in a bowl of instant noodles. Now that we have more money, we're not as happy. Quitting Kuye Studio, we can relive those days. It's rare to be down on our luck in life,” Mu En said, feeling a surge of emotions as he thought of the old days.

These old brothers hadn't changed. With these brothers around, what did he, Shui Se Yantou, have to fear!

“Brothers who are ready to follow me, let's return the equipment to Kuye Studio, gather at the Carol City teleportation array, and then quit Kuye Studio! We'll go to Nanlin together tomorrow.” Shui Se Yantou suddenly felt high-spirited, just like when he quit Bi Luo Cang Qiong and created Kuye Studio.

“Boss, you guys go to Nanlin first. I have some difficulties here, and I'm afraid I'll have to go after a while.”

Some team members' families were financially strapped and couldn't raise that much penalty money.

“If any brother doesn't have enough money, I still have some savings here. Consider it a loan from me,” Mu En said.

“Damn, you're loaded, kid!”

“I took the money to invest and made a little bit,” Mu En said with an embarrassed smile.

He was able to solve the urgent needs of many team members.

“This kid has a good eye for investment. In the future, when the studio makes money, let him take it to invest,” Shui Se Yantou said. What the studio lacked most now was money.

Shui Se Yantou arrived at the teleportation point. Lengfeng Juejian and Mu En had arrived first, followed by team members one after another, numbering nearly a hundred. He didn't expect so many, including some old brothers who didn't quit Bi Luo Cang Qiong together but joined Kuye Studio later, who also came.

“Why hasn't that kid Lunhui come yet? He's offline,” Mu En said.

“Damn it, I'll go get him!” Lengfeng Juejian cursed. Lunhui had come out of Bi Luo Cang Qiong with them. If he didn't come, it would be really infuriating.

“Lunhui probably went offline because something happened,” Shui Se Yantou said. He had the most confidence in three people: Mu En, Lengfeng, and Lunhui. Even though Lunhui was offline, he still wouldn't doubt their brotherhood. Lunhui would definitely come!

More brothers continued to arrive, with over two hundred people showing up.

After a while, Lunhui rushed over and said, “My mom called me away for something, sorry, I barely made it.”

“If you dared not come, I would strangle you with my bare hands,” Lengfeng Juejian said fiercely, but he smiled in relief. If Lunhui hadn't come, it would have been a huge blow to them, after all these years of brotherhood.

“How could I not come? You underestimate me too much. If Boss is leaving, how could I stay? You're looking down on me!” Lunhui Zhi Zhu glared at Lengfeng Juejian.

“Okay, I admit I was wrong,” Lengfeng Juejian said with an apologetic smile.

Shui Se Yantou was moved. He punched Lunhui Zhi Zhu in the chest, everything was unspoken.

“I suddenly remembered, your contract penalty seems to be thirty million, second only to Boss,” Mu En suddenly said from the side. Lunhui Zhi Zhu was ranked among the top three of all priests on the professional gamer rankings, so his contract price was very high, but as a priest, his income wasn't very high. It might be a little troublesome to come up with thirty million.

Shui Se Yantou also remembered and looked at Lunhui Zhi Zhu.

Lunhui Zhi Zhu smiled awkwardly: “Although it's a little troublesome, it's not a big deal. It's okay.”

Shui Se Yantou and the others then understood that Lunhui must have gone offline to raise money.

“Good brother, if you have any difficulties, feel free to tell us,” Shui Se Yantou said apologetically. Although Lunhui Zhi Zhu didn't say it, he could imagine how much trouble this withdrawal from Kuye Studio had caused Lunhui.

“Yeah, Lunhui, if you have any difficulties, just say so. We have so many brothers here,” Mu En patted Lunhui Zhi Zhu on the shoulder.

“It's okay, it's already been taken care of. But things will be a little troublesome next. I've mortgaged all my properties and borrowed some money from relatives and friends. Boss, can I freeload meals at your place in the future?” Lunhui Zhi Zhu said with a bitter face.

“Why are you in such a mess? You could have borrowed from me,” Mu En said.

“Who knew you were so rich? I thought everyone had to pay penalties and would have no money,” Lunhui Zhi Zhu said dejectedly.

Shui Se Yantou looked at his brothers, each of them looking at him with eager eyes. They were willing to give up their comfortable conditions and follow him even if it meant going bankrupt. He must live up to these brothers. Kuye had fallen, but he, Shui Se Yantou, couldn't fall! From now on, a trapped dragon ascends to heaven! He must lead these brothers to create a bright future!