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

“I've already thought about it. I absolutely can’t stay here. I’ll move to Nanlin and become a freelance gamer,” Shui Se Yantou said. He didn’t believe Haotian could find him if he changed locations.

“Since the boss is leaving, what’s the point of us staying here? I’m also quitting Kuye Studio. I’m done.” Lengfeng Juejian had retreated from Bi Luo Cang Qiong with Shui Se Yantou. They had been through thick and thin together for five or six years. This kind of bond was unbreakable.

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

“I’m quitting too,” Lunhui Zhi Zhu echoed.

“Me too.”

For a time, a tide of departures swept through Kuye Studio, with one after another standing up. Many were brothers who had come from Bi Luo Cang Qiong together.

Among the five or six hundred people, over a hundred responded. Although many others wanted to, the sky-high breach of contract penalties were too much for them to bear.

“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 departure from the studio came at a heavy price. He didn't want his brothers to suffer as much. Quitting Kuye Studio was his personal matter, and he didn't want to involve others.

“This isn’t childishness! Boss, do you remember what you said when we quit Bi Luo Cang Qiong with you back then? You said, 'Great, now we're starting from scratch with nothing. We may be poor, but we can't lose our 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 created! The studio didn't have a single business deal, and we could only rely on selling equipment online. You went out every day to drum up business and were often threatened by Haotian. The studio was smashed up several times, but didn't we pull through? We went through thick and thin together to get where we are today. Now that we're rich, with most of us having millions, and some having tens of millions, why can't we share the hard times? Does having money mean we can forget about brotherhood? I despise that kind of person! You're quitting Kuye Studio; do you think us old brothers will stay?” Lengfeng Juejian said. True friendship is revealed in adversity. They still remembered all that Shui Se Yantou had done for them back then. One must never forget their roots!

“Lengfeng is right. What if we become penniless again? What if we're left with nothing? We survived when things were so difficult! How much money have we earned for Tuoba Hongye all these years? Have they ever considered us? They even suggested we leave Niuren Tribe and join Kaixuan Empire. What a joke! Being ungrateful is the mark of a despicable person!” Mu En cursed.

“That's right, Boss. You said you wouldn't let down any brother and wouldn't leave Niuren Tribe. Are you telling us to be despicable people?” Lengfeng Juejian retorted.

“What about your wives and children? You have to think about them too. Do you want them to suffer with you?” Hearing Lengfeng and Mu En's words, Shui Se Yantou was indeed moved, but after all, quitting Kuye Studio was a big deal. They were being too impulsive!

“Suffering is a blessing. A family that suffers together understands the value of true affection!”

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

“That's right, Boss…”

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

…

Listening to these brothers, Shui Se Yantou's nose tingled, and his eyes became a little blurry.

“Boss, say something! We brothers are all here. Even if you quit Kuye Studio, we can start a Hongye Studio, a Ziye Studio. We brothers swore to share the hard times when we left Bi Luo Cang Qiong! No matter how tough it gets, we still have a group of brothers, right?” Lengfeng Juejian panicked when he saw Shui Se Yantou remained silent.

“That's right, 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 think we're a burden!” Mu En said. With the strength of this group, as long as Shui Se Yantou didn't lose confidence and started from scratch, even if they couldn't reach the same level as before, they could still make something of themselves. But Shui Se Yantou's current state worried him.

Shui Se Yantou was touched. He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and solemnly said, “I, Shui Se Yantou, am worthy because I have you brothers. If anyone is still willing to follow me, Shui Se Yantou, I'll 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 those words from you, we brothers have confidence. With our skills, we're not afraid of not being able to make something of ourselves!” Lengfeng Juejian said emotionally, tears welling up as he understood that the old boss had returned.

“What I miss most is the days when we brothers had nothing and worked hard together. Back then, we were so passionate that we could taste shark fin in a bowl of instant noodles. Now that we have more money, we're not as happy. By quitting Kuye Studio, we can relive those days. Life rarely gives us a chance to be down and out,” Mu En said, feeling a myriad of emotions as he thought of the past.

These old brothers hadn't changed. With this group of brothers, 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! Tomorrow, we'll go to Nanlin together.” Shui Se Yantou suddenly felt 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 in a while.”

Some team members' families were financially strapped and couldn't come up with so much for the breach of contract penalties.

“If any brother doesn't have enough money, I still have some savings here. I'll lend it to you first,” Mu En said.

“Damn, you're loaded!”

“I took the money to invest and made a little.” Mu En smiled awkwardly.

He did solve the urgent needs of many team members.

“This kid has a good eye for investment. Let him invest all the money the studio makes in the future,” Shui Se Yantou said. Now, the studio's biggest shortage 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. There were nearly a hundred people. He didn't expect there to be so many. There were also some who weren't old brothers who had quit Bi Luo Cang Qiong together but had joined Kuye Studio later, and they had come too.

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

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

“Lunhui probably went offline for something,” Shui Se Yantou said. The three people he had the most confidence in were Mu En, Lengfeng, and Lunhui. Although Lunhui was offline, he still wouldn't doubt their brotherhood. Lunhui would definitely come!

More brothers continued to arrive, with the momentum of exceeding two hundred people.

After a while, Lunhui hurriedly ran over and said, “My mom called me away for something. Sorry, I’m not late.”

“If you dared not come, I would strangle you with both hands,” Lengfeng Juejian said fiercely, but he smiled in relief. It would be a big blow to them if Lunhui didn't come, after all, they had been brothers for so many years.

“How could I not come? You underestimate me too much. How could I stay behind when the boss is leaving? You're looking down on me!” Lunhui Zhi Zhu glared at Lengfeng Juejian.

“Okay, my bad.” Lengfeng Juejian smiled apologetically.

Shui Se Yantou was moved and punched Lunhui Zhi Zhu in the chest. Everything was unspoken.

“I suddenly remembered that your contract penalty seems to be thirty million, second only to the boss,” Mu En suddenly said from the side. Lunhui Zhi Zhu was ranked among the top three priests on the professional player rankings, so the agreement price was very high, but as a priest, his income wasn't very considerable. 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 bit troublesome, it's not too tight. It's okay.”

Shui Se Yantou and the others then understood that Lunhui must have been raising money during the time he was offline.

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

“That's right, Lunhui, say it if you have any difficulties. We have so many brothers here,” Mu En patted Lunhui Zhi Zhu on the shoulder and said.

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

“Why did you make it so miserable for yourself? You could have borrowed from me,” Mu En said.

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

Shui Se Yantou looked at this group of brothers. Everyone was looking at him with eager eyes. They were willing to give up everything and abandon their superior conditions to follow him. He had to live up to these brothers. Kuye had fallen, but he, Shui Se Yantou, couldn't fall! From now on, the trapped dragon would ascend to the sky! He would definitely lead this group of brothers to build a bright and prosperous future!