Chapter 33.2 ?

“Literally.” The blubberman folded its arms, its head splitting open again, “I don’t know if you’re deluded by your own lies or moved by some false heroism to the point of forgetting who you are… You seem to genuinely think you can do a lot.”

Xu Ming: “…”

Uncomfortably pressing her lips together, she put down her pen, just about to speak when the blubberman raised a finger earnestly, its tone uncharacteristically serious:

“But what’s the reality?”

“The reality is, your assumption about the White Chess side is just that—a guess. While it seems reasonable, you have no direct evidence proving they are harmless; the reality is, you do have a powerful rulebook, but you haven’t figured out how to fully utilize it, nor have you completely unlocked it; the reality is, you seem impressive because you’re an idiot, and the so-called Urban Legend Demolition Office doesn’t even exist.”

The blubberman’s head revealed another eye with a pop, looking over with an indescribable expression:

“I admit you’re quite clever, with some smarts. But don’t overestimate yourself.”

“The good fortune at Hongqiang was a fluke, and luck won’t last forever. Not to mention, you have the rulebook… it’s fine if no one knows about it, but once some ill-intentioned non-human discovers it, you’ll be a luxurious target on full display, how could you take that risk?”

Xu Ming: “…………”

In fact, regarding the “White Chess is Poplar” hypothesis, Fang Xueqing and the others had given similar warnings—these insiders were most wary of casually placing trust in urban legends, identifying one side as poplar. Sometimes, such misidentifications could be fatal.

Thus, Xu Ming was somewhat prepared and had further probing plans. However, before she could speak, the blubberman raised its index finger again.

“And most importantly.” It sighed heavily.

“The White Chess side, or rather this ‘Magic Cube Mansion,’ probably won’t last long. Even if all your guesses are correct, and the other side is willing to cooperate with you, it’s futile. Why waste your effort?”

Xu Ming was taken aback, instinctively sitting up straight: “What do you mean?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” The blubberman said faintly, “At first, I also thought the side giving out White Chess candy was the domain master, so I didn’t think much. But if the butterfly is the domain master as you say, it’s probably doomed.”

“Do you know why humans call the domain masters ‘trees’ and parasites ‘dodder’? Because the domain masters’ advantages are natural, lush, and deep-rooted. Dodder, even if it has the ability to counterattack, takes a long time to accumulate and scheme… so the smart dodder avoids the domain masters, developing sneakily and opportunistically.”

“For the White Chess side to manage to delay human sacrifices in someone else’s territory with two cycles is already quite extraordinary, naturally exploiting a loophole. But once it comes to a head-on clash, it stands no chance, understand?”

From a domain master’s perspective, the butterfly had no reason to accommodate the White Chess—

Assuming all of Xu Ming’s guesses were true, the situation was clear. The so-called “cycle” was actually a serpentine queue set up by the White Chess side in front of the true core area, split into two parts: spatial queuing on the highway, and temporal queuing in the hotel.

Guests followed this “serpentine queue” forward, each cycle bringing them closer to the true core area. Though essentially approaching, the butterfly could use “secret rooms” and other means to preemptively hunt some food. Fundamentally, however, this queue greatly slowed the guests’ progress into the core area.

Moreover, this queue was long and limited in flow. Only three new people could enter each cycle, and if any of them died, they’d be let go, sometimes not even three would enter.

This meant that without dismantling the hotel’s cycle, the butterfly’s feeding rate would always be slowed, with so many more stuck on the highway outside. Put yourself in the domain master’s shoes, who would tolerate such a hindrance?

Not to mention, the ability to set up this “queue mechanism” indicated the White Chess side had its own roots, making it a rare delicacy for a domain master.

“…” Xu Ming pondered his words, recalling the scales and butterfly wings mentioned by Gu Yunshu. Seeming to understand something, her expression changed slightly, “So now…”

“I suspect the butterfly used the scissors not only to cut down the cycle days.” The blubberman said coldly, “Even if the hotel cycle days are cut to one, so what? The highway cycle still can’t be lifted. Better to strike decisively, seize the moment, and directly invade, taking out the White Chess along with the trapped humans in one go.”

Once and for all.

Gu Yunshu wasn’t in the cycle, and supposedly shouldn’t have seen certain things. But she had seen the scales and butterfly wings, which were not friendly signals.

This cycle, cut to only two days, was likely already riddled with holes, teetering on the brink; the all-out raid was probably already underway.

“I really think the idea you initially came up with is good and seems feasible,” concluded the blubberman, “but for other matters, I sincerely advise you not to get involved. If you really feel guilty, just inform the people from Anxin Gardening after you leave. The time left for you is not much; while you haven’t entered the core area yet, run if you can…”

“Sister, stop now, there is butterfly outside!”

The blubberman’s tone was exceptionally earnest.

Xu Ming: “…”

She pursed her lips again, her pen in her hand slightly moved, but she didn’t respond immediately.

It wasn’t until she absentmindedly finished drawing the second half-finished work badge that she exhaled heavily, reached out, and lifted the anxious blubberman onto the bedside table.

“Thank you for telling me so much, I’ll think it over.”

She spoke softly, her tone also carrying a bit of seriousness. After speaking, she took a tissue to wipe her hands and added another sheet to the blubberman’s tissue bed:

“Some things will have to wait until I contact that entity tomorrow… I’ll be more cautious.”

“It’s late, you can rest here. I’ll go call Qiu Yufei to sleep.”

After speaking, she got up and went out the door.

Left alone, the blubberman sat in its tissue nest, and after a moment, shook its head with a complex expression.

“Still a kid,” it muttered, cautiously settling into its bedding.