"Why can't we find it, and the guy who sold it to Barrett can promise to get us the full claw blades." The cat boy who seems to be a little confused in his brain can't help but ask.

Faced with this milky question, Barre really couldn't figure out whether he was pretending to be stupid or really stupid. But in any case, since it is a teammate's question, it is necessary to answer: "You must know that 'Ulrique' is a century-old shop that has been operating here since the founding of 'Ulrike'. After such a long period of accumulation, it is natural to form a network of its own in the city. That's why he was able to contact all kinds of hidden people who didn't appear in public. Speaking of which, you should have seen a lot in reality......"

The network of relationships in the human world, both in reality and in games. Human beings may say that intelligent beings are selfish, which makes it possible to get more opportunities for those who are close to or know each other, all else being equal. For example, the first pot of gold in Bill's gate success was due to his mother, who had an extraordinary network within the Blue Giant.

The former richest man in China, surnamed Li, also came from his uncle's support when he made his fortune in the first place. It is precisely because of these ready-made examples that a port will become the most nepotistic region in the world.

In the game, building a network of people and using them to form a network of relationships is also something that the vast majority of Aboriginal people have been doing since they can remember. This kind of work goes up to the rulers of the kingdom. Going down to the slums, a man dressed in tatters was not spared.

It's just that the class that is the ruler has a unique advantage even in this kind of thing. Not only are they able to use the administrative organs, but more importantly, they are able to establish all kinds of legal organizations in their territories, both overt and covert. It can be said that every leader is like a spider. He kept weaving a big web while he was alive.

Passed down from generation to generation, the entire territory is shrouded in layers of dense networks, and every aspect of the land can be touched. It can be said that as long as it is planned and managed properly, any disturbance in the territory can cause a reaction from the network.

However, most of the time, those poor people can only choose to huddle together to keep warm, trying to see if they can survive in this way in a difficult environment. That's one of the biggest reasons why gangs in the lower city are constantly being banned – the pressure to survive and limited resources. They were forced to make such a choice.

Listening to Barrett's explanation, the cat boy immediately made an expression of sudden realization. But the stupid and cute image of the cat. Even his owner couldn't stand it anymore. At this moment, Rieli directly reached out and grabbed the cat's neck and picked it up: "Don't you dislike this kind of thing the most in reality?" How did you get into the game but got interested? And it's good if you ask me privately about this kind of thing, can you use it like this? ”

Hearing Rieley's words, Barrett didn't know that she felt that the catboy's behavior was too embarrassing for herself: "Looks like Lalu is probably going to kneel on the washboard again tonight." Should I now observe a few minutes of silence for him? ’

But before Barrett could sketch in his mind the tragic picture that Lalu was going to face. Rielly's voice came again: "If it's the same as reality, according to you, shouldn't we also manage our own network in the game?" ”

"Haven't we been doing networking all the time?" Speaking of this, Barrett smiled, "You see that we are helping the Bolum family now, isn't it to strengthen our own connections. Clematis and Claudia went to the Church of the Goddess of Wealth and Commerce to attend the ceremony, and they were also maintaining their connections. Maybe in two days, even the noodles will need to serve His Highness the 'Dragon God of Good'. We've never pulled down in this regard. ”

"Is this completing the mission of the faction and strengthening its position in the faction?" Before Rielly could speak, Lalu actually preemptively asked.

Hearing this, Barrett could already imagine the tragic fate of someone offline. Not knowing whether to answer the question or not, he still set his eyes on Rielly. That's the only thing Barrett can do for the catboy right now - though it's unclear if it will alleviate the catboy's suffering. But it's better than doing nothing.

Rielly struggled for a moment, and finally sighed: "Since he asked, Barrett, you can explain it well." ”

"First of all, you have to understand that there are many forms of networking. For example, childhood friends, good rivals who respect each other, comrades-in-arms, old colleagues, or family friends. These key people are not limited to a particular social class or industry. Contacting a small network may only provide us players with minimal help. Others may have more important resources at their disposal......" Barrett began to talk about his thoughts on the network of people in the game.

In some cases, the help that these connections can bring to the builder may even change the course of an individual's career. Of course, as far as the network itself is concerned, changes in their industry, their social status is reduced or promoted, and other personal events can change their ability to help.

Often, the most basic connections can only be used to uncover local rumors, tell the player where to get a good meal, or tell the player about the basics and some gossip in the city. As players earn the trust of these connections, they are able to take higher personal risks to help players with some activities. For example, to help players track down enemies and bail out of prison some characters who are inconvenient for themselves to appear. Or lend magic items to the player.

In this case, how to network, and what kind of people to network, needs to be well planned. After all, the ability to network helps players. It could even change the course of an entire adventurous career. And after careful consideration, players will find out: for them. The family they came from, the religion they believed in at the beginning, and the organization they were in at the beginning were often the best choice for them.

Because they tend to have a good initial relationship with the force they are in. Even if it's like Claudia. Auditore's relationship with his family was so bad that he couldn't do it. But she was still a member of the Auditore family. Many times, the family will stand behind her. No, when he was in Repulse City, this player wouldn't have had such a good time. And for example, the relationship between Barrett and the Bolum family can be called the biggest reliance on his unexpected smooth journey.

The halfling wanderer who heard this couldn't help but speak: "That's right! I chose to leave the Thieves' Guild where I came from, but I suffered a lot because of it. Thankfully, I was lucky enough to join my current organization. ”

"You were able to join the Church of the Dragon God of Good, not just because of luck. It's because you've shown value that deserves their attention. Speaking of this, Barrett paused, "Our own strength (escalation), the decline or increase of social status (prestige), and other personal events (tasks) can change other people's attitudes towards us." So we just need to run our own fundamentals for now. Once our fame spreads across the continent, it will be much easier to build additional contacts. ”

"You can manage your current network well. But Lalu and I don't know which side to join! Rielly suddenly couldn't help but grumble. Apparently she was very unhappy with her current situation.

Although Barrett was also a little anxious, he knew that there were some things that he couldn't rush to come: "Rielly, we'll have a good look at your business later." However, there is really no way for Lalu to let him join the camp of the Boreham family. It's good to act as a perimeter for the time being. After all, with my help, it would be much easier to get started here. Of course, even if the initial relationship is established. However, the actual utility of networking will be affected by two factors. So I'm afraid we're going to have to work together then......"

The first thing that affects the effectiveness of networking is the level of trust between the player and a particular Aboriginal and the risk of participating in what is required. This makes the balance between inputs and outputs a fairly precise consideration. Mutually beneficial connections are the only ones that can operate lastingly. If you only get and don't pay, there is nothing so cheap in the world. In short, the aborigines who don't fully trust the player can't help the player at the risk of losing their heads. Of course, he may still help players do some basic risk-free missions to gain their trust.

"But if Lalu officially joins the camp of the Boreham family, then I'm afraid he won't be able to join other organizations!" The Rielly people were still a little undecided.

Barrett shrugged his shoulders and replied, "The world is fair, and there are gains and losses, isn't it?" ”

In fact, from another point of view. While players can use their connections to help them with some specialized tasks without having to be personally involved. However, there are gains and losses, and connections can sometimes lead to players being limited by them. Sometimes he had to remedy the troubles he had caused. Or at least compensate him for the overhead he incurs while working for the benefit of the player.

This is especially important for the offender's connections, who will always ask for or demand something in return for the services they provide. Temples or guild connections may want players to solicit donations from the temple or pay dues.

Even in normal times, there is a cost to maintaining those connections. Connections that need to be done anonymously may require additional funds for bribes, or the use of a hidden location may be purchased privately. In the same way, no one should expect connections as a spellcaster. Expensive material components at their own expense when helping them cast spells.

It's like being a member of the Boreham family and needing to complete tasks for the family on a regular basis. The members of the Thieves' Guild also have their share of the money they need to pay each day. And the fat man of the king of 'Fu Li An Qiong'. In order to maintain the relationship between himself and the craftsman, I am afraid that every month is also a lot of expenses.

"If you don't have any options after level 7, Lalu will join the Boreham family!" It was as if Rieli had made a compromise.

Barrett, who saw the other party's performance, was like a deflated ball at the moment: "Riele, you don't need to say that, do you!" It's like I'm forcing you to make a decision. ”

At this moment, no one hid it from the two eldest ladies who were not present. When they understood Rieelly's struggles, they immediately agreed that the cat boy would become a peripheral member of the Boreham family - for the same reason, as Barrett said, that the road would have gone more smoothly with his help.

However, the quiet days did not last long, just as Lalu reluctantly added Hidden Arrow to the rhythm of his battle. Letters from the Malkin family were rearranged on Barrett's desk. However, for this trip, the Malkin family, as the organizer, sent a special carriage.

With the sound of horses' hooves, players begin to drift away from the thriving city. After the carriage drove out of the city gate and into the country lane, everyone knew that this time the meeting place should be some manor belonging to the Malkin family outside the city - even if they were fiefdom nobles, as long as they also held a central position in the kingdom, they could still have a manor near the capital as their temporary base to maintain dignity.

It wasn't until the players entered the manor that they realized that it was more luxurious than the ones the players had seen before. As you walk through the garden, you can see an artificial pond for ornamental fish and waterfowl in the distance, and several fig and cherry trees are thriving. Although it was a hot summer day, it was still very cool all around, but I didn't know what structure was used.

Barrett was guided by servants along the way, and finally he came to a small two-story building in the middle of the courtyard. According to the leading servant, this is the destination of the Malkin's envoy who invited the player this time. Once inside, players will be greeted by rows of bookcases and a long table for copying. An old man with half-white hair was carving something on a resin plate with a crochet pen. When he saw someone coming in, he put down his pen and tablet and stood up. "Oh! You are the participants sent by the Bolim family this time! I've heard of you from Gast. I don't know if it's good or bad for you, but I didn't expect that the first part of this game will be your turn. ”

"Dear Elder, could you tell us what we should do in that game next?" As he bent down to salute, Barrett also asked aloud.

The old man in front of him touched his desk: "It's up to you, young people, to make your own choices." ”

"Our own choice? Do we have any choice in this mission? Barrett asked in disbelief. (To be continued)

ps: The modification is complete.