This Damned Thirst for Survival

Chapter 88

The name "Welton" was gleaned by Jiang Luo from the conversations of three noblewomen.

In an event where the wealthy were masked, calling out the name of the wealthy man on stage stripped away the anonymity he enjoyed. Welton, filled with shock and fear, couldn't recall knowing anyone like this.

"Who are you?"

Jiang Luo stepped forward, a shadow cast upon him by the light. He didn't answer the question but instead started to openly criticize everything about the ball.

"Boring."

"Dull."

"I thought the games here would be different, but it turns out they're no different from those outside. Vulgar, clichéd, not at all thrilling," Jiang Luo turned to look at the wealthy individuals behind him, "Do you really find this amusing?"

The faces of the wealthy bore expressions of boredom, their gestures conveying their agreement with Jiang Luo's assessment.

Welton found the disdainful criticism from a fellow wealthy individual harder to bear than the protests of the poor. He clenched his fists, fury rising within him. All eyes were on the black-haired young man in the forefront, waiting for him to continue.

"Since the game is so dull, let's change the rules to make it interesting," Jiang Luo's tone shifted, "The first rule of the ball is 'one cannot refuse another's request to see their card.' Just by adding a few words before it, we can make the game much more entertaining."

"For instance," his lips curled, "before viewing someone's card, you must first guess their identity."

"If you guess wrong, you automatically become a slave."

This statement caused a stir in the ballroom.

The initial reaction of the wealthy was to disagree, but after pondering over it for a moment, they found the idea not entirely objectionable.

They began to discuss among themselves in secrecy.

"This way of doing things is indeed more stimulating than before."

"Who is this person? Their mind is truly flexible. Enhancing the fun of the game is just the surface layer. With this rule change, it appears to make the wealthy dangerous, but in fact, it's just placating the commoners. We all hold the Chosen One cards, and commoners guessing our identities won't get any reward. Most within the commoners are slaves, with very few being masters, making it almost impossible for us to guess wrong."

"Of course, we won't lose anything, as the proposal came from our side."

"I agree with this, after all, I also fear that the poor might cause trouble. Though their uproar wouldn’t really affect us, it’s still a hassle."

"Giving the commoners hope, only to shatter it, I like that."

The voices of commoners discussing were louder than those of the wealthy.

Although the rule change was minimal in effect for them, the game was inherently unfair, and they lacked the courage to challenge the authority of the wealthy. Now, with hope, it was better than before.

Wen Renlian tentatively spoke to a young man with glasses, "Such changes are still unfair; the wealthy seldom answer incorrectly."

"Not necessarily, wasn't there a commoner who drew the master card before?" The bespectacled guy's eyes twinkled, reluctant to discuss this overly risky topic, "I think the change is good. After all, we are already holding slave cards, we can’t fall much lower, but the wealthy are in trouble now. Besides, everyone attending the ball is here voluntarily. They are willing to come for money; why do you care so much?"