Chapter 135 Virtual World
The hotel staff delivered the meal promptly.
While eating lunch, Wen Shi opened the panel to review the companion skill he hadn’t had a chance to check before.
Skills improved the meal. It tasted twice as delicious!
【Companion Skill: Sage
This skill is limited, with 3 uses per instance.
The cost for a single use ranges from 8000-16000 points.
With more usage, it can trigger the effects (Sage’s Clarity), (Sage’s Invincibility), and (Sage’s Indifference).
Sage’s Clarity: Causes the target to experience illusions, reducing their rationality. Those with low intelligence will lose their rationality directly.
Sage’s Invincibility: Doubles your combat power, with a time limit of 2min.
Sage’s Indifference: After using it, except in special maps, you can naturally resist all illusions and enchantments. It costs 16000 points for a single use and lasts for 5min.】
Inside the hotel room, a full half-minute passed in absolute silence, enveloping the air in a profound stillness.
Wen Shi’s mouth slightly opened. He originally meant to enjoy his meal more, but upon seeing the skill, the small dried fish in his hand fell to the ground.
“He truly is…” He struggled to find words, his face full of surprise. “My Big Brother.”
A big brother was always a big brother, naturally wild and untamed, never discussing emotions.
The point cost of this skill was definitely like burning money.
Wen Shi picked up the fallen dried fish and took another look. At the moment, he favored the last effect the most—using it when entering illusions to break through obstacles in a second.
But just for that one second, he would need to complete two or three instances to earn the required points.
Lying on the bed for a while with mixed emotions, Wen Shi thought somewhat sadly: at this rate, he might have to work in the virtual world.
What could someone like him, who only knew entrepreneurship, do? Work at a cat cafe?
“Maybe I should complete more instances.”
After returning to the virtual world this time, Wen Shi clearly sensed a change in the atmosphere. People weren’t as bored as before, and they weren’t idly watching the big screen anymore. The square outside the teleportation point seemed much emptier, indicating that everyone was busy with their own tasks.
He had a subtle feeling that the day when the special 3S instance would go online was approaching. More and more people were surely trying to gather clues from him.
“Well, might as well take advantage of each instance.”
The initial accumulation of capital was always brutal and bloody.
With life weighing him down, Wen Shi kept motivating himself. There were so many poor people in the world. Success was possible as long as one worked hard!
With this belief, Wen Shi went to the tea party that afternoon with high spirits.
The data room still had low visibility, but the old light bulbs had been replaced with vintage chandeliers, creating an elegant and atmospheric look with scattered light patterns on the floor. The indoor walls were repainted in a pleasing teal color. The round table had transformed into a fairy-tale-style peachwood table, and pine high stools were placed beside it.
Xie Tangyan wore a rare red dress today, with her hair tied up high, radiating confidence. Next to her, her grandmother wore a navy-blue qipao, standing without shying away from the spotlight. Her jade earrings were clearly quite valuable.
Dressed in sleek all-black tuxedos, the demon little brother and Arlon maintained a noticeable distance, their mutual disdain apparent. Even A’Sang was in formal attire, complete with a stylish bowtie.
Wen Shi: “……”
What’s going on?
Footsteps approached from behind as Jian Qingrong entered with a camera and tripod.
The imposing leopard circled the camera. “Seems a bit basic. Are you sure it can capture me?”
Ordinary cameras couldn’t capture spirits.
Jian Qingrong calmly replied, “It used to be used for capturing ghosts. Every shot is high-definition.”
Wen Shi seemed to finally understand. “Taking photos?”
The demon little brotherther picked up a red wine glass from the table and swirled it. “We made a promise during your birthday, remember? Let’s take a photo together this time.”
He looked particularly enticing in a suit, his fair profile glistening mysteriously under the lights.
No one had informed Wen Shi. They were planning to surprise him.
As Wen Shi looked at the renovated data room, one thought dominated his mind: My factory has finally started turning a profit.
He just didn’t know how Jian Qingrong was making a profit.
“Beauty products,” as if aware of his thoughts, Jian Qingrong explained, “They sell well, especially overseas. We recently went public in one country.”
“……” Have you gone public too?
A’Sang raised his hand to add, “Because they extracted substances from my blood that slow down aging, they gave me something in return–IPO stock.”
At an age where he was curious about everything, A’Sang asked, “Dad, does our Wusa Kingdom have IPO stock too?”
“…We will.”
Saying this, Wen Shi forced a slight smile. He had thought that his efforts would lead to his own success, but now he was witnessing others’ success through his hard work.
“Let’s take the photo first,” Arlon said, sensing Wen Shi’s discomfort.
They adjusted their chair heights accordingly. Grandmother sat in the middle, Wen Shi held A’Sang on one side, and on the other side was Jian Qingrong.
The demon little brother’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.
On this auspicious day, he reminded himself not to get into fights.
With no seat left next to Wen Shi, the teenager had to move to the other side, his long legs folded as he sat.
Arlon and Xie Tangyan stood in the back row, while the spiritual entity lay alone in front, to the side.
Jian Qingrong: “Who’s going to adjust the camera?”
Wen Shi turned his head slightly.
Jian Qingrong: “If I go, someone will take my seat.”
Wen Shi was about to laugh at how childish he sounded when he caught a glimpse of the teenager’s scrutinizing gaze.
“……” Well, your suspicion does make sense.
In the end, Arlon went to set up the delayed camera.
He used his psychic power to watch the time and counted down aloud, “Three, two… one!”
With a click, a formal family photo was officially captured.
Jian Qingrong finally left his spot, checked the photo, and found it to be quite natural and harmonious.
Wen Shi also leaned in for a look. To be honest, with so many handsome men and beautiful women, no matter how it was taken, it wouldn’t look bad. Satisfied, he said, “Remember to give me a copy after it’s developed.”
Jian Qingrong nodded.
Once the framed photo was ready, it would be hung on the wall as a decoration.
Since everyone was dressed up for the occasion, Wen Shi took individual photos with each of them and also took a special father-son photo with A’Sang.
The leisurely afternoon tea almost entirely passed while taking photos. Wen Shi was quite satisfied with how the gathering went. He kept his smile even as he was transported back to the hotel.
As soon as the signal to the virtual world communicator was restored, he saw a missed call from Ji Yuanzhi. Wen Shi immediately returned the call.
He had thought it might be about the hair issue, but Ji Yuanzhi brought unexpected news, “Pei Hongxin has entered the game.”
The remnants of the tea party’s cheer faded. Wen Shi walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. His refined features showed a hint of chilliness. “So soon?”
Ji Yuanzhi: “The golden leopard itself has a wealth-gathering effect. He made a huge profit almost every other day. People who accept the ‘benefit fee’ from the game will receive a ticket to an instance.”
Another reason was that instance players were predominantly young and there weren’t many older players. Typically, once someone crossed the age of thirty-five and touched the medium, the game would quickly assign their next instance.
This was a kind of hidden mechanism for protection. As one aged, their reflexes and stamina would gradually decrease.
Ji Yuanzhi had privately asked someone to keep an eye on him. “Pei Hongxin’s initial instance is a solo instance, which means his luck is quite high.”
This hinted to Wen Shi that if he didn’t plan to use violence in directly tormenting the person to the brink of collapse in the virtual world, there would still be some risk in the instance.
No matter how skilled a player was, they couldn’t guarantee a hundred percent success in an instance.
First, Wen Shi thanked him for the reminder, then he inquired about Pei Hongxin’s current situation.
“He’s much better than the average newbie, though we’re not sure if he’s activated any skills yet,” Ji Yuanzhi said. “His reputation is good. In the eyes of others, Pei Hongxin is a philanthropist.”
There were quite a few players from Tianhai City in the virtual world. Although it was all for the sake of reputation, Pei Hongxin indeed spent a lot of money, and there were a few who had benefited from his generosity.
Wen Shi thought for a moment. “Looks like I need to find a way to team up with him quickly.”
Otherwise, with Pei Hongxin’s shrewdness, if he knew Wen Shi was in the game too, he would tread carefully.
“I’ve already found an opportunity for you,” Ji Yuanzhi said. “Consider it compensation from the hotel’s side. I’ve bribed another player who has some connection with Pei Hongxin. He will try to convince him to team up for the next instance.”
Ji Yuanzhi elaborated on the situation.
Apparently, this player had received support from Pei Hongxin and had taken the initiative to contact him to repay the favor.
After witnessing the dire situation in the newbie area, Pei Hongxin probably didn’t have much left to gain. He believed this explanation.
Ji Yuanzhi specifically told Wen Shi to keep an eye on the player who had been bribed.
A young person who could betray even a benefactor would likely resort to any means in an instance.
“He’ll contact you in the next couple of days.”
“Thank you, I’ll be cautious.”
After the call ended, Wen Shi started browsing the in-game store for scenes related to supernatural legends and eventually spent three hundred points to successfully purchase one.
Compared to other in-game items, the price was much lower. Most players were unwilling to enter instances where a single mistake could result in their souls being trapped forever.
There would be a prompt for loading this type of scene when teaming up. Ji Yuanzhi should have already negotiated with the other player. Wen Shi discreetly heightened his vigilance. While he also valued points, there was a difference between him and these reckless individuals who were willing to spend money without concern for their lives.
That evening, Wen Shi received the schedule from an unknown number.
【The day after tomorrow at 7 PM in the virtual square. How does that sound?】
Wen Shi replied with a simple “okay.”
Two days passed quickly, during which Wen Shi had some free time to read materials on horror and supernatural stories to increase his understanding.
Before setting off, like most players, Wen Shi spent the daytime sleeping. As the time approached, he quickly took a shower, ensuring he entered the game in the best mental state.
The virtual world quickly darkened.
At around six o’clock, Wen Shi put on the game-provided【Small Cloak】. There was no need for further disguise. Many players in the instance preferred not to reveal their faces, so walking around wouldn’t attract too much attention.
He looked at himself in the mirror, his figure and demeanor concealed by the oversized cloak. A silver mask purchased from the store covered most of his face. Finally, Wen Shi made sure to lower the cloak, revealing only a pair of clear cat-like eyes when he intentionally looked up.
His lips slightly curled. Quite satisfied with this new look, he turned and left the hotel.
If you enjoy this novel, support the Translator ginevre on her ko-fi account :))
