Chapter 55: The Hidden Threat

Chapter 55: The Hidden Threat

Jiang Xingzhuo opened her eyes and found herself lying in a blood-red bathtub, with a large wound on her wrist. This body had died from a slit wrist.

At the same moment, she felt a sense of danger that made her scalp tighten, causing her to freeze mid-motion as she tried to get up.

She sensed something massive lurking in this world—dangerous, powerful, and definitely not human.

It wasn't the kind of feeling brought by a Dominant Player.

Was this what the Triangular Prism meant when it said there was a significant threat to Dominant Players in this world?

She summoned the Triangular Prism.

Jiang Xingzhuo: "What is hiding in this world?"

Triangular Prism: "Please discover it yourself, player."

Jiang Xingzhuo got out of the bloodied water, used a Healing Pill to mend the wound on her wrist, cleaned herself, and put on a bathrobe before stepping out.

This was a luxurious duplex apartment located in the CBD, where prices were exorbitant. On the desk in the study lay a suicide note, indicating that the original owner had killed herself over love. After quickly flipping through a diary, Jiang Xingzhuo understood the situation.

The original owner was named Jiang Mian, a clothing store owner who had been running her online shop for ten years, making it quite well-known and successful. She had a boyfriend named Ming Yue-lang, a male idol they met in high school and had been dating since then. Jiang Mian helped him achieve his idol dream, and he finally debuted at the top spot through a talent show two years ago, now boasting thirty million fans.

However, just yesterday, like many other male stars in the entertainment industry, Ming Yue-lang fell for Qin Lanyue's charms. He broke up with Jiang Mian and publicly declared his love for Qin Lanyue on social media, saying, "I am destined to be yours."

Jiang Mian and Ming Yue-lang had been in a secret relationship for nearly ten years. She always kept a low profile to avoid affecting his career, but he turned around and publicly professed his love for another woman. Overwhelmed, Jiang Mian couldn't bear it and took her own life.

Jiang Xingzhuo used Jiang Mian's fingerprint to unlock her phone and saw the trending topic #MingYueLangConfessesToQinLanyue# with a red "Hot" tag.

Without even opening it, she knew the internet must be in chaos. Jiang Xingzhuo didn't care about the feud between Jiang Mian and Ming Yue-lang; she was more interested in Qin Lanyue.

Qin Lanyue was a notorious female celebrity with no notable works. She appeared in public through a talent show, known for her beauty but also her princess-like temperament and lack of talent. Despite this, she managed to debut due to backing from influential figures. Post-debut, she focused on creating scandals and flirtations with popular male stars, infuriating countless fans. She had already broken up several couples, making her a target of hatred among fans.

Jiang Xingzhuo had seen beautiful people before, but few could match Qin Lanyue's level of manipulation. Her actions seemed deliberate, aimed at generating negative energy.

She might be the Dominant Player Jiang Xingzhuo was looking for.

What a narrow escape.

Compared to the previous Dominant Player who used slaughterhouses, this one's methods were far weaker—personally stirring up jealousy and negative emotions. While male star fans numbered millions, non-fans outnumbered them, and not everyone was online. It was a lot of effort for little reward.

But Qin Lanyue already had several countries on the brink of destruction, continuously extracting negative energy even after leaving. This suggested her methods went beyond mere scandals. Using such low-level tactics here implied she feared the mysterious and powerful entity lurking in this world.

Even an experienced player like Qin Lanyue couldn't defeat it.

Hmm... If there is such a threatening presence in this world, why hasn't she left? With so many human worlds to choose from, what is the point of risking it here?

Jiang Xingzhuo stroked her chin, realizing she needed to be more cautious. Unlike in the previous world, she couldn't afford to be too conspicuous, or she might face two enemies.

For now, she needed to start collecting energy. Strength was essential to protect what mattered most. But where should she begin?

Her phone rang.

"Hello, Sister Mian, weren't you supposed to handle the new product launch tonight? It's past time, what happened?"

Jiang Xingzhuo blinked and smiled. The original owner had built her business over ten years, employing dozens of workers. Though not a tycoon, she was a successful small business owner. She wouldn't personally handle product launches.

Jiang Xingzhuo opened her computer and created a new store called "Fate Card Shop." Draw your fate card and change your hopeless life. The brave will be favored by destiny; this is a chance granted by a merciful god.

Products: Card Blind Boxes.

Price: Ordinary (up to SR) - 3 million per set; Intermediate (up to SSR) - 5 million per set; Advanced (up to UR) - 10 million per set.

The average income in this world was lower than the previous one, with laws upheld and order maintained. Money wasn't as easy to come by, so she had to adjust the levels accordingly.

...

Liang Jie walked into the neighborhood like a zombie. It was afternoon, and many parents were playing with their children. Seeing him, their laughter faded, their faces filled with pity.

Once Liang Jie passed, they resumed talking.

"Poor soul."

"Those demons deserve the death penalty. They get such light sentences just because they're minors. It's outrageous."

"Yes."

"But what can we do? How unlucky to encounter such a tragedy..."

...

Bits of conversation reached Liang Jie's ears, tightening his fists in pain and helplessness. Entering his home, he saw the wedding photo of him and his wife, once a warm and loving place, now cold and empty.

Sitting on the sofa, he buried his head in his hands, crying with rage.

He thought, if only he had known none would receive the death penalty, he should have hired someone to kill them. Now, even that option was gone. Prison was another form of protection!

Liang Jie had a wife, a university classmate, deeply in love. She was a high school teacher, beautiful and gentle, never in conflict with anyone, and kind-hearted, regularly volunteering at welfare homes.

Yet, such a good person was dragged away by four underage boys on her way home, brutally raped, and murdered. She was three months pregnant, and the fetus was cruelly removed.

These four devils received a maximum sentence of fifteen years because they were minors. At thirty, they still had their whole lives ahead.

Why? And even more painful was the fact that because Ming Yue Lang had confessed to Qin Lanyue, few people cared about this verdict. It was as if fate was mocking him, saying they were insignificant screws that no one cared about, and when they died, they were simply gone.

Could the precious treasure he loved so deeply just be gone?

"Ding dong." His phone rang.

He looked at it numbly and saw that it was a notification from a shopping app about a new product release from a store he hadn't followed. He initially glanced at it without intending to pay attention, but that single glance seemed to mesmerize him, making it impossible for him to look away.

The message came from a shop he had never noticed before—Fate Card Shop? Blind boxes?

Blind boxes had always been popular among young people, with many stores selling them both online and in reality. However, these shops did not cater to Liang Jie, especially not now.

Why on earth did he click into this shop?

He looked at the only product link in the shop and almost thought he had made a mistake.

A set... two zeros, yes, three million?

Even Liang Jie couldn't help but curl his lips. He clicked on customer service and sent a message.

"Your price is wrong."

He had married such a kind wife and was fundamentally a kind person himself. Even in this painful moment, he chose not to ignore it but to remind the customer service.

With prices like this, even if there were customers, they would just glance and leave. How could there be any business?

Customer service replied quickly: "The price is correct. Would you like to buy a set, friend?"

Friend? Was this customer service representative not trained?

"The price is wrong; you listed it as 3 million per set." Who sells blind boxes that expensive? Moreover, card blind boxes contain cards. You've already told people what's inside. Are you expecting them to guess whether they'll get gold, silver, or wooden cards?

"Beginner cards, indeed 3 million per set. Would you like to buy a set, friend? If you can draw your Fate Card, you will have a chance to change your hopeless life. Brave people are favored by fate. This is an opportunity bestowed by a compassionate god."

Hopeless life, brave people, compassionate god...

Liang Jie was stunned. Why did he feel a strange sense of fate? No, he gave a bitter smile. A god? Where was there a god? Throughout history, good people didn't live long, while evildoers lingered for centuries. Where was there a god? He must be being mocked by fate again, receiving such bizarre recommendations at this time.

But he had already decided not to live anymore. He planned to use his death to send a cry to society, hoping to change the court's verdict and make those demons receive their due punishment.

In that case, the money in his bank account was indeed unnecessary. They were people who neither their fathers nor mothers cared about, so there was no need to leave anything for them. Donation? Ha, no.

So, he inexplicably placed an order and bought a set of beginner card blind boxes. Let him see how far fate intended to mock and ridicule them.

The next moment, the doorbell rang.

He got up to open the door.

There was no one outside, but there was a package on the ground. Liang Jie picked it up and saw that the sender on the delivery slip was: Fate Card Shop.

What? Liang Jie froze, looking down at his phone. He had indeed just placed the order, right?