Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Shen Gali followed the player SUN to her house, only to find it was just a half-built glass villa, with no roof and sparse furniture, looking very empty.

In this game, you need to go to the forest to chop wood and mine stone, then use machines to generate planks, and then use the required number of planks to make different furniture. Special materials like glass require defeating monsters to obtain blueprints and recipes to synthesize.

In short, it was very troublesome.

"SUN: I used to live with my in-game partner, stayed in his house, so my own house is just a half-finished product."

Shen Gali responded to her in his mind off-screen: Oh.

"SUN: By the way, do you have a partner?"

"Tieniu Ju: Game? Reality?"

"SUN: Reality, of course. Aren't you a new player?"

Shen Gali thought for a moment. Did Nan Liujing count as one? No, he was the original body's husband.

"Tieniu Ju: No"

"SUN: ... Heh"

Shen Gali: ?

That "Heh" seemed sarcastic?

Player SUN said nothing more, only that she was going to the trading market to see if any guilds were recruiting, leaving Tieniu Ju standing dumbfounded in front of the half-built villa.

Tieniu Ju was in the same position when SUN left as when she returned.

Shen Gali, in front of the screen, had waited forever, unable to resist sleep, and fell asleep at the desk.

Then came SUN's barrage of messages:

"I'm back, found a guild, moving now."

"Talk."

"Still there?"

"Shen Gali?"

The name Shen Gali popped up, then was quickly retracted.

At that moment, Shen Gali finally woke up from the relentless barrage of message alerts.

After that, Shen Gali followed SUN to join a guild called "One Wood Three Flowers." The guild had accepted them only because they were interested in SUN's level 90 and expensive skins, reluctantly allowing her to bring Shen Gali, a clueless newbie.

This guild was ranked first in the game. Among the 300-member large guild, more than half were level 90 and above; almost all the max-level players in the game were here.

The hardcore, pay-to-win big shots, dressed in flashy, over-the-top skins, stood at the city hall entrance, setting off fireworks to welcome the newcomers.

Amidst the lively scene, Shen Gali's Tieniu Ju, in his vest and flip-flops, stood motionless among the extravagance, looking like an idiot.

In reality, Shen Gali in front of the screen was nearly dozing off, his head bobbing like a chicken pecking grain.

He was about to crash. It was 1 a.m.

At that moment, the guild leader, clad in a golden battle robe, walked up to Tieniu Ju, and a panel popped up:

[Guild Leader "Mu Yan" sends you fireworks. Accept?]

The chat below was also lively:

"Yi Yi: Wow! The guild leader brother is giving a newcomer fireworks! This is a historic moment!"

"Zhan Yi Duo: Noob, accept quickly! The guild leader rarely appears for welcome events. You're incredibly lucky!"

"share: Boohoo, the guild leader has never given me fireworks. Am I not worthy just because I joined at level 80?"

"Alde: Guild leader Mu Yan is a super mysterious, legendary figure! He reached max level in just half a year, kicked out the old guild leader and became the leader himself, so you'd better accept, don't be disrespectful."

Shen Gali, half-asleep, didn't even see clearly what the panel said and clicked randomly.

"Accept? No √"

Guild members: !

How dare the noob put on airs and reject the guild leader's gift? We might as well kick him out.

But the guild leader didn't seem angry and sent another gift request.

This time, he sent a necklace, "Eternal Heart."

Again, Shen Gali clicked randomly.

"Accept? Yes √"

The members couldn't sit still.

The Eternal Heart necklace could only be crafted by reaching max level, unlocking the highest-level map, battling the strongest boss for three days and three nights, defeating it, and obtaining its heart's blood.

Many had never even seen this item before!

Plus, items traded in the game could be cashed out for real money! An Eternal Heart was priced at 12,000 in the market. What did this big, burly dude in a vest have that the guild leader favored him so much?

Shen Gali rested his chin on the desk, struggling to stay awake, wanting to thank him, but as soon as he typed 'X' (for 'Xie Xie'), his eyes fluttered shut...

Everyone watched as Tieniu Ju accepted items worth 12,000 without saying a word, and they demanded the guild leader kick Shen Gali out of the guild.

The next second, the panel showed that Guild Leader "Mu Yan" had left the room.

It was getting late, and everyone else got bored, so they left the city hall and went home.

In the vast square, only SUN and Tieniu Ju remained, the burly guy with a pink Eternal Heart hanging around his thick neck, standing there stiffly.

SUN stood beside Tieniu Ju for a long time. Once the square was empty, she clicked on the Eternal Heart around Tieniu Ju's neck, and the screen immediately popped up an item detail panel, showing the necklace's crafting method, price, and all details.

SUN pondered for a moment, then suddenly left the square and boarded an airplane.

The next day.

*

When Shen Gali opened his eyes, his chin was sore.

He'd slept all night with his chin on the desk.

At the dining table, Nan Liujing had a financial magazine spread out beside him, and he slowly sipped his coffee.

Uncle Li stood to the side and asked softly, "Young master, did you not sleep well last night? I see a faint blue under your eyes. Do you need me to change your pillow or bed?"

"No need." Nan Liujing drank his coffee, his eyes drifted to Shen Gali across the table.

He was propping his head up with one hand, slouching, looking like he hadn't slept, his eyes peacefully closed.

His chin was bright red, easy to guess how he'd slept.

Nan Liujing withdrew his gaze and landed it on the financial magazine, casually flipping through the pages, muttering softly, "Shen Gali, what level is my account at?"

Shen Gali, still with eyes closed, replied hoarsely, "Level one."

"It started at level one, and after a whole night it's still level one." Nan Liujing sneered.

"Because I'm not just a useless person in life, I'm also a game idiot." Shen Gali said matter-of-factly, once again confessing his uselessness.

For a new player to level up early on, they need to go to the forest to chop wood, mine stones, and kill small monsters, but Shen Gali seemed to have done nothing but stand around all night.

Uncle Li helped Nan Liujing put on his suit, ready to head out to the company. Before leaving, Nan Liujing didn't forget to say, "Don't forget, level sixty. Work hard on your own at home today."

With that, he walked out the door without looking back.

Shen Gali finally opened his eyes, took a careful look at the dining table, and noticed a plate of fruit platter, with various fresh fruits arranged neatly like a work of art.

He slowly picked up a blueberry, rolling it between his fingertips and raising it above his head.

He felt... something weirdly off.

But he couldn't pinpoint what was strange.

Perhaps it was because the fruit platter was too beautiful. Shen Gali, uncharacteristically, ate half the plate, then went upstairs to start his leveling journey.

Like a dumbass, he spent forever punching trees in the forest. On the way back to the plane, a notification said his pack was too full and he had to drop some wood temporarily, which he could pick up on the next trip.

Shen Gali took some wood back to SUN's place. Just as he opened the map—

Where was he supposed to go anyway?

Tsk, forgot.

Ah well, Tieniu Ju must be tired too. Time to lie down for a bit.

Might as well lie down too.

Just as he ran back to the unfinished small villa, he saw a man standing at the entrance wearing a flashy battle robe. Above his head was the player nickname "Mu Yan," and in front of the nickname hung a golden identity badge with the words "Guild Leader."

"Mu Yan: Tieniu Ju, do you have time now?"

"Tieniu Ju: No."

"Mu Yan: Let me take you on a guild quest. It'll help you level up faster."

"Tieniu Ju: ..."

Didn't he say he had no time? Does everyone in this book world just talk over you?

The next moment, a golden light flashed across the screen, and a cool, imposing woman emerged from the light. A dialog box popped up below: [Player "SUN" has logged in.]

Looking at the level next to SUN's name, Shen Gali fell into thought.

She was level ninety last night, and now she's reached level ninety-four. They say the higher the level, the slower the leveling. While he was AFK, where did SUN go to grind so hard?

While he was thinking, a few golden server announcements popped up:

[Trading Market: Item "Konsares' Eye" has been sold for $9800]

[Trading Market: Outfit "Osmanthus Wine and Fine Tea" has been sold for $1999]

"Poison Swamp: Max-level zombie has been defeated, dropped Heartblood and Demon Eye."

At this moment, Guild Leader Mu Yan suddenly turned to face SUN, quietly gazing at her without saying a word.

Only when Shen Gali spoke did he break their long stare.

"Tieniu Ju: How do I do the quest? I don't know."

"Mu Yan: Follow me. SUN, do you want to do the quest together?"

SUN said nothing and just followed Mu Yan and Tieniu Ju to the bulletin board at city hall to pick up the day's quest.

The first quest was simple: patrol the vicinity of the guild and remove any eyes other guilds planted, because those eyes tell them when the guild's guard is at its lowest, so they can attack by surprise.

The second quest:

"Vertical Moon City: Heavy rain at 10:05. Collect redwood in the rain for a chance to obtain rare minerals."

At that moment, a message popped up on the screen: [Guild Leader "Mu Yan" sent you a Stoner SR25 rifle. Accept?]

"Mu Yan: Take it. Vertical Moon City is very dangerous."

Shen Gali took the rifle without arguing.

While getting quests, they ran into a few other guild members. The eight of them formed a team and set off on their patrol.

"share: Neither of the newbies has to go to work or school, right? It's a workday, yeah?"

Shen Gali didn't say anything, while SUN said she was self-employed.

They guessed that other players online at this time were either college students, shut-ins, or freelancers.

Or, of course, people screwing off at work.

The game's environment is really detailed. Walking on the warm, peaceful grass feels so real, and you can even hear birds chirping happily.

Behind the guild hall on the hill sat a tidy row of graves, with different styles of tombstones, showing player nicknames above them.

"Mu Yan: We don't delete retired players' accounts; they get buried here. When they come back, they can reactivate their accounts."

Shen Gali, who was bored at first, slowly opened his eyes wide when he saw this graveyard.

Even though it was a cemetery, these weirdly shaped tombstones are surrounded by warm-colored plants, making it a pretty view from a distance.

Clicking on the tombstones allowed you to see the funny gravestone quotes left by the players:

"Oops, croaked. Start over! No way, this life is too hard."

"Tell Mom I love her, want to be her kid again next life."

"Bro, back off. You're stepping on my eye."

According to Mu Yan, the designs and materials of these tombstones were all crafted by players themselves over several days before quitting the game, and some materials were so expensive that they had to be bought with real money from the trading market.

Shen Gali, staring—

Imagining that scene: players locking themselves in a room, sitting by a machine, listening to the rhythmic hum as they wait for the completion of their own afterlife garden—this image is utterly

beyond words, captivating.

I want one.

Amidst the intertwining trees, a cluster of purple flowers hangs from a branch, glistening.

Mu Yan suddenly pulls a stone axe out of his backpack and hacks away at the tree, huffing and puffing. The tree falls, and a prompt pops up:

"Obtained: Guild Leader Exclusive—Wind Chime Promise"

Just then, a message pops up on Shen Gali's panel: [Guild Leader "Mu Yan" has sent you a rare Bluebell Flower. Accept?]

Shen Gali: "No ✓"

Please, stop sending me things. I don't like owing people favors.

He thought that refusing would make it clear, but the next moment: [Player "SUN" has sent you the "Eye of Consares". Accept?]

Shen Gali: ?

[Guild Leader "Mu Yan" has sent you the Blueprint for Roman Stone Pillars. Accept?]

[Player "SUN" has sent you the "Gui Jiu Jia Ming" (a 'Cinnamon Wine and Fine Tea' outfit). Accept?]

Shen Gali: ???

He's seen people comparing shoes, grades, and family backgrounds, but this is the first time he's seen a competition over sending gifts. Has he been out of touch with society for too long? How can he not understand the current trends anymore?

He clicks "No" on all of them in a flurry and can't help saying: [Stop sending things. I don't like this.]

He truly has no interest in these items; they'd just gather dust in his locker.

If they really want to give him something, send him a luxury tomb.

At that moment, at the Huanhai Electronics Group headquarters—

Secretary Yan gently knocks on Nan Liujing's office door, and after a long pause, a voice from inside says, "Come in."

Pushing the door open, she sees her boss, Nan Liujing, staring motionlessly at his computer, with faint dark circles under his eyes and visible red streaks in his eyeballs—clearly sleep-deprived.

"Mr. Nan, this is the response document from Sanye Trading Company. Please take a look." Secretary Yan respectfully hands over the documents.

Usually, Nan Liujing would personally take the documents and review them, handling all company matters himself, never letting anyone else handle them besides his secretary.

But this time, his gaze remains fixed on the computer as he mutters, "Put it there. I'll check it later."

Secretary Yan steals a few glances at him, nods, and leaves the office.

Once outside, she immediately finds another secretary in charge of reception and asks worriedly, "Has something been going on at the company lately?"

The other secretary looks puzzled. "Why do you ask?"

Secretary Yan thinks for a moment and lets out a long sigh. "Because Mr. Nan's expression is terrifying. I don't know what he sees on that computer, but it feels like he's about to tear into whatever's on the screen at any moment."

As she says this, she can't help shivering.