If you took any one of these individuals separately, they'd be deemed as incredibly handsome. However, when they all appeared together, especially accompanied by two beautiful ladies, the effect was absolutely captivating, catering to everyone's fantasies.

But soon rumors emerged that the villa's owner was surnamed Zhou, the eldest son of Chief Justice Zhou who had been missing for years. Speculations about the extent of the financial support he received from his father began to circulate.

"Look at these media outlets spreading rumors! If I, Zhou Huajin, could afford the Lizi Villa, I would've moved there long ago!" Zhou Huajin was livid. Initially, when Zhou You's identity as his son wasn't revealed, gossip columns speculated that Zhou You might be a lover of some leader, given his androgynous beauty.

Lady Zhou commented sarcastically, "What’s so surprising? His villa's origins are unclear, so people are bound to make wild guesses. Hasn’t he also not told you about the source of his money?"

"Do I even need to ask? It must be from selling materials. Haven't you heard they went to the Beast Recording store to sell materials the day they met Xiao Chen? They reportedly sold a whole truck's worth, priceless in value."

"I find it hard to believe that the truckload of money isn't shared with others. The costs of a martial artist's training are considerable. Just look at Xiao Chen - purchasing techniques, weapons, armor, honoring his master, and so forth. All these things cost a fortune. Despite having many experts, Yangcheng Base hasn't managed to buy Lizhi Mansion."

Zhou Huajin has thought about it too. In these times, as long as one isn't committing major crimes within the base, many niche businesses can thrive. Qianji Hall started in the underworld and is still doing well. So, regardless of how Zhou You earned his money, it's a testament to his abilities.

"Enough of this. Instead of delving into these matters, let's think about how to utilize this surge in popularity to boost his reputation. It's a shame the kid doesn't want to be close to me; he doesn't even have an elder by his side. What a fuss!"

Zhou You, the subject of the fuss, is currently battling alongside his teammates in a game. They've been researching for days, concluding that the top ten BOSSes are undoubtedly formidable mutated creatures. They can either be strong individually or possess powerful collective strengths, like the top-tier mutated beasts or rapidly reproducing swarms like ants and rats.

After defeating an armadillo, its tough shell was quickly sold in the marketplace. This time's earnings belong to Shao Qi, who currently has the highest score in the team. He's amassed fifteen points, while Zhou You has twelve, and the rest are all at ten.

"Let's push harder today and aim to get Brother Shao into the top ten," Zhou You exclaimed, brandishing his dagger and unfolding their expensive map to pick the next destination.

Cheng Suyan wasn't pleased. "We're a team. We either rise together or fall together. Why don't we aim to increase everyone's scores equally?"

"Why should you stand shoulder to shoulder with our leader?" Miao Miao rebutted bluntly.

Cheng Suyan moved closer to Zhou You and said, albeit not very confidently, "Regardless, if anyone from our team is to be number one, it should be Zhou You. I wouldn't acknowledge anyone else!"

Zhou You expressed his gratitude but added, "There's no need for hard feelings. Although we're currently working as a team, once our individual levels increase, we can operate independently. I think attacking a mutated creature as a big group might be overkill. By then, the point gap might widen, giving everyone a chance to climb the leaderboard without having to yield to anyone."

Ignoring Cheng Suyan, Shao Qi leaned in and said to Zhou You, "In that case, we should have a friendly competition. The loser owes the winner a favor. Deal?"

"Sure, what's the condition?"

"We'll discuss that later."

Zhou You knew Shao Qi wouldn't be unreasonable, so he agreed, adding, "Alright, I've found our next target..."

"Hey, brothers! I never expected to find you here," Zhang Dingshan exclaimed as he jumped off an armored vehicle, rushing towards Zhou You and the team. Although the game was incredibly realistic, the characters' running animations were somewhat comical. Combined with Zhang Dingshan's excited voice, everyone momentarily forgot their previous quarrel.

"Brother Zhang San," Long Gan said, nodding ceremoniously.

Noticing the humor in the reference to his name, Zhang Dingshan responded with a bow and introduced himself, "Forgive me. My real name is Zhang Dingshan. Just call me by my name."

He expected some recognition from the group, but they all seemed indifferent, merely asking, "What brings you here?"

Realizing they didn't know him, Zhang Dingshan felt a bit disheartened. He always thought he was relatively well-known but apparently faced a reality check.

"Well, I heard that deeper in these mountains, someone spotted a hibernating bear. If I can hunt it down while it sleeps, it could boost my ranking," Zhang Dingshan explained. His rank had been stagnant at eighth for days. Though it was already beyond his expectations, who wouldn't want to climb higher?

Ever since Zhou You and his team received their medals of honor, Zhang Dingshan started strategizing. The top ten menaces were undoubtedly formidable, and a high-tier mutated bear might be one of them. That's why he came to try his luck.

Zhang Dingshan arrived with his team and once again invited Zhou You and his companions, "Do you want to join us? If the bear wakes up, we might not handle it on our own."

While Zhang Dingshan's teammates seemed skeptical, out of respect for their leader, they remained silent. However, Zhou You's team declined, "We'll pass. We've already set our sights on another target."

"What is it?" Zhang Dingshan inquired impulsively.

"It's a secret for now," Zhou You replied, leaving Zhang Dingshan's teammates visibly irritated. One of them muttered, "Such drama. His rank isn't even higher than our leader's."

Zhang Dingshan turned and snapped, "If you can't speak properly, keep quiet! Apologize to Mr. Zhou right away." After scolding, he glanced at Zhou You's in-game ID, "Zhou You World." He realized this might be the same Zhou You, the recent talk of the town as the new owner of Lizhi Mansion. Coming from another place, it made sense that he didn't recognize Zhang Dingshan.