"You should change your name too. We're celebrities now. Being surrounded and gawked at would be detrimental."

Zhou You accessed the system settings, "Where can I change the ID? I don’t see the option."

"You can't. But you can purchase a disguise function. It not only allows you to change your public name but also your appearance." Shao Qi sent him the link. Zhou You hesitated upon seeing the price.

"It's too expensive."

"Considering the chance to obtain a treasure, do you still find it expensive?"

Zhou You isn't naive. A single secret manual is worth a thousand points. What's this amount of money in comparison?

The two of them, with new names and appearances, teamed up with two young men and drove an expert vehicle out of the base. The young men were very arrogant and would have declined if not for Zhou You's offer to cover the fuel costs.

"I've heard someone saw a wild ginseng, standing almost as tall as a person's leg. It vanished in the blink of an eye."

Zhou You asked with great interest, "Did they see it themselves? Did it really look like a child?"

"Not exactly. It had a human-like shape, with arms and legs, but not much else. It's said to run extremely fast. You might not catch up, and neither might our master... anyway, it's too fast for the average person."

"Are you also searching for the thousand-year-old ginseng?" Zhou You glanced at their rankings, both beyond a hundred, and felt it would be a futile attempt on their part.

"Yes, we're trying our luck. Care to join us, brothers?"

Shao Qi responded first, "We're here to hunt mutated beasts for points. Finding the ginseng is more a matter of luck. If we waste three hours on it, it would be a great loss."

"Then, let's split up once we're in the mountains. We'll take the car..."

"That's not happening. I have many places to go today. It would be inconvenient without the car," Shao Qi said cheerfully. Before the others could react, he quickly made his move, throwing both men out of the car, and drove away.

Shao Qi wanted to whistle, but his game character couldn’t.

"Why did you deceive them?" Zhou You felt that Shao Qi wasn't the type to hide his intentions.

"I wasn't lying. We really are searching for the ancient ginseng. However, hunting mutated beasts is our main goal. If only we could bring Xiao Bai in, it would be ours for the taking!"

Zhou You stroked his chin, thinking, "Should we let Bai Hu try the game chair next time? It would have something to do. But one of us needs to keep an eye on it to prevent any disruptions."

Shao Qi stuck a gun out of the window, shooting down a low-level mutated beast with a single shot, while still driving smoothly and swiftly, "We're not even close to making that happen, yet you're already thinking ahead."

Chapter 139: The Contest (Part 2)

Killing mutated beasts in the game is different from reality. When encountering a beast, the brain undergoes significant emotional fluctuations. Holographic technology interprets these into commands; if a player wants to flee in fear, their game character will. If they have a strong intent to fight, the system engages combat mode.

Zhou You had always been curious about how characters moved in the game and how their moves were determined. He discovered that if players acquired martial arts manuals, their game characters would inherit those skills, allowing them to consciously use them in battle. For players without a manual, their strength and speed adjust according to their character's level.

Once deep in the mountains, Shao Qi slowed down. Zhou You, with his crossbow ready, shot any mutated beast in sight. With his skills, lower-level beasts were eliminated in one shot without even stopping the car. If they encountered a mid-level beast, Shao Qi would slow down, giving Zhou You ample time to hunt.

After an hour, Zhou You and Shao Qi switched places. Zhou You's score was far ahead, with no concerns about being overtaken. On the other hand, Shao Qi was still in third place.

Shao Qi positioned a laser gun by the window, smiling confidently, "Watch this!"

The laser gun Shao Qi held was a prize. Buying it from the mall would have been quite expensive. It was more powerful than a crossbow, capable of inflicting gaping wounds with a single shot.

"This game is incredibly lifelike, down to the screams and the bleeding," Zhou You observed as he spotted a flock of mutated birds ahead. He halted the car, climbed onto the roof, and together with Shao Qi, they began firing from either side.

Birds began to drop from the sky. Nearby players paused to watch the scene, some taking shots of their own. However, ordinary bullets struggled to reach the distance and even when they did, they could hardly kill the mutated birds, which would fly higher in response.

Watching the few birds that got away, Shao Qi exclaimed with frustration, "Those interferences! If I had shot them all, my score would surpass Tang Jiu's."

Zhou You jumped back into the car, revved the engine, and assured Shao Qi, who was still on the roof, "Don't worry. We still have half the time left. That's more than enough for you to catch up."

From his perch atop the car, Shao Qi set his gun sights on the approaching mutated beasts. None escaped his shots. The commotion attracted other players. Some drove closer out of curiosity, wondering who wielded such a powerful laser gun. They were in awe upon seeing Shao Qi take down a massive mutated gorilla with a single shot. This creature, with its agile arms and ability to use tools, had defeated many players before, some even crushed to death by its rock throws.