Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Doubt
Ah Bi was just about to say more, but before he could even open his mouth, Long Ming logged out of the game and vanished.
"Fuck!"
Ah Bi couldn’t help but curse. Another big fish had gotten away.
...
Inside Private Room 666 of the Star Wish Cafe.
HISS~
With the sound of depressurizing air, the lid of the game pod slid open automatically.
Long Ming opened his eyes and slowly sat up.
COUGH COUGH~
He gave a few light coughs, then took stock of how his body felt.
He realized that even though he had been in the game for nearly three days straight, his body didn’t feel particularly exhausted or hungry. ’You really do get what you pay for,’ he thought. The effects of a game pod were far beyond what a simple helmet could offer.
He climbed out of the game pod, slipped on his shoes, and walked out the door into the self-service area.
Long Ming grabbed a bottle of water and twisted it open. Then, he took a small bottle from his pocket, shook out a few pills, and swallowed them.
He then headed for the stairs, ready to go home and rest.
Before long, Long Ming reached the first-floor lobby.
The lobby was buzzing with activity, with a large crowd gathered around a projection stage.
Manager Mira stood on the stage, wearing a sexy black slip dress. She addressed the crowd with a wide smile.
"Congratulations to our distinguished guest, Mr. Zhou Ning, for finding a purple-grade item in Civilization Paradise and successfully extracting! He has fulfilled the conditions for our Star Wish Cafe event, ’A Champion is Born,’ and is hereby awarded 500 Mountain Coins in cafe credit!"
CLAP CLAP~
The crowd broke into applause.
"Thank you!"
A young man in a blue T-shirt was grinning from ear to ear, while on the large screen behind him, footage of his heroic extraction was being projected.
"Alright, our good little boy, that’s enough! Get down from there!"
Zhou Ning’s roommates, who had come with him, all started shouting at him.
"Oh, get outta here."
Seeing his roommates heckling him, Zhou Ning could only run off the stage in embarrassment.
A nostalgic expression appeared on Long Ming’s face as he watched the scene.
Just then, Manager Mira smiled at the spectating customers below the stage and spoke again.
"If I could have your attention, everyone. Next, the Star Wish Cafe is proud to present a thrilling extraction video. Please, turn your eyes to the screen!"
Hearing Manager Mira’s words, everyone turned to look at the projection screen.
The image on the screen switched. In the video, a young man wearing a bulletproof vest, holding a submachine gun, and carrying a tactical backpack was sprinting across low rooftops, then leaped to the top of an adjacent building.
In a clearing not far away, a mechanical extraction platform was situated.
The young man’s smile widened as he spotted the extraction platform.
BANG!
Suddenly, a bullet whizzed past him and struck the wall.
The young man glanced back to see five other players, armed with automatic pistols, closing in on him.
"You’re not getting away!"
The five players fired relentlessly at the young man.
The young man ignored the gunfire from behind, continuing to sprint along the slanted rooftops as if they were level ground.
Just as the five players were about to catch him, the young man took a flying leap from the building. He landed stylishly on the mechanical platform, raised his wristband, and tapped the command to extract.
As a white light began to glow, the five pursuing players finally arrived, but it was too late. They could only watch in fury as the young man extracted.
Mira then addressed the entire crowd.
"Everyone, that was Mr. Chu Xian from the Star Wish Cafe’s Pioneer Group Sixteen! He successfully extracted with a profit of 5,000,000 One-Dimensional Coins! That’s an outstanding achievement, surpassing the Star Wish Cafe’s previous record of 3,000,000 by 2,000,000 and setting a new high! The Star Wish Cafe will be awarding him a special prize of 10,000 Mountain Coins! Please welcome Mr. Chu Xian to the stage!"
A man with an arrogant expression and side-swept bangs then walked onto the stage.
"So badass!"
"That was so cool!"
"Hey pro, carry us on a run sometime!"
...
The spectating customers shouted in a frenzy.
"I’ll definitely take you all if I get the chance!"
Chu Xian replied politely.
Long Ming glanced over, then quietly walked to the counter and spoke.
"Checking out of private room 666."
"Sir, was the game pod to your satisfaction?"
Xiaoqi asked enthusiastically when she saw Long Ming come over to pay his bill.
"I was. What’s the total?"
"Of course. You were logged in for a total of 64 hours and 13 minutes. I won’t charge you for the odd minutes, so the usage fee is 6,400 Mountain Coins. Plus the nutrient supplement for 3,000 Mountain Coins, your total comes to 9,900 Mountain Coins."
"Thanks."
Long Ming paid with his phone and turned to leave.
Seeing Long Ming about to leave, Xiaoqi hurried out from behind the counter and called out to him.
"Sir, wait a moment!"
"What is it? Is there something else?"
Long Ming stopped and looked at Xiaoqi, confused.
"Sir, would you mind if we exchanged contact info? That way, you can just message me next time you want to book a session."
"It’s not like this place is short on customers, right? Especially with how many people are booking the game pods?"
"Sir, what cafe ever complains about having too many customers? Besides, you have to book with someone, right? You might as well let me have the commission so I can earn a little extra."
Xiaoqi said, blinking her eyes playfully at Long Ming.
"Alright."
After a moment’s thought, Long Ming agreed.
"Thank you, sir! Here’s my contact. You can message me for anything you need. And if you want to use a game pod, let me know ahead of time. I can’t promise I’ll get you one immediately, but I can put you on the schedule."
Xiaoqi quickly took out her phone and pulled up the screen to add a new contact.
"Done. I’m heading out."
Long Ming scanned it and left.
"Take care, sir!"
Xiaoqi called out politely.
Just then, a young man in a work uniform with a mole by the corner of his mouth walked over and asked curiously.
"Xiaoqi, who was that guy who just left? Why’d you get his contact info?"
"None of your business."
The smile on Xiaoqi’s face vanished instantly. She shot Cao Jie an annoyed glare, then turned and walked away.
Cao Jie was left completely baffled.
’Did I say something wrong?’
...
「In a remote corner of Starry City.」
A burly, 1.9-meter-tall man stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the distant scenery. He wore a mechanical breastplate, his body was a mass of steel-like muscle, his face was chiseled, and his eyes were sharp. Behind him stood a line of his subordinates, each one radiating a murderous aura.
Just then, Old Ghost came running over, a wide smile on his face as he carried a genetics case. Just as he was about to get closer...
...two subordinates put out their arms to block his path.
Old Ghost’s expression froze, and he could only speak in a subservient tone.
"Lord Qiansha."
"Where is it?"
Hearing Old Ghost’s voice, Qiansha turned to face him and asked with an imposing air.
"Right here."
Old Ghost held up the sealed genetics case as if presenting a priceless treasure.
A subordinate took the genetics case and respectfully presented it to Qiansha.
Qiansha accepted the sealed case. A flicker of excitement appeared in his eyes as he gently caressed its surface.
"It really is a Genetic Treasure Crate."
"Congratulations, my lord! If you can get a perfect Genetic Potion from this and present it to the City Lord, I’m certain he will see you in a new light. The position of the next City Lord will be yours for the taking."
A powerfully built man with a crew cut and calloused hands offered his congratulations.
"My lord, Captain Alang is right."
The other subordinates present all chimed in with their agreement.
