Xiao Lan woke up with a start.
She sat up abruptly, the back of her pajamas already soaked through and clinging to her skin. Her chest heaved violently as she gasped for air, greedily gulping it down.
Her gaze remained fixed on the wall for several seconds before Xiao Lan slowly realized she was lying in bed. There was no darkness, no sensation of suffocation—only the unlit chandelier on the ceiling and a faint sliver of light leaking through the gap in the curtains.
She slowly raised her hand, looked at her fingers, clenched her fist and released it, then pressed her palm against her forehead.
Only after feeling the warmth of her own skin did she finally confirm she was still alive.
It must have just been a dream.
That dream was too terrifying; she didn't even dare to recall it.
Every time she thought of it, that chill seeping from the gaps in her bones would surge back, pinning her in place.
Xiao Lan threw off the covers and stepped onto the floor barefoot. As the coolness of the floorboards traveled up from her soles to her calves and knees, she felt herself finally waking up completely from the dream.
She walked to the window and pulled back the curtains in one motion.
Soft light spilled over her, making her squint involuntarily.
Looking up at the sky, she saw a glowing celestial body—not very large, round, and hanging quietly in the air. Its edges were blurred, with a halo spreading outward, looking very much like the massive celestial body she had seen in her dream.
It was almost identical.
Xiao Lan's heart skipped a beat, but then she let out a sigh of relief.
“It was just the moon after all...”
...
Liming City.
In the stairwell of an ordinary residential building, a sound-activated light flickered on and then went out.
Several young people dressed in various outfits stepped out of the elevator, glowing names floating above their heads.
The second batch of closed beta players had descended, and they were far bolder than the first batch; after all, others had already paved the way for them.
Which NPCs to avoid, the unspoken rules of certain locations, and which part-time jobs were more lucrative—all of this had already been thoroughly dissected on the forums.
The second batch of players didn't need to walk in the dark; they only needed to follow the guides.
The expansion of the Investigation Bureau was still ongoing, with temporary investigator slots being handed out as if they cost nothing.
However, the recruitment notice at the entrance of Tulip Security Company had already been torn down, leaving only a small trace of transparent tape behind.
Yue Shi didn't need more manpower; the existing players were enough for him to study slowly.
But even so, it didn't stop the constant stream of players.
Many new players were always loitering downstairs, streaming or filming videos, or trying to sneak in. Some even squatted at the entrance of the milk tea shop across the street, ordering the cheapest original milk tea and sitting there for the entire afternoon.
On short video platforms, the recorded streams of 【Ever-Crying Vine】 had an absurdly high number of views. New players had long heard of the boss of Tulip Security Company; it was said that this boss's character model was currently the most exquisite in the entire game.
The first person who thought of streaming an NPC’s looks had already made a fortune, so other players naturally wanted to interact and stream with high-quality NPCs as well.
Who wouldn't want to make money?
While most players focused their attention on Yue Shi, a player named 【Jian Lai】 had set his sights on the company’s second-in-command.
Ghost was usually in the office, responsible for managing the players' daily work—assigning tasks, recording attendance, issuing wages, and occasionally handling conflicts between players.
【Jian Lai】 was sharp-witted and thick-skinned enough.
He kissed up to Ghost every day, proactively greeting him and showering him with exaggerated praise even when he ran out of things to say, wishing he could stick to Ghost at all times.
Ghost, who was constantly manipulated and pressured by Yue Shi, felt happy inside when he heard someone praising him so intensely, even though he knew it was fake.
On the surface, however, he maintained his cold and aloof demeanor, treating 【Jian Lai】 with a blank face: “Slick-tongued. Just say what you want.”
【Jian Lai】 leaned in with a grin. “Nothing, nothing at all. I just wanted to ask you a few questions.”
His goal was clear: he wanted to change his class to a ghost, or at least coax some cultivation techniques out of Ghost’s mouth.
As a ghost who was well-versed in human nature, Ghost also had high popularity on the game forums.
Players felt that since 'ghosts' existed, there might be different racial settings in Deep Red Continent. Other races besides humans might have talent bonuses, and some speculated that players could choose to be reincarnated as ghosts to obtain exclusive talent skills for spirit-type entities.
【Jian Lai】 felt that the advantage of being a ghost in the early stages of the game was greater than being a human.
...
The news of the second batch of players' descent flooded the forums, and 【Jian Lai】 saw it too.
There was almost no level gap between the first and second batches; everyone was about the same, and no one was significantly stronger than anyone else.
Seeing the arrival of the new players, 【Jian Lai】 couldn't help but feel anxious.
If he delayed any longer, the opportunity would be long gone!
He finally couldn't hold back anymore and leaned in while Ghost was organizing documents, his voice lowered: “Big brother, I wanted to ask you something.”
Ghost didn't even look up. “Speak.”
“Do you know where I can get a cultivation technique? How can I become a ghost like you?” 【Jian Lai】’s eyes were sparkling.
Ghost’s hand paused, and he slowly looked up at 【Jian Lai】, his lips curling into a slow smile.
“There is indeed a technique.”
【Jian Lai】’s eyes instantly widened, his breathing quickened, and his hands unconsciously gripped the hem of his shirt.
He felt like he had finally latched onto a golden thigh; all those days of being a simp following Ghost around hadn't been in vain.
The reward was finally here!
“Second-in-command—no, no, Master, please accept my bow!”
Ghost put on the air of a hidden master and said calmly, “Don't be so quick to call me Master.”
“Little Jian, the requirements for practicing this technique are very harsh. I'm afraid you won't meet them.”
【Jian Lai】’s heart sank, but he didn't back down. This was all normal game procedure; to obtain rare items, one had to fulfill various prerequisites and even farm NPC favorability.
【Jian Lai】 took a step forward, his tone firm: “Big brother, is it a talent requirement? No matter how harsh it is, I'm willing to try!”
Ghost turned to look at him and said seriously, “It has nothing to do with talent. This technique is related to morality; your moral character must pass the test before you can practice it.”
【Jian Lai】 froze. He had heard of all sorts of strange cultivation requirements—things like bone structure, comprehension, spirit roots, or bloodline were all normal—but he had never heard of a requirement for moral character.
However, after only a moment of daze, he revealed a sincere smile: “There is actually such a technique in the world?”
Such a technique must be incredibly powerful; it wasn't something any random person could learn. Those who could learn it had to be one-in-a-million gentlemen.
【Jian Lai】 immediately puffed out his chest and pointed at his own face: “Big brother, look at me. My moral character is definitely up to par. Since I was a kid, I’ve helped old ladies across the street at least ten times. If I find a wallet, I always hand it to the police; I never keep it for myself. In this entire company, besides you and the boss, I have the best character.”
Ghost looked surprised: “Who the hell told you that you needed a good character? The prerequisite for practicing this technique is that your moral level must be sufficiently low!”
【Jian Lai】’s mouth instantly hung wide open.
“Huh?!”
Rate on N.U.
