In the corridors of the Tulip Security Company, players gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves.
The big boss’s office door was tightly shut, and the second-in-command, Ghost, was nowhere to be found.
A few players who usually loved to loiter near the office door had poked their heads in several times today, but they hadn't seen a thing.
“Where’s the boss?”
“Where’s that ghost?”
“He didn't skip town, did he?”
One player worked up the courage to push open the office door, only to freeze in his tracks.
The good news: there was someone in the office.
The bad news: it wasn't the boss.
Jian Lai, a fellow player, was sitting in the boss’s chair. Several documents were spread out on the desk before him, and a cup of steaming tea sat at his elbow. He looked calm and composed, as if he were the true boss.
The players swarmed in, crowding around the desk and speaking all at once.
“Little Jian-jian, why are you wearing the boss’s clothes?”
“Where’s the boss?”
“What exactly happened?”
Jian Lai raised his hand and pressed down, signaling for everyone to be quiet.
The noise from the crowd lowered, though there was still a low buzz of murmuring.
“The boss is busy, so I’ll be acting on his behalf for now. The company will operate as usual. Just keep doing what you’re supposed to do,” Jian Lai announced expressionlessly.
A player with the name Braised Pork fixed his eyes on Jian Lai. “Why are you the acting boss? What kind of shady deal did you strike with him?”
“Take a guess.”
Another player squeezed through the crowd from the back, clutching a small notebook filled with recorded misdeeds. “Are we still doing the second-in-command’s evil missions? Will we still get techniques after finishing them?”
Jian Lai nodded. “The missions continue. I’ll be the one handing out the reward techniques. Everything is the same as before; it’s just a different person sitting here.”
“Any more questions?”
The players looked at one another. Some wanted to ask where the boss had gone, but seeing Jian Lai’s inscrutable expression, they swallowed their words.
The local official is more important than the distant emperor. Right now, Jian Lai was their boss, and since he was in charge of distributing techniques, no one wanted to offend him—at least not until they had milked all the techniques they could get.
The players dispersed, and the sound of footsteps and whispering filled the corridor once more.
Jian Lai let out a long, heavy breath. His hands were shaking under the desk, and his knees were trembling too.
Although he had been forced to stay here and take the fall as the acting boss...
It wasn't without its perks.
The boss had given him many cultivation manuals. Since other players needed to complete a hundred misdeeds to receive a reward from him, he could take the opportunity to cultivate every single one of those techniques himself.
...
Yue Shi received an invitation from Qin Sansi.
In an inconspicuous alleyway sat a private club.
There was no sign at the entrance, only a dim yellow wall lamp illuminating a dark brown wooden door.
Yue Shi pushed the door open. The corridor was narrow, lined with several ink wash paintings on the walls. The carpet was thick, muffling his footsteps as he walked.
At the end of the corridor was a sliding door. Qin Sansi was sitting inside, a pot of tea and several cups set on a low table before him.
Seeing Yue Shi enter, he smiled and pointed to the seat opposite him.
“Sit.”
Yue Shi set the Snow Leopard down beside him and took his seat.
The Snow Leopard curled into a ball of fur, resting its tail over its nose.
Qin Sansi lifted the teapot and poured a cup for Yue Shi.
The fragrance of tea diffused through the air. Unfortunately, Yue Shi had never been one to appreciate tea; he was more likely to drop poison into it.
“Do you know what it means for ‘everyone to be a dragon’?” Qin Sansi set down the teapot and suddenly asked an inexplicable question.
Yue Shi folded his arms across his chest. “If you called me here to talk about something this boring, I suggest you don't waste your time. I’ve never been one for such profound questions.”
Qin Sansi spoke with great tolerance. “Young man, don't be so aggressive. I just want to hear your opinion. If everyone in a world were a paragon of humanity, what would the result be?”
Yue Shi thought about it with his characteristically cynical and malicious logic before answering, “Humans are creatures that often survive by using a sense of superiority as their primary driver. They must constantly compare themselves to and trample over their peers just to find that sense of superiority.”
“If everyone is a dragon, if everyone is an elite, it would likely lead to insane internal competition. In the end, there’s a high probability that ‘everyone becomes a worm.’”
“By the way, why are you asking such a weird question?”
Qin Sansi set down his teacup and said seriously, “I told you before that I discovered a miraculous otherworld. I can tell you clearly now that the residents of that world are exactly that—everyone is a dragon. Everyone is born a powerhouse.”
Yue Shi was surprised. “Oh? Is that truly the case?”
Qin Sansi nodded. “I’m temporarily calling that world the God Realm. Once you go there, you’ll see just how miraculous it is.”
“After we enter the God Realm, we must find a way to hide our identities. Aside from our teammates, we can't let anyone realize we are transmigrators.”
“Because besides the God Realm’s natives, there are many people from other worlds who smuggle themselves in. They are all potential enemies.”
Yue Shi listened intently as Qin Sansi continued unhurriedly, “Almost everyone who sneaks into the God Realm does so to hunt for treasures.”
“The God Realm has organizations that hunt down these interlopers, and there are even more unique entities. The situation is a bit complex and hard to explain in just a few words. You only need to know that going to the God Realm carries great risk, but the rewards are equally substantial.”
Yue Shi didn't respond. He reached out to pick up the Snow Leopard and placed it on his lap, slowly stroking its fur.
What Qin Sansi was saying was clearly just a brief overview, a mere summary.
Yue Shi didn't press for more. If this old man didn't want to talk, pestering him would be useless.
Qin Sansi wouldn't show his hand all at once. He was an old fox; everyone like him kept a few cards close to their chest, refusing to reveal them until they were cornered.
“What are you thinking about?” Qin Sansi’s voice interrupted Yue Shi’s thoughts.
Yue Shi looked up. “I’m wondering what I’ll gain from this trip to another world.”
Qin Sansi said with certainty, “Don't worry, you definitely won't lose out. As long as you can return from the God Realm alive, anyone would reap a massive harvest.”
“Oh, right. One more reminder: after entering the God Realm, if our arrival points aren't in the same location, please make it your top priority to find your companions. Try not to act alone.”
Yue Shi asked, “Is acting alone that dangerous?”
Qin Sansi said solemnly, “The horrors of the God Realm are beyond your imagination. Of course, if you are confident enough to insist on acting alone, I won't restrict your freedom or interfere with what you do.”
Knock, knock, knock.
The door was knocked three times, neither too heavy nor too light.
Qin Sansi said toward the door, “Come in.”
The door was pushed open. The first to enter was a little girl in a red cloak. The hood of the cloak was pulled over her head, obscuring most of her face and only revealing a small portion of her chin.
She was quite small, appearing to be no more than eight or nine years old, but her steps were steady.
She was followed by a glamorous woman with blonde hair and red lips, wearing a well-tailored black dress. Her features were sharp, with a hint of mixed-race charm in her eyes—she was like a brilliant rose.
Qin Sansi pointed at the little girl and introduced her. “This is Little Red Riding Hood. I assume you’re not a stranger to her.”
Yue Shi’s eyes widened. Of course he wasn't a stranger to Little Red Riding Hood.
In that first world, Little Red Riding Hood was the ruler of the Fairytale Town forbidden zone.
After that world was destroyed, Little Red Riding Hood had entered the Deep Red Continent with them, and then there had been no news of her.
There was also a danger zone called Fairytale Town in Zhongzhou; he wondered if it was this girl’s doing.
He hadn't expected Qin Sansi to be able to recruit Little Red Riding Hood. It was truly surprising.
Qin Sansi then pointed to the blonde woman. “And this is Miss Yin Runa.”
Yue Shi froze. That name was so familiar.
It wasn't just familiar; he felt as though he had heard the name more than once.
Qin Sansi added with a smile, “Miss Yin is a big star.”
In an instant, Yue Shi had an epiphany.
He remembered now!
On the internet in Zhongzhou, he would occasionally see all sorts of articles about Yin Runa—she was notoriously famous.
And it wasn't just in Zhongzhou. In the first world, when he held a position in Amber City, he had often heard the name Yin Runa as well.
In the worlds within the Bewitching Beauty Painting Workshop, he had even heard the name on occasion.
Yue Shi had never paid it any mind before; after all, he wasn't part of the entertainment circle.
But at this moment, he suddenly felt that hearing this name everywhere was no coincidence at all!
Why was there a Yin Runa in every world?
As if sensing Yue Shi’s shock and confusion, Yin Runa gave a radiant smile. “You might not have met me, but you’ve certainly heard my name.”
“In truth, every world has a counterpart of mine.”
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