The virtual empire starts from the game

Chapter 653 A sum of money that changed his fate
These comments are not scary.

What's scary is that this isn't just empty talk.

The foot traffic on Youkexin Avenue, where Youkexin Auction House is located, has surged!

The sky is filled with countless hovercars.

All hotel rooms within a 100-meter radius were booked, and even residential houses were broken into by players who forcibly rented rooms.

A group of people carried tools and pitched tents on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings.

The unluckiest NPC was kicked out of his house before even getting any money and had to seek help from the police.

The arrival of police officers from the Public Security Bureau resulted in occasional bursts of gunfire on the streets.

The prices of firearms and bombs that can be fired in the city have skyrocketed!
……

Without a doubt, there are a huge number of players ready to rob the auction house!
They didn't even plan to wait until the auction officially started—they would act immediately once they confirmed that the memory card containing the logs had arrived at the auction house!

The Youkexin Auction House was on high alert, mobilizing all its security forces and issuing an emergency bounty to recruit mercenaries to help protect the auction house.

Among the mercenaries who accept missions, the number of player mercenaries far exceeds that of NPC mercenaries by an order of magnitude.

But whether these players are there to help maintain order and ensure the auction runs smoothly, or to gather firsthand information and scout out locations for robbery, is really hard to say...

In numerous gaming groups, people were discussing how to rob an auction in full view of everyone and escape unscathed.

Chen Zhenjiang also arrived in a hovercar opposite the Youkexin Auction House and successfully won a house through a gambling battle.

He's going to participate in the robbery tomorrow too!
However, now, his goal is no longer flight logs or honorary player titles.

All he wants now is to fight those guys one more time!
Fighting underwater made them feel restricted and frustrated, resulting in a truly humiliating defeat.

Now that we're on the surface, we have to have a good fight and win back what we lost!
……

But everything has its ups and downs.

This incident caused such a huge uproar that countless players gathered here, hoping to rob the memory card at the auction.

This put enormous pressure on the team that obtained the memory card.

However, it also successfully brought the message to the attention of many people who aspire to the title of "Honorary Player" and have the money to spare.

And such people...

Looking at the whole world, there are countless examples!
Especially when the Dream Chaser pulls out a realistic robot that can only be purchased by Honor Players with a 100% guarantee, the allure for Honor Players skyrockets.

—In fact, as more and more new things emerge in Dream Building, the value of [Honorary Player] is soaring every month!

The most recent instance was after the "second dream entry bug" was exposed, which could extend the perceived time by 12 times.

Zhumeng has received countless emails from people wanting to know the details, and even applications to pay to participate in the test.

Xu Meng ignored it as always.

But this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the outside world. The privilege of being a "[Honorary Player]" means that they can buy new products as soon as possible and have a high probability of being the first to experience new features, which is why they have come into the public eye.

Those well-known whales in the gaming community didn't hesitate at all and immediately took action.

Raising money to participate in the auction?
of course not!

Those who spend a lot of money aren't stupid.

The first thing to do, of course, is to contact the poster and try to buy it directly before the auction!

To increase his chances of success, Shan Gui sent a photo of his bank account balance and ID together to prove his purchasing power.

And referencing online claims that it's "worth millions," they directly asked for 200 million!
However, because so many wealthy people have entered the game, the prices offered by Shan Gui are everywhere among those who contacted the poster privately.

There are countless others that are even higher.

—The team that managed to snag the memory card has absolutely no idea how rich people can be!
Only now, seeing those increasingly outrageous prices, do I vaguely understand just how powerful Zhumeng's influence truly is, and how incredibly valuable this logbook I managed to snag really is.

Initially, the entire team was overjoyed and thrilled.

It even started to waver—

Why don't we just pick the one with the highest bid and sell it directly?
But there was one thing they were clear about:

Selling privately will never fetch a higher price than selling publicly.

Moreover, their desire for cash inevitably involves exposing their account information.

They lack knowledge of complex financial operations and have virtually no ability to protect themselves.

If you are scammed by someone with power and influence, you might not only lose your money, but your personal safety could also be threatened.

Public auctions are different.

In public settings, buyers always have to consider their image.

Even if you're shameless, you still have to consider whether doing this in the virtual world will upset Xu Meng, which could lead to Xu Meng rejecting you even if you're the first to find that city.

……

After a heated debate, they decided to reach an agreement to hold a public auction at Youkexin Auction House.

But when the Nen user in their team found Ciri and retrieved the memory card from the distant seabed through her, and headed towards Yorknew Avenue, their newly made decision immediately wavered again.

the reason is simple--

There are just too many people here!
The hovercars overhead blocked out the sun, and the streets were packed with people, all of whom were fully armed!

With such a tight net, even a great general thrown in would have a hard time getting out alive.

"Are all these people... here to steal the logbook?"

"Isn't this...isn't this a bit too much?"

"Can we really complete the auction smoothly? I have a feeling... it's not very realistic..."

"How about we sell it privately..."

……

They were all terrified by this terrifying scene.

My legs felt weak, and I had no courage to continue walking.

After a few simple words of communication, they immediately turned around and left this dangerous vortex.

They need to take a long-term view.

……

……

Throughout the night, both those trying to snag the logbook and those wanting to buy it were extremely busy.

Of course, people who want to both snatch and buy, and who are prepared for both—like Zhang Siming, who thinks they'll buy if they can and snatch if they can't afford it—are also very busy.

To maximize the chances of success, Zhang Siming also enlisted the help of Fang Shuo and his teammates.

An hour before the auction began, he stood on the rooftop a short distance away and said with utmost sincerity:
"Brothers, I've missed out too many times already!"

"I've missed out on the title of Honorary Player at least three times before!"

"Every time, I swear to myself: if I have another chance, I will definitely not miss it again!"

"Now, the key to unlocking the door to becoming a top player is right before your eyes!"

"Please, you must help me!"

"Believe me! If I can get the log, I will never keep this honor to myself!"

His teammates nodded solemnly, reassuring him.

This is certainly not only because of the camaraderie of many years of fighting together, nor is it just because of yesterday's super lavish late-night snack.

More importantly, Zhang Siming has promised that as long as they can get the memory card—whether he buys it at auction himself or everyone helps him snatch it—he will give each teammate 30 yuan in cash!
And help them attract traffic, helping them get out of their current career predicament.

Even if we ultimately fail, we will still give each person a thank you gift of 5 yuan.

For Fang Shuo, an active honorary player, he doesn't care much about the 5 yuan.

However, for the teammate who is also facing a difficult transition for the club and himself, this is already a very good treatment.

As for competing for the [Honorary Player] title...

Individuals who participate in such intense competition are very likely to end up with nothing.

Cooperation is still better.

If we can get a title for Zhang Siming this time, we can get one for ourselves next time!

Everyone was full of fighting spirit!
Not only them, but teams far and near on rooftops were making final preparations. But just then, a completely unexpected interview was suddenly uploaded to social media, causing a huge sensation—

Player #011, [Honorary Player] Huodao, unexpectedly released a video interview with the initiator of the log auction!

The interview title is:
[Why auction this diary? Because our hometown needs money]—
Originally, Huo Dao's influence was limited to the Xia Kingdom, but since obtaining the status of [Honorary Player], his influence has rapidly expanded globally.

As a result, he received numerous calls and emails from headhunters—many of which came from overseas—offering him salaries several times higher than his current ones.

At first, Huodao didn't understand why.

But soon, the editor-in-chief, Gu Chen, took the initiative to approach him and immediately promoted him to the position of deputy editor-in-chief, tripling his salary.

Check-in, manuscript review, business trip application, transportation allowance...

They gave me every imaginable benefit.

Even benefits that weren't available in the company before were temporarily added to him.

Afterwards, she put her arm around his shoulder and tried to appeal to his emotions: "We've been brothers for so many years, let's not talk about those empty words."

"We can't offer you a higher salary right now, but we'll definitely treat you well when things get better!"

It was only then that Huodao realized the influence of "[Honorary Player]" in the gaming world.

This is firsthand information, firsthand product reviews, firsthand game demos, and even...

Numerous completely unexpected opportunities!

From the day he received the title, the vast majority of game-related events around the world opened their doors to him.

Ordinary players might not be able to use these privileges, but for someone in the media industry, it's undoubtedly a godsend!

Just like this time.

He did nothing, and didn't even show up at the bow to participate in the battle for the memory card—frankly, given his fighting ability, he wasn't even qualified to participate.

But the team that eventually managed to snag the memory card approached him, hoping to be interviewed by him.

Why did this team hire him?

It's because of the [Honorary Player] title above his head, of course!

Unsurprisingly, the interview immediately attracted attention from gamers and even casual netizens worldwide upon its release.

The data displayed simultaneously instantly surged to the display limit!
The overwhelming barrage of comments nearly crashed multiple platforms.

But what surprised players and netizens around the world was:
At the beginning of the interview, neither Huodao nor the winner of the "memory card battle" that everyone was expecting appeared on camera.

Instead, it's a video of a village on the sea, filmed with a handheld camera and the lens swaying.

This is clearly a sea village located in the tropics.

On wooden foundations eroded by seawater, rusty tin houses are piled up haphazardly.

Barefoot and shirtless children were kicking aluminum cans and running through a narrow, dirty passageway.

When the children got tired from running around, they turned on a rusty faucet and put their mouths to drink the murky water.

An old woman with a wrinkled face and dark skin walked into the frame carrying a basin of dirty water and casually splashed it on the camera.

The camera followed the splashed water, capturing the surface of the water beneath the house, which was covered with a large amount of floating garbage.

……

This series of documentary-style shots quickly reduced the overwhelming barrage of comments to a sparse number.

Then they all turned into question marks.

Until a voice-over speaks in English with a distinct accent:
My hometown is very poor.
The image of this impoverished and filthy village slowly fades out.

After a brief blackout, the face of a young Southeast Asian appeared on the screen.

“I’ve been poor since I can remember, and now, 20 years later, I’m still poor.”

"Time was there, as if it had stood still."

"The outside world is developing rapidly, but our hometown is still trapped in a stuffy, rusty tin house, with no hope in sight."

The camera only turned to Huo Dao, who was sitting opposite him, after the young man finished his introductory remarks.

Huo Dao didn't rush to talk about the flight log, but instead guided the young man opposite him to say, "Introduce yourself to everyone."

“Okay.” The young man nodded. “My name is Ibu, and I am a Bajau.”

“Our entire team consists of Bajau people.”

"I've heard of the Bajau people. They say you live your whole lives on the sea and are called sea gypsies," Fire Knife chimed in. "That's why you're so good at fighting underwater. You managed to steal the logbook, right? Congratulations!"

Ibrahimovic nodded, then shook his head: "We are indeed very good at diving and fishing, but in the battle on the Lost Ship, we encountered many exceptionally skilled people."

"We can't win if we fight alone."

"So... you think the key to your victory was teamwork?" Fire Knife asked.

As Huo Dao said this, he aptly inserted a scene of the Bajau people coordinating and annihilating their opponents underwater.

But Ibrahimovic shook his head again.

"No, the key to our victory is this: we desperately need money!"

A clear look of hesitation appeared on Huodao's face.

But he nodded, signaling Ibrahimovic to continue.

Ibrahimovic then said in a low voice:
"The Bajau people spend their entire lives at sea, living in hot, rusty stilt houses, lacking water, electricity, medical care, education, and job opportunities..."

Simply put: everything is lacking.

"Only the very lucky ones can leave that poor village and find other ways out."

"The game of building dreams is the way out that my friends and I have found."

"We earn money in the virtual world, and part of it goes to the game arcade, while the rest is sent home."

As Ibrahimovic recounted these terrible memories, his eyes shone with light.

“We were slowly changing our lives, and we were very grateful and content with that. But then, we saw a message—a journal worth millions!”

"This money is enough to completely change our village!"

"We desperately need this money!"

"We'd die for this money in real life."

"This is our determination, the key to our success in obtaining the log!"

Huo Dao opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word.

After trying to compose myself, I continued, "You came to me of your own accord because you wanted to say something to the outside world, right?"

"You can speak now, and I will release it in its entirety."

Ibrahimovic looked grateful.

He looked at the camera and said sincerely:
"Please, everyone, we really need this money."

"With this money, we can get electricity to the village and provide clean drinking water for everyone."

“We can build a small pharmacy so that people can get medicine when they are sick.”

"We can also hire teachers and build a free school so that all the children in the village can receive an education."

"..."

Ibrahimovic spoke at length, word by word.

Finally, prompted by Huodao, he revealed his purpose:
"This money can change the tragic fate of our village that has lasted for half a century."

"I implore everyone: let us go, let the auction end normally, and let us get this money."

"Please help me, everyone!"

Ibrahimovic faced the camera and bowed his head deeply.

Huo Dao didn't speak, but after the screen went black, he pasted lines of documents, news, and documentary materials related to the Bajau people.

The video ends with a freeze-frame on these documents.

After watching this interview, the entire noisy gaming community suddenly fell silent.

(End of this chapter)