No one could see the faint chill hidden behind Qin Feng's calm exterior
The first time he encountered this girl calling herself "Ya Li," he truly hadn't recognized her. In his previous life, he had crossed paths with far too many people. Faces blurred together after a while, especially in an era where survival itself demanded constant movement. Remembering everyone was pointless.
But the moment the name Dajiang Industry surfaced, the memory clicked into place.
Jiang Li.The daughter of Dajiang Industry's chairman.
In his previous life, this woman had carved out a reputation that was anything but clean. She had used cash to acquire large amounts of tradable lifespan, promising repayment once everyone returned to reality. Then, after returning, she not only denied the debt but deliberately lured people out under the pretense of paying them—only to have them killed in reality.
At least a dozen people had died that way.
Back then, society was already deep in chaos. Murder in the real world had become disturbingly common, and law and order were little more than empty words. With the lifespan she had amassed, combined with her Hidden Class, Jiang Li rose rapidly, stepping over corpses without hesitation.
Qin Feng remembered clearly that it wasn't until the fourth or fifth year after the descent of God Forsaken Game that she finally met her end.
Of course, none of that concerned him now.
In his previous life, he had been dragging Qin Xiaoyou along, his early development slow and cautious. He had never crossed paths with Jiang Li, nor had he given her any opportunity to notice him.
But this time was different. Ten million RMB? Right now, money still had value—but only on the surface. Qin Feng was well aware of the price behind that offer.
At this moment, within God Forsaken Game, he stood far above everyone else. In reality, however, he was still nothing more than an ordinary man with no protection to speak of. Behind Jiang Li stood Dajiang Industry, along with an entire network of hired muscle accustomed to solving problems violently.
If he really took that money, would he even live long enough to spend it?
The answer was obvious. Taking it would be equivalent to stepping into a grave. More importantly, Qin Feng knew something no one else here did.
Cash would soon become meaningless.h The true global currency of the future would be lifespan. That alone was enough for him to dismiss Jiang Li's offer without a second thought. His indifference caught Jiang Li off guard. She clearly hadn't expected someone to remain unmoved in the face of ten million RMB. Her brows knit together as she spoke again, her tone carrying a hint of impatience.
"Shadow. You may be strong in this game, but no one understands what this world really is yet. Follow me, and I can guarantee you a life of luxury—cars, houses, women, whatever you want."
Qin Feng didn't even bother looking at her.
"If you're not buying anything, move aside," he said calmly. "You're blocking my business."The words landed like a slap.
Jiang Li's face stiffened, anger flashing through her eyes before she forcefully suppressed it. Since childhood, she had been treated as a priceless treasure. As the chairman's daughter, no one dared to offend her openly. Being dismissed so casually was something she had never experienced before.
For a brief moment, hostility leaked through her gaze. Then she smiled, the expression practiced and shallow.
"Fine," she said lightly. "Since you're not interested, forget it." She turned and walked away, her smile vanishing the instant she faced forward.
Qin Feng watched her retreating figure without the slightest concern. To him, Jiang Li was already irrelevant. At this stage, no one knew that tradable lifespan could be used to extract equipment and skills into reality. No one understood that God Forsaken Game would eventually shatter the order of the real world entirely.
Only personal strength would matter in the end. Jiang Li's proud background, the name Dajiang Industry, would soon lose all meaning.
—
After leaving the central plaza of Shell Town, Jiang Li was already considering ways to uncover Qin Feng's true identity.
That was when a young man with bare arms and a visible tattoo approached her.
"Li Zi," he said with a grin, "my name's Mao Lijun. You can call me Lao Mao. I'm level two already, and I know a few tricks to level up fast. If I help you reach level three, does that ten million still count?"
Jiang Li raised an eyebrow. "Tricks? What kind of tricks?"
Lao Mao lowered his voice slightly, his expression smug. "I don't share this with just anyone. But since it's you… I'll tell you this much. In the current situation, all your initial attribute points should go into Agility."
He paused deliberately before continuing. "With enough speed, you'll be slightly faster than a Crawler at full sprint. Think about what that means." Jiang Li's eyes lit up in realization. Speed meant survival. Speed meant control. Then her expression darkened.
She had already invested all five of her initial attribute points into Strength. She had assumed damage was everything, only to be overwhelmed by swarms of Crawlers that refused to fight to the death. After a brief silence, she nodded." Fine. You can help me level up."
She glanced at Lao Mao coolly. "But you're not as strong as Shadow. I'll offer five million instead. Get me to level three, and I'll pay you once we return to reality."
Lao Mao agreed without hesitation.
"No problem." Inwardly, he sneered. To him, Shadow was strong but foolish—turning down such easy money had to mean something was wrong with his head. What Lao Mao didn't realize was that Jiang Li's promises were worth less than air.
That five million was never going to be paid.
...
On Qin Feng's side, the stall business proceeded smoothly.
Compared to skill books, equipment sold for much less. He still had two Silver-grade items—one warrior piece and one priest piece—with mediocre attributes. Each fetched only thirty to forty days of tradable lifespan.
The remaining low-quality equipment and skill books were cheaper still.
By the time all ten items were sold, Qin Feng had accumulated nearly three hundred additional days of tradable lifespan.
[Tradable Lifespan: 546 days]
A satisfying result.
By now, the Curser should have completed its advancement.Qin Feng packed up his stall and left Shell Town. Once he re-entered stealth, he moved swiftly toward the depths of the forest.
Along the way, he spotted Lao Mao leading Jiang Li out, clearly preparing to help her level up. Qin Feng merely glanced at them before looking away. He already knew how that story would end, and it wasn't his concern.
As long as they didn't provoke him, their fate was irrelevant.Ten minutes later, Qin Feng entered the heart of the Gloomy Forest.
He arrived at the location where he had previously encountered the Curser. As expected, the BOSS had already advanced to Silver-grade. Gray mist churned around its massive, withered form as it continued to absorb energy.
Advancing from Silver to Gold would take at least seven or eight hours.Qin Feng had no intention of waiting.
There would be no shortage of Golden BOSSes in the future. Eliminating this one now and growing stronger was the correct choice. The forest was packed with danger, monsters lurking everywhere. Without permanent invisibility, approaching this place would have been suicidal.
Qin Feng moved silently, closing the distance.The Curser resembled a dried, twisted treant. Qin Feng raised his hand and released a Poison Dart.
The projectile pierced straight into the BOSS's head. A Silver-grade BOSS possessed two to three times the health of a Bronze one. It would take only a few more darts. He vanished once more as the poison took effect.
The Curser's health bar plunged by nearly a quarter, damage numbers ticking relentlessly. It spun around, furious, yet found nothing. An enraged howl echoed through the forest. The Curser lifted its desiccated arms as gray elemental energy gathered, swelling outward before erupting in a massive area-of-effect attack.
A shockwave more than twenty meters wide exploded through the forest, devouring everything around it.