Chapter 21 Organizing
Inside the rented room.
After finishing the rest of his instant noodles, Long Ming checked his balance on his phone; he only had 5710 Mountain Coins left.
His monthly medicine costs alone were 12,000 Mountain Coins, and this little money was simply not enough.
Long Ming sighed softly and walked towards the bedroom.
He went to the bed, picked up his helmet, put it back on, and lay down.
"Hoo~"
Long Ming took a deep breath, then raised his hand to press the start switch, and closed his eyes.
To be honest, this game had given Long Ming a bit of a psychological aversion.
When Long Ming opened his eyes again, he was already in Star City.
He immediately looked up the interface on his bracelet and saw a red dot on the quest log icon.
Long Ming directly opened the quest log.
Notification: Survival (Newbie Quest) Completed, 500 One-Dimensional Coins Obtained.
Long Ming glanced at it and began to tally up the rewards from this dungeon.
A white gold dog's head, a white rough necklace, a blue unidentified ring, a purple gold short staff, a gold double-barreled pistol, an M24 sniper rifle, a perception potion*1, an invitation*1, and 500 1-dimensional coins.
Long Ming looked at his tallied earnings and showed a satisfied expression.
Although he had thrown away many items, he still had quite a few left. He just didn't know how much profit these items would bring him; he was currently very short of money.
At this moment, a burst of cursing voices came from behind.
"Damn it, what kind of crappy game is this? It's so realistic!"
"Waaah, it's so scary, it hurts so much!" "
We strongly demand a reduction in pain, or we'll complain!"
Long Ming turned his head and saw a group of players gathered together, angrily denouncing the game.
Just then, several players from the City of Sin passed by, heard their complaints, and coldly retorted.
"A bunch of idiots, if you can't handle it, don't play."
"Who are you talking about? We're defending our legitimate rights. This game is clearly problematic; I feel like I'm actually dying."
"Defending your legitimate rights? I think you're out of your mind. It's clearly written that this game is meant to experience the thrill of death. If you don't want to die, then evacuate alive!"
"We're not pros, we don't have that kind of skill. And where is it written?" "
There are notes on the Civilization Experience Scroll; you didn't read them carefully."
"Ah!"
The protesting players were stunned.
Long Ming, seeing this, also showed a thoughtful expression.
Actually, these people's protests weren't entirely unreasonable. Because the game was so realistic, if the evacuation failed, the experience of death would cause considerable psychological trauma, which not everyone could bear.
However, this had nothing to do with him. Others might choose to retreat because of setbacks, but he had no choice. If he couldn't make money in this game, his future survival would be in question.
Long Ming took a deep breath, quickly adjusted his mindset, and turned to look around.
He needed to convert his items into game currency or in-game currency.
However, looking around, he saw no one setting up stalls to buy or sell.
He noticed many people heading towards the obelisk in the center of Star City. After
a moment's thought, Long Ming followed.
As he approached, he saw many players standing beneath the obelisk, heads down, clicking on their bracelets.
At that moment, a notification popped up on Long Ming's bracelet:
"Open the shop?"
Upon seeing the notification, Long Ming immediately understood why so many people were gathered there.
However, he didn't open the shop immediately. Instead, he opened the friends interface and tried adding Gu Yi as a friend.
Although he had brought the items himself, without Gu Yi and the others' cooperation, he wouldn't have been able to escape safely. In a sense, they were his teammates, so it wouldn't be appropriate to keep everything for himself.
The bracelet interface then showed that the friend request was successful.
A chat window popped up immediately.
"Holy crap, you're a pro! You actually added me as a friend! I've wanted to add you for a while, but your name was just too long, I couldn't remember it."
Gu Yi sent a string of messages with immense joy.
"Um, well..."
Long Ming didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Oh, you don't need to say anything, I understand. The stuff is gone
, it's gone." Gu Yi could tell at a glance that Long Ming's escape had failed and he had been killed. But that was normal, after all, Zheng Bin and his gang were incredibly disgusting.
"No, I brought the stuff out."
"Brought it out? You escaped successfully?"
Gu Yi was completely dumbfounded, his face full of disbelief.
"Yes!"
Long Ming replied calmly.
"Awesome, you truly are a pro! Haha!"
Gu Yi immediately beamed with joy. Long Ming had actually escaped successfully! He could imagine how angry Zheng Bin and his gang must be. He was overjoyed.
"I added you as a friend because I wanted to talk to you about the things I brought out. Although you said you'd give them to me, you guys also have a share of those things."
Long Ming explained directly to Gu Yi.
"Oh, we don't need those things, you can have them all."
"Isn't that inappropriate?"
"What's inappropriate about it? If it really doesn't work, we can meet in a dungeon next time, and you can take your brother out again."
Gu Yi replied generously.
Long Ming fell silent. To be honest, he instinctively wanted to refuse, but he was indeed short of money, so he replied,
"Okay."
"Alright, it's settled then. I have to go now, I have something to do."
"Okay."
Long Ming closed the chat interface and then opened the shop. The consignment interface popped up immediately.
It was filled with a dazzling array of various items.
Round pearl necklace (white)
Price: 500 One-Dimensional Coins.
Gargoyle bronze statue (white)
Price: 800 One-Dimensional Coins.
Long Ming was quite surprised when he saw the items listed on the consignment interface.
Unexpectedly, so many items were produced in just two days.
Long Ming kept scrolling through the interface, checking if any of the items listed were the same as what he had, so he could check the current market price.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned; Long Ming searched for a long time but couldn't find anything.
Moreover, each of these listed items was like a unique piece, with so many varieties that it was dazzling.
At this moment, Long Ming suddenly heard a player next to him complaining to his companion,
"Damn it, what's going on? How come my items have been listed all day and haven't sold? Are there no rich people in this game?"
"Bro, what are you selling?"
"Jewelry."
"Are you stupid? Jewelry is an art form. Why are you listing it? Selling it to ghosts?"
"No, this is something I painstakingly acquired. Isn't it worth something?"
"It is valuable, but the problem is it's useless to other players. Would you buy it?"
"No, what should I do?"
Chapter 22 All in
"You should just open the mall's recycling section and sell it directly to the mall."
"Ah, then why are so many people still listing their items for consignment?"
"That's because the mall's recycling prices are too low; some people aren't willing to accept it."
"How much can I sell my jewelry for?"
"It depends on the grade and color. Artworks and materials here are graded: white, blue, purple, red, orange, and gold. The higher the grade, the higher the recycling price. Equipment doesn't have grades, but it can also be recycled to the mall. However, normal people wouldn't do that, since equipment can be traded."
"I see."
Hearing this, Long Ming found the recycling interface in the mall.
Dog Head Gold (White): 300 One-Dimensional Coins
Crude Necklace
(White): 200 One-Dimensional Coins Unknown Ring (Blue): 7600 One-Dimensional Coins
Golden Short Staff (Purple): 100000 One-Dimensional Coins
Long Ming frowned as he looked at the recycling prices. They were indeed cheap; no wonder so many people were unwilling to recycle them in the mall.
But that player was right; these kinds of artworks were practically useless to players.
So far, no one was buying, so Long Ming decisively chose to recycle. A notification popped up on his bracelet
: "Notification: You have obtained 108,100 One-Dimensional Coins."
After selling his items, Long Ming looked around; there must be someone nearby recycling currency.
Sure enough, he quickly found several players holding signs offering high prices for One-Dimensional Coins. One of them, a male player with dyed yellow hair and a leather jacket, was offering Mountain Coins.
Long Ming walked over and asked
, "How much do you offer?"
The player glanced at Long Ming, yawned, and held up one finger.
"100 One-Dimensional Coins for 1 Mountain Coin. A slightly higher price can be offered for larger quantities."
Hearing this exchange rate, Long Ming's heart sank.
"That price is too low!" "
Don't complain about the low price; that's the market rate right now. Go ask around if you don't believe me."
"Okay."
Long Ming didn't say anything more and silently walked to the side.
He currently has 108,600 One-Dimensional Coins, which translates to about 1,086 yuan.
Excluding equipment, that means he earned 1,000 yuan in two days.
To be honest, while this income seems pretty good, it's only for ordinary people; for Long Ming, it's still not ideal.
Game income is very unstable; luck isn't always on your side to find valuable items and escape safely.
Besides, this time, Gu Yi and the others only got such a high income because they didn't want the items.
But his expenses haven't decreased at all.
Thinking about this, Long Ming sighed with some melancholy.
He had originally hoped to change his life through this game, but he hadn't expected the path to be so difficult.
For a moment, Long Ming felt a little discouraged. Just then,
an excited shout came from afar.
"Haha, sold it!"
"500,000 One-Dimensional Coins in hand!"
Hearing their excited shouts, Long Ming walked over curiously.
He saw a group of players surrounding one player, praising him.
"No wonder it's Brother Cui!"
"So awesome!"
"Take us to get rich!"
"Sure thing!"
Brother Cui replied in a very good mood.
Long Ming curiously asked a player next to him who was filled with envy,
"Bro, what did that Cui guy sell? It's worth so much!"
"Just pure luck. He got an old-fashioned submachine gun and sold it to a rich guy."
The player said with a hint of jealousy.
"An old-fashioned submachine gun sold for so much?"
"What's so surprising? Weapons are all that expensive, and you might not even be able to buy one."
"Thanks,"
Long Ming said excitedly.
His previously gloomy mood instantly vanished. An old-fashioned submachine gun sold for 500,000 One-Dimensional Coins, so the M24 he found must be worth at least a million, right? This game is insane.
Thinking this, Long Ming prepared to open the shop to list the M24, but in the end, he hesitated.
Selling it now would certainly make a fortune, but doing so would be like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs; he would have no equipment left afterward.
Then the advantage he had painstakingly gained would vanish, and he might fall behind others in the rest of the game.
Long Ming stood there for a full ten minutes, his eyes finally hardening.
He decided to give up selling equipment. Since this game offered high-return opportunities, he might as well give it his all and maybe forge a new life for himself.
Long Ming then opened the shop, preparing to purchase some supplies for the next dungeon.
He typed "bullets" in the search box.
Swish!
All the bullets for sale appeared.
Long Ming then looked for 12-gauge shotgun shells suitable for the Golden Double-Barreled Short Gun.
But unfortunately, he couldn't find any after searching for a long time.
Although there were quite a few bullets for sale, the models weren't complete, and there were no 12-gauge shotgun shells.
However, Long Ming found 7.62mm bullets for the M24, but the price tag made him gasp.
Each bullet was priced at 5000 One-Dimensional Coins.
He then checked the price of a regular axe and found that even axes that could be found everywhere cost 3000 One-Dimensional Coins.
Just as that player said, only useful items like equipment are valuable.
Long Ming took a deep breath and then searched for food, water, and other supplies.
Compressed biscuits: 1000 1D coins.
Mineral water: 1000 1D coins.
Military-grade canned beef: 5000 1D coins.
Medical kit: 50,000 1D coins .
After a moment, Long Ming finished checking all the items he needed to buy, and his lips twitched slightly.
Sure enough, necessities are expensive, but the problem is he can't not buy them.
However, at this moment, Long Ming noticed that some of the consigned items had special notes.
"Accepts offline currency transactions!"
Long Ming immediately understood. The production of game currency was still limited, and most people chose to pay offline.
However, using game currency to buy things was useless for Long Ming; he was already lucky if he didn't convert his game assets into cash.
Long Ming pondered for a moment and then began to purchase.
Buzz~
The bracelet kept popping up notifications.
"Notification: You spent 100,000 One-Dimensional Coins to purchase 20 bullets, automatically stored in your inventory."
"Notification: You spent 5,000 One-Dimensional Coins to purchase 5 packs of compressed biscuits, automatically stored in your inventory."
"Notification: You spent 3,000 One-Dimensional Coins to purchase 3 bottles of mineral water, automatically stored in your inventory."
Long Ming felt a pang of regret seeing only 600 One-Dimensional Coins left, but there was nothing he could do; these were all necessities.
He opened his inventory and stored the Golden Double-Barreled Pistol inside. Since he didn't have the corresponding bullets, carrying it in would be useless, and losing it would be a huge loss, so storing it was better.
Next, Long Ming packed all the purchased items into his backpack.
He quickly finished organizing everything and then took out the invitation letter he had obtained from the supply pod.
Compared to the Level 1 Civilization Random Experience Ticket, this invitation letter looked more exquisite and high-end.
Long Ming scanned the invitation letter with his bracelet, and the corresponding information immediately appeared:
Anfa Civilization Invitation Letter.
Civilization Level: Level 1.
Note: Using this civilization invitation will allow you to travel to the Anfa civilization.
Long Ming pondered the information. If he wasn't mistaken, this invitation, while also leading to a Level 1 civilization, was likely of a higher level than the random one.
Therefore, he planned to use this invitation for the second instance.
At this moment, a prompt popped up on his bracelet:
"Activate the Anfa Civilization Invitation?"
Long Ming looked at the prompt on his bracelet, about to click "Yes," but suddenly stopped and chose "No."
The main reason Long Ming refused to enter was because
he had almost made a mistake due to time constraints during this exploration of the Wabiga civilization. It would be foolish to make the same mistake again.
Moreover, this time he was using a more valuable invitation, so the longer he stayed, the better.
Therefore, he couldn't use the helmet to play the game; it would be best to switch to a game pod to maximize his benefits.
Long Ming was a little troubled by this. He had already gone to great lengths to get the helmet, let alone a game pod.
However, Long Ming quickly thought of a way that might actually work, and he immediately clicked on his bracelet to log out of the game.
Chapter 23 Surprise
In the dimly lit room,
Long Ming opened his eyes and took off his helmet.
He picked up his phone and searched online to see if he could rent a game pod.
He actually found some; many Star Cafes offered game pod rentals, but the prices weren't explicitly stated.
These businessmen were indeed shrewd, sniffing out the opportunity immediately. They used their resources and money to acquire the gaming equipment and distribute it simultaneously as soon as the game opened.
However, all the Star Cafes with game pods were concentrated in the Upper City.
Long Ming was momentarily at a loss. Due to the opening of Civilization Park, the number of applications to go to the Upper City had exploded, making it difficult to get approved.
But giving up was also a bit of a stretch, so he opened the application app.
A screen quickly popped up.
"Please fill in your reason for going to the Upper City."
Long Ming was stumped, unsure what reason to give, but ultimately filled it in truthfully.
"Star Cafes going to the Upper City to use game pods to play Civilization Park."
After writing this, Long Ming clicked send.
Less than three seconds later, his phone vibrated, and a message popped up.
"Dear Mr. Long Ming, your application for a temporary pass to Shangcheng District has been approved. It is valid for 96 hours. Please upload your receipt after your trip ends; otherwise, it will affect your subsequent applications."
Long Ming was surprised to see the approval message; he hadn't expected it to be approved so quickly.
It was unexpectedly smooth. Next was the issue of payment.
Long Ming checked his bank card; he only had a little over 5,000 mountain coins left. Although he didn't know how much Xingka's game pods charged, he was certain they wouldn't be cheap.
After all, the black market price for game pods had already reached five million Mountain Coins.
Therefore, Long Ming was a little worried that he didn't have enough money.
He hesitated for a few seconds, then picked up his phone and sent a message to Wang Yang, asking to borrow 10,000 Mountain Coins.
A few minutes after the message was sent, a reply popped up.
"Damn, it's rare to see you message me, and it turns out you're here to collect a debt. I'm so heartbroken. I've transferred the money to you. Let me know if you need more!"
"Thanks."
Long Ming replied with two words, then checked the time. It was almost midnight.
He pondered for a few seconds, then got up and went to the bathroom, intending to take a shower and get some rest so he could be in top condition to head to the Star Cafe in the Upper City District and enter the game instance the next morning.
The next morning.
Long Ming, wearing a gray coat and a beige scarf, walked out of the old building.
Although it was only just dawn, the streets were already bustling with busy pedestrians.
Long Ming walked towards the nearby subway entrance, just as he passed the Happiness Shop.
"Long Ming!"
Boss Zhao called out enthusiastically.
"Boss, is there something you need?"
Long Ming was slightly taken aback and stopped to ask.
"Where are you going so early?"
"I'm going to Shangcheng District to take care of some things."
"Oh, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Take two steamed buns to eat on the way."
Boss Zhao Ku took a bag, put two meat buns in it, and handed them to Long Ming.
"Thank you, I'll transfer the money to you."
Long Ming took them.
"Oh dear, you're a regular customer, I won't charge you for the two buns."
Zhao Ku smiled and pushed Long Ming, urging him to hurry up.
"Thanks then."
Seeing that Zhao Ku had said that, Long Ming didn't continue with the formalities, and ate the buns while walking towards the subway entrance.
Soon after, Long Ming successfully boarded the subway and was quite lucky to find a seat.
"Dear passengers, the train is about to depart, please be aware of the bumps."
Long Ming listened to the announcement, leaning back in his seat, his thoughts gradually drifting.
Shangcheng District · Huanhai Courtyard.
Bright sunlight streamed into the exquisite courtyard.
The entire courtyard was filled with roses, and a lush ginkgo tree stood at its center.
In a corner, an artificial stream flowed, where several koi carp swam leisurely.
At this moment, a middle-aged man dressed in black brocade robes, a black gemstone necklace on his wrist, a high-bridged nose, and sharp eyes, was carefully feeding the fish into the stream.
Many koi carp gathered together, vying for the food.
Just then, a butler in a tailcoat, with a full head of white hair, led Vice City Lord Xiao Ning to the man's side and respectfully reported,
"Young Master Qianwu, Vice City Lord Xiao has arrived."
Qianwu raised his hand and waved slightly.
Butler Ainka immediately and respectfully withdrew.
Xiao Ning looked at Qianwu feeding the fish and smiled, saying,
"Second Young Master, you certainly have a refined taste."
"Just had some free time. What brings you here today?"
Qianwu turned his head, looking at Vice City Lord Xiao Ning with some curiosity.
"I saw the City Lord recently."
"How was it?"
"The City Lord's health is deteriorating, he's probably nearing his limit."
City Lord Xiao Ning glanced around to make sure no one was watching before lowering his voice.
"Do my elder brother and the others know about this?"
"They should know, Vice City Lord Icas will probably tell them."
"I understand, I will start preparing to deal with my elder brother and the others."
Qian Wu's eyes revealed a hint of barely perceptible excitement upon hearing Xiao Ning's words.
"Second Young Master, while we certainly need to deal with the eldest young master and the others, this isn't the most troublesome issue."
"Oh, how so?"
"I think your father is the most troublesome. Although he is terminally ill, it doesn't mean he has given up. His will to live is incredibly strong. Now he's pinning all his hopes on the Civilization Paradise, sending out all his experts to try and find a gene serum to prolong his life."
Xiao Ning smiled at Qian Wu.
"Yes, I understand."
Qian Wu nodded in response.
At this moment, a handsome young man wearing a black vest and blue shirt walked over and respectfully spoke.
"Father, Lord Xiao."
"Qianwei, how are things going with the tasks I entrusted to you?"
Qianwu glanced at his son and asked indifferently.
"Father, I have followed your instructions and opened many Star Cafes and Clubs, trying to recruit as many experts as possible, but..."
Qianwei hesitated before reporting.
"Speak."
"It's like this, my cousins have also opened many Star Cafes and Clubs, competing with us and poaching our talent."
"I understand. I will give you more funds and equipment. You should know what to do."
Qianwu replied coldly.
"Understood, Father, don't worry!"
Qianwei replied excitedly.
--
Upper District.
Long Ming appeared on Guangwei Street, which was bustling with activity, filled with stylish young women.
Gothic-style buildings constructed of gray stone stood on both sides of the street.
In the distance, there was a towering tower, its top displaying a giant advertising screen playing the latest trending advertisements.
"The Eternal Club sincerely invites ambitious individuals to join hands in developing a civilized paradise. Excellent benefits and compensation are offered. Please inquire for details."
Long Ming gazed at the street before him, his mind momentarily dazed.
Chapter 24 Star Wish Club
Guangwei Street is one of the most bustling commercial streets in Shancheng Mountain, adjacent to Shancheng Mountain First Senior Academy.
Long Ming used to come here often when he was in school, but he hadn't been back since graduation.
Two years later, the area had changed a lot, becoming even more prosperous than before, with many new shops opening on both sides of the street.
"Phew~"
Long Ming let out a slight breath and walked forward.
Soon, Long Ming arrived at a Star Cafe called Yuelan, the best in the area, which he had visited several times before.
This Star Cafe had upgraded its equipment and transformed its business after the opening of Civilization Paradise.
However, this was unavoidable; Civilization Paradise was officially registered, and its impact was incomparable to any previous game.
If it didn't transform, it would ultimately be eliminated.
Long Ming went inside and entered the lobby of Yuelan Star Cafe. He glanced around and found that although the layout hadn't changed, it had been slightly altered.
All the computer desks in the lobby had been removed, replaced by a giant projection screen.
Videos of players exploring the Civilization Paradise were projected onto the screen.
Many people gathered to watch.
Inside, the original private rooms had all their equipment replaced with helmets for guests to use.
Long Ming walked straight to the bar.
A beautiful waitress dressed in black stockings and a bunny girl outfit smiled and said,
"I'm Xiao Wei from Yue Lan Xing Cafe. Would you like to use the game?"
"Yes, I heard you have game pods here."
"Yes, Yue Lan Xing Cafe is equipped with the latest model of game pods."
"How much does it cost?"
Long Ming immediately asked Xiao Wei about the specific fees.
"The game pod costs 200 Mountain Coins per hour. The pod also comes with three doses of nutrient solution, each costing 1000 Mountain Coins."
Xiao Wei glanced at Long Ming's attire before explaining the costs.
"So expensive?"
Long Ming's heart sank upon hearing Xiao Wei's words.
Based on a three-day trip, the cost would be a whopping 17,200 Mountain Coins, far exceeding his available funds.
In fact, Long Ming knew that game pods were expensive, which was why he had specifically borrowed 10,000 Mountain Coins from Wang Yang. However, he hadn't expected the price to be so outrageous.
This was far beyond his means. Although he could scrape together the money, if the dungeon exploration failed, it would be a real problem.
Xiao Wei, hearing Long Ming's words, smiled and said,
"It is indeed very expensive, but unfortunately, there are many people in need. Our Star Cafe's game pods are already booked for a week from now. Even if you wanted to use one now, there wouldn't be any available."
"Okay, thank you."
Hearing Xiao Wei's words, Long Ming reluctantly gave up and turned to leave.
Soon, Long Ming emerged from the Moonlit Star Cafe.
He stood by the roadside, watching the young men and women chatting and laughing on the street, his expression somewhat melancholy.
This time, he was in trouble; even with money, he couldn't rent a game pod.
Crackling
sounds of firecrackers rang out not far away.
Long Ming looked over and saw a new Star Cafe had opened diagonally opposite the Moonlit Star Cafe.
A group of hot girls in matching uniforms, all smiles, were announcing through
a megaphone, "Star Wish Cafe Grand Opening Special! 50% off everything!"
Long Ming's heart skipped a beat. 50% off everything?
If this Star Wish Cafe also had game pods, wouldn't it only cost 8600 Mountain Coins? If that were the case, he could barely afford it.
Thinking this, Long Ming immediately headed towards the newly opened Star
Wish Cafe. When he arrived, he was struck by its sheer size; it had rented two six-story buildings with off-white stone exteriors.
This was one of the busiest commercial streets, where rent was incredibly high, and even money couldn't guarantee a place, let alone two adjacent buildings. If he remembered correctly, these two buildings were originally a shopping mall.
Furthermore, Long Ming noticed that although both buildings belonged to Star Wish Cafe, their functions seemed different.
The building on the left was labeled Star Wish Cafe, and the one on the right was labeled Star Wish Club; long queues had formed at both entrances.
Long Ming then joined the queue at the Star Wish Cafe, and then looked curiously at the club's queue.
He saw a girl in a pink maid dress and cat-ear hair clips enthusiastically calling out to those in line,
"Star Wish Club is recruiting pioneers of Civilization Paradise. Professional players and retired players are given priority. Once accepted, you will receive six types of insurance and one housing fund, enjoy 16 months' salary, and have free use of gaming equipment, plus additional benefits."
At this moment, a thin man wearing black-rimmed glasses excitedly said to his companion,
"The benefits are great!"
"It is pretty good, but I heard the assessment is quite strict, and many people have failed."
"What's there to be afraid of? I'm a professional gamer!"
Just then, a burly man standing in front of them turned his head and sneered at the two of them.
"What good is being a professional gamer? Civilization Park isn't a game; it's all about real skill."
"You say I can't do it, but are you sure you can?"
Atao retorted defiantly.
"Nonsense, I'm a veteran who's been to the battlefield. If I could afford a game pod and they were provided for free here, I wouldn't be here."
The burly man replied arrogantly.
Atao immediately fell silent.
Long Ming, upon hearing this, also showed a thoughtful expression.
He hadn't expected these clubs to be willing to offer such generous compensation to recruit people.
It even tempted Long Ming, but he quickly dismissed the thought. Given his physical condition, even a few coughs from him would scare people, and clubs like this require intense training, which he simply couldn't handle.
Time ticked by.
Soon, Long Ming reached the door.
A beautiful woman in a blue uniform, with a pretty face and youthful energy, led him in, saying,
"Sir, please come in!"
"Okay."
Long Ming then went inside.
The entire Star Wish Cafe lobby was luxurious and spacious, and its design concept was inspired by the Moonlit Star Cafe across the street. They designed this place as a viewing hall
, using the latest equipment to project videos of Star Wish Club's top players running dungeons.
This attracted many passersby to stop and watch.
Long Ming also stopped, looking at the projected images. He hadn't expected that games could be recorded?
In the video playing, a nimble man tied a rope to a high-rise balcony and slid down.
"Awesome!"
"No wonder it's Brother Lei, he's awesome!"
The crowd cheered excitedly.
Long Ming was also excited by this scene and walked towards the bar.
"Hello sir, I'm Xiao Qi. How can I help you?"
A girl with an oval face and cherry lips, dressed in a black and white maid dress, greeted him warmly.
"I wanted to ask if your 50% off sale includes game pods?"
"Yes, it does."
"Then could you please open one for me?"
Long Ming immediately asked Xiao Qi.
"I'm sorry, sir, we're having a grand opening promotion, and we've had so many customers that all the game pods are full."
Xiao Qi explained apologetically to Long Ming.
"When will I get a game pod?"
"The earliest would be three days."
"Thank you."
Hearing this, Long Ming turned and left somewhat disappointed.
Soon, Long Ming walked out of Star Wish Cafe.
He stood at the door and sighed slightly. He hadn't expected that his glimmer of hope would be extinguished so quickly.
It seemed he now had to choose between two options: either give up and go back, or raise more money and search for game pods at each Star Wish Cafe.
Just as Long Ming was about to leave,
a slightly surprised voice suddenly came.
"Yo! Isn't this Long Ming?"
Chapter 25 Classmate
Long Ming looked up and saw a young man in a white shirt, a custom-made gray suit, an expensive watch on his wrist, and hair styled with mousse, greeting him with a broad smile.
This man was none other than Tang Ming, Long Ming's classmate from university.
Beside Tang Ming were a man and a woman. The woman, wearing jeans, a white T-shirt, and a ponytail, was named Sun Ran, also a classmate of Long Ming.
As for the other man beside him, a tall, thin man with some dark spots on his face, Long Ming didn't recognize him, and his relationship with both Tang Ming and Sun Ran was quite ordinary.
"Long Ming, long time no see,"
Sun Ran greeted Long Ming politely.
"Long time no see,"
Long Ming replied politely.
"Brother Tang, who is this? I've never seen him before,"
the man beside Tang Ming asked curiously, sizing up Long Ming.
Judging from Long Ming's somewhat worn clothes, he didn't seem like someone of status at all.
"Li Yin, let me introduce you. This is our old classmate. He was so good at school, his studies were amazing. And his family owns a hotel, that five-star Light and Shadow Hotel is his, it's quite famous in the mountain city. But since graduation, he's disappeared, we haven't seen him in the upper district."
Tang Ming's face flashed a subtle expression as he flattered Long Ming with a smile.
"That's impressive, Mr. Long Ming, may I ask where you work?"
Li Yin asked, extending his hand to Long Ming.
"I don't work anywhere, I'm currently unemployed, living in the lower district."
Long Ming replied frankly.
Upon hearing Long Ming say he lived in the lower district, Li Yin froze, hesitantly withdrew his outstretched hand, and looked at Tang Ming with a puzzled expression.
"Didn't you say Long Ming's family runs a hotel? How come he's just a commoner in the lower district?"
Tang Ming looked quite surprised upon hearing Long Ming's words.
"You live in the lower district? No wonder I haven't seen you in years. I heard your hotel changed hands. Did you run into some trouble? Why don't you ask us old classmates for help? Or, I can introduce you to a good job?"
"No, thank you."
Long Ming directly refused Tang Ming's so-called kindness.
Despite Tang Ming's nice words, Long Ming didn't believe him at all and couldn't be bothered to pay attention.
At this moment, Sun Ran, who was standing to the side, was also very surprised and said in astonishment,
"Long Ming, has something happened to your family? Do you need any help?"
"No, thank you, I have something to do, I'll go first."
Long Ming had no mood to chat with them about the past.
Actually, when his father was still alive, Long Ming's life was quite good.
However, after his father passed away, the two partners in the company diluted his father's shares by claiming that his father had been neglecting the management for many years, resulting in huge losses for the hotel, and that he had embezzled company funds.
Furthermore, he claimed that he wasn't pursuing the matter with Long Ming and his group out of consideration for their past friendship.
"It's rare to see old classmates again, why are you in such a hurry to leave? Many classmates are coming later, why don't you all get together?"
Tang Ming instinctively stopped Long Ming, warmly inviting him.
"No thanks."
Long Ming glanced at Tang Ming, refusing without flinching.
"Ugh, why are you such a spoilsport, just like before?"
Seeing Long Ming's refusal, Tang Ming was about to offer further persuasion when a sudden commotion arose.
Long Ming and the others turned to look.
They saw fifty or sixty people in different Star Cafe uniforms approaching with angry expressions.
At this moment, the female greeters and security guards at the entrance rushed forward to stop them, saying,
"Who are you?"
"I'm Zhao Chang, the manager of Yuelan Star Cafe,"
a burly man in a black leather jacket with rough skin said, leading the way.
"I'm from Yinghuo Star Cafe!"
"I'm from Shenhai Star Cafe!"
The others introduced themselves as well.
"So you're in the same business. I'm Mira, the manager of Star Wish Cafe. What do you want?"
A beautiful woman in a sexy black halter dress, her hair styled in an updo with a silver hairpin, and deep red lipstick, walked out.
"Hmph, do you Star Wish Cafe members even know the rules?"
Zhao Chang scoffed.
"What rules?"
Mira smiled at Zhao Chang and the others.
"There are many Star Cafes on this street. We didn't say anything about you opening here, but you come up here with a half-price promotion! You don't follow any rules!"
"Isn't it normal for us to have opening promotions? You can have promotions too."
"Fine, who's your boss?"
Zhao Chang was both angry and amused. He'd never seen anyone so arrogant before.
"Who our boss is, you can go back and ask your boss. They definitely know,"
Mira replied unmoved.
Hearing Mira's words, Zhao Chang and the others' expressions changed slightly. Even a fool could tell they'd run into a tough customer.
But letting it go like this wasn't realistic, especially with so many people watching.
Therefore, they could only reply to Mira.
"Stop giving me that nonsense, get your boss out here!"
"Our boss isn't someone you can just see whenever you want!"
Mira replied with a light laugh.
As the manager, if she couldn't even handle this little thing and needed the boss to solve it, then she might as well quit.
"Then we'll just wait it out."
Zhao Chang and the others were also annoyed.
At this moment, a soft, melodious voice came from behind Mira.
"Mira, what happened?"
Everyone turned around and saw a girl wearing a white sweater, with silver-white hair that reached her waist, skin as white as snow, and a pair of blue eyes as beautiful as jewels on her exquisite face, walking over with extraordinary elegance.
"Is it her?"
Long Ming's expression changed slightly. The girl in front of him was named Luo Xue, his classmate from the class next to his in university.
Mira and the others respectfully explained to Luo Xue.
"Miss, these people are from a nearby coffee shop. They think our opening promotion broke the rules."
"I understand the situation. If you have any problems, you can have your boss come to me."
After listening, Luo Xue turned to Zhao Chang and the others.
Her tone was gentle, but her attitude was very firm.
"Fine."
Seeing Luo Xue's words, Zhao Chang and the others could only leave reluctantly.
"Sorry everyone, the matter has been resolved. Everyone can enjoy the 50% off discount!"
Mira smiled at all the onlookers.
Hearing Mira's words, everyone applauded.
At this moment, Tang Ming saw Luo Xue and, ignoring Long Ming, excitedly walked forward and called out.
"Luo Xue!"
Luo Xue turned to look at Tang Ming.
Seeing Luo Xue looking over, Long Ming put his hands in his pockets, lowered his head slightly, and turned to leave.