In this virtual reality world—also known as the Second Blue Planet—
Everything before Chen Yuan's eyes was indistinguishable from reality.
He was still standing in the same tiny apartment.
He lowered his head and looked at his legs. Every strand of hair was clearly visible. He reached out and touched the sofa—the leather surface carried a faint coolness. He pinched his arm. The flesh was soft, warm, alive.
It felt exactly the same as the real world.
Chen Yuan walked to the window.
Outside, the empty streets were gone.
The silent, lifeless world had vanished.
What replaced it was a bustling, noisy city.
Cars sped along the roads. Groups of tourists crowded the sidewalks. To the right, in an amusement park, children laughed and played freely.
Tears streamed down Chen Yuan's face.
"This… this is a city with warmth."
Everything before him felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. The shops and streets were the same ones he knew—but in the real world, there wasn't a single person left. Here, however, there was laughter and life everywhere.
It was as if reality had become the illusion,
and illusion had become reality.
Ding.
A tiny fairy fluttered beside Chen Yuan's ear.
"Hello, Master. Welcome to the Second Blue Planet. I am your personal assistant. You may call me Baby."
Chen Yuan stared at the fairy. She was clearly female. His face turned red.
"That's… kind of embarrassing."
"Opposites attract," the fairy replied, blushing slightly as well. "It helps strengthen emotional bonding."
"Does everyone who enters the Second Blue Planet get an assistant like you?"
"Yes. Everyone has one. But only you can see yours—others cannot."
Chen Yuan nodded. "That's pretty thoughtful. So for female users, do they get male assistants? What are they called?"
"They must call their assistants Darling. This is a system setting and cannot be changed."
Chen Yuan muttered to himself,
"I really don't know whether Mingshaxi Corporation is made up of angels… or devils."
"B-Baby…"
The word came out awkwardly. Even his ears turned red.
He had never been in a relationship. He had never even held a girl's hand. Calling a female being Baby made him feel an irrational urge to punch something.
"Yes, Master."
The fairy covered her mouth and giggled as she watched Chen Yuan squirm in embarrassment. Her butterfly-shaped wings flapped even faster.
"What can you do for me?"
The fairy puffed up, clearly annoyed.
"Reminder: Every time you address me, you must call me Baby. Otherwise, I won't respond next time."
If any of Mingshaxi's developers were here, Chen Yuan felt like stabbing them.
"…Baby. What can you do for me?"
"I am essentially the Second Blue Planet's living guidebook," she replied proudly.
"I can explain what this world is, how to make money, and how many people are currently here."
Chen Yuan's interest was piqued.
"Then tell me—what exactly is the Second Blue Planet?"
The fairy transformed into a glowing holographic screen.
"Yes, Master. The Second Blue Planet mirrors the real Blue Planet. Using advanced virtual penetration technology, the entire planet has been fully scanned and reconstructed. Everything you see here exists in the real world. All objects are real."
Chen Yuan left his apartment and entered a supermarket.
The goods inside were exactly the same as the one he had visited just days ago—right down to the shelf placement.
He picked up a cup of instant noodles.
"Baby, do I need to pay for things here?"
"Of course. Shopping in the Second Blue Planet comes in two forms.
First, virtual-physical items. You can eat this instant noodle and experience the same taste and fullness as in reality—but you haven't actually eaten anything, so you'll get hungry again soon.
Second, real-world purchases. If you choose this option, the item will be delivered to your home in the real world. In that sense, shopping here is identical to reality."
Chen Yuan bought a cup of noodles and a sausage.
At checkout, the prices differed.
Virtual-physical cost 3 Blue Coins.
Real-world delivery cost 5 Blue Coins.
Curious, Chen Yuan bought both.
Following the fairy's suggestion, he also purchased both virtual and real versions of a kettle. The total came to 38 Blue Coins.
Back home, Chen Yuan boiled water, added the sausage to the noodles, and poured in the hot water. The dried noodles softened instantly. Oil and seasoning dissolved into the broth, releasing a rich aroma.
He sat on the sofa, holding the noodles, and ate heartily.
The taste.
The texture.
The satisfaction.
It was identical to reality.
"Mingshaxi really are geniuses," he muttered.
"This idea is insane… and they actually made it real."
After eating, Chen Yuan turned his attention to one thing—making money.
Across the entire Blue Planet, there was now only one currency: Blue Coins, despite the existence of hundreds of nations.
"Baby, how do I make money?"
"There are many ways, just like in the real world. You can work for others, start a business—anything you can imagine in reality can be done here."
Chen Yuan fell into thought.
At that moment, the fairy fluttered excitedly near his ear, mouth wide open.
"Master! A system announcement just came in. Currently, eighty percent of the real Blue Planet has been fully transferred into the Second Blue Planet. The number of users has reached ten billion."
Chen Yuan frowned.
"What does eighty percent mean?"
"It means that eighty percent of the planet—mountains, rivers, land, everything—has been virtualized here. The remaining two billion people have not yet entered the Second World."
Chen Yuan walked to the window and looked at the apartment building across the street. Between some apartments, entire sections were missing.
He pointed at the empty gaps.
"Those… are places where people haven't entered yet, right?"
"Yes. But Mingshaxi will continue upgrading the technology. The Omniverse system will become cheaper, allowing more people to enter the Second Blue Planet."
Her voice brimmed with pride and admiration for Mingshaxi Corporation.
Chen Yuan nodded thoughtfully.
"Baby… which profession makes the most money?"
"There's no single answer. What matters is—what can you do?"
Chen Yuan had studied architecture. But in the Second Blue Planet, it was useless.
After a long pause, he spoke so softly he almost couldn't hear himself.
"I think… I don't know how to do anything."
"That's okay, Master. There's no need to be embarrassed. Many real-world jobs can't be done here—but in the Second Blue Planet, there are no robots. You can run errands, deliver food, cook for others, clean houses… all of it is possible."
A chill ran through Chen Yuan's body.
A graduate from a top university—reduced to running errands and doing housework.
At that moment, he felt certain.
Mingshaxi was not an angelic company.
It was a company of demons.
Ding.
The fairy once again transformed into a glowing screen.
"Attention all users. Registration is now open for the Crescent Bay Lake Fishing Tournament."