Lending Me Some Money (Thanks to Xiao Han of Yuequan Bay, the Silver Alliance Leader!)

The next day, I went to work as usual.

For the entire morning, I repeatedly assembled and disassembled the internet cafe's spare router hundreds of times, gaining a large amount of skill experience. With the sound of skills leveling up, I finally upgraded all my existing skills to Lv10. At this point, my stats were probably good enough to walk around Stream City like I owned the place.

Noon.

More and more people started coming online, and many were ordering food and milk tea. I also started to get busy. It wasn't until close to twelve o'clock that I finally had a moment to relax and glanced at my phone.

I discovered that Lu Xiaobei had posted a photo on her Moments.

In the photo, she was still wearing that beautiful sweater jacket, paired with a coffee-colored long skirt, and her long, fluffy hair. She exuded an aura of youth and freedom, like an elf wandering through the Old City District.

Behind her was a blue sign that read "I'm waiting for you in Stream City," making her look even more like a carefree tourist.

I felt a bit speechless. She was probably out setting up a stall again to earn some extra cash.

So, I casually gave the post a like.

"Ding!"

Lu Xiaobei's reaction was incredibly fast. Less than ten seconds after I liked her post, she sent me a message: "Have you eaten?"

"Not yet, I was a bit busy just now."

"Then wait for me. There's a garden undergoing renovation here in the Old City District. There's a place selling bento boxes next to the construction site. I've tried their bento boxes before, they're super delicious!! I'll go buy two and bring them back for us to eat together."

"Alright~~~"

So, I suppressed my hunger and waited for Lu Xiaobei to bring the food.

Not long after, Lu Xiaobei walked into the internet cafe with a proud smile, carrying a package full of small trinkets in one hand and the bento boxes in the other.

The bento boxes really did taste good, with a kind of rustic, back-to-basics feel.

I wolfed down my meal and picked up a computer fan to start the repetitive disassembly and assembly process again. Lu Xiaobei didn't understand the principles of repair, so she left in disappointment, probably to go back to setting up her stall to make money.

It was two o'clock in the afternoon.

"Ding!"

A WeChat message arrived from Zhang Ruolin: "Can you do a voice call?"

"Sure."

After connecting the call, she got straight to the point: "Ding Han, the Player organization recently launched the Dark Web, which makes it more convenient for players to communicate. Have you heard about it?"

"Dark Web?"

I was surprised, completely unaware of it.

"Mmm."

Zhang Ruolin said, "The address of this Dark Web changes every 60 seconds, but it's relatively safe. Players leave no trace after logging in, and outsiders can't trace their IP addresses. If you're interested, you can check it out."

"Where is the Dark Web address?"

"Open the Star Chart, but don't enter it. The address is in the upper right corner of the Star Chart. It changes every 60 seconds. After entering, register an account immediately and then bind your character."

"Okay."

After ending the call, I immediately lay back on the internet cafe manager's throne, squinted my eyes, and opened the Star Chart. Sure enough, in the upper right corner of the Star Chart, there was an inconspicuous URL. I quickly jotted it down and logged in on the manager's computer.

Indeed, a super old-looking page appeared before me. It looked like an old QQ Space from the early days, with a black starry background, blue text, and a circle of twinkling stars around it.

I clicked to register an account. My ID was set to Shadow Chaser, and the password was a simple 123456, following the principle of "the greatest truths are the simplest."

"Click!"

The moment I clicked the mouse, I successfully entered the Dark Web.

Inside, it was essentially a large forum with various posts from players. A quick scan revealed posts on all sorts of topics.

"Looking to buy a green submachine gun. Not picky about the model, Roarer, Hellfire, Sindra, Antelope – any model will do. Just need the firepower to be above 65. Friends who have one can contact me in the Stream City Star Chart."

"Team recruiting. Looking for a Firepower Specialist with level 18 or above and a focus on strength and agility. Requires skills like Aim Enhancement and Weapon Charge. Generous benefits. Contact me via Star Chart if you meet the requirements!"

"Looking for a girlfriend. Must be fair-skinned, beautiful, and have long legs!"

"Looking for a meal buddy. Living alone in a strange city is too lonely. I don't even have anyone to talk to!"

Currently, there doesn't seem to be much useful information on the Dark Web, probably because it just opened.

However, I still posted a message:

"Player Shadow Chaser, looking for 'Chasing Light.' Friends who know Chasing Light's whereabouts, please contact me. Generous reward guaranteed!"

Unfortunately, the post was quickly drowned out not long after it was posted. Too many people were looking for friends and family on the Dark Web, making posts like mine the easiest to overlook.

I closed the Dark Web and checked my browsing history.

As expected, my browsing information was automatically erased. The creators of this Dark Web really knew what they were doing.

Work hours were incredibly boring. The day of a laborer passed by in the blink of an eye.

Evening, my place.

Milo was still working at the bar. He usually got off work around two in the morning, and if guests invited him for a late-night snack, it might be even later.

I couldn't be bothered to deal with him, so I spent the entire night disassembling and reassembling my Blue Roarer countless times, gaining a lot of experience points. Afterward, I took a shower and got into bed, ready to sleep.

12:00 AM.

The moment the clock struck midnight, two ding-dong sounds rang out in my ears.

[〖Headshot〗 Setting Changed Instantly! Details: Player locks onto the target's head weakness. Headshot damage dealt will be increased to 3 times normal damage, stackable with critical hit effects!]

[Region Task 〖Undercurrent's Prying〗 will refresh soon! You have obtained Task 〖Undercurrent's Prying〗! Task Details: The Undercurrent organization is stirring. Their vanguard has appeared in the West Wind Forest, fifty miles from Stream City. The task will officially start in 24 hours. Within the following 24 hours, the more Undercurrent units you eliminate, the more points you will earn. The top ten players will receive extremely generous rewards!]

I was slightly taken aback. Was this some kind of system patch update?

The first point, regarding the change, or rather, the enhancement, to the "Headshot" setting, is definitely a system patch update. However, for me, it's absolutely a good thing. After all, I currently possess Advanced Shooting Lv10, which others can't have at this stage. My shooting accuracy is exceptionally high.

Furthermore, not long ago, the Undercurrent's Psionic Officer Nightingale personally delivered a Blue Roarer to me. With my marksmanship, the chance of scoring a headshot at close range is extremely high. This setting change is definitely fantastic news.

As for the second point, a region task has spawned in the Stream City area. I assume all players in Stream City have received this task.

Within 24 hours, the more Undercurrent units eliminated, the more generous the rewards. This task has come at the perfect time, but at the same time, it makes me a little worried. The Undercurrent is approaching Stream City; are they planning to make a move on Stream City?

If that's the case, a mere Stream City, with Dulin's Flame Wielder regiment of three thousand men, is definitely no match for the behemoth that is the Undercurrent! If so, the players of Stream City might have to change cities soon.

"Beep!"

A WeChat message, from Ruolin: "Ding Han, did you see the region task? What do you say? Want to team up?"

I hesitated for a moment.

Bringing Ruolin and Xiao Bai along wouldn't be a problem, but it would undoubtedly slow down my leveling progress. Honestly, I prefer to go solo, and I particularly enjoy the feeling of venturing into danger alone.

"I won't be teaming up this time."

I replied with a pitiful-looking emoji: "Sister Ruolin, I want to solo grind to level up. You know how hard it is to level up after level 20. I want to try and see if I can reach the top of the Stream City regional leaderboard!"

"Okay!"

Zhang Ruolin sent a doge emoji and said, "Then I wish you success in reaching first place! I'll go discuss with Xiao Bai and Ax. Maybe the three of us will team up to tackle this task."

"Mhm, I wish you success. If you get into trouble, just call me anytime. As long as I'm in the West Wind Forest, I'll definitely lend a hand!"

"Your words mean more than anything."

Zhang Ruolin sent a heart icon: "I'm going back to drinking."

"You drunken, decadent, beautiful bad woman!"

"Hahahaha~~~"

Late at night, I checked my strategic reserves.

I had about 800 rounds of Wind Whisperer bullets left, and over 900 rounds for the Roarer. No grenades, and as for heavy weaponry, it was completely empty. My reserves could be described as bare-bones.

I wanted to compete for first place in this Stream City region task. The task lasts for a long 24 hours, and I don't know how many people will be in the vanguard. If I can grab some bullets, that's fine, but what if I can't?

Therefore, I must ensure my ammunition reserves for this outing.

I'll borrow money from Lu Xiaobei tomorrow!

The next day.

The shift change was at precisely eight o'clock, not a minute early.

Zhao Yihang's panda eyes were even more pronounced. He rubbed his eyes and said to me, "Ding Han, buddy, I'm about to collapse. If I keep this up, not only will my eyes be shot, but my kidneys might be too..."

I said with feigned distress, "If you don't strive when you're young, do you want to wait until you're old to strive?"

"Strive?"

Zhao Yihang seemed dazed. "Strive for the boss's future Panamera?"

I tossed him a bun. "Hurry up and go back to sleep."

"You got it!"

Zhao Yihang happily bit into the bun and left.

It wasn't until noon that Lu Xiaobei finally showed up, carrying two lunchboxes.

She leaned in mysteriously and said, "Guess how much I earned from my stall today?"

"Five thousand?"

"Where would I get that much? Do you think those tourists are stupid? Guess lower!"

"Five hundred?"

"You..."

She looked at me in surprise. "You actually guessed right..."

"Ahem!"

I picked up the lunchbox. "Lu Xiaobei, I need to take a leave of absence tomorrow. You don't need to set up your stall for the day shift tomorrow. Can you cover for me?"

"Do you need something?"

"Yeah, a personal matter."

"Alright..."

Lu Xiaobei said sullenly, "Your pay for the day will still be docked, you know..."

"Nyah nyah nyah, so this is the face of a heartless capitalist."

I glanced at her and said, "I have one more thing I want to discuss with you, and this one's a bit more outrageous."

"What is it? You go first."

"Lend me twenty thousand yuan."

"..."

Lu Xiaobei stared at me, dumbfounded. She didn't say anything, but the chopsticks in her hand dropped to the floor.