Desert Island Survival Arc (1)

Desert Island Survival Arc (1)

Zhang Heng climbed the iron ladder to the Second Layer and reached out to push open the blue iron door in front of him.

Given what he had seen along the way, along with the young men and women downstairs swaying their bodies and letting their youth run wild, he had assumed the metal room would be in a similar style, if not exactly the same.

Yet in reality, it looked more like a VIP lounge at an international airport.

After pushing open the door, Zhang Heng felt as if he had entered another world. Soft lighting, a red Persian carpet, genuine leather sofas, silver tableware on the coffee table, all kinds of snacks and fruit laid out on the buffet counter, and a small bar to his right. When he shut the door behind him, a gentle, soothing piano melody even began playing by his ears.

The sound downstairs had already surpassed a hundred decibels. Zhang Heng was not a specialist, but he knew perfectly well that a structure made of materials similar to shipping containers would have virtually no soundproofing.

Yet the reality was right before his eyes. Once that iron door closed, the noise outside was completely sealed away on the other side.

Perhaps because even more unbelievable things had happened to him before, he had developed a certain resistance to such matters. After pondering for a moment, he started walking again.

"Welcome." The woman behind the bar, dressed in a red evening gown, spoke.

Zhang Heng briefly surveyed the surroundings. Aside from him, there were around a dozen other people in the lounge. They sat in booths not far away, some gathered together chatting, others alone. But strangely, although the nearest person was only a few meters away, he could not make out their face at all.

It was an extremely strange experience. He could tell that there was nothing wrong with his eyesight; his retinas were forming clear images. Yet it was as though something was preventing that information from reaching his brain.

Zhang Heng refused to believe it. He tried to focus, feeling as if he were about to break through that invisible barrier, but the next moment, a wave of nausea rose from his stomach. He had to grab the bar to keep himself from falling.

At that moment, a glass of lemonade was pushed in front of him.

"Relax. Every new player who arrives here goes through this. Unless the other party permits it, a player's appearance in City of Desire is unrecognizable by default. In fact, your voices have also been specially processed. What you hear is not their real voice. This is all to protect your safety to the greatest extent possible."

"But I can still see what you look like." Zhang Heng accepted the lemonade and thanked her. The lighting had been dim earlier, and his attention had been on the others, so only now did he realize that the face behind the bar looked familiar. Though she had changed clothes, put on lipstick, and carried herself completely differently from how she had during the day, Zhang Heng still recognized her. "You're... the Bartender Lady from the Maid Cafe?"

"Not bad. Your powers of observation are sharper than I expected." She wiped a glass, still retaining some of her daytime coolness. "No one says a person can only work one job a day, right? By the way, I'm a receptionist here. I don't need to hide my appearance like players do."

"Sorry, but ever since I came in, you've kept repeating words like player and receptionist in my ear. But forgive me for saying so, I still have no idea what game I'm supposed to be playing. Blackjack? Texas Hold'em? Or Legends of the Three Kingdoms, esports?" Zhang Heng sat down on a barstool.

"I usually don't like boasting about my employer in front of customers. Actually, I never like boasting about them. But this time, I have to say congratulations, Mr. Zhang Heng. You are incredibly lucky to be taking part in the greatest game in human history. I can assure you that compared to it, every game you've played before was pathetic. It will completely change your life."

"You hear that kind of thing all the time at pyramid scheme presentations."

"That isn't your fault. Doubt is human nature." The Bartender Lady was not angered by his words. "Answer me one question, Mr. Zhang Heng. What do you think truly makes a person who they are?"

"DNA?" Zhang Heng took a sip of lemonade, unsure why the Bartender Lady had suddenly shifted the conversation to this topic.

"There's nothing wrong with that answer. Each of us has unique DNA. Certain parts of our bodies have been encoded from the moment we are born: your appearance, your family, your family medical history... But fortunately, we still have many choices after that. You can go to college, work a job, start a business, become an elementary school teacher, or even an astronaut."

The Bartender Lady set down the glass she had polished until it shone crystal clear, her speech growing faster and faster. "Putting aside those things predetermined at birth, let me ask more accurately. What do you think makes someone become who they are today? For example, why can an astronaut walk in space? Why can a boxer knock down an opponent in the ring? And what makes a teacher pick up teaching materials?"

"Experience? Are you saying experience and learning are what make us who we are today?" Zhang Heng quickly understood what the Bartender Lady was getting at. Then he raised an eyebrow. "But I still don't understand what that has to do with the game I'm about to join."

This time, however, he received no answer.

"No amount of description can compare to seeing it for yourself, Mr. Zhang Heng. Your first game has already begun. Please cherish this rare and extraordinary experience. I look forward to seeing you again."

A strange gleam flashed through the Bartender Lady's eyes. As she finished her last sentence, the hands of the clock on the wall struck eleven.

The next moment, a powerful wave of dizziness rushed into Zhang Heng's head, blurring his vision.

This was bad. Had he been drugged?!

Zhang Heng's first thought was that there was something wrong with the lemonade. It was the only thing he had consumed. He had remained vigilant ever since entering the bar, but perhaps because he had not expected to encounter an acquaintance here, that vigilance had loosened somewhat. He had no idea when she had made her move or what powerful anesthetic she had put inside. Just a light sip had produced such a terrifying effect. His head grew heavier and heavier until he could no longer hold on. He collapsed onto the bar and lost consciousness.

So men could be drugged too.

Zhang Heng had no idea how much time had passed. Maybe a few days, maybe a few hours, maybe only a few seconds.

An unfamiliar voice sounded by his ear.

Verifying player identity...

Verification successful. Randomly selecting a beginner instance for Player No. 07958...

Selection complete—current instance: Desert Island Survival

"You boarded a cruise ship for an ocean voyage. Near the equator, you encountered a terrifying storm. The cruise ship deviated from its planned route, while the radar, sonar, GPS, and satellite phones aboard all mysteriously failed. You lost your bearings and drifted aimlessly at sea for another month before unfortunately encountering an even greater storm. At the time, you happened to be standing on deck. A massive wave swept you into the ocean. When you opened your eyes again, you found yourself lying on an unfamiliar beach."

Mission Objective: Survive on this desert island for 40 days

Mode: Single Player

Time Flow Rate: 480 (1 hour in the real world equals 20 days in this game. After 40 days, the player will be forcibly returned to the real world.)

Friendly reminder: The game will officially begin in five seconds. Please prepare yourself.

The contract had just been mailed out. Starting next week, there would be two updates a day... (:°з"∠)