The Old Earth Player Management Act

"Old Earth first appeared three years ago. No one knew how it came into existence, and no one knew who made it. It existed on a website with no IP address, no backend access, and no data tracking.

The website randomly pushed the game to certain people, usually veteran gamers. Quite a few of those players entered the game, followed by a massive number of abnormal deaths.

There was something especially unbelievable about this game—it could interfere with reality.

It seemed you already understood. That's right: once a player died in the game, they would die the same way in reality within twenty-four hours.

Over the past three years, more than three thousand similar deaths had been discovered nationwide, and there were surely even more that had gone unreported. Your friend was simply the latest case."

Although Xiao Jie had already suspected as much, hearing the truth still made it all sound utterly absurd.

But Xiao Jie knew the man was telling the truth.

He had personally experienced the effects of game skills and witnessed Han Luo's bizarre death with his own eyes.

"Why doesn't the government ban this game?" Xiao Jie asked grimly.

The Black Windbreaker shook his head. "It's useless. People die for wealth just as birds die for food. Most of this game's players are playing voluntarily, and the activation codes are randomly pushed out. There's no way to monitor it, so how could we ban it?

And considering the hidden benefits within the game, banning it would be meaningless. It might even drive more people to take risks and enter the game.

Fortunately, the game requires an activation code, and the number of codes is limited, so its actual reach isn't that large."

"You said there have been more than three thousand abnormal deaths?"

"That's right. Three thousand might sound like a lot, but compared to the country's annual death toll of over ten million, it's insignificant.

Do you know how many people die in traffic accidents every year? Are we supposed to ban cars too?"

The Black Windbreaker's words left Xiao Jie speechless.

But he continued, "To avoid causing panic, we've actually been suppressing related news all along, and there's a corresponding management act. Generally speaking, after Old Earth players die in the game, they don't go out into public and cause trouble. Most arrange their affairs, then quietly wait to die.

A case like your friend's is extremely rare. That's why I guessed you probably didn't know the truth about the game."

"The Old Earth Player Management Act?"

"Mm. A document all game players have to sign. But we'll talk about that later."

Xiao Jie cautiously asked, "What exactly do you mean by the hidden benefits?"

Though he already had a reasonable guess, he still wanted to hear a definite answer.

The Black Windbreaker explained, "This game can interfere with reality, so if you gain an ability in the game, you'll gain the corresponding ability in reality as well."

So that was it. The Kite Flip skill he had acquired had indeed come from a skill book in the game.

"Can every ability be brought into reality? Even spells?"

The Black Windbreaker nodded. "Yes. Not just spells—character attributes, professional skills, martial arts, internal cultivation, demonic arts, divine powers, all of them. As long as your game character has mastered an ability, you can acquire it in reality.

You don't look surprised at all. Let me guess: you've already gained such a skill and used it, haven't you?"

Xiao Jie didn't hide it either. A lowest-tier movement skill was hardly worth keeping secret. "That's right. I've already gained an ability. It's not very useful, but it saved my life."

He briefly recounted how he had nearly been hit by a car earlier.

"Not bad luck," the man said. "That red sports car—I'll have someone investigate it later. There may not have been an accident, but running a red light is still illegal..."

Luck... Xiao Jie's mouth filled with bitterness. Maybe.

Perhaps that was the only explanation for why he had survived. A wave of lingering fear suddenly washed over him. When he had fought the Mountain Bandit, he had only had a little over ten health left. He had almost died.

If his controls had been even slightly sloppier, he would probably be dead already.

And he had even been thinking about finding a monster to kill him for a free return to town. If he had really done that, it would have been the stupidest possible way to die.

He thought again of what Han Luo had relayed from Liu Qiang. That bastard hadn't meant well at all. He had clearly wanted to get them killed.

He had known that guy was up to no good, but he never imagined he could be so vicious. He had deliberately given the two of them activation codes without telling them the truth about the game. He clearly wanted to kill them both.

"Liu Qiang! You bastard! Whether you killed Han Luo or tried to kill me, I'll kill you!" Xiao Jie swore through gritted teeth.

The Black Windbreaker asked curiously, "This Liu Qiang you mentioned—he's the one who gave you the activation codes? Do you have a grudge against him?"

Xiao Jie nodded.

Come to think of it, Liu Qiang was an old acquaintance. They had known each other since middle school and had been in neighboring classes. They weren't friends, exactly, but they were familiar with each other.

Back then, Liu Qiang had been unable to find work and came to Wuji Studio looking for a job. Since they were old classmates, Xiao Jie had taken him in.

Liu Qiang was actually a decent gamer and had achieved quite a bit.

But the guy was too greedy and had no bottom line.

When Chaos Temple first opened, Xiao Jie led Wuji Guild through a week of hard fighting. They had finally worked out the dungeon strategy and planned to make a profit by leading groups through it. Who could have expected Liu Qiang to turn around and sell the guide everyone had worked so hard to compile?

That incident completely destroyed Wuji Studio's morale, and nearly half its members left at once.

Xiao Jie had wanted to kill Liu Qiang over it, but this was a society governed by law. All he could do was beat him up and kick him out of the studio.

He never expected that bastard to do something like this.

He looked at the Black Windbreaker before him, and a sliver of hope suddenly rose in his heart.

"The one who gave us the game activation codes was a man named Liu Qiang. He's also the murderer who got Han Luo killed. Can you arrest him?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about that."

"Why? He got Han Luo killed! You're not going to arrest someone like that?" Xiao Jie roared, his face flushing from agitation.

The Black Windbreaker spread his hands. "But you have no way to prove he gave you the activation codes. You say Liu Qiang gave Han Luo an activation code, but that was only Han Luo's word. You have no evidence to prove any of it."

"Of course, I can apply to detain Liu Qiang. But as long as he denies giving Han Luo an activation code, there's nothing you can do to him.

The key is that both Han Luo and you are professional gamers, and you fall within the range of people who might receive activation codes through system pushes. I want to believe you, but there's no way to rule that possibility out."

Xiao Jie laughed bitterly in fury. "What kind of bullshit is that? So my friend just died for nothing?"

The Black Windbreaker shook his head and said seriously, "You need to understand, Mr. Xiao. Our country is governed by law, but many matters related to the game Old Earth do not fall within the scope of current legal regulation.

So our department's policy toward Old Earth players is this: as long as they have not committed an actual crime in reality, we will not intervene. We only monitor them.

Of course, if you have concrete evidence proving everything you said, that would be another matter. Or if Liu Qiang directly attacks you in reality, we can arrest him."

Anger surged through Xiao Jie's heart. "So that's it? My friend died for nothing?"

The Black Windbreaker did not answer. An awkward silence filled the interrogation room.

After a while, the Black Windbreaker finally said gently, "Mr. Xiao, that concludes today's questioning. You may leave. On a personal note, my advice is to stop playing. This game's one-year mortality rate exceeds seventy-eight percent. In other words, the vast majority of players do not survive longer than a year.

Many people enter the game seeking power and profit, only to die there for inexplicable reasons."

Power! That's right—power!

Xiao Jie's eyes lit up. With enough strength, he could kill Liu Qiang himself. He wouldn't need them to do it. He would take revenge personally!

He made up his mind in an instant and asked firmly, "What if I want to keep playing?"

The Black Windbreaker sighed. "I won't stop you. We only observe. But if that's the case, you'll have to sign the Old Earth Player Management Act. If you use abilities gained from the game to commit crimes in reality, we will not ignore it.

Believe me, people like that are far from rare. Over the past three years, we've arrested and killed quite a few player criminals. Once many people gain power, they start feeling invincible and lawless. They think that knowing a little martial arts or a few spells puts them above the laws of reality.

People like that usually don't end well."

By the end, there was already an implied warning in his tone.

Xiao Jie looked into the man's eyes. "What if I go after Liu Qiang for revenge?"

"Murder in reality is a criminal act," the Black Windbreaker said calmly.

Xiao Jie understood instantly. Murdering someone in reality was a crime, but killing someone in the game was another matter entirely.

"I understand. Give me the act. I'll sign it."

The Black Windbreaker shook his head helplessly and handed over a document. "It seems you've made up your mind. But I still advise you to think carefully. This game is far more dangerous than you imagine... And based on the information you provided, Liu Qiang must have been playing for a long time already, right? Even if you want to deal with him in the game, it probably won't be easy."

Xiao Jie cut him off. "There's no need to think about it. Some responsibilities are impossible for me to run away from."

He picked up the document and began reading it.

Clause 1: Old Earth players may not use abilities gained from the game to conduct illegal or criminal activities in reality. Violators will receive harsher penalties.

Clause 2: Old Earth players may not publicize the existence of this game to the general public.

Clause 3: Old Earth players may use game skills in reality, but they must provide a credible explanation for the source of their abilities. They may not involve feudal superstition or information related to Old Earth.

Clause 4: Old Earth players may not bring game conflicts into reality and engage in offline real-person PVP activities.

Clause 5: Old Earth players must provide necessary professional services under reasonable conditions when required by the relevant authorities...

There were dozens of clauses like these. Looks like they've thought things through pretty thoroughly.

But he still had one question. If players only possessed ordinary martial arts, internal cultivation, or low-level spells, modern technology could indeed keep them under control.

But if a player reached dozens or even hundreds of levels and mastered immortal arts or divine powers that modern technology could not restrain, would this document still be useful?

Wisely, he did not ask that question.

He simply picked up the pen and signed his name.

With such a document in place, at least he would not have to worry too much about Liu Qiang attacking him in reality. He had enough time to grow stronger in the game and find Liu Qiang for revenge.

The Black Windbreaker picked up the document and looked it over. He did not try to persuade him again, instead turning to open the interrogation room door.