MAOA Gene

Qin Shang nodded obediently.

With his identity as a con artist exposed, Qin Shang no longer felt as constrained facing the Red-robed Cult Master.

At least, he could now be reasonably sure that this woman held no ill will towards him.

So, he relaxed his demeanor and spoke honestly.

He was indeed a newbie player in the Path of the Gods!

Click—

The Red-robed Cult Master then lit her cigarette.

"Since you helped deliver the message, feel free to ask whatever you want."

"Newbie players probably have a lot of questions about the Path of the Gods, right?"

"My Treasure House here sells information and items, and also takes on some shady business."

"Normally, even newbies have to pay for information, but today, for that little brat's sake, you can ask anything you want..."

Hearing this, Qin Shang felt an inexplicable wave of gratitude towards 'Grandpa Niu'.

He desperately wanted to connect with veteran players and get more information about the Path of the Gods game.

But it was obvious that veteran players like 'Eagle of Justice' or 'Buddha Saves the Predestined', if they knew he was a con artist, would likely have their eyes turn red and attack him directly to take his head for money.

Not to mention high-level players like the 'Red-robed Cult Master'!

Qin Shang dared to guarantee that the 'Red-robed Cult Master' was at a much higher level than 'Eagle of Justice'. Fortunately, the other party didn't seem to harbor any ill will towards him.

"Then my first question is..."

"What is the Treasure House?"

Qin Shang coughed dryly, thinking he'd start with a harmless question.

Upon hearing this, the 'Red-robed Cult Master' twitched her expression;

"Didn't you hear what I just said? The Treasure House is a place that sells information and items related to the Path of the Gods."

"It's one of my businesses, specifically an industry designed to serve Path of the Gods players."

Qin Shang let out an "Oh," thinking that was a good target audience!

If only he had become a Path of the Gods player earlier.

The money from Path of the Gods players was indeed easy to earn.

After clearing the [Death Train], he had received a reward of twenty-five points.

Converted to RMB, that was an astronomical figure Qin Shang had never even dared to imagine before.

"What exactly is the Path of the Gods? Who becomes a player? What are the criteria for issuing Character Cards?"

"Also, are professions fixed..."

Qin Shang took a deep breath, sensing the contempt in the woman's eyes, and knew he was likely being underestimated.

The 'Red-robed Cult Master' clearly had a look that said, "You kid actually asked such a basic, brainless question, how did you even clear the trial dungeon?"

At this point, Qin Shang decided to stop pretending and honestly asked the biggest questions on his mind.

As soon as he said this, the 'Red-robed Cult Master', who had been steadily holding the steering wheel with both hands, parted her red lips slightly, revealing a playful smile;

"I thought you were an idiot, but your brain isn't bad after all. I knew a complete fool wouldn't be capable of clearing the con artist's trial dungeon..."

"What the Path of the Gods is, no one can explain it clearly to you."

"Even if you go ask players in the Rule Realm, they can't explain the essence of the Path of the Gods. We only know that the Path of the Gods is a game, a game that looks like virtual reality but is actually life-threatening."

"Every time players are matched into an A-rank or higher dungeon, there's a possibility of death!"

"But the rewards for clearing dungeons are also unimaginably rich, aren't they?"

"The point rewards and item rewards are enough for you to turn your life around in the real world. You should have experienced it already, young Order Realm con artist."

"For example, your skill [Inheritance]. Using it on an elderly person with no children, tsk tsk tsk, the assets under your name will expand at an incredibly exaggerated rate..."

Huh!?

Upon hearing this, Qin Shang was stunned.

He knew that Path of the Gods skills could be used in reality.

But the fact that [Inheritance] could be used like this was something he had never considered.

"Is the 'Red-robed Cult Master' also a con artist?"

"Me? I'm not..."

The woman in the red dress smiled faintly;

"Don't be too surprised. As public enemies, almost all veteran players have experienced the con artist's skills. They are indeed incredibly overpowered!"

Overpowered?

[Inheritance] It's a bit over the top, but not exactly game-breaking.

Qin Shang paused.

"Your second question, who becomes a player..."

"Hmm, that depends on the group and profession. I can answer that along with your third question!"

The next moment, the 'Red-robed Cult Master' said indifferently;

"People from all walks of life can become players. However, I can give you one important piece of information for free: the Con artist group is largely composed of individuals with extremely high rates of carrying the MAOA Gene."

"I don't know how good your biochemistry studies are..."

"Dropped out of vocational school!"

Upon hearing those words, the 'Red-robed Cult Master' wisely didn't ask further.

Dropping out of vocational school meant they hadn't attended university.

"Biology" and "Chemistry" were separate subjects in the middle school curriculum.

Even university students, unless they were in a related major, wouldn't necessarily study "Biochemistry."

Qin Shang, having cleared the Con artist dungeon, certainly wasn't unintelligent.

There was no issue of him being unable to learn.

The reason someone like him would drop out of vocational school was likely due to a past he'd rather forget.

The Red-robed Cult Master wasn't concerned with that.

"Oh, then I'll explain it simply. The MAOA Gene is also known as the warrior gene. Individuals who carry this gene have a significantly higher crime rate than others."

"According to incomplete statistics, 77% of players who obtain the Con artist Character Card carry the MAOA Gene, meaning they are already a group with a high crime rate."

Qin Shang's heart trembled. The memory of his actions when confronting the scamming group 'Skull' suddenly flashed in his mind.

At that time, he had stubbornly insisted on dismantling them by himself.

He knew, in reality, that doing so was also illegal.

Yet, he had stubbornly chosen to act that way!

It was hard to say it wasn't the MAOA Gene, as the 'Red-robed Cult Master' called it, at play.

In an instant, Qin Shang felt as if his last shred of dignity had been stripped away.

"So... it's because they carry a high-crime-rate gene that they become Con artists?"

The 'Red-robed Cult Master' shook his head;

"No, according to incomplete statistics, half of the Con artists I know have served time in prison for crimes. Perhaps more accurately, the Path of the Gods issues Character Cards for this profession by selecting criminals!"

"Of course, Con artist is a mixed bag. The MAOA Gene only determines the probability of violent behavior, not necessarily criminal behavior."

"For example, people who derive pleasure from abusing small animals or drowning ant nests with urine."

"The MAOA Gene is also very active in this group. Possessing this gene doesn't mean one will commit crimes, it just means their crime rate is higher than that of ordinary people!"

After speaking, the 'Red-robed Cult Master' smiled and said;

"The Character Card professions issued by the Path of the Gods are merely a reflection of a person's core personality."

"As for what kind of person they truly are in reality, none of us can dare to, nor can we, make a judgment based solely on a small silver-white card!"

This statement resonated deeply with Qin Shang.

He pursed his lips and nodded, acknowledging the 'Red-robed Cult Master's' assertion.

"Any other questions?"