Purple Talent!

Gao Linzhi nodded. This was the real world.

A fixed exchange rate for gold, silver, and copper would bankrupt you.

Looking at it this way, the gold-to-silver ratio was close to 1:100, not too different from the real world. In reality, one gram of gold cost five hundred yuan, and one gram of silver cost seven and a half yuan.

Clearly, this was definitely influenced by the players.

As she spoke, Han Xiaowei handed Gao Linzhi another bamboo token with a simple web address on it.

"This is the Archipelago player forum address. After you log off, access it online. No identity verification needed. There's a ton of detailed game background knowledge and beginner guides to avoid pitfalls."

"I won't say more. I have to get back to work. Check the forum yourself after you log off."

With that, Han Xiaowei turned and went back into the same room.

Gao Linzhi put away the bamboo token, a cold sneer in his heart.

Sure enough, traps were everywhere.

The moment he logged into that forum, his real identity would be exposed.

Even if no identity verification was required, the network itself had an address when you logged in.

Just as he was thinking this, he said to the Fourth Elder, "Fourth Elder, I'd like to see the village's guard contract. If it's fair, I want to become a village guard."

The Fourth Elder's eyes snapped open, a hint of surprise in his voice. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Gao Linzhi nodded.

After all, he was just an Ordinary Player who could revive infinitely. As long as the contract didn't have any major pitfalls.

The Fourth Elder stood up for the first time, then pulled an ancient Bronze Metal Plate from his robe.

The writing on it was very old, all traditional characters.

But with a careful look, it was still readable.

"Guard Contract, term ten years. Both parties to the contract shall not harm each other, nor deceive each other."

"Within ten years, the principal shall provide training resources. The guard shall obey the principal's combat deployments but may refuse suicide missions."

"Those who break the agreement shall face divine retribution!"

"Is that all?" Gao Linzhi asked after reading this.

"Mhm, that's all." The Fourth Elder said with a beaming smile.

"Only ten years?"

"That's right, just ten years. But the village faces constant monster invasions, so the danger is considerable." The Fourth Elder said frankly.

Gao Linzhi understood immediately.

Players had a way out. They could just log off and hide before the monsters came.

They generally wouldn't sign this kind of contract.

No matter how good the terms, signing this contract meant facing monsters and aberrations head-on. The risk was too great.

Gao Linzhi thought it over and took the bronze plate.

At that moment, a game prompt appeared.

[Employment Contract: Fair and normal employment contract. Can be terminated early by spending 1000 Skyfall Stones.]

So he had no more worries and nodded. "Alright, I'll sign."

He still had over ten thousand Skyfall Stones.

The Fourth Elder immediately stood up, his face full of smiles. "Excellent, excellent. From now on, you're one of us in East Wolf Village!"

"I'll take you to see the Great Elder right away. He'll determine your talent potential and class choice."

Gao Linzhi nodded.

When it came to expertise in supernatural power, players definitely couldn't match these natives in the short term.

Over a long period, that was another story.

But just as the two were about to leave, a woman suddenly came running from a distance in a hurry.

Gao Linzhi glanced over and found her features dignified, with a slender waist and long legs. There was something oddly familiar about her mannerisms.

Above her head was a name: "Clear Water, Blooming Lotus".

"Hello, is this the place to sign a guard contract? I want to sign one." Clear Water, Blooming Lotus asked.

"Oh, is this old man's lucky day? Two Descenders in a row wanting to sign a guard contract with the village?" The Fourth Elder said with some surprise.

Just then, two players ran over from a distance, clad in plate armor, both over one meter eighty-five tall, strong and sturdy.

Above their heads were the names "Xu's*Lao Qi" and "Xu's*Lao Ba".

Gao Linzhi's heart tightened. He looked at Clear Water, Blooming Lotus. Could she be Lin Qing?

The two plate-armored big men caught up but didn't attack directly. Instead, they shouted at the woman.

"Lin Qing, don't think running to East Wolf Village will let you escape the company's grasp!" Lao Qi yelled.

It was indeed Lin Qing.

Their identities had been exposed so quickly.

Gao Linzhi sighed inwardly.

"Lin Qing, if you obediently follow the company's arrangements, there's still a path to survival. Otherwise, you'll die a miserable death!"

"You don't want anything to happen to your family, do you?" Lao Ba added, twisting the knife.

"From now on, I no longer have a family!" Lin Qing said coldly. "Dying early or dying late—it's all the same death."

"You really don't care if your parents live or die? We know how hard your parents worked to raise you to a master's degree, which qualified you to be the company's customer service manager!" Old Seven threatened.

"If they truly cared for me, then now that I have new hope, they would surely be happy to die for me, not drag me down. Naturally, I would carry their expectations into a new life."

"If they're unwilling to die for me and want to sacrifice me for their own survival, then they don't truly care for me. Since they don't truly care for me, whether they live or die has nothing to do with me." Lin Qing's face was indifferent.

Holy shit, six...

Gao Linzhi was utterly shaken.

He really hadn't expected that Lin Qing, who always wore a smiling face, could be so resolute when facing a dead end.

Xu Clan's Old Seven and Lao Ba were also stunned speechless.

Seeing the two at a loss for words, Lin Qing turned to the Fourth Elder and spoke: "Fourth Elder, save me. I'm willing to fight for the village, willing to be a village guard."

The Fourth Elder looked up at Old Seven and Lao Ba and said flatly, "The village forbids you Descenders from fighting within its boundaries."

"Neither of you may harass her within village limits."

"Fine, Fourth Elder, we'll leave. But Lin Qing, just you wait. You can run for a while, but not forever!" Old Seven spat out a harsh threat.

Hearing this, Lin Qing gritted her teeth. "Elder, I want to join the village as a guard too."

"This..." The Fourth Elder hesitated.

Clearly, he didn't want to invite greater trouble because of Lin Qing.

Banning player conflict was a long-standing village principle, meant to attract more Rogue Players, enliven the village economy, and boost its productivity.

Corporate Players wouldn't particularly hold a grudge against the village for that.

But actively meddling in player grudges went against this purpose—Corporate Players would then target the village.

"I have a Purple Talent!" Lin Qing suddenly shouted.

Old Seven and Lao Ba's faces changed drastically, and they stepped forward to seize her.

"Purple Talent? Good, we'll protect you!" The Fourth Elder's face lit up with joy.

He immediately rose and blocked Xu Clan's Old Seven and Lao Ba, those two plate-armored giants.

With just a single outstretched hand, he spun them both around in a circle.

Old Seven and Lao Ba were stunned.

They only felt an irresistible, overwhelming force bearing down on them.