Players and Ordinary People, the Prelude to a New Era

As soon as the news broke, the entire Blue Star network was in an uproar.

"Players want to kill ordinary people? Is there no law anymore?"

Beware of the transformation of humanity under the influence of extraordinary power!

"Shocking! The player appears to have become a Celestial Dragon, no longer considering themselves one of the same kind as ordinary people!"

One sensational headline after another, as if they want to stir up trouble.

Those media outlets are really good at seizing on trending topics.

As for the cause and effect, they wouldn't say.

They simply played a video showing players easily slaughtering ordinary people.

Under the players' knives, the ordinary people were powerless to resist and were easily killed.

This naturally touched the hearts of many ordinary people.

Gao Linzhi found it very interesting.

The conflict between players and ordinary people, and how new social classes are formed, can absolutely affect the very essence of the world.

He has thought it through now.

To put it bluntly, there was originally no Mysterious Energy in the entire Blue Star universe, only civilized technology.

This is similar to the Earth and the universe.

In other words, the World Source lies within these civilizations.

The expansion of the technological universe depends on the expansion of these civilizations.

It has no consciousness, no meaning to its existence, and even in the face of destruction, it doesn't care.

There was no longer any urge to expand; it simply evolved naturally according to the laws of physics.

When the people of these civilizations change, the very World Source changes.

This is the fundamental reason why Gao Linzhi was able to obtain the Source Energy.

Then, in his field of vision, many ordinary people began to gather, instigated by some behind-the-scenes organizers.

They began to vehemently criticize the players.

"These players must hand over their game qualifications, and everyone will be randomly reassigned by drawing lots!"

"That's fair."

"That's right, the right to play the game is a gift from God to all of humanity; it shouldn't be available to everyone!"

"Rob the rich to help the poor, and act on behalf of Heaven!" someone shouted again.

To put it bluntly, the problem isn't scarcity, but inequality.

Such an idea may seem naive and childish, but in the context of a world rife with the bizarre, it resonates with the thoughts of most ordinary people.

Therefore, even though they knew this was impossible, unreasonable, and illogical, they still chose to agree in the face of public opinion.

"I told you, we can't let a few people monopolize the game; we want to be players too!"

Of course, relying solely on ordinary people like them, who can only talk about it online, not many people dare to take action in reality.

Moreover, many clear-headed people are also making appeals.

"Given the strange circumstances, we must prioritize the bigger picture."

"We cannot act independently, nor can we afford to lose our composure. We should unite the players and respect their legitimate rights."

"The truth behind this attempted murder should be investigated thoroughly according to normal procedures before determining who is right and who is wrong."

In fact, the Countermeasures Bureau is very efficient.

They recognized the crisis this incident was facing.

They quickly dispatched personnel to investigate.

The truth began to unfold.

As a video recording of the incident surfaced, it became clear that it was indeed the ordinary people who launched the sneak attack on the players.

"Shocking! Those people were a group of robbers who wanted to ambush the players and steal their game access."

"This player was merely acting in self-defense."

"I see."

Many people have begun to switch sides.

However, many others stubbornly insist. "They're hogging the game slots, so it's only right to shoot them in the back!"

"That's right, these players haven't treated us ordinary people like human beings for a long time!"

"The related news is all biased towards the players!"

The Countermeasures Bureau, of course, would not follow the ideas of ordinary people.

If they were to follow the common sense and wage war against players, kill them, and then implement some kind of game qualification allocation system...

That would inevitably lead to chaos throughout the land.

The mere act of taking away someone else's access to the game is enough to provoke fierce resistance from players.

Players can completely ignore offline matters and simply hide in the online Safe Zone to survive.

In the offline world, without players' efforts to eliminate the supernatural, things will only become a mess.

After a quick meeting, the Countermeasures Bureau swiftly decided to suppress the incident.

They first privately and sternly condemned those with ulterior motives within the major companies.

First, we need to address the root cause of this problem by eliminating its source.

Without the covert support of these large companies, it would be very difficult for ordinary people to get things going. Trending topics fade quickly once they lose their traffic.

People will quickly forget about it.

Because so many things happen every day now.

The Countermeasures Bureau then issued a public statement:

"An investigation revealed that the dozens of people killed in the alley belonged to an evil organization."

"They were robbers. The player killed them in self-defense and bears no responsibility."

This naturally garnered strong approval from the player community.

However, it would not be accepted by ordinary people.

The two sides have fundamental contradictions that cannot be reconciled.

Ordinary people did not stage large-scale disturbances simply because they did not have that much power.

Only when each company's security department can it be quickly mobilized to maintain the city's security.

Unless it's some kind of bizarre intrusion that overwhelms the security department.

Otherwise, controlling ordinary people would be relatively easy.

Ordinary people have no way to deal with this in a short time.

That's just how things are; whoever has the power, the world revolves around them.

For ordinary people, up to this point, there is no crucial value to the situation.

At most, they act as producers of ordinary material wealth.

For example, vigorously producing gold.

It has almost no other value.

The players weren't actually happy about this victory.

"Damn it, they're a bunch of insects, a bunch of greedy and stupid bastards. Just thinking about living with them gives me a headache!" A high-level player complained bitterly.

In his view, all traitors must die!

And we must leave behind a powerful deterrent!

However, he also had many concerns.

He has many businesses at home and numerous production lines in the city; it's impossible for him to completely reject ordinary people.

These industries provide a wealth of resources to support him as a player.

Unless he develops a high-level Puppet Arts that can better serve the family.

More players decided to continue to unite.

"We must establish a kingdom that belongs only to the players!"

"That's right, didn't the independent people already establish the Wang Dynasty?"

"At this time, the Wang Dynasty should step in!"

"That's right!"

At this point, someone else contacted Gao Linzhi, of course, through the internet.

"Mr. Canxue, our Wang Dynasty hopes that you can step forward and lead everyone to use strong measures to forcibly control those ordinary people first." A person with the online ID "Prime Minister of Wang Dynasty Prime Minister" pleaded with Gao Linzhi.

"We are now in wartime, no longer in peacetime."

"We cannot allow them to run rampant and pose a fundamental threat to our player base, further disrupting the situation caused by the monster invasion."

"Throughout history, the strong have always ruled the weak; there is no reason for the weak to coerce the strong."

Gao Linzhi casually said, "Whatever you want to do, just do it yourselves."

"I'm not interested."

Upon hearing this answer, the Wang Dynasty Prime Minister was not disappointed at all; on the contrary, he was very pleased.

Because that was precisely his purpose: to test whether Gao Linzhi, this extraordinary expert from a wandering cultivator background, would interfere with their actions.

It's now clear that the other side doesn't care about their actions at all.

He then made another request.

"We heard you completed a Legend mission and obtained a 50-square-kilometer absolute Safe Zone, which you can designate to be established offline."

"We hope to purchase this Safe Zone from you to house our offline base."

Gao Linzhi smiled; this was the other party's real purpose.

Players who want to launch a counterattack offline must have a foothold.

Therefore, the Safe Zone in the game is the best stronghold.

Without strongholds, it is impossible to establish a stable rule.

He refused, saying, "Direct purchase is impossible, but I can rent it to you."

Gao Linzhi the Blue Star world, so naturally he still needs a safe place.

After all, it's always good to have another world.

The World Source is precious, and it is currently only connected to the world.

He has now mastered a portion of the game's core code.

It's fair to say that he's no longer on the same level as these people.

While the other party was still playing the game, he was already controlling the game company.

What level is the other party? What level is he?

The two are completely different.

"Okay, that works too."

Earth world.

The influence of the God's Domain Game is still spreading rapidly.

Unlike the Skyfall Game, everyone here has a chance to play.

The auction for the first piece of in-game equipment has become a frenzy.

The leader of the Dragon Diagram Guild, "Dragon Diagram Frenzy," was well aware that being the first to secure the equipment in this initial auction would greatly boost the guild's reputation.

If he weren't Swordsman who couldn't use this equipment, his desire would be no less than anyone else's.

As the heir to a leading enterprise, he harbors even greater ambitions.

If you can't dominate in real life, then build a top-tier guild in the God's Domain, gather the best players from all professions, and delve into the mysteries hidden within this game.

He wanted to truly dominate and achieve the great feats of ancient emperors.

With his powerful background, he knew some secrets unknown to ordinary people: this game, upon its sudden emergence, swept the entire online market with an almost absolute force, topping the charts.

No one can trace its developers, and even the intervention of powerful forces is powerless to stop it.

The near-perfect realism of the experience shocked everyone even more.

Clearly, this game represents the arrival of a new era.

It represents the emergence of new power.

In any case, if their family wants to maintain its current position, it must not fall behind the game and must always stay at the forefront.

"We must acquire this equipment at all costs!" he said to the guild's vice president.

"Understood."

"I will contact the various branches to collect the game currency held by the members."

"We must acquire this equipment," Dragon Diagram Frenzy ordered.

"We have a top-tier assassin player named 'Jing He,' who is a core member we cultivated ourselves. His strength is also a crucial cornerstone for the guild's development."

Upon hearing this, Dragon Diagram Jinghe half-jokingly replied, "I'll remember this favor, boss. Please let me know if you ever need my help. I'll be counting on you to take care of me from now on."

Dragon Diagram Frenzy laughed and scolded, "Don't give me that. If you really want to repay me, put in more effort. I have plenty of people to serve you tea and water."

At this very moment.

After resting in bed for a while, Zhang Mingzhen needed to go to the toilet.

He moved with difficulty, when suddenly he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.

The game's immersion is so realistic; experiencing that overwhelming power and then returning to reality creates a stark contrast.

He rubbed his temples and muttered, "Looks like we still need to replace the gaming pod as soon as possible; the helmet is still too much of a burden."

He slowly moved toward the wheelchair beside the bed, preparing to go to the toilet.

He suddenly stopped moving—a long-lost, faint tingling sensation came from his legs.

He incredulously reached down and pressed his hand below his knee.

Since the accident five years ago, my legs have lost all feeling, but now I can feel the warmth of my skin and a slight tremor in my fingertips.

"Could it be because of the 'God's Domain'?"

"Could it really make my dream come true?"

He took a deep breath, a glimmer of light appearing in his eyes. "If this isn't just an illusion... perhaps this is a turning point."

The next day.

As dawn broke, the first thing Zhang Mingzhen did upon waking was to check the condition of his legs again.

It's not a dream.

That vague feeling still lingers, faint yet undeniably real.

He clenched his fists and looked out the window. "Dad, Mom... are you guiding me? This time, I will never let go."

He quickly gathered his thoughts.

The most practical step right now is to replace the gaming pod.

Since in-game resources can be exchanged for real-world currency, let's start preparing today.

In this way, he can also use games to conceal his wealth.

After logging into the "God's Domain," Zhang Mingzhen went straight to the auction interface.

The previously listed materials had been settled, and he withdrew all the money he received. He then prepared to head to the village chief to complete the process of leaving the newbie village.

The world channel is already bustling with activity:

"Chongxing is online! We've been waiting for you all morning!"

"Mr. Chongxing, we are from the Dragon Diagram Guild. We are interested in trading your equipment for real currency. The price is negotiable. Would it be convenient to discuss the details privately?"

"Hey buddy, let's consider a real-world transaction! Everyone's short on in-game currency right now. Our channel is safe. Add me on WeChat (45*****4) to discuss details!"

Zhang Mingzhen glanced at the information without changing his expression.

He did need the funds, but he absolutely did not want to reveal his identity because of it.

Once he gets too involved with reality, the attention of various forces will come to him, which is something he must avoid.

After all, he's a disabled person.

Although auction houses need to go through system conversion, they provide absolute anonymity—no external institution can trace the identity behind the transaction.

This design is clearly intended to protect player privacy, so he naturally wouldn't risk taking a risk for a safer option.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in a certain meeting room was solemn.

Still can't get in touch with him?

An elder with slightly graying temples asked.

"We've been keeping watch since last night, and we've called out to them multiple times on the world channel, but there's still no response."

"The other party seems to be... deliberately avoiding direct contact."

"According to the psychological expert's profile, the other party is likely a young person who is extremely insecure, has read too many Mouqie Novels, and has a serious distrust of official institutions."

"Our initial assessment is that the other party is likely someone from the lower rungs of society," a secretary reported.

They were naturally unaware that Zhang Mingzhen a time traveler, and that his excessive reading of novels had led to a lack of trust in those in power.

However, he was not poor; on the contrary, he was a hidden millionaire.

In contrast, most billionaires are very confident.

Because they have power, family connections, and networks.

The elder pondered for a moment, then waved his hand. "Since the other party is unwilling to show themselves, let's leave it at that for now."

"Judging from his character name and movements, he should be a Chinese citizen."

"We just need to keep an eye on things. If there's a need in the future, we can extend an invitation with sincerity, and I believe he won't refuse."

A middle-aged man in a crisp uniform standing nearby chimed in, "Understood."

"Our current focus remains on equipment auctions. If the price is below fifty Silver Coins, we will act decisively."

The elder nodded. "You must handle this carefully."

"Remember, we should strive to attract talent, but we shouldn't force it."

"This game... might be more important than we realize."