The moment Shadow Night God spoke, the forum fell silent.
Even the moderator, who had been laid-back lately and barely managed the forum, came over to watch.
He wanted to see what new discovery Shadow Night God had made.
Deep down, he did not really believe Thin Dog's claim of a 100% virtual reality game. It sounded too exaggerated. Maybe it was just a VR online game like Duoyu Group's DYchat, where you put on a helmet and sensors to play games with friends.
But the visuals, the controls, the gameplay... they were all garbage.
"Maybe Thin Dog is promoting some new game from his family?"
That was possible too. In any case, someone with Thin Dog's wealth would surely disdain scamming a bunch of poor forum users like them. They would wait and see.
Having drawn everyone's attention, Shadow Night God posted the write-up he had prepared long ago.
"What kind of scam is the most powerful? I wonder if everyone noticed a news story from a while ago:
A woman locked herself inside her home to transfer money to scammers. Even when police officers knocked outside, she refused to open the door. She shouted that the police were stopping her from making money. In the end, the officers had to break through a window to stop her from transferring the money. Even after being subdued, she kept screaming and even tried to scratch the officers.
This showed that the greatest scam was one where the victim did not realize she had been scammed at all. She might even believe that those trying to persuade her were there to harm her. And that was exactly Big Bro Thin Dog's predicament!"
"Lin Tang and Ghost Face Demon Fox joined forces with Sentinel to set up a trap for Thin Dog! Big Bro Thin Dog is stuck inside it and cannot see the truth at all. As everyone knows, Big Bro Thin Dog is a gaming addict. He must have long been obsessed with the 100% virtual reality game that gamers around the world have been waiting for. Those three took advantage of that obsession and created an illusion to deceive him. It may involve things that cannot be discussed in detail, such as hallucinations or drugs. You can imagine the rest yourselves. Big Bro Thin Dog merely had a dream under their guidance and became utterly convinced, then unconsciously cooperated with their plan."
"They chose Big Bro Thin Dog precisely because they knew who he was. Even yesterday's appearance by the moderator to refute the rumors was part of their plan! Everyone thought someone as wealthy as Big Bro Thin Dog would not scam them out of a few scraps, but what if he did not know he had been scammed too?"
"I boldly speculate that one of that trio is beside Big Bro Thin Dog right now! This is a carefully staged performance! In the end, every loss will inevitably be borne entirely by Big Bro Thin Dog, who has also been deceived, while the three of them flee and vanish without a trace."
"And I, Shadow Night God, am the only person in this forum who has seen through the truth!"
Moderator: "."
Forum users: "."
Ink Dye Sword Xiao: "."
Sentinel: "."
There was nothing but ellipses beneath the post.
Everyone was stunned.
Shadow Night God's reasoning, while bold, was not necessarily impossible.
Were there not plenty of earth-shattering scams throughout history?
The moderator, "Weakest Player in This Bar," asked himself, "Can I guarantee that what Night God said is definitely wrong?"
No.
After thinking for a moment, he cautiously sent Thin Dog a message.
"Big Bro Thin Dog, is anyone with you? Call me back when you're alone. I have something to tell you."
It was midnight. Usually, this was when Thin Dog was most active, and he generally replied to messages immediately.
But now, Thin Dog did not reply.
Under the post.
Picking Girl's Little Mushroom: "What Night God said makes so much sense! I absolutely will not register for some unverified game like this!"
My Style is My Own: "Heh heh~ All I can say is, those who get it, get it. Those who don't can't be talked into understanding."
Magic Conch: "I don't understand it, but it sounds impressive. I'll grab a stool and watch the show."
Cheng Shaofeng was speechless.
He posted: "Can one of the moderators mute Shadow Night God? This guy's imagination is way too wild. What bad intentions could I, a game developer, possibly have? I'm not charging you a cent. What could I be scamming you out of? Could I be tricking you into doing unpaid labor for me day and night?"
"Obviously not!"
"I just wanted everyone to experience a virtual reality online game with a wasteland setting that came as close to reality as possible. The game has now entered closed beta, and it is a non-wipe closed beta at that. I thought of the forum friends who helped me in the past when this opportunity came up. What did I do wrong?
I've spent ten years making this game. I lost my girlfriend to it, lost my house to it, and I cannot even find the slightest trace of my existence in this world anymore. I gave everything to this game. I'm even paying out of pocket to mail you closed beta helmets, and now you're saying my game is fake? Wouldn't I know whether my own game is fake or not?"
"I ask the moderator, assistant moderators, and forum staff to bear witness. I, Sentinel, hereby solemnly promise that during the Apocalypse OL closed beta, players will never be charged any fees in any form. You only need to come play without worry!"
"That is all I have to say. Quite a few players have already signed up through the backend. I merely want to select a more diverse group of players better suited to this game for the closed beta. We have built a wasteland world infinitely close to reality and urgently need different types of players to test all kinds of content."
Sentinel's words made the forum users think again.
If it really did not cost money, then it might be worth trying.
As long as they did not pay, could he forcibly transfer money out of their bank accounts?
The freeloaders who had spent years gaming without paying a cent straightened their backs.
Forgiveness Hat Wholesaler: "I know all about making sure game companies don't earn money off me! I'll register first as a show of respect! If you can get a single cent out of me, I'll call you amazing. You deserve to get rich."
Picking Girl's Little Mushroom: "I think Sentinel is right. I just won't pay anything."
Ink Dye Sword Xiao: "Um... it's so lively here. That Sentinel just now is the game designer, right? I've already signed up. I can do some handicrafts. If there are spots available, could you consider me? Please."
Sentinel: "Sure, everyone will be considered. Please sign up quickly, and preferably list your strengths."
Watching the unending stream of signup posts below, Shadow Night God still tried to struggle.
"No, do people seriously believe this virtual reality game nonsense?"
Cheng Shaofeng looked at the backend.
Shadow Night God, Shadow Night God 1, and Shadow Night God 2 had each submitted another Apocalypse OL reservation.
After some screening, Cheng Shaofeng selected two players and had the base send helmets to their addresses.
An hour later.
Forgiveness Hat Wholesaler and Ink Dye Sword Xiao each made a post on the forum.
"Got it, got it! I really got it!"
They also attached photos of the helmets.
Ink Dye Sword Xiao was a major content creator, and many people were her fans. This raised the credibility even further.
Picking Girl's Little Mushroom: "Night God, honestly. Reasoning needs evidence; you can't just fabricate things out of thin air. I already said Sentinel had to be one of us. Bro Sentinel, can you spare one more closed beta slot? @Sentinel."
Magic Conch: "Hiss~ It's one in the morning, and there are still deliveries? Damn, that's awesome!"
The two people who had just received their game helmets did not care about that. They hurriedly put on their helmets and chose to enter the world of Apocalypse OL.
Forgiveness Hat Wholesaler: "Holy shit? Awesome! This is even more shocking than 'Answer the damn phone, or he won't move'!"
Ink Dye Sword Xiao: "Aah! This world feels so real! I have to record it and upload a video!"
A male and female Clone woke up in Calamity Base.
The lord played by Cheng Shaofeng approached with a stern expression.
"Soldiers of Calamity Base, you have awakened. The base is in desperate need of rebuilding, and there is no time to rest. I have a mission for you."
Before you continue