Your deductions are good, don't do them again next time

"So... your real target has been the forum members all along, right?"

In the Diablo III Bar's QQ group, Shadow Night God said this.

Ten minutes ago, African Thin Dog, Ghost Face Demon Fox, and Lin Tang had been hyping up "Apocalypse OL" in the group chat like crazy, blowing it up as the ultimate next-gen game—unmatched under heaven and earth, a must-play for anyone who wanted a complete life.

It was absolutely off the charts!

Then, a group member asked if there were any screenshots to see.

All three of them froze up at once, saying they hadn't found the game's photo mode yet.

That's when Shadow Night God, who'd been lurking and watching for a while, finally spoke up.

"Actually, earlier today, when you guys said you'd received the helmets but didn't have the shipping fee, I already guessed this possibility. But since you three are old-timers here, I didn't push that line of thought further. Now, though... you're rushing to set the trap, and it's showing your hand."

African Thin Dog: "??? Night God, are you misunderstanding something? Don't mess this up—time is tight, we need to secure our reservation slots fast. If word gets out, our own forum members might not be the first wave to sign up!"

Shadow Night God: "African Thin Dog, I know you're anxious, but please, don't be anxious yet."

"I've seen through your whole scheme! There's only one truth, and the culprit is right here among us!"

Ghost Face Demon Fox: "?"

Lin Tang: "???"

Other group members: "I don't get it, but it sounds intense. Let me just—beer, soda, mineral water, peanuts, sunflower seeds, mixed congee—move your feet, folks up front!"

"Snacking on the drama"

Shadow Night God: "Obviously, this is a chain scam by insiders, a massive performance staged around a single post!"

"These four people used their reputation in the forum to spread the concept of a 'full-immersion virtual reality game,' then showed up themselves to testify—starting from disbelief to confirming it's real, and finally sealing the deal! Step by step, they paint this beautiful picture of a 'full-immersion virtual reality game,' making every group member's heart race with longing."

"That's right, our Diablo III Bar has been around for ten years. The player count is steadily dropping, the forum's restless, arguments are endless—the root cause is that everyone's bored. There's nothing left to talk about in the game. At times like this, everyone's waiting for a new grind-and-loot game to replace Diablo III. They, as junior mods, admins, and old hands here, clearly saw this trend. Then, on some dark and stormy night, one of them had a flash of inspiration for a get-rich-quick scheme!"

"That is—to promote a game that doesn't exist! Hype it to the heavens! Then sell this nonexistent game to the forum members and cash out big!"

"Regular mouse-and-keyboard games can be tried out, but a VR game can't. Everyone's heard of it, but no one's ever seen it, and the content requires buying the helmet to experience. That gives your scam natural cover!"

"Fellow forum members! Think back—what did these three actually say?"

"Nothing but the same old clichés: 100% virtual, all five senses, fully random world, lifelike NPCs, hidden quests, immersive experience. Blah blah blah—isn't this all stuff that's been worn out in web novels?"

"I dare say, anyone who buys their spiel today and goes to the website to apply for a reservation already has one foot in the trap. Next, you'll be waiting to fork over your cash!"

"The payment method is just like I said earlier—cash on delivery. You pay when you see the helmet. Oh, and when you put on the helmet and find it doesn't work, and you ask them about it—they'll definitely say you haven't activated an account. Only by paying to activate the account can you log in, and then they'll swindle you again."

"There are 216,000 people in this forum. If they scam just 10,000 of them, they'll make millions. All they need to invest is one brilliant performance and 10,000 cheap custom helmets. Then they vanish without a trace, never to be seen again."

"Now, tell me loud and clear—do you still want to reserve?"

Shadow Night God's typing speed could be called top-tier!

A flawless stream of output, smooth and unbroken, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

Picking Girl's Little Mushroom: "Damn it! You guys treat the group members as role models, but you're treating them like leeks! I almost wanted to reserve just now—what a blind fool I was!"

My Style is My Own: "No one actually believes in a virtual reality game, right? Right? Right?"

Foodie Mage: "The group members are getting more and more criminal."

Even the trio who had just entered the game that afternoon fell into a brief moment of thought.

African Thin Dog: "Did I really play the game?"

Ghost Face Demon Fox: "Is it possible I'm just being used?"

Lin Tang: "Why does what he said sound so reasonable?"

Of course, this doubt only lingered in their minds for a moment before being swept away by reason.

'Shadow Night God' has been muted for 1 day by group admin 'African Thin Dog'.

African Thin Dog: "Ahem! I think Night God's having a bit of a moment. Let him cool off. Just take it as a joke, everyone. You've known me, African Thin Dog, for years—you know what kind of person I am."

Picking Girl's Little Mushroom: "For money, who cares about character! I'm firmly backing Shadow Night God! Come on, power-tripping mod, ban me!"

Snacking group members: "Exactly! Reputation is worthless in the face of money!"

Shadow Night God 2: "One Shadow Night God falls!"

Shadow Night God 3: "Tens of thousands of Shadow Night Gods rise up!"

Lin Tang: "Holy crap!? What kind of Shadow Clone is this!"

African Thin Dog winced: "Boss... when did you sneak in so many alt accounts!"

Ghost Face Demon Fox: "...Shadow Night God used to get reported for posting lewd pics, so he'd chat with alts after being banned. He even told me about it."

By now, the group members were saying all sorts of things, with doubts ringing out nonstop.

The group owner enabled a full-group mute.

The forum owner, 'Weakest Player in This Group', who had been lurking for a long time, finally spoke up.

"Everyone, quiet down. Let me say a couple of things."

"You might not know African Thin Dog well. What he just said—it's not proof of how reliable his character is, but rather that his family is really rich. I read Night God's reasoning—it's interesting—but given African Thin Dog's family background, he probably doesn't care much about a few million."

"Let me put it this way. You know the Duoyu Group, right? Thin Dog's grandfather founded it. Thin Dog is one of the heirs of the Pu Family. The Duoyu Building in Kyoto right now? Thin Dog's the one collecting rent on it."

"Your deduction's solid, Shadow Night God. Next time, don't bother."

The group owner lifted the all-members mute.

'Shadow Night God' was unmuted by the group owner.

The group chat instantly exploded!

"Top-tier rent collector? Badass!"

"I just thought Thin Dog didn't work every day, figured he was a loser like me. Turns out I'm the only loser."

"Thin Dog, you bastard!!! Why do you deserve to be so rich! I'm so pissed!!! Feels like ants crawling all over me!"

The group owner was also the forum admin, so his words carried weight—everyone trusted them.

Meanwhile, the three Shadow Night Gods silently went into lurking mode.

Over 200 more accounts had pre-registered on the "Apocalypse OL" official site, and the number kept climbing.

Among them were Shadow Night God 2 and Shadow Night God 3.

If there really was a 100% virtual reality game, which Veteran Player wouldn't want to give it a shot?

After that farce, Thin Dog said in their three-person group chat:

"Check the forum—Sentinel's talking!"