The Trade

Legendary skills. He would wait until he reached level 10 and decided on his path before choosing one.

His attributes were good enough for now.

Zero-Type Starter Mech

LV5

Durability (HP): 1350

Magic Energy (MP): 1240

Attack: 167

Defense: 28

Strength: 85

Agility: 98

Intelligence: 74

Attack Speed: +2%

Skill Attack Power +10%

Skill Damage +10%

Critical Hit Rate: 30%

Cooldown Reduction: 10%

Ignore Defense: 55%

Vision Range +50%

HP Recovery +100%

MP Recovery +200%

MP Recovery: 6/sec

All Skill Levels +LV2

Trait: Universal User

Equipment: Source of Magic, Phoenix Blood Heart, Fiery Golden Eyes, Titanium Alloy Mecha Armor

Weapons: Minghong, X1-Type Mechanical Crossbow

Passive Skill: Armor Break

Skills: Double Strike, Chain Lightning

Equipment Skills: Phoenix Mode, Magic Energy Burst, Insight, See Through, Weakness Attack

Free Attribute Points: 20

With these stats, people might believe it was a level 20 mech, but no one in this game would believe it was only level 5.

The boosts from two Legendary items and one Epic item were simply blinding.

Especially the 55% Ignore Defense—it was almost unbelievable.

"These stats are insane! Time to hit a dungeon!"

Wang Qianduo said with satisfaction after closing his status panel.

The Phoenix Blood Heart could be upgraded too, but he didn't have enough experience right now, so he'd have to wait.

Then, thoroughly pleased, he headed toward the Teleportation Array. But before he could leave the residential area, someone stopped him.

"Wait!"

"Shihan? What is it? I don't handle after-sales service!" Wang Qianduo said, looking at him.

"Don't get me wrong, bro. I'm not here about after-sales service. I'm using that dagger just fine!

Someone else wants to talk to you. I'm just introducing you!" Lin Hanshi hurried over and explained.

"Who?" Wang Qianduo asked impatiently, frowning. He was in a hurry to do a quest—he'd heard the Dark Forest Instance Dungeon dropped Thrusters.

Once he got Thrusters, he wouldn't have to walk everywhere anymore!

"Qianduo, you seem pretty impatient." Just as Wang Qianduo was grumbling, a familiar woman's voice sounded behind him.

"Haha! Manager! What a coincidence. I run into you in the game too!" Wang Qianduo turned around at once.

He had a feeling he and this woman didn't get along. He kept offending her for no reason. He'd only been here a few days, and this was already the third time.

Even the game wouldn't give him any peace...

"Sis, you two know each other?" Lin Hanshi asked in confusion. His companions also looked curiously at Lin Qimeng.

"Let me introduce everyone. This is Comrade Wang Qianduo, a star in the Technology Department at Mountains and Seas!

"And these four are our colleagues from the Game Department, established here in New City: Zhou Nan, Qingmei, Li Mingzhou, and Wu Lianwei." Lin Qimeng swept a hand between the two groups, introducing them to each other.

When they heard that Wang Qianduo and Lin Qimeng worked for the same company, the others looked both relieved and delighted.

"I've heard all about the top expert in the Technology Department. I didn't expect to meet you like this!" said Zhou Nan, one of the women in Lin Qimeng's party.

She'd transferred to the Game Department from another company department after playing the game early, and she'd indeed heard of Wang Qianduo before.

"Haha, you're too kind. Top expert? I hardly deserve that, hardly deserve that!"

Wang Qianduo said with a smile, though his expression showed not the slightest hint of modesty. He looked as if he was simply accepting the praise.

At the same time, he wondered what Lin Qimeng was up to.

"All right, I'll get straight to the point. We came to ask if you'd sell us the [Scorpion King's Heart] you got. We need it for a very important quest."

Lin Qimeng had never been one to beat around the bush. She told Wang Qianduo directly why they were there.

"[Scorpion King's Heart]? I didn't get one," Wang Qianduo said, playing dumb.

"Pfft—haha! Mr. Tech Expert, could you at least get your facts straight before you speak? Every Lord creature is guaranteed to drop a Lord's Heart when it dies!"

As soon as Wang Qianduo finished speaking, someone in the other group burst out laughing. He looked over and saw it was Li Mingzhou.

His grin annoyed Wang Qianduo. Why did these people act as if they had him cornered?

Was this finally one of those absurd situations he'd only ever seen in stories?

"Stop laughing!" Lin Qimeng snapped, glaring at him. She knew she'd made a mistake. She shouldn't have introduced Wang Qianduo to them under these circumstances.

These newly recruited gaming experts had joined a major corporation like Mountains and Seas after getting an early start in the game, and their egos had gotten a little inflated.

Once they learned Wang Qianduo worked for the company, they'd naturally assume he should hand over the [Sand Scorpion's Heart].

But Lin Qimeng had read Wang Qianduo's résumé. He'd been the kind of person other parents held up as an example since childhood.

He was usually humble, even a little shameless, but he couldn't be without pride. Li Mingzhou's words had clearly offended him.

At this point, even she shouldn't say anything, or the misunderstanding would only deepen.

Lin Qimeng glanced at her younger brother, and Lin Hanshi immediately understood and said:

"Bro, don't get the wrong idea. That's not what they meant.

"I know you must have the [Sand Scorpion's Heart], and my sister really does need it for a quest.

"We can negotiate the terms, right?"

Lin Hanshi knew how to handle things. His words immediately broke the deadlock.

If they'd come to buy it yesterday, Wang Qianduo would have sold it without another word, just to do his boss a favor.

But now Fiery Golden Eyes needed a Lord's Heart to evolve. If he sold it and couldn't get another, he'd be taking a huge loss.

"I understand, but I need the Lord's Heart to make equipment. Sorry, I may not be able to sell it," Wang Qianduo said.

"Come on, that's not fair. Lord's Hearts can't be used to make any equipment; that's common knowledge.

"Could you stop making things up? It's not like we won't pay. We work for the same company, after all!"

Li Mingzhou was speaking again. Lin Qimeng and the others hadn't even had time to stop him, though they knew what he said was true.

"Oh! So because we work for the same company, I have to sell it to you? And just because no one's seen it, that means it doesn't exist?" Wang Qianduo looked at him, smiling faintly as he replied sarcastically.

He was a master of sarcasm. This guy was nowhere near his level.

"You..."

Wang Qianduo had a point, and Li Mingzhou was left speechless.

"You said you need a Lord's Heart, not specifically a Sand Scorpion's Heart, right?" Lin Qimeng suddenly asked.

"That's right!" Wang Qianduo nodded.

"How about this? I have a [Tiger Demon's Heart]. Would you trade your [Sand Scorpion's Heart] for it?" Lin Qimeng asked.

"Sure!"

Wang Qianduo agreed without a second thought. He really didn't care which heart he got, and he could treat it as a favor to his boss.

He hadn't considered quitting yet. Although reason told him he could stop working now and devote himself to the game, where he'd surely have no trouble making a living, he couldn't bring himself to give up everything he'd worked for over more than twenty years.

Even if he might no longer need to work so hard, he still couldn't let go.

But Wang Qianduo thought he was doing them a favor. He had no idea that, in the eyes of the professional players with them, his reputation had already hit rock bottom.

It was all because of the [Tiger Demon's Heart]. Though it was also a Lesser Lord's Heart, just like the [Sand Scorpion's Heart], the Sand Scorpion was a level 10 Lord, while the Tiger Demon was level 20.

In their eyes, the two were not worth the same.

Their entire guild had sent out more than ninety teams to take down the Tiger Demon, including quite a few level 30 experts.

As for the [Sand Scorpion's Heart], from what they knew, a top expert from the [Stars] Guild, One Stunning Strike, had nearly killed the Sand Scorpion alone, and Wang Qianduo had simply picked up the spoils.

They'd intended to trade the [Tiger Demon's Heart] for the [Sand Scorpion's Heart] anyway, but they still looked down on Wang Qianduo for what he'd done.

Still, Old Wang didn't need their approval!

"Add me as a friend, and I'll invite you to the Mercenary Corps. Everyone from your department has been assigned to mine," Lin Qimeng said after the two completed the trade.

Wang Qianduo could only nod and agree. Once he'd joined the Mercenary Corps, he immediately turned and left.

These people had already wasted enough of his time. He didn't want to keep going back and forth with them.

"Captain, are you really just giving him the Tiger Demon's Heart? You're not asking him to pay the difference?" Li Mingzhou asked, unwilling to accept it.

"Are you stupid? They're both Lesser Lord's Hearts. What difference? Stop wasting time. We got what we came for. Let's go turn in the quest!" Lin Qimeng said, then turned and left.

Lin Qimeng was right. For now, the main use of Lord's Hearts in the game was for quests.

If no one had found a quest that needed them, hearts of the same level weren't worth much differently.