The Nation Calls Me to Play Games

Two hours later, in the basement of what appeared to be an ordinary agricultural research base on the outskirts of Dasheng City.

As the heavy metal door slowly opened, an underground command center filled with a sci-fi aesthetic appeared before Su Li.

Countless screens flickered, uniformed staff bustled about, and various precision instruments emitted a low hum.

"This is our Bureau 749's underground branch in Dasheng City," He Zhiwei said as she led the way. "It's nuclear-strike-proof and has an independent internal network and ecosystem."

Su Li maintained a calm exterior, but inwardly, she gave a thumbs-up. This foundation was indeed beyond what ordinary guilds or conglomerates could match; the safety factor was maxed out!

"Moreover, although my physical fitness has improved significantly, I'm not yet immune to bullets."

"Coupled with the unpredictable timing of monster arrivals in the game, what if a major incident occurs and my strength in reality hasn't caught up yet..."

"If society descends into chaos and I can't protect Yueyue then..."

"Therefore, it's best to seek shelter under a big tree. In this uncertain situation, going solo is undoubtedly the most foolish choice."

"Plus, the official offer is genuinely good... I can focus on conquering the game without any worries, allowing me to continue growing stronger."

With these thoughts, Su Li was infinitely close to agreeing to join.

After touring the ammunition depot and the family safe house prepared for Su Lin Yue, Su Li's last lingering doubt was completely dispelled.

Returning to Director Zhang's temporary office, Su Li readily signed her name on the confidentiality agreement and the letter of intent.

The atmosphere that followed became incredibly harmonious. As a gesture of compromise and sincerity, Director Zhang waved his hand and directly appointed Su Li as the "Highest Authority for Abnormal Phenomena" in Dasheng City, complete with a generous bonus and a high salary. He Zhiwei would remain as her dedicated single-line liaison and life assistant.

The position sounded intimidating, and it truly was: Su Li wouldn't have to clock in or participate in any administrative management. She was purely Dasheng City's "strategic nuclear weapon." She could do as she pleased normally, only being called upon when conventional forces couldn't handle a tough situation.

"However, I have a question," Su Li said, looking at the red special certificate in her hand. "I'm a newly discovered player, and I'm being parachuted in as the highest authority for abnormal phenomena in a city. Don't the other people in your bureau have any objections?"

"Actually, it's mainly because the current local metahumans are relatively weak," He Zhiwei sighed, her expression somewhat amusing.

"Weak? How weak?" Su Li raised an eyebrow.

"Let me put it this way: the day before yesterday, we recruited an extremely rare telekinesis metahuman," He Zhiwei gestured. "He strained until his face turned red and could only levitate an A4 paper in mid-air for half a second. In the current metahuman circle, that's already considered top-tier combat power."

"..." Su Li's forehead was covered in black lines. Half a second? Levitating a piece of paper? Was that even considered a superpower? Street magicians were stronger than that!

"In comparison, every player we've discovered, even those who start as human infants, are as strong as monsters," He Zhiwei said, looking at Su Li with undisguised admiration.

"Especially in terms of physical fitness, it's a complete dimensional crushing. So, you being the authority for combat power is well-deserved. The young men in the bureau will only be happy to have a strong backer to rely on," Director Zhang added.

With her position and her sister's safety issues perfectly resolved, Su Li had no more worries. She excitedly rubbed her hands together, ready to get down to business: "So, let's talk about benefits? What about the top-tier cultivation resources that Officer He promised earlier? Give me ten or eight catties to start."

As soon as she said this, the atmosphere became awkward.

"Ahem... well, Comrade Su Li," Director Zhang coughed tactfully. "Actually, we don't know much about the Eternal Realm yet. We tried having top special forces soldiers wear player game helmets and attempt to forcibly descend into the game world, but without exception, they all failed."

"Those helmets are like soul-bound items, appearing out of nowhere in inexplicable ways."

"As for enhancement resources for metahumans... their current strength has no effect on players. Of course, your sister should be able to use them..." He Zhiwei added awkwardly.

"Huh?" Su Li froze instantly, looking at the two of them in disbelief. "So you were just blowing smoke? You tricked me!"

"Sorry, sorry, it's the initial stage, and conditions are tough..." The two of them looked away guiltily.

"But!" He Zhiwei, afraid Su Li would go back on her word, quickly tried to salvage the situation. "Although we don't have cultivation resources, we have a piece of black technology that will definitely be of great help to you!"

"What black technology?" Su Li was skeptical.

"When the Academy of Sciences experts were researching the game helmets, although they couldn't crack the core code, one of the big bosses, for some unknown reason, had a flash of inspiration. Following the helmet's external interface, he successfully developed a dedicated holographic game pod!"

Mentioning this, He Zhiwei's expression became extremely strange. "The other scientists were shocked at the time, exclaiming that it violated common physics knowledge. How did you develop it?"

Can't find the book title? Try searching for the author, maybe they just changed the name!

Su Li's curiosity was piqued: "What did that big boss say?"

He Zhiwei's mouth twitched: "That big boss was also confused. He scratched his head and said, 'I don't know either, I just thought connecting it like this should work...'"

"Pfft!" Su Li almost spat out a mouthful of blood. "I just thought? Did a greenskin orc from Warhammer possess him? This 'I Think Power' has actually manifested!"

Ultimately, the expert group, after rigorous deliberation, concluded that it was likely some higher-dimensional existence that had cheated for that scientist. As for who it was, there was no conclusion yet, causing the already sparse-haired academicians at the Academy of Sciences to lose even more hair.

Although its origin was bizarre, the item itself was good.

That same night after Su Li returned home, a military truck stopped downstairs in her residential complex.

Several special service personnel, disguised as movers, swiftly carried a highly futuristic silver-white game pod into Su Li's bedroom and quickly completed its installation and debugging.

Su Li curiously examined the large device, which resembled a hibernation pod, and opened the manual.

[Eternal Realm Dedicated Game Pod]

The pod releases a gentle, specially formulated medicine and nutrient solution, absorbed through the pores. Players can truly play for extended periods of high-intensity immersive gameplay without eating or drinking, and it can also repair minor bodily injuries.

One-key wake-up function: When an emergency occurs in the outside world, the system will alert the player, who can then choose whether to immediately exit the game.

Super strong defense: The pod is made of aerospace-grade special alloy, capable of withstanding a C4 bomb and an 8.0 magnitude earthquake.

Looking at these hardcore specifications, Su Li touched her chin.

"Holy crap, this is amazing! The country is basically telling me to play games with peace of mind!"

Being ordered to play games, this treatment was truly unparalleled!

That night, having resolved the biggest real-world crisis, the siblings slept soundly for the first time in a long while.

The next morning.

A low-key black car was already parked downstairs, taking Su Lin Yue to school.

After sending her younger sister off, Su Li returned to her bedroom and changed into the special game suit provided by Bureau 749.

The suit perfectly accentuated her body curves, but Su Li had no intention of paying attention to such details at the moment. Her eyes were burning with fierce fighting spirit.

She lay down in the game pod, and the hatch slowly closed. The warm nutrient solution began to be injected.

"Aetherland, I, Big Bad Wolf, am back!"

"Linking initiated!"

"Buzz--"

After a dizzying sensation, Su Li's consciousness returned to her in-game body, and she then emerged from the ground.

As soon as she logged in, Su Li couldn't bother to look at her surroundings. Her first priority was to summon her personal panel in her mind. She had been eagerly anticipating her second evolution at Lv10!

The panel unfolded before her eyes, shimmering with golden light.

[Race: Revered Corrupted Lich Knight]

[Level: Lv10 (Experience 0/24800)]

[Stats: Strength: 60+15, Physique: 50, Spirit: 56, Faith: 33+12, Agility: 24+13]

[Equipment: Revered Corrupted Dragon Sword (Excellent Lv90), Valkyrie Ring (Epic Lv99), Valkyrie's Armor (Excellent Lv50)]

[Profession: Flowing Water Swordsman (Lv2), Dragonborn (Special), Valkyrie (Special), Blacksmith (Special)]

"Hiss--"

Looking at the magnificent panel, Su Li gasped in excitement.

However, that very "hiss" caused her body to stiffen abruptly.

Wait! Something's wrong! Terribly wrong!

Skeletons don't have lungs. She used to emit her dragon roars through soul power.

But that "hiss" just now felt exactly like breathing?

What surprised her even more was that she clearly felt a stream of cool air being drawn into her body, then slowly dissipating through the gaps in the Valkyrie's armor!

"What... what have I become?!"