Time to Get to Work

"Well... thank you all for your patronage. I hope we can work together just as happily next time!"

Looking at the players' stunned, numb expressions and the chaos all around them, Li Si smiled and bowed out. Amid countless players' angry shouts of "Merchant!" he left Osir Tower with two building security guards and a huge backpack full of cash.

Compared with the trip there, Li Si was much more alert on the way back. After all, he had over five million dollars on him. Faced with these players, who were under no restraints, he didn't want to rely on their sense of morality.

(The game provided starting funds in cash, so players generally carried bills in hundred-dollar denominations.)

He made it to the bank and deposited the money without incident.

Maybe the idea that functional NPCs were invincible in traditional virtual reality games was too deeply ingrained, or maybe the players simply hadn't had time to react. Li Si couldn't be bothered to think about it anymore. At least they hadn't attacked him, and that was the best possible outcome.

He knew exactly where he stood in terms of strength. He was a capable fighter, but there was no way he could stop bullets. Most players had guns. Three or four of them wouldn't have been much of a problem, but if a crowd rushed him and opened fire, he'd be dead for sure.

"Thank you both very much for your help. Here's your pay. This extra stack is for your manager. Please give him my heartfelt thanks."

After depositing the money at the bank, Li Si finally relaxed a little and smiled as he handed three stacks of U.S. dollars to the two guards behind him.

He had borrowed the guards from the property manager at Osir Tower. The locals were subject to certain legal constraints, and Li Si had specifically chosen two men with clean records and families to support. Unless driven to desperation, they wouldn't usually take the risk of doing anything reckless. At least they seemed trustworthy.

"Thank you, Mr. Lee Stein!"

The two guards had a distinctly military bearing. They showed little reaction as they accepted the generous pay, simply nodding before turning to leave.

Li Si also got into a taxi and had the driver circle Queens several times before finally heading home.

He shut the door and collapsed onto the bed. Only then did he finally relax completely. The exhaustion and emptiness that followed his surge of excitement soon washed over him.

What he'd done today had been pretty risky. He'd practically cleaned out the players' funds, taking over five million dollars. A sum that large would draw envious eyes wherever he went. Even though the trip had gone smoothly, thinking about it now still made him uneasy.

Of course, more than anything, he wished he could do it all again.

"Too bad I've already squeezed most of the starting funds out of these players. Otherwise, I'd really like to do it again."

Remembering how his hands had nearly gone numb from counting money, and the crazed, frenzied atmosphere—more intense than a casino—Li Si smacked his lips.

No wonder the developers of pay-to-win games had so many tricks up their sleeves. They'd taken goods worth a little over a million at most and, with a few common tactics, sold them for five times as much. It was even more thrilling than gambling.

Five million U.S. dollars came to over thirty million yuan. And the cost of making it was practically negligible. It was all pure profit.

"No wonder the big guilds in my previous life went to such lengths to get the Entrepreneur Template. Making money off players is ridiculously easy."

Thinking of the long string of zeroes in his bank account, Li Si couldn't help sighing.

With this money, his plans would be much easier to carry out.

The remaining balance on the Transformers was only a little over a hundred thousand dollars, not even a fraction of what he'd made. He could invest the remaining five million dollars, and with Iron Man's storyline, he might even multiply it several times over.

After the intense emotional highs and the exhaustion that followed, Li Si drifted into a deep, drowsy sleep without realizing it.

But early the next morning, his precise biological clock, honed over years, woke him up bright and early.

It was Monday, but he'd already arranged to take three days off school so he could finish building the Transformers before Lizard appeared.

After washing up, Li Si hurried to the garage. Before long, Max arrived too, having also taken time off work.

"Morning, Li. I brought you breakfast."

Max was all smiles, carrying a few steamed buns. Li Si had no idea where he'd found them in New York. He'd been there for so long and had never seen anywhere selling this kind of Chinese breakfast.

"Thanks so much. I was just wondering whether I should go out and buy one of those awful burgers."

Li Si smiled as he took the buns. "Anything good happen lately? You look a lot more refreshed than usual."

"Heh."

Max chuckled awkwardly and rubbed his hair, embarrassed.

The only real change was that he'd showered before leaving that morning, so his usually greasy hair wasn't so oily anymore. The biggest difference was in his state of mind.

He had Li Si to thank for that. Ever since he'd argued with his supervisor, the man's attitude had gotten even worse, but after Max brought up labor laws and human rights, his work hours and days off were no longer casually taken away.

After finally getting some relief from the pressure he'd been under for so long, his whole demeanor had changed. He wasn't so exhausted that he'd collapse into bed as soon as he got home, too tired to care about his appearance.

"All right, we'd better get to work, Max!"

Li Si stuffed the buns into his mouth in a few quick bites, then took a sip of water. "I've heard some bad news recently. We have to build Bumblebee within the next three days."

"No problem. I drew up the new circuit diagrams last night."

Max nodded to show he understood, then got to work.

"Max, check the wiring in the legs. There's no response when I connect the power. I think I knocked a wire loose just now!"

"Got it!"

"Give me a hand. Pass me those small motors, and the gears and finger joints."

"No problem, sir!"

"..."

The two had clearly divided up the work. Li Si handled assembling and calibrating the mechanical parts, while Max laid out the wiring. They were both making good progress. Thanks to their tireless efforts, the robot's frame was gradually taking shape. If they hadn't still been waiting on a few parts, they might have nearly finished in just two days.