Wen Nan was stunned.
There was really no need... to go this far, was there?
In the real world, even the Fatty wouldn't do something like this. With his family's influence and his status as the Second Young Master Wang, outside the game, he was the one most people fawned over.
In real life, even if he really wanted to suck up to someone, he'd usually start by transferring 500,000 yuan to them, letting them see what he was capable of, and then "persuading them with reason."
At any rate, he definitely wouldn't go as far as he had now: hitting himself, and right in the face at that.
But this wasn't real life. The game's coins couldn't be bought with real-world currency!
All those countless zeroes in his real-world bank balance meant nothing here. They were just zeros!
He'd grown accustomed to a life of luxury and indulgence. It was hard to go from extravagance to frugality, and now that he was here with only a measly hundred dollars in his account, it was almost unbearable.
What was that saying again? Having once seen the light made it all the harder to endure the darkness.
He'd once seen prosperity, which made it all the harder to endure poverty.
Besides, this wasn't just a matter of being poor. This place was full of female ghosts! A little physical suffering was one thing, but a mishap could actually cost him his life.
He couldn't go on like this.
He wanted money. He wanted it so badly.
For his first mission, he'd taken a beating for over three hours and barely managed to earn 1,861 coins—just enough to buy one Safety Bubble.
But the Ye Jiu before him... had earned 395,554 coins from a single mission!
Nearly 400,000 coins! They were only level 1, and hadn't even cleared the Trial Zone yet, so they couldn't buy high-level items from the shop. Otherwise, that amount would've been enough to buy a small safe house on some remote map!
This was only the first mission in the Trial Zone, and this big shot had already earned enough to buy a safe house. What kind of level was that?
To him, this was Grandpa God of Wealth himself descending to the mortal realm!
If he didn't lick the man's legs until they fell off, he'd write the Wang in his name upside down!
After slapping himself, he saw that the other man still wouldn't give in and even looked troubled. The Fatty immediately stepped forward and said:
"Grandpa Ye, are you still not satisfied? It's fine if you're not. I can keep hitting myself, until—"
"—No, really, stop."
Wen Nan hurriedly raised a hand to stop him.
He'd actually wanted to explain again that he really wasn't some big shot, but he was afraid the man would start slapping himself again as soon as he finished. In the end, he swallowed the words that had been on the tip of his tongue.
Seeing this, the Fatty took it as confirmation that Wen Nan accepted his status as a big shot.
He looked up at the light screen and saw the 395,554-coin balance at the bottom of player Ye Jiu's results panel. Envy welled up in his eyes, and tears streamed from the corners of his mouth.
He really wanted to ask, Grandpa Ye, could you lend me some money?
He didn't need much. A few thousand would be enough. As long as he could buy a few Safety Bubbles to store in his equipment slot and keep his butt from getting beaten to a pulp in the next mission, he'd be perfectly satisfied.
But after turning the words over in his mind several times, the Fatty still didn't ask.
He'd been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so he knew all too well how it felt when acquaintances came over and started asking him for money after barely exchanging a few words—disgusting, repulsive. He'd avoid them like the plague.
No. He absolutely couldn't let himself become someone the God of Wealth avoided like the plague.
He'd been incredibly lucky to meet such a big shot right after entering the Trial Zone.
He had to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—he'd do whatever it took to become a hair on the big shot's leg!
Since Grandpa God of Wealth didn't want to hear him speak right now, he'd obediently keep quiet. He wouldn't bring up lending money, not even once.
Thinking this, the Fatty nodded vigorously and stood there like a mute, not making a sound.
Wen Nan was a little baffled. He hadn't expected one simple remark to leave the other man acting as if his acupoint had been sealed, actually falling silent.
Just then, the results panel above their heads disappeared, replaced by another set of prompts—
[Congratulations, players! Main Mission 1 has officially ended!] [Main Mission 2 will be issued promptly at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. Please check this screen at that time.] [The period before Main Mission 2 officially begins is the players' rest time. Players may move about freely during this period.] [Player livestreams will reopen once Main Mission 2 officially begins.] [Please note: players are advised not to leave their spawn point outside of mission periods. Any consequences will be your own responsibility!] [The countdown to the start of Main Mission 2 begins now—] [8:00:00--] [7:59:59--] [7:59:58--] ...
The countdown above their heads began ticking down second by second.
The realization that a new mission was about to begin made the other three occupants of the dorm tense up again.
Huang Tao, the Sports Student, walked silently to the balcony, slid open the door, and went over to the railing. He raised a hand and pushed at the wire mesh above it, as if checking that it was sturdy.
Seeing this, Shao Ling pushed up his glasses. "There's special protection around this spawn point. No NPCs or special characters from the game can enter, only players."
As he spoke, he surveyed the small four-person dorm. "If I'm not mistaken, the entire dorm, including the balcony and the bathroom, counts as part of the spawn point."
Hearing this, Huang Tao nodded, reassured. He left the balcony and returned to his desk, then easily hopped onto his bed and waved to the other three. "I'm going to sleep. I need to rest up. We've got another mission tomorrow morning."
The target wouldn't change within the same map. For the next main mission, he'd definitely have to see his Brother Who Likes Singing Dancing and Basketball again. He could guess what was coming even with his toes: the other guy would torture him with a basketball all over again...
Thinking of this, Huang Tao sighed in anguish and raised an arm to cover his eyes.
Shao Ling thought of his own next mission too, and scenes that couldn't even be broadcast in the livestream involuntarily surfaced in his mind...
His sigh grew heavier and deeper than Huang Tao's.
The Fatty was different. He tried not to dwell on those unpleasant memories and instead focused on the present.
And what he needed to focus on right now...
He looked toward the desk next to his. "Grandpa Ye, are you going to sleep? I can lend you my blanket."
Wen Nan gave the Fatty an incredulous look.
It was midsummer, and their dorm didn't have air conditioning. The floor was hot enough to lie on as it was. Why would he need a blanket?
"No, thanks." Wen Nan politely declined, afraid the Fatty would start slapping himself again if he said too much.
The Fatty thought for a moment, then said, "Or do you want to cuddle with me while you sleep? I'm fat and soft, so I'm nice to cuddle."
Wen Nan: ...
"No, thanks. I'm not going to sleep."
"Then what do you want to do?" The Fatty eagerly moved closer.
Wen Nan opened the player panel in his system and smiled.
What did he want to do?
Why, the part every player loved most—
A lucky draw!
Before you continue