Chen Xiujie

"Mr. Chen Xiujie."

Wang Baosheng forcibly suppressed the unspoken anxiety in his heart and hurriedly said, "This is my mother. The Lu Xiu she mentioned is a little girl, eighteen or nineteen years old. She can't possibly be the person you're looking for, so..."

"..."

Chen Xiujie's smile did not change, his snow-white teeth especially dazzling.

Before Wang Baosheng could finish explaining, Chen Xiujie tilted his head slightly.

Two people behind him immediately moved. With almost no warning, the two figures went around Wang Baosheng and headed straight for Old Madam Wang. One seized her shoulder, while the other took a dagger from his system backpack and pressed it directly to her throat.

The burly man holding the dagger even bent down and gave the old woman a vicious grin, like a predator toying with its prey.

Old Madam Wang had never seen anything like this. She did not even have time to make a sound before her body went limp and she fainted.

"Mom—"

Wang Baosheng lunged forward.

But another two people entered through the door and seized his arms. Their grip was like iron pincers, pinning him down with crushing force.

He struggled once, but could not move at all.

The gap in strength was simply too great.

"Don't worry."

Chen Xiujie stepped forward two paces, his smile still brilliant. "She's only taking a little nap. She'll be fine... We had originally planned to hide today. We heard that the frontline soldiers had been recalled, and we were short on manpower, so a direct clash wouldn't be worth it. We planned to change tactics and stay here with you for a couple of days, but we didn't expect such a pleasant surprise.

"Tell me about the Lu Xiu you know, Mr. Wang. No matter who she is to you, rest assured—we won't hurt her. If she really is the Architect of [Resident Evil], then she's our most valuable asset. You're also a member of the Spirit Pivot Construction Group, so you should know how we treat important assets. We've always been patient. We'd practically hold them in the palms of our hands."

Wang Baosheng watched as Old Madam Wang was held up and placed in a chair, her head hanging limply, her face so pale that not a trace of color remained.

The veins on his forehead bulged, his eyes bloodshot. He nearly roared, "Chen Xiujie."

"Hm?"

"Everyone's just making money in the gray zone! There's no need to act like animals!!!"

He enunciated every word. "The person you're looking for is a girl under twenty. How could she possibly be the Architect of [Resident Evil]?!"

Chen Xiujie smiled after hearing him out, then sighed as though he found it regrettable. "Mr. Wang, I understand what you mean, but I'm not a bad person. Really. I only want to meet her and have a brief chat. If she isn't our target, we'll leave immediately. If she is, then we'll sign a few contracts. It will only benefit her, never harm her. Spirit Pivot will never force anyone."

"Then what are you doing right now?!"

Wang Baosheng looked toward Old Madam Wang. The dagger pressed to her throat was slowly applying pressure, leaving a shallow red mark. Fine beads of blood had even begun to seep out at both ends.

Old Madam Wang woke up once in the middle of it, but quickly fainted again.

Chen Xiujie followed Wang Baosheng's gaze. "This is a special situation... Mr. Wang, you said everyone's just making money in the gray zone, and there's no need to act like animals."

"I need to correct you."

Chen Xiujie was still smiling. "Perhaps that's true for you, since you're insignificant within the group. But for those of us in Spirit Pivot who truly have ideals, making money isn't the most important thing. Betting on the future is."

"In a gamified world, Architects are the true core. No matter how strong players are, they're only consumables. But an Architect capable of creating original instances—"

"Such a person can change the entire landscape. They are the true future."

"And for the sake of the future, we idealists can give up anything."

"But I understand the gap in our perspectives."

Chen Xiujie shifted his gaze back to Old Madam Wang. "That's why I need to give you a reason to be willing to help."

"This isn't acting like animals, nor is it coercion, Mr. Wang. It's called negotiating leverage."

"Look."

He spread his hands. "If you tell me where the Lu Xiu you know is right now, we'll leave immediately. Your mother will remain safe and sound, nothing will happen to her, and there will be no bad blood between you and me."

"Isn't that the most dignified solution?"

"Besides, I've never denied the value of something like conscience."

"But, Mr. Wang."

He raised his head and looked Wang Baosheng straight in the eye. His smile remained unchanged, and his teeth remained snow-white. "Is conscience more important than your own mother?"

"What bullshit!"

Wang Baosheng glared at Chen Xiujie and roared.

Chen Xiujie did not get angry. He merely raised one finger.

The person over there understood. The dagger slowly pressed down, and the red mark deepened.

Old Madam Wang could no longer remain unconscious. The pain dragged her out of her faint.

She opened her eyes and saw strangers, the dagger held to her throat, the blood seeping out, and felt the pain.

"Ah—"

She was about to scream.

But the burly man holding the dagger to her neck clamped a hand tightly over her mouth.

"Mom!!"

Wang Baosheng suddenly burst out, struggling desperately forward, but the two men restraining him abruptly increased their strength, pinning him firmly in place. His arms creaked under the pressure, as if the bones might snap at any moment.

His voice was hoarse, his eyes bloodshot.

Hearing his voice, Old Madam Wang began to cry, trembling, helpless, and filled with confusion.

She did not understand why she had merely asked a question.

Yet things had turned out like this.

The dagger pressed down another fraction.

Old Madam Wang let out a short cry of pain, and more blood seeped from her neck.

"Stop!!! Stop it!!!"

Wang Baosheng roared.

Chen Xiujie lowered his hand and looked at him again.

Wang Baosheng's shoulders rose and fell violently as he gasped for breath. The veins in his arms stood taut, and his fists were clenched tightly.

After a long while.

He raised his head. "I'll take you there! But you have to promise me! She won't be harmed! She really is just an ordinary young girl!!"

Chen Xiujie revealed those pearly white teeth again. "Of course, Mr. Wang. This is... the most dignified way to resolve things."

At the same time.

Lu Xiu woke to find that night had already fallen. After taking a shower, she changed into a loose white T-shirt and jeans and stood in the kitchen, preparing dinner. The T-shirt was loose, but it could not hide her soft curves. Her long, well-proportioned legs were wrapped in denim, smooth and shapely.

She looked thoroughly domestic.

"What should I eat...?"

Lu Xiu rummaged through the refrigerator, checking the ingredients inside as she considered what to make.

Just then.

A knock suddenly sounded at the door.

Lu Xiu froze... then raised her head. Would anyone still come looking for her? Didn't she have no friends and no family?

And it was already nighttime. Old Madam Wang probably would not come over at this hour.

Who was it?

She temporarily turned off the heat, then briefly closed her eyes before opening them again.

[Reverse Visual Imagery]

After clearly seeing the people outside the door.

Lu Xiu narrowed her eyes, slowly walked to the entrance, and pulled open the door.

Two burly men stood in the hallway outside.

Both men smiled when they saw Lu Xiu, though their smiles could hardly be called friendly.

"...What is it?"

Lu Xiu's delicate brows drew together slightly. The softness around her swiftly faded as she asked calmly.

At that instant, it was as though the girl who had just been standing in the kitchen wondering what to eat had been an illusion.

"Why don't we talk inside?"

At that moment, a voice came from within the apartment.

Lu Xiu slowly turned her head. At some point, the window leading to the living room balcony had been opened.

She glanced at the burly men who had already positioned themselves on either side of the door like guards, then simply shut the door and slowly returned to the living room.

In the living room.

A young man in a suit sat across from the sofa. The suit did not fit him well and hung somewhat loosely on him. He wore a bright, professional smile, his teeth very white.

Three others stood behind him—two men and a woman. Though they were dressed ordinarily, none of them looked ordinary.

"Hello."

The young man spoke, his voice carrying a professional air. "Are you Ms. Lu Xiu?"

Lu Xiu paused, then slowly walked over and sat down on the sofa, looking at the man across from her. "So who exactly are you, and what do you want?"

Chen Xiujie still wore a smile, showing his pearly white teeth. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Chen Xiujie, a member of the Spirit Pivot Construction Group's Guard Corps. I believe you have heard of us. We came to find you because of the [Resident Evil] dungeon."

As he spoke.

He sized Lu Xiu up.

The girl wore a simple T-shirt and jeans, her hair hanging loosely around her shoulders. Her features were exquisite, soft and clean, and her naturally cool, pale skin glowed with a warm sheen beneath the light.

That flawless, beautiful face looked entirely non-threatening—young and gentle, like the girl next door who had never seen any great storms.

Had he found the wrong person?

The thought had just surfaced in Chen Xiujie's mind.

The girl across from him had already spoken. "Never heard of it."

No denial, no panic, no surprise. It was as though she had known someone would come knocking all along.

Chen Xiujie stared at Lu Xiu for two seconds, and the suspicion in his heart quietly faded.

He'd hit the jackpot!

At that moment, Chen Xiujie was especially pleased. He had never expected that his decision to hide out temporarily would lead him straight to the builder of [Resident Evil].

With that thought, he smiled again, flashing a row of snow-white teeth. Leaning back against his chair, he spoke gently. "Looks like I found the right person after all. It's fine if you don't know about the Spirit Pivot Construction Group. I can introduce it to you. Spirit Pivot is currently the largest private construction group in the country. Resources, connections, channels—we have them all. Once you join us, you won't need to promote your dungeon yourself or worry about getting it launched. We'll take care of everything for you."

After saying that, he waited for her response.

Not someone from the Coordination Bureau.

Lu Xiu confirmed the first thing and shook her head. "Not interested."

Chen Xiujie froze for a second, then smiled. There was now an additional undertone to that smile, as if he had expected that answer all along. "Not interested, huh."

He repeated it, then nodded. "Fine. Then I'll put it another way."

"Miss Lu Xiu, do you know what this world lacks the most right now?"

"Not players, not weapons, but direction—valuable dungeons... What skills do soldiers on the front lines need? What items do they need? What advancement paths are ordinary players lacking? No one understands these questions better than someone who truly knows how to construct dungeons."

"And you have the ability to point the way. The [Resident Evil] dungeon you created has already proven that. But you should know that reality isn't child's play. What can one person accomplish alone?"

"Nothing."

"Only by joining us can you maximize your value. This isn't for our sake. It's for more people, for this world."

"Are you done?"

What a self-righteous person.

After listening, Lu Xiu confirmed the second thing. She glanced at him. "Can you leave my house now? I don't like your feet on my floor."

"..."

Chen Xiujie paused at that. Then, looking at the beautiful and captivating girl before him, he revealed an even brighter smile. "You really are confident."

"But it's no wonder. If I had created a dungeon like [Resident Evil] at your age, I'd be confident too."

"You remind me of Mr. Wang. He's outside the door right now. Earlier, he said a whole lot of nonsense to me."

"But in my opinion, those words were far too naive... Considering his age, they were honestly nauseating. But what you said—"

Chen Xiujie looked Lu Xiu over and smiled. "I can understand that. You're young; it's normal to have a few fantasies. But Miss Lu Xiu, let this older brother teach you something—there are many things beyond one's control in the adult world. Having talent doesn't always mean having freedom."

"You created an original dungeon like [Resident Evil], so there's no question about your ability as a builder. But at the end of the day, you're still a builder, not a player. You probably haven't even advanced your sequence yet, have you?"

"Given your age, even if you received rewards for constructing the [Resident Evil] dungeon, that only means you have great potential."

"But having great potential means that, right now, you have no bargaining chips at all. It means that sometimes, you have to lower your head. That is the cruel reality."

"The people behind me are all players of at least Sequence 3. I personally don't like getting rough, but—"

He spread his hands in a helpless gesture. The smile on his face remained unchanged, revealing those white teeth once more, though now they carried a trace of cruelty. "Sometimes, talent is a blessing—but it can also be an original sin."

"You created [Resident Evil], and now everyone has their eyes on you. The Coordination Bureau is watching you, guilds are watching you, we're watching you, and more people will be watching you in the future."

"Your talent has doomed you to never live quietly as an ordinary person."

"Since you can't escape it, why not choose the place that will treat you best? Don't you agree, Miss Lu Xiu?"

"I have several system-issued compulsory contracts here. I'm sure you'll find them interesting, won't you?"

"..."

After hearing Chen Xiujie's words, the three people behind him all looked at Lu Xiu and smiled. Their smiles held excitement and cruelty.

The mission had been completed for no apparent reason.

It had been this easy.

A pretty little girl, harmless-looking, sitting there with even a hint of bewilderment on her face.

What could she possibly do?

A builder who had never advanced her sequence—even if she had created an S-rank dungeon like [Resident Evil], what could those rewards possibly change?

Four Sequence 3 players were standing here, with two more at the door. She could not even run away.

She had only one choice: sign the contract.

This was the builder who had created [Resident Evil]. The Spirit Pivot Construction Group's bounty for someone like her was at the very highest tier. Just thinking of that string of numbers made their hearts pound violently.

"Are you threatening me?"

After a moment of silence, Lu Xiu suddenly asked.

She had confirmed the third thing.