I Felt a Little Sad

In the damp, chilly dungeon of Prince Huai's Residence, Ji Shan Liu Quan lay on a sodden straw mat, barely breathing. He stared fixedly at the ceiling, his face a picture of utter despair.

Dirty strips of white cloth were wrapped around his cheeks and limbs, most of them still seeping blood. He looked as miserable as a man could get.

During the attempt to force Prince Huai's abdication that day, he had been the most active participant-and taken the worst beating.

Ren Ye had hacked at him more than a dozen times, carving a horizontal slash across his face and severing all the tendons in his hands and feet, leaving him completely paralyzed...

If servants hadn't spent the last few days feeding him medicine, dressing his wounds, and kindly keeping his "condition" under control, he probably... would have croaked by now.

Keeping him alive obviously served a purpose, but before Ren Ye could make any plans, the gu-poisoning incident had happened, and he had temporarily forgotten about the man.

What Ren Ye didn't know, however... was that Liu Ji Shan was also a player. Right at the start, he had received an "abdication mission" with exceptionally generous rewards.

Afterward, Chief Secretary Li Yan had secretly contacted him as well, asking him to take the lead in forcing the abdication, with a supernatural treasure as payment.

Liu Ji Shan belonged to the Fence-Sitter Faction, and his mission already involved targeting Prince Huai. Besides, according to his memories, Prince Huai was an absolute loser incapable of putting up any resistance. On top of that, Chief Secretary Li Yan was clearly the emperor's loyal lapdog. If Liu Ji Shan agreed to take the lead, he would receive two sets of rewards right from the start, putting him far ahead of everyone else...

After a quick mental calculation, he decided this job was worth doing!

So he took center stage in the abdication attempt, unleashing a barrage of accusations in the Conscientious Hall.

Then... the Princess Consort intervened.

Then... all the officials fell silent. He frantically signaled Chief Secretary Li Yan with his eyes, but the man seemed to have gone blind.

Then... Prince Huai's blade came hacking down at his head and face. The entire experience was agonizing, and he could do nothing about it.

Then... he was imprisoned right at the start. Throughout the entire first act, he accomplished absolutely nothing, spending three straight days lying in the dungeon.

His wounds had rotted and begun oozing pus. He felt down, a little sad.

He could never understand why, after three whole days, that fucking idiot Prince Huai still hadn't come to see him!

Couldn't you come talk to me? I'm in the Fence-Sitter Faction! I can swear loyalty to Prince Huai too...

A chilly breeze swept through the dungeon, stirring Liu Ji Shan's tangled hair, but it couldn't blow away the sorrow on his horizontally scarred face...

[Dear player, the "Hidden Pawn" storyline in the first act of Qingliang Prefecture has ended. However, because you are currently "imprisoned," we regret to inform you that you cannot leave this Star Gate for the time being.]

*????!*

A string of question marks rose in Liu Ji Shan's dying brain as he politely shouted inwardly, Fuck your mother! I'm already in this state, and you still won't let me out? I need medical treatment too...!

[Desperation mission: if you cannot escape within six hours of the second act beginning, a Gate Spirit or player from your own faction will kill you to silence you.]

*????!*

You %&%#...&!* Liu Ji Shan unleashed a torrent of inward politeness. Trash Star Gate, fuck your mommy... why didn't you just feed me arsenic at the start?!

[Death mission trait: last words triggered. Do you have regrets in your life? Do you have secrets you cannot reveal? Do you have pain and remorse you cannot speak of... you have experienced Liu Quan's story here. Now, please leave your own story as well.]

Whoosh!

A shimmer of light appeared. In Liu Ji Shan's unfocused eyes, the phantom image of an ancient tree emerged. A hollow in its trunk radiated a soft glow.

It seemed to be saying that the wise tree hollow was willing to hear every "wise" story...

Liu Ji Shan's eyes slowly focused, and he continued being polite inwardly. You fucking moronic Star Gate, I'll tell you a goddamn story...!

A moment later, in the dim cell, he unconsciously closed his eyes and began softly pouring his heart out to the tree hollow.

That hollow... seemed to possess a magic that made people unable to resist confiding in it.

"My name in the real world is Li Biao. In the Startrace Gate in Qingliang Town, I 'play' Liu Quan, a Ji Shan of the Chief Secretariat.

My identity card is: treacherous official, belonging to the Fence-Sitter Faction.

My entry token is a large seal called the Former Dynasty Jade Seal.

My special ability is connected to it, and this role suits my tastes perfectly.

In the real world, I used to be a criminal roaming the north. I worked as an enforcer for a boss and dealt with problems for rich people. For a while, I even worked as a 'driver'-someone who withdrew illicit funds from domestic bank accounts for overseas scam syndicates...

Basically, during those years on the streets, I did whatever made money.

Of course, play with fire long enough and you'll get burned. I went to prison twice, serving more than three years in total.

Back then, I lived by one saying: you have to get through life one way or another. As long as you've had booze, meat, and women, even if you die tomorrow, at least you haven't lived for nothing.

But thinking about it now, I... wasn't always like that.

I was born in a village in the north. In my memories, the kids there all had more or less the same experiences.

Go to school, start smoking, drop out, head to the city for work, then get married and have a kid.

The kid grows up, goes to school, starts smoking, drops out, and heads to the city for work...

It seemed like a vicious cycle. A few people might escape it, but in my day, most people spent their whole lives following that path.

When I first came to the city, I was honest and didn't like talking to people. I worked as an apprentice in a barbershop. The pay wasn't great, but it was definitely enough to live on.

Oh, right. Ever since I started working, I never asked my family for a single cent...

My parents had saved that little bit of funeral money through hard work. I really couldn't bring myself to ask for it.

The turning point in my life began with an advertisement. You probably know it too.

Still struggling to borrow money?

XXX Loans. All you need is an ID card for a credit limit of one hundred thousand. Funds arrive in two minutes. Safe, fast, and the solution to all your borrowing problems.

Fuck, those things all charge compound interest. Anyone who borrows from them is a fucking idiot. The first time I saw that ad, I swiped right past it.

Five minutes later.

XXX Loans. All you need is an ID card. A credit limit of one hundred thousand...

I fucking saw it again. Why was this ad so annoying?

I swiped.

XXX Loans. All you...

The ad seemed to be everywhere. At first, I rejected it, resisted it, then grew numb to it. Eventually, it actually stirred a little desire in me. That's right-a desire to borrow money.

At first, I really kept myself under control. I only borrowed five hundred. When I went home for New Year, I bought myself a pair of knockoff sneakers and some cheap clothes for my parents at the morning market...

That was probably the first time I gave my parents gifts. They were delighted, and our relatives praised me for making something of myself.

But from then on, it was like I'd gotten hooked on drugs. Five hundred, one thousand, three thousand... whenever my pockets were empty, I thought of taking out an online loan. All those gatherings I'd never really wanted to attend, all those purchases I'd never dared imagine-they were suddenly within reach. During that period, I even became much more outgoing and got myself a girlfriend...

Before long, my wages weren't enough to cover the repayments. I could only borrow from one lender to pay another, endlessly plugging holes. In just six months, I realized I couldn't even afford the interest anymore. Across seven or eight legitimate lending platforms, I owed over a hundred thousand.

You ask why I didn't control myself? Fucking hell, I wanted to!

But spending money felt so good. It was so addictive!

Money gives people confidence. It makes them feel respected!

And the barrier to online loans was so low. A few taps, fill in your identity details, and you could borrow. It was so convenient, so user-friendly.

It really was more addictive than drugs, and the poorer people were, the more hooked they became!

What happened next was simple. Debt collection calls came constantly. I quit my job and started stealing with a few petty thugs. At first, I wanted to pay the money back. Then I realized the interest was too high, and the debt collectors even tracked down my family...

Fuck paying it back. I might as well give up completely!

After that, I went to prison twice and met more people on the fringes of society. I grew bolder and strayed further and further down the wrong path.

When my parents died, I wasn't there. I had trouble hanging over me at the time and didn't dare go home.

That is the greatest regret and guilt of my life.

Even now, after coming this far, I haven't really regretted much, and I can't be bothered blaming those legitimate online lending platforms. Nobody forced me to borrow. I was insecure. I was poor but wanted to show off. I had no self-control...

But there's always been one question in my mind.

We've always cracked down on drug crimes, with very good results.

What I don't understand is why online loans, which are even more addictive than drugs, can advertise absolutely everywhere, until you can't escape them even if you try?!

And who exactly gave them the right to call themselves 'legitimate'?

I can't fucking figure it out...

Can you?

When I was thirty-five, I happened to come into contact with the Star Gate and became a player.

I discovered that the world was nowhere near as simple as I'd imagined. Inside the Star Gate, all beings are equal. Everyone has the chance to become a 'god.'

You might pay for it with your life, but that kind of fairness can never be found in the real world...

Thank heavens for giving me this opportunity. I'll hold on to it and try to make something of myself. Try... to rise above everyone else!

If I really can become a god, I... I hope I can see my parents again... I miss them a little...

All right. I'm Li Biao.

I prepared for three months and completed two prerequisite missions with death mechanics. I was lucky enough to obtain the entry token for Qingliang Prefecture, and I gave up two Star Gates with generous rewards for it...

I'd planned to make a big splash here. I never expected to get hacked to pieces right at the start.

I'm very sad...

If heaven lets me escape this time, I'll definitely kill Prince Huai. He's such a fucking idiot. Why won't he just come ask me??!"

Shanghai.

Inside a guest room at 88 Lotus Lake Road.

Bright light flashed, and a warped Star Gate appeared. Ren Ye dropped out of midair onto the bed.

"Fuck... finally back...!" Utterly exhausted, Ren Ye completely relaxed the moment he saw the familiar surroundings. He closed his eyes and fell asleep instantly.

In the front building, the long-legged beauty sitting in her office, snacking and watching a web drama, suddenly stiffened.

Whoosh!

She sprang to her feet, immediately picked up her phone, and dialed a number. "Red... Red-Eyed Berserker! Why the hell are you still gaming? The Seven-Gun War God is back. Yes, I sensed him."

Fifteen minutes later, Huang Wei and the long-legged beauty opened the door and entered, only to find Ren Ye sprawled on the bed, snoring thunderously.

"What... what's going on here?" Huang Wei was bewildered. "Holy shit, he went straight to sleep after leaving the gate? How carefree can a guy be?!"