However, just as the deal was about to be completed, his group chat was suddenly disbanded!
The scammer originally planned to use his backup group to bring the gullible person back in, but was horrified to find that many of his group chats were collapsing one after another right before his eyes.
During all of this, not even the mouse moved, yet the entire computer was running at high speed on its own!
The scammer was absolutely certain that his computer had never been infected with remote control software, but a pop-up window indicating that the hard drive was being read still appeared a moment later.
Someone is buying up their own stock!
"Not good!"
The terrified scammer sprang from the recliner and reached for the power cord, but the screen suddenly changed at that moment.
It wasn't a black screen, nor a blue screen, but rather a green screen reminiscent of what it was 60 or 70 years ago.
On the unique electronic green screen, each pixel dimmed, eventually leaving behind a thick, sturdy tree made up of pixels.
Eyes peered through the folds of the tree bark at the man, blinking occasionally as if they could see right through him.
The intricate network of tree roots twisted and tangled into a line of crooked, illegible text:
[Tree brother is watching you!]
"What the hell kind of hacker is this?!"
The man retreated in terror, running straight to his front door without even turning off the power.
However, his electronic lock betrayed him at that moment.
No matter how he tried to unlock it using facial recognition, fingerprints, or by pressing the manual unlock button, the lock remained completely still, showing no sign of opening.
I should have used a mechanical lock!
The man let out a silent wail, then turned and began rummaging through a cabinet near the door for the mechanical key that came with the electronic lock.
Five minutes later, he finally found the spare key as if he had found a treasure, inserted it into the lock, and turned it once.
The door finally opened, and as soon as the conman poked his head out, he saw a shiny metal bracelet being handed to him by two men blocking the hallway.
Behind him, the criminal evidence in the encrypted folder on his computer was presented like a new product at a product launch.
"See? I told you I was qualified, but you didn't believe me."
In the real world, [ Vanilla Ice Cream Scoop ] pushes her phone in front of her brother, showing him a photo of herself with an identical face and a bunch of Deadwood Vine seedlings.
In that moment, through her brother's gaze, she understood what "pupil seismicity" meant.
"No, you, how could you, how is this possible?"
The incoherent young man wore an expression that suggested he was on the verge of collapse.
"How could you possibly get a spot? Millions of people have registered, hundreds of thousands have filled out forms, and they only release a few dozen at a time. Besides... didn't you say you weren't going to play?"
Did I say that?
[ Vanilla Ice Cream Scoop ] rolled her eyes and recalled...
"Even though I said it wasn't something I wanted to do, my friend dragged me into it."
"Your friend is qualified?!"
"Of course, she sent me the activation code."
Would you mind letting your friend have another friend...?
"Mind."
"Never mind then, I'll keep waiting to try my luck or see if there are any reliable sellers online."
[ Vanilla Ice Cream Scoop ]'s expression is a bit out of control:
"Why can't I get you an activation code instead of you waiting?"
"You?"
The young man glanced at his sister:
"Forget it. Ever since the day you couldn't even figure out a two-player game with me when you were little, I've given up on having any expectations for your gaming talent."
"I don't even remember this. It must have been ten years ago."
"Who knows how long it's been? Anyway, the game is so bad it's unbearable to watch. To redeem an activation code for this game, you need to capture prey alive. Do you even know how to capture them?"
"I..."
The girl was about to retort when she suddenly thought of something and chuckled:
"I know, you're trying to provoke me. You think I can't do it, and I'll prove myself by doing it, so you can get my activation code for free."
The young man looked at his sister with a surprised expression:
"You secretly increased your intelligence attribute?"
"I added your grandma's hair!"
The girl retorted indignantly:
"Your thoughts are written all over your face, so just say whether you want it or not."
"Want."
The young man's expression changed instantly. He sincerely expressed his demands, and his posture unconsciously softened. It was as if some obsequious villains from ancient times had been reborn in his body.
"Then buy it from me."
"What?"
"Buy it from me. You'll have to pay for it online anyway, so why not just transfer the money to me directly? It's a no-brainer for me."
"It's not that I didn't hear you, I'm just simply shocked."
"What's so shocking? Even siblings should keep clear accounts."
[ Vanilla Ice Cream Scoop ] explained:
"I've already found out. There's a veteran player who was the first to get access to the game by buying an activation code. Guess how much he spent?"
"Ten thousand?"
The young man gave what he considered a large number, while the young woman held up two fingers:
"Twenty thousand!"
Under her brother's surprised gaze, she used two fingers to show a new number:
"Things are different now. I won't ask you for more, just give me ten thousand!"
The young man's eyes widened like saucers:
"Do I look like someone who's easily fooled? Why don't you take a look and see if your brother is worth 80,000?"
The girl shrugged:
"Then name your price. Even if the deal falls through, we can still be on good terms, right?"
"Who taught you all this?"
The young man frowned, deep in thought, and finally held up two fingers as well:
Eight hundred.
The girl exclaimed in surprise:
"(*This isn't a compliment), you cut it by 99% in one stroke? Are you a 'Pinduoduo'?"
The blood relationship between the brother and sister was immediately apparent; one demanded an exorbitant price, while the other haggled relentlessly, and the two quickly began arguing.
"How much is my monthly allowance in college? Even if I were given 80,000, I couldn't afford to eat anything decent."
"You can't cut it by 99% all at once, and is it really that unaffordable? I don't believe it."
"Anyway, I only have eight hundred on me. Take it or leave it."
The girl tilted her head and stared at her brother for a few moments, sensing that he wasn't lying. Her eyes darted around, and she said:
"Eight hundred is fine, but... you have to agree to one condition."
"Explain."
"I need to come up with your ID."
"What are you trying to do?!" (voice cracks)
How about calling it "[ Chocolate Ice Cream Scoop ]"?
"You might as well just kill me."
"Don't like it? How about a [strawberry Ice Cream Scoop ]? A [yogurt Ice Cream Scoop ]? A [cantaloupe Ice Cream Scoop ]?"
"Gulp, just kill me."
"Knock knock knock."
Just as the two were haggling over the price, there was a sudden knock on the front door.
Who is it?
Subconsciously asking a question, the young man cautiously opened the door and saw three serious-looking people dressed in black, as well as the parents of the brother and sister...