LWGP - Chapter 27
Chapter 27: Dead Yet?
Qi Jun started the car to take Wang Jiu back to her residence, but he couldn't help but ask, "Boss, you deliberately had me bump into Zhang Jiaqi's phone, took them to the restaurant under your name, and had me get some ketchup on myself… was it all just to scare Zhang Dongcheng?"
Wang Jiu: "Yeah, wasn't it fun?"
Qi Jun gave a wry smile. "He probably didn't think it was fun."
But his bank account probably thought it was fun. A text message arrived on his phone. He glanced at it, stunned.
"Boss, is this money to compensate for my clothes? It's way too much."
It was a six-figure, almost seven-figure sum.
His clothes weren't studded with diamonds.
"It went through? Oh, that's the rest of your salary for this month, plus a bonus."
The car suddenly screeched to a halt.
Wang Jiu braced herself by planting her leg against the back of the front seat and asked, "Think it's too little? Planning to murder me?"
"No, that's not it." Qi Jun quickly apologized. "Red light ahead. I'm sorry, did I do something wrong? I know it was wrong of me to hide the matter with the Yang family. I shouldn't have made decisions for you…"
"Don't play dumb. Don't you know the world has changed? If you don't resign now, are you waiting for me to take you into a game dungeon to celebrate the New Year?"
"…"
Qi Jun's tone was strained, but he tried to joke, "It's not about the money. From you, Boss, what I want is more than just money."
Wang Jiu looked up, her tone and gaze exceptionally light. "Oh? Then what else do you want me to give you?"
The word "give," coming from her lips, had a certain suggestive quality.
Qi Jun's throat was dry. He averted his gaze. "I already know about the game dungeons. Boss, you're clearly an expert, but I've never even been in one. I want to latch onto a pro."
"Just latch onto a pro? I thought you wanted to sleep with me."
"…"
Dead silence filled the car. Qi Jun, blushing, drove on, not daring to speak again.
The vast city was a sea of lights, where darkness and light merged.
Wang Jiu rested her cheek on her hand, looking out the window. Strands of her dark hair partially concealed her face as streaks of light and shadow swept across her, as if trying to slice her apart.
Outside the garage, Wang Jiu got out of the car. She walked to the driver's side and pressed down on the door Qi Jun was about to push open. Startled, Qi Jun rolled down the window.
"Boss, your place hasn't been lived in for a long time. I have some new daily necessities in the trunk. I'll get them and bring them in. Don't worry, I'll leave as soon as I'm done."
"Thank you, but that's not necessary. If you really want to help me, just take good care of yourself."
Qi Jun was taken aback. He saw her bend down. Through the open window, they shared the same night air, the same halo of light from the nearby streetlamp.
It was as if he was suddenly back to when he had just graduated, bored and directionless, and had applied to be her financial consultant. Back then, she had just gotten married—young, gentle, the very picture of a perfect young wife.
At first, he thought he'd stay with a boss like her for a year to get some experience and then leave.
But year after year passed. He watched as their joint efforts in asset allocation and investment continued to grow. His job became more and more official, and his reputation gradually grew. Many wealthy people tried to poach him, but he never left.
How did he convince himself back then?
—She was generous, paid well. She was powerful, with a formidable network, and not only did she not hold him back, she helped him soar.
Watching the numbers in his bank account steadily skyrocket each year, only a fool would resign.
And so, he had worked until now.
Unaware of the turmoil in Qi Jun's thoughts, Wang Jiu just said softly, "Your brother works for the country. The situation is bad right now, so it's never wrong to follow the country's lead. Become a Registered Player as soon as you can, seize the opportunity, and join the government. Who knows, maybe I'll have to rely on you for protection then."
Warmth spread through Qi Jun's heart. He agreed. Seeing the weariness in Wang Jiu's eyes, and with his hidden feelings from the past few years exposed, a certain taboo had formed between them. He didn't dare to actually go inside and just drove away.
But he thought to himself, She's right. In this situation, a government department is the best place to be. I have connections through my brother; I can totally recommend her. Besides, the country must have taken notice of her by now!
Wang Jiu watched his car leave. When Qi Jun was out of sight, she looked down at the text message Zhang Dongcheng had just sent. The corners of her mouth curved up slightly in a soft laugh, but her eyes held none of their previous concern or gentleness.
It was unclear which man that smile was for.
Inside, Wang Jiu read the contents of the text message.
—Our Pioneer Instance's overall rating was three stars. There were too many deaths, but we found the key item—that necklace—so we got a bonus. I don't know what his individual rating was, but I estimate he got an extra reward. I asked the System. It said that even though the Old Lady found the necklace, since she's dead, the credit goes to its current owner. So I suspect he very likely received Attribute Points as a reward. Even without considering his own strength, his family's influence is too powerful. I know you hate him, but please don't go head-to-head with them. When we came out, I saw a lot of people outside the classroom, including government officials and the people the Yang family brought. I think the Yang family already has a lot of information and was well-prepared for the changes in the world. And now that Yang Yu has gained such a huge advantage, it goes without saying he'll be recruited by the government. Even if I had risked telling the truth back then, would they have believed me? Who would they trust? Most importantly, the law has no provisions for this. Without evidence, there can be no conviction, no punishment. In the end, he would just walk away unscathed, while my family and I would surely die. Maybe this is just my excuse. I'm a weak and insignificant person. If it weren't for my family, it wouldn't matter if I died. But you're different. In the eyes of us students, you were the most envied because you were so outstanding, and the Old Lady loved you so much. You must take care of yourself.
The text was likely typed out in a single rush, without much editing. Zhang Dongcheng was probably very hesitant, full of conflict and fear, and just sent it in a fit of resolve, not looking back.
After reading, Wang Jiu closed the message and turned on the lights. The house was very clean despite not being lived in for over a year. She knew without thinking that Qi Jun had arranged for a housekeeping company to clean it beforehand. She opened the fridge; it was stocked with food and drinks.
Wang Jiu took out a bottle of milk. As she opened it to drink, she contacted the System. "I want to use my authority to ask how the Old Lady can be resurrected. Can the System give me a clear and effective answer?"
She had casually probed before, but the System had evaded the question. She guessed it involved a critical secret, which was why she was now choosing to use her authority.
System: "Yes. Based on the life level of the human race in your world, you need to meet four conditions. 1. Find the Bloodthirsty Beast that ate the person in question, refine its body, and extract her HP. A player's HP is equivalent to a component of their soul. By finding the HP, you find her soul. 2. Reconstruct a physical body for her. 3. Possess an item that allows the body and soul to coexist. 4. Possess a treasure or skill that can activate life."
Using a critical authority was indeed different from getting information for free. The information the System provided was comprehensive and detailed.
Wang Jiu carefully committed these conditions to memory. She opened the bottle and took a sip. "Give me a rough estimate. What level do I need to reach to satisfy these conditions? I mean—the grade of these skills or treasures."
In a game, everything was about levels and tiers.
System: "Even the lowest-grade treasures or skills that meet these conditions would require you to be around level 80. And to have the authority to look up her Pioneer Instance and find that Bloodthirsty Beast, you must also become the lord of a city."
Wang Jiu frowned.
Every game followed the same pattern—leveling up in the early stages was far easier than in the later stages. Yet, this game was still in its pioneer phase, and leveling up was already very difficult.
Therefore, all things considered, it would take her a very, very long time to meet these conditions. And that was on the premise that she didn't die. Otherwise, she'd have to go to the underworld to have a family reunion with the Old Lady.
Was she a protagonist with cheats?
Definitely not, because protagonists are the embodiment of truth, goodness, and beauty.
So, as someone destined not to be the protagonist, she would most likely die in the process. It was just a matter of when.
Moreover, the System had also hinted at something else—that Bloodthirsty Beast must not be killed by someone else before she got to it.
Otherwise, either the thread of life would be severed, or the difficulty would increase infinitely once again.
All things considered, the probability of the Old Lady coming back to life was infinitely close to zero.
How pitiful.
If only she were the type of person who was infinitely optimistic. Unfortunately, she wasn't.
Seeing a glimmer of hope in despair, only to be filled with despair by that glimmer of hope—that was the normal state of the human world.
Wang Jiu smiled. "Very good. You've also given me a piece of information for free. A city lord? You guys are also playing at post-apocalyptic base-building? No wonder you're dropping daily necessities like bricks, cotton, and grain. I bet even toilet paper will drop. Doesn't that mean all the daily supplies we have now will be rendered useless and reset to zero? Huh, the widespread problems with technological products now, is that also a precursor? But while technology is failing, other materials haven't yet. It seems there's a sequence to it. I guess the most basic food will be the last to go."
Wang Jiu swirled the empty milk bottle, completing her own theory in a monologue.
The System remained silent, giving no indication of whether she was right or wrong.
Wang Jiu sent a text message about Yang Yu filming people with surveillance cameras, then tossed her phone aside. After a shower, she went to the fitness room, but not before turning off all the lights in the house.
In the darkness, sitting on a yoga mat in the fitness room, Wang Jiu chose to level up. With the level-up, five attribute points naturally came into her possession. She also noticed that her body, even without allocating any points, was now covered in a faint halo of light.
A level-up glow?
The glow lasted only for an instant before entering her body, moving from the outside in.
She asked the System, and it replied: "This is a level-up transformation. It happens with every level and accumulates over time. So, if a high-level player is inferior to a low-level player in all aspects, but the level gap is too large, there is still a level suppression effect. The latter might not necessarily win against the high-level player."
Wang Jiu pondered this. It meant this transformation was very important. The cumulative effect would form a sort of intangible pressure, like a puppy seeing a tiger—paralyzed with fear before the fight even begins, defeated without a battle.
However, this was targeted at the posers among high-level players. Generally, someone with the ability to reach a high level would naturally be well-equipped in this aspect and would rarely be defeated by someone of a lower level. They wouldn't need to rely solely on level suppression.
Unless the low-level player was exceptionally heaven-defying.
With that in mind, Wang Jiu allocated her seven attribute points.
STR: 4->7
AGI: 4->6
STA: 2->3
Then she unequipped the Rookie's Dagger and equipped the Chieftain's Bane.
This Western-style longsword looked much more aesthetically pleasing than the Rookie's Dagger. Its cold light gleamed, and it gave Wang Jiu 2 points of Strength and 1 point of Agility.
At this point, Wang Jiu's attributes changed again.
STR: 9
AGI: 7
STA: 3
System: "It seems you've realized that Stamina affects combat endurance. And you've allocated your attribute points before even encountering a dungeon. It looks like you're preparing for a fight in the real world."
Wang Jiu: "What are you thinking? I'm just afraid of being killed. What if someone comes to kill me tonight?"
Kill Yang Yu directly?
She had three concerns.
1. The Yang family has connections to the government. She had known this for a long time and was unsure if their strengths were now linked as well. Furthermore, Yang Yu had just finished the Pioneer Instance and was surely staying in an extremely safe place to process the information. The Yang family would definitely place great importance on him and create a secure environment for him. Even if the Yang family didn't, given Yang Yu's cautious handling of Zhang Dongcheng, the man cherished his life to the extreme and would certainly be on guard. If that was the case, she wasn't confident she could take him down directly. As for killing, if the first strike fails, should she wait ten years for a gentleman's revenge?
2. The world and social order had not yet completely collapsed. Before the law could catch up with the world's changes and rule on grievances and murders within dungeons, if she took justice into her own hands, she would definitely be detained by the government—and she didn't think there was no one in the government stronger than her. There absolutely were, and even if they used human wave tactics, they could overwhelm her. Taking private revenge would first violate the Old Lady's teachings, and second, it would require sacrificing her own freedom. It wasn't worth it. Was that thing even worthy?
3. Actually, the two points above were nonsense. She had other plans.
System: "Turning off the lights not only saves electricity, but also time—it makes people think you're asleep, so they can make their move."
Wang Jiu didn't say anything. She just returned to her bedroom in the darkness and lay down.
She was wondering if Yang Yu was more impatient than she imagined.
If he came himself, it would mean he was very arrogant.
If someone else came, it would mean he was still somewhat cautious and was probing the depths of her strength.
It seemed he already knew about the incident at the airport.
About half an hour later, Wang Jiu, with her Agility at 7, looked out the second-floor window.
Someone had climbed over the villa's surrounding wall.
Meanwhile, Qi Jun, who had returned to his home on the other side of the city, went to find Qi Dong, who coincidentally also wanted to ask him about Wang Jiu's situation.
Both brothers stated their intentions directly. Qi Dong certainly didn't object to Wang Jiu joining them; in fact, he couldn't be happier. However, looking at his younger brother's expression, he still asked, "I only found out today that she's your boss. I'd heard about her and her husband before. Was it because of her that you refused to go into politics?"
He might as well have said, "Bro, you've been secretly in love with a married woman and have been sneakily trying to be the other man."
Qi Jun rolled his eyes and said seriously, "No, I just don't like meetings and writing reports."
"You work in finance. Don't you need to report to her?"
"Not at all. Her main job is a doctor; she's usually too busy with surgeries and saving people. She only asks me to look into investing when she sees a good project. She doesn't bother with anything else. What little time she had left was all given to the Old Lady and that scum man. Seriously, if it weren't for her funds and connections, would that scumbag's company be so successful? His very first deal was a favor from a rich man she had saved! She's so good, that Yan Yanting must be blind. I wonder if he died in this apocalypse."
Qi Dong: "…"
In front of a public servant of the state, can't you be a little more positive!
But from a man's perspective, betraying and cheating on a wife who had gone through thick and thin with him and built a career together, especially when she was a doctor with a life-saving halo, and forcing her to live in a small place…
He also had a very low opinion of such a scumbag, so he said flatly, "Not many people died this time. They either haven't entered a Pioneer Instance yet, or it's their first time, so it's not a complete death… Professor Lin's case was an exception. After all, Bloodthirsty Beasts are extremely rare. The state has already filed a report and is on alert. And the social turmoil caused by this drastic change in the situation will lead to a continuous rise in casualties. Maybe he'll be unlucky enough to be among them."
"So, the state is planning to contact many of the talents who have already been registered…"
He stated his position tactfully and stressed the serious political focus, but Qi Jun only focused on the fact that the scum man must die.
The two perpetual bachelors really couldn't tolerate such a scumbag.
But they didn't know that at this very moment, someone was quietly approaching the room of the tragic divorced young woman.
Under the moonlight shining through the window, outside the master bedroom door, the glint of a sharp blade was faintly visible.
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