LWGP - Chapter 28
Chapter 28: Treasure
The knife-wielder was clearly a professional. He carefully and silently picked the lock. The door pushed open into a dim room, but with the light from the streetlamps and the moon outside the bay window, he could vaguely see that the covers on the bed had been thrown back, but there was no one there!
Where was she?
He wasn't alone; another person was lying in wait behind him. Seeing that the room was empty, he immediately emerged and rushed into the bathroom and walk-in closet to check.
"Damn it, what the hell?! The person's gone!"
Little did they know, the moment they had climbed over the wall, Wang Jiu had gotten up and used the remote to open a hidden door in the master bedroom.
The room was a separate space, with shelves along the walls holding many high-tech devices. These were all legal to own, but they looked strange, not like the hobbies of an ordinary person.
She had used alternative channels to acquire these things, like the locators and listening devices. If she had bought them through official means, she would have been traced.
However, she had barely used them. It was just a hobby. But if it was just a hobby, why was she afraid of being traced?
And this hobby of hers completely contradicted the persona she presented to the world.
It was very strange.
There were also many medicines under the opposite wall.
Wang Jiu opened a box and took out an international, ultra-thin, micro-positioning listening device. It was a two-year-old model, but it was good enough.
From another shelf, she retrieved a box containing a car decoder.
She had played with all these things after buying them before, and they were still usable.
System: "You don't look like a good person."
Wang Jiu: "I'm just interested in these things. I buy them to study and play with. I've earned so much money; not spending it is bad for the national economy."
System: "Why not buy some firearms? The firearms in your world are outdated, but they're still usable."
Wang Jiu: "I've always been a law-abiding citizen. I'm even an advanced youth representative of the capital's medical community. I've received commendations."
The fact that she would explain so seriously and in such detail made the System feel something was off, but it didn't ask any more questions.
While talking to the System, Wang Jiu grabbed her things and left through another secret door, arriving at the guest room at the end of the hall. While the two men were searching for her everywhere, she silently vaulted over the second-floor balcony, landing without a sound. A residual shadow flickered, and she quickly reached the car the two had parked outside the house. Using the decoder, she quietly opened the car door, stuffed the positioning and listening device under the seat, closed the door, and headed back, entering through a first-floor window.
Her movements were as smooth as flowing water, almost ghostly.
The System suddenly realized that 7 points of Agility had so much potential.
The window Wang Jiu had just entered was the same one the two men had climbed through earlier. However, she noticed there were no shoe prints on the window frame. It seemed the two were quite experienced and didn't want to leave any traces.
She entered the house and headed from the living room toward the stairs, deliberately making a slight noise.
At this moment, the two men were still searching upstairs. Having found nothing, they were about to retreat when they suddenly heard the noise from below. They both came down, hugging the wall along the staircase.
They saw a human figure, elongated by the light, on the side of the staircase.
Heh, so she was hiding here!
Instead of trying to escape, she was bold enough to try and ambush them. She was courting death.
When he was one step from the ground, the man in front suddenly leaped down, spun around, and slashed his knife toward Wang Jiu, who was hiding by a side door.
Wang Jiu dodged backward and thrust the Rookie's Dagger in her hand toward her opponent. Her speed wasn't slow, but it was just enough to make him dodge precariously.
"This woman is tough, be careful!"
"Don't worry! We'll take her down together!"
The other man also rushed down, and the two of them joined forces, viciously attacking Wang Jiu.
After a minute of clanging and banging.
"Run!"
The two men fled with injuries, while Wang Jiu clutched her left arm as if she were hurt.
As she chased after them, she pressed the alarm bell. Hearing it, the two men scrambled into their car and sped away.
She didn't care for the moment whether the neighborhood security could stop them. She stood at her door, watching them leave. Before long, the security guards arrived and asked what had happened.
"I ran into thieves. Two of them got in, and you didn't stop them?"
"No, we came as soon as we got the alarm. We didn't see anyone."
"You didn't stop them when they came in, and you didn't stop them when they left. Why don't you go back and prepare a good PR statement? I'll have my lawyer talk to your manager tomorrow."
No matter how sheepishly the other party apologized, Wang Jiu maintained a smile that was tolerant and friendly at first glance but was actually full of mockery and indifference. The guards didn't dare linger and further provoke her, so they could only retreat awkwardly.
As for whether they would investigate later or just cover up the hidden details, that was a matter for tomorrow.
Wang Jiu returned to the house and went to the secret room in the master bedroom to turn on her computer.
A red dot on the screen showed their location was already two streets away.
The two men were still talking about her in the car.
"So fierce even after a divorce, no wonder she was cheated on!"
"Damn it, that fierce bitch! It hurts!"
"There's a call! It must be someone from the neighborhood telling them we got out. Quick, answer it!"
Wang Jiu leaned back in her chair, listening quietly as the man answered the phone.
"You failed?"
"Secretary Chen, that woman is as strong as expected. The two of us teamed up and basically fought her to a draw."
"Give me the details."
Hearing this voice, Wang Jiu judged the speaker's personality from his cold, rational tone. She searched online and quickly locked onto a person.
Chen Jun, one of the secretaries to Yang Dong, the head of the Yang family and Yang Yu's father. Although he wasn't the chief secretary, he was responsible for many of the crown prince's affairs and was considered a capable figure.
The two men gave a detailed report of Wang Jiu's attack speed and skills, as well as the injuries both sides had sustained.
"We slashed her right arm. It should affect her combat ability in the short term."
On Chen Jun's end, it sounded like someone was typing on a computer. He quickly replied, "Alright, I've created a data model here. The money will be in your account shortly. You two rest for the night and wait for Young Master Dong's arrangements."
Yang Yu was also known as Young Master Dong, a man of great airs, which the two naturally knew. After hanging up, they expressed their immense joy at the money that had arrived in their account and even fantasized about the future.
"Damn, thank god for this apocalyptic game. Making money is so fucking easy!"
"Just you wait. Once this world gets a little more chaotic, it'll be our time to shine. Look at all those so-called elites, the rich, those fair, rich, and beautiful women. Just wait for them to be kneeling at our feet."
Wang Jiu didn't find their fantasies boring and continued to listen intently. Soon, the other man reprimanded his partner.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Don't underestimate those people. Look at the Yang family… damn, they move fast. I heard the Yang family has already recruited several experts with Strength of 4. They were all roped in right away. They're even planning to team up and build a foundation. And Young Master Yang, he's so strong now…"
"Young Master Yang is one thing, but I think that scar-faced man is the truly terrifying one. When we went over last night, just one look from him scared the hell out of me. He feels like a ruthless person."
"That guy seems to have a background 'outside'…"
The two spoke vaguely and guardedly, then quickly dropped the subject, discussing using the money to have fun at a nightclub.
But Wang Jiu figured that this "outside" probably referred to abroad, perhaps a very chaotic region.
In the past, she had connections in the capital's medical community and had operated on many dignitaries. Through deeper interactions, she had learned from them that the Yang family had an overseas background. Yang Dong was well-connected, with friends from all walks of life, and could pull strings in both legitimate and criminal circles.
But that was putting it nicely. The upper class liked to speak in pleasantries, saying one thing and leaving another for you to figure out.
Later, Wang Jiu guessed that Jingyang International was likely involved in smuggling, which was why most respectable, prominent families disliked associating with the Yang family, fearing they would get into trouble.
After all, for that kind of business, it was impossible to operate abroad without private firepower.
"These two have some skills from their time on the streets, and they each have their abilities, yet they were scared witless by a single glance from that man. It's highly likely he was a top mercenary or a retired soldier."
Wang Jiu felt it wouldn't be surprising for such a character to have received rewards at the very beginning, perhaps even better and more numerous than hers.
As expected, a direct confrontation was not an option.
She took off her jacket, glanced at the hole in the sleeve, and then touched the bleeding wound on her arm, raising an eyebrow slightly.
System: "You're ruthless enough to fake an injury just to make them misjudge your strength, but aren't you afraid of really hurting yourself and being at a disadvantage when a fight breaks out?"
Wang Jiu unbuttoned her shirt collar, revealing the wound on her snow-white shoulder that she had sustained on the plane. It had already stopped bleeding on its own and was even beginning to scab over.
"If I'm not mistaken, Stamina affects the body's durability and recovery. With added Stamina, recovery is enhanced. If an external wound like the one on my shoulder is healing this obviously, then a small cut on my arm is nothing to worry about."
What concerned her was whether Yang Yu would let his guard down and prepare to come after her himself.
Wang Jiu still felt it wasn't enough of a guarantee. If that expert happened to be bored and decided to play bodyguard to the crown prince, that wouldn't be good.
She knew nothing about that person. If she spent time preparing, he would also be spending time getting stronger. Compared to his resources and manpower, she was at a disadvantage.
The best method was to get Yang Yu alone.
"Selfish and ambitious. Only a powerful treasure could stimulate his greed enough to take a risk… a pity I don't have any treasure."
After a pause, Wang Jiu suddenly remembered something.
She took the Mystic Realm Fragment from her inventory.
It had gone straight into her inventory before, and she hadn't looked at its attributes yet.
As she held it, its attributes became clear.
Mystic Realm Fragment.
Attribute: The embodiment of all dungeons in 「Wilderness Civilization」. Fragments only drop after a dungeon is solved and cleared. The higher the dungeon level, the more fragments drop.
Function: A single fragment can open an incomplete mystic realm, releasing only one of its monsters. If five, ten, or an increasing number of fragments are collected, they can be combined into a complete mystic realm. Clearing it yields complete mystic realm rewards.
"Are the mystic realm rewards good? How do they compare to today's plane dungeon?"
"Far superior."
"What if I only open a single fragment? What about the boss's strength and treasure?"
"It's just a single fragment, so it depends on luck. It's possible to only open a minion, but even the weakest minion is on par with today's mini-boss."
Oh, so the drops wouldn't be any worse than today's.
Wang Jiu had likely found a bait she could use. But since she was organizing her gains for the day, she had to open that treasure chest as well.
Thump. The treasure chest looked ordinary but had some weight to it. Wang Jiu unlocked it directly, which only took about a dozen seconds.
But before opening the lid, Wang Jiu hesitated for a moment, then suddenly got up and started rummaging through her things.
System: "What are you looking for? Hand sanitizer?"
Wang Jiu: "No, I should trust that my body is pure and clean. It's just that you System items are blind."
Soon, she found a pair of red leather LV monogram gloves.
They cost five figures.
System: "…"
Wang Jiu put on the gloves and then opened the box.
She wasn't expecting any particular treasure. After all, her understanding of game items was limited at the moment. Anything useful would be good.
Of course, skill books and equipment were generally the most important, or perhaps…
Click. The box lid made a faint, crisp sound. Wang Jiu saw a crystal-clear, round bead resting at the bottom of the box.
It was palm-sized and translucent with a faint glow.
Wang Jiu looked at it and suddenly smiled.
"LV really is good. Quite lucky."
A Strengthening Stone, one of the things she needed most.
"Strengthening Stones are universal treasures, effective on equipment of any tier. It's usually not worth using them on grey or bronze gear, but growth-type items are an exception."
Wang Jiu took off her Azure Serpent Emblem and smashed a Strengthening Stone directly onto it.
The System prompted: "Are you sure you want to use the Strengthening Stone?"
Wang Jiu clicked confirm, and the Azure Serpent Emblem emitted a golden light.
Azure Serpent Emblem +1.
Attribute: All Attributes +3.
Wang Jiu held the emblem in her left hand and the Mystic Realm Fragment in her right, her eyes deep and profound.
System: "What are you thinking?"
Wang Jiu: "I'm thinking about how to prepare a respectable resting place for that Young Master Yang."
System: "I'll wait and see."
In the Yang family's manor.
A tall, burly, scar-faced man was drinking. Opposite him, Yang Dong had already received the news from Chen Jun. He said, "I understand. Since it's just a small problem, just take care of it for him. This isn't like the old days. Time is important. Don't waste it on some random cats and dogs."
Chen Jun acknowledged the order and left.
"This Ah Yu, really… still so willful." Yang Dong sighed, walked back to the table, poured a drink, and drank it. The scar-faced man opposite him just smiled. "It's natural for kids to like to play. It's good for them to practice on some cats and dogs. Before, the world was difficult to navigate, with the law holding you back. But it's different now. If you're not ruthless, what will you do in the future?"
"Big Brother, don't be angry. You still have me, after all."
"Of course I have you. If you hadn't cleaned up some of his messes in the past, that kid would have died many times over."
"Playing with women is nothing. Is a man who doesn't play with women still a man? Even if he likes to play, it doesn't interfere with important matters. He handled this matter very well this time, decisive enough. A chip off the old block."
Yang Dong nodded but was still slightly worried. "That old lady, Lin Zi, is no ordinary person. I'm afraid someone in the government will investigate…"
"Investigate what? They can't investigate dungeon matters. The world has changed." The scar-faced man sneered. "Whoever leads the investigation, we'll just kill them. The government can't even take care of itself right now. This is the perfect opportunity for us to gather people and snatch equipment from others. It won't be so easy once the situation stabilizes. Relax. If Ah Yu can't handle it, I can take care of it when I have a free hand."
Yang Dong thought of the prominent families who had lorded over their Yang family in the past, all of them eager to kick them when they were down the moment the government started investigating the Jingyang Group. He let out a cold laugh.
"You're right. With you, and with Ah Yu having the initiative now, how can we fail? We'll be even more glorious in the future than we are now. Just you watch. Those who wanted to see my Yang family become a joke, I'll kill them one by one, sooner or later."
The two men clinked their glasses and drained them in one gulp.
At that same moment, Wang Jiu went to the garage before bed and installed a camera in the car she would be driving tomorrow. Then she returned to the house, re-watched the scene of the old lady being eaten one more time before bed, smiled, turned off the video, and lay down to sleep.
Get instant access to all the chapters now.
Comments
Post a Comment