Chapter 142: Prepare a Case First (Revision)

On the other end of the phone, Yang Yichen was silent for a moment, looked at the bandage on his arm, recalled the confidentiality agreement, and in the end could only vaguely choose to admit.

"...... Almost enough."

Yang Yichen's voice finally sounded again, deliberately maintaining calm, yet the heaviness in it could not be hidden.

"The specifics are covered by the confidentiality agreement; I can't say more."

Just as expected.

Yang Yixie fell silent as well.

It wasn't very surprising, but what about the itch to act?

Unfortunately his brother is far away in Shoudu; otherwise he could finally have a long‑awaited "duel" with him.

After several seconds, Yang Yixie spoke again, his voice tense and warning.

"Mother's health has just started to improve; she can't endure any stress. If something you did makes her sad, I will definitely kill you."

Yang Yichen solemnly nodded on the phone, feeling a slight sourness in his heart.

"I understand. I told mother my work will be a bit busy lately; the project is at a critical stage, so contact may be less, but once the project ends, the bonus will increase significantly."

"I also promised her that as soon as I have free time I'll call to check in."

Yang Yixie listened carefully to his brother's words, while his mind raced with analysis.

"As soon as I have free time I can call mother"?

It sounds like the freedom isn't that limited; it's not the kind of trouble that requires total isolation from the outside.

Maybe... it's really just being drawn into some troublesome case that needs secrecy?

He let out a slight sigh of relief, but the worry hadn't completely vanished.

"As long as you know what's going on yourself, mother is under my watch here, nothing will go wrong. Hurry and resolve the trouble on your side."

"Alright, definitely."

Yang Yichen, on the phone, gave a firm smile, "So that's it for now? You... also take care of yourself, don't stay up gaming all night. I heard many game‑related scams have popped up recently; be cautious."

"I'm not you," Yang Yixie retorted bluntly, chatted a few more lines with Yang Yichen, then hung up as his side seemed to have something.

Hopefully... it's truly just a hassle that can be resolved quickly.

After ending the unsettling call, Yang Yixie took a deep breath, tried to push the worry back into his heart, and skillfully opened the streaming software on his computer.

However, just as the software finished loading, before he could enter his streaming room backstage, a forced pop‑up that occupied the center of the screen, impossible to skip or close immediately, suddenly sprang up.

The background was a solemn deep blue, bearing an official agency's logo, with the title in bold, eye‑catching font:

【Emergency Safety Reminder and Scam Warning】

Yang Yixie frowned, instinctively tried to click it away, but the pop‑up forced a few seconds of reading before a close option appeared, so he had to patiently continue reading.

"Emergency safety reminder: beware of new‑type online scams!"

Below the bold title was the detailed warning content:

Recently, officials have detected a new kind of online scam.

Scammers use 'game beta testing' as bait, distributing malicious programs disguised as games through certain channels, luring users to download and join the so‑called 'test.'

The beta‑test URL is actually used to steal users' personal identity information, bank accounts, and other sensitive data.

So far, several victims have reported, all linked to participation in the beta test of a game called "Wasteland Era."

If you have ever downloaded or participated in any test related to "Wasteland Era," even if you have not experienced any adverse events, please immediately go to the nearest official department to file a record, to prevent identity information from being misused.

Protect personal information; do not fill in details on unknown URLs, and beware of being scammed!

"Wasteland Era?!"

Yang Yixie stared at those four extremely familiar words on the notice, and was completely stunned.

Instinctively, he grabbed the phone on the desk, unlocked it, tapped the minimalist icon with a pixelated wasteland style—the app was the game he had been obsessively playing these past days.

The app's name was clearly displayed beneath the icon—"Wasteland Era (Beta Version)".

"WTF......"

Yang Yixie couldn't help but mutter aloud, his mouth corners twitching uncontrollably; he had been hoping to make a few abstract videos with this game!

He had always thought the game was just a rather quirky, AI‑freewheeling pixel single‑player game, never imagining it would be linked with terms like 'scam,' 'malicious program,' or 'information theft.'

A chill shot up his spine instantly, and the first thing he thought of was his money!

He immediately quit the game, his fingers trembling as he opened the mobile banking app, logged in swiftly, eyes glued to the account balance and recent transaction records.

He double‑checked three times; the balance showed no abnormal changes, and there were no unexplained expenses or deposits recently.

Everything was normal.

"As long as the money's still there..." he exhaled slightly, but his mind remained tense.

Then he opened the phone's built‑in spam‑blocking center and message inbox.

The block list contained a few unknown numbers selling property and loans, about the same amount he usually receives, with no explosive increase.

The inbox, aside from verification codes and a few delivery notices, had no suspicious content.

Seems everything normal?

But the unease in his heart hadn't fully vanished.

What if the game carries a virus? What if it steals something other than money, like other information?

Although people are almost transparent online these days, the AI inside this is unbelievably clever.

After much hesitation, recalling the pop‑up's suggestion to "please file a record immediately," Yang Yixie ultimately felt he couldn't rely on luck.

"Better to make a fruitless trip than to truly regret after something goes wrong."

He immediately posted a brief notice on his streaming platform's feed.

"I'm feeling unwell tonight; the stream is paused. Sorry."

Then he quickly shut down the computer.

He stood up, took off the loose T-shirt he wore at home, pulled out a slightly thicker black hoodie from the closet and put it on, pulling the hood up to cover most of his face.

He slipped his keys and phone into his pocket and hurried out the door.

The city lights were just coming on at night, neon flickering.

Yang Yixie pulled down his hoodie's hood, quickened his pace, and walked toward the police station nearest his home as he remembered.

As he walked, he mentally worked out how to explain the situation to the police later.

Saying he might have downloaded a scam app but hadn't yet noticed any loss?

Either way, first go file a report, just to put his mind at ease.

Then what? Delete this game?

Honestly, it's rare to find a game that suits his taste so well, and the NPCs are fun too; if he really deleted it, he'd still feel somewhat reluctant.