Chapter 178: I thought you all would be couch potatoes

What a coincidence, I'll take this!

So Ji Ming quietly elbowed Bai Yesheng.

"Aurora, how many exchange points do you have now?"

Although Bai Yesheng didn't know what this thing was for, it was sold so cheaply, so she decided to take it and reported truthfully.

"I still have thirty‑two, how many do you have?"

"Hey, what a coincidence, I happen to have eighteen!"

Pulling out eighteen exchange points out of thin air, Ji Ming and Bai Yesheng completed the transaction together.

The exchange points accumulated during the closed beta were spent entirely, turning into a black iron hammer with a faint cold glow.

The two didn't rush to touch it; instead, they bowed their heads and examined it for a long time, like appraising a treasure.

She poked the somewhat rounded square corner, and Bai Yesheng pursed her lips.

"Damn, I still feel we bought trash!"

"Can't help it, it was cheap after all."

"Sigh, indeed."

Then she grabbed the hammer in her hand.

"I put up the money and the big share, so this weapon should stay with me!"

"... Whatever."

Anyway, a player's storage is essentially the Great Holy Seat's vault; it's just that being inside the dungeon allows instant, no‑CD teleportation.

As the organizer of everything, Ji Ming actually has the authority to access and use any player's inventory.

In short—what's yours is mine, everyone's is mine.

With the money spent, there was no reason to linger, so the two turned and walked toward the exit of the Forge Workshop.

"By the way, it's been so long, why haven't other players come here yet?"

"Who knows, maybe we awakened super speed and they can't catch up."

But when they pushed the door open, they found that a considerable number of players had already arrived at the Forge Workshop.

As for why they weren't rushing into the forge, naturally because...

"Ah, handsome, you're so cute, want to take a photo together with sister?"

Today's players are no longer the naive ones from the early closed beta; after half a month of being refined both in‑game and on livestreams, they're each more socially adept than the last.

Moreover, the closed beta only had various non‑human races, but now just walking east a short distance you can see living humans—two of them!

Thus, standing at the workshop entrance, Charlie and Bailey, visible at a glance, naturally became their objects of harassment.

"I—I don't know you..."

Probably because of a bullet‑screen quest, Bailey was crazily entangled by that damned clamp, her face reddening like a crab dropped into a pot.

On the other side, Charlie was also flustered.

"What hidden quest? I don't know!"

"I'm human, but not the person you speak of; oh, why is this so complicated!"

"Good heavens, this place is just a Forge Workshop, nothing else."

"Sigh, that's part of the youngsters' experience too."

Ji Ming shook his head, ready to leave, but amid the crowd and distractions, someone still noticed the burning rods they carried out of the workshop...

"Damn, they really sell gear here!"

"Is that a hammer? A fantasy game can actually have a hammer? Now I believe this is a domestic game."

"It looks great just to look at, how much did you pay, sister?"

Delighted with the divine weapon, Bai Yesheng was having fun, but upon seeing this, she immediately froze like a wooden statue.

Then she let out a scream.

"His!"

She abruptly shoved the hammer in Ji Ming's arms and stepped back three meters.

Got scared because of something, huh? How pitiful, like a clown!

Ji Ming muttered under his breath, and could only lift the hammer along with it.

"Right, mine."

There wasn't much to hide, so Ji Ming openly exposed the hammer's panel.

"What? Original price 1919, but because you were fast, it's sold to you for 50?"

"Damn, we lost the initiative! Those two boys were the officials deliberately diverting our attention!"

"Maybe the second one also has a discount, let's hurry in!"

Thus, the news that the first player to buy from the NPC could get a massive discount spread across the public chat to every player within thirty seconds.

Ji Ming didn't expect that his off‑hand remark would be more effective than the painstakingly long beginner guide.

Players who had been leisurely touring now turned into underground runners, sprinting toward any building on the map that might have people.

He quietly messaged the few sales team members, reminding them to give the first courteous inquirer a ten‑percent discount or something.

So.

Soon, the crowd of players who had stormed the forge walked out dejectedly.

"Ah, Bai, you got excited for a moment—only the first, the later ones get nothing!"

"At this price, where is something we can actually afford now? Probably not until the mid‑to‑late internal test."

"Wait, based on my understanding from watching the livestream, fifty points isn't a small amount, right?"

Only then did the players realize that the two they just met were clearly closed‑beta players!

"Now that you say that, I suddenly think he looks a bit familiar… Is he that Dog Head Advisor!?"

"Ah, indeed—I have a screenshot from someone's livestream; isn't that the Shovel Murderer!"

"Damn, even if he's not a top‑tier player, he's at least a high‑tier player! Let's quickly corner him and see if he'll team up with us!"

But when we looked around, the two people from before had already vanished without a trace.

Dragging Bai Yesheng as we fled, Ji Ming kept running until we reached the small forest south of the mine cave, where we finally stopped.

"Hahaha, Dog Head Advisor! Shovel Murderer, that cracks me up—how did I not know you had these nicknames?"

I originally wanted to keep running longer, but Bai Yesheng kept laughing the whole way, never stopping, so I was already too exhausted to run.

"Enough already, the one idling and coming up with all these ideas is clearly you!"

"No problem, as long as they think it's you, it's fine."

Ji Ming still underestimated the marginal effect of Code: Sun Month; even a player like Akalin who never livestreams or even shows his face can become a minor internet celebrity thanks to the spillover hype.

He can only hope that as testing proceeds, more influencer players will appear, further lowering his own sense of presence…

Glancing at the increasingly bustling Forge Workshop on the hillside, Bai Yesheng saw Ji Ming still looking anxious, thought for a moment, and said reassuringly.

"Wai Shu, think positively—at least your nickname is Dog Head Advisor, not a dog head…"

At that moment, she suddenly fell silent.

It wasn't because the shovel in Ji Ming's hand was flashing coldly, but because of the special nature of virtual reality games: all VR headsets can connect via Bluetooth to a computer or phone to prevent players from missing important information.

Just now her game system popped up a window, notifying her that she'd received a Feixin message.

Ji Ming was about to ask what was wrong, but realized he'd also received a message on his side.

Even if you don't grab it, send me a copy: 【Wai Shu, I remember you're also a Code: Sun Month player, right? Are you online now?】

He turned his head and gave Bai Yesheng a glance.

"Officer coming?"

"Of course."

The one messaging them was that police netizen in the game group, an unlucky guy who seemed to be working overtime every day in his memory.

【What's up, Officer? Don't worry, this game's bitter tea can't be removed, and there's no evil succubus to defeat, no need to trouble you with identification】

【No, it's not that, I also got a number, but I've been too scared to say it in the group, fearing everyone would beat me up】

Copy me?

Ji Ming quickly searched the player ID and found that it indeed did not exist.

【But I didn't find you】

【I'm sure I'm not using that ID, search for "Great Desert Cang Lang"】

Why don't you let me search for "Lonely Island Fei Ying"…

Ji Ming muttered a silent complaint, then discovered that the ID could indeed be found and the player was online.

【So what's up, Officer? Shall we meet in person?】

【Haha, there are only a thousand of us, saying there are many or few, we'll eventually meet anyway—how about now?】

some newly infiltrated behind-the-scenes mastermind. jpg

some game nerd who gave players dangerous weapon schematics. jpg

"I think we shouldn't catch them, right?"

"No problem, if they catch us we'll run."

So the two of them discussed a meeting point with the Officer and headed toward Dog Village.

As the newbie village during the closed beta, the dogs' average popularity was probably higher than the players'.

Thus, even though Ji Ming had expanded it to the scale of a medieval town, it was still overcrowded and bustling.

"Samoyed, I really like you, mua, I'll duel him for you!"

"Everyone, please line up for a photo with Ji Ming, you, don't touch the dog head!"

"Brother Border Collie's spear really isn't for sale… sigh, looks like I won't get a ten‑percent discount!"

Passing through a group of beast‑person players trying to blend in, they arrived at a vastly changed central plaza.

Next to the notice board, under a magical streetlamp, a man was leaning against it at that moment.

Though he was leaning, his weight was actually on his feet, leg muscles taut like an old tree rooting firmly.

Even though he wore the standard novice linen attire, his defined musculature and the shirt tucked into his pants gave him a crisp, military‑like bearing.

Thus his looks were quite appealing, like Fu Le's, unrelated to mere facial beauty but a unique aura forged by time.

If it were a stranger, they'd probably just think about approaching to chat, like the female player currently talking to him.

But Ji Ming noticed his gaze was constantly fixed on the surroundings, silently scanning every corner.

His eyes were sharp, like a sniper!

—This isn't a police officer, that's clearly a soldier!

So he observed for a long time without daring to approach, until the other noticed him and then came over to identify himself.

"Officer?"

The man frowned, then his eyes showed equal surprise.

"You… you are Wai Shu and Aurora?"

Then they stared at each other in silence.

After a long while, Cang Lang finally broke the silence.

"I thought you'd be couch potatoes, how come you look like this?"

"As for Aurora, I'll skip it; Wai Shu, especially you, I thought you'd be that gloomy bald office drone, but you actually look… quiet."

…Damn, thanks for those adjectives!

Ji Ming also gestured with both hands.

"Actually, your appearance also exceeds my imagination; I thought you were that kind of... Officer, do you understand?"

Cang Lang lowered his head and pondered for a moment.

"You mean the type that's big-bellied, wears sunglasses, has a stun gun and a Glock on the waist, likes to go to McDonald's to settle three meals a day, and even takes bribes of donuts from criminal suspects?"

"...... Yes."

"Isn't that just an otaku with a different skin?"

"Exactly."

"......"

Cang Lang stayed silent for a moment, then suddenly broke into a grin.

"When you say that, I suddenly remember when we gathered to talk about new comics; I thought it was an otaku meeting, but I didn't expect you all to look so full of life."

Ji Ming recalled his recent days of overtime work.

"Gee, what's with being 'full of life'? I'm really just a corporate drone......"

"After exchanging a few words, Cang Lang restrained his smile, looking puzzled."

"By the way, we two have been talking, why isn't Aurora saying anything?"

Ji Ming turned his head and glanced. Seeing Bai Yesheng pretending to be a dead quail, he quickly lowered his voice.

"Hey, no, how can you panic like this upon seeing a group member?"

"Ugh, I don't know, what should I say now?"

Ji Ming could only sigh.

"Forget it, don't mind her; this kid has been impolite since childhood."

"Whether it's because his ability to read people and expressions is exceptionally strong, or the other party truly doesn't stand on ceremony, Cang Lang also let the matter slide."

"By the way, since you're both closed-beta testers, take me to that practical training camp for a spin, so I can also experience the thrill of grinding monsters!"

"Sure, no problem, let's go; remember to buy beginner gear in the mall."

Leaving the increasingly bustling Doggie Village, the three headed south.

Passing the border where players once fought a guerrilla war against the goblin army, the vast plain is dotted with several towering buildings.

As a training ground for players to hone their skills, Ji Ming varied the number of monsters, their levels, and the terrain, creating countless difficulty levels.

The easiest is five ferocious goblins on flat ground, which even a pure newbie can solo; the hardest is ten ferocious ogres on flat ground, making even spearmen have to kneel.

Combat is an important part of the game, so countless eager players have already experienced it here.

However, most are clearly newcomers from the internal test, since just listening to the noises inside gives it away.

"Eek, goblin stay away from me! Ribbit, I don't want to get buckteeth!"

"Damn, I'll never be a keyboard warrior again; turns out using a knife in a game is really hard?"

"Good heavens! Why did I bring this bunch of noobs? We're all going to die at the hands of kobolds!"

Cang Lang walked past several warehouses with a solemn expression, finally stopping in one of them.

"Twenty goblins, ten kobolds—can the three of us beat them?"

Ji Ming said it nonchalantly.

"As long as Brother Tiaozi gives it his all, even a hundred would be fine!"

"No problem!"

The sealed doors opened automatically, and the three stepped inside.

The terrain here isn't complicated, but it's not simple either; wooden crates and sandbags pile up together, forming countless cover spots and ambush points.

"Brother Tiaozi, although you surely know, I still need to remind you: when we encounter monsters later, stay calm at all times—panic means loss."

"Got it, bro; when we train and spar, the most important thing is to listen to advice!"

According to valuable experience summed up during the closed beta, new players' weapons may seem many, but in practice there are only two types.

If you're a lone-wolf player, then use a short weapon with a shield.

This combination has a high floor; although offense is lacking, defense is ample, effectively preventing new players from being unable to block when they're flustered.

If you're a team player, just buy a long spear.

A group of people standing together with spears raised, blades like a forest, chill like rain, the morale boost and battle fervor they bring are far from trivial.

After saying that, he took out a sword and shield set.

Looking at the start prompt appearing before them, the three each selected confirm.

Ji Ming also took out his signature long-handled shovel, gesturing for Bai Yesheng to step back slightly.

"Just watch your own backside later; I'm not asking you to hit anyone, just don't hit us!"

Anger instantly broke through his mental restraint, and Bai Yesheng muttered a curse.

"Damn, you look down on me, right?!"

"Just kidding, get ready to watch my performance."

Before his words even finished, he felt a strong gust of wind, and Cang Lang beside him had vanished without a trace.

Then came the sound of something heavy landing; Ji Ming stared intently and realized he had already reached the front of a ferocious goblin.

Like a fierce tiger, he pulled back his arm to gather strength, and with just one motion, he struck the opponent sideways with his shield's edge, knocking them out.

"Holy shit, I finally know why you guys could stay silent in the group for half a month!"

While wielding the sword in his other hand to finish off, Cang Lang turned his head, his face lit with an excited smile.

"Bro, this game is really fun."