Chapter 243: Ji Ming Seemed (Ecstasy)

The bragging time is over; next comes the core content of this meeting.

First is the funding issue.

Because it's a new thing that still needs watching, no matter how hot the early game is, the higher-ups' measures remain relatively conservative.

It seems they gave tens of millions for event funds, but after subtracting the part for buying accounts, it's barely enough to pay some wages.

Moreover, most of that money was taken by Ji Ming, this temporary hire.

Actually, it's the same overseas; according to some interesting info channels, Howard seems generous, but a large part of the funds he poured in came out of his own pocket.

And after repeatedly proving the commonality of some scientific laws and confirming some theories still at the concept stage, the higher-ups' choice is to increase efforts.

Therefore, from funding to wages, then to task structure and manpower numbers, a comprehensive addition and improvement must be made.

I understand all that; you guys figure out the arrangements yourselves.

But what does this increase in manpower mean? Could you be trying to bypass me and increase the number of players?

"Actually, there was no such plan originally, but who made us buy an extra account from Wai Shu?"

Cang Lang and Fei Ying were pre-set members, one responsible for verifying bodily functions, the other for verifying scientific technology.

Wai Shu is a hired hand recruited during the account purchase, responsible for collecting miscellaneous information to conduct corroboration from another angle.

Since we don't intend to clash with others in the closed test, if it's just the first-stage proof work, this staffing is actually sufficient.

So they pressed down the prepared account in advance, leaving it unused for now, and will pick the most suitable person when needed.

And now is the time to use this account.

"May I ask roughly what kind of person the fifth member will be?"

"If he arrives early, you definitely won't stop at the fourth round; maybe the championship will be yours."

LaoZhao spoke grandly and at the same time distributed a personnel file to each of their hands.

"Because the main content of the second stage is researching the feasibility of supernatural abilities from the real world in the game."

???

Ji Ming glanced at the numbers on that report and almost couldn't help cursing.

Damn!

Real world, Sichuan.

The Shu region is mountainous, with many perilous places; this Fuluo Mountain is one of the fairly famous ones.

Although after entering modernity, with infrastructure spreading, many natural barriers have become thoroughfares.

But the winding, uneven mountain roads between the peaks are also not something ordinary people can easily conquer.

Ordinary travelers either take a tour bus or drive off-road vehicles; even so, accidents still happen from time to time.

But today here there actually is a bicycle flying past, even on steep slopes it can go as fast as on level ground.

But unlike the imagined hulking build, the rider is actually a thin youth.

Moreover, it's clearly the depths of winter, yet he wears only a short-sleeve shirt and shorts, revealing skin flushed and sweaty underneath, constantly emitting heat.

Passing through the rustling woods, he was about to use a small bridge to cross the clear mountain stream, but found the bridge surface not only still had snow, but also a layer of ice.

Normal people definitely wouldn't idle and talk to themselves, but for a weirdo riding a 28-inch bicycle touring the world, this is all too normal.

So he lowered his head and gave a grin to his ancient Nokia that had no live stream, not even a recording function.

"Wow! Audience friends, this bridge isn't easy to cross; if I rush up and slip, I'll end up bruised all over."

"So… let's just fly over!"

Spouting nonsense, he grabbed the handlebars, stepped back a bit, then stomped hard on the pedals.

Just as the bicycle was about to plunge straight into the icy stream, he clamped his legs and actually lifted the bike into the air.

He flew over ten meters before landing steadily on the other side of the water.

"Wuhu! Driving flight!"

However, amidst the excitement, his face still showed a hint of regret.

He couldn't help pulling out a short piece of dead bamboo hanging from his pack and waving it twice in the howling cold wind.

"Actually, if possible, sword flight would be cooler..."

But since joy is fleeting, sorrow will be fleeting too.

He reinserted the bamboo, then hurriedly pedaled his bike deeper into the forest.

Since there's a road reaching here, this place won't be some remote deep mountain forest untouched by humans,

Soon, a small village that's not very modern but also not very ancient appeared before him.

"Wu Family Gully, I'm back!"

But as soon as his words fell, a roar like a tiger's howl came from the village.

"Unfilial son, you still know to come back!"

Done……

The youth, frightened, clamped the bike and turned around on the spot, hurriedly darting the opposite way, but that person let out another loud shout.

"Old Three, hurry up and seize him!"

"Okay, bro!"

With a simple smile, a hoe-wielding farmhand suddenly burst out from the roadside.

I thought it was already excessive for the kid to ride his bike at motorcycle speed, but his legs actually run faster than the youth!

"Third Uncle, please save some face for me."

Unfortunately, the youth's plea was useless; Third Uncle still lifted him and his bike back to the village.

However, after patting his shoulder, Third Uncle lowered his voice to the minimum.

"Don't be scared; don't think your dad is angry now—actually he's longing for you to come back every day."

But the owner's hearing was unbelievably sharp, and he immediately shouted angrily.

"San Er! What are you talking about?"

Third Uncle could only lower his head, raising the shovel in his hand to signal surrender.

Passing through the gate tower engraved with the three big characters "Wu Jia Gou," villagers of all ages and genders stepped out.

"Da Bao, you're back? How long do you plan to stay in the village this time?"

"Why do you look so tanned? Didn't you take proper sun protection in Africa?"

"Brother, I haven't been to the tropics yet. Is it fun to grin at a hippo in a contest?"

From a distance, it was all juniors.

So even though Da Bao isn't old, his seniority is unusually high, allowing him to consistently respect and cherish the younger ones.

"Fifth niece, this time my dad called me back, saying there's a mission, so I should stay for a while."

"Here, Xiao Jing, this is the dog tag I took when I fought those foreigners; their guns were pretty fast, so I'm giving it to you as a gift."

When they finally reached the mud-and-brick courtyard deep in the village, his saliva had been completely spent, and his bulging backpack had deflated.

At the courtyard entrance stood a middle‑aged man with a thick, square‑shaped beard, sharp eyes, and a face resembling Xun Ge'er, staring intently at the two of them.

Third Uncle and Da Bao both clapped their hands over their ears, while Old Dad merely shook his head and lifted his chin toward the interior of the courtyard as a signal.

"Da Bao, it's not me looking for you; it's Old Master who wants you. Go quickly and report your safety to the ancestors!"

"Okay."

Da Bao hurried inside, but after looking left and right, he saw no sign of the old ancestor; instead, he heard a burst of distinctive Zuan language.

"MMP, you can pull off this move too? Even if you let your grandma come over to shoot, it wouldn't make the gun and horse look like this!"

He quickly walked over, quietly pushed the door open, and found a computer room lavishly decorated inside.

Next to a wide, fish‑shaped monitor sat an elderly man with a pale face and white hair, currently wearing a shimmering gaming headset and passionately trash‑talking with his teammates.

"Old ancestor?"

The old man didn't turn his head, but simply called out.

"Hey! Da Bao's back? Sit down and rest for a bit; let Grandpa finish this match before I talk to you."

Da Bao had no choice but to sit nearby, watching his own old ancestor fiercely debate with a kid not even a tenth of his age, while firing the sniper in a rapid burst.

"Still keeping the gun? Only cowards keep a gun!"

"Little Sun, you died, right? Then just watch quietly! Watch as Grandpa gives you a one‑through‑five!"

"Going to play another round together? With a noob like you? Crawl, crawl, crawl!"

Dropping the final harsh remark, the old man, fuming, took off his headset.

"Da Bao, how's the mission in Africa going?"

"It's fine; those Gaul mercenaries couldn't beat me, and I kept the mine and the president safe."

"Good, you didn't embarrass our old Wu family!"

He stood up, and the old master walked to the glass cabinet beside him, pulling out an item from among a heap of figurines and models.

"Here, try this!"

The details of the next mission had actually been sent by the superiors on the flight back to the country, so Wu Da Bao knew this was the so‑called game helmet.

Although "Code‑Name: Sun Moon" is officially just a game, all measured data so far matches reality exactly.

If even the supernatural humans' abilities in reality can be perfectly replicated, a classic hypothesis proposed since its emergence may finally be proven.

—This is not a game, but a gateway to another world.

Only…

"Old ancestor, why is this thing pink and has cat ears?"

"Damn, Da Bao, this is a limited edition I snatched; it's really pricey."

Saying that, the old master took a black, gold‑plated card from the helmet and slipped it into Da Bao's hand.

"This is the activation code; once you've rested enough, log in quickly—the teammates are still waiting for you."

Da Bao took the item but didn't leave; after taking a breath, he whispered.

"Old ancestor, if our family's martial art can really work in the game…"

"Ha."

This man, over 130 years old yet still with a youthful rosy complexion, the old master stroked his graying beard and uttered a single word.

"Teach!"

And then...

"Must teach!"

The Sichuan wind can't reach the dungeon; no one knows what kind of fierce person will descend, and Ji Ming, after finishing the group meeting, took a rest.

The next day was a regular training day; having already learned a couple of moves from Lao Nv Shi, he gradually got used to this almost one‑sided beating training...

Just kidding!

Please, other families get addicted to being beaten; how could there be someone addicted to beating me?

It's already enough that we schedule training almost daily, but why does this old lady seem more excited and energetic the more she hits?

After securing the box of SpiritGathering Liquid Ji Ming gave, Buluowa used magic to sweep the broken training guns off the ground cleanly.

"It feels like your progress has slowed; is your potential almost fully exhausted?"

No, as my level rises, the growth of my free attribute points can't keep up with the consumption rate!

Although he has now successfully reached level 26, even if he spends all his attribute points, Strength and Agility can only be raised to 39.

"Sigh, I used to think that completing the AdaiEr series missions gave me fifty points that would last a long time; I never expected they'd be spent so quickly."

He let out a faint sigh, and Ji Ming changed back into the extremely low‑key black robe in the changing room, messed up his neatly trimmed medium‑short hair, covered his face, and walked out of the church.

Gazing at the grayish evening sky, Ji Ming suddenly felt an illusion of returning to the past.

Back then, he concealed his identity to prevent bandits from daring to attack him because he was the mediocre doctor Ji Ming.

And now it is…

Clearly he had never allocated many points to this, yet the Intelligence and Charm attributes still rose above fifty as his level increased!

According to church books, even with racial advantage, those succubi with modest innate talent would likely only reach this value in their lifetime.

After all, unless forced, who would idle and tilt the valuable profession template bonuses and free points toward Charm?

So his action was also to conceal his identity, fearing that his already aura of allure would tempt others and cause an immediate disaster.

"By the way, what level is the potion genius Siwendisi, who turns into a beautiful‑girl bulldozer in the academy?"

【Level 25, the second highest in the history of the Alchemist profession.】

"Oh, even if he's a freeloader, that's still impressive; what's the first place…"

"Alright, stop talking."

Pulling his coat tighter, Ji Ming decided to walk along the base of the wall for a while, get away from those who were trying to find him, and then take the carriage.

With his anti‑reconnaissance ability, achieving this was relatively easy, so he left the church square smoothly.

But as darkness deepened and the magical streetlamps failed to light in time, he suddenly sensed a bizarre aura's tremor.

Without thinking much, he quickly stepped back one pace, letting the cold blade barely graze his face, evading the assassination from the darkness.

They were several exquisite tiny arrows, entirely metal, likely from the assassins' favored hand crossbows.

This wasn't a random robbery by a penniless beggar or a thug gang, but a genuine assassination!

Now the enemy is hidden while I am illuminated, Ji Ming didn't stay put, but quickly turned and ran back the way he came.

Fight? Why fight?

Damn, I'll just hide back in the church; if you have the guts, come in and fight the succubus archbishop!

Damn it, why is this guy's escape so decisive?

The assassins from the black‑and‑white grid were also stunned by this almost zero‑delay white‑flag action.

But they didn't pursue directly; instead, each drew a second hand crossbow from their sleeves.

The cold blade edges were coated with lethal poison; the earlier shots were merely probing.

Amid the near‑wall of group assault, even the Chosen One, who exhausted all effort to dodge, was still pierced in the back by an arrow and fell helplessly.