"Let’s add each other as friends. It’ll be easier to contact each other in-game."

With a sweet smile, Xiaoqi took the initiative to add Long Ming.

"Alright."

Long Ming lifted his wristband and opened his friends list.

"My ID is Clear Sky in Early July."

Xiaoqi then told Long Ming her in-game ID.

Long Ming tapped the magnifying glass icon and added Xiaoqi as a friend.

Seeing that Long Ming’s name was still a string of code, Xiaoqi smiled and said to him,

"Mr. Long Ming, why do you still have the default name? Aren’t you going to change it? It would make you easier to recognize."

"Right."

After a moment’s thought, Long Ming reached out and tapped the plus sign in the top-right corner.

But instead, a blank box popped up on the friends interface.

’Turns out the plus sign wasn’t for renaming, but for creating a new friends list.’

A bit surprised, Long Ming asked Xiaoqi,

"How do I change my name?"

Hearing this, Xiaoqi smiled slightly and said,

"Just tap on your name to edit it directly."

"Oh."

Long Ming then tapped on his own name and changed the name of his first friends list to "Long Ming."

"Alright, it’s changed. I’m logging off now."

With that, Long Ming logged out of the game.

...

「Star Wish Club, Second Floor.」

Long Ming opened his eyes and reached up to remove his helmet. He let out a soft sigh as he rose from the esports chair.

He wearily picked up his phone to check the time. It was already past nine in the evening.

Just then, Xiaoqi and the others logged off as well. They walked over to Long Ming, offering a warm invitation.

"Long Ming, want to get some dinner with us?"

"Yeah, we’ve been starving all day!"

...

"No, thanks. I have to get home."

Long Ming shook his head, politely declining their invitation.

"It’s past nine o’clock. Why don’t you stay the night? The club has free rooms," Xiaoqi suggested.

"I really don’t need to. It’s convenient for me to go home; there’s a direct subway line."

Long Ming gave a few light coughs, his face etched with fatigue.

"Alright then."

Seeing Long Ming insist on going back, Xiaoqi and the others didn’t press him further.

"I’ll be going, then."

Long Ming wrapped his scarf around his neck and turned to leave.

「Several hours later.」

Long Ming dragged his exhausted body back to the door of his rented apartment.

CREAK~

He opened the door and stepped into the pitch-black apartment, reaching out to flip the light switch on the wall.

Long Ming stared at the desolate living room and sighed softly. He closed the door and, without eating, headed for the bedroom.

He immediately collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.

...

As the night deepened, Long Ming’s brow furrowed in his sleep, a look of sorrow clouding his features.

「In the depths of a dream.」

A younger Long Ming stood at the edge of a mahogany bed. He gazed at his father, who lay upon it, his life withering away like a lamp running out of oil. The man’s hair was completely white, his eye sockets deeply sunken, his body gaunt and skeletal. Dark spots riddled his skin. Tears streamed down Long Ming’s face, one drop after another.

"My son... don’t... don’t give up on li-life... so easily."

Long Yuan struggled to reach out and grasp Long Ming’s hand, speaking in fits and starts.

"Yes, Father."

Long Ming promised, his eyes red with tears.

"As long as you’re alive... there’s hope. I believe you’ll work a miracle... and break the curse.... Also... in Mountain City Mountain... there’s a... a... Wi-Wisdom God...."

Long Yuan’s words stopped there as he drew his last breath.

Back in the cold room, Long Ming bolted upright, drenched in a cold sweat.

He gasped for air, his eyes darting around the familiar room as his panic slowly subsided.

"Wisdom God... Wisdom God... What on earth is that?"

Long Ming muttered to himself.

’His father had been gone for so many years, yet he still had the same dream from time to time.’

’He didn’t understand what his father meant by "Wisdom God." What was he trying to tell him?’

’And what did this Wisdom God have to do with his condition?’

Long Ming mulled it over for a long time before finally letting out a sigh. He fumbled for his phone on the nightstand and checked it.

It was already 6:20 a.m. the next day.

He got up, went to the bathroom to wash his face, and then made himself something to eat.

Immediately after, he started exercising in his room.

「An hour and a half later.」

After finishing his workout and taking a shower, Long Ming returned to his bed, picked up the helmet, and logged into the game.

「Starry City.」

Long Ming began to sort through his recent earnings.

He first took out the most valuable items: the alloy ring, the microscope, and the golden pocket watch.

Information instantly appeared on his wristband.

Alloy Ring.

Quality: Red

Exquisite Microscope

Quality: Purple

Golden Pocket Watch

Quality: Purple

Long Ming opened the marketplace and checked the buyback prices.

The Alloy Ring’s buyback price was 2,000,000, the Microscope’s was 100,000, and the Golden Pocket Watch’s was 200,000.

Long Ming sorted through all his loot, setting aside five rolls of medical bandages and five analgesic injectors.

As for everything else, he either sold it to the system or listed it on the marketplace at a low price.

Half an hour later, everything had been sold off.

In total, he earned 3,500,000 1D coins.

Long Ming checked his wristband. His account now held 6,180,600 1D coins. His wallet was finally looking healthy again.

He found a spot to sit on the ground. While reading a military combat manual, he periodically refreshed the marketplace.

’Now that I’ve completed the guild’s group mission, I can act on my own for a while.’

’Even if I join the main group for a dungeon run, any loot I get is mine to keep.’

However, Long Ming was growing less and less interested in experience vouchers and just wanted to snag an invitation.

「Several hours later.」

Long Ming’s face was a mask of resignation. He’d been refreshing the marketplace for ages but still hadn’t managed to snag an invitation.

’It feels like even more players are camping the marketplace now.’

But just then, Long Ming suddenly noticed many players excitedly running in one direction.

His curiosity piqued, he put away the manual and headed in the direction the crowd was gathering.

Soon, Long Ming followed the crowd to an open area.

In the center of the area, two chairs had been set up.

On the chair to the left sat a handsome young man with a haughty expression. His hair was slicked back, he wore an expensive custom-tailored shirt, and a red-quality watch adorned his wrist. He sat with his legs crossed.

On the right sat a petite girl with a doll-like appearance. She wore a loose-fitting sweater, her curly hair was a fluffy pink, and her eyes were clear. She had delicate features and soft, pink lips.

Behind them stood a row of bodyguards in uniform black suits.

In front of them, a tall and formidable man in combat gear with sharp eyes was interviewing a line of players that snaked into the distance.

Long Ming was on the outskirts of the crowd of onlookers. He tried to push his way in for a better look but couldn’t get through.

"Hey, watch it! Stop pushing! A bare-bones newbie like you trying to get in on the action?" a man wearing a combat suit with a single-shot rifle slung over his back snapped at Long Ming.

"Hey man, mind if I ask what’s going on up there?"

"What’s it look like? Young Master Qin Ye is recruiting skilled players for an escort."

"Oh, so they’re recruiting muscle. Why are so many people applying, is the pay that good?"

"Between 10 to 60 million 1D coins, you keep all the loot you find, and an invitation is included. You tell me."

"That high?"

Long Ming was stunned.

"What else? Why do you think we’re all here? Now beat it, stop trying to get in on the action. It’s crowded enough as it is."

The player rolled his eyes at Long Ming.

Long Ming quietly walked away, his mind racing.

’Such high pay, I get to keep all the loot, and it includes an invitation... no matter how you slice it, it’s a fantastic deal.’

He decisively found a secluded spot, pulled his full set of gear from his inventory, and equipped it. In an instant, his appearance was completely transformed.

...