Chapter 10
“Hahahaha…”
“How could that be possible?”
“Junior brother, you’re overthinking it.”
“That said, this game really does punish character death harshly. You lose everything, and the account is wiped.”
“That’s why the studio keeps reminding us again and again—absolutely do not touch dangerous tasks or environments.”
As Chen Feng and Heitan spoke, they resumed their work.
Although Wangchuan also found it hard to believe that a game could truly threaten his real self, a lingering sense of unease refused to fade.
“Forget it.”
“I’ll know when I wake up tomorrow whether experiences in the game world affect real-world physiology.”
He was still only half-convinced by the two senior brothers’ explanation. Work required focus.
Especially the first strike—both power and accuracy had to be precise. The three of them quickly immersed themselves, their gazes fixed, their conversation gradually dwindling.
Only the sound of hammers striking iron ore remained in the blacksmith shop.
Wangchuan learned quickly.
However, about every twenty minutes, he would take a short break, using drinking water as an excuse to step outside, stretch his limbs, and let his muscles relax.
After about ten minutes, he would return and continue working.
Two hours passed…
“Wangchuan! Keep it up!”
“Junior brother, we’re logging out first.”
Chen Feng and Heitan completed their tasks for the day, smashing one thousand jin of iron ore into fragments and powder, and turned in their work.
Wangchuan still had around four hundred jin left—another hour or so of work.
“See you tomorrow, junior brother.”
“See you tomorrow.”
The two left.
Only Wangchuan remained in the blacksmith shop.
By now, the village had grown much quieter. Only monotonous sounds lingered.
It felt as though everyone had entered their dreams.
Wangchuan maintained his rhythm.
During breaks, he would step outside the blacksmith shop and glance around.
The number of guards in the village had not decreased.
If anything, they seemed more cautious and alert, patrolling the earthen walls with spears and bows never leaving their hands.
Finally…
After another hour and a half, Wangchuan completed the task.
“A bit slow, but at least you finished.”
“Alright. Go get some rest.”
Blacksmith Sun did not criticize him too harshly. He handed Wangchuan five large copper coins and waved him off, signaling him to find a room in the village to rest.
There were many vacant houses in the village. As long as one opened the door, one could rest freely.
Wangchuan entered the wooden house where Lin Dahai had logged out. There was no bed, so he sat on the ground, leaning against the wall.
Before logging out, he deliberately ate two flatbreads, clearing his hunger completely. After checking the money pouch on his chest and the remaining eight flatbreads, he chose to exit the game.
“Leave the game?”
“Yes!”
…
When he emerged from the game, neon lights were already flickering outside.
Ten-thirty at night.
It was late.
Su Wangchuan removed the gaming helmet. He was alone in the room; Instructor Yu had long since disappeared.
A note lay beside him:
“Lin Dahai said you adapted well in the game, so I left first.”
“You may freely use the rooms in the game studio. Entry and exit from the building use facial recognition. Your data has already been registered. You may access floors 70 to 75 normally. In the future, you may stay here to work or return to your own apartment.”
“Remember to log in and assemble before six in the morning, and keep your gaming helmet safe.”
Su Wangchuan folded the note away. Holding the gaming helmet, he walked to the floor-to-ceiling window that reflected the city’s neon glow, gazing down at the entire city, emotions surging within him.
Today, he had not only become an employee of a mysterious game studio and stepped into a skyscraper he had never dared to imagine…
He had also spent an entire day inside a game of astonishing realism.
He knew he now faced a choice:
Whether to completely overturn his past life and move into the Warring States Tower.
No matter what, the days of waking up at seven every morning to livestream were likely gone for good.
He could no longer waste his life for an income of fifteen yuan and eight jiao a day.
He had to seize this job.
After careful consideration, Su Wangchuan decided to return to his apartment for now, get through this month first, and then decide whether to move over.
At the moment he left the Warring States Tower holding the gaming helmet—
Behind one of the windows on the seventy-fifth floor, Su Wan stood there. Her freckled, playful face bore an expression of cold sharpness utterly at odds with her looks.
“New employee Su Wangchuan obtained his second in-game job on his very first day. He really is a lucky one.”
“Train him well. Guide him properly. In the coming period, more newcomers should be assigned to Blackstone Village. Blackstone Village may become our next major gold-mining focus.”
…
When Su Wangchuan returned to his apartment, he passed the neighboring unit just as the door opened.
A sexy camisole tilted slightly, revealing a deep, alluring cleavage.
“Oh? You’re back so late, handsome.”
Taotao smiled in pleasant surprise.
“Yeah. Going out to throw away trash again?”
Su Wangchuan replied politely.
“Yes.”
Taotao smiled shyly, then suddenly produced a piece of bread like a magician.
“Handsome, could you help me again? This is for you.”
Su Wangchuan had intended to refuse, but when his gaze fell on the bread, his stomach betrayed him with a loud growl.
Only then did he realize he had missed two meals, and there seemed to be no food at home either.
“Sure.”
Smiling, he took the bread and the trash bag from her and turned toward the elevator.
Taotao stood there, stunned.
“Failed at job hunting and didn’t even eat?”
“That’s so pitiful.”
Then—bang—the door shut.
“Taotao, you must work even harder today! You absolutely can’t end up hungry like the handsome guy next door.”
“…”
Su Wangchuan went downstairs to throw away the trash and, on the way, bought two more breads and some dry rations for himself.
As he ate, he could not help thinking of the flatbreads sold by Wang Dalang in the game—fragrant with scallions. A wave of melancholy washed over him.
The game…
Reality…
They were almost starting to blur.
Suppressing his urge to dig deeper, he went home and collapsed into sleep.
Just after five in the morning, the alarm rang.
Su Wangchuan posted an explanation on his Douyin account announcing a temporary suspension of livestreaming, drawing a clear line between himself and his old career.
He made himself a bowl of instant noodles. When he logged in, it was exactly six o’clock, just in time to meet up with Lin Dahai and the others.
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
The rooster crowed.
Wang Dalang was already setting up his stall at the village entrance.
More than thirty miners, baskets strapped to their backs, gathered at the village gate, lining up to buy flatbreads.
The scene made Su Wangchuan chuckle involuntarily.
The game world’s workhorses were all in position.
He ate two freshly baked flatbreads, chased away his hunger, and followed the group out of the village.
In the crowd, he spotted his two senior brothers, Chen Feng and Heitan, standing with a different game studio’s team. They winked at him but did not approach.
Wangchuan nodded back.
“Wangchuan, Wangchuan! How was the blacksmith shop task pay?”
The talkative Heipi squeezed over, asking eagerly.