The coachman immediately got out of the car to open the door, and Chun let out a sigh of relief.
The duel was beneficial to all three parties. For the Baron, participating would establish an image of a brave nobleman, gaining the admiration of women and the respect of the onlooking commoners. No man could refuse such an honor.
For Dancing Girl, she most wished for someone to duel for her. Only a woman fought over by men can satisfy her vanity and elevate her status.
As for himself... he'll probably get knocked out in seconds, but at least he saved face in front of the two women, and he's left everything to Sherry. He believed that when she spoke, Dancing Girl would definitely support her. Many women bring a close friend to help during matchmaking, which boosts their combat power several folds. No one can withstand being ganged up on...
A corpulent man dressed like a meatball emerged.
Seeing this foolish appearance, Chun felt more confident. Let's do it!
The fat man swung a big slap, and Chun saw darkness before his eyes as if he were flying. The entire game screen darkened...
Not dead? Plot unconsciousness?
A chorus of boos and laughter surrounded him, and Sherry's voice followed: "Honorable and magnanimous Baron, he's just a nobody... Please give him a chance..."
Dancing Girl also laughed: "My little follower here is not worldly. Thank you for educating him a bit. I think you can give him a little hardship and continue to educate him so he knows his limits..."
The fat man was indeed flattered into losing himself: "Well, there happens to be a very dirty and miserable task that no one is willing to do..."
Sherry shouted: "As long as it makes money, it's fine..."
The fat man laughed: "Deal, once he recovers, I'll welcome his challenge at any time..."
Cheers erupted all around!
—— System prompt: Congratulations! You have triggered a special storyline event and unlocked the hidden job "Cleaner Fish." Public testing ends now as we enter archive cleanup phase. You can log in normally after the game version updates. Thank you for your support, and enjoy your gaming experience...
Chun was overjoyed, success!
Wait! Ending public testing early? Archive cleanup?
Chun suddenly understood; there's no real archive cleanup. What's being cleaned are the profiles of ordinary players who couldn't breakthrough. Those with inside connections gain an advantage by inheriting key information from the public test phase, widening the gap with regular players. This is a real money game, and fairness doesn't really exist. Since the game allows for money-making while AFK, fairness becomes irrelevant; play if you like, or don't.
Luckily, he broke through. Cleaner Fish, huh? Sounds like a janitor, but it also suggests assassin-like roles? This start is solid—just need to wait for the official server to begin at midnight.
Checking the time, it was past twelve noon. Time to go eat. Although ordering food delivery is the easiest, it doesn't fit his persona.
Chun left the VIP room and went downstairs, where the respected players greeted him with even more admiration: "Hello, Commander!"
Chun was amused: "Don't call me Commander, that's not me."
"The chrysanthemum of goji and chrysanthemum tea!"
Just then, the net supervisor rushed over: "Brother Chun, are you going out?"
"Going out to eat."
The supervisor hurriedly said: "Can you wait a bit, our boss wants to treat you to a meal."
Huh?
Been to this internet cafe for a while and haven't seen the boss yet. But after so many interviews with bosses, each more unsatisfactory than the last, now that I've found a breakthrough guide, I just want to play games quietly and wait till I'm a veteran before meeting any boss.
So he decisively refused: "It's nothing major, no need."
The supervisor was stunned: "But..."
The veteran players began to hoot: "Really! Testing a leader with a meal? What kind of leader can't withstand such a test?"
The lines were fitting!
...
While Chun was eating noodles at a small restaurant, his phone rang. It was his wife Xiaoqin: "Are you busy? Have you had lunch?"
Chun immediately sent over the day's work video: "Just finished, I'm eating now."
Xiaoqin laughed: "Oh, who filmed this?"
The sweat on Chun: "The new leader at the company likes to see it, have to be ready anytime."
"Alright, take care of your health. Your uncle's birthday is on the day you return from your business trip. Try to be there."
"Got it..."
As usual, the call was calm and uneventful. But now Chun's mood was different. He no longer feared the difficult future.
Chun ordered a small bottle of liquor and recalled his school days. Back then, he was a poor outsider student barely sustained by scholarships, and he caught her attention in the library. Classmates said she was a local wealthy beauty, and he had a little anticipation mixed with disbelief...
It turned out to be true! But in reality, her family wasn't rich; it was her uncle who was wealthy.
In fact, this made Chun more relaxed. If the gap was too big, it would make Chun question his life. With her uncle's connections, even with an IT degree, she got an idling position at a district office, and even though they have been married for years, they're still cheaply renting her uncle's property because they're convinced that housing prices will go down. This feeling of being under someone's roof is not pleasant. Although housing prices did drop, high-paying jobs also vanished.
However, hold on, starting today everything changes!
...
Satisfied with his meal and drink, Chun feared the internet cafe boss waiting to invite him for dinner, so he simply took his time wandering around the city instead of rushing back. He hadn't visited the Bund in a while, so he decided to experience the night market's crayfish and the heroic atmosphere of rushing waves...
By the time he returned to the internet café, it was already 9 PM.
At that moment, the net supervisor was waiting at the entrance: "Brother Chun, the boss is all over trying to replace machines but there's a big shortage, so we still need your tablet to hold out for one more night."
That serious? That means many internet cafes won't make the official server opening at midnight!
"No problem, let's hold out then."
"Thank you so much, Brother Chun."
At this point, the veteran players lamented: "Brother Chun, we got hit by Baka's trojan this time; looks like our China District might go down. Many internet cafes got scammed and burned machines since they didn't know how to handle it."
Chun gave a helpless smile: "Aren't you guys still here?"
The veterans laughed: "There should be the professional players on the third floor. If they can't hold up, then we're next."
Chun already sensed how big changes the start would face. Either way, it was best to return to the VIP room and catch up on the last three hours of sleep.
...
On the third-floor windowsill.
Azure Sky Battle Team's captain, ranked 53rd globally in the public test, Cyan Peak watched Chun enter and then asked the beautiful player next to him: "Ningning, we're counting on him to save the day today?"
Ningning smiled: "Yes, Little Sister mentioned that he's here every Monday and Friday, leaving at five in the afternoon. Today he even came quietly in a luxury car. Brother Feng, do you know which department he's from?"
Cyan Peak shook his head: "Haven't heard of any official having such capabilities."
Ningning laughed: "Should we seek a connection?"
Cyan Peak chuckled: "We can find an opportunity to express thanks; getting connected would be too troublesome."
Ningning laughed: "Unless he's a gaming expert?"
Cyan Peak smiled: "With his age and schedule, do you think he's an expert?"
At that moment, the entire place erupted: "Pig God broke through!"
Cyan Peak rejoiced: "Great! Our team now has three breakthroughs! Let's strive for another in the last three hours!"
Ningning sighed: "With the power outage, many teams were caught off guard; unintentionally, we... have become the top in the national server, right?"
Cyan Peak smiled proudly: "Even without the outage, we're in the top tier!"
"Then let's work hard! Let's aim to win the village battle in Silverlight Village three days from now!"