[Reality · Midnight]
Jiang Ci sat at his desk in a small rented room, the only sounds around him the groaning of an old fan and the occasional motorcycle roaring past outside.
On the desk sat a worn-out VR headset. Beside it was an empty instant noodle bowl, the broth long gone.
He removed the headset and glanced at the notification on his screen.
[Virtual Asset Withdrawal Successful]Withdrawal Account: Jiang [Redacted]Amount: $18.70 USDSource: Herb Alliance Trade ConversionCurrent Exchange Rate: 100 Gold ≈ $1.00 USD
A quiet chuckle escaped his lips.
It was just $18.70. Nothing much.But this was the first time in his life he had made real-world money—from a video game.
In his past life, he'd also played Divine Realm Century.And in that entire life, he hadn't earned a single cent from it.But this time, even starting from the same point…He was writing a different script.
He stepped into the kitchen and opened the fridge.Empty.
But he knew—by the end of the week, he could afford frozen vegetables, a dozen eggs, maybe even try a proper Uber Eats meal for once.
He picked up his notebook and penciled in a new line under his financial tracker:
[Goal]: Within 2 months, average daily game withdrawal ≥ $70 USD
He paused… then added another line beneath it:
[Note]: Buy Mo Bai a real iced Americano ($5.50)
[Game · Duskmire Port]
Duskmire Port wasn't like the starting town.
Towering teleport towers, auction houses swarming with both NPCs and players, massive shipping docks—This wasn't a beginner-friendly zone. It was the jungle of commerce.
The Herb Alliance finally arrived at the port.
They set up a temporary mobile stall in the square, but almost no one stopped.
"The information gap doesn't work here," Jiang Ci muttered, scanning the area. "Everyone's too smart."
Mo Bai nodded.
"The big guilds and trading corps already have supply chains. We don't have any price advantage."
Cracks began forming within the alliance.
"Should we just join Lin Zhi's team?""Maybe we should apply to be a branch of his corp?""We're just grassroots players. We'll never get into the port market…"
Jiang Ci stayed silent.He was staring at a city announcement board not far away.
There, in bold letters:
[Duskmire Port Special Commerce Zone Auction]Requirements: Completion of the Cross-City Trade Route QuestStarting Bid: 500 Gold (or equivalent goods)Rewards:
20% Trade Fee Discount
+50% Gold-to-Cash Withdrawal Limit
Access to Hidden Supply Chain Missions via City Affinity
"That's the door we need," Jiang Ci said quietly.
[Reality · Unexpected Call]
Just as the alliance was preparing to accept the Cross-City Trade Route Quest, Jiang Ci's phone buzzed.
A number he hadn't seen in ages.
He hesitated… then picked up.
"Hello?"
"It's me. Jiang Ci."
A familiar voice—soft, professional, yet with a hint of distance.Lin Wanzhou.
Back in college, she had been one of the few people he truly trusted.A top student in the finance department.Now? The real-world executive agent behind Sunlight Trading Co.
"You're the one behind the 'Herb Alliance', aren't you? You made the leaderboard."
"What leaderboard?"
"The Real-Player Transaction Watchlist.Top 100 are monitored, invited... or controlled."
"You're with the officials now?" Jiang Ci's voice grew cold.
"I represent more than just them." A pause."I'm an analyst for Sunlight Trading, and also the lead real-world coordinator."
Silence.
"Still trying to hold on alone? You know independent players don't survive long. Capital will eat every small group alive.""Join us, Jiang Ci. I can guarantee you a minimum monthly income of $5,000 USD."
Jiang Ci leaned against the wall, staring out at the darkness beyond his window.
"Wanzhou... do you know why I turned you down?"
"Why?"
"Because you all want a world that listens.I want a world that has another option."
He hung up.
His eyes didn't waver.
[Game · Calm Before the Storm]
Back in Duskmire Port, Jiang Ci spread a large map on the meeting table inside the alliance's rented shack.
"To complete the Cross-City Trade Quest, we need three things:"
A low-risk, overlooked route (information control)
Our own supply chain (resource coordination)
Defense against both the system and other players (tactical countermeasures)
Mo Bai looked at him seriously.
"Jiang Ci… are you sure you won't burn out?"
He grinned.
"Everyone in this game carries a weapon. I don't hold a sword—But I've got an abacus."
"We're not just trying to make money—We're building a network where players share power."
"That… is what's truly valuable."
[End of Chapter 6: Jiang Ci Has Been Marked]
At that moment, as the Herb Alliance submitted their Cross-City Trade application…
Elsewhere in the real world, an official data analyst stared at a blinking name on their console.
[Surveillance Subject: Jiang Ci]Class: Merchant (Hidden Branch Activated)Profile: Unaffiliated. Constructing Independent Trade NetworkRisk Level: Moderately HighProjected Impact: Likely to disrupt platform-based pricing systemsRecommendation: Initiate contact / Prepare countermeasures
Reality had begun to intervene.
And Jiang Ci didn't yet know—His real opponent was never another player…It was the system itself.