Alright, here we go.
To facilitate equipment trading and information exchange among Illusion players, the Huaxia Nation had established Player Markets in the capital city of each province.
The closest one to Luo Jie was the Fengtian Player Market in Liao Province, one of the five largest in the entire country, second only in scale to the Jingcheng Player Market in the capital.
Stepping off the train, Luo Jie ignored the suspicious-looking touts from small hotels loitering around the exit and made his way directly to the taxi stand outside the railway station.
"Driver, take me to Qipanshan, please."
Perhaps it wasn't every day the driver saw a solo traveler like Luo Jie, he couldn't help but cast a curious glance, though his hands didn't miss a beat as he skillfully shifted gears and started the car.
Once they hit the road, the taxi driver struck up a conversation.
"Just you, buddy?"
Luo Jie gave the driver a questioning side-eye.
The driver let out an awkward chuckle and quickly explained, "Don't get me wrong, pal, I'm no creep... I'm just a little curious. Seems like more and more folks have been heading out to Qipanshan lately, and it don't matter if it's peak season or not. Has Qipanshan gotten that famous nationwide now?"
"Are there really that many tourists going to Qipanshan?" Luo Jie asked, piquing his interest at the driver's words.
Most taxi drivers were chatterboxes, and Luo Jie's question was all it took to open the floodgates. The driver launched into an enthusiastic spiel: "You bet! Us cabbies get several fares to Qipanshan every day now. Most sound like they're from surrounding provinces, but they don't look like tourists..."
"How can you tell they're not tourists?"
"Use these eyes, that's how!" The taxi driver tapped the corner of his eyes with two fingers. "Not to toot my own horn, but when you've been in this game as long as I have, you take one look at someone when they get in, and you can pretty much guess what they're about."
Luo Jie found the driver somewhat amusing and joked, "Then what do you think I'm about?"
"You?" The taxi driver slowed down a touch, giving Luo Jie a sidelong appraisal, sounding uncertain. "Honestly, buddy, you've got me a bit stumped... When you first got in, I thought maybe a college student from somewhere in Fengtian. But the more I look, the more there's this... distinct aura about you."
"A distinct aura?"
"Yeah, kinda like those big-shot CEOs who hold the power of life and death over thousands of employees... Say, you're not some rich kid slumming it incognito, are you?"
Luo Jie hadn't expected the driver to have such sharp intuition. To ordinary people, the more seasoned an Illusion player was, the more they naturally exuded a sense of detachment, much like how those in positions of power might look down upon the common folk below.
Though, in their case, it wasn't merely a difference in social class, but a far more primal, predatory hierarchy—an inherent suppression from a higher rung on the food chain.
As they talked, three people up ahead were waving frantically. A taxi with its hood popped sat beside them, clearly having broken down halfway.
"Hey, buddy, mind sharing the ride? I'll knock a little off your fare," the taxi driver asked Luo Jie apologetically.
Luo Jie shrugged indifferently.
The taxi flicked on its turn signal and pulled over smoothly in front of the three. The driver had just rolled down the window when the trio leaned in eagerly. "Driver, going to Qipanshan? Our car broke down, can you give us a lift?"
"Hop in, we're going that way... And don't thank me, thank this guy here. Wouldn't have offered if he hadn't said yes." The taxi driver was decent enough to direct the gratitude properly.
"Thanks a lot, kid," they said, climbing in one after another and thanking Luo Jie. Meanwhile, Luo Jie took the opportunity to study the three with keen interest.
It was a group of two men and one woman.
The first man, around his early thirties, had a rugged, tough-guy face etched with what looked like a permanent scowl. His skin was dark, and a plain white t-shirt strained tightly over his bulging muscles, giving him an imposing physique.
The other man was a bit younger, with a large black and blue dragon tattoo coiling around his left arm. His muscles weren't as exaggeratedly pumped as the tough guy's, but they looked leaner, more defined, and there was a distinct rhythm to his movements, suggesting he'd trained in some form of martial arts.
Bringing up the rear was a young woman, maybe twenty-six or seven. Her looks were only slightly above average, but her figure was exceptional. Unlike the delicate build of many Huaxia women, her petite frame radiated a healthy, toned athleticism. Even without a speck of makeup, she had a unique charm all her own.
Most importantly, to borrow the sharp-eyed driver's earlier words, Luo Jie could distinctly sense that same "special aura" about these three hitchhikers.
The aura of Illusion players.
The trio, upon boarding, quickly realized Luo Jie was one of their own, showing some surprise, but since they were the ones hitching a ride, they didn't overthink it. The muscular man even took the initiative to chat.
"Headin' to Qipanshan to play too, kid? First time?" He subtly emphasized the word "play," clearly using the code to gauge Luo Jie's experience level.
"First time," Luo Jie replied, using the same coded language. "Heard it was a fun place, so I came to check it out, maybe pick up some souvenirs."
The three exchanged glances, a hint of relief evident on their faces. So, just a newbie who'd survived their first Illusion, probably heard about the Market and came to see the sights.
"We've been a few times, know the ropes pretty well. Want to tag along with us?" The well-built woman extended the invitation.
Luo Jie paused, a flicker of caution rising in his mind.
But he quickly realized he was overreacting. At this stage, most Illusion players still clung to the moral values and self-discipline ingrained in them as ordinary people. Violent crimes like murder and robbery wouldn't become commonplace until much later in the Illusion's progression.
What's more, even robbery required a motive. Without a sufficiently tempting reward, no one would dare risk the global manhunt that came with killing a registered player in the real world.
"Sure, that'd be great. Thanks for having me," Luo Jie replied with an innocent smile. Playing the rookie was always a good way to fly under the radar.
Conversation was limited in the taxi. It wasn't until they got out and paid that the three introduced themselves properly.
The muscle-bound tough guy went by "Chief" and worked as a fitness instructor.
The tattooed man was "Fighter," a Sanda coach.
The petite woman was "Dancer," a belly dance instructor.
They'd all been employees at the same gym, caught in the initial Illusion during a company retreat, and had been players ever since. Having survived four Illusions, they were considered a fairly experienced veteran team.