Qin Ge was the boss of a game company.
Previously, during the rise of the gaming industry, he was like a pig standing in the wind, having scooped up his first pot of gold.
That period truly was the golden age of the industry, when even shoddily made web games had incredibly strong earning capacity.
It was said that at that time, in bars and clubs, the guests who were most popular had shifted from coal tycoons to programmers and planners—their cash flow was immense.
Then, as gamers' tastes became more sophisticated, the gaming industry became increasingly difficult to operate in.
The company's shoddily made web games were sustained by a few big spenders, and several invested game projects had also failed.
Now, the entire company felt shrouded in an air of decline.
And a game company couldn't just switch to another line of business; it had to keep making games!
When the concept of VR games emerged, Qin Ge despaired.
It was obvious that this was industry cannibalization, with the big fish entering the arena, ready to devour everything.
Developing virtual reality games? Did small companies have money to burn?
However, this year, he saw a glimmer of hope!
The office door was knocked, and a white-collar employee entered tentatively, "We've tried all sorts of methods, sent many emails, but that behind-the-scenes company of 'Gaming Otherworld' just doesn't respond..."
In fact, she was quite skeptical about the authenticity of this little game.
Checking a few forums, it was praised to the skies, yet not a single screenshot could be found!
"Xiao Huang, you have to believe that this is an 'immortal' company. We don't dare to hope for a partnership, but if we could just get the distribution rights, even just regional distribution rights, it would be enough for our company to develop..."
Qin Ge sighed, "Also... did everyone see the messages in the work group? All of you go sign up; getting even one set of the gaming equipment is a win. 'Gaming Otherworld' is definitely going to be hot, extraordinarily hot!"
The white-collar employee pushed up her glasses, feeling like the boss seemed to have bet everything on this game, almost to the point of obsession. Where did this confidence come from?
What's the use of getting so much gaming equipment?
Could it be that the other company would be willing to meet?
Or... had the boss given up, planning to transform the entire company into a gold farming workshop?
"Hmm... things seem to be looking up..."
Inside the villa, Zhong Shenxiu held the Heart Key, checking the signup status.
"Nearly thirty thousand people already? Just for a game so small it couldn't be smaller, and it has this much enthusiasm?"
"Although... many were bamboozled by gamers, and some came with the idea of selling the equipment... no matter, what I need is just the act of playing the game..."
After the first wave of player deployment, the initial effects were becoming apparent.
Then, Zhong Shenxiu was preparing to expand the player base and, compared to before, observe the benefits for the digestion of divine uniqueness.
Because the effects of such a digestive ritual weren't necessarily better with more players.
As he pondered, a phone beside him rang.
"Mr. Zhong, your order of two hundred glasses has arrived..."
A sweet voice came from the other end of the line.
"Alright, I'll come to pick them up right away!"
Zhong Shenxiu hung up the phone and walked out of the villa.
Xie Biqi sat in front of her computer, her eyes unconsciously scanning the office.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Li Ziluo, there's a delivery!"
One of her team members immediately walked over, only then realizing after checking the delivery form, "Hey, I won!"
"Boss, it's that gaming glasses!"
"Seeing so many registrations, I thought we had failed completely, but I didn't expect for one of us to win the prize. Xiao Li, you really have the luck of a king."
The other team members laughed.
Xie Biqi quickly stepped forward, took the package firmly, glaring at the address, "Damn it... the development team didn't publish a list; they just mailed it out, catching us off guard. But no matter, we'll leave immediately! Wait... Xiao Li, stay back. Go find the courier company, I want all the information about this package!"
The sound of several sedans starting urgently echoed in succession.
Outside Zhong Shenxiu's residence in the villa.
"Qingshui Garden Villa District, Unit 13... this is definitely the right place!"
After a long journey filled with excitement at finally catching the tail of the mastermind, Xie Biqi arrived at a luxurious community.
She let the duty property manager take her straight to Unit 13. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novel·fıre·net
Then, she saw... a vacant lot!
"Are you sure, this is Unit 13?"
She looked toward the manager, her gaze unfriendly, feeling that he might be a cohort, covering for that game company.
"This is it... wait..."
The property manager was a balding man in his forties, constantly wiping sweat, his expression becoming slightly bewildered, "It seems... there isn't a Unit 13 in this luxury villa block... please wait, I'll go check!"
Xie Biqi, frustrated, could only bring her team back with the chubby man to grab the records.
Then, as she walked right past Zhong Shenxiu, who was returning with a big bag of items, none of them took any notice.
Zhong Shenxiu headed to the villa, opened the door, and entered.
Xie Biqi and her team, following the property manager, went to the property building to search the records.
In an archive bag that no one saw, all records of Villa Unit 13 suddenly vanished in an instant.
No, not vanished—turned into blank sheets, as if someone had erased them with an eraser.
Even any record of that villa, including the images from the delivery surveillance footage, were disappearing...
After a half-day, a crestfallen Xie Biqi could only return empty-handed.
Zhong Shenxiu looked deep in thought, seemingly watching her depart.
'How sad it is to not have a world of the extraordinary...'
Looking at this scene, he suddenly thought of the previous world.
The humans of that world had no way of dealing with existences like monsters.
And now, the gap was even wider.
Even as Xie Biqi stood in front of him and the villa, she couldn't see or touch him... what could she do?
Zhong Shenxiu swept his gaze away, not bothering further since it was just a minor issue.
What he truly cared about were the new players who would soon receive the equipment and connect to Xuanming Sky.
Within the Heart Key in his hands, forged as if from radiance, faint and mysterious connections were forming, intangible and incomprehensible, their essence enigmatic!
Leveraging these mysterious connections, Zhong Shenxiu could see the players. With a wave of his hand, the radiance of order began to permeate and transform them... even digitizing information about the players...
"Order is a concept relative to chaos..."
"The more a subject is embraced by order, the easier it is to be manipulated by order..."
An enlightenment emerged in Zhong Shenxiu's heart.