After conversing with Veronica for another few minutes or so, Carmen finally realized the reason why they were required to go to the office in person.
It seems like almost all companies are starting to transition their focus to Divine World.
Although Carmen could understand the allure and the addicting Divine World to players, she can't comprehend how it managed to have such an effect on the real world.
At the end of the day, Divine World was just another virtual reality game, so why were so many people interested in using their resources to invest in it?
Not even the past virtual reality games had garnered such an effect.
'Have people gone insane?' Carmen wondered silently.
"Anyway, since you are not planning to rejoin back, I guess it's time for me to search for another job," Veronica stated, unaware of Carmen's inner thoughts.
"Wait, why don't you buy a virtual helmet and join the Divine World." Carmen snapped out of her daze and exclaimed.
Veronica became confused, and asked, "Did you change your mind?"
"No, but I want you to experience the game for yourself first and then message me later on how you feel. My in-game name is Lunar Wraith, so add me once you create one." Carmen smiled mysteriously.
Who would have known her headhunting skill could be used so readily?
At first, she was still debating if the task was easy, having believed the company was going to offer new benefits to their employees.
However, the company messed up by essentially forcing the employees to sign a double contract— one in a video game and one in the real world.
It was just a pity that aside from Veronica, most of the others had already signed the contract of the specific guild. After all, it wasn't anything shady in general, but they got an increased salary of three times in return.
Toward such allure, it was hard for them to resist.
Veronica was able to resist mainly because she didn't lack any money, and with her talents alone, many companies wanted to hire her instead. She would have no trouble searching for another job.
A short few minutes had gone by, with Veronica's expression occasionally changing from frown to pondering, almost as if she was deciding whether or not it was wise to listen to Carmen.
Finally, she sighed softly and questioned, "Is the Divine World that addictive that made you not even bother to show up at the appointed date?"
Unknowingly, Carmen had a resolute expression as she nodded in instinct.
Not even she had realized that she had become one of the addicts to the allure of the Divine World due to its realistic and immersive content.
However, it was precisely because of this natural reaction that promptly convinced Veronica.
"Fine, I'll get a virtual helmet and play with it for a few minutes or so." She said, disconnecting the call.
Meanwhile, Carmen glanced at her disconnected phone for a brief moment.
'I'm sure that a few minutes might turn into a few hours.' She inwardly thought, having realized Veronica was going to follow the same path as her.
When she first purchased one to kill some of her boredom, she didn't expect much. Yet reality showed a different case.
Having managed to convince one of her close co-workers, Carmen went on to contact a few more with whom she had somewhat of a good relationship.
Just like that, another day had gone by, and within the Vanguard Hotel, emerged an almost lifeless player.
"Ugh, I can never understand the mindset of a blacksmith." Xu Feng's face was rather pale as he weakly walked downstairs.
"What happened to you, Bos--- Sir?" Tracy became alarmed upon spotting him from afar. She was about to mistakenly address him as boss again but managed to correct it to Sir in time.
By addressing him as Sir, others wouldn't be able to connect the pieces that he was the mysterious owner. At least, in the eyes of the NPCs, given the other players should have long determined he had some relationship with the Vanguard Hotel.
What Xu Feng was wary of were not the players, but the NPCs who are inherently stronger than players.
Some of them could even be more insidious and nefarious than players. Therefore, Xu Feng must tread very carefully when dealing with them.
"It's nothing." Xu Feng smiled softly. "I've just been pulling an all-nighter in forging."
"Sir, you should be mindful of your health," Tracy warned solemnly. "I've heard news that Paradise Plains is starting to open in 3 hours. Almost everyone is now concentrating in their senses and mana to prevent any mishaps."
"I understand." Xu Feng nodded. If possible, he didn't want to pull an all-nighter either.
However, just recently, he received news from his Vanguard Blacksmith that numerous NPCs had come to the store to sell their items.
At first, Xu Feng wanted to dismiss them, having believed they were just trying to sell their scraps in return for valuable materials. After all, Xu Feng had mined a few precious ores and sent them to the blacksmith.
These NPCs' information-gathering skills were truly frightening. Not even an hour had passed by and these NPCs started to goggle at the precious ores.
When Xu Feng was informed of such news, he nearly wanted to close the shop, only to pause once he realized these NPCs were selling valuable items.
They were selling enhancement gear, one-time-use items that could cause a deadly explosion in a certain radius, and many more that are crucial to players' development.
Naturally, Xu Feng was very willing to make the exchange, given their items' value far exceeded the ores. However, it also gave him a sense of danger, having realized just a Tier 1 Stamina Gemstone might not be enough for him to win.
'The design I got could be considered average when compared to them. If I can't get into the top 10, then it's really an embarrassment.' Xu Feng sighed bitterly.
He did mention not competing in unfair trials, but he forgot to add unfair matches or competitions to the list. Now it was just great, he had doomed himself for failure.