Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Four hours ago, in City of Light…
Plop… Plop…
The soft and gradual sound of water drops replaced the job of the clock in this prison where time could not be distinguished. This also allowed for the extremely bored prisoners that were thrown into individual cells to have something to do, which was to count water droplets.
Baili Xuanyuan sat on the ground casually, his fingers tapping in-between his knees rhythmically. If there were others present, they would notice that the frequency at which he tapped his hand was identical to the water drops, such precise movements, without any difference at all!
“There are still 2,206,700 seconds to leaving this prison.” When Baili Xuanyuan said that number, he was shocked by the extent of his own boredom. He helplessly leaned on the wall with a slight smile on his face.
The New Age’s prison was an interesting place, although there was no game which would make the prison to be so realistic. That was because The New Age adhered to a principle—games are for players’ amusement and enjoyment, that also made no games reach the height of “The New Age.”
In The New Age, there was never a lack of players being thrown in prison. Maybe they had ignored the city rules and were captured by the guards, or maybe they were punished for killing the innocents, or just they wanted to kiss a lady beside the road but were caught red-handed by a burly man.
No matter how the prison in The New Age was extremely lively.
Also, as the game developed, there even appeared a very distinctive “Prison Culture”! The players in prison could more or less find some items to entertain themselves. There were even some nimble-minded players that thought of using wood and folding papers to create items such as mahjong and so on for sale, they were also able to earn a small fortune.
In the prison of City of Light, many players were willing to play a few rounds of mahjong, there were even players who were tired after leveling up, so they purposely touched the butt of the guard leader, who had scars all over his face. Naturally, they would get teleported into prison. They would have a few rounds of mahjong with their prison mates: In Light Blue City which had the “Water Prison,” the players would bring along a fishing rod on them at all times, so it would be more convenient for them to increase their proficiency for fishing after entering the prison. It was always mentioned that there was even a small chance of catching Mutated Fish.
However, the precondition for all of those was… Normal prisons.
Baili Xuanyuan looked at the prison cell, which was like a super single room. He was devastated as he looked at the dice and mahjong scattered on the ground. Not to mention people, there was not even an NPC around, only a few simple-minded elements were in charge there. It was impossible for that bunch of foolish things to learn such high IQ games like mahjong.
Therefore, Baili Xuanyuan could only helplessly straddle on the ground and silently play with his fingers.
The prison calculated the prisoners’ time online and forcefully cut off all external communication, which made entering such deluxe room to be quite a painful thing.
Imprisoned for a month! That was the Baili Xuanyuan’s punishment!
He thought for a while and temporarily exited the game. Then, he woke up in a quaint office.
He was a person who fairly knew how to enjoy life. The pleasant scent of sandalwood that filled his desk, as well as the valuable, vigorous and lively calligraphy fully proved that point. Not only so, but every part of his office was also arranged just in the right place. Even if one were to use a magnifying glass, they would not find a single flaw at all.
Baili Xuanyuan wore the eternally identical suit and habitually tidied up the tie in front of his chest. He massaged his temples that were slightly painful and moved his chair to the front of the huge French window.
“Boss, here’s your coffee.” Knowing Baili Xuanyuan’s daily life habits well and relying on her looks that were quite good, Wei Lu had successfully squeezed away the previous secretary. She immediately brought the coffee that was already prepared earlier on and silently stood behind him.
Baili Xuanyuan stared at the beautiful Jiang City for a long time, and then he exclaimed in amazement, “Such a beautiful place…”
Wei Lu smiled slightly, she was also looking down onto the whole Jiang City. In her eyes, the light rays of endless greediness were reflected.
“I want a cup of coffee.”
“Understood.” Wei Lu instantly poured away the coffee that still had some warmth and brewed another cup again. Baili Xuanyuan placed it in his hand and gently sipped. He stood up and said, “Sort out a set of the materials from the last time’s auction of the Central Auction House, I want to hold a meeting with the board of directors.”
————
“This is the first virtual game auction held by players.” Baili Xuanyuan’s voice was resounding and powerful as he mentioned the materials on hand. He faced the near 20 board of directors, whose faces were filled with wrinkles, and said seriously, “This was the total transaction in the first auction, it had reached 1,200,000 gold coins!”
A man near his sixties with his hair combed into a glossy, and bright slicked-back hairstyle stood up and asked, “Converted to cash?”
“Close to 300,000,000!”
When Baili Xuanyuan uttered those few words, the board of directors present fell into a short silence.
The amount of 300,000,000, to an energy company like the Baili’s family, was not, even more, the assets that a branch company had. However, if that number appeared in the game – a virtual game that had appeared only two months ago – that was worthy of being viewed with more importance.
“Xuanyuan, I remember that you were strongly opposed to investing funds into the game, right?” A middle-aged man that looked somewhat similar with Baili Xuanyuan said calmly, “Now, what do you mean by placing this information in front of us?” ”
“I have my own considerations.” Baili Xuanyuan threw a deathly glare at a few people in the board of directors and said, “Everyone also understands that any proposal had to obtain the approval of the board of directors, as for the matter of me being the vanguard entering the game to explore, I had only gotten a few tens of millions of funds.”
“What?”
“You entered the game to explore? And even obtained funds?”
“Baili Xuanyuan, the reason why we the Baili family is able to do so well in the market is by relying on our iron house rules! Any fund transactions of over one million must be recorded, no one is an exception!”
Everyone was shocked, the business achievements of the Baili family were obvious to all, and one of the reasons that this commerce empire was able to continue flourishing was due to the rules, or one could say “strict rules”! Nothing could be accomplished without norms or standards, that was the consensus between everyone in the Baili family.
Baili Xuanyuan dared to invest a few tens of millions into the game without authorization, that “crime” was already enough to deprive him of all his shares and investment rights, making that overweeningly ambitious guy become a trust fund baby that idled around all day just to kill time.
“That you do not need to ask since I could avoid your detection, then that proves… I have these qualifications!” Baili Xuanyuan ignored their astonishment and continued speaking, “Also, according to this period of exploring, I believe that virtual games have huge economic potential! Therefore, as the person with the highest degree of exploration in the game, I need seed capital!”
Baili Tianhe said calmly, “That is not guaranteed.”
“Oh? Big Brother Tianhe you mean…?”
“My son, Baili Changcheng, also entered the game.” Baili Tianhe’s lips curved into a light smile identical to Baili Changcheng. “He had given me a report three days ago. Xiao Wang, play the report.”
Xiao Wang respectfully nodded and played the report, the virtual images were formed in the sky impressively.
Amongst them recorded the basic information of the game, the estimated difference between equipment grades, information on the part of the leveling grounds, information on each and every guild, alliance information, as well as the investigation and analysis of the guild “Mage Heavens”… Of course, it also included the famous Brotherhood.
“Now, I will tell everyone of an iron rule in the virtual game, that is…” Baili Tianhe said word by word, “Don’t offend Brotherhood!”
Boom—
Everyone stared at each other, speechlessly! Don’t offend Brotherhood? The iron rule of the game? How dominating could they be to set that iron rule?
“Our Baili family funds are given to the one with the most qualifications all along.” Baili Tianhe continued speaking, “Also, my son is in the management level of Brotherhood. As long as he gives an order, the whole Brotherhood would be at his beck and call. If the funds are sufficient, then it would not be difficult for the whole Brotherhood to become assimilated into our Baili family. In other words, once the funds are in my, Baili Tianhe’s hands, then the originally powerful Brotherhood would be even more greatly strengthened and helping our Baili Family to construct a virtual game commerce empire would simply be a piece of cake!”
Baili Xuanyuan’s teeth gnashed. “Baili Xuanyuan is a member of Brotherhood?”
“Yes, and so?” Baili Tianhe looked at him.
“He is only a callow youngster, I think Baili Changcheng does not have the qualifications.”
“Baili Xuanyuan has great ambition, that is the unanimous evaluation of him from all the elders. I support Big Brother Tianhe.”
“Hand over the money to a child that has no experience at all? What a joke!”
“This is a game, Old Tun, your pair of dim-sighted eyes should have been dug out long ago, hahaha…”
Currently, the board of directors had instantly split into two factions, the scene was as noisy as the vegetable market. They taunted each other with what they said, but they completely understood the malicious gleam and viciousness hidden deep within their eyes.
Baili Xuanyuan’s eyes flashed, and he laughed out coldly.
Shortly after, a special call was connected in, and an old voice could be heard in everyone’s ear.
“Baili Xuanyuan, I will allow you to use a sum of the family’s money, but you must earn 10 times the amount in a month! Or else, then you will settle down and be your rich second generation.”
