Despite her unbreakable blood ties with the Chen family, sometimes, in the face of interests, blood relations truly mean little.
As the eldest daughter acknowledged by the Gu family, she inherited her mother Gu Jiaqi’s shares in the Gu Corporation. The annual dividends alone were a significant fortune, making her an enviable “white, rich, and beautiful” woman, and she had once been the object of envy and flattery from the Chen family.
She suspected that there was a player behind the Chen family, especially given their sudden rise over the past year.
The Gu family knew all too well what the Chen family was like: a quagmire. If not for Gu Jiaqi being deceived by Chen Shishen into marrying him back then, the Chen family would likely have already gone bankrupt and vanished from Haishi’s elite circles.
Over the years, the Chen family could barely be called a low-tier wealthy family in Haishi, only surviving under the Gu family’s influence.
But now, without any visible transition or noise, the Chen family had suddenly soared, gaining confidence and capital.
Where did the Chen family get its newfound confidence? Where did the capital for its rise come from?
Many who observed the Chen family’s rise couldn’t find an answer, yet the rise was undeniable, with no evidence of any legal violations. It felt as though a powerful, mysterious force was pushing the Chen family from behind the scenes, helping it escape the mire and breathe new life, allowing it to re-enter Haishi’s circles of influence.
Gu Jiu believed that such seemingly miraculous, untraceable means could only come from a player of the “Multiverse Game.” Ordinary people simply couldn’t achieve such feats.
Players didn’t need to be in the public eye. With the help of the game, players could bring substantial capital back to the real world, which was part of the game’s compensation for them.
Previously, the Chen family had always been humble and flattering in front of the Gu family and Gu Jiu, hoping that she, as the recognized eldest daughter of the Gu family, would, out of consideration for their shared blood, extend a hand to help the Chen family.
Even though Gu Jiu was a daughter, her father, Chen Shishen, was always humble and ingratiating toward her.
He tried to display his fatherly love for Gu Jiu and even made compromises on behalf of his beloved daughter, Chen Zhiru, whom he had with his true love. He hoped that the Gu family would see how much he valued Gu Jiu.
Thus, over the past year, when he suddenly changed his attitude toward Gu Jiu, the Gu family found him utterly revolting.
If he had pretended for twenty years, why couldn’t he keep pretending?
When he said, “Don’t blame me if you go blind; I won’t be caring about you,” it left the Gu family both shocked and disgusted. This phrase also revealed his newfound confidence, completely unlike his previous groveling attitude.
Previously, Gu Jiu couldn’t understand why the Chen family had suddenly become so self-assured. But after she became a player in the Multiverse Game, everything became clear.
There must be someone within the Chen family who had become a player, and that person must be doing quite well in the game to have lifted the Chen family out of the mire.
As for who that player might be, Gu Jiu had her suspicions. However, since the person hadn’t done anything against the Gu family so far, she had no inclination to bother with it.
If the Chen family could rise on their own, they wouldn’t need to curry favor with the Gu family anymore. In fact, they could even suppress the Gu family and drive it out of existence.
The logic was simple and anyone with sense could figure it out.
Thus, the player behind the Chen family wouldn’t need to personally take action against the Gu family. As long as the Chen family continued to grow, eventually outshining the Gu family, the Gu family’s fate would be clear.
Gu Jiu hoped that the player backing the Chen family was wise enough to avoid targeting ordinary people.
Right now, her energy was focused on the game world, aiming to level up her player status. She had no time to deal with trivial matters in the real world, so she hoped the other side would refrain from acting.
Once a player makes a personal move, the implications become entirely different.
Perhaps Gu Jiu’s indifferent attitude made Chen Shishen feel a loss of face, so he finally stopped trying to call or message her.
Gu Jiu scoffed softly, able to guess her father’s current mindset.
It was nothing more than his desire to see the Gu family come begging him for the sake of her eyes, as a way of venting his grievances from twenty years of humiliation in front of his unwanted daughter, now that he finally had the upper hand.
She knew well the condition of her own eyes, but the Gu family didn’t. If Chen Shishen said something to them or hinted that he had a way to cure her eyesight, the Gu family would undoubtedly go to the Chen family to plead for help.
Gu Jiu had no intention of letting the Gu family beg the Chen family.
It would be futile, and they’d probably just end up being humiliated or used as a stepping stone for the Chen family.
After dinner, Gu Jiu went to her uncle and older brother, Gu Mingjie, in the study, bringing up the Chen family and casually asking if they had recently been in contact with them.
“They have been reaching out,” Gu Jiasheng nodded. “Ah Jiu, how did you know? Did your father tell you?”
Although Chen Shishen was far from ideal, the Gu family hadn’t erased the fact that he was Gu Jiu’s father.
Gu Jiu chuckled lightly, letting them assume that was the case.
Gu Jiasheng said, “I’ve heard from the Chen family that they’ve supposedly developed a drug in one of their private research facilities aimed at treating congenital amblyopia. Apparently, clinical trials have already begun…”
If the Chen family truly had developed a treatment for congenital amblyopia, they would seek the Chen family’s help to treat Gu Jiu, even if it meant pleading.
Gu Jiu replied, “Uncle, there’s no need to beg them.”
The two men looked at her, puzzled. “Ah Jiu, if the Chen family truly has a way…”
“They don’t!” Gu Jiu declared without hesitation. “They absolutely don’t have a treatment for congenital amblyopia. It’s just a trap to lure you in. Please don’t go to them for my sake.”
Even if the Chen family had found a treatment for congenital amblyopia, the problem was that her eyes couldn’t be cured by any medication. It would be useless.
The two men frowned. Was it possible that the Chen family was indeed trying to set up a trap for the Gu family using such underhanded tactics?
But what if they weren’t?
“Ah Jiu…”
Gu Jiu clung to her uncle’s hand, shaking it playfully as she had when she was a child. “Uncle, please listen to me. I’d rather go blind than have you beg the Chen family!”
Knowing her personality, Gu Jiasheng realized that she would probably rather lose her sight than see her family lower themselves to ask the Chen family for help.
He swallowed the words he was about to say and sighed. “Alright, I understand.”
Although the two men still wished to explore a connection with the Chen family, Gu Jiu’s early warning made them decide to proceed with caution.
They couldn’t simply do nothing, though. If the Chen family was indeed setting a trap, they could seize the opportunity to interact with the Chen family cautiously, testing the truth of their claims before deciding on a course of action.
×××
In the days that followed, Gu Jiu spent all her time training in the Boundless City training grounds, focused and unperturbed by distractions.
When the system notified her that it was time to enter the game world, Gu Jiu greeted Lu Ji and returned to the real world, where she placed her prepared items into her portable inventory.
Ever since purchasing a 100-slot portable inventory, Gu Jiu no longer worried about storage space and filled it with everything she thought she might need.
At 9 p.m., fully equipped, Gu Jiu entered the misty gray space right on time.
[Player is about to enter a C-level game field: Death Movie.]
[Game mission: The player must successfully complete the role in a death-themed movie.]
[Item available: Substitute Card, priced at 1,000 points each. Players are allowed to purchase one card each.]
Gu Jiu stared at the game store’s interface for a moment. “387, why is there only one item available this time? Where are the others? Even the regular items are gone?”
[Miss, that’s how it works with C-level and above game instances. Only one item is offered, with no other items for sale. If you want additional items, you can purchase them from other players in Boundless City. As for basic goods like food, clothes, and daily necessities, you can bring those from the real world.]
Gu Jiu understood, “So the variety in the game store was to accommodate D-level players?”
[Correct. Given the lower levels and capabilities of D-level players, they face higher risks of dying, so the game tries to ensure more of them survive.]
Just as the game fields are graded, players’ levels also correspond to these game fields: D-level players for D-level fields, C-level players for C-level fields, and so on.
“So once players move up to C-level, they’re essentially past the ‘newbie protection phase,’ and the game stops going easy on them?”
[That’s one way to see it.]
Gu Jiu nodded, not particularly concerned with the game’s approach.
The “Multiverse Game” contained countless worlds and required players to enter them for tasks. Why these tasks were necessary remained a mystery, though she understood that players were crucial to these game worlds’ functions.
Thus, the game needed to ensure as many low-level players as possible could survive to fill the game worlds’ demands.
Gu Jiu suddenly remembered something. “So what about my previous suggestion to improve the quality of food for players?”
[….]
387 paused in silence.
Gu Jiu laughed, “So, once again, the game ignored it, right? And since I’m already in a C-level field, I can’t buy anything from the D-level store, making any complaints pointless, isn’t it?”
387 felt as if the game had just been exposed by the young lady once again.
[Miss, your portable inventory has ample space now; you can prepare food yourself and avoid any inconvenience.]
Gu Jiu hadn’t previously thought to bring extra items from the real world due to limited inventory space and the general lack of knowledge new players had about game worlds. Without guidance from seasoned players, newcomers could only rely on their own experience.
Gu Jiu chuckled, deciding not to press the system further.
She quickly bought a Substitute Card, tossed it into her portable inventory, and said to the system manager, “Alright, send me into the game world.”
×××
Exiting the misty gray space, Gu Jiu found herself seated in a spacious, brightly lit, and elegantly decorated hall.
The hall was filled with people, roughly twenty or so, each with a relaxed demeanor—some standing, others sitting. A few were dressed in combat-ready clothing, while others wore casual attire, showcasing a variety of styles.
These people were all players.
Gu Jiu was dressed in a knitted brown autumn dress with a small, casual vest over it, flat leather boots on her feet, and a pair of rimless glasses with gold-threaded arms. She had an elegant, refined air, like a pampered lady from a prestigious family, entirely unlike someone entering a horror game world on a mission.
Several men in the room glanced her way.
Unperturbed, Gu Jiu ignored the attention and scanned the room, eventually spotting Lu Ji standing in a corner.
Lu Ji was still in her signature white dress, her dark, seaweed-like hair flowing freely, giving her a pure yet somewhat monotonous appearance. Her overly pale skin made the white dress appear even starker, diminishing the impact of her natural beauty.
As Lu Ji approached, Gu Jiu said, “Ah Ji, next time, let me take you shopping. A girl needs to know how to dress up; you can’t keep rotating through the same outfits.”
Lu Ji hesitated, then responded, “…Then I’ll leave it to you.”
Gu Jiu held her arm in a sisterly gesture, as if to declare to the world that they were inseparable best friends.
Besides Gu Jiu and Lu Ji, many players were also looking for their companions.
The Multiverse Game didn’t prohibit players from forming teams, though there was a limit—four players per team—to prevent players from grouping up to harm others in the game world.
Although the Multiverse Game forbade direct player-to-player violence, players could still use game rules to trick or harm players with whom they had grudges. This was a well-known fact among players, and the game itself was aware, yet it chose not to interfere.
Rules, after all, were the most challenging elements to touch or alter. Not even gods could change the rules.
After a brief period, just enough for the players to acclimate, a middle-aged man dressed as a butler appeared in the hall.
All the players turned to look, recognizing him as an important NPC in this game world and scrutinizing him with curiosity.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Herlan Castle.”
“You are here to participate in a movie shoot. Our mistress, Madam Herlan, has a deep appreciation for films. She hopes that you will produce a film that earns her admiration.”