"Hoo..."
Lin Zhao slowly let out a sigh of relief, as if waking from a long slumber. When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying in a game pod filled with nutrient fluid. He immediately felt dizzy and nauseous. After a few violent coughs, someone opened the pod and helped him out.
"Ah Zhao!"
Outside, Ding Chi roared with laughter, "You're finally awake, finally awake..."
"Yeah, finally awake!"
Beside him, a beautiful woman in uniform also smiled broadly.
...
Lin Zhao sat in the game pod, taking large gulps of the fresh air outside. He frowned, his memory still a bit jumbled. The memories of his real life began to intermingle with those from the game before he sorted them out. He turned to look at Ding Chi, his best brother, whom he naturally recognized. The woman, however, was unfamiliar.
"Ding Chi!"
Lin Zhao nodded and smiled, "You're here..."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm here."
Ding Chi supported his arm and chuckled, "Shall we go take a shower? I'll tell you things slowly?"
"Okay."
...
Half an hour later, Lin Zhao, wearing a hospital gown, sat on the balcony eating the meal prepared by the medical center. Ding Chi, sitting beside him, recounted the events that had transpired after Lin Zhao had fallen unconscious. He then gestured to the beautiful woman beside him and said with a smile, "Sister Feiyue had something important to attend to and had to leave early, so she asked Ning Yu to stay with you."
"Mm."
Ning Yu nodded gently, her gaze towards Lin Zhao akin to an older sister looking at her younger brother. She smiled and said, "After I give you a few more instructions, I'll have to go back to the military to report. Then I'll return to Lord Feiyue's side."
"Alright."
Lin Zhao smiled and nodded, "Is my sister doing well?"
"Very well."
Ning Yu took out a card from her pocket and said, "Here, this is the access card to a villa your sister owns by Taihu Lake. While she's away, you and Ding Chi can stay there. Everything is fully equipped, just pack your bags. In the future, when you both enter 'Tian Xia,' you can recruit soldiers and build up your forces. You can also recruit some members to stay there. In short, this house is yours for a long time."
"Oh..."
Lin Zhao's heart was filled with mixed emotions. He had never lived in a villa before, only countless dilapidated, moss-covered hovels. Furthermore, he still didn't know what his cousin Murong Feiyue actually did. Ning Yu was her subordinate, so was his sister perhaps involved with the military?
Ning Yu didn't give him time to ponder further. She took out an envelope and placed it on the table, "Here, this is the management key for the Feiyue Knights guild. Once you log into the 'Tian Xia' official website, you can find the key input interface in the guild creation section. Bind the guild to your account. This way, only you can create the Feiyue Knights guild."
"Oh..."
Lin Zhao took a sip of porridge, a hint of confusion in his voice, "Why must the guild be named Feiyue Knights?"
"Well..."
Ning Yu smiled slightly, "Lord Feiyue said that this account carries a long memory and time, and it has a foundation. So, just listen to your sister obediently. She wouldn't harm you, would she?"
"Alright then."
Lin Zhao smiled, "Anything else?"
"No more."
Ning Yu pursed her red lips and said, "Ah Zhao, the world is so chaotic. You'll have to make your own way from now on. This game, 'Tian Xia,' is hailed as the second world. It's a metaverse based on blockchain technology and an opportunity for ordinary people to showcase their talents. So, your sister hopes you can rise to prominence in this game and completely change your life's trajectory. She believes in you."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao nodded gently and smiled, "I will. Please tell my sister for me that I won't let her down."
"Okay."
Ning Yu picked up an exquisite briefcase and said, "I'm leaving now. The hospital bills have been settled. Also, your sister has transferred one hundred thousand universal coins to your personal account. Spend it wisely. And don't try to contact your sister actively; you won't be able to reach her when she's busy. She'll find you when she's free."
"Mm, okay..."
...
After Ning Yu left, Lin Zhao leaned against the headboard, thinking about the game. Ding Chi, beside him, was cracking sunflower seeds.
"Ding Chi, when does the game officially launch?" Lin Zhao asked.
"In three days."
Ding Chi grabbed another handful of sunflower seeds and said, "I've already quit my job. From now on, I'll focus wholeheartedly on fighting with you in the game. As Sister Feiyue put it, changing our life trajectories in the second world!"
"Weren't you a well-known lawyer locally before?" Lin Zhao asked with a smile.
"Don't mention it..."
Ding Chi chuckled awkwardly, "After getting my lawyer's license, I barely handled a few cases, and over eighty percent of them were lost. I almost got into trouble myself. A straightforward person like me isn't suited to be a lawyer. Besides, this era values money, weapons, armor, and status, but not reason or law. Who would take a small lawyer seriously?"
"Lawyer Ding is right..." Lin Zhao laughed heartily.
Ding Chi rolled his eyes, "You seem to be in good spirits. When are you getting out of the hospital? We should go check out our place. Then we can start recruiting soldiers and building our team. The Feiyue Knights won't rise to power with just the two of us!"
"Mm, get out now?"
"Alright."
...
In the afternoon, Lin Zhao, dressed in casual wear, and Ding Chi appeared in front of a lakeside villa by Taihu Lake. The villa itself wasn't large, but its location was exquisite. In an era where Taihu Lake resources were increasingly scarce, owning such a villa in a prime location by the lake was the mark of someone either wealthy or powerful. Lin Zhao couldn't help but frown, "How does my sister have a villa like this?"
A hint of unease crept into his heart. His sister was so beautiful; could she be... involved with some high-ranking official?
Ding Chi paused for a moment, then immediately looked disgusted, "Don't overthink it. Sister Feiyue isn't that kind of person... By the way, Ah Zhao, have you ever known what your sister does?"
"I know a little..."
Lin Zhao frowned as he swiped the access card, "Before, my sister was an office worker. Then she seemed to become a senior executive. After that, she got busier and busier and had no time for me, so I didn't bother her. I've been living fine on my own in Sucheng."
"Hmph..."
Ding Chi snorted, "Your sister is in the military now. They say she holds a very high rank in the Southeast Military Region. Otherwise, do you think she'd be qualified to own a villa in such a prime location?"
"Is that so..."
Lin Zhao pushed the door open and stepped inside. The luxurious scene that greeted him made him dizzy. He had never even seen a house of this caliber, let alone lived in one. Walking into the main hall and looking up at the layout of the hall and the second floor, he felt like a country bumpkin entering the city, muttering, "Holy crap... no way..."
Ding Chi was also dumbfounded, "What the hell... are we dreaming?"
Lin Zhao gently touched the decorations in the hall, frowning, "It seems... no one has ever lived here?"
"Mm."
Ding Chi nodded, "Even Sister Feiyue hasn't lived here. It's said the military awarded it to her as a commendation for meritorious service not long ago. She's always away and never has time to stay, so it's a windfall for us."
Lin Zhao took a deep breath, "What's next?"
"Recruiting soldiers!"
Ding Chi pondered for a moment, "I've already scouted the first candidate. Do you remember Zhang Jun?"
"Remember him!"
Lin Zhao laughed, "We were best buddies in Third High School, how could I not remember? But Da Jun is a bit too handsome. Playing games with him will be quite the challenge..."
He added with a wry smile, "Look, neither you nor I have much luck with women. We'll just have to watch Da Jun chase girls while we tag along and drool."
Ding Chi laughed heartily, "Damn, you're so right. But we don't seem to have many other options. Besides this house, we're penniless. How else can we recruit people if not by roping in acquaintances?"
"That's true."
Lin Zhao's eyebrows rose, "Let's go pull Zhang Jun into this. Do you know where Da Jun is?"
"I do, he's working in the back office of a supermarket!"
...
Sucheng, Main Avenue, Bairunfa Supermarket.
In an era of extreme resource scarcity, this Bairunfa Supermarket was like a pearl in the city. However, the number of shoppers wasn't very high. Most city residents relied on government relief supplies to live, and the goods in the supermarket were merely a luxury.
Bairunfa Back Office.
"Dong dong dong~~~"
A man was tirelessly chopping with a knife. A chicken was completely dismembered in mere seconds under his blade. He wore a baseball cap, beneath which were thick eyebrows, large eyes, and sharp features. He was extremely focused on his work.
"Da Jun!"
Ding Chi roared with laughter, "Look who I brought with me!?"
"Huh?"
Zhang Jun looked up and saw two extremely familiar figures. He couldn't help but smile. He immediately dropped his knife on the cutting board, took off his gloves, and walked over, hugging them both. "Lin Zhao, Ding Chi, long time no see!"
"Yeah!"
Ding Chi smiled and asked, "How have you been lately?"
"Just working to make ends meet~~~"
Zhang Jun chuckled, "Ever since I broke up with my girlfriend, I've been focused on making money. For men, money is the backbone; everything else is fake."
"Broke up?"
Lin Zhao was slightly taken aback, "No way? You're so handsome, how could she bear to leave?"
"Don't mention it..."
Zhang Jun sighed wistfully.
"It's alright, brother!"
Ding Chi stepped forward and ruffled his hair, "Losing you is her loss, and we haven't lost anything, right?"
The next second, Ding Chi accidentally knocked off the baseball cap while ruffling his hair. Lin Zhao stood there, dumbfounded.
At some point, Zhang Jun had lost most of his hair on top...
"Holy crap..."
Ding Chi was also stunned, "What happened? It's been only a few years, and you're so bald!?"
Lin Zhao couldn't help but reach out and touch Zhang Jun's head, "It's quite smooth..."
Zhang Jun felt an urge to hack these two guys to death with his knife and roared, "Damn you two! What do you want with me? I'm always happy to treat you to a meal, but don't expect me to pay. I haven't even received my salary this month!"
"Da Jun!"
Lin Zhao said solemnly, "Ding Chi and I are planning to enter 'Tian Xia' and try our luck, see if we can reverse our destinies. So, we came to invite you to join our studio. In the future, we'll have good food and drinks. If you join, you'll have priority when we find equipment, priority when we encounter pretty girls, and you'll be the first to order at clubs..."
Zhang Jun's sword-like eyebrows shot up, his heart greatly stirred.