Chapter 39
As the guqin bow left the strings, the black car also drove away silently. Jiang Jitang turned to go inside, then suddenly seemed to sense something and looked back, but there was nothing outside.
“Having perception that’s too sharp isn’t good either; it often gives false alarms,” he said, stretching lazily. “Little Eye, what should we eat for lunch? How about we go for roast duck?”
“Miu miu~” Golden Eye made a happy chirping sound.
Although a small incident had occurred, Parsons still arrived at his intended destination. He came here to register.
It turned out he was the first player organization to respond to the C-Nation official policy.
“I don’t quite understand, Mr. Parsons. As the first player to push open the door to the ninth-tier game, you didn’t choose your home country but came here instead.”
Jiang Xingzhou was extremely busy, but she still made time to be here.
The appearance of five hundred thousand top-tier new players in their respective fields meant the Cube World was no longer a niche preserve. It was obvious that capital, political power, and other elements would be injected into it.
Among these, the theme of ‘Ransoming Blue Star’ also forced external forces to shift their gaze here.
Players had now become an alternative, new type of ‘talent’ that needed to be won over.
But C-Nation was famously safe. Even with its large population base, the number of people entering the Cube World by accident wasn’t high, at least not as high as its old rivals.
They had a smaller population base, but more gun violence – they couldn’t compare.
So C-Nation’s official organizations would also view returning players with a more tolerant and proactive mindset.
The person before her couldn’t be called ‘returning’, but he perfectly met the requirements of the talent recruitment plan.
He possessed top-tier talent and achievements needed by society, had no criminal record, had a deep understanding of C-Nation, and intended to settle long-term.
This was truly the right time and the right person.
So she had to make time despite her busy schedule; it was a respect for talent.
“Is this the C-Nation official’s doubt?” Parsons asked in return.
“No, it’s merely my personal curiosity. If it’s inconvenient, you don’t have to answer,” Jiang Xingzhou said with a smile. This gentle expression softened her overly stern features.
“There is a reason I must come here. Rest assured, it’s just a private reason.”
Choosing C-Nation wasn’t because he liked it, and registering here wasn’t either.
Parsons was someone who liked rules and was very rule-abiding. If registering with C-Nation’s official organization could solve many problems caused by poor communication and posed no hindrance to himself, then he would definitely come.
As for other issues, he had only been in this world for two years; there was no new environment he couldn’t adapt to.
So why did he have this need?
Of course, because his target person wouldn’t leave this environment they were quite satisfied with. So him coming over and observing long-term was also quite normal.
For long-term coexistence, someone always had to compromise first. Parsons was very used to playing that role.
After completing all procedures, Jiang Xingzhou finally handed him the stamped application form: “Congratulations on Seekers of Mystery settling here.”
“Thank you. With this document, I can apply for a work visa?”
“Yes, you and your team can all apply for work visas.” Minister Jiang showed a friendly smile. Issuing certificates for incoming private player organizations was also a way to attract talent.
“Jin City and its people are enthusiastic, tolerant, and open. We are all friends.”
“In fact, we are preparing medical insurance targeted at players. Even foreign nationals can purchase commercial insurance. Additionally, some training grounds are open for business, including but not limited to various courses like shooting, driving, etc.”
Jiang Xingzhou timely brought up these settlement advantages attractive to the vast majority of players. As for other benefits, they needed to discover them slowly themselves.
Parsons didn’t really need these, but that didn’t stop him from showing an interested expression: “That’s really great.”
He didn’t need them, but others did. These conditions could attract quite a few players. C-Nation’s official organizations were very sincere.
As for the training effectiveness, they would find out after trying later.
On the way back, Parsons informed the group members of the outcome. In short, the move was settled.
The move of Seekers of Mystery wasn’t announced online, so it only sparked discussion internally. Of course, the discussion didn’t last long because Parsons was the core figure.
He was the founder of this organization and the one who set all the operational systems. He would still be himself if he left, but Seekers of Mystery wouldn’t be Seekers of Mystery without him.
“We will arrive in Jin City, C-Nation, two days later.”
“I’ve long heard that C-Nation is a magical country where tradition, modernity, and the future coexist. Now I finally have the chance to see it.”
“I don’t care; anywhere is fine.”
“Wherever the boss is, I’ll be there.”
These were the responses in the group chat. Almost everyone immediately expressed ‘agreement’.
Parsons’s selection standard was ‘elite’, so he had few people, but each could hold their own, or had super strong talent in some aspect.
They all voluntarily joined ‘Seekers of Mystery’ because of Parsons’s personal strength.
This type of organization had a huge advantage: there was only one voice, which could avoid ineffective internal strife and consumption.
But this structure also had a huge disadvantage: if the decision was wrong, it could lead to a total wipe. Moreover, once Parsons’s strength declined, except for a few who might stay out of sentiment, others would realistically seek better branches to perch on.
But on the surface, they appeared quite harmonious.
“Boss, if we go to C-Nation, will we have a chance to find the External Aid sir?”
“Didn’t you not like healing-type players?”
“External Aid sir is different. He’s the kind of humble gentleman who possesses great power but doesn’t wish to show off. How can those arrogant healing-type players compare to him?”
“…”
“…”
“Browning, you…”
The speaker was the youngest among them. He had a peculiar trait: he liked to unilaterally attribute qualities he considered good to someone he didn’t know, hadn’t met, and only heard rumors about, and then, after meeting the real person, would unilaterally announce ‘heartbreak’.
In short, it was somewhat hard to evaluate.
Seeing the small group chat starting to argue, Parsons’s solution was to close the chat group.
He opened the contact number of a local real estate agent and expressed his intention in precise, standard C-Nation language: “Please help me find a house for sale on Guanghua Street that I can move into as soon as possible…”
—
Guanghua Street.
“Walk, walk, walk, brave man walk with me…”
Jiang Jitang, returning from eating duck, hummed a song, carrying a melon in his hand. He was the most carefree and easygoing guy on the whole of Guanghua Street.
Old Zhuangtou’s roast duck shop was said to have been open for over twenty years. Although it was electric oven-roasted, something many food snobs looked down on, the duck skin was crispy and flaky, the duck meat tender and soft, with no gamey smell.
Wrapped in a thin pancake, with a couple of thin scallion strips, a cucumber stick, and a swipe of sauce…
Ah, where else could you find roast duck this delicious?
He also remembered the deep-fried duck skeleton, sprinkled thickly with pepper salt, biting down through the bone… beautiful.
That small, inconspicuous street-side shop could teach all flavor seekers a lesson!
Jiang Jitang declared this the most delicious and authentic roast duck shop in Jin City.
Although the shop had also introduced a non-traditional sweet roast duck, wrapped with hawthorn strips, cantaloupe strips, and white sugar, that was just a small compromise to the market. Savory roast duck was the best.
Ding-dong! You have a new text message.
He opened his phone and found it was from Song Ji’an. He originally wanted to ignore it, but happened to see the content.
“The Dongying Society’s Guo Jie posted a bounty in the game to buy my life?”
Were criminals these days so shameless? He hadn’t even made a move yet, and they dared to post a bounty on his life?
It turned out Guo Jie’s only son had died a few days ago, and the man had gone crazy, desperately wanting his life.
It was said he even used half his wealth to exchange for a piece of equipment that could forcibly drag a specific player into the game. At the same time, he notified many players he knew: whoever killed Jiang Jitang would inherit all his things.
The Dongying Society was currently in internal turmoil; the second-in-command was preparing to kick out the top guy, so they had no time to deal with him. But that money and equipment were still very tempting, so many people thus got to know ‘Jiang Jitang’.
He wasn’t afraid of what they could do in the game – they weren’t even on the same track – but it was especially annoying for this stuff to appear in real life.
Jiang Jitang thought carefully. He was now a senior healer cooperating with the authorities, a scarce talent, also scarce for other players. There was an unspoken rule among players: don’t target healing-type players.
So, after his identity as a healer was exposed, would they still be willing to court death for such small gains?
[Jitang, maybe you should still come to our organization. If nothing else, at least the boss here has good connections; if you run into trouble, he might be able to protect you.]
Jiang Jitang squatted by the roadside typing: [No movement for so many days means it’s not that he didn’t try, but probably that it didn’t work. I have protective equipment on me, don’t worry.]
He figured that piece of equipment probably wouldn’t work on him, a ‘visitor’.
The Cube World itself couldn’t snatch him away from the Wish Fulfillment General Store, let alone a piece of equipment.
This matter could have ended here, but thinking about Song Ji’an sending messages from time to time out of concern, Jiang Jitang felt it was better to explain clearly once than to receive invitations now and then.
Besides, Song Ji’an was just an ordinary member. For him to know those messages and pass them to him, it must have been permitted or tacitly approved by someone. Regardless of who permitted it, he owed them this favor and should go express his thanks.
He could also see if there was a chance to use their mouths to promote his identity as a healer.
So he typed a few more words:
[Where is your headquarters? Can I come for a visit?]
[Of course, here’s the address.]
[I’ll head over now.]
The address Song Ji’an gave was in the city next to Jin City, but not far. It would take less than two hours by light rail.
Visiting someone’s home, not kicking down their door, Jiang Jitang brought two family buckets (family buckets = family size fried chicken bucket) with him – he deliberately took a detour after getting off the light rail.
No matter what type of players were there, there were always those who couldn’t resist fried food.
“It’s a detached villa, nestled against mountains and water, quiet environment, starting at twenty million.”
Getting out of the DiDi car (DiDi = Chinese Uber), he looked up at the three-story villa behind the iron gate, and the geese washing their feathers in the small pond outside the villa.
Such a beautiful house, and they kept a flock of geese.
Interesting idea.
“Jitang!” The iron gate opened automatically; Song Ji’an had arrived. His face was covered with a thin layer of sweat, his brows furrowed, as if something was weighing on his mind, but he still showed an enthusiastic attitude when he saw Jiang Jitang.
“Is it inconvenient?” Even though it took two hours by light rail and another taxi ride, if the host was inconvenienced, he didn’t necessarily have to visit.
“How could it be?”
“You’d better tell the truth.”
Seeing he couldn’t hide it, Song Ji’an confessed: “The senior who mentors me just came out of the game, and his condition isn’t great. But we players always face this day eventually; we’re mentally prepared for it.”
He patted Jiang Jitang’s shoulder dejectedly: “Regardless, let’s go inside first. Everyone knows a friend is coming; it’s not a disturbance.”
“He’s not brain dead, is he?” Jiang Jitang asked a question.
“No.”
“Then it’s fine.”
“Ji… Jitang, wait!”
Jiang Jitang handed the two family buckets to the stunned Song Ji’an and quickly walked into the villa.
Inside was an especially large hall. About ten people were inside, some standing, some sitting. The youngest looked like they just came back from elementary school, the oldest maybe in their forties. They all turned to look over simultaneously, showing puzzled expressions.
“You are?”
“I’m Jiang Jitang, Song Ji’an’s friend.”
“Hello, Mr. Jiang, please have a seat. What would you like to drink?” They weren’t really in the mood to entertain outsiders at the moment, but still politely asked him to sit.
“Let me formally introduce myself. Jiang Jitang, designated healer for the Jin City Official Players Association.”
