Chapter 32
The gossip that most attracted both players and ordinary people recently was undoubtedly about Lu Chuan.
He was reportedly an ordinary player who immediately jumped into the top ten of the Newcomer Ranking List, received offers from the five major guilds, and ultimately chose Star Guild, rising rapidly to fourth.
For ordinary people and smaller guilds, they didn’t know that Star Guild was the weakest of the five major guilds—they only knew it was still among the top.
To most players, Lu Chuan was a living example of a life-reversal legend. To ordinary people, he was an inspiration, proving that anyone could change their fate.
Seeing a living example right in front of them, who wouldn’t hope to become the next legend?
Thus, whether the major guilds admitted it or not, Lu Chuan had become a phenomenon, gaining immense prestige among most people.
This was confirmed after Lu Chuan gave an exclusive interview to a newspaper.
The Gaming Daily was just an ordinary newspaper among many.
In this world, the player city had the internet, but its capabilities were limited—roughly equivalent to the late 20th to early 21st century. Players spent more time on forums, as technology development was trivial compared to in-game items.
In ordinary homes, the internet was uncommon, so newspapers and magazines were more popular. Many covered newcomer guides, strategies, and gossip from major guilds, letting ordinary people understand the player world.
The Gaming Daily had been strong before, but competition weakened it. However, after advertising three consecutive issues for Lu Chuan’s exclusive interview, attention surged.
Once the interview was published, sales tripled.
Players and ordinary people alike wanted a copy to see what Lu Chuan had revealed.
In the interview, he disclosed experiencing only three dungeons, all S-ranked, and unlocking a territory and the Lord title.
Ordinary people might not be impressed, but players were furious:
“Comparing ourselves to him makes me sick!”
“What kind of chosen one is this?”
“Can the top players start a class? When I reached my third dungeon, I was just following others to pick up items, huhuhu!”
“Damn it! When I was in my third dungeon, the boss chased me so hard I almost died.”
“…My teammates all died in the third dungeon.”
For the players, Lu Chuan’s revealed achievements and strength were like telling them someone graduated from elementary school and immediately earned a PhD—or rather, could already build a nuclear bomb.
Is this even human?
Why? Are you also like those two freaks from Resurrection Guild, with NPCs as your relatives?
The players continued reading, a mix of jealousy and awe in their eyes.
After showing off his achievements, Lu Chuan began revealing his future plans.
“I think the player city still has many areas that need development. Players often leave for dungeons, which stalls the city’s growth. To accelerate and improve development, we need fresh blood. Therefore, I plan to personally buy land and build buildings, and sell units to ordinary people. The specific sales plan is still under consideration and will be revealed later.”
In the latter part of the interview, there were just mundane questions about Lu Chuan’s personal hobbies. Readers flipping through found no new information.
Sell property in the player city to ordinary people?
Ordinary people were ecstatic, but players sensed something might be changing.
Are you kidding?
The player city had always belonged to players. Even if ordinary people worked there, after hours, they had to leave and return to their houses.
Now Lu Chuan was saying he would sell property to ordinary people?
Would the Star Guild members agree?
In fact, many didn’t.
A large number of them went directly to Lu Chuan’s office to protest.
“The player city belongs to us players. Why sell to ordinary people?”
“Only elite players from Star Guild can reside in Morningstar City. If a bunch of ordinary people come, what if there are spies from other guilds? What about other safety risks? You can’t take responsibility for that.”
“If you insist, your buildings won’t get approved!”
…
The protesting players varied in tone, but the message was clear: they disagreed with Lu Chuan, demanding he retract his statements in the newspaper.
Lu Chuan didn’t indulge them. He immediately blocked their reimbursement requests.
Forms filled out incorrectly? Send it back to redo!
Timing doesn’t match? Send it back to redo!
Player level stagnant too long, suspected slacking? Send it back!
…
Lu Chuan even moved his desk outside. If anyone dared to make trouble, they could do it face-to-face.
Starry Shasha stood beside him, wearing her signature black robe, clearly to support him.
It turned out the players were all bark and no bite.
They could protest as a group, but very few actually dared to confront Lu Chuan directly.
If someone did, Lu Chuan would simply say, “None of your business. If you really care about the guild, improve your player level and contribute more points first.”
The protesting players were nearly speechless.
When they couldn’t get through to Lu Chuan, they went to Star Guild to protest.
Veteran players who had once been upset by Lu Chuan stirred up trouble inside the guild, creating even more complaints about him.
The number of complaints was so high that even the vice-guildmaster couldn’t suppress them all.
Shen Li came late at night to secretly take Lu Chuan to meet the vice-guildmaster.
“Everyone is watching during the day, I had no choice,” Shen Li said, having even used his [Creation] ability to sneak into Lu Chuan’s room unnoticed. “The vice-guildmaster wants to see you. You’d better choose your words carefully; your recent actions have stirred up a lot of trouble.”
Shen Li wasn’t prejudiced against ordinary people, but most players looked down on them.
Many players’ mindsets were unbalanced and twisted.
In front of stronger players, they were submissive and fearful of dying in dungeons. Their only source of confidence and superiority was over ordinary people. Even if they were insignificant in the player city, stepping into ordinary areas made them envied.
The weak only find confidence in those weaker than themselves.
So when Lu Chuan tried to break this balance, discontent was inevitable.
Lu Chuan had anticipated this. He hadn’t even changed clothes, waiting for Shen Li.
“Captain Shen, do you think me selling houses to ordinary people is a wild idea?” Lu Chuan asked curiously.
“I used to be an ordinary person myself, only chosen to become a player,” Shen Li replied. “Even the strongest players are often just ordinary people in dungeons.”
“Exactly,” Lu Chuan smiled. “I think so too.”
Shen Li suspected Lu Chuan wasn’t telling the whole truth.
When they arrived at the vice-guildmaster’s office, he was drinking tea.
“I’ve seen you more often than I’ve seen Shen Li recently,” the vice-guildmaster said, a mix of pride and exasperation.
Lu Chuan was truly unpredictable.
He brought unparalleled attention to the guild, earning respect, but also caused countless problems—a double-edged sword. Wanting only the good side of Lu Chuan was impossible.
“You better prepare yourself,” Lu Chuan said, pulling out a chair and sitting. “You’ll be seeing me even more often from now on.”
“Shen Li, sit too,” the vice-guildmaster sighed.
Shen Li, planning to avoid involvement, had no choice but to sit far away.
“Do you know how many complaints I’ve received about you recently?” the vice-guildmaster asked, rubbing his forehead. “If the Guildmaster were here, you might’ve been tossed into an S-rank dungeon.”
“If the president were here, none of them would dare complain,” Lu Chuan suggested.
“You’re already the guild’s financial director. If you need money, you can get it easily, no one will check. Why meddle in these things? Opening the player city to ordinary people affects countless interests,” the vice-guildmaster said, frustrated by Lu Chuan’s low reasoning. Otherwise, Lu Chuan would feel more pressure and behave less brazenly.
“I know,” Lu Chuan nodded. “The veteran players publicly look down on ordinary people but interact with them secretly. Smuggling low-level items and other trades are controlled by them. If I formally open the city to ordinary people, it’s like cutting into their hearts—they won’t allow it.”
The line between ordinary people and players wasn’t so clear.
And why did veteran players have so many loyal subordinates?
Because they treated ordinary people as their breeding grounds.
They invested early, trained them, and once these ordinary people became players and joined the guild, they naturally became subordinates.
In this way, they slowly built their power, untouchable even by the vice-guildmaster.
The vice-guildmaster didn’t want this to continue, but Star Guild couldn’t withstand upheaval, so the situation remained.
This was common across other guilds too.
The player class system was becoming entrenched.
Even capable ordinary players had to become subordinates early, serving their superiors, forming the roots of the hierarchy.
Lu Chuan wanted to do the same.
He wanted to become Guildmaster, but one person couldn’t do it alone.
Even if he reached first on the top leaderboard, he could gain nominal respect, but orders wouldn’t be implemented without a personal power base.
Should he rely on the single-minded Shen Li and the naive Shasha?
They were fine in dungeons, but handling people and negotiations? Not as capable as his financial staff.
He needed loyal followers of his own.
But the guild had existed for years; building his own loyal faction wasn’t easy.
He was still a newcomer.
Lu Chuan had no choice but to focus on ordinary people.
Ordinary people were numerous and full of potential.
Even if only one in ten thousand was usable, the large base made it worthwhile.
In his orderly country back home, ancestors had proven that standing with the majority gained the strongest support.
For ordinary people, if Lu Chuan became the first to break the barrier between them and players, he would become a “hero” in their eyes.
And once a hero is bullied, countless people will stand behind them.
In simple terms, the veteran players had already been digging under the guild’s foundation, and now Lu Chuan was going to dig under the veterans’ foundation.
Lu Chuan didn’t feel any guilt facing the vice-guildmaster.
The veteran players were doing it for their own benefit, but he was different—he was preparing to become Guildmaster!
At the end of the day, it was all for the guild.
The Star Guild would eventually become his own property.
Sometimes, $888 even felt helpless.
Only this system knew exactly what Lu Chuan was thinking; it had no one to share with.
#888 seemed to understand why Lu Chuan was always so unlucky in his own world, why money never stayed in his hands.
With his personality, if there weren’t limits… what would happen?
If unrestricted, by the time #888 found Lu Chuan, the grass on his grave would already be meters high.
[Host, your logical self-consistency is truly impressive, flawless.] #888 sincerely admired.
“That’s obvious,” Lu Chuan nodded. “It’s all for the guild, right? Different paths, same goal. Anyway, Star Guild will eventually be mine.”
Thinking this way, Lu Chuan straightened his back in front of the vice-guildmaster, showing no hesitation at all.
“Vice President, everything I do is for the guild.”
The vice-guildmaster put down his teacup and looked at Lu Chuan with calm composure. “Then explain—how is selling property for ordinary people still for the guild?”
“When the guild was founded, it was meant to unite players for warmth and cooperation, to tackle the dungeons of the Evil World. Therefore, once ordinary people become players, they have a chance to join the guild. But over time, as guilds multiplied and people’s thoughts diversified, the rift between ordinary people and players emerged,” Lu Chuan explained without hesitation. “What I am doing now is simply helping the guild return to its original purpose.”
The vice-guildmaster nearly laughed. “So you want to sell property in the player city to ordinary people? Do you realize that if conflicts arise between ordinary people and players, even with items to restrain players, players still have a major advantage?”
“I know. That’s why I’m only hinting at it for now. Also, buying land and building houses takes time, plenty of time for me to find powerful items in the dungeons and place them in the neighborhood to restrain players. As long as ordinary people and players start on equal footing, that’s enough,” Lu Chuan replied matter-of-factly.
These items to suppress players were rare, yet Lu Chuan spoke as if he could get them anytime.
The vice-guildmaster had no idea where Lu Chuan’s confidence came from.
“Even if I sell to ordinary people, I won’t leave them unmanaged,” Lu Chuan continued. “I’ll establish a homeowners’ association for both ordinary people and players. By giving them small incentives, they’ll fight among themselves and eventually follow me loyally.”
“Ordinary people can become players too. I’ll build a school in the neighborhood to teach residents how to clear dungeons and become better players. Then their children and relatives can also become players. Once there’s a successful example, developing phase two and three of the neighborhood will be easy—people will beg to invest without me even asking.”
In short, it’s just using one thing to create another.
Using this method, Lu Chuan would quickly accumulate his own faction with loyal people ready to fight for him.
“Vice President, then you can open the back door for me, let more of my people join the guild, so we can counter the veteran players,” Lu Chuan calculated carefully, planning every step.
Shen Li couldn’t help but say, “Then you’ll become the most powerful veteran player in the guild.”
The vice-guildmaster nearly laughed in exasperation. “So you’re blatantly undermining the guild to strengthen yourself? How is this any different from letting wolves in the house?”
“But my goal is still to revive the guild,” Lu Chuan’s eyes burned as he stared at the vice-guildmaster. “Vice President, Star Guild is now the weakest of the five major guilds. Even with me, it won’t rise overnight. On the contrary, if I’m the only strong one, everyone will try to oppose me. How long can you protect me then?”
“As long as I’m here, no one will touch you.”
“Ha!” Lu Chuan laughed. “Vice President, I’m not laughing at you. I just think saying that is irresponsible. As vice-guildmaster, you need a broader vision. Maybe to you, keeping Star Guild running and not letting it fall out of the top five is enough. But to me, if Star Guild can push upward, even Resurrection Guild will have to give way.”
“Resurrection Guild became strong only after massive reform. If Star Guild doesn’t strive forward, it will be eaten away step by step. You are not young, and one day you’ll leave your post. If the next vice-guildmaster disagrees with you, what then? Even Captain Shen—do you think he can handle the wolves in the guild?”
“You can cultivate only one person now—and that’s me.”
Shen Li and the vice-guildmaster were shocked by the ambition Lu Chuan had just revealed.
He was aiming for the top.
Lu Chuan’s words clearly implied he wanted to be Guildmaster.
In this era, no one had dared say that in front of the vice-guildmaster before.
Shen Li even wondered—if the vice-guildmaster wanted to eliminate Lu Chuan, how could he stop it?
[Host, are you revealing your hand too quickly?] #888 worried. Shouldn’t this be a gradual plan?
“Look, the vice-guildmaster is old; his non-human aura is barely holding things together. What if one day he disappears into a dungeon like the president did? History shows that kingdoms that delay succession always face turmoil.”
Lu Chuan had his own thoughts. “Besides, I’m already fourth on the rookie leaderboard. Starry Shasha almost obeys me. What choice does the vice-guildmaster have? If he had options, he’d already be speaking clearly, not staring at me in shock.”
Besides, ambition in youth isn’t a bad thing.
Lu Chuan wanted the vice-guildmaster’s support—complete and unwavering.
With the vice-guildmaster as an early backing, his path to power would be easier.
Ideally, the vice-guildmaster would clear some obstacles for him, like dealing with disobedient veteran players before Lu Chuan entered dungeons.
The guild is in this state; rising without harsh measures is impossible.
“I advise you to discuss with Captain Shen. If you support me, there’ll be time to observe me. If you support someone else… actually, no one can oppose me right now,” Lu Chuan said confidently.
[You’re right, host.] #888 scanned the vice-guildmaster. [He has no murderous intent.]
The vice-guildmaster and Shen Li fell silent.
In each other’s eyes, they saw disbelief.
Young people these days are really formidable. What have they brought into the guild?
