Chapter 5
The five players have already come up with a strategy.
In a moment, a novice player with the skill “Physical Strengthening” will stab himself, causing a bloody scene, and then the other four will make some noise and leave the dormitory openly to go to the construction site.
There’s no way the foreman would just stand by and watch someone injured this badly without helping, right?
The players were thinking optimistically and quickly put their plan into action.
When a few players started shouting, trying to get the foreman to come find them, the newbie with enhanced hearing suddenly looked uneasy.
“I think I just heard something heavy being moved… let me listen again…”
“I can’t hear clearly, it’s way too far from me.”
But soon, everyone realized what was off about what the enhanced-hearing player had noticed.
Because in no time, a thunderous explosion shook the ground beneath them, so powerful that even at this distance they felt the earth trembling.
Explosives, after all, were originally invented for engineering work.
And now, in a sense, they were being used for their intended purpose again.
Lu Chuan lowered his hands from his ears and pulled out the cotton balls stuffed inside.
“Wuhu—what a blast! That sound’s something else!” Lu Chuan even looked a little nostalgic.
No wonder this was a city where firearms weren’t restricted—even the explosives here seemed more powerful than elsewhere.
Beside him, Father Eddie had no words left.
This Lu Chuan really was the kind of person who acted the instant he thought of something.
What surprised Father Eddie even more was that Mr. George had actually indulged Lu Chuan’s recklessness, delivering exactly what he asked for within three hours.
And Lu Chuan still had the leisure to click his tongue and comment:
“Mr. George is really something. No wonder nobody outside knows about all the deaths in the Mary Building—there’s clearly a reason. He’s got influence on both sides of the law. How could an ordinary man possibly get this much explosive in such a short time?”
Father Eddie shot Lu Chuan a sidelong glance but said nothing.
If Mr. George were just a simple tycoon, how could a candidate for regional bishop like him be sent here personally to handle such a small matter?
“Let’s go, Father,” Lu Chuan said, hands on his hips. “Time to deal with those wraiths.”
The construction site was now a wreck.
Even the pit from before felt much weaker than it had.
Where it once gave off a natural cooling effect, now it felt no more refreshing than waving a little handheld fan.
The contrast was enormous.
“Father, so explosives actually work on wraiths?” Lu Chuan exclaimed.
If that was the case, he’d need to figure out a way to stock up.
“Explosives themselves don’t affect wraiths. But the tremendous heat released by an explosion is very harmful to spirits,” Father Eddie replied bluntly. Lu Chuan didn’t mind—he knew his place.
He was just a bystander enjoying the show; it was wise to stay polite with the real expert here.
Soon, the two returned to where the pit had been.
But the small pit was now so destroyed it was hard to tell anything was off, even up close.
Father Eddie pulled out his Bible and recited a short passage. From the ruined pit, a few faintly blood-red figures emerged, their glow so weak they were on the verge of disappearing.
“God will bless you,” Father Eddie said, raising his cross and striking the final blow to the lingering wraiths.
[Congratulations, player. You’ve unraveled 99% of this instance’s world setting. Strategy record refreshed. You may now return for mission evaluation.]
The system prompt chimed.
“Father, it’s been an eye-opener working with you. Why don’t you give me some contact info? Next time I’ll make a donation to your church,” Lu Chuan said. He really didn’t want to let go of such a useful NPC. Without the priest, no way would rookie players have enough wraiths to handle. But he also understood—this was for the sake of balance.
“This is our church’s pamphlet.” Father Eddie didn’t want to give it, but as the next candidate for regional bishop, attracting strong donors would only help his promotion.
Even though he disliked Lu Chuan, the man had money—and was friends with Mr. George. He couldn’t afford to refuse.
“Thanks, Father.” Lu Chuan smiled.
Father Eddie said no more. With the mission done, he turned and left, unwilling to linger.
[Wooooah, host, you’re amazing! You broke the record—this rating’s gotta be at least an S!] System 888 was ecstatic. None of its previous hosts had ever achieved something this impressive.
“All the wraiths were taken care of, but the strategy progress still isn’t 100%?” Lu Chuan frowned. He’d thought he could fully clear the dungeon.
[It’s not that easy, host. Full 100% clears are extremely demanding, with lots of hidden side quests. Only in newbie dungeons can you get as high as 99%. In other dungeons you’d be lucky to reach 70%.] System 888 explained patiently.
After all, these dungeons were real worlds.
Players only stayed for a few days—how could they possibly change the entire ecosystem of a world in such a short time?
[Let’s hurry back now. You’ve got a lot to do to establish yourself in this new world.] System 888 was already eager to return and claim its system points—upgrading itself depended on it.
“Don’t rush. Stay at the construction site a few more days and max out the seven-day survival time first,” Lu Chuan said lazily. “Let me ask: if I don’t choose to return, then those new players won’t even realize they’ve already cleared the stage, right?”
[Normally, no. But if someone decides to return now—despite the risk of being punished by the main system—they’d discover they’ve actually cleared it,] System 888 replied. [The main system of Evil World actually encourages players to kill each other, so it won’t bother giving reminders.]
But humans naturally like to band together. Once they realize individual power is weak, they instinctively form groups to fight against the dungeon.
“That’s good.” Lu Chuan nodded.
He didn’t mind those players hitching a ride on his skills to clear the dungeon unharmed. What worried him was if they realized they’d already passed and left the construction site, they might ruin his plans.
After all, once the dungeon was cleared, many restrictions would vanish.
Just then, Lu Chuan’s phone rang.
It was Mr. George.
“President Lu, the contract for the Mary Building has been drafted. We’re ready to sign.” Mr. George’s voice came through the phone. “The stir you caused this time is really something.”
“Haha, Mr. George, you’re too kind. I only got to see something this interesting thanks to you.” Lu Chuan chuckled. “I’m very satisfied with the Mary Building. Send someone to pick me up.”
After hanging up, Lu Chuan headed for the construction site gate.
[Host, let’s hurry back already. We’re broke!] System 888 was ready to drag him away at any moment.
They only had 1.52 million in capital.
Lu Chuan had spent all of it on building his image.
Now where would they get money to buy George’s building? Even if they hadn’t spent it all, 1.52 million wasn’t nearly enough to buy land.
“I’ve already spent 1.52 million, of course I’ll get my principal back.” Lu Chuan stretched. “Besides, the next dungeon world will definitely require money too. How can we just leave now? Come on, watch me take the first step to getting rich.”
Huh?
System 888 froze.
Could Lu Chuan really conjure up billions out of nowhere?
Lu Chuan got into the luxury car George had sent for him.
But instead of meeting George first, he went to see Hubbard.
Finding Hubbard was easy—he worked at the bank.
“Mr. Hubbard, sorry to bother you again.” Lu Chuan smiled and hugged him. “Mr. George has already drafted the contract. I’d like to ask if my loan has been approved yet?”
“Of course.” Hubbard beamed. “We’re giving you a loan with only 6% interest. Believe me, President Lu, you won’t find a lower rate anywhere.”
With this deal, his annual performance goals were already met.
“Six percent, not bad.” Lu Chuan nodded. “So when the time comes, this loan will go directly into Mr. George’s account?”
“Of course.” Hubbard nodded.
For corporate business, everything had to go through proper channels.
“But President Lu, although the loan has been approved, there are still some formalities left.” Hubbard quickly pulled out some documents. “Collateral is required. To get this processed as quickly as possible, I’ve already pulled some strings as bank president. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but procedures must be followed.”
[Ahhhh Host, he’s asking you for money! We should run now, or we really won’t get away! And let me remind you, both Hubbard and George are extremely high-level NPCs. Once the newbie dungeon ends, their levels will be revealed.]
A moment ago, System 888 had felt like it was standing at the peak of existence—now it felt like it was teetering on the edge of annihilation.
These two NPCs were absurdly powerful. Hitting the return button might not even be safe.
If an NPC locked onto you with special means, returning could become impossible.
“Alright.” Lu Chuan pulled out some things he’d prepared earlier. “Here are a few luxury villas under my name, plus several companies. You can go through the procedures.”
Hubbard handed the documents to his secretary to complete the paperwork.
Lu Chuan knew there was still time. Verifying the authenticity of these assets would take at least several days. And since Hubbard’s secretary had already been bribed, things could always be delayed.
At the end of the day, many bank loans couldn’t withstand close scrutiny. As long as the bad debt didn’t surface during one’s own tenure, it wasn’t much of a problem.
“Mr. Hubbard, now that the loan is taken care of, let’s move on to a more private matter between the two of us.” Lu Chuan gave a sly smile. “I think, before we officially sign the contract, we might change one or two clauses.”
“Oh?” Hubbard assumed a listening posture.
“My old man at home doesn’t like giving me too much money, so naturally I have to plan for myself.” Lu Chuan sighed helplessly. “This project is worth billions at the very least. In the end, the money doesn’t even flow out of my account. But as for the acquisition process of the Mary Building—for example, if I were to run into competitors and had to shift to joint development—a few minor discrepancies here and there would be acceptable.”
Hubbard immediately caught on. “So President Lu, you want to adjust the acquisition price in the contract? That’s something you should be negotiating with Mr. George.”
“The Mary Building’s value is crystal clear to my old man, there’s not much difference there. But if I happen to find myself a partner before the acquisition goes through, then it’s a different story.” Lu Chuan crossed one leg over the other, placed both hands on his knee, and looked at Hubbard with a smile. His voice was soft, yet carried weight. “Mr. Hubbard, let me be direct. I admire your capabilities and want to build a long-term relationship with you. Would you be interested in putting up three hundred million and becoming a shareholder in the Mary Building? I’ll give you 10% equity.”
System 888 was dumbfounded.
What?!
Host, you’re skinning the same cow twice.
Lu Chuan didn’t think he was doing anything wrong.
He had already spent so much money—shouldn’t he get it back, with interest?
He had come this far, how could he just leave empty-handed?
What fault was there? He was merely promoting wealth redistribution in this dungeon world.
“Of course, the money shouldn’t go into Mr. George’s account. It needs to go to my personal account.” Lu Chuan gave a knowing smile. “I always have certain expenses that I’d rather my old man not know about. You understand, don’t you?”
“My time is limited, Mr. Hubbard. Think it over tonight. I imagine being a bank president on a fixed salary doesn’t compare to striking out on your own. As we say in the East: Are lords and generals born so different from others?”
Hubbard was tempted.
Author’s Note:
Many companies and banks—especially private banks and certain funds or securities firms—treat lending as a formality, just paperwork. They rarely verify authenticity.
A lot of them are shell companies.
That’s how many people’s money just vanishes.
Search for similar cases; you’ll find plenty in every region.
