"Holy crap, an unexpected surprise? Isn't that the Stellaron Hunter Sam?"
The young man was so close to Sam's figure that he nearly jumped out of his skin in excitement.
He immediately turned to look at his companions. "Huh? There's a Sam next to every single one of us? Why?
Isn't Sam supposed to be a villain? Why's he going so hard on these bugs?"
"Watch out!" Sam swung his fist hard, obliterating a sneak-attacking stinger bug,
then deftly crushed the swarm of insects in front of him one by one,
as effortlessly as squashing ants.
At that moment, the young man finally understood what it meant to have a true teammate.
Though the entire Simulated Universe was designed for teams of four,
once inside, everyone usually had to rely on their own skills.
This was the first time he'd encountered such a reliable ally—
even if this "Sam" was just an in-game AI, it was worth it.
"Alright!" The young man switched from his bat to a fiery spear and charged toward the insect swarm alongside Sam.
"You damn bugs, I'm gonna blow you all to hell!"
"Hiss… sizzle…" Steam erupted from Sam's entire body.
"Protocol approved. Executing Scorched Earth Tactics!"
The next moment, Sam leaped high into the air, bringing down a rain of flames.
...
...
"Holy shit!"
By now, the game had ended. The young man took off his VR headset, utterly unsatisfied.
"I actually got to fight alongside a Stellaron Hunter? I need to go again. I'm not done yet!"
Herta paid no attention to the group. She was intently studying the data feedback on her computer.
"Good, we're one step closer to achieving our goal!"
"Progress? You're that obsessed with progress?" As they spoke, the four youths had already taken off their outerwear. "By the way, this time only four people could play.
Who knows how long it'll be until the next session?"
Herta pursed her lips. She really couldn't be bothered to explain again.
"We're already testing new equipment. Once we have enough data, it'll happen soon.
By then, hundreds of people will be able to connect at once."
"Ooooh!" The young man cheered excitedly. "Oh yeah, why did Sam show up in the Swarm Disaster?"
"If you have questions about the story, go ask Su Chen!
My job is to make sure the Simulated Universe has no critical bugs and runs smoothly.
Done here? Then get out, and call the next test group in on your way!"
——
MiHoYo Interactive Film City,
The commercial street was now open, allowing visitors to enjoy everything except "accommodation"—food, drinks, entertainment, and shopping.
A white-haired woman with a high ponytail stopped in front of a store.
"You love me, I love you, Mixue… sweet as can be…"
"You love me, I love you, Mixue… sweet as can be…"
The shop's incredibly catchy jingle made her pause involuntarily.
"Snow King's song is seriously addictive! But man, I'm starving!" She called out to a white-haired man ahead of her. "Jing Yuan, what do you want to eat? Cantonese dim sum or steamed buns?"
"Hmm?" Jing Yuan turned at the sound of her voice. "Feixiao, I think we should just eat at the cafeteria!"
Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and answered immediately.
"Hey! Yanqing, are you here yet?
Good! My master should be arriving soon, but you need to be careful…"
On the other end of the line, Yanqing listened intently, only to hear a strange jingle through the receiver:
"Crazy Crazy Thursday, two for two, nine for nine…"
Yanqing was baffled. What was up with the general?
But he could still faintly make out Jing Yuan's voice. "Yanqing, remember what I just said—be careful. Ah! Everyone, please, there's no need for this…"
Then the call disconnected. Yanqing scratched his head. "What was he saying I should be careful about?"
——
Feixiao was just a few meters behind Jing Yuan. Seeing him reluctantly being herded into a fast-food joint, she decided to step in and save the poor guy.
But the next moment, a girl holding a menu stepped out of the Snow King shop and blocked Feixiao's path.
"Hey, pretty lady with the white hair! Wanna try our new 'lemon tea'?
Grand opening special—second cup half off!"
"No, no thanks!" Feixiao waved her hand dismissively. When she looked up again, Jing Yuan was already out of sight.
"Miss, miss! Don't go! We've also got a summer chill drink to keep you cool all season!"
"Hiss…" Feixiao suddenly stopped and glanced at the flyer, which clearly showed a drink that looked suspiciously like alcohol. "Is this booze?"
"Sort of! It's like 'pineapple beer'!"
"Well, that sounds perfect!" Feixiao's attention was completely captured by the drink,
to the point where she didn't even notice her vibrating handbag—it was a call from Jiaoqiu.
——
Meanwhile,
Outside the interactive city, at a high-end restaurant.
The spacious venue had only two occupied tables in the center.
After the explosive popularity of MiHoYo Interactive Film City, property and commodity prices in the surrounding area had skyrocketed.
All food and beverage prices inside the interactive city were strictly regulated by Su Chen, so merchants didn't dare overcharge.
But the areas outside the interactive city were beyond Su Chen's control—for now, at least, he didn't have that kind of influence.
This restaurant was a Michelin five-star establishment, usually frequented by the upper crust. Today, however, it had been booked out by a single individual.
In the center of the restaurant, a man was striking a split pose, his legs resting on two separate chairs,
giving off serious "Jean-Claude Van Damme" vibes.
He had white hair, was probably under 40, and sported a rugged beard. His eyes were as sharp as a wolf's, exuding an intimidating aura without even trying.
"Wow!" A sleazy-looking underling scurried up to the middle-aged man, rubbing his hands like a fly.
"Ha! As expected of the legendary Ultimate Brawler—Hoolay! Now that's style!"
"Brawler?" Hoolay's previously closed eyes snapped open, startling the underling into stumbling back several steps.
"Since when do I go by that title?"
"Thud!" Hoolay retracted his legs and leaped to his feet in one fluid motion.
If this were ancient times, someone would've definitely tossed him a couple of coins for that performance.
"You're way too modest, sir! Back in the day, your reputation was unmatched, Borison's champion!
Fights decided victory and life or death, and you crushed everyone until…"
"Hmm?" Hoolay shot him a murderous glare.
If looks could kill, this tactless underling would've been reduced to dust.
"Sorry, sorry! Anyway, our request today is simple. You see that interactive city over there? We've sent a bunch of guys to scout the third construction site for intel,
but out of nowhere, a bunch of security officers showed up. One of them, this little brown-haired kid, is crazy strong.
Our guys can't get in, so we need someone with your skills.
The job's easy—just fill up this 1TB camera memory card, and you're done!
So name your price!"
Hoolay snorted. "Price? What price?
I've torn down plenty of martial arts schools' signs, but only because of frauds like 'Ma Baoguo.'
If this brown-haired kid is as strong as you say, I'll do the job for free!
I've been training hard for this!"
"Oh, he'll definitely be up your alley, Mr. Hoolay! But would you mind giving us a little demo first?
Not that we doubt you—your splits are already a work of art—
but we'd love to see more of your skills!"
"You worms aren't worth my time." Hoolay pulled out a "realistic-looking revolver" from his waist.
As everyone recoiled in fear,
"Bang!" He fired a shot—straight into his own temple!