Ji Canghai traced the IP address of his machine and disabled all the firewalls. He complained that too many firewalls made the computer subtly lag, affecting his performance as a top player. With everything set, Ji Canghai pulled out his phone and sent the IP address via text message. After receiving a smiley face in response, Ji Canghai opened the game, logged in, and began testing the machine. Bored, he wandered around aimlessly for about fifteen minutes until a private message popped up.
[Private Message] “Night God Cries”: Master Canghai, I admire you! [Heart]
Ji Canghai laughed. This was no ordinary confession from a female player; it was the confirmation signal that the other party had successfully installed a special version of “Youlong” on his computer after hacking into his system.
Receiving this signal meant that under the staff’s surveillance, while he was openly playing the game, his cheat software was already running in the background. Before uninstallation, “Youlong” would start with the system and operate in the background without any trace or notification. He only needed to remember the hotkeys for the cheat functions. For example, Ctrl+F12 was the activation key for the “Monsters Won’t Hit Me” feature. In an official competition, using an invincibility function would be too obvious, but activating “Monsters Won’t Hit Me” would only make the BOSS attack others during group fights, leaving him unscathed. If his damage output exceeded 50% of the total, the divine artifact would surely be his! Ji Canghai triumphantly pressed the hotkey; the staff thought he was just using a skill. Ji Canghai went out into the wild and deliberately engaged a few monsters; sure enough, none of their attacks landed on him.
Ji Canghai was pleased, and Gu Chaoyan was even more so, spying from a few seats away, fully understanding what Ji Canghai was doing! After Ji Canghai finished testing, Gu Chaoyan followed him out, their intimacy a sight that would make couples on the street envious, but here in the hotel, only a few staff members guarding the conference room witnessed the closeness between Gu Chaoyan and Ji Canghai.
Half an hour after they left, Gu Chaoyan returned.
Gu Chaoyan called over two staff members, pointing at computers numbered 28 and 22, saying, “Help us swap these machines.” The staff were puzzled. Gu Chaoyan coughed, “Well, you know, the man who came in with me just now is my… cough… Now he says he wants to use the computer I used to ensure he gets first place. Please trouble you.” The staff exchanged knowing smiles and swapped the computers for them. After the switch, Gu Chaoyan tested the hotkeys he had seen Ji Canghai use, “Monsters Won’t Hit Me,” “Critical Hit Every Time,” “Team Disconnect,” all were ingenious functions hard to detect. Impressive, he was sure to win this time! Having tested the cheat, Gu Chaoyan left the room whistling.
46. Dance of Demons
Halfway through the banquet titled “Dance of Demons,” a Mercedes arrived late at the hotel entrance. Han Yanyan, holding onto Old Chen, stepped out, dressed in a black velvet evening gown, heavily made up. Old Chen was visibly excited; he had never imagined Han Yanyan could be this beautiful when dressed up.
Actually, dressing Han Yanyan like this was with a purpose. The online game “The World of Men” had ignited global player enthusiasm, charging fees in Japan and South Korea, and in public testing in several European and American countries. To add more fuel, the main company in China decided to launch the “Fairy of the World” contest, a beauty pageant for female players worldwide. Upon learning this, Old Chen thought of Han Yanyan, an “insider.” He wanted to give the spot in the Chinese region to her, spending a day to meticulously dress her up to stun the other thirty-five finalists. Previously, he had caused a major bug with a Western artifact, earning him a severe scolding from his boss. Today, he was determined to regain his dignity.
The company had arranged the finals at a five-star hotel, treating these elite players to fine dining and drinks because they were masters or VIPs whose influence could shake the Chinese server. Taking good care of them ensured the game’s future development, and Old Chen had a personal agenda too, to have them acknowledge his girlfriend, Han Yanyan. With their influence, when it came to voting for “Fairy of the World” in the Chinese region, Han Yanyan wouldn’t lack votes.
“Honey, don’t worry, I’ll definitely perform well tonight!” Han Yanyan said with a suggestive tone, kissing Old Chen on the cheek. Hand in hand, they entered the banquet hall, which was already buzzing with activity. Most attendees were from their own company, with the thirty-six finalists and their family members seated at three tables in the center of the hall.
The host was on stage testing the microphone, preparing to announce the details of the final competition, while the staff and players below were already in a state of merry chaos. Tao Zhi Yao Yao was sipping freshly squeezed cucumber juice, sitting on her husband’s lap, her arms around his neck. Meanwhile, Gu Chao Yan and Wang Shen Mu were toasting each other, discussing ancient and modern times.
Perhaps, giving the artifact to Chang Sheng Palace might not be a bad idea after all, he thought with satisfaction, having a confidant in life is a rare joy.
Ji Cang Hai was moving from one executive to another, offering cigarettes and toasting with wine. Known as the King of Da Xia, Cang Hai’s laughter was infectious, and even though the game company knew he was somewhat of a fool, they treated him with the utmost respect. He was their money tree, driving the crazy spending of fangirls in the game, with daily dramas of female players competing to show who loved Cang Hai more by spamming announcements. By fostering these relationships, he ensured that future official events would favor his subjects, enhancing his prestige as the King of Xia.
At another table, aside from Nan Bo Wan who was drinking out of envy, Ah Cao was also drinking gloomily, watching the interaction between Su Yao and Qin Chuan. Half the table was occupied by rogues, the other by priests, and they were almost at the point of flipping the table in their drunken brawl. Rogue Ding, unhappy because his boss was not happy, wouldn’t let the priests on the opposite side enjoy themselves either. Since he was there at his own expense and not a finalist, he figured he could cause trouble without repercussions.
With this in mind, Rogue Ding started throwing meat bones and fruit skins at the priests.
Qin Chuan was busy serving food to his little lion when Su Yao, after eating a bit, noticed the escalating tension at the opposite table. “Damn, don’t make it big, you bastards,” Su Yao rushed over; she couldn’t stand by and watch. Ah Cao stood up, “Yao Jie, you’re finally here, why was your phone off?” Su Yao choked, “Forgot to turn it on; by the way, why are you guys fighting? Where’s Lu Lu?” She quickly changed the subject, looking around. Rogue Ding, who had lost to Luo Zi Shang, was here, but Lu Lu was absent. “Lu Lu said she didn’t want to come watch a bunch of guys fooling around!” Rogue Ding cut in. “Fool around, my ass!” Ah Cao angrily kicked him back, then cautiously asked, “Yao Jie, who’s that man with you…?” “My man!” Su Yao smiled, not noticing the fleeting shadow of gloom on Ah Cao’s face. “Ah ha ha, I knew our Yao Jie would find someone new, congratulations!” Except for Ah Cao, the other rogues were delighted, especially Rogue Ding. Su Yao playfully mingled with them.
Meanwhile, Qin Chuan, observing the situation, was suddenly tapped on the shoulder.