Chapter 200

Chapter 200: Chapter 197: "Human Future Self-Rescue ConferenceHe Yuan woke up from the soft bed in his small room and glanced at the system time.

November 26, 4:40 in the afternoon.

He rubbed his eyes, entering a brief period of emptiness after getting up.

As a casual player who had decided long ago not to join the fray, he was not as lost as most people. After the hyper-talk section of the world forum was launched, he successfully united with people from the previous groups, securing a small bar owner position for himself. This position also provided him with some Points, enough to sustain a luxurious life he could never attain on Zhai Xing.

He used to be just a salesperson, living a life of running errands and faking smiles all day, finding joy in life only through microblogging after work—even though people said it was a dumpster, as an old celebrity chaser with queen-like confidence, he was the king of the dumpster.

He was insanely fond of a celebrity on Zhai Xing, managing his presence on microblogging, viewing him as his guiding star.

He thought his idol was perfect in every way, nearly omnipotent, radiant upon arrival and departure, totally beyond his reach from head to toe. He should shine brightly, standing on the highest stage to showcase his splendor, while all he needed to do was watch.

... But in the First World, he died from a zombie infection, and hearing that his idol had appeared in someone else’s live stream, he rushed over.

Thereafter, he saw a man, disheveled and extremely humble in circumstance.

The idol he once held dear, seen as the brilliance of his life, now stood dirt-ridden, begging others who were stronger.

For just a bite of food, he was pushed into the raiders’ dark house.

Those who could only look up to him before suddenly seized the opportunity to turn the tables, using all means to shame his idol.

And his idol, lived like a dog.

In order to survive, his cherished idol had completely fallen into the mud, no longer carrying any trace of radiance on him.

He Yuan’s fondness receded.

Latter, he learned of many well-known figures from Zhai Xing. Some thrived admirably, while others were utterly targeted by some, desperately struggling in a post-apocalyptic world. Some were bitten by zombies, their bodies festering post-infection, their exquisite and beautiful faces completely covered with blood... and the completely exposed vile human nature in such an apocalypse, also made them entirely unlikable.

It was then that he finally understood that the rules of the world had been completely changed.

People’s admiration for others, always in flux, standards previously worthy of respect now seemed utterly worthless.

Those proficient in singing and dancing stood no chance when crisis struck. Even scholars, whose minds were like national treasures, could not find a suitable place to utilize their skills. Even wealthy businessmen, their money could not be their powerful weapon in such a world.

Instead, some who always enjoyed adventures, or fitness trainers, martial arts champions, became the frontrunners of the world’s currents.

Some people haven’t adjusted their thinking, still deceived by empty promises believing that after the game ended, the old order would continue, and places similar to departments controlling superpower users would exist, letting everyone live comfortably as before.

They believed that after the game, Zhai Xing would simply have millions more people with superpowers, and everything else would continue as usual.

Like many elderly returning to their youthful state, some illiterate, some unable to accept all this. Despite the simultaneous broadcasts from the world forum, they showed no interest, just wanting to find a place to play chess and drink tea.

Many elder care services emerged as a result.

He Yuan had long known that being chosen for the world game was perhaps a very lucky thing, humans are quite adept at adapting—although initially, everyone thought it was a misfortune, they felt as helpless as chosen toys, unsure of where the road ahead lay, unsure if humanity had a future.

But as time progressed, people’s perspectives began to shift in a completely opposite direction.

They considered it an opportunity.

Although this opportunity came somewhat suddenly, humans were forcibly pushed forward.

But in such a world, people indeed reaped a lot.

After learning about the tragic situation of her previous idol, He Yuan completely let go of her fondness.

As a seasoned star chaser, she also found a new goal to devote herself to entirely, a goal that seemed more stable and more powerful than those she had liked before. Moreover, on the World Forum, it had a dominating presence, almost overwhelming all other topics. Any post remotely related to him would instantly spark a lively discussion.

... He Yuan was the small group leader of the "Number One Player" fan group.

When she learned that the Number One Player would join the fan group, her heart felt like it was about to leap out.

She didn’t actually "love" the Number One Player in that sense; in fact, she hardly knew anything extremely superficial about him like his background, specific personality, hobbies...

She simply liked people who were gloriously powerful, liked to see someone living in everyone’s sight, liked to see that person win everything with overwhelming strength, liked the sense of security that "he will definitely win".

The First World, the Second World, the Third World...

Gradually, it became a widely accepted notion that "he will not fail."

Even though many speculated maliciously that he was just a solo player, a previously immature student, who would definitely fall at some confusing instance. The previous instances had also gone smoothly, following the strategy guide and having good luck.

But He Yuan didn’t care.

She didn’t care about the Lighthouse theories, didn’t care about Su Ming’an’s thoughts. In her eyes, there was only the "Number One Player."

Because the "Number One Player" happened to be Su Ming’an, she liked him. It was that simple.

Admiration for the strong is a human instinct, now more than ever.

After staying up last night to release the latest "emergency" regulations, she had a good sleep. Now, upon waking, she immediately opened the World Forum.

... After the conclusion of the Fifth World, and all Adventurer Players returned, discussions exploded about the overall human Points progress bar.

The most prevalent topic was on the World Forum, which nearly dominated the entire homepage with discussions about this topic.

As she entered, she first saw a hot post published officially by the United Group:

... A conference discussion with the top hundred players?

A big event.

He Yuan clicked in and saw an overview of the meeting.

He Yuan scrutinized the list intently.

The names of various foreigners mixed with those from Dragon Country filled the list densely, nearly occupying the entire area. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t find Su Ming’an’s name anywhere.

After reviewing the entire list, she scrolled down and then saw a line of text specially marked:

He Yuan continued to scroll down and saw continuously refreshing replies.

People seemed to have a keen interest in this gathering of elites, and discussions surged one after another:

He Yuan was instantly captivated by this line of comment.

...A gathering? What kind of gathering?

Su Ming’an is attending a gathering? What kind of gathering would that be, a summit meeting of top ten players?

He Yuan immediately clicked on it and saw a video.

The eye-catching headline was marked in red:

Beneath it was a attached video.

The content of the video was somewhat blurry, and the person filming seemed to be shaking, causing an unstable viewpoint as if it was secretly recorded.

In the middle of the video was a dimly lit room resembling a large KTV private room or a bar booth.

Colorful little lights dangled from the left side of the lens, winding around distinctive beams to the other end of the lens, flickering with tiny sparks of various colors.

Various exquisite snacks and cakes were placed on a bar beside them, and their aroma seemed to waft through the screen. The bar’s glasses shimmered with a flowing-gold hue, everything sparkling as if it were shining.

Under the colorful lights, a group of people seemed to be competing in drinking, sloppy as mud. Bottles of liquor He Yuan couldn’t name were scattered across the table, with silver and golden liquids overflowing everywhere.

Amidst the hubbub of bright lights and flowing booze, it was lively.

And among them sat a figure who was blending in well with everyone.

He wore a long black trench coat, half his face obscured by shadows, his eyes hid a line of softness veiled by a sharp gleam, and the liquid in his wine glass he held was as thick as blood.

He seemed to adapt well to the environment here; though he didn’t drink the wine in his hand, whenever someone spoke to him, he always responded with a smile, prompting bursts of friendly laughter around him, as if everyone was captivated by his words.

And when the camera gradually focused on him, he slightly lifted his head, revealing a pair of lacquered black eyes gleaming under the flickering light.

In his other hand, a long cigarette pipe tilted downwards, the smoke wafting up, hiding his slightly trembling eyelashes before quickly disappearing through a system-enhanced ventilation system.

Above some darkly dancing smoke, he seemed to look through the lens at a world of lights, his eyes, misty as if veiled by water, reflecting a spectacle of light and shadow that made it hard for one to look away.

He Yuan covered her mouth, she instantly recognized the man who smoked and drank at the casual gathering, appearing incredibly at ease, just like a social butterfly.

The video had ended here. She restrained her intense curiosity and looked further, seeing a series of exclamation-filled comments:

"God!"

"My goodness, which service area’s social gathering is this? It doesn’t look very high-end, how did you manage to get him to come?"

"I didn’t expect... I really didn’t expect... I thought he was already impressive, I didn’t imagine he’d be so at ease in such a setting, it’s suffocating even for social anxiety sufferers."

"Where is this! Where! Is! This! I want to go! I want to go—"

"Looking at the background, it resembles a private bar, does anyone recognize the people inside? Quickly pinpoint the location!"

"Can’t believe it... He can act up to this extent, I feel something’s not right..."

"I reasonably doubt that this gathering has any conspiracy, otherwise I don’t believe this person, who can’t even sleep well, would bother going to such a place."

"Top hundred players are going to have a meeting," Lv Shu stated while seated at the booth: "About the future of mankind."

Facing the flashing lights and dancing girls at the bar, he felt completely uneasy, almost wishing he could just bury himself in the crevices of the sofa.

Since Bi settled on his shoulder, he exuded an aura of keeping others at bay, causing people to walk around him.

Lv Shu turned his head to look at Su Ming’an, who was still chatting and laughing about college jokes beside him, drawing laughter from others, and asked, "Are you done playing?"

The young man, his expression unchanged, swirled his glass and looked over with eyes brimming with laughter.

"...Not yet," Ming’an replied, tapping his cigarette pipe, "The main body hasn’t given new orders yet, so let me play a little longer. After all, he’s at the amusement park too."

"Are we going to attend the meeting? This meeting seems quite formal, I saw quite a few familiar names."

"..." Ming’an paused for a moment, "Wait a second, I am seeking the main body’s decision."