Chapter 121: A Win-Win Situation
Just as he had been about to make a move earlier, Zhou Ning had already sensed the presence of two people hiding behind a nearby rock.
They'd probably just logged in, because even Zhou Ning had been briefly startled at first, thinking he'd encountered two elusive superpowered individuals.
Then came a deliberately hushed gasp from behind the rock, followed by the line, "Dear viewers, look who we've run into—it's the legendary golden thigh!" That's when Zhou Ning narrowed his eyes and realized that the ones hiding were players—streamers, even.
Still, Zhou Ning didn't bother to drag them out. He simply let them observe the entire encounter.
In the early stages of a game, popularity was crucial. Having streamers secretly record his whole battle from a voyeuristic perspective would create an unparalleled sense of immersion for their viewers—and that would do wonders for his own popularity.
So Zhou Ning deliberately refrained from exchanging a single word with the gloomy man and made sure to take him down in the most overwhelming fashion possible, aiming to display his dominance in front of the players.
That right there—was what you call a win-win.
As soon as Zhou Ning finished speaking, rustling noises came from behind the rock, and out walked a male and female player.
The male player's ID read "Shifeng," while the female player's read "Axia." Both were clad in the standard starter gear set.
Zhou Ning: …
Don't think I don't get it! Flirting, huh?
He was caught completely off guard. Who would've thought even NPCs could be force-fed dog food [public displays of affection] these days?
Shifeng walked over with a big grin. "Boss, we weren't trying to spy, really. So… is there anything we can help with?"
"Hm."
Zhou Ning finished looting Wright Phillips's corpse and stood up.
The haul wasn't bad—Wright had nearly 1,000 Vecktas on him and four special talismans. According to Molly, the craftsmanship was decent, and each one was worth about 300 to 400 Vecktas. They were labeled Thorn, Imprisonment, Wave, and Flame. To activate them, one simply had to recite the corresponding phrase in Ancient Falric and channel spiritual energy into them.
In addition, Zhou Ning found a manor access pass and what looked like an ID tag.
The address was No. 49, Lavia Street—a standard rich neighborhood.
Including the superpower potion, this little robbery had netted over 10,000 Vecktas. This Wright Phillips guy really was a godsend. Zhou Ning was feeling pretty damn good.
So much so that he had a smile on his face even when looking at the two goofy players. After sizing them up, he casually drafted a task and sent it over.
Shifeng blinked in surprise when a prompt popped up:
You have triggered E-Rank Quest: "Cleanup Crew".
Due to an unexpected incident, you witnessed protagonist Wayne Sturwell taking down an enemy. Help him clean up the scene and keep the secret, and you will earn Wayne Sturwell's favor.
Quest rewards: 2,000 XP and 10 Roshens.
"Hubby, should we accept it?" Axia whispered in Shifeng's ear.
"Do you even have to ask? Of course we're accepting!" Shifeng, already giddy with excitement, replied without hesitation.
Zhou Ning leaned on his umbrella, watching leisurely as they got to work cleaning up the scene. Somehow, they managed to find a sack, stuffed the corpse inside, and quickly dragged it away. About ten minutes later, they returned, visibly pleased with themselves.
Seeing their eager expressions, Zhou Ning processed the quest and said blandly, "Not bad, adventurers. You've earned my basic trust. I'll be spending a lot of time around the Alchemy Shop at No. 17, Academy Street. If you hear anything about the Curse God Cult, feel free to tell me. Also, if you need anything, I can provide a few goods."
With that, he pulled up the item sale window and granted them access. More importantly, he opened it up to their livestream viewers. Compared to over a month ago when he gave access to XB, Zhou Ning had added a lot more this time: alchemical potions, basic superpower potions, the Gunslinger job change scroll, most of the class's skills, various standard firearms exchanged for reputation from the Sunwatcher, and plenty of ammunition.
He even displayed a finished Devil Fruit, pricing it at 800 Vecktas. Unlike last time, where it was just a teaser, Zhou Ning was now ready to sell them in bulk—but not at a loss.
At this moment, Shifeng's livestream chat had gone completely wild.
XB may have streamed Zhou Ning's shop before, but the newly added goods were making the audience lose their minds.
"Holy crap…"
"Damn, so many cheap guns! The cheapest pistol is under 3 Vecktas? Is this charity?"
"The Stone Mask's usage price is lower now too—only 50 Vecktas per use. If Veckta are going for 400 RMB each on the trading platform, I just need to spend 20K to become a vampire. It's like instant ascension…"
"Buddy above, are you serious? You dare buy currency off the platform? Most of the sellers are scattered across the continent, hardly any near Darkland. You flying out to trade in person?"
"Outta the way, I've got yellow urine. I'll sober him up—Wait! Stop! Ahh! Stop talking!"
"LOL, that was too much."
"You guys have no idea how powerful money really is. Word is, it's only Day 2 of open beta, and already at least 10 players have over 50 Vecktas saved up…"
"Wait, am I the only one who noticed the job change price dropped too? Switching to Wandering Gunslinger now only costs 12 Vecktas!"
"Holy crap, let's gooo! I'm all in!"
After some whispered discussion, Shifeng and Axia pooled their funds. Shifeng ended up buying a cheap revolver and selected a skill to learn.
[Your Sunwatcher Standard-Issue Revolver has been sold! You earned 3 Vecktas and 7 Roshens.]
[Your Universal Skill "Marksmanship Mastery" has been learned! You earned 2,000 XP and 10 Roshens.]
[Your Universal Skill "Dodge" has been learned! You earned 3,000 XP and 15 Roshens.]
These two actually had a decent chunk of change. As Zhou Ning watched them leave reluctantly, he narrowed his eyes. The bait had been cast—now it was up to the players to bite.
And tomorrow would be the moment of truth.
Zhou Ning let out a breath, feeling invigorated. He understood players all too well. Being an NPC was a lot like being in a relationship—the more one side invests, the more obsessed they become. Whether he could entice the players into giving more would depend entirely on his skill.
…
Zhou Ning walked through the heavy, muddy terrain under his umbrella. With his left hand, he took out his pocket watch, flipped it open, and checked the time. It wasn't even 10 PM yet. According to intel, the Rivers family had an estate nearby. Maybe… he'd go take a look?
The Rivers estate wasn't far—he arrived in under 20 minutes. It was a sprawling property, complete with vast lawns, rolling hills, a pond, and an impressively large garden.
Through the iron gate, Zhou Ning saw numerous guards patrolling back and forth. The place was on high alert.
Standing in the shadows, Zhou Ning considered for a moment. Then he mixed a strand of Wright's hair into a transformation potion and downed it.
The result was impressive. In a blink, he became the spitting image of that gloomy man—clothes, facial lines, everything. It was almost too perfect to be natural.
The transformation would last for one hour before wearing off automatically.
Putting away his umbrella, Zhou Ning stepped forward with a calm expression and walked toward the estate.
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