East University Research Institute, cafeteria.
Dong Hai had just gotten his food and sat down.
Ding Yanfeng mysteriously leaned in and whispered in his ear.
"Dong Hai, do you play games?"
Dong Hai widened his eyes, looking at Ding Yanfeng.
"Old Ding, what's this about?"
"An epoch-making virtual reality game, 100% realistic experience! Pre-registration is hot, almost impossible to get a slot, but I have special invitation slots. Just say you want to play, and I'll register you immediately."
"You haven't been pulled into a pyramid scheme, have you!?"
Dong Hai felt wary.
This level of obsession sounded like either a pyramid scheme or a cult.
"What pyramid scheme! Have you read The Three-Body Problem?"
"Yes, what does that have to do with a pyramid scheme?"
"What damn pyramid scheme! Can you stop talking about pyramid schemes?"
Ding Yanfeng was somewhat annoyed.
"In the first book of The Three-Body Problem, that ETO organization developed a 'Three-Body' game, right?"
"The game I'm introducing to you is even more realistic than the ETO's one."
Dong Hai showed a skeptical expression. "Are aliens preparing to invade our world too?"
"No aliens! I'm just asking if you want to play a game??"
Ding Yanfeng took out his phone and opened a webpage.
"You just need to click 'pre-register'. You don't even need to fill in any information."
Dong Hai's eyes widened even more. Was this some new type of scam?
"Just one click? Nothing else?"
"Right, just one click."
Dong Hai, half-believing, half-doubting, reached out his finger and clicked on 'Pre-register'.
[Clicking 'Pre-register' signifies agreement to the terms. Details can be expanded.]
A line of text appeared, then vanished.
"Done. I filled in an ID for you ('I Laugh at Tzeentch's Lack of Strategy'). Just wait for the game helmet to arrive."
Ding Yanfeng put his phone away.
"This game is guaranteed to amaze you."
Dong Hai: "..."
'That's it?!'
Something felt off.
Ding Yanfeng didn't say more, eating while thinking about the game.
He had already hoarded quite a few Contribution Points.
He wondered what these points could buy at the soon-to-open cybernetics shop.
Evening.
Just as Dong Hai was about to leave the research building, the front desk called him, saying there was a package for him.
"I haven't shopped online recently."
Dong Hai, looking puzzled, went over and indeed found a package with his name on it.
He took it back to his dorm and opened it, finding a strangely shaped helmet inside.
"What is this?"
Dong Hai was curious, picking it up to examine it.
The helmet's craftsmanship was exquisite, like a work of art.
Dong Hai ran his fingers over the patterns on the helmet's surface; the metal felt cool and real.
He tried putting it on. His vision first went dark, then a golden double-headed eagle appeared.
Binary and runic code scrolled below.
[Game loading in progress. Please wait patiently.]
Dong Hai took off the helmet, his face full of shock; it was actually a game helmet!
"Could this be the game Ding Yanfeng mentioned? But I didn't fill in any information."
Dong Hai frowned. He picked up the helmet and quickly left his dorm to find Ding Yanfeng.
The other lived in a single dorm provided by the East University Research Institute, not far away.
In a few minutes, Dong Hai reached Ding Yanfeng's dorm.
Ding Yanfeng was sitting at his desk, looking up information.
"What's going on?" Dong Hai placed the helmet in front of Ding Yanfeng.
"What's going on?" Ding Yanfeng examined the helmet. It looked fine.
Dong Hai walked to the door, looked left and right, closed it, then walked back to Ding Yanfeng.
"I'm asking about that game! What's going on?"
"You got the helmet, right? Any other issues?" Ding Yanfeng asked, not understanding.
"Getting the helmet is the biggest issue! I didn't fill in any information. How was it delivered? Did you sell my information?" Dong Hai questioned.
"I didn't," Ding Yanfeng raised his hand, swore. "When I got my game helmet, I also thought my personal information had been stolen, but it actually hadn't."
"You probably won't believe any explanation right now. Better wait until you get into the game; then you'll understand everything."
Seeing his friend's confident and sincere manner, Dong Hai could only temporarily suppress the confusion in his heart.
He wanted to see what this game was that had his friend so obsessed!
After the game finished loading, Ding Yanfeng had Dong Hai put on the helmet and lie on the sofa.
Seriously,
Was there really a virtual reality game more realistic than the Three-Body game?
The moment this thought arose in Dong Hai's mind, even with his eyes closed, he saw a beam of light pierce the darkness, striking his pupils.
But his eyes weren't even open!!
Imperial Glory, Prayer Chapel.
"Holy crap!!"
Dong Hai looked around, his suspicious and doubtful gaze replaced by shock.
'This... Is this a game world??'
"What's all the shouting for?" Old Bird walked up to Dong Hai. "I told you it was an epoch-making virtual reality game, and you insisted it was a pyramid scheme!! Believe me now??"
"It's this realistic?" Dong Hai surveyed his surroundings.
"Small potatoes. Remember me talking about fixing the reactor last time? That was in this game. That system was as complex as the real thing."
Speaking of his achievement, Old Bird looked proud.
"So shocking. Such a realistic game, if released on the market, tsk tsk, it would overturn many fields." Dong Hai was like a curious child, touching everything.
"Come on, let me show you around."
Old Bird took Dong Hai to see the Prayer Chapel, the strategic planning room, the command hall, and even took him to see the reactor chamber.
Meanwhile, Blood Pigeon also got several classmates who had also flown planes to log into Warhammer OL.
He taught them how to pilot the Valkyrie in the game.
The realistic sense of control excited these students immensely.
They all shouted how amazing this game was.
With these students as pilots, the Imperial Glory's numerous vehicles finally had use.
On the space station side, Tena, following Qin Yun's instructions, compiled a detailed list, preparing to open the cybernetics shop.
Qin Yun reviewed the price list; the pricing wasn't too unreasonable.
It's just that most players at this stage were poor.
Only a few veterans like Old Bird, Brother Ballsy, and Ten-times had some spending power.
"Need to make the players stronger to complete tasks better, but can't just hand out Contribution Points for no reason."
Qin Yun frowned.
The enhancement surgeries Tena provided could directly boost the players' combat power.
But most players were short on funds and couldn't afford them.
Giving out Contribution Points would be unfair to players who worked hard to earn them.
"If the players have no money, but I do, I can lend it to them."
"Could also introduce a credit system. Players with high credit could enjoy discounts."
Qin Yun suddenly felt like a genius.
If players have no money to spend, just lend it to them.
If they don't have some debt on their backs, how will they work their butts off as beasts of burden?!
Qin Yun explained his idea to Tena and had her program a Chosen Ones credit system.
Tena didn't quite understand Qin Yun's train of thought, but she complied.
After resolving all issues, Tena's cybernetics shop officially announced its opening.
Qin Yun even specially sent out an opening announcement via holographic projection.
"Chosen Ones, Tena's Cybernetics Shop is now officially open! Grand opening promotion!"
"All items are 15% off for 24 hours. Limited quantities, first-come, first-served."
Soon after the announcement, players gathered.
Considering the crowd, Tena deployed servo-skulls and holographic screens, allowing players to check product information self-service.
The subsequent development unfolded just as Qin Yun predicted.
Seeing the prices on the list, the players immediately started howling.
"Holy crap! A basic cybernetic eye with just remote rangefinding, vision adjustment, and light adaptation costs 200,000! And it's not even blessed, drops on death!"
"Primary assistance core, priced at 1.6 million, provides memory caching, assisted calculation, data distribution, and other functions."
"B-14 Mantis Blades, monomolecular construction, uses neural interface technology, price 850,000."
"Did the game's planner play too much Bannerlord 2?"
"Is the damn developer from Tencent?"
"The pricing is too expensive!" Old Bird shouted.
He had worked hard to save over 100,000, making him the richest among the players.
As a result, he couldn't even afford a cybernetic eye.
Seeing the Chosen Ones' widespread anger, yelling about the black-hearted, damn developer, Tena, as instructed by Qin Yun, introduced them to credit and loans.
"This shop provides loan services, offering corresponding credit limits based on credit rating."
"Credit can be obtained through credit behaviors like completing tasks and repaying loans."
Hearing they could take out loans, the players widened their eyes.
"The game is so realistic it allows this??" Warmaster silently gave a thumbs-up.
"First time hearing about taking loans to buy equipment in a game."
Old Bird also admired Warhammer OL's game planner; the thought process was truly unique.
"Taking loans for a crusade, and I'm the ever-victorious one?"
"I don't admire anyone, just admire this game's planner."
"We're the Fourth Dimensional Disaster Army after all. Lending us money for equipment, aren't you afraid we'll run away with the debt?"
"The last guy who took a loan and ran was beaten so badly he's been paralyzed at home for ten thousand years."
The players expressed a wave of disdain, collectively complaining.
Suddenly, Ten-times stepped forward.
"Going all in! Rather be penniless, must use 'spend-now-pay-later' to get gear. I want a loan to install a psychic amplifier, try it out."
After signing a long agreement, Ten-times was taken by Tena into the operating room.
The surgery was quick; over ten minutes later, Ten-times walked out.
His head now had over a dozen neural amplifier cables, each about the thickness of a little finger.
"How does it feel? Does it hurt?" Old Bird grabbed Ten-times's hand.
"Didn't feel a thing. Got anesthetized as soon as I went in. The whole process just felt like my scalp was itchy, then it was over," Ten-times said.
Warmaster also came closer. "Show us what 900,000 in loans can buy!"
Ten-times stretched out his hand; ethereal shards, like ice crystals, materialized, fluttering around his body.
He looked just like a mage from a game, making the other players drool with envy.
"The amplification is significant, and control is more precise, too."
"You get what you pay for. I feel terrifyingly strong now."
"Can I take out another loan? I feel I can improve further."
Having tasted the sweetness of benefit, Ten-times turned to look at Tech-Priest Tena.
He wanted to max out his loan, see what his limits were.
Unfortunately, his credit didn't support that much debt.
Seeing the enhancement Ten-times gained from the surgery.
The players, while still cursing the planner for being unscrupulous, were physically honest, taking out loans one after another, choosing their desired cybernetics to enhance their combat power.
To help the players earn enough Contribution Points to repay their debts,
Qin Yun broke down the operation to reclaim the Laicade Station into individual tasks.
Letting the players earn Contribution Points through tasks while also improving themselves.