Chapter Seven: The High-Stakes Deal

Hearing Ye Chen’s excuse, Lingyue didn’t think much of it. There were indeed many secrets recorded in the library, though most were written cryptically. Besides, how many gamers actually had the patience to read that stuff? The two of them spent over two hours grinding in the main hall, and finally completed their quest, both gaining a significant chunk of experience. The moment the system announced their task’s completion, they couldn’t help but cheer aloud, even hugging each other out of excitement. The sensation of her soft, fragrant embrace delighted Ye Chen, while the knight girl’s face flushed an intense red.

“Let’s go, time to turn in the quest,” Ye Chen said with a chuckle, twisting open the mechanism at the exit. Instantly, a surge of players from outside rushed in, surrounding the two of them. Many shot them unfriendly looks—more precisely, they glared daggers at Ye Chen; after all, no one wanted to make things difficult for a pretty girl.

“What’s your problem? Looking for a PK? Don’t say I didn’t warn you—I’m not someone you want to mess with. If you don’t believe me, just try,” Ye Chen said, half bluff and half truth. He wasn’t strong now, but with the system as his backing, it was only a matter of time before he rose to prominence.

The crowd of solo players looked at each other, but no one dared make a move. The guy across from them might have looked like a noob, but how could someone who knew this kind of secret manual actually be a rookie? He was probably a top-tier player in disguise! Offending such a person was no joke.

“No one’s making a move? Then we’re leaving,” Ye Chen grunted, grabbed the knight girl’s hand, and led her toward the exit.

“Wait up, man!” Just as they reached the door, a swordsman named Longteng Zhankong hurried after them. He quickly caught up to Ye Chen and spoke in a low voice: “Brother, I’m the leader of Dragon Soar’s third group. About the secret of this hall—are you interested in selling it? I promise you’ll be satisfied with the price.”

Ye Chen looked at Longteng Zhankong with surprise. He hadn’t expected a big shot among the solo players. Dragon Soar was a major family in Lieshan City, boasting at least four or five thousand members—a true powerhouse in the region.

This guy must have been after this from the start. Otherwise, as the leader of Dragon Soar’s group, he could have simply brought his people to block Ye Chen’s way, instead of mixing with the crowd.

“This bandit hall is a great place. With three or four people grinding here, the efficiency is far higher than fighting for monsters outside. It took a lot for me to get this secret. I was planning to use it myself to level up, but if I sell it to Dragon Soar, I guess I won’t have access anymore, right?” Ye Chen smiled, speaking unhurriedly as he looked at Longteng Zhankong.

“You’re a smart man, so I won’t beat around the bush—it’s exactly as you say. However, Dragon Soar can certainly compensate you, be it gold, equipment, or skill books. Name your terms!” Longteng Zhankong replied, his deep voice full of confidence. In Lieshan City, Dragon Soar could afford just about anything. Of course, if Ye Chen tried to take advantage, he wouldn’t stand for being fleeced.

“Just gold coins, then. Name your price—let’s not waste time,” Ye Chen replied, waiting for this exact moment. Others might consider this secret invaluable, but Ye Chen didn’t care much—he’d already asked the system and found there were plenty of better places. If he could sell it for some spending money, all the better.

“One hundred gold coins—how does that sound?” Longteng Zhankong said, raising a single finger.

“Are you joking? A hundred gold coins is just over two thousand credits, and you want to buy this secret? Not interested.” Ye Chen scoffed, sure the man could go higher. For a guild, this place was invaluable—they could occupy it around the clock and let their members rotate through for leveling, a great way to unite the guild.

“Two hundred, then. That’s already a high price, brother,” Longteng Zhankong said, wincing.

Ye Chen waved him off, raised five fingers, and said with a half-smile, “Five hundred. If you can’t pay, don’t waste my time. That’s what it’s worth. If you won’t buy, I can sell it to the Legend or Carefree guilds—they’d happily pay that price.”

Longteng Zhankong stared at Ye Chen for a long moment, then exhaled and smiled slightly. “You win. Five hundred—it’s my absolute limit. But I hope that along with this secret, we can also buy your friendship. If you come across anything good in the future, sell to Dragon Soar first.”

“No problem!” Ye Chen laughed heartily. To him, it made no difference who bought it. A generous, long-term client was in his best interest. With the system backing him, he’d never be short of money.

“Let’s add each other as friends. I’ll need some time to gather the coins—it’ll take about an hour or so. I’ll contact you then.”

“Ding! Player Longteng Zhankong requests to add you as a friend.”

Ye Chen smiled and accepted.

………………………

On the way back, the knight girl followed quietly behind Ye Chen, her eyes full of curiosity and uncertainty. She couldn’t understand how this “noob support worker” from her studio had suddenly changed. Hidden quests, secret manuals, high-priced trades—was this really the same rookie from her team? Would he still be a rookie after this?

“What’s wrong, Lingyue? Do I look like I’ve turned into a monster?” Ye Chen noticed her odd expression and chuckled, gazing at the distant sunset. In a soft voice, he said, “I’m Ye Chen, the same Ye Chen from Green Feather Studio. I was then, I am now, and I will be in the future. From the day you took me in, I was destined to stand with all of you.”

Hearing this, the knight girl’s eyes lit up, a radiant smile blooming on her face.

Returning to the Frozen Forest, Ye Chen led Lingyue according to the map coordinates for Camino. When they arrived, they found a crowd gathered around him. The moment someone spotted Ye Chen, they shouted, “That’s him! He’s the one who accepted the quest—he’s the only one who knows the secret!”

The crowd instantly erupted.

“Boss, tell me the secret, I’ll be your follower!”

“Hey handsome, looking for a girlfriend? I’m very good at keeping beds warm.”

“Ten gold coins! I’ll buy the secret for ten gold!”

Ye Chen glanced around and saw that they were all low-level players, none above level twenty. He couldn’t be bothered with them and, taking the knight girl with him, squeezed through the crowd and handed in the quest to Camino.