The game becomes reality: Black Myth invades the real world.

Chapter 39 I, Zhang Mingyuan, am short-sighted!

Night, the headquarters of the Investigation Bureau in Wujiang District, Jiangcheng.

Zhou Jianbang leaned back wearily in his chair, rubbing his aching temples.

The stones at the bottom of Sidu Lake have been thoroughly investigated and have been identified as the culprit behind the recent spate of paranormal events.

But now there's a problem: how do we solve this problem?

Relying on Zhang Mingyuan?

He doesn't even care about other people's lives, what use is he?!

Zhou Jianbang decided to rely on the resources of Wujiang District to handle the matter on his own, but he had no clue what to do at the moment.

There was a knock on the door, and when he looked over, he saw that it was Chen Fu who had come over.

"Captain Zhou, did I disturb you?" Chen Fu smiled, his head inside the house and most of his body outside the door, giving off a sneaky vibe.

"Why are you here instead of sorting out your loot from the dungeon?"

Zhou Jianbang stopped thinking about the stone, beckoned Chen Fu in, and stood up to ask, "What would you like to drink?"

"Milk tea." After saying that, Chen Fu poured himself a cup and then brewed a pot of tea for Zhou Jianbang.

The two are different in age and have different hobbies.

After settling down, Chen Fu said, "Captain Zhou, I came here today to talk to you about the results."

The Legend of the White Snake is a multiplayer battle instance, as evidenced by the abundance of items obtained compared to individual class instances.

This is due to the different nature of the game. If it were a different instance or without player-versus-player combat, it would be impossible to obtain so many items.

But in reality, many of the props were useless, so Chen Fu wondered if he could trade them away or give them directly to Zhou Jianbang.

He omitted some of the special gains and focused on introducing skill books and other related items.

If Zhou Jianbang needs it, then give it to him directly. If he's not interested, then list it on the trading platform for sale.

Charge a handling fee if you want; at least it's better than having the money stuck with it.

"You may have some misconceptions about player-to-player transactions."

Zhou Jianbang did not reply immediately, but instead logged into the Spirit Investigation Bureau forum, pulled up a post, and showed it to Chen Fu.

"Transferring items through the God of Wealth statue is not without cost. Each time, it requires consuming amulet money equal to the value of the item, and the prerequisite is that the relevant plot must be triggered to gain the attention of the God of Wealth."

While Chen Fu was reading the post, he began to provide answers.

"At this stage, only three players in the entire Spirit Intervention Bureau have gained the attention of the God of Wealth. All items must pass through them before they can be distributed to others. But that's not the main issue. The key point is that each person only has three chances per month."

Chen Fu understood.

Transferring game items is not a casual matter; it requires money, special quotas, and even a limit on the number of times it can be done.

Those three players have already used up their attempts this month, and it will be at least ten days before they can continue.

What should we do then? Chen Fu scratched his head and thought of another method.

"I'll just list the item on the trading house and let you buy it, won't that be enough?"

Although Chen Fu's actions would expose him as the player who sold the skill books, Zhou Jianbang had already treated him this way, so what else could be said?

Not every leader can care for their subordinates without reservation.

"It's possible, but there are too many uncertainties," Zhou Jianbang shook his head.

Currently, he doesn't have the qualifications to enter the Forbidden City, so he can't buy any items. Besides, apart from the Buddhist hoe, the other items aren't very useful to him, and he can't learn skill books, plus there's no guarantee that someone won't intercept them.

"Then I'll keep the hoe for now. Once Captain Zhou is able to enter the Forbidden City, I'll put it on the trading house. Let's sell the other items first and earn some money to upgrade our skills."

Chen Fu suggested another way to handle it, and Zhou Jianbang nodded in agreement.

He immediately contacted Jin Yutongzi, who was free that night. After receiving the message from his teammate, Jin Yutongzi immediately appraised the item.

In less than a minute, Jin Yutongzi presented his pricing strategy.

Prayer beads and soap are not very useful; it's more appropriate to order ten amulet coins, with an additional charge of at least one coin each time.

Kitchenware can be priced at 1,000 coins, with each increment no less than 500 coins. Rain-praying dragon talismans can be priced at 100 coins, with each increment no less than 10 coins.

This is the best price that the Golden Jade Boy obtained through his abilities. No matter what, kitchen utensils are more practical than dragon talismans. Whether used for cooking or as weapons, they are a very good choice.

The Dragon Talisman can only be used once. It is effective in dry places, but its practicality is not very high in other environments.

As for the skill book, Jin Yu Tong Zi suggested that Chen Fu price it at 10,000 amulet coins, with each increment not less than 5,000 coins.

This is a skill book exclusive to the chosen one, even rarer than the Blood Gluttonous Inner Realm Fragment. Players of this class will definitely fight tooth and nail to buy it.

Chen Fu took Jin Yutongzi's advice and asked her to guide him to the Forbidden City, where he set up props at a street stall near the Imperial City.

Zhou Jianbang admired Chen Fu's decisive and straightforward personality, and then... he received a call from Zhao Dekuan.

"The stalls near the Imperial City have restocked with items! A huge variety! The seller's nickname still starts with 'None,' is this one of your players?"

Part of Zhao Dekuan's job was to keep an eye on the items in the three major underground markets in the Forbidden City. When he discovered that props were being sold at the stalls along the Imperial City Wall, he immediately realized that they might be Zhou Jianbang's subordinates.

A glint flashed in Zhou Jianbang's eyes. He turned to look at Chen Fu and saw the boy grinning smirk. He then made his judgment.

He replied in a deep voice, "I don't know. He didn't tell me what he got in the dungeon."

Zhou Jianbang wasn't stupid either. He could tell the problem just from Chen Fu's expression. Combined with the fact that he had offered to give him the fragment of the Blood Gluttonous Inner Realm but had been refused, it was easy to deduce that he was the seller whose name started with "nothing".

This matter cannot be discussed, otherwise, I will be accused of exploiting others. Chief Zhou loves his people like his own children and would never expose his subordinates' secrets.

"Really?" Zhao Dekuan was skeptical. Your subordinate just finished playing The Legend of the White Snake, and the trading house has already listed the item. There's no reason why it shouldn't be the same person.

Zhou Jianbang said a lot more, basically giving the impression that he didn't know anything, and that even if he did ask, he wouldn't tell.

This made Zhao Dekuan realize that it might not be just one person, so he quickly hung up the phone and began to work on purchasing props.

After a moment, Zhou Jianbang coughed lightly: "In the future, try to be more discreet about these kinds of things."

"Yes, yes, Captain Zhou's teaching is correct." Chen Fu nodded repeatedly, exchanged a glance with Zhou Jianbang, and neither of them spoke again, everything was understood without words.

To avoid appearing awkward, Zhou Jianbang turned to look at the computer and browsed the posts on the Paranormal Investigation Bureau forum. Then, a smile suddenly appeared on his lips, and his serious expression vanished instantly.

Huh? What are you laughing about... Chen Fu looked at the computer with a hint of doubt and found that a new post had appeared on the forum.

The post is titled: "The disciples of the Quanzhen School are short-sighted and are truly sinners of the Spiritual Investigation Bureau!"

The poster is called Baidatong, which is taken from the name of a character in one of Jackie Chan's movies.

He described an event that happened in Jiangcheng today.

A player in Jiangcheng entered the Legend of the White Snake instance. His leader, worried about the danger to his subordinate, begged and pleaded to ensure his safety.

The leader first sought help from the Quanzhen School of Taoism, but they chose to ignore him. Finally, he went to the bureau chief and obtained an important tool that could save his subordinate.

As it turned out, this player didn't need any items at all and cleared the dungeon on their own, not only surviving but also saving the Spirit Intervention Bureau important resources.

Even if we don't know how much we've gained so far, it certainly won't be a small amount. If it's listed on the trading house, it will definitely spark a new round of competition among various forces.

At the end of the post, Baidatong mocked the Quanzhen Sect disciples. "You thought it was a certain death trap and refused to help, but they came out unharmed. Your foresight is terrible! You're short-sighted and a sinner to the Spirit Investigation Bureau!"

Chen Fu knew that Zhou Jianbang had pleaded with the Quanzhen School of Immortals for his sake, but they had completely ignored him. He just didn't expect it to be exposed on the forum so quickly.

He somewhat understood why Zhou Jianbang had laughed.

"Come on, let's see what happens next, there's more to come."

Zhou Jianbang wasn't happy alone; he scrolled down the post with his mouse.

On the fifth floor of the post, Baidu updated the latest situation.

He said that many items have been put up at the Huangchenggen Street Market, which are suspected to be rewards obtained by this player after completing the Legend of the White Snake dungeon, but there is no substantial evidence and no conclusion can be drawn.

But none of that matters!

You can ignore the other items listed; just bid on the ones you need.

However, the exclusive skill book for the Chosen One is an important item that will definitely attract fierce competition among players of that class.

Then, Baidatong used this incident to mock the Quanzhen School of Taoism once again.

To say he's short-sighted is ridiculous. If this player from Jiangcheng were to reach the Forbidden City, he would probably just like the player whose surname starts with "nothing," and put up items he doesn't need.

If the disciples of the Quanzhen Sect had chosen to help back then, they could have gained many benefits in advance, thereby improving the overall strength of the Spirit Dispatch Bureau. But now? Everything is beyond redemption!

All the players browsing the forum were attracted, and the number of views on the post skyrocketed. Both the posts and discussions accumulated rapidly, and the post quickly rose to the top spot in popularity.

……

Hilton Hotel, Wujiang District, Jiangcheng, Presidential Suite.

Zhang Mingyuan, lying on the soft bed, was browsing the Spirit Investigation Bureau forum.

He saw the post from Baidatong, and then, like a cat with its fur standing on end, he leaped up.

Am I short-sighted? Am I a sinner of the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation?

You're both ministers, shouldn't you take a look at what you're saying?

Zhang Mingyuan's anger flared up instantly, and he wished he could fly back to Yanjing immediately and smash Baidatong's head in.

But he knew that Baidatong wouldn't say that for no reason; there must be something going on. He forced himself to calm down, opened the thread, and started reading. Five minutes later, his face turned even uglier.

Zhang Mingyuan realized that what Baidatong said might be true. He had indeed talked about it in a WeChat group after getting off the plane. The group consisted of well-known players in the Yanjing area, including some who were well-informed.

In other words, if someone he didn't like actually cleared the Legend of the White Snake dungeon, they might even put the exclusive class skill book they obtained on the street stalls in the capital city for sale.

Although it's not yet certain whether the two are the same person, and the post published by Baidatong also expresses this view, is such a coincidence really possible? Zhang Mingyuan dared not gamble, nor did he dare to directly refute the post.

If we make another mistake, things will only get worse.

To verify the authenticity of the information, Zhang Mingyuan called Zhou Jianbang.

He could make a judgment using his skills, but he didn't want to waste his energy and preferred to ask the person involved first.

The call was quickly connected, and Zhou Jianbang's voice came through: "Hello."

Zhang Mingyuan's lips twitched involuntarily. Before, he called me "Minister," but now he just calls me "hello." Does he have to be so pragmatic?

He patiently and gently said, "Captain Zhou, I got stuck in traffic after getting off the plane and I'm still waiting. How's that player doing? Did he clear the dungeon?"

To avoid arousing suspicion, he began to play two roles, complaining to the driver about the traffic conditions in Jiangcheng while speaking in the strange Jiangcheng dialect: "Snail bird, snake bird, no one's wearing a swimsuit~"

"Thank you for your concern. Let's talk about it when we meet."

Zhou Jianbang's reply was very formal and did not reveal any information at all.

The whereabouts of all players are monitored in segments by special personnel to prevent them from suddenly encountering paranormal events and being in mortal danger.

Zhang Mingyuan's latest location report shows that he is resting at the Hilton Hotel in Wujiang District. How could he still be stuck in traffic?

Zhou Jianbang sees through things but doesn't say it outright. You love to act, right? Then keep going. It's entertaining, I love watching.

Zhang Mingyuan opened his mouth, but seeing that he couldn't get any answers, he could only hang up the phone in frustration.

Undeterred, he asked again in the WeChat group, harboring a sliver of hope that it wasn't an item listed by this player, or perhaps it was a prank by Baidatong.

But after waiting for a long time, no one replied in the WeChat group.

Zhang Mingyuan realized that everyone was probably busy. What were they busy with? Most likely, they were raising money for amulets, preparing to acquire that exclusive professional skill book!

He started to panic.

The title of "Gold Medal Strategist" that I painstakingly maintained on the forum, which earned me the reputation of being a game pioneer among many players, cannot be turned into a laughing stock because of this incident.

If this incident were to cause a decline in one's standing within the Bureau of Spirits Investigation, resulting in the loss of the minister's position, the loss would be even greater!

In his haste, Zhang Mingyuan exhausted his energy and activated his skill.

"The disciples of Quanzhen Longmen are born with the Big Dipper mark between their eyebrows, which is the image of the innate fetal light and the flow of the acquired consciousness. They cut through the turbidity of the mortal world with their swords to nourish their original nature and reflect the form of yin and yang in their mirrors to refine their true destiny."

"Professional Characteristics: Cultivating both body and spirit! Body refers to the primordial spirit, which can enhance physical fitness. Spirit refers to the conscious spirit, which can briefly leave the body to see the future. The Complete Perfection Inner Alchemy requires a combination of external and internal cultivation; this is called refining emptiness and uniting with the Dao."

By allowing his spirit to leave his body, Zhang Mingyuan saw certain aspects of the future in the night sky.

The player who was sentenced to death is alive and well; he was the one who listed the item! He obtained a huge amount of money for amulets and successfully upgraded his skills.

Because of the outstanding achievements of his subordinates, Zhou Jianbang became the long-vacant head of Jiangcheng, a position even higher than his own as a minister.

Because of this mistake, he became a laughing stock, and even years later, people would still bring it up to make fun of him!

Zhang Mingyuan's vision went black; this was due to excessive energy depletion. He quickly severed the skill, allowing his primordial spirit to return to his body, barely managing to hold back a mouthful of blood. However, the shock he experienced was far more severe than any physical injury.

Did I really misjudge the situation? Am I really going to become a laughing stock?

He didn't want to believe it, but he was powerless to change anything.

Finally, someone replied to the message in the WeChat group.

Baidatong: "You still have the mind to worry about this? Hurry up and raise the money to buy skill books! Many conglomerates have already made their moves!"

Baitong: "Minister Zhang, you don't want to be negatively affected by this, do you?"

Baidatong guessed that the player who put the skill book up for sale was the one from Jiangcheng, but he didn't have the ability to see the future like Zhang Mingyuan, so he couldn't make an accurate judgment for the time being.

But what does it matter? As long as it disgusts Zhang Mingyuan, that's all that matters.

Zhang Mingyuan gritted his teeth. "Buy skill books? What am I going to do with them? I'm not some chosen one."

Despite this thought, he also knew that if the skill books were to fall into the hands of forces outside the Spirit Investigation Bureau, the overall level of the Spirit Investigation Bureau would definitely be affected.

But...where would he get so much money for amulets?

Zhang Mingyuan could no longer hold back. He felt a sweet taste in his throat and spat out bright red blood. He felt a mixture of love and hate for the player who had successfully completed the game, and he also had complicated feelings for Zhou Jianbang.

Finally, torn by a jumble of thoughts, he roared to the heavens, "I, Zhang Mingyuan, am short-sighted!"