Chapter 412: That Would Be Me
Chapter 412: That Would Be Me
Inside the Mall, Feng Bu Jue brushed off Meng Jing Chan with a few perfunctory words before departing with an expression of disdain.
"Who was that?" Gui Xiao watched Feng Bu Jue's retreating figure, asking Meng Jing Chan beside him. "Hard to believe someone would ignore Order's ace like that. Pretty rare sight..."
"Hmm..." Meng Jing Chan lit another cigarette, replying, "He's an intriguing fellow."
"Intriguing? More like a repulsive madman", Ji Bu Shao Ye muttered.
This caught Wu Si Can Xuan's attention. Instantly grasping the subtext, he probed shrewdly, "Oh? Hiei Studio's young man, do you know this Mad Bu Jue too? I'm curious about his capability—what would you say?"
"Young man from Hiei Studio? My ID's displayed above my head, alright? And I'm not just some random guy—I'm this guild's commander!" Ji Bu snapped, clearly annoyed. "Why is that ridiculous 'Three Struggling to Name Themselves' trio so famous while nobody even knows me?!"
"That's what you get for directly copying a two-dimensional character's name and slapping 'young master' at the end", Xiao Ming (Name Zhen Nan Qu) pointed out.
"If cringe-worthy Ids were a contest, yours would beat all three of us combined", Lao Qu (Name Reallyhardtodecide) chimed in.
Zhen Ge (Reallyhardtoname) added, "Besides, your obscurity probably has more to do with your capability being weak. If you were actually powerful, even with a cringey ID and a height of only 1.6 meters, you'd still be famous."
"Hey!" Gui Xiao barked. "Am I invisible here? Want a one-on-one duel? Don't think I can't memorize your ID just because it's hard to pronounce at first glance!"
The group descended into chaotic banter, quickly veering off-topic while hurling verbal barbs at each other.
"Huff..." Wu Si Can Xuan exhaled deeply, then turned and walked away in another direction.
"Where're you off to?" Raw Fish Slices asked, his voice steady as he noticed Wu Si Can Xuan leaving.
"Some minor matters to confirm", Wu Si Can Xuan replied. "Won't be long. As for these kids... keep an eye on them for now."
...
On the opposite side of the information tower, Feng Bu Jue stood among the crowd, gazing upward at the auction house information scrolling across the screen above.
Truthfully, he had no intention to buy anything—he was merely here to observe the current market trends.
With the Peak Conquest Tournament approaching, prices had recently fluctuated noticeably. However, they hadn't rebounded to the absurd levels seen during the Open Beta phase. Evidently, most buyers and sellers nowadays were more reasonable. Those treating others as fools? A rare breed now.
"Excuse me, Mad Bu Jue, Mr.", Wu Si Can Xuan approached, addressing Feng Bu Jue.
He didn't tap Feng Bu Jue on the shoulder. Within a public gaming space, physical contact with an unfamiliar player without consent could pose risks.
The system prevented outright physical aggression, but ambiguous actions like shoving, grabbing, or even a casual shoulder tap could still be flagged as impolite. In public areas like this mall, such behavior risked summoning the virtual enforcers—towering, two-meter-tall robotic guards clad in black armor bearing the crimson character Guan (Control) on their backs. These Terminator-like entities, with combat effectiveness rated at ten points, were notorious for forcibly disconnecting players without warning. Even worse, their optical neural cores could remotely immobilize a player’s gaming pod and alert real-world authorities if deemed necessary.
Terrifying Paradise had implemented ironclad measures to prevent violence, verbal abuse, threats, and harassment in public spaces. These protocols ensured social harmony within the game while maintaining the realism of neural-linked immersion. Not surprisingly, government agencies strongly endorsed these measures, which might soon become industry standards.
Of course, some protested Dream Corporation's strict policies, flooding forums with complaints. Predictably, most of these dissenters found their citizen Ids quietly added to blacklists by net-police departments.
"Huh? Who're you?" Feng Bu Jue turned, spotting Wu Si Can Xuan.
In that instant, his eyes rapidly scanned the newcomer while his mind raced: Wu Si Can Xuan... Order... Gotham City... Mantlescramble battle... One of the six... Everyone else originally appeared on the combat power leaderboard... After the battle, rankings changed... Now approaching me alone...
A chain of thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning.
Within a second, Feng Bu Jue had already deduced the conclusion: He suspects I'm the anonymous player ranked second on the combat power leaderboard. He's here to test me.
Without hesitation, Feng Bu Jue immediately replied, "That's correct. I don't mind you reporting this to your studio colleagues, but please keep it under wraps otherwise."
"Huh?!" Wu Si Can Xuan was momentarily taken aback.
Ordinarily, people reasoned step-by-step—from A to B to C—gradually reaching conclusion Z. The faster this process, the sharper the mind.
Wu Si Can Xuan was no slow thinker. Yet even he required a brief moment to process information.
Feng Bu Jue, however, had trained specifically for this.
When interacting with strangers, Feng Bu Jue preferred brevity. Hence, when someone began with A, he'd cut straight to Z.
"Ah... Feng Bu Jue, I haven't even asked you anything yet", Wu Si Can Xuan protested.
"I know you planned to test me with roundabout questions before getting to the core matter", Feng Bu Jue interrupted, pointing toward the combat power leaderboard above. "I'm just saving you some time." He turned to face Wu Si Can Xuan directly. "Anything else you'd like to discuss?"
A blatant dismissal.
"Heh... No need. You're busy", Wu Si Can Xuan chuckled helplessly, turning to leave. Mad Bu Jue... Never heard of this name or ID before. Yet his confidence doesn't sound like bluffing. Could it be... he truly is the second-ranked player? He glanced back once—only to see Feng Bu Jue nonchalantly picking his nose.
"... Quite the interesting character", Wu Si Can Xuan's lips twitched. He honestly couldn't decide how to evaluate this man.
(End of Chapter)
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