Chapter 51:

When she came to, the familiar interior design greeted Yun Shan’s eyes, and she realized she had returned to the real world.

She removed her holographic headgear, feeling her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and panic. She had thought that she would only see such things in the game, and the sudden mention of “meeting in the future” had left her feeling thoroughly shaken.

“How does he plan to meet?” Yun Shan wondered. “A friendly visit from extraterrestrial guests? An invasion from inhabitants of another world, triggering a planetary war?”

…

Yun Shan couldn’t fathom it.

In her memory, prolonged gameplay by players only resulted in physical fitness and resilience against illness. Awakening innate talents as in the game simply didn’t exist. At most, it was about unlocking potential, making the body strong enough to challenge human limits.

If the two worlds clashed and went to war—

Yun Shan fell silent for a moment, thinking to herself that Lu Ming held sway over all matters at the Red Maple Camp. They should be able to establish peaceful relations without resorting to warfare.

In case he insisted otherwise… she would just lock him up and strip him of his right to speak!

Having thought ahead about her response strategy, Yun Shan didn’t feel relaxed. Her mind was still heavy with the burden of these considerations.

It was rather absurd to have a secret crush only for the person in question to cross boundaries and hold her accountable before she had even figured out how to handle the situation. The whole thing was completely out of the ordinary.

Before she could decide on a resolution, her body took the initiative and removed her from the game.

“Love is too difficult; it’s even harder than seizing power,” Yun Shan sighed as she lay on the bed, pulling her blanket tightly around her.

***

Two days later, the “Yuelai Pub” officially opened.

After setting off firecrackers, a waiter stood at the door, loudly announcing, “New store opening, discounts, buy one get one free!”

“We sell wheat wine, sorghum liquor, corn wine, and rice wine. Don’t miss out as you pass by.”

Some individuals even brought out tables and chairs, placed tea cups on them, and poured wine for passersby, saying, “Top-quality wine, free tasting. Come and take a look!”

Upon hearing about the free wine, an NPC promptly stepped forward, saying, “Give me a cup!”

The waiter smiled and asked, “Which one would you like to try? Wheat wine, sorghum liquor, corn wine, or rice wine?”

“Wheat wine,” the NPC responded without hesitation.

The waiter handed over the tea cup.

Don’t be misled by the fact that the tea cup was filled with wine. In reality, the tea cup was about the same size as a chess piece, and it couldn’t hold much liquid—just a sip would finish it.

After drinking the wheat wine, the NPC not only didn’t quench their thirst, but instead felt a craving for more. “The wine you brew is quite good, it’s refreshing and has a malty aroma.”

“That’s right,” the waiter proudly declared, “Our pub’s brewed by experienced masters!”

The NPC, holding the tea cup, felt tempted.

Coupled with the constant cries of “New store opening, discounts, buy one get one free.”

Gritting his teeth, the NPC said, “I’ll take a pound of wheat wine, and the rest…”

The NPC hesitated, showing signs of indecision.

At the right moment, the waiter handed over other tea cups, saying, “This is sorghum liquor, this is corn wine, and this is rice wine. Try them all.”

The NPC sampled each one, and finally expressed satisfaction, “The sorghum liquor is fragrant, the corn wine is strong, and the rice wine is sweet. I’ll have another pound of sorghum liquor.”

“Sure thing,” the waiter beamed, “Right this way, please.”

***

By the time Yun Shan noticed, there was already a long line in front of the Yuelai Pub. Those waiting to buy the wine weren’t just male NPCs but also female and male players.

Observing quietly, Yun Shan noticed two female players walking by and chatting.

“This rice wine is so delicious! It’s not strong at all, and it doesn’t make you tipsy.”

“Absolutely! It has a sweet taste and a subtle floral aroma, almost like a soft drink. The line here is even longer than the one at the nearby milk tea shop.”

“Let’s take a stroll first and come back to buy after we’ve tasted it. I declare, I’m already obsessed with this rice wine, I’ll die if I don’t get to drink it.”

“Exciting!”

The two laughed and moved away.

Yun Shan fell silent.

Even female players who weren’t particularly fond of alcoholic drinks were falling in love with the rice wine, let alone others.

For male players, drinking in the game wasn’t really considered drinking. It didn’t harm the liver or the stomach, so drinking it was seen as a win-win situation. Consequently, they actively queued up, their enthusiasm comparable to that of grabbing top-tier equipment.

As for male NPCs, it had been a long time since they had smelled the fragrance of food-based liquor and had an opportunity to drink it. Overcome with emotion, they eagerly lined up. Their demeanor suggested that if they missed this chance, they might never get to buy it again.

In reality, the alcoholic beverages were not cheap.

A pound of rice wine cost 20 points, and a pound of wheat or corn wine cost 30 points, while a pound of sorghum liquor cost 50 points, making them quite expensive.

However, both male players and male NPCs were clamoring to buy as if under a spell.

This kind of frenzy was probably only understood by those who loved drinking.

Yun Shan didn’t drink, and witnessing this scene, all she could think about was business.

“Pure profit of 100% to 400%, it’s a real gold mine. No wonder Bai Shenghua wouldn’t listen to advice or give up.”

“Even if he didn’t invite me to join, he alone could still manage the business. Having more partners means sharing risks and expanding rapidly to capture the market.”

“He openly laid out the path to wealth. I found it strange at the time. Wasn’t he afraid that the negotiation wouldn’t work out, or that someone else would beat him to this business? Now, thinking back, the preparations should have started long ago. After hearing Bai Shenghua’s plan, even if I wanted to go solo, recruiting staff, producing food-based liquor, and finding suitable storefronts would take time, and I wouldn’t be able to move as fast as him.”

“In some time, players will know that making food-based liquor is a lucrative venture. At that point, everyone will be making alcohol. Whether there’s one more competitor or one less, it won’t matter.”

After understanding this, Yun Shan was left with only one question in her mind—what was Lu Ming waiting for, and why hadn’t he taken action to stop this?

For her, organizing players to sell alcohol would be quite challenging. After all, cutting off their source of income might lead them to cut off her lifeline.

But for Lu Ming, simply issuing a “ban on alcohol” would solve all the problems.

***

The next day, the Pay-to-Win game group was unusually lively.

“ExP: Who do you need to take you flying? You’re obviously the big shot! Keep pretending. @Big Boss”

“Gold Rushed: Everyone in the group is a business person, making a fortune. Counting money until your hands cramp. Unlike me, a sad wage earner, every word is a tear. Crying.emoji”

“Breathless: The alcohol business is a goldmine. How did I forget about this? If I had remembered earlier, I would have become the one making big money! My heart aches as if I’ve missed out on a fortune.”

“Thief has Money, Thief is Willful: Let’s be honest, the camp’s food was always in short supply. Even if you wanted to sell alcohol, there wasn’t enough raw material. Even if you go to the food store now and try to buy in bulk, they won’t sell it to you. Don’t be fooled by the big shots in the group, they must have connections. The materials for making alcohol are generally not easily obtainable by ordinary people.”

“Dreamer: If it wasn’t for the big shot spotting the opportunity, street vendors would be selling alcohol, and everyone else would be flocking to get rich together. Just thinking about it gets me a little excited (lost in thought, don’t disturb).”

“Kneeling Down: Others are late to learn how to make alcohol, it takes time, and the bandwagon effect will take at least a week to appear. The big shot is estimated to be making a killing. @Take Me Flying”

“Deceiver: I get it now, ‘Big Boss’, abbreviated to ‘big shot’, makes perfect sense.”

As the group joked around, someone inquired, “The online store’s bookstore is selling a lot of books on ‘How to Make Food-Based Liquor.’ Does anyone want to buy one together? There’s a discount for group purchases.”

“Except for me:…”

“Dreamer:…”

“Breathless: Count me in, I want to buy.”

***

In just three days, the book “Home Brewing: Food-Based Liquor, Fruit Wine, and Flower Liquor, Brewing Basics” topped the online bookstore charts and its sales continued to soar.

Three days later, eight of the top ten best-selling books were related to brewing.

At this time, there was no sign of a ban on alcohol at the Red Maple Camp. Instead, Bai Shenghua planned to hold a “Wheat Wine Festival” in collaboration with a barbecue restaurant owner and launch another round of promotions.

After waiting all day without seeing Lu Ming take action, Yun Shan couldn’t help but message him, “Is the reason you haven’t issued a ban on alcohol because you don’t trust me?”

—To avoid using her disappearing act for the third time, she chose to contact him directly through her wristwatch, without mentioning a meeting.

Lu Ming replied promptly, “I trust you. It’s just that issuing a ban on alcohol to forcibly stop it isn’t the best solution. I have other plans.”

So that was the reason. Yun Shan felt relieved.

With that off her mind, she eagerly went to attend the “Wheat Wine Festival” opening.

Amidst the smoke, the aroma of roasted meat could be smelled from afar.

Upon closer inspection, the pork belly was sizzling and crackling as it cooked, with the fat and lean parts intermingled. Brushed with seasoning, each bite was crispy and full of flavor.

In addition to the pork belly, there was also roasted lamb.

Thin slices of lamb, alternating between lean and fat, were threaded together. When they turned golden and slightly charred, they were sprinkled with chili powder and cumin. Tender and delicious, they were bursting with flavor.

Furthermore, there were roasted gluten, rice cakes, beef, pork tenderloin, chicken wings, and chicken cutlets…

One item was chicken wings wrapped in rice. The outer layer was a bright red roasted wing, while the inside was filled with fragrant fried rice, creating a unique and flavorful taste.

As she ate, she felt thirsty.

At this point, those accustomed to wheat wine drank it, those who didn’t like it bought rice wine, and those who couldn’t get used to it brought their own milk tea. One gulp was refreshing, leaving them feeling comfortable and revitalized.

“No matter how much we eat, we won’t gain weight or get high blood pressure. It’s so blissful!!”

One female player walked past with a skewer in her left hand and a drink in her right, happily eating and sipping.

Yun Shan stopped and watched, very curious about how Lu Ming would respond in this life.

***

After the Wheat Wine Festival ended, food prices directly rose by 30%, but this did not dampen the players’ enthusiasm for brewing.

“Selling food-based liquor yields a pure profit of 100%-400%. Even if the cost rises by 30%, it’s still a big profit!”

“Food prices have risen, so why not just stop making food-based liquor? I just learned how to make fruit wine and flower liquor, so there’s potential.”

“Recently, food consumption has been too high and too fast, causing food prices to soar. When the new batch of crops is harvested in December, prices will fall again. However, at that time, it’s hard to say whether alcohol can be sold at a high price again. Brothers! Let’s make another profit while we can!”

Every day, there were individuals in the Pay-to-Win game group cheering each other on, working together to earn money.

As the group leader and a well-known food hoarder, Yun Shan received private messages hundreds of times a day. The conversations were similar, all asking if she was willing to transfer her stored food.

Eventually, Yun Shan became fed up and directly announced in the group chat, “I have over 200 Battle pet at home, and not enough food to feed them. Who still has some? I’m willing to buy at a high price. @Everyone”

The group members: “…”

Seeing her hoarding so much food, they realized that she didn’t even have enough for herself.

Everyone changed their minds and began to trade with others instead.