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After the autumn hunting event ended, players who exchanged resources for a year’s store usage began mobilizing and arranging manpower, bustling about.
In early October, everything was prepared, and a date for the grand opening was set.
Before the opening, someone intentionally shouted in the group, “Delicious Duck will officially open for business on October 8th. On the first day, everything will be 50% off. On the second, third, and fourth days, everything will be 30% off. On the fifth, sixth, and seventh days, everything will be 10% off. Friends, for those with money, come and spend it. For those without, come and enjoy. There will be special gifts for everyone on the first day. @Everyone.”
Yun Shan, having nothing else to do, decided to join in the excitement.
However, arriving too early, the new store hadn’t opened yet.
Yun Shan strolled around the vicinity.
There were a total of thirty stores on the street, and currently, more than ten had already opened.
The best business was undoubtedly the clothing store.
Yun Shan went in and found a variety of stylish, comfortable, and well-designed clothing neatly arranged, waiting for customers to try them on.
In other games, this would probably be called fashion.
Yun Shan thought to herself, “Wow, these are really nice! I want to buy this one!”
“This one is convenient for daily wear, suitable for going out. This one is comfortable, perfect for staying at home.”
“The starry skirt is so beautiful, I want to buy it and keep it!”
The female customers in the store had eyes shining brightly, filled with intense enthusiasm, and they made quick and precise purchases.
“These are the last batch of stock. Once they’re sold out, it will take three days before we can restock.” Just as the store attendant put the items on display, in a blink of an eye, female players and female NPCs flocked in and bought all the clothes, leaving none behind.
Yun Shan felt that staying in the clothing store was not a good idea, her charisma talent was of no use, and it was too easy to unintentionally cause harm.
She took two steps back, left the store, and decided to go next door for a look around.
The newly opened stores included a supermarket, a rice shop, Chinese pastries, Western fast food, a clinic, a blacksmith shop, an armor store, a pet hospital, and more, offering a rich variety of goods.
Lu Liu reminded her, “Yun Shan, ‘Delicious Duck’ store has opened.”
Seeing the huge crowd in the store, Yun Shan felt resistant deep inside. “No rush, I’ll go in when it’s less crowded.”
An hour later, the flow of customers noticeably decreased.
Yun Shan finally entered the store.
“Feel free to look around and choose. Today, on our first day of business, all items are 50% off.” The attendant was a young, efficient NPC lad, warmly welcoming and serving the customers.
Yun Shan glanced at the menu.
Braised chicken feet, braised duck tongue, braised duck feet, braised duck neck, braised duck collarbone, braised duck wings, all are common braised flavors.
The flavors are divided into three types: fragrant (non-spicy), slightly spicy, and spicy.
“One order of fragrant chicken feet and one order of slightly spicy duck tongue.”
“Okay.” The staff swiftly packed the items. “Today, for the grand opening, all customers will receive a small portion of slightly spicy duck neck for free. If you like it, come again.”
As she left the store, Yun Shan happily nibbled on the chicken feet and asked Lu Liu, “Want some?”
“No, thanks.” Lu Liu was about to refuse when a piece of fragrant duck tongue was handed to her. “Try it. It’s quite flavorful.”
Expressionless, Lu Liu thought to herself, this is an order.
One bite led to another, and it became more and more enjoyable.
After finishing one piece, Lu Liu resisted the urge to have another and asked seriously, “Divine Doctor, are you out this time to investigate ‘Delicious Duck’? Is there something wrong with this store?”
Yun Shan: “It’s not like that, I’m just here to browse and buy some delicious food.”
Lu Liu was slightly puzzled. “Browsing aimlessly, isn’t that a waste of time?”
Yun Shan explained, “Passing time itself is meaningful, it can bring happiness to people.”
At that moment, a female player walked past them.
She held a chicken leg and milk tea in her left hand, and pork lard, crushed peanuts, and cream cake in her right, shouting happily, “I want to grow old in this game! No one can stop me!”
“Look at her,” Yun Shan sighed.
Lu Liu said, “…”
Truly fitting for a traveler from another world, her behavior was truly difficult to understand.
“I’m planning to check out the newly opened pet hospital!” In an instant, the atmosphere around them became heated. People were running around, sharing the news, and were extremely excited.
Lu Liu turned to Yun Shan, “Are you going to see it?”
“No,” Yun Shan wasn’t interested in checking it out. “I’ll buy some food and go home to play with my battle pets.”
***
Yun Shan quickly forgot about the pet hospital and such matters. However, after logging off, the VIP group exploded with messages.
“Elderly player: Does anyone in the group specialize in treating difficult ailments in battle pets? High salary! 500 points per day! @Everyone”
“Elderly player: Anyone? If so, please message me directly. @Everyone”
A daily salary of 500 points was a rather daunting figure. Based on the exchange rate of 1 point = 70 yuan, it amounted to a daily wage of 35,000 yuan.
Immediately, numerous group members chimed in, “Wealthy elder, can’t the requirements be a bit lower? Can we focus on healing people?”
“Elderly player: Competing in pet hospital skills, you heal people while the opponent heals pets? That doesn’t seem right.”
“OMG: A grand competition at the pet hospital? Is the wealthy elder the one challenging others or being challenged?”
In a group of several hundred people, only those with good relationships interacted within the holographic online game. Most were accustomed to remaining low-key, unaware of each other’s names or appearances, knowing only basic information like gender. After chatting for a while, they might become slightly familiar with each other’s personalities.
For instance, “OMG” clearly didn’t have specific information about “Elderly player,” hence the question.
“Elderly player: Look at my nickname, do you think I’d do something as unethical as challenging others?”
“Elderly player: Moreover, who challenges others and then sincerely recruits talent?”
“Cheering: It seems the opponent is well-prepared and ready. Wealthy elder, go for it! We support you.”
“Elderly player: …Can support through action, right? I don’t want to lose.”
“Elderly player: Facing an unworthy opponent is truly frustrating to lose to them.”
“Elderly player: Just opened the store, wanting to expand business is understandable. But challenging others at their doorstep and sacrificing peers to boost reputation, that’s just shameless.”
Once a successful challenge was made, the opponent’s reputation would soar, and they would likely snatch away most of the other store’s customers, displaying extremely malicious behavior. It was only in the context of the game that they disregarded the principles of the martial world.
The more Gao Ling thought about it, the more infuriated she became, wishing to launch a surprise attack during the competition and give the opponent a good beating. This would prevent them from causing trouble everywhere.
However, if she did resort to physical confrontation, even if it was to vent her frustration, she would likely be apprehended by the camp patrol team and might even lose her gaming privileges.
The thought of not being able to play the game again because of an annoying individual pained her deeply, leaving her extremely reluctant.
“Elderly player: Does anyone in the group specialize in treating difficult ailments in battle pets? High salary! 500 points per day! @Everyone”
“Elderly player: Masters, wake up, it’s time to make money. @Everyone”
As Yun Shan scrolled to the end of the group chat, a private message popped up.
“Elderly player: Group leader, the opponent is camping at the trading market, buying up Concentration Incense frequently. They’ve hoarded quite a bit. Later, they’ll donate it to NPCs, then they’ll hire an expert to challenge us. Can you make an exception and rush a batch of Concentration Incense for me, so I can use it to bribe an NPC for the arena?”
“Yun Shan: Sure.”
“Yun Shan: But I suggest you just hire the group leader directly for a guaranteed win.”
“Elderly player: !!! Group leader, are you serious?”
“Yun Shan: No joke.”
Followed by a cool expression.
“Elderly player: I don’t believe it when others say it’s a sure win, but I trust you, group leader.”
“Elderly player: Agreed before the challenge, best of three. In today’s first match, I lost.”
“Elderly player: The best-case scenario now is to win the next two games and secure the final victory. The worst-case scenario is to lose another match tomorrow and be directly defeated in the competition.”
“Yun Shan: With me around, it’s not that easy to lose. What’s the second match?”
Gao Ling felt as if she had just taken a calming pill, and her mindset steadied. “At the Kangtai Duck Farm, some of the white ducks suddenly fell ill. The owner called us to come and diagnose.”
“Yun Shan: What symptoms?”
“Elderly player: Heard they’re listless, have a poor appetite, and are losing feathers. The ducks seem quite sickly. We’ll know the specifics when we meet tomorrow.”
Upon hearing this, Yun Shan had a rough idea in mind. “Alright, I’ll go with you tomorrow.”
***
The next day, the two met in the game. Yun Shan was accompanied by Dahei and Lu Liu, while Gao Ling was with a female NPC in her early thirties named “Doctor Xia.”
Gao Ling took the initiative to introduce Yun Shan, “Doctor Xia is an employee at the pet hospital, excellent in veterinary skills, and has a compassionate heart. When battle pets fall ill, and owners come seeking treatment, she’s in charge of their care.”
“You can’t really call it excellent veterinary skills,” Doctor Xia said with regret. “If I were truly skilled, I wouldn’t have lost the first match.”
Gao Ling reassured her, “Being a doctor isn’t just about skills but also about ethics. I think they lack ethics, so you are much better than them.”
Doctor Xia smiled wryly.
Yun Shan then made her introductions, “She is Lu Liu, my bodyguard, responsible for my safety.”
“This one is Dahei, my battle pet, capable in combat and eating.”
“I’m Yun Shan, with some expertise in medicine.”
Players could see NPC titles, and NPCs knew who the players were, but they couldn’t see names. She had only noticed this in passing.
“Yun Shan?” Doctor Xia looked surprised. “Are you the Yun Shan who cured the plague?”
Gao Ling was taken aback, “What plague?”
As an absent player, she had no idea what had happened during the night raid by the rat horde in the camp.
Later, she did hear a lot of rumors. Unfortunately, not only were they hard to distinguish between true and false, but they also contradicted each other, so she just took it as a form of entertainment.
Doctor Xia explained, “During the gray rat’s raid on the camp, some residents were infected with the plague. It’s said they had high fevers, body aches, and were highly contagious.”
“Several doctors consulted, but they were at a loss and couldn’t come up with a treatment plan. Then, a doctor prescribed medicine and sent it directly to the affected area.”
“After drinking a bowl of the concoction, the mildly infected patients immediately recovered, and those severely affected also showed significant improvement.”
Finishing her explanation, she smiled with relief, “With Doctor Yun here, there’s nothing to worry about now.”
Gao Ling had long known that the leader of the VIP Pay-to-Win game group was no ordinary person. Yet, to have such prestige among NPCs was still unexpected to her.
Seeing Doctor Xia’s demeanor, it seemed as though once Yun Shan’s name was mentioned after the match began, everything would be resolved.
Gao Ling steadied herself and said, “The match is about to begin, let’s go in.”
Yun Shan replied, and the four of them entered the Kangtai Duck Farm.
A somewhat unexpected voice rang out, “I thought you weren’t coming.”
Yun Shan turned in the direction of the voice, seeing a male player with a white username (two stars) standing across from her, with the ID “He Rong” above his head. Beside him stood a middle-aged male NPC with the ID “Doctor Liang.”
Seeing He Rong, Gao Ling was filled with anger, “Challenging us at our doorstep, forcing me to accept the challenge, and now you’re still provoking? Do you really think I have no temper!”
For a moment, Gao Ling was furious and truly wanted to take the risk of settling things once and for all with He Rong.