Chapter 58:

Evening.

He Wen sat quietly inside his tent, pondering life.

Before playing games, his daily routine was: working for eight hours, sleeping for eight hours, and spending eight hours on leisure and entertainment.

Since playing “Doomsday Camp,” his daily routine had changed to: working for eight hours, playing games for eight hours, sleeping for four hours, and rushing through meals for four hours.

The schedule was too tight, it was practically playing with his life.

On the other hand, working during the day involved mental labor, and then logging into the game at night required physical work. After a full day, he felt completely drained.

This is how it should be.

However, the holographic technology was amazing. After playing for over a week, he felt energetic and full of stamina. Sleeping only four hours a day surprisingly had a better effect than sleeping eight hours as before.

He Wen thought to himself, “Even though it feels good, continuing with this schedule, I’m worried that soon enough, I’ll become a workaholic. After all, working for 16 hours, a living human being seems like an emotionless working machine, carrying an overwhelming mental burden.”

Having to work every time he wakes up and even working before going to sleep, there seemed to be no chance to catch a breath.

“To stay in a tent for free, working a full 8 hours every day for three consecutive days is too difficult to achieve,” He Wen hesitated. “Maybe I should forget it… or just continue as before, going online for a couple of hours every day, treating it as a casual game to play around.”

As he pondered, he suddenly smelled smoke.

“Is there a fire?” He Wen was alarmed, and immediately got up. “There are tents nearby, they could catch fire!”

In a hurry, he followed the smoke and found a two-star male player hiding in a corner and smoking.

“Just having a smoke, don’t be nervous,” the other person greeted casually, clearly not the first time being misunderstood. “Meeting is fate, why don’t you try one too?”

In reality, He Wen had tried smoking before, but found it tasteless and quit. At this moment, he was curious about the taste of the smoke in the game.

Seeing his hesitation, Zhao Jingping smiled, “Don’t worry, it’s free. The taste of the smoke in the game is extraordinary, guaranteed to be stronger than any you’ve tried before!”

Saying this, he took a deep drag, showing an intoxicated expression.

He Wen’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued. After some thought, he reached out and said, “Then give me one.”

Zhao Jingping didn’t hesitate and swiftly handed over the cigarette.

He Wen carefully examined it.

It was a rolled cigarette. The tobacco was shredded, rolled into a stick, and then wrapped in paper, looking quite rudimentary.

“The taste, whether good or bad, can only be known by trying it yourself,” Zhao Jingping said as he helped light the rolled cigarette. “Give it a try.”

Since the other person was so enthusiastic, He Wen, in front of him, took a deep breath.

“Puff—”

The smoke entered his chest, and it felt like fireworks were going off in his head. Every cell in his body seemed to be clamoring for comfort.

He Wen was captivated by the sensation and took another deep drag.

“This stuff is made from precious materials, with a particularly low production per season, so it can only be smoked privately. Remember to keep this between us,” Zhao Jingping said as he handed over two more rolled cigarettes, as a sort of hush money.

“No problem.” He Wen was content with just one rolled cigarette. He initially wanted to refuse the other two, but Zhao Jingping insisted and handed them to him.

He Wen couldn’t refuse and ultimately accepted them.

***

After smoking a rolled cigarette, He Wen felt a hundred times more energetic, as if he could work continuously for 24 hours!

He went off, full of energy, to work for the NPCs. After logging off and before falling asleep, he was in a daze, thinking that he must ask Zhao Jingping where to buy the rolled cigarettes.

This stuff was too invigorating, the effects were astonishing!

The next day, He Wen seemed listless at work, unable to muster any enthusiasm.

“How come? Did you play games all night?” a colleague asked casually, noticing He Wen’s demeanor.

He Wen inexplicably felt anxious and there was an urgency in his voice, “I want to smoke.”

Surprised, his colleague said, “But you don’t smoke?”

“I’ve taken a liking to it recently,” He Wen replied.

“In that case, why don’t you go to the smoking area for a cigarette and then come back.” the colleague suggested. “You’re not going to be very efficient if you’re this dispirited all the time.”

He Wen was in a difficult position.

He wanted to smoke, but he wanted to smoke the rolled cigarettes in the game. The ones in reality didn’t appeal to him.

To be honest, he was currently struggling. Deep down, he really wanted to take a leave and go home, log into the game, and enjoy smoking a rolled cigarette.

But his rationality told him that taking leave for such a reason was too extreme, so he tried his best to suppress the impulse.

The more he wished for the day to end, the slower time seemed to pass.

After enduring the workday, He Wen rushed home.

As soon as he entered, he tossed his bag aside, skipped dinner, and immediately put on his holographic headset to log into the game.

The furnishings in the tent were exactly as he left them.

He Wen retrieved the rolled cigarette and eagerly lit it.

As the smoke filled the air and entered his chest, his irritable mood suddenly dissipated.

Feeling a sense of tranquility, He Wen experienced a long-overdue peace of mind.

After ten minutes, the first cigarette burned out.

Unsatisfied, he promptly lit a second one.

“There’s such a strong smell of smoke in the tent, no wonder Zhao Jingping goes outside to smoke,” he thought to himself. “I wonder if Zhao Jingping is online. If he has left the tent area and I can’t find him again, what will I do?”

Lost in his thoughts, He Wen finished the second cigarette.

He stood up, opened the tent for ventilation, and at the same time, with a glimmer of hope, walked towards the place where he had met Zhao Jingping the previous night, hoping for an encounter.

Luck was on his side as Zhao Jingping was still in the same spot, smoking.

Seeing him, He Wen’s face lit up, and he immediately walked over.

“Smoking?” he greeted familiarly. “I tried it yesterday, and the rolled cigarette indeed tastes good. I just don’t know if it’s expensive and where to buy it.”

Zhao Jingping raised an eyebrow and grinned, “Have you finished the cigarettes I gave you?”

For some reason, He Wen faintly detected something unusual. He felt that the player in front of him seemed like a different person and was no longer as warm as the night before.

But, he was so desperate to smoke. He nodded and honestly replied, “Yes, I’ve finished them.”

“Want more rolled cigarettes? Sure, I have them,” Zhao Jingping’s eyes flashed with a hint of menace. “It’s 15 points per stick.”

He Wen was taken aback, “That’s so expensive?!”

A stick only as long as his thumb and yet it was priced so high.

“Expensive?” Zhao Jingping’s smile became more pronounced. “So, do you want to buy?”

He Wen hesitated, unable to say “no.”

As if expecting this, Zhao Jingping said, word by word, “You see, no matter how expensive, you’re still willing to buy.”

He Wen bit his lip, “With the recent high food prices, I’ve already spent a lot of points, and I don’t have that many left.”

“That’s a problem you have to consider,” Zhao Jingping said nonchalantly. “After all, for whatever points you transfer to me, I’ll give you that many cigarettes.”

At this, he sneered, “Or… you could become a secondary dealer, selling the rolled cigarettes at a higher price to others and making a profit.”

After all, he was a well-educated person.

He Wen thought of a term—feeding the addiction.

Suddenly, he realized he had been manipulated.

All the warmth and hospitality had been a ruse. From the very beginning, smoking outside the tent was intended to lure him in. After confirming his addiction, Zhao Jingping discarded the pretense and revealed his sinister and deceitful true nature.

Understanding the cause and effect, He Wen shivered inwardly, “Isn’t the rolled cigarette filled with tobacco?”

Zhao Jingping glanced at him nonchalantly and said, “It is tobacco, but it’s been modified, with an exceptionally strong kick.”

Wasn’t that equivalent to a drug in reality!

He Wen clenched his fists, wishing he could grab Zhao Jingping’s neck and finish him off.

He truly wanted to ask, “What’s the grudge? Why drag me into this?”

“Don’t worry, after all, this is just a game, and it doesn’t harm the body in any way,” Zhao Jingping calmly stated. “But the feeling of smoking is so good, most people can’t resist the temptation, even if it means spending all their wealth to keep smoking.”

Looking at He Wen, he continued, “And you? Will you turn and report me, or will you find a way to earn money to buy cigarettes?”

He Wen was too angry to speak.

After a while, he looked defeated and resigned, and extended his wristwatch, “I’ll transfer 150 points to you, I’ll buy ten cigarettes for now.”

Zhao Jingping silently smiled.

***

Midnight.

A group of people, their faces covered, scaled a stone wall and quickly made their way inside.

As a servant passed by, the masked individuals swiftly crouched down, hiding in the blind spots. Once the servant left, they continued on their way.

“I’ve found out that this place is the warehouse where all the food in the estate is stored,” one of them whispered rapidly, “Time is limited. Once inside, grab the bags of food and leave. Do not linger.”

Before he could finish speaking, his companion’s gaze went blank as they stared behind him.

Realizing something was amiss, he swiftly turned around.

To his astonishment, a row of white falcons perched on the branches of a nearby ancient tree, their eyes wide with curiosity as they gazed at him.

The message was clear— “What are you discussing? Speak louder, let me hear too.”

“Kill!” The lead masked individual struck first.

In the blink of an eye, over ten three-star white falcons echoed, their calls instantly reverberating across the estate.

The sleeping falcon group was awakened, exuding a forceful energy as they surrounded the intruders.

“Run!” Facing overwhelming odds, the leader of the masked individuals ordered a retreat. However, numerous wolfhounds blocked their path, and the hostile gazes fixed upon them were anything but friendly.

All the thieves… were at a loss.

Before their operation, they had inquired and knew that the estate housed numerous magical beasts. According to their plan, they were supposed to grab the sacks of rice and flee without alerting any of the beasts.

However, reality struck, as they were discovered soon after entering the estate and found themselves blocked off.

“Rush out together.” The leader was unwilling to give up and hoped for a clean getaway.

Suddenly, a four-star vine burst forth, tightly binding the members of the thieves’ gang.

“What’s all this commotion in the dead of night? Are you seeking death?” Lu Ming exuded a chilling aura.

The masked individuals shrank their necks, hardly daring to breathe.

The vines injected a toxin, paralyzing the thieves and rendering them immobile.

Lu Ming summoned the patrol team, and with remarkable skill, they transferred the captured individuals, swiftly and efficiently.

By the time the tasks were completed, dawn had already broken.

“This is the fifth wave of thieves recently,” You Yi stood beside Lu Ming, somewhat speechless. “What are these people thinking? How dare they attempt theft with such meager skills?”

Lu Ming replied, “If caught stealing, they won’t be executed, only penalized with hard labor. Perhaps they intended to enjoy free prison meals and find a free place to stay.”

You Yi… was left speechless.

***

In fact, there had been a spate of thefts and burglaries recently, and it wasn’t just Yun Shan who encountered thieves. It just so happened that her estate, with its large-scale operations, appeared like an easy target, and thus, drew a considerable amount of attention.

Among these individuals were not only players but also NPCs. They simply relied on their gifted advantages to commit a crime and then make a quick escape.

Unfortunately, the estate was guarded by Yun Shan’s battle pets day and night, making it extremely difficult for anyone to succeed.

In the morning, Yun Shan logged in.

Hearing about another group of thieves being caught, she handed out jerky to the heroes, rewarding them.

“Well done, this is your reward.”

White Falcon: New method of meat consumption obtained.

Instantly, they burst into a fervent enthusiasm for their work.