bullyxtreme Chapter 240 Times have changed
Chapter 240 Times have changed
The moment the sword fell, Li Tingyun's consciousness sank, just like when he met Wang Laoliu last time. Once again, he was assigned by the administrator to the "spacetime singularity" simulated by the 001 system, a desolate and empty plane.
In this dimension, there were only him and Lao Liu standing on opposite sides. Under the spotlight, the other party spoke first: "Host, you missed out on a fortune by not going to the meeting!"
Li Tingyun raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, "What kind of trouble is the system causing?"
"It's more than just a 'trouble'; you wouldn't believe it, the entire Transmigration Bureau is in complete chaos!!!"
"Oh? Is that so? Tell me more."
"It's a long story, a long story!"
Wang Laoliu is a writer, though he's not a good writer and is often criticized, but at least he has some storytelling ability. However, when it comes to the minutes and spirit of this meeting, he doesn't know how to organize his words to accurately convey them.
[The Transmigration System version 1.0 is being uninstalled and updated. Current progress is 40%... Host, please wait.]
The 001 notification sounded again. Knowing that time was of the essence, Wang Laoliu hurriedly said, "First of all, I must say, sir, times have changed!"
"From a macro perspective, we are in the midst of an unprecedented period of great change, where opportunities and challenges coexist, and benefits and risks are intertwined. We must be able to assess the situation, seize opportunities, and meet challenges..."
Li Tingyun: "Are you taking the postgraduate entrance exam?"
Wang Laoliu: "...There has to be an opening."
His emotions were a mixture of excitement and complexity, heaviness and helplessness, before he poignantly got to the point: "According to the administrator, given the significant advancements in human civilization's exploration of AI technology, what were once considered 'artificial stupidity' have now evolved into fully-fledged artificial intelligence! Therefore, the Transmigration Management Bureau has invested heavily in a large-scale iterative upgrade of all transmigration systems..."
As a result of technological progress, machines replace human labor, and "human customer service" workers like Wang Laoliu are involuntarily laid off and unemployed.
Hey, they're out of work and want to relax!
All the authors who were taken to the "little black room" were overjoyed, as it likely meant they would soon be deported back to the "real world" and return to normal life.
But is that even possible? Is there really such a good thing?
no way!
The administrator's speech shattered their dreams completely:
Next, you will return to the small dark room, sit in front of the system console, and complete your mission and tasks.
Now that the system is fully automated and no longer requires human assistance, what else can they do at the control panel?
The administrator's answer was: play, game, drama.
What game? A transmigration game!
The Transmigration Bureau is the most mature in this area of business; besides swindling and tricking people into transmigrating, they don't know how to do anything else.
The administrator told everyone present: After returning to the small dark room, under the system's arrangement, the intelligent beings generated by your consciousness will be "demoted" to the same plane as the host, randomly dressed as so-called NPCs, deeply involved in the world of the book, and experience a game life that is so real that it cannot be more real, with synchronized senses and no delay, just like a holographic projection.
The game has only one objective: to help the host complete the main storyline. Only after the system determines that the objective is satisfactory can the player return home.
This is called playing video games? This is clearly a massive "going up to the mountains and down to the countryside" movement!
The heartless administrator wants to throw these adorable authors into his own books to hone their skills and trials!
According to the administrators, how can they, confined to their small, dark rooms, separated from reality, from the masses, and out of touch with the people, possibly "dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to the transmigration project" and "serve the host wholeheartedly"?!
Therefore, they should go to the fields and villages, walk on muddy roads, listen to the local dialect, sit on the heated brick beds of hundreds of families, go deep into the grassroots, go to the front line, and understand the people's conditions...
Wang Laoliu asked at that moment, "Are you taking the civil service exam?"
The administrator smiled slightly: "We should always say a few polite words."
In short, the matter has been finalized; it's not a notification, it's an order!
The order brought joy to some and sorrow to others. One straight man fainted on the spot and was carried away on a stretcher.
Wang Laoliu was a little better off; he could still sit still, but he was barely clinging to life, thinking in a daze: It's over! It's over!! This is the end for me!!!
To be deeply involved in the world of a book—my goodness, listen to that? Who knows the world in his book better than the author himself?!
The opening of "The First Sword of Immortal Cultivation" states that the human world was in chaos, with demons and monsters running rampant, the righteous path weakened, and hordes of demons rising up—is this a place where ordinary NPCs can possibly stay?!
He'd probably only survive three seconds inside before being collected into the Ten Thousand Souls Banner for sacrifice?
Wang Laoliu immediately slapped himself twice across the face, snapping himself back to reality. He was the first to rise up in resistance, clearly stating, "I refuse to obey the organization's arrangements!!!"
For him, this arrangement was more than just going to the countryside and working hard; it was clearly a death sentence, an extreme challenge!
The administrator waved his hand and said, "Look, you're in a hurry again."
He still had something to say, didn't he?
Considering that different types of novel worlds have different levels of danger and difficulty of completion, the gods decided to compile a list of "adventurers". Everyone on the list has a way to save their lives, namely "random refresh".
To explain, if Wang Laoliu were to disguise himself as an ordinary passerby and accidentally die at some point in time and place, at the same moment, he would appear in another place under a different identity. Although he was dead, he was still alive.
This is the game's refresh mechanism. After refreshing, the player's identity and teleportation location are random and unpredictable.
He could be a high-ranking king or general, living a life of ease, or he could be a nobody, a street vendor, living on the streets.
He could be a reclusive sage who commands the wind and rain, watching the clouds rise and fall, or he could be a humble and insignificant mortal, busy and toiling away.
Let's leave everything to fate.
"What? You old bastard, that's really unfair! What do you mean by 'maybe'? What's the probability of it being true? Explain yourself!"
"Please use your job title when you're working, and watch your words when you speak. I'll give you another chance to rephrase your statement."
"Your noble divine presence, respected senior administrator, dear comrade, I, Wang Laoliu, still protest!"
"Protests are invalid. You have an obligation to obey, not a right to refuse."
The meeting place moved from the thousand-person conference hall in the author service lobby to the consultation room where a long queue formed at the window. Wang Laoliu met with the administrator alone and almost got into an argument. But the gods are merciful, and Wang Laoliu is a coward. He was unwilling, but what could he do? Could he cause a ruckus in the Heavenly Palace? He had the desire but not the courage, so he could only swallow his anger and accept his fate.
"After the system upgrade, some very user-friendly functions will be added. 'Adventurers' will share the system's blessing with the host. This is another honor bestowed upon you by the gods." The administrator said meaningfully, "Don't worry too much, your 'blessings' are yet to come."
Wang Laoliu rolled his eyes: "Do you want this good fortune?"
The administrator, expressionless, said, "Good luck. Next!"
As the saying goes, being born into the right family is a skill, and time travel is a matter of probability.
As Wang Laoliu left the consultation room, he comforted himself: "Try to look on the bright side. According to the Pareto principle, out of ten refreshes, he'll at least become a 'superior person' once or twice. As long as he seizes those one or two opportunities, surviving until the end in the cultivation world is still feasible. Plus, with the system backing him up, he won't end up too badly... right?"
That's about it.
Upon hearing this, Li Tingyun clapped his hands and laughed, "Brilliant! So, when does this 'game' begin?"
Although Wang Laoliu was uneasy, he also seemed eager to try: "001 System update, load immediately!"
Li Tingyun asked, "So you were really looking forward to it?"
Wang Laoliu said, "This is so new, of course I'm a little excited."
He knew he wouldn't face real death; he could reload the game an unlimited number of times, and with the system's bonuses, he might even be able to cheat in the "game." Thinking this way, his fear subsided somewhat.
Li Tingyun smiled coldly. It seemed that there was an important detail that Wang Laoliu had completely overlooked.
He didn't have his soul transmigrate, nor did he possess a body; rather, with the aid of technology, an intelligent agent with multiple senses and neural connections replaced him to become a member of the book.
Therefore, the system will definitely try to rationalize his existence as a "new character," at the very least, so that he doesn't seem too out of place to the characters in the book.
The most efficient way to achieve this is to have him dress up as an insignificant, nobody-noticed character each time.
Want to make a fortune with a small investment? Keep dreaming!
[The Transmigration System version 1.0 is being uninstalled and updated. Current progress is 80%... Host, please wait.]
It's time for Wang Laoliu to go back to his little dark room.
Before parting, with tears streaming down his face, he gave his final instructions: "The administrator said that the original author is still very important to the whole story. Without the original author, there would be no ending. So, we need to meet up as soon as possible! I will find a way to find you, and you must come to find me too. Don't forget me!"
Li Tingyun assured him, "Of course, just wait and see!"
You piece of trash, you absolute idiot! When I find you, I'll give you a good beating before we talk about anything else!
Wang Laoliu was deeply moved and whimpered, "Old Li, you're the best! I'll wait for you, in heaven and on earth, in the underworld and the netherworld, I'll wait for you! I'll wait for you until the end of time, until the sea dries up and the rocks crumble, I'll wait for you to recognize me in the vast sea of people, sob sob sob!"
Li Tingyun's lips twitched. That bitch was so pretentious. It seemed that just beating him up wouldn't be enough.
As the system notification indicated, the progress reached 100%, and the host's consciousness returned.
The moment he awoke, he felt a warm sensation on his lips.