novelhk Chapter 10 Pay-to-Win? We're Professionals!
Chapter 10 Pay-to-Win? We're Professionals!
The piercing alarm ripped through the tense atmosphere in the command center, and the bright red lights flashed wildly, illuminating every tense face in a flickering light.
"Beep! Beep! Beep! Warning! Warning!"
"Target vital signs are fluctuating drastically! Heart rate has surged to 185! Blood pressure is 190/110! Skin conductance index has exceeded the threshold!"
The cold, synthesized voice kept repeating, each number hitting everyone's heart like a hammer blow.
"What happened?!"
Li Guoan shoved aside the researchers surrounding the screen and rushed to the recliner connected by countless wires.
On the screen, Chen You's physiological data curves jumped wildly, like a seismograph recording a magnitude 10 earthquake.
The line representing heart rate almost broke through the top of the coordinate system.
"Chen You! Chen You! Can you hear me?!"
Li Guoan bent down, disregarding all operating procedures, grabbed Chen You's shoulders with both hands, and shook him violently.
"The situation is critical. Execute the wake-up plan immediately!"
"Three, two..."
Just as the assistant's finger was about to press the red emergency button, Chen You, who was on the recliner, suddenly trembled and opened his eyes.
"what!"
Chen You, panting heavily, sprang up from the recliner, his forehead covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.
He stared blankly at the magnified faces filled with anxiety and fear, and the flashing red warning lights, unable to react for a moment.
"Huff... huff..."
When Li Guoan saw Chen You wake up, his heart, which had been in his throat, finally felt half relieved.
He loosened his grip and took a half step back, but his clenched fist revealed the lingering fear in his heart.
"Report the situation immediately! What happened to you in the game? Was it intense combat or a psychological attack?"
Li Guoan's voice trembled slightly as he stared sharply at Chen You, trying to glean any clues from his face.
"I...I'm fine..."
Chen You wiped the sweat from his face, his mind still a little dazed.
He had just escaped from that glittering, tacky gift package interface when he opened his eyes to this apocalyptic scene. The stark contrast left him somewhat disoriented.
"Are you alright?" The head of the medical team next to him was holding a newly printed report, his fingers trembling.
"Your heart rate just spiked to 185! And you call that nothing?!"
"Huh? Is it that tall?" Chen You was startled himself.
He looked down at the bracelet on his wrist, then looked up at the crowd around him who looked like they were facing a formidable enemy, and finally realized how exaggerated his physiological reaction had been.
This whole thing is a bit embarrassing.
"Director Li... um..."
Chen You looked somewhat embarrassed, unsure of how to begin.
Li Guoan's expression became extremely serious. He stared intently at Chen You and asked in a deep voice.
"Speak! Did the difficulty of the game's missions exceed our expectations? Report immediately, don't miss a single word!"
In his view, there was only one possibility that could cause Chen You to have a near-death physiological reaction: that he had encountered a terrifying enemy far exceeding the giant fighting chicken.
Chen You looked at Li Guoan's face, which was almost frozen with frost, and then at the medics around him who were ready to rush up to save him at any moment. His Adam's apple bobbed.
He stammered, his voice barely audible, "No...no danger."
"No danger?" Li Guoan's voice suddenly rose as he stepped forward, almost touching Chen You.
"If there were no danger, would your heart rate be so high that you'd go into shock? Comrade Chen You, I need you to understand, this is not a joke!"
"Every heartbeat you make is a matter of life and death for our entire plan!"
"There's no danger!" Startled by the shout, Chen You quickly explained, "It's...it's a gift pack that popped up in the game."
"A gift package?" Li Guoan was stunned.
The entire command center fell into a deathly silence.
The piercing alarm had stopped sometime ago, leaving only the soft hum of the instruments.
Everyone stared wide-eyed, wondering if they had misheard.
A...gift package?
You almost had a heart attack just for a game gift pack, and accidentally set off the alarm system for the entire base?
Li Guoan stared at Chen You, remaining silent for a full ten seconds.
A rare look of bewilderment and... cracks appeared on his face, which had weathered countless storms.
"Say it again? Why?"
"A premium gift pack." Chen You's voice was even softer. "The Immortal Cultivation Starter Pack, limited time only."
Li Guoan took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.
He closed his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temples, seemingly trying to process this utterly absurd information.
The atmosphere in the command center became incredibly eerie.
Just minutes ago, it was a tense rescue race against time, but now there's an awkward atmosphere of wanting to laugh but not daring to.
"Time! How much longer?"
When Li Guoan opened his eyes again, he had regained his usual composure.
As long as Chen You is safe, everything is fine.
Chen You immediately raised his wrist, focusing his mind on the bracelet, and the golden interface reappeared in his consciousness.
"Six minutes and fifteen seconds left!"
Fortunately, it's not too urgent.
"What's in the gift package?" Li Guoan's tone left no room for argument.
Chen You dared not delay and quickly recounted the contents of the gift package as if pouring beans from a bamboo tube.
"The Nine Revolutions Primordial Chaos Technique is a Heavenly Rank cultivation method, said to lead directly to the foundation of the Great Dao."
"One Creation Pill can directly allow one to break through to the first level of the Qi Refining stage."
"Ten Qi Gathering Pills, triple the training speed."
"A storage bag, and a permanent title that adds 5% to all attributes."
"Finally, I will return one hundred gold coins."
With each item he named, the breathing in the command center grew heavier.
When he finished speaking, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The light in the eyes of the materials scientists and biologists, in particular, was brighter than the warning lights from before.
Heavenly Rank Cultivation Technique?
Storage bag?
These words were to them what it was like to summon a Qilin out of thin air in a physics lab.
"Price." Li Guoan's voice was somewhat hoarse.
"Ninety-eight gold coins," Chen You answered honestly.
Ninety-eight million Chinese Yuan.
Nearly one hundred million!
Li Guoan fell silent again.
The atmosphere in the command center grew heavy again as he fell silent.
Ninety-eight million is an astronomical figure for ordinary people.
However, Li Guoan wasn't considering the amount of money; he was thinking about something much more distant.
The value of the giant hen has been proven, and the government has issued an order to fully support the "pay-to-win" project.
In Li Guoan's view, it doesn't matter how much money is spent.
only……
Chen You's heart leaped into his throat.
Seeing Li Guoan's reaction, he assumed that the other party was hesitant and was frightened by the exorbitant price.
Li Guoan slowly raised his head. His expression was strange; it was neither shock nor hesitation, but rather a kind of…
A kind of bewilderment born of deep thought.
He looked at Chen You, whose face was full of anxiety, and asked a question that made everyone present freeze.
Is this the only gift pack?
"Huh?" Chen You opened his mouth wide, unable to understand the meaning of the sentence for a moment.
Li Guoan frowned slightly, seemingly dissatisfied with the answer.
He took a step forward and, in a serious tone as if discussing an academic issue, continued to press the matter:
"What I mean is, besides this limited-time gift pack, is there nothing else?"
He looked at Chen You, who was completely bewildered, and offered a hint.
"For example, are there any 'monthly cards' that give you daily rewards?"
"Or, is there a 'shop' where I can directly purchase various items?"
"Or, is there a 'VIP system' where you can unlock special privileges by recharging a certain amount?"