Chapter 8 - 8 6 'Old Soil' Player Management Act

8: Chapter 6 ‘Old Soil’ Player Management Act 8: Chapter 6 ‘Old Soil’ Player Management Act “Old Soil” first appeared three years ago. No one knows how the game came about, nor does anyone know who developed it. It exists on a website without an IP address, one that is also inaccessible for backend visits and data tracking. The website randomly pushes the game to certain individuals, usually veteran gamers, many of whom have entered the game. What follows is a large-scale incidence of abnormal deaths. The game has a particularly magical aspect—it interferes with reality. It looks like you already understand. That’s right—if a player dies in the game, they also die in the real world within 24 hours in the same way. Over the past three years, more than three thousand similar deaths have been discovered nationwide, and undoubtedly, many more go unreported. Your friend is just the latest case. Although he had already suspected as much, the truth, when spoken aloud, still sounded utterly absurd. But Xiao Jie knew the other party was telling the truth. He had personally experienced the effects of the game’s skills and witnessed Han Luo’s eerie death. “Why doesn’t the government ban this game?” Xiao Jie asked in a heavy tone. The Black Windbreaker shook his head, “It’s useless. People do desperate things for money as birds risk their lives for food. Most players actually play the game voluntarily, and since activation codes are randomly issued, monitoring is impossible. How could it be banned? Furthermore, considering the hidden benefits of this game, banning it is pointless and could lead to more people risking their lives by entering the game. Luckily, access to the game requires an activation code, and the number of codes is limited, so the game’s impact is actually not extensive.” “Did you say there were over three thousand abnormal deaths?” “Yes, three thousand might sound like a lot, but it’s nothing compared to the annual death toll of over ten million people nationwide. Do you know how many people die in traffic accidents each year? We can’t just ban cars, can we?” The words of the Black Windbreaker left Xiao Jie at a loss for words. He continued, “To avoid causing a panic, we have been suppressing the news and there is a corresponding management bill in place. Typically, Old Earth players who die in the game don’t cause trouble in public places. They usually arrange their affairs and then quietly wait for death. It’s very rare for someone like your friend to not know the truth about the game, which is why I guessed that you must be unaware.” “Old Land Player Management Bill?” “Yes, a document that all players must sign, but let’s talk about that later.” Xiao Jie tentatively asked, “You mentioned hidden benefits. What exactly are those?” Although he already had a reasonable suspicion, he still wanted to hear a definitive answer. The Black Windbreaker explained, “This game can interfere with reality, so if you acquire abilities in the game, you will obtain corresponding abilities in real life.” Xiao Jie thought to himself that it was just as he had suspected; the Hawk Roll body movement skill he had acquired indeed came from a skill book in the game. “Can all abilities be brought into reality, including magic?” The Black Windbreaker nodded, “Yes, not just magic, but character attributes, professional skills, Martial Arts Inner Power, and demon techniques—all of them can be brought into reality, as long as they are abilities your game character has mastered. You don’t seem surprised at all. Let me guess, you’ve already acquired such a skill and even used it, right?” Xiao Jie did not hide the fact, because a mere lowest-level body movement skill was not worth concealing. “Yes, I’ve already acquired an ability. It’s not very useful, but it did save my life.” He briefly recounted his recent near-miss with a car. “You’re lucky,” the man said. “That red sports car—I’ll have someone look into it. Even though there wasn’t an accident, running a red light is still illegal…” Luck… Xiao Jie tasted bitterness in his mouth, perhaps. Maybe that was the only way to explain why he hadn’t died. At that moment, a sudden fear struck him; when he was fighting mountain bandits, he had been down to just a dozen drops of blood, nearly dead. If his handling had been even slightly sloppy at that moment, he might have already been dead. Moreover, he had considered luring a monster to kill him quickly to return to town for free—a truly foolish way to die. He thought again about Liu Qiang’s words as relayed by Han Luo earlier; that bastard was not being kind at all but was clearly trying to kill them. I knew this kid was up to no good, but I never imagined he would be so vicious, deliberately giving them activation codes without revealing the truth about the game, clearly intending to kill both of them. “Liu Qiang! You bastard, whether it’s Han Luo you’ve killed or me, I swear I’ll kill you!” Xiao Jie swore through clenched teeth. The Black Windbreaker asked curiously, “This Liu Qiang, is he the one who gave you the activation code? Do you have a feud with him?” Xiao Jie nodded. Speaking of which, he and Liu Qiang were acquaintances from old times, having known each other since junior high, albeit from different classes. Though not exactly friends, they were quite familiar with each other. Liu Qiang had come to Wuji Studio looking for a job because he couldn’t find work elsewhere. Being an old classmate, Xiao Jie had taken him in. Liu Qiang was quite good at games and had indeed made some achievements. But the kid was too greedy and lacked any semblance of a moral baseline. When the Chaos Temple opened, Xiao Jie led the Wuji Guild in battle for a week to finally crack the dungeon’s strategy, planning to make a profit by leading groups through it. However, Liu Qiang sold the hard-earned strategy almost immediately. This incident also caused the morale at Wuji Studio to plummet, with nearly half of the members leaving all at once. Initially, Xiao Jie had wanted to kill Liu Qiang over this, but since they were in a society governed by law, he could only beat him up and drive him out of the studio. He hadn’t expected him to do something like this. Looking at the man in the Black Windbreaker in front of him, a glimmer of hope suddenly emerged. “The one who gave us the game activation code was a person named Liu Qiang, the same man who killed Han Luo. Can you arrest him?” “I am sorry, but I’m afraid I am powerless in this regard.” “Why! He killed Han Luo, and you still won’t arrest such a person?” Xiao Jie shouted loudly, his face turning somewhat red from agitation. But the man in the Black Windbreaker simply spread his hands, “But you have no way of proving that the activation code was given to you by him. You say Liu Qiang gave the activation code to Han Luo, but that’s only Han Luo’s side of the story; you don’t have any evidence to prove all this.” “Of course, I could apply for the arrest of Liu Qiang, but as long as Liu Qiang denies ever providing the activation code to Han Luo, you’ve got nothing on him. The key issue is that both Han Luo and you are professional players, also within the range of people pushed for activation codes by the system. Although I would like to believe you, I can’t rule out the suspicion in such matters.” Xiao Jie laughed bitterly in extreme anger, “What does this mean? Does that mean my friend died in vain?” The man in the Black Windbreaker shook his head seriously and said, “You must understand, Mr. Xiao, our country is governed by law, but many things related to the ‘Old Soil’ game are not yet within the purview of current legal management. Thus our department’s policy concerning Old Earth players is—if no real-world crimes are committed, we will not intervene, only monitor. Of course, if you have tangible evidence to prove all you say, or if Liu Qiang attacks you in reality, we can proceed with an arrest.” The fury in Xiao Jie’s heart surged, “Then is this matter just over like that? My friend died for nothing?” The man in the Black Windbreaker did not reply, and an awkward silence filled the interrogation room. After a while, the man in the Black Windbreaker spoke softly, “Mr. Xiao, we will stop today’s inquiry here, you may go now. Personally, I advise you not to play anymore; the death rate in this game exceeds 78% annually. In other words, most players do not survive more than a year. Many people enter the game to gain strength and benefits, but end up dying mysteriously inside it.” (Strength! Yes, it is strength!) A light bulb went on in Xiao Jie’s mind; If he acquired enough power, he could kill Liu Qiang himself without needing anyone else. He would personally seek revenge! He instantly made up his mind, his gaze firm as he asked, “What if I want to continue playing?” The man in the Black Windbreaker sighed, “I won’t stop you; we only observe, but then you must sign the ‘Old Land Player Management Bill.’ If you use the abilities gained in the game to commit misdeeds in reality, we won’t ignore it. Trust me, there are many such individuals. Over the past three years, we have arrested and killed no small number of criminal players. Many people start feeling unrestrained and above the law once they acquire some Martial Arts and Magic, thinking they can transcend the laws of reality. Such individuals seldom meet any good end,” he said, his tone harboring a warning by the end. Xiao Jie looked into the man’s eyes, “What if I go after Liu Qiang for revenge?” “Killing someone in reality is a criminal act,” the man in the Black Windbreaker said calmly. Xiao Jie instantly understood; killing in reality is a crime, but it seems it’s not an issue to kill in the game. “I understand, give me the bill, I’ll sign it.” The man in the Black Windbreaker shook his head ruefully and handed over a document, “It seems you’ve made up your mind, but I still urge you to think it over carefully. The game is far more dangerous than you think… And from the information you provided, that Liu Qiang must have been playing for a long time, right? It may not be easy for you to deal with him even in the game.” Xiao Jie cut him off, “No need to think, there are some responsibilities I can’t shirk.” He picked up the document and began to read it. Article 1: Old Earth players must not use abilities gained in the game for illegal or criminal activities in reality, violations will be dealt with severely. Article 2: Old Earth players must not promote the existence of this game to the general public. Article 3: Old Earth players are allowed to use game skills in reality, but must provide a credible explanation for the source of their abilities without involving superstition or any information related to Old Soil. Article 4: Old Earth players must not bring game conflicts into reality to conduct offline PvP activities. Article 5: Old Earth players must provide necessary professional services under reasonable precondition when required by relevant departments… There were dozens of such articles; Xiao Jie thought they had considered everything thoroughly. Yet, a question lingered in his mind; if a player only knows ordinary Martial Arts, Inner Power, or low-level magic, modern technology indeed might control it. But what if a player reached levels in the dozens or hundreds and possessed Immortal Law or Divine Skills that modern technology could not restrict—would this document still be of any use? He wisely chose not to voice this question. Instead, he picked up the pen and signed his name. With such a document, at least he didn’t have to worry about Liu Qiang attacking him in reality. He could focus on improving his strength in the game and seek his revenge. The man in the Black Windbreaker looked at the document and then turned to open the door of the interrogation room without further persuasion.