Chapter 29: Shocking News, Acquiring the Wind Family

Chapter 29 - 29: Shocking News, Acquiring the Wind FamilyA master! By the floor-to-ceiling window on the third floor was Joseph. Standing on one leg, he watched the man leave, then quickly put on the prosthetic limb beside him and headed downstairs. As soon as Crysic stepped out of the villa, she bumped into him. "Joseph. Perfect timing. Johnnie is looking for you," she said. "Okay." Joseph nodded, his expression serious. "Johnnie!" When he saw Johnnie, he greeted him and asked, "Who was that guy just now?" "He claimed to be from the Western Alliance. Did you notice anything?" Johnnie asked. He knew Joseph was special and must have discovered something. "Western Alliance?" He frowned, didn't ask further, and said, "That guy is dangerous. He actually noticed me watching him from the floor-to-ceiling window. He's been specially trained, has combat experience, and has killed people before." "So he's really no ordinary person," Johnnie sneered. He never expected to be targeted by the Western Alliance so early. "He's killed people?" Crysic asked in surprise, worriedly suggesting, "Johnnie, should we call the police?" Johnnie shook his head. "There's no need, and we don't have any evidence. Joseph, I need you to take care of the villa's security." "No problem." Joseph nodded confidently. "That guy is strong, but we're not to be underestimated either." Knowing their abilities, Johnnie smiled and asked, "Are you guys adapting well to the game?" "Yeah." Joseph looked excited and said, "Johnnie, I've found that this game is extraordinary. Many real-life combat techniques can be applied in the game, like military boxing." "Great. Keep exploring. Just let me know if you need anything," Johnnie said, feeling gratified. They really hadn't let him down. "Got it. Johnnie, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." Joseph didn't stay long. After saying goodbye, he immediately called the others offline, arranged them in pairs, and assigned patrol tasks, ensuring the villa was monitored 24 hours a day to keep Johnnie safe. "Johnnie, are we still going to the Western Alliance?" Crysic asked, worried that Johnnie was being targeted. "We definitely are." Johnnie glanced at the contract left on the coffee table by that man and casually tossed it into the trash can. Lina is a core member of Apocalypse Group. She studies methods of achieving immortality, knows many secrets about the game, and can be of great help to him. Moreover, that woman should have a way to treat Holly. As for the danger, he doesn't care. As long as he obtains the Fossil of Creation in Novice Village No. 001 and his game abilities are materialized in the real world, he will definitely be able to protect himself. Besides, currently, Horizon hasn't affected the real world yet. The security work in Dragon Country is very strong, so it's impossible for the people from Apocalypse Group to target him openly. And by the late stage of the game, once he has developed his strength, he will no longer fear Apocalypse Group at all. "Johnnie, it's noon. Let's have lunch first," Crysic said, immediately stopping him as she saw he was about to enter the game. "Okay." Johnnie nodded. Since he had already found a way to enter Novice Village No. 001, there was no rush. Johnnie got up and went to the kitchen. With nothing else to do, Crysic took out her phone, opened the Horizon forum, and searched for posts related to Novice Village No. 001. There was still no valuable information. "Something's not right." She sat up straight and clicked on the profiles of several poster. These posts about Novice Village No. 001 were not from players in Novice Village No. 001. Most of the content of the posts was speculation about Novice Village No. 001, and the information couldn't be verified. Novice Village No. 001 seemed to be cut off from the rest of the world. This was extremely abnormal. In any other novice village, players would share tasks, strategies, news about bosses, etc. Only Novice Village No. 001 had no useful information at all. There must be something seriously wrong with this novice village. Johnnie frowned and thought. In his previous life, there didn't seem to be any information about Novice Village No. 001 either. It seemed that only by entering Novice Village No. 001 himself could he uncover the secrets within. He let out a helpless sigh and continued scrolling through his phone, browsing the latest news. "Hmm?" His eyes widened in surprise as a report from Sunset City caught his attention. The Love Journey of the Eldest Daughter of Lookforward Ltd He initially thought the post was related to him, but the content inside left him stunned. There were only a few sets of photos, all of which were pixelated. However, he immediately recognized the two people in the photos: Tyrande and her younger brother Malfurion. But weren't their relationship a bit too intimate? Especially the last photo, which clearly showed them naked. Incest? His brows furrowed. He didn't doubt the authenticity of these pictures. In his previous life, he had already noticed that Tyrande's relationship with her brother was unusual and overly close. He just didn't expect it to be this scandalous. "This is really explosive news. I wonder which paparazzi took these photos. Daring to mess with the Wind Family means they must have some background," Johnnie murmured to himself, deep in thought. He thought of another identity of the Wind Family: one of the forces of ancient martial arts families in the secular world. Although the ancient martial arts families didn't directly intervene behind the Wind Family, they did have connections with them. "Johnnie, lunch is ready," Crysic interrupted his thoughts. "Coming." He responded, washed his hands, and came to the dining table. Looking at Crysic, he asked, "Have you seen the news about Tyrande?" "Yeah, I saw it." A hint of triumph flashed across Crysic's lips. "Johnnie, this news is really popular. You might not have seen the original photos, which were very revealing. Unfortunately, the newspaper couldn't withstand the pressure and deleted them. The ones you saw are all censored versions from small media outlets." "Is that so?" Johnnie sounded a bit regretful, but this could be an opportunity to hit someone when they're down. A plan formed in his mind, and he asked, "Crysic, do you want to be a boss?" "Huh?" Crysic was taken aback and looked at him in confusion. Johnnie explained, "With this scandal, Lookforward Ltd will definitely be severely affected. You should step in and acquire it." "But... we don't have that much capital," said Crysic, feeling tempted. The idea of stepping on Tyrande and becoming her boss seemed incredibly satisfying. However, Lookforward Ltd was no small enterprise. It was on par with Johnnie's previously founded CloudTech, with a market value of at least 1.5 billion. Moreover, although the company was impacted by the scandal, its core was intact. They wouldn't be eager to sell and wouldn't accept a low price. Johnnie replied confidently, "Money is not an issue. I'll give you 2 billion." "Two billion ?!" Crysic exclaimed, swallowing hard. "Johnnie, where did we get so much money?" Having been with Johnnie for years, she knew the company's earnings well. Johnnie's dividends over the years amounted to at most just over 100 million. Even including the proceeds from selling company shares, it would only add up to 300 million. Johnnie smiled but didn't elaborate. All this money came from selling in-game equipment, totaling over 4 billion. There were still green and some white equipment items he hadn't sold yet. Otherwise, he might already be a billionaire. "So, do you think you can do it?" he asked, looking at Crysic. Crysic, full of confidence, held up one finger and said, "1 billion. Johnnie, I can acquire Lookforward Ltd for you with 1 billion." "Don't be too hasty. I have two more requirements," Johnnie continued. "First, you must have absolute control over Lookforward Ltd. Use any means necessary to strip the Wind Family members of their power. Second, obtain the contact information of the martial arts family behind the Wind Family." "Martial arts family? Johnnie, what's that?" Crysic was puzzled. The first requirement was challenging, but she was confident she could manage it. However, she had never even heard of a "martial arts family" for the second requirement. "They're powerful, reclusive families. Just do as I say," Johnnie didn't explain further, as he didn't know much about them himself. He wasn't sure if the Wind Family would agree to the second condition either. Martial arts families were no benevolent groups. If their existence was threatened, they might resort to silencing people. Moreover, the authorities turned a blind eye to some of the excessive actions of these families and wouldn't conduct thorough investigations. Johnnie suspected that the government also had ties to these martial arts families. But once he obtained the Fossil of Creation and his in-game abilities were materialized in reality, he was confident he could confront the ancient martial arts family behind the Wind Family. "Let's have lunch first. There's no rush," said Johnnie. After a quick lunch, he immediately logged into the game. He took out the map and examined it. Several other novice villages were marked on it, scattered around the periphery of a mountain forest. The forest was labeled "Dangerous" in red letters, with no other information provided. He was curious about what lay within. "First, I'll enter Novice Village No. 001."He wasn't in a hurry to explore. After confirming his position, he headed towards Novice Village No. 001. Along the way, he encountered only weak goblins, half-orcs, and werewolves—typical novice village monsters that posed no threat. Towards evening, he reached the barrier of Novice Village No. 001.