Jiang Ye felt like she was born to be busy.
After coming out of the dungeon, she rested on the Island for less than ten minutes, took stock of all her current supplies, then immediately stood up and planted a few more Palm Trees.
Since she was already at it, she might as well plant a few more, maybe enough to grow a whole coconut grove.
The only problem was, her Island still wasn’t big enough.
She did have a shortcut that could instantly change her island area size, which was to use the Island Prize Wheel, gambling a chance with 1000 gold coins, just like drawing cards.
At least when people draw cards, there’s a guaranteed drop after enough tries. The Prize Wheel had nothing of the sort.
Although Jiang Ye was secretly longing to try, she knew that her top priority wasn’t expanding her Island, but getting money to deal with her real-world crisis. So she suppressed her feelings, waited for A-Xing to finish handling things, and quickly threw herself into writing a dungeon strategy guide.
With her experience clearing the dungeon twice and her ridiculously good memory, Jiang Ye replayed the entire instance in her mind.
She wrote down every detail exactly as she remembered.
She even included minor things, like how the sky would darken when entering the dungeon.
Jiang Ye wrote for nearly half an hour, easily putting out three or four thousand words.
The core part was the solution to the River Diagram and Luo Shu puzzles at the central door.
As she wrote, Jiang Ye felt like she was giving an elementary school math lesson to interstellar people. Luckily, she’d tutored elementary students before, so this was a breeze for her.
As for how to find the correct exit in the second area, Jiang Ye gave her own calculation results.
In her view, as long as the team’s level was above level 5, and they used potions and speed buffs, they could generally find the right exit even when splitting up and going their separate ways.
But the core issue was whether the person who found the exit had the ability to solve the River Diagram and Luo Shu puzzles in a short window of time.
Of course, she also provided another option: just trust to fate and luck.
After finishing the guide, Jiang Ye even added a thread watermark to the entire page.
Once done, she happily lifted her finger from the screen, pretended to brush off nonexistent dust from her palms, and cheerfully sent it to A-Xing in their chat window.
"Look, what do you think?"
[Private Chat · A-Xing:]
"What are you up to, laying eggs or something?"
"No, I’m just mourning for the other players," A-Xing switched to voice.
"My guide isn’t clear enough? Not thorough, not gentle?" Jiang Ye snorted.
"It’s actually a bit too thorough," A-Xing replied, helpless.
Jiang Ye even included suggestions for players with mysophobia or taste sensitivity, reminding them to turn down their perception level and be mentally prepared. She even marked which areas had good lighting for taking photos.
Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was writing a tourist photography guide for the dungeon!
"Is that a problem?" Jiang Ye asked.
"It’s not a problem at all—seriously, it’s great." A-Xing was quick to reply.
"Alright, alright, you can post it. I bet regular people won’t get half of it anyway. You’re right, even if one person buys it they won’t understand, only if a whole group studies it together will they figure it out."
Seeing this strategy, A-Xing was completely in awe of Jiang Ye.
He couldn’t figure out how her brain worked.
Did she eat computers or something growing up?
Otherwise, how could she remember every monster’s HP and attack speed so clearly? She didn’t even know the specifics of the novice village or how other players leveled up or what skills they had, yet could still estimate the average player’s attack value.
It was honestly scary.
A-Xing rubbed his goosebumps.
"How do you do it?" he couldn’t help but ask.
"What?"
A-Xing voiced what he’d just been thinking.
Jiang Ye was silent for a while, then sent him a screenshot.
"The game comes with a plugin for calculating attack values, didn’t you know?"
She’d discovered this after restlessly poking through every setting and option in the game. With her level of OCD, she couldn’t stand playing a game without going through all the options at least once.
A-Xing stared at Jiang Ye’s screenshot, half-skeptical, half searching for it himself, and the moment he pulled up the interface, his soul felt slammed.
"Why didn’t you say so earlier?" A-Xing all but gritted his teeth.
"I just thought it was common sense to check all the buttons and options when you first enter a game," Jiang Ye replied innocently.
"Is that so?" A-Xing was at a loss.
In A-Xing’s eyes, most players were like him and got completely absorbed the moment they entered the game, with no time or interest to go exploring every system interface. They thought that when they needed something, the game would prompt them automatically.
But from what A-Xing had seen, even with this feature and system data, not everyone could write a strategy guide like Jiang Ye’s.
He still insisted: this woman had got to have a computer for a brain.
If not a whole computer, then half of one at least!
"Post it," A-Xing encouraged, "Let’s begin our path to riches! Let’s conquer the star system! Build our own Empire!"
"Idiot," Jiang Ye gave him a two-word review before quitting the chat, switching to the game forum, and using her regular account, [A Leaf Boat], to post a new guide in the strategy section.
"Full Guide: Four-Player Dungeon ‘Hunt the Deep Mountain Wolf’ Hidden Instance, Step-by-Step Tutorial [Pay to Unlock]"
When she first posted, not many people paid attention.
Jiang Ye watched the screen for a couple of minutes. When she refreshed, she finally saw the latest comments.
Most were cursing her for charging money.
On the World Channel in-game, people were arguing about it too.
[World · Gossip Kid: Breaking news, A Leaf Boat just revealed the quest trigger method and full strategy for the hidden dungeon in the forum strategy section.]
[World · Just Watching Not Talking: Damn! I’m going right now!]
[World · Drizzle: Don’t bother, the post says it’s paid, probably quite expensive. Poor folks like us can’t afford it.]
[World · Ji Shanshui: Heh, charging 20,000 just to take me through? Now here you are selling a guide, who knows how much it’ll cost.]
[World · Melon Field Mistake: Master, do you really need money that badly?]
[World · Just Watching Not Talking: I looked—it’s not expensive, just 1 gold coin.]
[World · Melon Field Mistake: Sorry, I spoke too soon. Master, you did something good this time!]
[World · Ji Shanshui: 1 gold coin??? A Leaf Boat!!! Get out here!! Why only charge 1 gold coin!!]
Just like the reversal on the World Channel, the same happened in the forum comments section.
The ones who’d jumped in yelling at Jiang Ye for charging were indeed from Wasteland, people desperately short on cash, now hurriedly trying to save face.
56th floor: Sorry, I was a bit loud just now.
58th floor: What? 1 gold coin? Only 1 gold coin?
61st floor: Compared to the unlucky fool who paid 20,000, this is totally worth it!!! If you don’t buy it you’re a fool—what are you waiting for?!
67th floor - Ji Shanshui: A Leaf Boat!! I’ll kill you!!!
No matter how much Ji Shanshui seethed in the comments, he still extended his pinkie finger, tapped the button, and bought the strategy for 1 gold coin.
The reason was simple: to him, 1 gold coin was pocket change.
Plus, after being scammed out of 20,000 by A Leaf Boat, was 1 gold really going to matter?
Fuming, Ji Shanshui opened the paid file.
"I’d like to see what this guy can actually write."
He muttered, but couldn’t help getting drawn into the guide.
"Damn, it’s really this easy to trigger the dungeon?"
"You can get the hidden quest this way? This A Leaf Boat has insane luck!"
"You can clear it like this too?"
By the time Ji Shanshui finished reading the whole guide—almost half an hour, word by word—his head was spinning like when he was a kid studying too hard.
He shook his head, slapped his cheeks, and only when he heard his own flesh smack did he clear up a bit.
Without hesitation, he rushed to the novice village’s tailor shop for Tailor Li Ernian.
This time, he was going to be first!
The first to enter the hidden instance!
But before he even reached the tailor shop, just getting to the village gate, he saw a long line of people, each with their heads down, seemingly studying something seriously.
If Jiang Ye had seen this, she’d definitely say the scene looked exactly like students cramming with exam booklets, lined up at the cafeteria window right before the college entrance exam.
Ji Shanshui craned his neck, confused.
"Buddy, what’s going on now?" Luckily, he still had a mouth on him and asked the player in front.
"Waiting in line for the hidden quest," the guy replied, straight to the point.
"Ah?" Ji Shanshui was stunned.
Had so many people bought that guide?
Well, it made sense.
After all, it was only 1 gold!
Ji Shanshui stretched his neck and looked out, seeing the line was terrifyingly long, without an end in sight.
No way.
If he waited here, who knows how long it would take to trigger the hidden quest?
Right then, a player who’d already accepted the quest posted a recruiting message in the nearby window.
"Hidden instance, 3=1, anyone can join—just need a warm body!"
Ji Shanshui messaged instantly.
"Me, me, me! Bro, I’m in!"
"You?"
"Yeah, me, Ji Shanshui, I’ve been in the hidden instance before; I’ll be a huge help. Just invite me."
"We don’t want you," the player replied bluntly.
"Why not? Didn’t you say anyone?" Ji Shanshui was annoyed.
"Heh, go look in a mirror. Are you even human?" the player sneered and then blocked Ji Shanshui’s Private Chat.
Ji Shanshui stood there, stunned for a moment.
Not giving up, he invited other people to team up, but got rejected each time.
How had things ended up like this?
He messaged his friends.
[Private Chat · Ji Shanshui: Did you already get the hidden quest? Come dungeon with me.]
He’d just sent it when he noticed his friend was already in a dungeon.
About three minutes later, his friend replied.
[Private Chat · Meteor Moon: Sorry, I’m already in.]
At that moment, Ji Shanshui finally realized he’d somehow been ostracized by everyone else in this game.
Gritting his teeth, he posted on World Channel:
[World · Ji Shanshui: Recruiting teammates for a dungeon, commission offered, rewards go to me, interested dd]
So what if he’d been shut out?
As long as he had money, there’d always be players ready to follow his orders!
After all, he was a man from the upper ring!
Ji Shanshui’s message was quickly buried.
Right then, accepting the hidden quest at the tailor shop had become the latest hot trend in the game.
Inside the dungeon loading screen, Jin Luyi was looking at the man with blue-glowing earrings.
"This guide is pretty good," Qianshan Ye chuckled softly. "A lot of thought went into it."
"But this symbol—have you seen it before?" Qianshan Ye pointed at the watermark on the strategy, tapping lightly.
Jin Luyi shook her head.
"Could it be some kind of special totem?" Jin Luyi frowned slightly. "Maybe it’s connected to her identity."
"Like a person, but not really a person," Qianshan Ye tilted his head thoughtfully.
In truth, it was just a doodle of Old Man Ding that Jiang Ye drew without a second thought.
Her art skills were so pathetic that this was the only thing she’d drawn all her life with any confidence—the classic Ding Old Man.
Who would have guessed it would end up making the star system folks suspect her identity?
"Captain, this player might have secrets," Jin Luyi weighed her words, asking for Qianshan Ye’s opinion.
"Recruit her for ourselves," Qianshan Ye concluded.
"What if she refuses?" Jin Luyi asked.
Before Qianshan Ye could reply, a boy leaning against the tree yawned, as if just waking from a nap.
"If she’s not with us, eliminate her," the boy, with the player ID "Never Awake," said lazily. "Or did you forget the Squad 703 admission oath?"
"You little brat," Jin Luyi rolled up her sleeves, ready to smack him, "I joined the squad before you! You should call me senior!"
"Look, your real senior is here," Never Awake yawned again, jerking his chin toward a distant light circle.
When the light faded, a cold-faced teenager appeared.
The instant he saw Qianshan Ye, his eyes lit with admiration.
But he held back, not stepping forward.
Qianshan Ye was Lu Jingsui.
Once a major trusted by the Empire, now a wanted traitor.
He met him here.
"This is Chun Dengluan, my junior," Jin Luyi introduced, "And this is our captain."
"Mm." Chun Dengluan nodded slightly.
"Empire Military Academy’s top student plays virtual games too?" Never Awake teased lazily. "Prove your skills for us in a bit, then."
"Okay." Chun Dengluan pressed his lips tight.
The dungeon wait timer ended, time shifted, and the sky changed from white to night.
"Just as she wrote," Qianshan Ye smiled.
The hidden dungeon "Hunt the Deep Mountain Wolf" quickly became the most popular event in the game, on par with official events.
New players longed to join, but being low-level, could only buy the guide, level up, and prepare for their future game life.
This frenzy burned fiercely not only in the Eastern Continent of the second server—it even reached the Western Continent of the First Server.
Some switched to the second server’s game forum to buy the strategy.
Then they’d use their level thirty accounts to visit the novice village and look for Tailor Li Ernian.
The once empty, deserted novice village on the West Continent gradually filled up with seasoned players who’d already left long ago.
In Region 1, players were starting to notice something.
"Who is this A Leaf Boat?"
"Do they belong to any particular faction?"
"How is their leveling speed this fast? Is it an alt from our side?"
"Maybe it’s an undercover agent sent by one of the guilds!" The more paranoid had already started conspiracy-level speculation.
After all, Region 1 players knew there would inevitably be guild wars, and that the two continents would clash in the end.
A Leaf Boat, as a rising player in the Eastern Continent, might become the leader of their side.
Or maybe she’d turn out to be a mole, dispatched by a rival enemy guild to infiltrate Region 2.
If that was true, then this player deserved their attention and caution.
No way could they allow their rivals to gain an advantage.
Jiang Ye knew and cared nothing about any of this.
What big war? What guilds?
She only cared about the steady stream of income.
The player base of Carefree Wanderer was obviously healthy, otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to earn nearly 20,000 gold coins in such a short time.
She sent all the money to A-Xing, putting him in charge of the move off-planet.
As for her, she just kept making Dried Fish, collecting fish sauce, and doing the kind of trivial, farming chores on the Island that had nothing to do with combat in the Virtual Game.
Jiang Ye worked until the evening.
As a flock of seagulls circled idly above her head, looking like they were about to poop on her again, only to be scared off by He Xiaoshang’s teeth-baring yell—which made them suppress all their physical urges and fly away—Jiang Ye received a message from A-Xing.
Before his voice, his delivery arrived first.
A-Xing remotely sent over a piece of clothing.
[Gift from Tailor Li Ernian]: Made from the Deep Mountain Wolf King’s pelt. Warm and gentle, wearing it is like wearing your own sun.
Jiang Ye got it immediately.
"So, you made me this coat?"
"What?!" A-Xing tried to sound casual over voice chat. "Big sis looks after little bro, it’s only right!"
"Yuchi Xi put you up to this, didn’t he?" Jiang Ye remembered that time in the middle of the night she’d tried to buy clothes from Yuchi Xi while freezing.
"Yeah." A-Xing sounded unhappy. "Xiao Jiang, in the future, just come to me if you need anything. We’re on the same side. Yuchi Xi is an outsider."
"Alright, alright." To Jiang Ye, A-Xing sounded like a grade-schooler in kindergarten. No, actually a primary schooler. Not only did he like forming gangs and playing the boss, he always had to stress his special status in their friendship.
Jiang Ye put on the coat.
With the ocean sunfish buff, she rarely felt cold anymore.
But when she put on this white cloak made from wolf king fur, she still felt a wave of warmth wrap around her.
The item description had not lied: not even remotely exaggerated.
At that moment, even as the sun faded and the light dimmed, Jiang Ye could still feel the warmth, like the warmth of sunlight itself.
She thought about what A-Xing had told her.
He’d said that here, you couldn’t really trust anyone.
So why was he so kind to her after finding her?
Of course, none of this had to do with romance.
Jiang Ye remembered that when she was sleeping in the shipping container before, A-Xing would never say it aloud, but would quietly get up in the night to tuck her in. This sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy took care of her like a little sister, always calling her big boss, but actually acting like her older brother.
Sometimes, Jiang Ye thought A-Xing was seeing someone else through her.
But she never dug deeper or asked.
Whatever the reason, A-Xing’s kindness was real, tangible, as real as the warmth of her new cloak.
"Thank you," Jiang Ye said quietly.
"What for?" A-Xing, maybe a little embarrassed, deliberately raised his voice. "That—this is what a boss should do!"
"Right, the move is settled. We can leave today. You probably still can’t log out—just stay in the Virtual Game and trust me. Xiao Jiang, I’ll bring you to another planet."
Jiang Ye’s quit button was still busted.
She thought again that she really ought to talk to that Chubby Bird.
"When we get to the new planet and make enough money, we’ll get a new login device. Maybe then you can come out!" A-Xing had clearly thought this through.
"It’s not right for me to keep feeding you nutrient solution, anyway," he muttered, "People’ll think I’m keeping a corpse."
"Hey!" Jiang Ye pretended to be annoyed. "How can you call me a corpse? I’m at least still breathing! At worst, call me a plant-person sealed by the game, okay?"
"Okay, okay." A-Xing laughed. "Well then, Miss Plant-Person, I’m logging off. There’s still some preflight checks on the starship. When we take off, I’ll bring you with me—just chill in the game world, don’t worry about anything."
"And another thing, Xiao Jiang, we’ve got almost enough gold coins and I’ve saved up a bit more, you keep the rest of the money. No need to send me any more. That strategy guide is selling well; spend it on whatever you want." A-Xing left that big-brotherly bit of advice and went offline.
"This guy," Jiang Ye muttered, "Has been hiding a little stash on me for sure."
She eyed the extra 1000 gold coins that just came in, feeling a bit tempted.
One thousand.
Exactly one thousand.
Such a perfect number!
A proud 1 followed by three round, plump zeros.
See how perfectly that zero is shaped, how smooth its curve—it was almost calling out for her to spin the Prize Wheel!
Jiang Ye took a deep breath, fighting off her gacha urge, reasoning with herself.
What’s the point? It’s just a button and a spinning wheel, what’s so fun about it?
It’s all just gambling trash!
But as soon as she saw her balance jump from 1000 to 2000 gold coins, she stopped holding back.
Now, she was a small-time rich woman.
So what’s wrong with spinning the Prize Wheel for a little thrill?