Chapter 15: A Wise Bird Chooses Its Tree to Rest Upon!
Chapter 15: A Wise Bird Chooses Its Branch
“Why did the livestream stop?”
“Where’s the big shot?”
“That big shot should have cashed out by now, right? Why isn’t the official site reporting it?”
“What’s going on? Is this a scam?”
“???”
“...”
Thanks to word of mouth, by the third day, the game Desert Bicycle had already reached an astonishing fourteen thousand downloads.
Moreover, the download numbers were skyrocketing rapidly.
Accompanying this surge was the growing number of users in the Thousand-Degree Desert Bicycle forum.
Almost every minute, dozens of players would flood into the forum, eager to discuss the game.
In reality, most of these newcomers had either failed the game, gotten stuck, or were seeking strategies.
Upon entering, they found a hot topic pinned at the top.
The player in question had already reached the eighth stage of the game!
They had amassed over a million points and were on the verge of completing the game.
Everyone eagerly awaited the forum host’s next update…
But suddenly, at 1.2 million points, the livestream stopped abruptly!
They kept checking back every few minutes, but no updates came.
Everyone was puzzled.
“Could it be that they cashed out?”
“Maybe. After all, 1.2 million points is twelve thousand in cash. That’s a lot of money; maybe they decided to quit! No one has ever reached that stage before.”
“Don’t they want to win the ultimate prize?”
“That’s fifty thousand!”
“No idea.”
“...”
The forum users waited for hours—eight long hours passed without a word.
Had they failed?
...
Zhao Song never imagined in his life that after creating so many game hacks, he would one day be caught.
And worse...
He was caught completely.
In a shabby room.
Dim incandescent lighting, a few mediocre computers, and...
Several young men.
No one would have guessed that the legendary wealthy second-generation backers of Desert Bicycle would be operating out of such a dingy place.
Or perhaps...
They had just moved in?
Seeing the newly packed luggage, Zhao Song couldn’t help but have this thought.
“Is hacking fun?”
Just then...
A young man looked at him, a smile as warm as spring sunlight playing on his lips, chewing gum as he asked this question.
“I...” Zhao Song shuddered inwardly.
The stranger the place, the more uneasy he felt.
That young man’s gaze seemed to pierce through everything!
Zhao Song faltered.
Online, he was domineering and foul-mouthed, but in reality, he was a scrawny nobody, malnourished and weak-limbed.
The burly Northeastern man beside him could easily grab him—like a hawk snatching a chick.
“Are you from the Legend Studio? Sneaking out to do side gigs?”
“I... I... What do you want? You’re illegally detaining me! This is... this is a crime!”
“Is inviting you for tea a crime? You can call the cops anytime with your phone.”
“I...”
The gum-chewing youth narrowed his eyes, as if he could see through everything.
Under his gaze, Zhao Song felt exposed, as if he had no secrets left. Indeed, this young man exuded a repressed, overwhelming aura.
Zhao Song dared not meet his eyes, lowering his head instead.
His anxiety mounted.
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t harm you. By the way, our company’s tea is good, fresh chrysanthemum tea... Drink it while it’s hot. Oh, Old Wu, cut this guy some watermelon...”
...
In the room.
Zhao Song stared blankly as the burly man pulled out a kitchen knife, nodded to the youth, and then brought down a fierce chop on the watermelon...
The fruit shattered into several pieces.
“Good, good. Sorry, I... I shouldn’t have done that. Please let me go...” At the sight of the smashed watermelon, Zhao Song’s scalp tingled. He instinctively took a sip of tea, only to find it scalding hot.
“The studio pays you poorly, right? I suppose you’re very dissatisfied with their wages,” the young man said with a smile, spitting out his gum as he stretched and glanced out the window.
The Northeastern man beside him looked shocked.
The room was suffocating, filled with an indescribable eerie chill.
“How do you know?”
“The conflicts within the studio have worsened, so you planned to finish this gig and then go home straight away?”
“You...”
Zhao Song looked up in horror, staring fixedly at the youth.
He was so terrified that it bordered on disbelief.
“You look malnourished. There are only a few instant noodle cups in your room, so your life is clearly tough and you’re short on cash. More importantly, since you developed the Desert Bicycle hack by yourself, that means you didn’t want the studio to know. I also saw some scattered luggage in your room, which suggests you plan to leave Yanjing after making some money... Also, the posts you left on the forum show you’re someone who craves recognition. Even if it’s fake recognition, it excites you...”
“So, I can guess you’re a person who values pride greatly. Such a person won’t get along with the current studio.”
“Besides, the internet leaves traces. Your posts on the forum make it easy to figure out what kind of person you are...”
“I even added you on QQ, saw your old signatures, status updates, and some posts in your space, and I’m sure you plan to go back home after this job.”
“This is actually quite simple.”
...
Under the dim light.
Zhao Song felt deeper and deeper dread.
He felt as if he had been stripped bare, with no secrets left to hide.
This young man was terrifying—he had read his mind!
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but it was useless.
“What exactly do you want?”
Suddenly, he realized...
Desert Bicycle was a trap, designed to deceive many people!
When he thought it over carefully, the game mode was filled with countless psychological cues!
This person...
Sent a chill down his spine.
“I just want to have a chat with you. After all, you’re a rare talent.” Zhang Yang smiled brightly, but his eyes burned with intensity.
That intensity made Zhao Song struggle to breathe.
Especially when he thought about the “customer service girl” who was actually a burly Northeastern man, he felt an inexplicable tightening in his gut!
...
Especially...
“Big brother, you’re amazing!”
“Big brother, congratulations...”
“Big brother...”
The more he thought about it, the more his stomach churned, nearly making him vomit!
When he recalled how he once fantasized about meeting the customer service girl through the game, and then...
Damn it!
He wanted to flee this hellhole immediately!
These guys!
“Are you okay? Why do you look so pale? Actually, we just want to have an honest chat with you...”
“I... I...” He felt crushed under Zhang Yang’s voice, unable to catch his breath.
The word “honest” sounded almost sinister to his ears.
His legs trembled uncontrollably, especially seeing the Northeastern man smile and bring over the watermelon. He couldn’t take it anymore.
“But where can you run? You must be someone who wants to rise above, right? I can even tell from your accent that you’re from Sichuan... You want to go back there? If I guess right, you want to use this forty or fifty thousand to open your own hack studio in Sichuan? You think this stuff makes money, and lots of it?!”
...
Zhao Song’s hairs stood on end.
“This is a great era! The internet will only grow more prosperous... I think you’re a talent with a bright future. I can help you plan the right path ahead. Right now, this is just a Lamborghini toy, but in three years, you could be driving a real Lamborghini... Stop wasting time on hacks; it’s a dead end!”
...
“Are you willing to give it a try?”
...
Zhao Song lowered his head, trembling as he sipped water.
What was going on with this guy?
Suddenly getting all hyped up?
What was his intention?
This felt exactly like a pyramid scheme!
Zhang Yang watched Zhao Song remain silent and unresponsive, growing awkward.
Had he gone too far?
Luckily, his face was thick-skinned.
Just then, he received a message on his phone.
He took it out.
“Old Zhong, has anyone officially completed Desert Bicycle? If so, start the prize distribution.”
...
“...”
“What about after the prize? Is the game over? No, wait, don’t distribute the prize yet. I’ll handle it personally. I’ll get a suit, a banner, and some interface designs...”
...
“...”
“There must be other hacks out there. After we finish the prize, we’ll make our own hack to sell on a platform. All other Desert Bicycle hacks will be banned!”
...
Zhao Song’s eyes went wide.
He was dumbfounded!
This guy just told him hacking had no future!
Then turned around and made his own?
“Mr. Zhao, we’re here to make money, no shame in that... Since you’re already here, why not join my team and shine in the future gaming industry? I won’t treat you unfairly...”
“Yes, big brother, don’t just sit there. Eat some watermelon with us...”
“Let’s talk it out. Don’t touch me—I’m not gay!”
When Zhao Song saw the burly Northeastern man cheerfully put down the watermelon and casually drape an arm around his shoulder, he sprang up like a startled bird, screaming in terror!
(End of chapter)