Chapter 15: A Wise Bird Chooses Its Perch!

“Why did the stream stop?”

“Where’s the big shot?”

“That guy should have cashed out by now, right? Why isn’t there an announcement on the official website?”

“What’s the deal? Is he a scammer?”

“???”

“…”

Thanks to word of mouth.

By the third day, the download count for Desert Bicycle had reached a staggering fourteen thousand.

Furthermore, these download numbers were increasing at an incredible rate.

Following closely behind was the growth of the Desert Bicycle Tieba community on Qiandu¹.

Almost every minute, dozens of players flooded into the forum to discuss the game.

In reality, most of the players joining were those who had failed, gotten stuck, or were seeking guides.

As soon as they entered, they saw a trending post.

The player in the post had already reached the eighth stage of the game!

He had accumulated over a million points and was on the verge of beating the game.

Everyone was eagerly waiting for the original poster to continue his updates…

However, once he reached 1.2 million, the updates suddenly stopped!

They checked the post every few minutes, but there was no sign of life.

It was very strange.

“Did he cash out?”

“It’s possible. After all, 1.2 million points is twelve thousand yuan. Making that much money is a good time to stop! This is a stage no one has ever reached before, right?”

“Doesn’t he want the grand prize?”

“That’s fifty thousand yuan!”

“Who knows!”

“…”

The forum members waited for a long, long time. Even after eight hours had passed, there was still nothing.

Did he fail?

……………………….

Zhao Song never imagined in his life…

That after making so many cheats, there would come a day when he would be caught.

And…

Caught so completely.

It was a dilapidated room.

There were dim incandescent lights, several computers with mediocre specs, and…

A few young men.

No one would have guessed that the Desert Bicycle company, rumored to be a rich heir throwing money around, would be located in such a godforsaken place.

Or rather…

Had they just moved here?

After seeing the freshly packed luggage, this thought instinctively crossed Zhao Song’s mind.

“Are cheats fun?”

Right then…

A young man looked at him, a smile as warm as a spring breeze on his face. He chewed gum as he asked the question.

“I…” Zhao Song’s heart trembled.

The more unfamiliar a place was, the more uneasy it made a person feel.

That young man’s gaze felt like it could pierce through anything!

Zhao Song lost his nerve.

Online, he was a force to be reckoned with, spouting vitriol² and acting tough, but in reality, he was just a malnourished nobody with thin arms and legs.

The blunt, hulking man from the Northeast standing next to him could pick him up with one hand.

Yes, just like a hawk catching a chick.

“You’re from the Legend studio, aren’t you? Sneaking out to take on private jobs?”

“I… I… what do you want? You’re detaining me illegally. This is… this is a crime!”

“We just invited you over for some tea³, and that’s a crime? You can pull out your phone and call the police whenever you want…”

“I…”

The young man chewing gum narrowed his eyes, his gaze seemingly able to see through everything.

Under that stare, Zhao Song felt as if he had no secrets left. There was even a faint, oppressive aura emanating from the young man.

Zhao Song didn’t dare meet his eyes and simply lowered his head.

He was becoming increasingly nervous.

“Don’t be afraid, I won’t do anything to you. By the way, is our company’s tea good? It’s freshly bought chrysanthemum tea… Drink it while it’s hot. Oh, Old Wu, slice some watermelon for this brother…”

“…”

In the room.

Zhao Song watched blankly as the hulking man pulled out a kitchen cleaver, nodded to the young man, and slammed it down onto a watermelon…

The watermelon split into several pieces.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I, I… please let me go. I shouldn’t have done it, I…” The moment he saw the watermelon, Zhao Song’s scalp went numb. He instinctively took a sip of tea, only to find it was scalding hot.

“The studio pays you a very low salary, doesn’t it? I imagine you’re quite dissatisfied with what they give you?” The young man was still smiling. After spitting out his gum, he stretched and glanced out the window.

The man from the Northeast, however, looked at the youth in shock.

The atmosphere in the room had become incredibly heavy, carrying an indescribable sense of dread.

“How did you know!”

“The conflicts within the studio are getting worse, so you planned to finish this one job and head straight home?”

“You…”

He looked up in horror, staring fixedly at the young man.

He was too terrified, and it felt utterly inconceivable…

“You look malnourished, and there are only a few buckets of instant noodles in your room, which means you’re not doing well and are desperate for money. More importantly, you completed the Desert Bicycle cheat independently, which shows you didn’t want the studio to know. I also saw some scattered luggage in your room, leading me to analyze that you intended to leave Yanjing after making a quick buck… Then there are your posts on the forum. Those posts show you’re someone who craves validation. Even if that validation is hollow, it still gives you a rush…”

“From that, I can guess you’re someone with a lot of pride. Someone like that definitely wouldn’t get along with your current studio…”

“Also, the internet leaves tracks. Based on the comments you left on the forum, it’s actually quite easy to judge what kind of person you are…”

“After adding your Q-Dog and seeing your past signatures and status updates, as well as some articles in your Space⁴, I could even be certain that once you finished this job, you were ready to go back to your hometown!”

“It’s actually quite simple.”

“…”

Under the light.

Zhao Song grew more and more terrified.

He felt like a man who had been stripped naked, without a single secret left to hide.

He felt this young man was terrifying – so terrifying that he had seen right through his thoughts!

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but it was impossible.

“What exactly do you want!”

He suddenly realized…

Desert Bicycle was a setup. It had fooled so many people!

Thinking about it more carefully, the game’s mechanics were riddled with countless psychological suggestions!

This man…

A chill ran down his spine!

“I just want to have a chat. After all, you’re a rare talent,” Zhang Yang said, shaking his head with a smile, though his eyes burned with an intense heat.

“…” That intensity made it hard for Zhao Song to breathe!

Especially when he remembered that the “sweet girl” he’d been chatting with was actually a burly man from the Northeast, he felt a sudden, sharp pang of dread!

Especially…

“Hello, little brother, you’re so amazing!”

“Congratulations, little brother…”

“Little brother…”

The more he thought about it, the more his stomach churned, and he nearly vomited!

When he thought about how he had actually fantasized about meeting the customer service girl through the game, and then…

Dammit!

He wanted to flee this godforsaken place immediately!

These guys!

“Are you okay? You look pale. Honestly, we just want to have a sincere talk with you…”

“I… I…” He felt suffocated by the pressure of Zhang Yang’s voice.

To his ears, the word “sincere” sounded completely wrong!

His legs began to shake, and when he saw that burly man from the Northeast approaching with a smile and a plate of watermelon, he reached his breaking point.

“But where can you run? You’re someone who wants to make it big, aren’t you? I can even tell from your accent that you’re from Chuan Province⁵… Do you want to run back there? If I had to guess, you’re probably planning to take that forty or fifty thousand and start your own cheat studio in Chuan Province. You think it’s profitable, don’t you? Extremely profitable?”

“…” The hair on Zhao Song’s neck stood up.

“This is a new era! The internet will only continue to boom… I think you’re a talent, and you deserve a better future. I can map out the right path for you. Right now, it’s just a toy Lamborghini, but in three years, you could be driving a real one… Don’t waste your life making cheats. There’s no future in that!”

“…”

“Are you willing to give it a try?”

“…”

Zhao Song lowered his head and took a sip of water, his hand trembling.

What was with this guy?

Why was he suddenly so fired up?

What the hell was he trying to do!

Why did this feel so much like a damn cult recruitment!

Seeing Zhao Song remain silent with his head down, refusing to engage, Zhang Yang suddenly felt a wave of awkwardness.

Had he… overdone it?

Luckily, he was thick-skinned. At that moment, his phone buzzed with a message.

He pulled out his phone.

“Old Zhong, has anyone officially cleared Desert Bicycle yet? If they have, start the prize distribution.”

“…”

“What’s next after the prizes? Is the game over? Not by a long shot! Wait, don’t distribute them yet. I’ll do it personally. I need a suit, a banner, and a special UI…”

“…”

“There are definitely other cheats out there. Once we’re done with the prizes, we’ll make our own cheat and sell it on a platform. As for any other cheats for Desert Bicycle, ban them all!”

“…”

Zhao Song’s eyes widened.

He was completely stunned!

He just said making cheats has no future!

And now, in the blink of an eye, this guy…

He was making them himself?!

“Mr. Zhao, there’s no shame in making money⁶… Since you’re here anyway, why not join my team? Put your passion into the future of the gaming industry. I won’t treat you poorly…”

“Yeah, little brother, don’t just sit there. Have some melon⁷, come on…”

“We can talk, but don’t touch me… I don’t swing that way!”

When Zhao Song saw the burly man enthusiastically set down the watermelon and reach out to put an arm around his shoulder, he recoiled like a startled bird⁸ and screamed in terror!

(End of Chapter)

Translator’s Notes