Chapter 99: The Game Is Back Online [Please Support the Author]

If he had seen the abrupt figures from Tangshen’s test, he definitely wouldn’t have thought this way.

“Yes.” Qinwu had no response, then told the assistant by his side, “Get a copy of the contract.”

In moments, a plain contract was placed before Tangshen.

He gave it a quick look. It was for a plain 100-square-meter apartment in an ordinary district, a complex reserved for gene warriors and their families. It was much better than the civilian area and heavily protected. Forty thousand? no—four hundred thousand in cash would be deposited immediately. This time there was no development fund, but there would be a mandatory collective basic training.

It was exactly as Yang Zhi had told him.

“This basic training is also for newcomers. Everyone who joins the War God Alliance is required to do it. Normally, most people only clear the first two evaluations; the third test happens only after basic training. As for someone like you, who passed outright and got an assessment certificate, you still need to take part. Whether you attend collective training is your decision, but you must participate in real combat later.

I recommend you join. Inside you’ll learn basic combat skills and a lot of other things. Though it’s only D-rank, it’s still very helpful for beginners—it can unlock the untapped potential that only awakens in your body.”

Qinwu said it seriously. Since the contract was already signed, they were now on the same front. Their paths might cross again, and a piece of advice now might pay off later in surprising ways.

In truth, it didn’t cost him anything and required no sacrifice.

Tangshen nodded. Yang Zhi had explained the same point. What he valued most was precisely that. Since attendance was mandatory anyway, someone like him who had passed direct assessment could simply drift through it—just keep his name on the roster and loaf there daily. Even if he spent all day playing games in his room, no one could fault him. That was the difference between having an assessment certificate and not having one.

He was pleased. That was the exact effect he wanted.

The contract was signed swiftly, almost decisively, with a carefree ease that made him seem utterly stylish.

That breeziness annoyed Huda. The terms offered by the Special Department and this were on opposite ends of the spectrum.

He signed another document for deed transfer: the apartment was now officially his, and he received the key.

A message arrived on his phone almost immediately: another 400,000 had been credited to his bank account. The larger the organization, the smoother it was—no delays at all.

He liked this.

What a thrill!

The feeling of leaping from poor to rich in a single stroke was truly intoxicating. His heart felt light and happy.

And tomorrow, he would have another apartment as well.
That was something an ordinary person might never earn in a lifetime.
One day of awakening, and the next day he had become a man above others.
That is the realism of this world.

All formalities were processed in one go. Tangshen also had an extra paper certificate, though the assessment certificate itself would not be ready for several days because it still required higher approval and data entry. The document in hand was for his move; those gene warrior residential areas, though located in common-city zones, had strict entry and exit checks.

After seeing Qinwu off, Qinwu still had to continue testing the people behind him.

As Tangshen left, Qinwu leaned in and asked softly, “Brother Tang, did you hold something back? I keep feeling you still have unused strength.”

Tangshen responded at once, all seriousness. “How could I have? I used all I had. I only just passed the assessment with difficulty. I only awakened today; getting through this was already fortunate. My test scores were all luck—any slightly lower result and I’d have failed.”

“Is that so?” Qinwu watched Tangshen’s face. He didn’t look like he was lying, and even he felt that what those machines had measured was genuinely unexpected.

“Of course. I’d like to sign a good contract too,” Tangshen said with a tired sigh. “I truly envy those geniuses.”

Huda and the others twitched at the corners of their eyes; not one of them trusted a single word of it, not even a dot.

Back in the Special Department they had heard him say he’d awakened at ten, and now here he was awakening today, claiming the director had given him a contract beyond even top talent—yet he still spoke of envy.
It was preposterous.

If they hadn’t been living with him all along, they would have believed it.

But they couldn’t argue with him either; he always managed to bend the conversation.

Soon after, Huda and Yang Zhi took Tangshen to a hotel to celebrate. Of course, they were getting on quite well anyway.

Tangshen had already sized up most of their temperaments; it was easy to get along with them. After all, he had been sharp as a trickster in his previous life.

Huda was a chatterbox. Yang Zhi’s laugh carried a sly edge, but he was generous. Yu Guang seemed somewhat sullen, yet his nature was fine. Qiao San, plump and cheerful, smiled like a harmless good soul. As for Bai Xue’s bodyguard, he spoke only a few words all day, a closed, silent type, and stayed right beside him from dawn till dusk.

This was the first time Tangshen had truly eaten meat in this world—beast meat. He had the odd feeling it tasted no different from what he’d eaten in a game.

They ate heartily, drank, and shared a feast to build camaraderie.

People need friends, after all. Even rough acquaintances keep loneliness at bay.

Among everyone there, Tangshen did not look like an ungraduated high-school boy. He was not cold, but open and sunny, easy to talk to, and for a while the atmosphere was beautifully easygoing. After three rounds of drinks, even Bai Xue’s bodyguard was smiling.

Wasn’t this some twist of fate?

One had gone to school to deliver awakening serum, one had gone to capture Tangshen, and one was Bai Xue’s bodyguard.
Such an absurd convergence.

So they ended up thrown together.

After eating and drinking, they exchanged contacts, then went their separate ways.

The next day, Yang Zhi came over in person to help Tangshen move, carrying him into the new complex.

Night fell.

Tangshen stood by the window and looked at it. This neighborhood was far better than his old place—almost like the upscale communities from his former life. The security staff were trained soldiers; even though their physique was ordinary, they were disciplined soldiers and armed. Guards watched over the complex around the clock. For gene warriors and their families, they were genuinely attentive.

The new place was 100 square meters, but the interior was luxurious. Every appliance was installed, every detail solid. Tangshen was very satisfied; compared with his former cramped home, this was so much better. He could move in with nothing but his suitcase.

Everything was fully equipped, the finishing work refined. He could honestly call it move-in ready.

Three days of free time passed quickly. Then the holo-game reopened.

The school side seemed to have some prodigy showing up, and they called him, wanting him to attend an awakening social gathering. He flatly declined.