"World Channel 1003698 William Hermes: So as long as you reach fifty, you can safely get out of this hellhole? I mean, even if your fiftieth birthday is spent inside the Matrix?"
"World Channel 1186437 Carl Tribbiani: Great! I can finally leave here. The system just notified me to get ready. When I leave, I can only take what I brought in; I've listed all my materials and items in the trading hall for unrestricted claiming."
"World Channel 1057123 Ross Geller: Damn it, you sneaky bastards! Your hand speed is incredible; I only grabbed ten grams of Tungsten Steel!"
Li Zheng's initial thought of browsing the trading site vanished in an instant; the players in the Matrix were in the billions?
Competing for those few items with so many people is just wishful thinking.
"Forget it, it's just the first day. Those forty-nine-year-old players probably don't have the guts to explore, and they likely won't get through more than a few rooms; good stuff must be scarce."
Even if there's good stuff, it's surely reserved for familiar or likable players from the same channel.
Items listed in the trading hall are, after all, few and low value.
Li Zheng shook his head and simply opened the regional channel to see how many luck-charmed people were in 0000879.
Matrix Channel: 0000879, Current Remaining Number: 932, Loudspeaker Number: 0/1
Noticing the change in numbers, Li Zheng felt a chill: "Earlier, there seemed to be 964 people, right? Another 32 dead."
Every time he saw the reduction in the channel, Li Zheng felt a deep sense of melancholy.
Because one day, it might be his turn.
"I still need to get stronger..."
Li Zheng glanced at the carefree, flying little cherry still illuminated by the lantern light, thinking, "Even if it's for this little one."
But people who think like him are in the minority; more people in the world are opportunistic.
For example...
Liu Lingling: "Seeking encounters, seeking fleeting romance, seeking safe period in October!"
Chen Qianxue: "Bodhisattva bless me, next room give me a handsome guy! I also want a ten-month safe period!!"
Mo Lian: "+1"
...
In channel 0000879, few discussed leaving the Matrix at fifty, mainly young women spammed the screen seeking mates.
Occasionally, Li Zheng could see some joking around.
Lu Li: "Line up properly, let me come through!"
Yan Guang: "Why is it only women can have a ten-month safe period? Are men supposed to stay here anxious and fearful? When will we men stand up? In this hot weather, I'm trembling... What? I'm a woman? Never mind then."
Phoenix Mountain: "...@Yan Guang, you're so cheeky~"
Li Chun: "@Lu Li, pooh! Didn't expect you to be this kind of person!"
Yan Guang: "@Phoenix Mountain, absolutely! Sis carries a wardrobe like Pinru's anytime. How about it? Your avatar looks good, should I give you a discount?"
Lu Li: "@Li Chun, what did I do? I'm just voicing every normal man's thoughts."
Phoenix Mountain: "@Lu Li, admit your sleaziness; don't drag us normal men down. @Yan Guang, can't take it, I have ten wives to care for, can't keep up with nutrition."
Lu Li: "@Phoenix Mountain, you're right, I'm sleazy, whatever you say I am. Can the boss guide the little brother? I'm still 50 grams Tungsten Steel short..."
Phoenix Mountain: "Get lost."
Lu Li: "Sure!"
Yan Guang: "@Phoenix Mountain, I almost got tricked by you. To call ten hits against myself ten wives... You're cheekier than me."
Li Chun: "@Yan Guang, what's ten against one?"
Lu Li: "Let me explain for you..."
Phoenix Mountain: "Get lost!"
Lu Li: "Sure! The boss says go away, I do, I'm the boss' die-hard fan!"
Yan Guang: "@Phoenix Mountain, ten Thumbelinas can't beat the real thing; think about it? Try a couple of pokes, no harm done!"
Phoenix Mountain: "I'm out of here, can't afford such trouble."
Yan Guang: "Coward."
Li Chun: "@Yan Guang, so what exactly is ten against one?"
Lu Li: "@Yan Guang, my boss keeps pure, why don't you check me out?"
Yan Guang: "You? You look like a watermelon rind!"
Lu Li: "Why do you say that?"
Yan Guang: "Deserving a step!"
Liu Lingling: "Seeking encounters, seeking..."
...
In short, a system message caused chaos amongst everyone.
Li Zheng saw nothing nutritious in the channel discussions and prepared to close the page, continuing exploring the next room.
A message grabbed his attention.
Zhan Zhouzhou: "Calm down, you fools, haven't you noticed the key in the continuous notifications this time?"
The key?
Li Zheng focused again on the system notification but saw nothing special.
Phoenix Mountain: "What key? Explain."
Suddenly, the chat channel quieted down, even those just seeking a quick fling hushed, waiting for Zhan Zhouzhou to explain.
Zhan Zhouzhou: "The key is 'removal'! Tonight, these people leaving the Matrix are being transferred out!
In other words, we have always really existed in this space, not embodied some virtual character!
If any idiot doesn't understand this, I'll make it clearer... if we die in this 'game', it really means death!
Not the initial guess of failing the game and then exiting this world!"
Li Zheng originally thought Zhan Zhouzhou's information would cause more chaos in the channel.
But reality was the opposite; everyone in the channel remained unexpectedly calm.
Yan Guang: "@Zhan Zhouzhou, is that it? I've known a long time."
Yan Guang: "[Photo] See?"
Li Zheng opened the photo, which showed Yan Guang's shiny silver, smooth, and mechanical-looking left arm.
And this left arm was connected to Yan Guang's body!
Yan Guang: "I might have bad luck, encountered a crocodile-like monster during exploration today, lost an arm but barely escaped to the next room.
When that monster bit me, I could feel the sharp teeth tearing the flesh and finally crushing the bones.
The pain felt so real, I nearly wanted to die on the spot."
Li Chun: "Ah, so terrifying!"
Lu Li: "Then what's with this metallic arm? A prosthetic?"
Yan Guang: "Body modification platform, allows one body modification surgery.
I found this thing before bleeding out, chopped off the remaining half of the upper arm, and replaced it with this damn thing.
It can be said, I walked by the gates of hell, the feeling of close death even now still makes me uneasy."
Li Chun: "Heartache for Sister Yan."
Lu Li: "Heartache +1"
Phoenix Mountain: "+1"
...
Yan Guang: "@Phoenix Mountain, heartache my ass; if you truly feel for me, when we meet, let's have a go with me!"
Li Chun: "???"
Lu Li: "Boss, impressive!"
Zhan Zhouzhou: "..."
Phoenix Mountain: "I'm out, can't handle you."
Zhan Zhouzhou: "So you all knew!! The clown is me myself…"
Li Zheng closed the chat hall, sighed: "Really all pitiful people…"
Compared to others, he was living quite comfortably.
At least, every time he entered the next room, he knew what to expect, didn't have to be terrified, and wasn't facing unexpected dangers.
"Awesome, my treasure!"
Li Zheng crazily liked the Treasure Chest System.
[The [Small Water Purifier] you listed has been purchased by another player, transaction completed, goods automatically stored in capsule accommodation.]
[The water you listed...]
Thanks to those departing, finally someone noticed Li Zheng's listed items, all snapped up within a minute.
Unexpectedly to Li Zheng, someone actually willing to trade Bronze-level material for 100 ml of water.
Checking the trader's name, it was a player from another channel.
0000023 Kato Junwa.
All 300 ml of water was bought by this Neon player.
The purifier was bought by another player from channel 1155247 named William Houston.
At this time, the system hinted at a new private chat message.
Li Zheng opened it, amused to see it was from the recently traded player William.
"Mr. Li Zheng, the purifier in your transaction, why does it have a strange smell?"
Li Zheng thought, this foreigner was pretty polite, saying strange smell rather than a foul smell.
Of course, he couldn't tell William the truth, so he simply sent the seller's message over.
"Under what circumstances can a cup of water be drunk for a lifetime?"