Chapter 21: I Feel a Hint of Sorrow

In the damp and chilly dungeon of Prince Huai’s residence, Liu Quan, a court attendant, lay on a soggy straw mat. His breathing was shallow, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, his entire demeanor one of utter despair.

His cheeks and limbs were wrapped in filthy, blood-stained bandages, presenting a truly wretched sight. During the attempted coup, he had been the most active participant, and consequently, the one who suffered the most severe retaliation.

Ren Ye had slashed him over a dozen times. Not only had he carved the character "One" into Liu Quan’s face with his blade, but he had also severed the tendons in his hands and feet, leaving him a total invalid. If not for the servants who had been feeding him and changing his bandages to keep his "condition" stable over the past few days, he would likely have perished by now. Keeping him alive served a purpose, but Ren Ye had been distracted by the incident involving the insect gu, and had temporarily forgotten about him.

However, Ren Ye was unaware that Liu Quan was actually a "player." He had received a "Coup Mission" at the very start, which promised extremely generous rewards. Subsequently, the Chief Secretary, Li Yan, had secretly contacted him, tasking him with being the lead figure in the coup in exchange for a miraculous magical artifact.

Liu Quan was a fence-sitter by nature. His mission parameters already targeted Prince Huai, and in his memory, the Prince was a complete incompetent, utterly incapable of resistance. Furthermore, since Li Yan was clearly a loyal lackey of the Emperor, agreeing to be the lead would allow him to secure double rewards, putting him far ahead of the pack. After a quick mental calculation, he decided it was a lucrative deal.

And so, he took center stage at the Hall of Preservation and launched his tirade.

Then... the Princess Consort intervened.
Then... the ministers collectively fell silent. He signaled frantically to Chief Secretary Li Yan, but the latter acted as if he were blind.
Then... Prince Huai’s blade came crashing down upon him. The entire process was painful and helpless.
Then... he was imprisoned from the very start. Throughout the first act, he had done absolutely nothing but lie in this dungeon for three days.

His wounds had festered and oozed; he felt deeply depressed and melancholic. He could not fathom why, after three whole days, that idiot Prince Huai hadn't come to see him yet. *Couldn't you just come and chat? I’m a fence-sitter! I could pledge my loyalty to you, Prince Huai...*

A cold breeze swept through the dungeon, ruffling Liu Quan’s messy hair but failing to blow away the sorrow etched into his "One-faced" visage.

【Dear player, the "Dark Pawn" plot of the first act in Qingliang Prefecture has concluded. However, as you are currently in a state of "imprisonment," we regret to inform you that you are unable to leave this Stargate for the time being.】

"??？？！"

A series of question marks flashed through Liu Quan’s dying brain. He shouted politely in his heart, "What the hell! I’m already in this state, and you still won't let me out? I need medical attention, too...!"

【Desperate Mission: If you cannot escape within six hours after the start of the second act, you will be silenced by a Gate Spirit or a player from the same faction.】

"??？？！"

"I %&%#...&*!" Liu Quan cursed politely in his mind: "Garbage Stargate, go f*** your mother... wouldn't it have been better to just feed me hemlock at the start?!"

【Triggering Death Mission Trait—Last Words: Do you have any regrets in your life? Do you have unspeakable secrets? Do you have hidden pain and remorse... You have lived the story of Liu Quan here, so please leave behind your own story.】

"Whoosh!"

A glimmer of light appeared. In Liu Quan’s hazy eyes, the phantom image of an ancient tree emerged, its trunk hollowed out and emitting a soft, brilliant glow. It seemed to be saying that the wise hollow tree was willing to listen to all "wise" stories.

Liu Quan’s eyes slowly focused, and he continued to curse politely in his heart: "Stupid Stargate, I have no f***ing story to tell you...!"

A moment later, in the dim cell, he involuntarily closed his eyes and began to whisper his inner thoughts to the tree hollow. The hollow seemed to possess a magical quality that made one unable to resist the urge to confide.

"My name in the real world is Li Biao. I am 'playing' the role of the court attendant Liu Quan in the Stargate of Qingliang Town. My identity card is: Treacherous Official, belonging to the fence-sitter faction. My starting token is a seal called the 'Former Dynasty Imperial Jade Seal.' My special ability is related to this, and this character suits my tastes.

In the real world, I was a drifter active in the North. I worked as a thug for gang leaders, cleaned up trouble for the wealthy, and for a time, I was even a 'runner'—someone who helped overseas fraud syndicates withdraw stolen money from domestic bank accounts... In short, for those years I spent in society, I did whatever paid money. Of course, you can't walk by the river without getting your shoes wet. I went to prison twice, serving a total of over three years. During those years, I lived by one motto: Life is meant to be lived; as long as there is wine, meat, and women, even if I die tomorrow, I haven't lived in vain.

But thinking back, the 'me' from before... didn't seem to be like this. I was born in a village in the North. In my memory, the children there all had similar lives: school, smoking, dropping out, working in the city, getting married, having a child. The child grows up, goes to school, smokes, drops out, works in the city... It’s like a vicious cycle. A small portion might jump out, but in my generation, most people walked this path their whole lives.

When I first arrived in the city, I was very honest and didn't like talking to people. I worked as an apprentice in a barbershop. The income wasn't high, but it was enough to survive. Oh, right, from the moment I stepped into society, I never asked my family for a single cent... I couldn't bear to take the coffin money my parents had saved up from their hard labor.

The turning point in my life started with an ad, one you must be familiar with: 'Are you worried about borrowing money? XXX Loan: just an ID card, 100,000 credit limit, arrives in two minutes, safe, fast, solves all your borrowing problems.'

Damn it, that kind of thing is predatory lending; anyone who borrows from them is a moron. When I first saw that ad, I swiped past it immediately. Five minutes later: 'XXX Loan: just an ID card, 100,000 limit...' I swiped past it again. Why is this ad so annoying?

I swiped again. 'XXX Loan: just...'

The ad seemed to be everywhere. From initial resistance and numbness, I eventually developed a flicker of desire. Yes, the desire to borrow money. At first, I was very restrained, borrowing only five hundred. When I went home for the New Year, I bought myself a pair of high-imitation sneakers and bought my parents some cheap clothes at the morning market... That was probably the first time I had ever given my parents gifts. They were happy, and the relatives praised me for being successful.

But from then on, it was like I was addicted to drugs. 500, 1,000, 3,000... whenever I didn't have money in my pocket, I thought of taking out a loan. Parties I hadn't wanted to attend, consumption I hadn't dared to imagine—all of it opened up. For a while, I even became much more cheerful and started dating someone...

Soon, my salary wasn't enough to pay it back. I could only rob Peter to pay Paul, constantly filling holes. In just half a year, I found I couldn't even pay the interest. I owed over 100,000 across seven or eight legitimate lending platforms. You ask me why I didn't restrain myself? F*** it, I wanted to! But the feeling of spending money was so good, so addictive! Money makes a person feel confident; it makes you feel respected! And the threshold for these loans was so low—just move your fingers, fill in some info, and you've got the money. It was so convenient, so 'user-friendly.' It’s more addictive than drugs, especially for the poor!

What happened later was simple. Collection calls were everywhere. I quit my job and started stealing with some small-time hoodlums. At first, I wanted to pay the money back, but then I realized the interest was too high, and the debt collectors found my home... Why pay it back? To hell with it, might as well go all in on ruin!

Later, I went to prison twice and met more people on the fringes of society. My courage grew, and I went further and further down the wrong path. When my parents passed away, I didn't make it back. I had warrants out on me; I didn't dare go home. That is the greatest regret and source of guilt in my life.

To this day, having reached this point, I don't really regret much, and I can't be bothered to blame those legitimate loan platforms. No one forced me to borrow money; it was my own inferiority, my own poverty, my desire to show off, my lack of self-control... But I have always had a question. We have been cracking down on drug crimes, and the results have been very good. But I don't understand why these loans, which are more addictive than drugs, are allowed to advertise everywhere, so you can't even avoid them?! Who gave them the label of 'legitimate' anyway? I can't f***ing wrap my head around it... Can you?

At 35, I happened to encounter a Stargate and became a player. I discovered that this world is far deeper than I understood. Within the Stargate, all beings are equal; everyone has the chance to become a 'god.' Although you might pay with your life, this fairness is something you can never find in the real world...

Thank God for giving me this chance. I will seize it firmly, strive to live like a real person, and strive to... become someone above others! If I can really become a god, I... I hope I can see my parents again... I miss them a bit...

Alright, I am Li Biao. I prepared for three months and participated in two pre-missions with death mechanisms. I was lucky enough to get the entry token for Qingliang Prefecture and gave up two other high-reward Stargates for it... I was planning to make a name for myself here, but I didn't expect to be slashed the moment I started. I am very sad... If heaven lets me out of this, I will definitely kill Prince Huai. He is such an idiot—why didn't he just come and ask me?!'"

...

Shanghai, No. 88 Lianhu Road, inside the guest room.

Bright light flickered, and a distorted Stargate emerged. Ren Ye fell from mid-air onto the bed.

"Damn... finally back..." Exhausted to the extreme, Ren Ye relaxed completely upon seeing the familiar surroundings. He closed his eyes and fell asleep in seconds.

In the front building, the long-legged beauty sitting in the office, snacking and watching a web series, suddenly stiffened.

"Whoosh!"

She jumped up, immediately grabbed the phone, and dialed a number: "Red... Red-Eyed Berserker! Stop playing that stupid game; the Seven-Gun War God is back. Yes, I sensed it."

...

Fifteen minutes later, Huang Wei and the long-legged beauty opened the bedroom door. Upon entering, they saw Ren Ye sprawled out on the bed, snoring thunderously.

"What... what is this situation?" Huang Wei was bewildered. "Damn, he comes home and goes straight to sleep? How big is this guy’s heart?!"