MS Chapter 76

Lu Qingjia took a moment to examine himself in the bathroom mirror.

This wasn’t the first time he had worn this dress. He had tried it on once when he bought it, but back then, Zhong Ye, that idiot, had barged in, so he didn’t get a good look.

Recently, the two of them had somewhat reconciled, and that guy had become even more presumptuous, occasionally suggesting that Lu Qingjia wear it again, claiming with an air of selflessness that he wanted to help check if there were any flaws in the item.

Lu Qingjia had kicked and shoved him into the pool to wash his brains out.

But now, putting it on again, he could somewhat understand why that guy couldn’t forget it.

To be honest, Lu Qingjia wasn’t particularly narcissistic, but he had strong confidence in himself, and he was quite satisfied with his appearance.

In modern terms, he was the type who usually looked elegant and approachable, non-threatening, but with a presence that could be cool, sweet, commanding, or seductive—highly versatile and genuinely captivating.

Lu Qingjia had always been confident in his allure, otherwise he wouldn’t have so many female ghosts and NPCs falling for him.

Although it might be a bit inappropriate to think this way, his female form was equally mesmerizing.

With a highly distinctive appearance, radiant beauty, perfect bone structure, and an outstanding aura, he was unforgettable at first sight. In terms of looks alone, his female form was more aggressively beautiful.

Lu Qingjia gave himself a thorough once-over, nodded in satisfaction, and thought that if he had such a sister or younger sister, it would definitely be a joyous thing.

After leaving the bathroom, Lu Qingjia headed straight to a certain area on the third floor, bypassing the banquet hall on the first floor.

With his Thousand-Mile Eye and X-ray vision combined, finding someone was relatively easy. Even through several walls, as long as he located the area with dense security, that was likely where the richest man was.

The richest man loved luxury and beauty, often hosting parties—this was common knowledge.

When the wax museum owner had briefed them on the mission, he had mentioned it in passing. Earlier, while setting up in the hall, the staff had been gossiping as they worked.

They were all discussing whether any lucky woman at the banquet would catch the richest man’s eye, prompting him to splurge and open a factory or company for her.

These snippets of gossip could also help sift through some clues.

As for the nature of the so-called companies and factories in this instance, Lu Qingjia and the others, having experienced it, knew very well.

Take the wax museum owner’s family as an example. They were trapped in the instance, relying on keeping more players to aid their nefarious deeds, accumulating points to exchange for a chance to return to reality.

A family of five running a wax museum, the earning and distribution of points—given the nature of this world, it was unlikely to be divided equally.

The rules here were adept at creating conflicts. To keep as many players as possible, those who became accomplices wouldn’t be easily let go. When Lu Qingjia and the others first arrived, the wax museum owner’s family was in the midst of a heated argument.

At the time, they thought it was an act for the upcoming fabricated murder case, but later signs indicated that the conflict caused by unequal distribution had already escalated.

Even if someone in the owner’s family eventually accumulated enough points, the question of who would leave first would likely lead to infighting among those who had betrayed their companions and preserved their strength and sanity by aiding the instance, ultimately working in vain for some entity in this instance.

Thus, the richest man sponsoring a woman to open a factory or company held significant meaning.

If she were capable enough, she could manage it alone without sharing points with anyone, gaining an early chance to return to reality.

This indicated that the richest man played a pivotal role in this entire instance.

The mission of this instance was like constipation—piece by piece, the full picture was unclear, and it was riddled with pitfalls, aiming to keep players trapped.

Lu Qingjia was almost certain that the breakthrough could be found with the richest man.

He reached the third floor, but as soon as he stepped onto the stairs, he was stopped.

“Miss, this floor is not open to guests. Please go back downstairs.”

Perhaps because he was beautiful, and the bodyguards knew their employer’s tendencies, their words and actions weren’t rough. On the contrary, they were quite polite.

Lu Qingjia smiled. “Forgive me for visiting early. I saw a painting in the hall, said to be the work of the richest man himself, which impressed me deeply. I couldn’t wait to discuss its content with him.”

“Once the crowd gathers, I’m afraid there won’t be such an opportunity. Though it’s a bit presumptuous, could you kindly relay my message?”

The bodyguard scrutinized Lu Qingjia again, as if weighing whether the woman before him was worth the risk of being scolded for making the trip.

The answer, of course, was yes.

The woman was exceptionally beautiful, not only with exquisite and radiant features that were unforgettable, but also with a peerless aura. Even though she was wearing a casual dress that seemed somewhat out of place at a formal banquet, her strong presence and confidence made it all negligible.

So the bodyguard nodded. “Alright, wait here.”

Lu Qingjia glanced at the camera at the stairway and even smiled at it.

Not long after, the bodyguard returned and said to Lu Qingjia, “The gentleman is delighted that someone appreciates his painting and invites you in for a detailed discussion.”

Lu Qingjia said, “Thank you.”

He then followed the bodyguard to the richest man’s lounge.

Upon opening the door, the first thing that caught his eye was the luxurious and flamboyant decor, which, like the mansion’s style, screamed “I’m rich.”

Then Lu Qingjia noticed a person sitting in a chair with his back turned.

When the man turned around, Lu Qingjia was surprised to see that the richest man was quite young.

He looked to be in his early twenties, even a bit baby-faced, and could easily pass for a college student.

However, his demeanor was quite dignified. If he were also a player stranded here, he must have been from a wealthy, upper-class family before entering the game.

The man was also good-looking, but his demeanor was haughty, with a hint of roguishness, and his gaze carried an undisguised interest.

Lu Qingjia was no stranger to this type. After all, their school had its share of privileged, carefree second-generation heirs.

To be honest, back in school, he and Ouyang Bai, who were well-off but relatively low-key and diligent, were the rare ones.

Seeing the man’s appearance, Lu Qingjia found it somewhat amusing, but if the man’s age was truly as young as he appeared, then managing to reach this level in such a challenging instance indicated that he had his strengths.

The richest man raised an eyebrow, offering a charming, devilish smile. “I hear you’re interested in my painting?”

Before Lu Qingjia could answer, the man continued, “You have good taste. I admire women with an eye for art.”

“So, tell me, what do you like about my painting?”

Lu Qingjia glanced at the stylist and assistant preparing the man’s attire for the evening banquet, his eyes hinting at something. He approached the man and said, “Is it appropriate to discuss such matters in front of so many people?”

The richest man’s breath hitched. As Lu Qingjia stepped back, he felt a sudden emptiness.

The woman was beautiful, of course. Although the world wasn’t densely populated, there were plenty of beautiful women around, not to mention those he’d seen in reality.

But subtly, this woman was different from any he’d met before. She was exquisitely beautiful, yet she didn’t have the unique, signature scent that most beauties carefully crafted for themselves.

Her scent was faint, like a clear spring, and most remarkably, her aura was distinctly unlike any he’d encountered.

She was captivating without being coquettish, and even her deliberate allure carried an indescribable strength that didn’t repel but instead excited him.

The richest man wasn’t a fool. He knew that someone who came to see him alone at this time must have some request.

He glanced at Lu Qingjia and finally nodded, giving a signal to the others in the room.

An assistant said, “But sir, you’re supposed to start receiving guests in half an hour.”

The richest man replied, “Let them entertain themselves for now.”

The others had no choice but to leave, closing the door behind them.

The richest man sat on the sofa, pointing to the wine beside him and smiling at Lu Qingjia. “Pour it.”

Lu Qingjia walked over with a slight smile, took ice from the bucket, and poured the expensive wine.

The wine’s aroma was clear and rich, surpassing even the finest wines in reality. It must have been the richest man’s private stash.

The richest man took the glass and glanced at Lu Qingjia’s hand.

Lu Qingjia’s hands were naturally well-defined, with long fingers, but due to long hours of intense training and practicing martial arts and weapons, his palms had calluses.

In his female form, his finger joints were smaller and more delicate, but the calluses remained. Normally, this would be considered a flaw.

But perhaps because the woman was perfectly aligned with his tastes, the richest man felt that even imperfections became unique.

He sipped his wine while giving Lu Qingjia an invasive look.

He chuckled. “Pour yourself a glass too. We can drink and talk about the painting.”

Lu Qingjia gladly obliged, filled his own glass, took a sip, and sincerely remarked, “Excellent wine. As expected of the richest man’s private collection.”

“You flatter me,” the man smiled.

Lu Qingjia didn’t continue the pleasantries and asked, “Those who just left—are they NPCs who’ve forgotten their player identities?”

The richest man clearly wasn’t in the mood for such a downer topic and said, “I’ve taken precious time, risking neglecting my guests, not to discuss such trivial matters.”

He leaned closer. “Why don’t you tell me what you like about my painting?”

“If you’re truly a kindred spirit who appreciates my taste, I won’t treat you poorly. So, do you admire my brushstrokes, the mood I convey, or the perfect rendition of colors?”

“I admire the sheer audacity you have to hang such a piece of crap and dare to have people critique it.”

Lu Qingjia said this with a warm smile, so much so that the richest man didn’t immediately react.

He even nodded in agreement, as if pleased, before his brain processed the words a few seconds later.

“You—”

“Don’t move. Kidnapping!” Lu Qingjia had a scalpel in his hand, pressed against the richest man’s neck.

But the man didn’t seem panicked. Instead, he looked at Lu Qingjia with a smirk and sighed. “I thought your brain would match your smart appearance.”

“Why would you think that if I couldn’t handle a woman’s sneak attack, I’d still be sitting in the richest man’s seat?”

Lu Qingjia smiled. “Probably because of your thick skin.”

As he spoke, the room’s space suddenly warped. The richest man, who had been just inches away, suddenly appeared several meters distant.

It wasn’t teleportation, as he was still seated on the sofa.

But the entire room twisted like a kaleidoscope, the surroundings fragmented, making it hard to make sense of anything.

Lu Qingjia threw the scalpel at the richest man, but as it left his hand and was about to hit the target, it reappeared behind him. Lu Qingjia caught it at the back of his head with a swift motion.

The richest man whistled. “Not bad reflexes. A beauty who’s good at combat.”

Lu Qingjia smiled. “Not bad abilities. But what now?”

As he spoke, the room began to fill with frost, the reflections from the ice crystals making the scene even more disorienting.

Logically, the room, though large, shouldn’t have been a problem for Lu Qingjia’s ice powers to freeze entirely.

But in his vision, the few meters distance seemed like an insurmountable chasm. No matter how the ice spread, it couldn’t reach the richest man.

The man sipped his wine, watching with interest. “Not bad abilities either. Not only are your reflexes sharp, but your application of powers is quite skilled.”

“If this were just low-level spatial manipulation, perhaps I’d have lost by now. Too bad.”

He leaned forward slightly. “I quite like you. Want to join me?”

He continued, “Give up. The sludge you’ve hidden beneath the frost may be flexible, but if it can’t reach me, it’s meaningless.”

“On the contrary, I can attack you anytime.”

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pulled a strand of light from the air. The light took on a tangible form in his hand.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent the three glowing golden needles in a certain direction. In the next moment, they shot toward Lu Qingjia’s shoulder, ankle, and elbow.

Clearly, the man didn’t intend to cause too much harm, but to showcase his strength, he didn’t hold back.

But as the three needles were about to pierce Lu Qingjia, they stopped at his skin.

The richest man could clearly feel that his attack hadn’t landed, and a hint of surprise finally appeared on his face.

Then he saw a membrane begin to expand on Lu Qingjia’s body, forming a transparent bubble. The three needles were stuck on the bubble, struggling to break through but ultimately unable to penetrate.

The richest man raised an eyebrow. “Impressive. Offense and defense are top-notch. I like you even more.”

Lu Qingjia smiled. “Likewise.”

The richest man’s face still showed composure, but suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his stomach, as if something was about to burst out.

He covered his mouth, suppressing the urge to vomit, and looked at Lu Qingjia in shock. “What did you do?”

As his powers became unstable, the room’s disarray began to collapse, returning to its original form.

Lu Qingjia patted the man’s shoulder. “Got you.”

“The ability to tear space and reassemble it at will, and to turn intangible things into weapons—your abilities are strong. I’m quite satisfied with you.”

The richest man now understood what Lu Qingjia had meant by “likewise.”

But the guy was probably too used to flirting, as even when at a disadvantage, he found the situation somewhat romantic.

It showed that even in a bad spot, he had some means of self-preservation.

He even asked Lu Qingjia again, “What exactly did you do?”

Lu Qingjia used a special retractable rope bought from the Infinite City to tie the man up and said with a smile, “Next time, don’t drink anything a beauty hands you.”

“But you drank too,” the richest man said. “How are you fine? There was poison in the wine.”

“Oh, that.” Lu Qingjia spat out an ice pellet the size of a glass bead. “Of course, I wouldn’t just drink any random thing.”

The richest man: “…”

Lu Qingjia kicked the cocooned richest man to the ground and used a communication device to call a female player upstairs.

The richest man quickly said, “Are you the Beauty Alliance here to snipe me? I’m honored.”

“But really, there’s no need for this. If you want tasks or backdoor access, just say so. My authority isn’t small. Why resort to violence? Can’t we work together harmoniously?”

Lu Qingjia sat on the sofa, tossed a piece of sludge to cover the man’s mouth, and used a voice mimicry device from the Infinite City to imitate the richest man’s voice. “It’s fine. Let her in.”

The richest man was still quite agile. Though his movements were restricted, and there was a spatial seed Lu Qingjia had planted in his stomach that could potentially grow into a car and burst him open if he acted recklessly, removing the sludge was a small matter.

Even in such a situation, he had the cheek to joke, “Oh no, they’ll probably think I’ve gotten excited and am entertaining two women at once.”

Lu Qingjia smiled, unoffended.

Instead, he pressed a blade against the man’s face, tracing its outline. A slight tilt would draw blood and mar his appearance.

“Speak. What authority does the richest man have?”

“Hey, hey! Be gentle. My face is quite popular with the ladies. If you ruin it, I’ll be left with no one, and you’ll have to take responsibility.”

Lu Qingjia said, “Sure. After we leave the game, come find me. I’ll take responsibility.”

The richest man was momentarily stunned, then couldn’t help but feel pleased. Players who considered developing real-life relationships must have a certain level of trust and mutual appreciation.

He hadn’t expected Lu Qingjia to hold him in such high regard, even considering meeting in reality.

He couldn’t help but show a smug and joyful expression. “You’ve got good taste. Since you’ve confessed so sincerely, I’ll tell you some things.”

Lu Qingjia: “…”

Was he really this easy to trick? This guy probably spent his entire life getting tricked by women.

The richest man then explained that he was also one of the early batch of players. While he was scatterbrained and simple-minded when it came to women, as a player, his skills were undoubtedly solid, and he had good luck.

Though he couldn’t compare to the lucky ones, his journey was like a protagonist’s plotline.

To be honest, Lu Qingjia’s strength in the Intermediate Level Game was already among the best, but the richest man’s abilities were also formidable. His earlier kaleidoscope ability involved spatial rules, more advanced than Lu Qingjia’s sludge space and Anywhere Door.

If they were to fight head-on without tricks, with their full capabilities unknown, the outcome was uncertain.

The richest man had progressed to the final stage, but his team failed the last test, falling into infighting.

In the end, they neither left the game nor became NPCs, but were forced to become accomplices of some entity, transitioning from victims to perpetrators.

However, having been born into a wealthy family in reality, though a playboy, he had the makings of a competent heir. So he seized the opportunity during the instance’s blank period, aligning with the entity’s development strategy, and used his ample points to exchange for funds to acquire and manage various businesses.

He became the richest man in this world, and according to the rules, the various workshops or studios ultimately served this base. Thus, the richest man’s authority grew.

Though still constrained by the rules, the richest man could subjectively issue tasks.

“That is, if I wanted to, I could directly send you to the final boss,” the richest man said, his tone full of temptation, practically hinting that Lu Qingjia should start currying favor.

Lu Qingjia patted the man’s head, smiling approvingly. “Smart, clever, and talented.”

The richest man, used to being the dominant one in his interactions with women both in reality and in the game, had never experienced this style before and blushed slightly.

At this moment, the female player entered and, seeing the situation, knew it was Lu Qingjia’s doing.

She excitedly said, “Jiajia, you’ve got the richest man under control? What’s the plan? Kill him and impersonate him?”

“Hey, hey! Are women these days all so ruthless?” the richest man quickly said.

Lu Qingjia replied, “No need. The richest man’s authority probably isn’t something you can gain by replacing him. Issuing commands still depends on him.”

“I called you up here to assign you a task now,” Lu Qingjia said.

“Alright, go ahead.”

“You all should take the opportunity to leave this place and head to the train station. The train that was supposed to depart this morning for various cities’ so-called interview points has likely broken down halfway, delaying its progress. It’s almost six now, and the vehicles responsible for bringing the passengers back should be arriving soon.”

“Go and bring all the Players from the station here.”

Although they didn’t know what he was planning, the scale of it didn’t seem small.

As soon as the female Player left, the tycoon asked, “What exactly are you trying to do? Let me make it clear, even if you expose the Game’s trap during the banquet, it won’t matter. The save period of a few days has already passed, and the people at the station will still obediently board the train tomorrow morning. This is pointless.”

“The most disgusting aspect of this instance is that it requires the Players to cooperate fully, yet it sets traps everywhere to prevent them from building trust. If you run to the station tomorrow morning, not in the same group, see if anyone will listen to you, someone whose allegiance is unclear, for the sake of an urgent task.”

Lu Qingjia stood up: “Your Ability is good. Come with me to set up some preparations.”

“But considering the potential trump card you might have, I’ll need to add a bit more insurance.”

As he spoke, he reached towards the other’s body.

The tycoon’s face broke into a flirtatious smile: “Hey, given your good taste, I said I’d let you have this round, and I never go back on my word. Why bother~~”

“Stop, that’s my sensitive spot, don’t touch it.”

Lu Qingjia chuckled, securing something on the tycoon’s body, then stood up and in front of him, took off the transformation dress.

The physique and contours of a man emerged, his hair shortened, instantly transforming into a completely different person.

Lu Qingjia leisurely dressed himself again, then turned around to see the tycoon’s utterly dumbfounded expression.

How to describe that expression? More layered than a seven-colored cocktail.

When he saw the dress being taken off, there was first shy curiosity, then excitement at the thought that such a good thing could actually happen, followed by confusion at the height increase, then shock at the entire larger and more muscular outline.

Then, looking at the other’s gender characteristics, and seeing what was pulled out from under the skirt, larger than his own, he was thunderstruck.

Finally, as the transformation into a male body completed, he was left in a dazed and stupefied expression, his lifeless eyes seemingly replaying a montage.

The world seemed to turn gray, devoid of any trust, the blow even more painful than the near victory in the Game being snatched away by a teammate’s betrayal.

His first special flutter of the heart was betrayed, it was all a deception from the start.

Lu Qingjia turned back, smiling at him: “Let’s go.”

But the tycoon, eyes red, glared at him: “You lied to me, you’re a man?”

Lu Qingjia raised an eyebrow, feeling no psychological burden at all from teasing this guy.

Just as he was about to speak, he heard the other say: “After all my assumptions, you’re telling me you’re a man?”

“I was planning to meet you in reality, to date you, and you’re telling me you’re a man?”

“I don’t care, even if you’re a man, you’re mine.”

 

Author’s note:

Green Bro: Sharpening the knife.