Chapter Six: The "Old Earth" Player Management Act

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“The game Old Soil first appeared three years ago. No one knows how it came into existence, nor who created it. It exists on a website with no IP address, one that cannot be accessed from the backend or traced through its data.

“The website randomly pushes the game to certain people, usually experienced gamers. Quite a few of them entered the game, and what followed was a large number of unnatural deaths.

“This game has one particularly miraculous feature: it can interfere with reality.

“You seem to understand now. That’s right. Once a player dies in the game, he will also die in reality within twenty-four hours, in the exact same manner.

“Over the past three years, more than three thousand similar deaths have been discovered across the country. The actual number is probably far higher, considering all those that were never reported. Your friend was simply the latest case.”

Although Xiao Jie had already made some guesses, hearing the truth aloud still made everything sound utterly absurd.

But he knew the man was telling the truth.

He had personally experienced the effects of a game skill and witnessed Han Luo’s bizarre death with his own eyes.

“Why hasn’t the government banned the game?” Xiao Jie asked in a grave voice.

The man in the black trench coat shook his head. “It would be useless. People die for wealth just as birds die for food. Most players actually enter the game willingly, and the activation codes are distributed at random, making them impossible to monitor. How would we ban it?

“Besides, considering the hidden benefits this game offers, banning it would be meaningless. It might even drive more people to take risks by entering the game.

“Fortunately, the game requires an activation code, and the number of activation codes is limited, so its actual sphere of influence isn’t very large.”

“You said there have been more than three thousand unnatural deaths?”

“That’s right. Three thousand may sound like a lot, but compared with the more than ten million people who die throughout the country every year, it’s insignificant.

“Do you know how many people die in traffic accidents alone each year? We can’t exactly ban automobiles, can we?”

The man’s words left Xiao Jie speechless.

He continued, “To prevent public panic, we have in fact been suppressing news related to the game. We also have corresponding regulations in place. Generally speaking, when Old Soil players die in the game, they don’t go out into public and cause chaos. Most of them arrange their affairs, then quietly wait for death.

“A case like your friend’s is extremely rare. That’s why I guessed that you two probably didn’t know the truth about the game.”

“Regulations for the Administration of Old Soil Players?”

“Exactly. It’s a document that all players are required to sign. But we’ll discuss that later.”

Xiao Jie cautiously asked, “What exactly did you mean by the game’s hidden benefits?”

The guess he had made was perfectly reasonable, but he still wanted to hear a definite answer.

The man in the black trench coat explained, “This game can interfere with reality. Therefore, any abilities acquired in the game can also be obtained in reality.”

Xiao Jie thought, Just as I expected. The skill I acquired, the Sparrow Hawk Flip, really did come from a skill book in the game.

“Can every ability be brought into reality? Spells too?”

The man nodded. “Yes. Not only spells, but also character attributes, professional skills, martial arts, internal cultivation, demonic arts, divine abilities—in short, anything your game character has mastered can be obtained in reality.

“You don’t look surprised at all. Let me guess: you’ve already acquired such a skill, and you’ve even used it, haven’t you?”

Xiao Jie did not bother to hide it. There was hardly anything worth concealing about a low-level movement skill.

“That’s right. I’ve acquired an ability. It isn’t especially useful, but it did save my life.”

He briefly recounted how he had nearly been hit by a car.

“You were lucky,” the man said. “I’ll have someone investigate that red sports car later. Even if no accident occurred, running a red light is still illegal…”

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Luck… A bitter taste filled Xiao Jie’s mouth. Perhaps.

Perhaps that was the only explanation for why he had survived. A wave of belated fear suddenly passed through him. When he had fought the bandits, he had been down to only a dozen or so health points. He had come dangerously close to dying.

If he had made even the slightest mistake in his movements, he would probably be dead by now.

And at the time, he had even been thinking about finding a monster to send him back to town for free. If he had actually done that, it would have been an absurdly stupid way to die.

He also remembered what Han Luo had told him about Liu Qiang’s words. That bastard had never meant well. He had clearly intended to lead them to their deaths.

Xiao Jie had known the man was up to no good, but he had never imagined he could be so vicious—to deliberately give them both activation codes while concealing the truth about the game. He had plainly intended to drag them both to hell.

“Liu Qiang! You bastard! Whether you caused Han Luo’s death or mine, I swear I’ll kill you!” Xiao Jie vowed through clenched teeth.

The man in the black trench coat asked curiously, “This Liu Qiang you mentioned—is he the one who gave you the activation code? Do you have some kind of grudge against him?”

Xiao Jie nodded.

Liu Qiang and he went back a long way. They had known each other since middle school; Liu Qiang had been a student in the class next door. They had never been friends, exactly, but they had been acquainted.

Back then, Liu Qiang had been unable to find a job and had gone to the Wuji Studio to apply. Since they were former classmates, Xiao Jie had taken him in.

Liu Qiang was fairly capable at games and had managed to achieve quite a bit.

But the man was far too greedy and utterly without principles.

When the Chaos Temple first opened, Xiao Jie had led the Wuji Guild through a week of grueling battles. After finally obtaining a complete strategy for the dungeon, they had planned to earn a substantial sum by organizing groups and guiding players through it.

Who could have known that Liu Qiang would turn around and sell the strategy they had painstakingly compiled?

The incident crushed the morale of the Wuji Studio, and nearly half its members left in a single stroke.

At the time, Xiao Jie had wanted to kill Liu Qiang. But this was a society governed by law, so all he could do was beat him severely and drive him out of the studio.

He had never imagined the man would do something like this.

Looking at the man in the black trench coat, Xiao Jie suddenly felt a glimmer of hope.

“The person who gave us the game activation codes was a man named Liu Qiang. He’s also the one responsible for Han Luo’s death. Can you arrest him?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do about that.”

“Why not? He caused Han Luo’s death! You’re not going to arrest someone like that?” Xiao Jie shouted, his face flushed from agitation.

The man in the black trench coat spread his hands. “Because you have no way to prove that he gave you the activation codes. You say Liu Qiang gave one to Han Luo, but that’s only Han Luo’s account. You have no evidence to prove any of it.

“Of course, I can apply for Liu Qiang’s arrest. But if he denies giving Han Luo an activation code, there’s nothing you can do to him. The crucial point is that both Han Luo and you are professional gamers, which places you within the group of people eligible to receive activation codes through the system. As much as I would like to believe you, we cannot rule out other possibilities.”

Xiao Jie laughed in fury. “What is this supposed to mean? Is my friend’s death simply being ignored?”

“Does that mean he died for nothing?”

The man in the black trench coat shook his head and said seriously, “You need to understand, Mr. Xiao. Our country is governed by law, but many matters related to Old Soil do not fall within the scope of existing legislation.

“So our department’s policy toward Old Soil players is this: unless they have committed an actual crime in reality, we will not intervene. We are responsible only for monitoring them.

“Of course, if you can provide concrete evidence proving that everything you’ve said is true, that would be another matter. Or if Liu Qiang directly attacks you in reality, we can arrest him.”

Anger surged through Xiao Jie once more. “So this is just going to end here? My friend died for nothing?”

The man did not answer. An awkward silence descended over the interrogation room.

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After a while, the man in the black trench coat finally said gently, “Mr. Xiao, today’s questioning ends here. You may leave. I do have one piece of personal advice: don’t play anymore.

“The one-year mortality rate for this game exceeds seventy-eight percent. In other words, the vast majority of players don’t survive their first year.

“Many people enter the game seeking power and wealth, only to die inside for reasons no one can explain.”

Power! Exactly—power!

Xiao Jie’s eyes lit up. With enough strength, he could kill Liu Qiang himself. He would not need these people to act on his behalf. He would take his revenge personally.

He had made up his mind in an instant. His gaze resolute, he asked, “What if I want to keep playing?”

The man sighed. “I won’t stop you. We are responsible only for observation. But if you choose to continue, you must sign the Regulations for the Administration of Old Soil Players. If you use abilities obtained from the game to commit wrongdoing in reality, we will not stand by and do nothing.

“Believe me, people like that are not uncommon. Over the past three years, we have arrested and killed quite a few players who committed crimes. Once many people acquire power, they develop a sense of recklessness and lawlessness, believing that a little martial arts or magic can place them above the laws of reality.

“People like that generally meet a miserable end.”

By the end, his tone carried an unmistakable warning.

Xiao Jie looked into the man’s eyes. “What if I seek revenge against Liu Qiang?”

“Killing someone in reality is a criminal act,” the man in the black trench coat said calmly.

Xiao Jie understood at once. Killing someone in reality was a crime, but killing someone in the game was not.

“I understand. Give me the regulations. I’ll sign them.”

The man helplessly shook his head and casually handed him a document. “It looks like you’ve already made up your mind. Even so, I advise you to consider it carefully. The dangers of this game far exceed anything you can imagine.

“Besides, judging from the information you’ve provided, Liu Qiang must have been playing for quite some time. Even if you intend to deal with him in the game, it won’t be easy.”

Xiao Jie interrupted him directly. “There’s no need to think it over. Some things are responsibilities I cannot escape.”

He took the document and began reading.

Clause One: Old Soil players may not use abilities acquired in the game to engage in illegal or criminal activities in reality. Violators will receive enhanced punishment.

Clause Two: Old Soil players may not publicly reveal the existence of this game to the general population.

Clause Three: Old Soil players may use game skills in reality, but they must provide a credible explanation for the source of their abilities. Their explanations may not involve superstition, nor may they contain information related to Old Soil.

Clause Four: Old Soil players may not bring conflicts from the game into reality or engage in offline, real-person player-versus-player activities.

Clause Five: When required by the relevant authorities, Old Soil players must provide necessary professional services under reasonable conditions…

There were dozens of clauses in all. Xiao Jie thought that the authorities had clearly considered the matter quite thoroughly.

Yet one question remained in his mind.

If a player possessed only ordinary martial arts, internal cultivation, or low-level spells, there was no great cause for concern. The power of modern technology could still keep such people under control.

But what if a player reached level fifty or a hundred and mastered immortal arts or divine abilities—powers that even modern technology could not restrain? Would these regulations still be of any use?

He wisely chose not to ask.

He simply picked up the pen and signed his name.

With a document like this in place, at least he would not have to worry too much about Liu Qiang attacking him in reality. He would have enough time to increase his strength in the game and seek his revenge there.

The man in the black trench coat picked up the document and glanced over it. He did not try to dissuade Xiao Jie again. Instead, he turned and opened the door to the interrogation room.

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