4: Chapter 4: The "Pay-to-Win" Team is Established, with No Budget Limits!

The entire lounge could no longer be called a lounge.

It had transformed into a corner of a slaughterhouse, a warehouse piled high with the corpses of giant fowl.

The pungent smell of blood aggressively occupied every inch of the space.

In the midst of this utterly absurd, dead silence, Chen You's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and then he slowly opened his eyes.

The moment consciousness returned, the first thing he smelled was this thick, rich scent of blood.

He subconsciously wrinkled his nose, his vision shifting from blurry to clear, before finally freezing completely.

He saw it.

He saw the 'masterpieces' filling the room.

One, two, three... nine massive corpses were scattered throughout the room in various contorted poses.

Shattered furniture and splashed dirt served as the perfect backdrop for them.

The scene was more shocking and real than any special effect in a horror movie.

"I..." Chen You opened his mouth, only to feel his throat dry and scratchy.

He knew things from the game would appear in reality, but he never expected the scene to be so... spectacular.

This was a huge mess.

The first thought that popped into his mind was whether he would have to pay compensation for the damage.

Director Li Guoan ignored the mess in the room. His attention shifted away from the last chicken corpse, his sharp gaze piercing Chen You like a nail.

"You killed nine?" Director Li Guoan spoke, his voice terrifyingly steady.

"There are only nine here."

Chen You jolted, snapping back to reality from the chaotic scene.

He immediately understood Director Li Guoan's meaning; this leader's observation skills and judgment were sharp to a superhuman degree.

He quickly scanned the area, and indeed, exactly nine corpses.

"No," Chen You shook his head.

"After I killed the tenth one, I intentionally didn't touch its body, I didn't select the 'Loot' option in the game."

Loot.

A term that was perfectly normal to game players, yet to Director Li Guoan and his Assistant, it was no less than a thunderclap.

It revealed another fundamental rule of the mysterious game, the Source Realm.

It wasn't that they appeared just by being killed.

Instead, only after being killed and 'looted' would the items anchor from the virtual world to the real world!

"So that's how it is..."

Director Li Guoan muttered under his breath, a hint of realization flashing in his deep eyes.

This explained why only the corpses appeared, and not a mess of scattered chicken feathers and blood.

Because, according to the game rules, only the 'corpse' as a whole was the 'trophy' available for looting.

This discovery was even more significant than the appearance of the corpses themselves.

It meant control.

Chen You possessed the right to choose; he could decide what to bring back and what to leave behind in that game world.

Director Li Guoan's mind raced, countless possibilities and deductions colliding in his brain.

If biological corpses could be brought back, then...

"Your equipment," Director Li Guoan's question went straight to the core, without any preamble.

"Can you bring out the reward you got from your first purchase in the same way?"

This question stumped Chen You as well.

Right.

What about the equipment?

He had been too caught up in the excitement earlier and hadn't even considered this issue.

If the equipment could also be brought out...

The thought of the iron sword that instantly killed the giant chicken made Chen You's heart race uncontrollably.

That was far more valuable than a pile of chicken meat!

He immediately raised his left hand and looked at the ancient silver bracelet on his wrist.

The screen still only showed a single, lonely [Enter Game] icon, with no options for an 'Inventory' or 'Storage'.

"Can't you?" Director Li Guoan pressed, a barely perceptible tension in his voice.

"I... I'll try.", Chen You said with some uncertainty.

He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down, and recalled the feeling within the game.

In that world, a single thought was enough to bring up all the menu interfaces.

What about in the real world?

This bracelet, as the sole login device, would it respond to his 'will'?

He concentrated his spirit and issued a command in his mind.

"Open Backpack."

No response.

"Open Inventory."

The bracelet remained completely still.

Could it not be done?

Did he have to enter the game to operate it?

Chen You's heart sank.

No, that wasn't right.

Director Li Guoan's finger could pass through the bracelet, which proved the bracelet itself was not entirely a physical entity; it was more like an interface on a mental or conscious level.

Therefore, the method of communication might not be simple 'commands'.

Chen You changed his approach.

He stopped thinking about game terminology and instead focused all his intent on the purest, most direct thought: 'I need my sword'.

He imagined the shape of the iron sword, imagined its cold touch, imagined the weight of it in his hand.

Suddenly, a marvelous sense of connection traveled through the bracelet from his left arm.

He seemed to 'see' it.

Deep within his mind, a virtual grid interface composed of light materialized out of thin air.

It was his equipment slots and item slots from the game!

It really worked!

A wave of ecstasy surged through Chen You; he almost couldn't suppress the urge to open his eyes and shout.

He forcefully suppressed his excitement, focused his intent on the icon of the iron sword, and issued an action command.

"Withdraw."

The next moment, he felt the palm of his right hand sink slightly, and a cold, hard sensation appeared out of nowhere.

Chen You suddenly opened his eyes.

In the lounge, Director Li Guoan and his Assistant were staring at him without blinking.

Under their gaze, Chen You slowly raised his right hand.

An iron sword, simple in design but flashing with a chilling cold light, was held steadily in his grasp.

The iron sword looked dull and of poor quality, but it gave off a feeling of being naturally formed.

The sword possessed a texture that surpassed modern Earth's craftsmanship.

It had simply appeared.

Out of thin air.

"Gulp..."

A faint sound broke the dead silence of the room.

It was the young Assistant, who couldn't control himself from swallowing.

He was completely frozen, staring intently at the sword in Chen You's hand.

As a highly trained elite, he had witnessed countless bizarre scenes.

But what was before his eyes had completely shattered the worldview he had built over two decades.

This was a miracle.

Or rather, magic.

Director Li Guoan didn't look at his subordinate who had lost his composure.

His body stood perfectly straight, and his eyes, usually steady as a mountain, were now stirred by a tremendous wave.

He walked step by step in front of Chen You, not touching the sword, but extending a single finger, stopping less than a centimeter from the blade's edge.

He could feel a faint, almost imperceptible sharpness emanating from the blade.

"This material..." Director Li Guoan's voice was somewhat dry as he tried to analyze it, "is not any known alloy on Earth."

Although it was just by sight, his years of experience assured him that the reflectivity and density of this metal were definitely not ordinary.

An iron sword from the newbie village already surpassed humanity's current understanding of material science.

What about higher-level weapons?

Director Li Guoan slowly withdrew his hand and closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, all the shock and horror had vanished, replaced by an unprecedented decisiveness and fervor.

He finally fully understood the significance of this 'game'.

It was the key to another level of civilization, another dimension!

What it could bring was the ultimate leap for the entire huaxia civilization, and even for human civilization!

Director Li Guoan turned around and took out the dedicated line mobile phone from his pocket again.

His movements were steady and powerful; every button press carried an unshakable will.

The call connected.

"It's me, Director Li Guoan."

"Activate the highest level response. Immediately establish a special action group for the 'Source Realm,' authorization level: Ji Yi (Extreme One)."

The person on the other end seemed stunned by the order, resulting in a brief silence.

Director Li Guoan did not wait for questions; he issued a second directive in a resolute tone.

"From now on, this action group has only one mission: spare no cost, mobilize all resources, and fully assist the sole executor, Chen You, in exploring the 'Source Realm'."

He paused, glancing at Chen You, who was holding the sword and was also in a state of shock, then added the most crucial sentence.

"The codename for this action group shall be 'Pay-to-Win'."

"The project's dedicated fund budget... has no limit!"