Chapter 68

Chapter 068: Overwhelming Awe

On the Fate Net Forum.

The ripple effects of that notice—[Good Fortune Coins Officially Launch Tomorrow]—continued to ferment.

The Chief's suppression of prices and the immense influence displayed in this matter had become a hot topic.

Among the discussions, many were dissecting that single line of text, no more than a dozen characters, word by word.

They tried to capture the hidden meaning behind that mysterious sovereign's words, thereby glimpsing the future direction.

"'Officially launch tomorrow'—the key word here is 'officially'! This means it's not a limited-time event; supply is guaranteed!"

"The test is ending... This suggests it was a trial run, possibly for data collection. The effect might diminish tomorrow!"

"What about that comma in the middle? Does it mean something?"

"..."

All sorts of analyses sounded plausible, as if everyone were a worm in the Chief's belly.

Of course, there were also plenty of pragmatic users repeatedly asking the most direct question:

"Will the Good Fortune Coins officially launching tomorrow have a limit or not?"

The notice didn't specify, leaving a final shred of uncertainty.

And in the eyes of some speculative merchants, uncertainty itself was a risk, but also an opportunity.

Thus, undercurrents stirred in the market.

On the Trading House, those Good Fortune Coins that had gradually dropped to a premium of only 20-30% due to the notice were rapidly decreasing in number.

Then, it gradually moved to those within a 50% premium...

...

The sky was growing dark.

The vast majority of people had finished their day's labor and returned one after another to relatively safe camps, cabins, or hideouts.

Their weary bodies needed rest, while their active minds had room to wander.

Thus, more and more people snapped back to reality.

After ensuring their safety, they sank their consciousness into the Fate Net, as if entering another world.

Because that crucial notice wasn't a server-wide announcement—it only appeared when users actively connected to the Net.

So those who hadn't received a real-time push only now noticed the upheaval that had occurred in just a few short hours.

"Prices... have dropped this much?!" That was many people's first reaction.

Looking at the prices of familiar supplies on the Trading House, they were more than half of what they remembered, some even falling to 20-30% of their original value!

The impact was direct and intense.

"Good Fortune Coins are suspended? They're officially launching tomorrow?"

"Prices fell and rose, then plummeted all afternoon, just because the Chief changed a line in the notice?"

After quickly browsing the hot posts on the forum, they roughly understood the sequence of events, followed by a deep sense of shock.

So, in the few hours they had been struggling to survive, such a dramatic saga had unfolded on the Fate Net.

And the source of all this violent turmoil seemed to point to that enigmatic Chief.

As usual,

He still hadn't shown up or said much.

Simply by adjusting a single line of system text, he made the entire market's emotions and prices dance to his tune.

Truly, turning his hand to summon clouds, and turning it back to summon rain!

Looking at the forum, more and more people were belatedly realizing that the Chief, who had always remained hidden behind the scenes, now possessed terrifying power capable of easily shaking the entire faction.

The "loyalty" that many had previously shown out of conformity was now quietly tinged with a hint of genuine awe in their hearts.

...

Desert, Gobi Desert.

Inside a personal cabin.

Qiao Yue had just finished a comfortable hot shower, washing away the sand and fatigue from her body.

She changed into a clean, fresh set of clothes.

These were carefully selected from the Trading House using the Fate Points she had earned today.

The clothes were simple in style, but the fabric was comfortable and the cut fit her well, casually outlining her full and graceful figure.

She tied up her still-damp long hair with a hair tie, revealing her bright and striking face.

Her facial features were still vaguely the same, but her brows had lost their gentle and docile air, replaced by a breathtaking, enchanting allure.

There was a wild beauty to her.

Her skin seemed to shimmer with a faint pinkish-white glow in the dim light.

This was one of the deep, beneficial physical adjustments brought by the [Flower Charm Demon] talent.

It was as if she had undergone a perfect transformation.

After tying up her hair, Qiao Yue immediately looked outside.

There was a small "orchard" there, completely out of place in the surrounding desolate Gobi Desert.

These were fruit saplings or seeds she had gradually bought from the Trading House, forcibly grown using her [Vine Lord] ability.

Now they were lush and leafy, having even gone through several rounds of blooming and bearing fruit.

The fruits grown by her ability were not only larger, more vibrant in color, and far superior in taste.

More importantly, the fruits contained pure plant life energy.

Eating them not only satisfied hunger but also significantly restored stamina and relieved fatigue.

They even had a certain effect in promoting the healing of minor injuries.

It was by selling these special fruits that Qiao Yue easily earned a considerable amount of Fate Points.

This not only improved her living conditions, allowing her to buy comfortable clothes and daily necessities, but also left her with a good surplus.

This allowed her to live quite comfortably and leisurely in the harsh desert environment.

Moreover, the beneficial physical adjustments from activating her talent gave her the constitution to move freely in the harsh desert.

Her [Photosynthesis] ability ensured she hardly had to worry about energy under the sun, and even her need for ordinary food was greatly reduced.

Compared to the struggle for survival in the first two days of the trial, the difference was like heaven and earth.

It could be said that that miraculous Golden Chest had completely changed the trajectory of her fate.

At that moment, Qiao Yue sensed the few fruit trees outside.

"Status isn't bad." She smiled slightly.

With the energy she had deliberately left to nourish them, they could maintain their vitality even in the arid Gobi Desert.

Withdrawing her gaze, Qiao Yue let out a sigh.

The faint scent of plants and flowers lingered at the tip of her nose as she sank her consciousness into the Fate Net.

The moment she connected, the notification about [Good Fortune Coins Officially Launching Tomorrow] came into her awareness.

The update announcement of the Fate Net directly notified all users, so she naturally knew what Good Fortune Coins were.

She just hadn't paid much attention to it at the time, since she had already opened her chests.

Like everyone else, Qiao Yue had planned to exchange for Good Fortune Coins when she opened chests tomorrow.

She never expected...

"Suspended mid-sale? It won't officially launch until tomorrow?"

Qiao Yue fell into thought, her delicate brows slightly raised.

She then clicked into the Fate Net Forum and quickly skimmed through the hot posts and trending discussions on the front page.

The discussions about "Chief cracking down on speculation," "Massive price crash," and "Capital flight" quickly made her understand what had happened over the past few hours.

"Prices dropped again?"

Somewhat surprised, Qiao Yue switched to the Trading House.

Sure enough, the prices of many supplies were generally less than half of what she remembered, some even at twenty to thirty percent.

Compared to when Good Fortune Coins had just been introduced, the prices she noticed were significantly lower.

"Such a big fluctuation... Is it because of the Chief?!"

Looking at the forum posts filled with astonishment, analysis, and a growing sense of awe toward the Chief,

A deeply complex emotion surged within Qiao Yue.

That mysterious, unfathomable existence, whose every move could sway the hearts of billions...

Could it really be that student she knew so well?

This question had been lingering in her mind ever since the day she opened the Golden Chest.

On the day she got the Golden Chest, a strong intuition and the hint from that message made Qiao Yue almost certain it was Yan Cang's doing.

Being able to let someone else open a Golden Chest was mind-boggling, but placed on the Chief, it didn't seem entirely impossible?

After all, the identity of the Master of the Fate Net was even more shocking.

But afterward, every day before opening her chests at noon, Qiao Yue would subconsciously whisper "Yan Cang" under her breath.

Yet the results... were all unremarkable Black Iron.

Including today's noon session.

One miracle, followed by a string of mediocrity, began to shake her confidence.

Maybe that Golden Chest was just a stroke of incredible luck?

And those words "witness a miracle" could have been a coincidence?

A rational voice echoed in her mind.

But this afternoon, the sudden update of the Fate Net,

Especially the appearance of Good Fortune Coins...

"Physical currency that carries good fortune..."

When Qiao Yue understood the function of this new feature,

A trembling guess uncontrollably crept into her heart:

"Could it be that I opened the Golden Chest because a [Fate Coin] was used on me?"

"That's worth 100,000,000 Fate Points!!"

The thought made Qiao Yue's mind churn with anxiety.

Even for the "Chief," that was absolutely no small amount, right?

This gift was so heavy she hadn't dared to dwell on it at the time.

But some things couldn't be avoided forever.

At this moment, looking at the forum's almost godlike reverence and speculation toward the Chief...

And comparing it to the memory of that somewhat lazy, gluttonous child who would still study seriously under her strict supervision...

The stark contrast filled her with both unfamiliarity and distance, and also sparked a resolve within her.

"I can't keep guessing on my own."

Qiao Yue took a deep breath, her gaze locked on the contact list on the Fate Net.

Just as she was about to click...

However, she shrank back with an ostrich-like mentality. "It's a bit late now."

It was quite a contrast.

But then, Qiao Yue set a clear deadline for herself in her mind: "Tomorrow."

"I must ask tomorrow!"