Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Stand Back, Let Me Handle This

Night had fully enveloped the Trial Ground.

The sky was pure ink-black, devoid of starlight or moonlight.

Outside, only the occasional gleam of a beast's emerald eyes flickered in the distance.

And the long, drawn-out howls of nameless creatures only accentuated the emptiness and wildness of this land.

Yet, inside the warm, cozy, and exquisitely lit wooden cabin, it was a different scene altogether.

Yan Cang sat cross-legged on the soft, large bed, holding his miraculous game console in his hands, completely engrossed in playing Black Myth.

Unlike his previous playstyle of striking once and dodging once,

ever since acquiring the "As You Wish Body" talent, he could control even the subtlest life systems, let alone the mere dexterity of his fingers.

This extraordinary control over his body was vividly demonstrated in the game.

One could say his gaming talent had been fully awakened.

High-level maneuvers he once dared not imagine and had only seen in expert gameplay videos were now effortlessly executed by Yan Cang.

"Right, how could I not be a gaming expert?"

He thought to himself, as if it were only natural.

On the screen, light and shadow danced brilliantly. A figure with a furry face, a thunder-god beak, and clad in armor wielded a staff that moved like a dragon.

With a precise sidestep, he left a faint afterimage in his original spot, perfectly dodging a sweeping attack from a demon;

immediately after, almost before the afterimage had faded, the monkey lunged forward like lightning, landing a swift strike that dealt massive damage;

then, with a backhand, he delivered a powerful, fully charged heavy blow, smashing down with force!

The entire sequence was fluid and seamless, a joy to behold.

In an instant, the words "Victory" appeared on the screen.

"Beautiful!" Yan Cang couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

He had originally thought this high-difficulty action game wasn't fun and had considered switching to another.

But now... it was way too fun!

He immediately decided to finish the first playthrough before even thinking about changing games.

Thus, Yan Cang became completely immersed in the exhilarating feeling of controlling the entire situation and maximizing his performance.

After finishing that dinner, he played for several hours straight, advancing through multiple story stages.

It wasn't until he felt a hollow ache in his stomach that he looked up and checked the countdown on the Supply Box.

"It's already ten at night."

Yan Cang suddenly realized how fast time had flown.

Although there were still nearly two hours until the scheduled relaunch of Good Fortune Coins,

during this time, he needed to observe the changes in public opinion on the Fate Net Forum.

Additionally, his body, which had been maintaining the "Refining Essence into Qi" state, needed to replenish some nutrients and fluids.

Reluctantly, Yan Cang put away the game console.

Then, he summoned the [Fate Wheel Mirror].

Navigating with practiced ease, he opened the Food Zone, his eyes scanning rows of mouthwatering dish images.

Dinner had been the grand and delicious Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, so for a late-night snack, he wanted something light and exciting.

Browsing and selecting...

Yan Cang finally ordered a fragrant skewer combo and a few cans of soda that the vendor had specially chilled in cool groundwater, still beaded with moisture.

Soon, the food was delivered through the Fate Net Space.

He began to eat with great satisfaction.

The skewers, charred on the outside and tender within, burst with juices in the mouth, mingling with the aroma of cumin and chili powder.

Washing it down with a big gulp of ice-cold, refreshing soda,

The sense of happiness instantly maxes out.

But as he ate, Yan Cang couldn't help thinking back to the pot of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall he'd had a few hours earlier.

That complex, mellow, and utterly exquisite umami, as if it had gathered the essence of mountains and seas, stubbornly lingered on his memory's taste buds.

In comparison, the mountain of skewers before him now seemed rather plain.

"That flavor was truly delicious!" he smacked his lips in recollection.

"And I heard Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is a Fujian dish. I'll order an authentic one later to try."

With that thought, Yan Cang viciously bit into a skewer and tilted his head back for another big gulp of soda.

"Burp~"

Then, while enjoying his late-night snack, he mentally commanded the [Fate Wheel Mirror],

And in an instant, switched the interface to the bustling Fate Net Forum.

The first thing that caught his eye was a pile of posts endlessly debating "whether Good Fortune Coins will be limited tomorrow or not."

Inside, there were all sorts of analyses, guesses, and bets, enough to make one's head spin.

Next came a flood of fawning posts marveling at "how changing the prompt had such power" and "the Chief can turn his hand to produce clouds or rain,"

Mixed in with recollections and lingering fears about the afternoon's roller-coaster prices.

"Huh... why does it feel like I've already read all this?"

Yan Cang found it a bit strange.

Because he had no memory of the posters at all.

But then he thought, with over a billion users on the Fate Net, it was perfectly normal for people to post similar things.

Otherwise, the term "daily recurring post" wouldn't exist on Earth's internet.

It's just the inertia of human thinking!

Skipping past these repetitive sentiments, Yan Cang's attention was caught by a post with a different style.

The title was: "Inside Scoop! The People's Union Association is Massively Recruiting Volunteers, Planning a Big Move?!"

Curious, he clicked on it.

The main post was vague, but the replies below revealed quite a bit of information:

[Why recruit so many people? Isn't the [People's Union Association] running fine as is? OP isn't just making this up, are they?]

[I've heard about it too. Seems like they want to launch more diverse aid activities, maybe online free clinics or something?]

[Not just online! They also plan to rely on existing camp teams to establish offline physical rescue stations, voluntarily help fellow citizens in need, and try to build public facilities.]

[That sounds pretty good. If they can really organize it, it'll definitely benefit a lot of people.]

[True, but how does OP know such specific details?]

[Hehe, well... it's because I'm already a member of the [People's Union Association] rescue team. I start officially working tomorrow.]

[Wow! Really? Then let me ask, I heard you guys get paid for working with the [People's Union Association]? Is that true!]

[That can't be right, right? They're called volunteers, aren't they? Shouldn't they be unpaid?]

【No, there is compensation. When you join, there are two plans to choose from: one is volunteer work, which earns you Faction Contribution; the other is directly taking Fate Points as a subsidy.】

【You can earn Faction Contribution? Or directly take Fate Points? I'm curious about the source of these Fate Points—they're not from everyone's donations, are they? Wouldn't that be...】

【Of course, otherwise where would the People's Union Association get so much funding!】

【Ah, this... isn't that a bit bad? Using Fate Points donated for charity to pay wages to your own people?】

【Tsk, the OP really says anything out loud, treating everyone like they're not outsiders!】

【There's a mole! Abort the transaction!】

【Leaking organizational secrets—I'm going to report you under Sister Yu Jing's post.】

【Come on, it's not that serious? I don't have authorization, but the higher-ups never said it needed to be kept secret. The specific details will be listed in that public notice post later.】

【Forget it, going anonymous!】

...

Yan Cang read these comments, lost in thought.

"The People's Union Association is giving Fate Point subsidies to volunteers... This really does allow for rapid expansion of manpower."

"But it's controversial."

"Because the subsidies come from donations, it easily leads to associations with corruption and embezzlement."

In fact, this had occurred to him immediately. "After all, it's a charity department..."

Then, Yan Cang's gaze fell on the first plan: "Volunteer work earns Faction Contribution?"

"Come to think of it, no matter how you look at it, this is still helping within the rules, so naturally you'd earn Faction Contribution!"

"But why are they calling it two plans? Does choosing Fate Points as compensation mean you won't earn Faction Contribution?" he mused to himself.

"If that's really the case, does the Faction Contribution just disappear? Or... does it go to the donor?"

"Hmm... it should be the latter!"

After considering this possibility, Yan Cang's confusion cleared up. "If that portion of Faction Contribution goes to the donor, then the controversy naturally disappears."

"And that woman Yu Jing would design a method like this—given her style, this must be it!"

He quickly made this judgment.

Then, Yan Cang recalled the report he had seen that afternoon, specifically the impact assessment at the end.

It had specifically noted that the People's Union Association, whose funding came entirely from private donations, would face a massive diversion of funds due to Good Fortune Coins.

This was clearly an obvious fact.

After all, if everyone's Fate Points had a place to go, it would naturally be hard to spare any for donations.

Thinking of this, Yan Cang couldn't help but find it strange: "Logically, with no one donating, Yu Jing should be scaling back now."

"Instead, she's set up such a big operation... Where are the resources coming from?"

"Previous donations must have left a lot, but with no income and only expenses, it's bound to run out soon!"

But then, he also remembered that the People's Union Association was not a simple charity.

For many donors, it also had an investment attribute of converting Fate Points into Faction Contribution.

"So, the previous conclusion was wrong!"

"With such a convenient conversion method, there's no need to worry about no one donating." Yan Cang was somewhat enlightened.

"Moreover, the prices of goods have been driven down by the Good Fortune Coins, which means donors can get more Faction Contribution with the same amount of Fate Points."

"With improved conversion efficiency and higher cost-effectiveness, it should still maintain considerable appeal, right?"

Since Yan Cang had no shortage of Faction Contribution, it was naturally hard for him to judge the answer to this question.

Unless he used the "Great Fate Art."

But that wasn't worth wasting energy on.

"None of my business, ha."

Yan Cang stuffed a skewer of meat into his mouth.

Then he took a satisfying gulp of cold soda and let out a hearty burp.

After that, he continued browsing the Forum.

Soon, he spotted a topic trend that caught him slightly off guard:

Something's Off! Why Have the Good Fortune Coins in the Trading House Quietly Risen Again? The Lowest Price Is Twice the Original!

Shock! Good Fortune Coins Have Gone Up Again—Didn't They Say the Official Version Was Launching Soon? Why Are There Still Fools Buying at High Prices?

"I haven't even relisted them yet, so how did rumors start that Good Fortune Coins have gone up?" Yan Cang blinked.

Then he realized, "Oh, it's the Good Fortune Coins in the Trading House..."

"But that doesn't add up either!"

"Didn't I say the official version launches tomorrow? Shouldn't the price drop straight down? How can it rise back to a double premium?"

Somewhat surprised, he switched to the Trading House and checked the price fluctuation curve for [Good Fortune Coins] items.

Looking closely, during the time when the prompt was modified, the selling price of these Good Fortune Coins had indeed plummeted sharply.

At one point, they were only at a 10-20% premium, and occasionally even sold at the original price.

But as time passed, the price began to rise slowly and steadily.

From a 10-20% premium, it gradually climbed to 30-40%, then 50-60%...

Now, the lowest listed price for Good Fortune Coins waiting to be sold on the Trading House was at least double the original price!

And sales seemed decent, as the lowest-priced Listed Orders were slowly decreasing.

"So ridiculous? The official version is about to launch, so why are people still buying at high prices?"

Yan Cang clicked open the related discussion thread in confusion:

[Strange... I needed money, so I listed an [Auspicious Fortune Coin] I'd exchanged earlier on the Trading House for 180 Fate Points, and it was Sniped instantly!]

[What's so strange about that? Look at the lowest price on the Trading House now! Starting at double! You sold it too cheap!]

[Isn't the official version launching tomorrow? Who still dares to buy at a premium at a time like this? What's going on? Too much money to burn?]

[Gambling! What if tomorrow's exchange has some restrictions, like a limit, or the official version's Good Fortune Coins have reduced effects? Then the ones bought now are treasures!]

[Crazy... Who dares to gamble on that? Wasn't the Chief's specially modified prompt obvious enough?]

[There are always people who think they're the smartest, able to stay one step ahead and snatch chestnuts from the fire!]

[Merchants, living on the edge of a knife—that's just how it is.]

...

Yan Cang read these analyses and just snorted, "Don't trust the Chief? Then wait to lose money!"

Anyway, it was almost midnight, and the truth would come out then.

So there was no need for him to interfere.

However, just as Yan Cang was leisurely eating grilled chicken wings while refreshing the Forum,

he suddenly noticed that several posts with a similar tone had appeared on the homepage:

"First Come, First Served! Tomorrow's Good Fortune Coins Are Likely Still Limited—Internal Analysis Inside!"

"The Chief Changed the Prompt to Stabilize the Market, but Good Stuff Is Definitely Limited! Buy Now or Regret Tomorrow!"

"Don't Wait! Head to the Trading House and Sweep Up Stock! The Official Version of Good Fortune Coins Will Likely Be Nerfed!"

"Last Chance! The Beta Version of Good Fortune Coins Is Too Overpowered—the Double Price at the Trading House Is a Huge Undervaluation!"

Clicking into these posts, the content was mostly hollow, with almost no substantive information, but the phrasing was strikingly uniform.

The core strategy was to create anxiety, exaggerate scarcity, and divide Good Fortune Coins into Beta and Official Versions.

They desperately urged wavering users to rush to the Trading House and snap up those premium-priced Good Fortune Coins.

Claiming that if you didn't buy tonight, you'd never get them again—or at least not at such a good price.

"Double the original price, and they're calling it a bargain?"

Yan Cang stared at these posts, deep in thought: "This is an organized, premeditated group of Paid Posters..."

"Leading the Narrative? Creating anxiety? Trying to get people to take over their Good Fortune Coins?!"

Even without checking the posters' records, he could see it at a glance.

The tactics weren't particularly clever—in fact, they were somewhat crude.

But they were simple, brutal, and effective.

Many people fell for it, asking under those posts, "Is that true?" or "Is the OP's info reliable?"

Or they actually went to the Trading House and bought a few Good Fortune Coins at double the price, thinking they'd gotten a steal.

It wasn't that those people were much dumber than him.

It was just that being in the thick of it, they were blinded by concern.

And Yan Cang, as the biggest Market Maker himself, naturally stood above it all, seeing everything clearly.

Then, he switched to the Trading House Interface and noticed that the transaction volume for [Good Fortune Coins] was climbing rapidly.

Seeing this, Yan Cang frowned slightly.

Initially, he thought those gambler-merchants were doomed to lose and deserved it, so he didn't have any particular opinion.

But now, seeing them resort to such tactics—urging Retail Investors to take over their positions and spreading false information—

he suddenly felt a bit annoyed.

"This is too much! Using such rhetoric to deceive people!"

"And if they don't believe the Chief but still end up making big money? Isn't that a slap in my face?!"

Inevitably, Yan Cang started scheming.

"Directly use my authority to block them? Or post another prompt?"

"That seems a bit overkill!"

"But re-releasing Good Fortune Coins early? That's even less necessary..."

He muttered to himself: "So what should I do?"

After racking his brains for a while.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through Yan Cang's mind like lightning in the dark.

He clapped his hands excitedly,

"How about I scam them... pfft!"

"How about I just make this money myself? That solves everything!"