Congratulations to player Yan Hebi for earning the achievement "Friend of Women."

 

Yan Hebi frowned and asked, “But in the Melee world, if things get too bad, we can at least commit suicide to escape. Can’t we do that here? And besides, Xinxin has already gone through ten worlds—she can't keep winning forever, can she?”

Xing Ye replied, “First, suicide in the Beginner’s World is different from in the Melee world. So far, we haven’t encountered anyone who has experienced this firsthand, so we don’t know if suicide in the Advanced World works the same way as in the Melee world.

“Second, the Green Team has four Fate-defying players. If Shao Lin from the Red Team is also Fate-defying, then their team has two. That makes six Fate-defying players out of ten in this game. How many Fate-defying players did you encounter in your last world?”

Yan Hebi scratched his head. “Including me, just three.”

Xing Ye asked, “Do you think the Advanced World has more following Fate players or more Fate-defying players?”

“Definitely more following Fate players,” Yan Hebi answered with certainty. “It’s easier for them to earn points. I know a lot of following Fate players—some with bad luck take over twenty worlds to reach the Advanced World, while the lucky ones get here in just ten or so. Most Fate-defying players are still stuck in the Melee world or even the Beginner’s World. There really aren’t that many in the Advanced World.”

Xing Ye said, “I believe there’s a huge numerical gap between following Fate players and Fate-defying players. So what kind of world do you think would be generated when six Fate-defying players appear in a single game? When was the last time you were in a world where there were more Fate-defying than following Fate players?”

Yan Hebi: “…”

The last time that happened was in the hospital world—the one where he met Xiao Yezi. If it weren’t for Xiao Yezi, he wouldn’t have even been able to defeat the ending boss!

Seeing Yan Hebi piece things together, Xing Ye also felt a growing sense of unease.

He was beginning to believe he wasn’t just being paranoid. Ever since he started taking on triple-difficulty challenges, every world he entered had more Fate-defying players than following Fate players. If the average Fate-defying player’s luck value was 1%, then his own luck was probably approaching zero.

Xing Ye truly felt as if the game was adjusting its difficulty specifically to target him, as though each world was deliberately trying to trap him inside. He didn’t think this was just arrogance or self-importance—after all, he had entered the game illegally and even wandered into the graveyard in the spiritual realm. It was only natural for the game to see him as a thorn in its side.

“So, in my last world, losing might have just meant losing some points, and players could still return to reality. But in this world, there’s a high chance we’ll be stuck here, and even suicide might not be a way out, right?” Yan Hebi asked.

“Most likely,” Xing Ye replied. Since this was only speculation , that was the most he could say.

Yan Hebi was deeply unsettled, but then he remembered how Madam Lin had been subtly warning him about something. Looking at his tie clip, he asked, “What does this tie clip do?”

“You should try using its QR code,” Xing Ye said. “I suspect it’s a QR code I wouldn’t be able to replicate. Since Madam Lin kept hinting at you to use it, now’s the time.”

Yan Hebi nodded. He had already saved the QR code from the tie clip in his phone, so all he needed to do was activate it.

 

[Achievement: "Friend of Women"]
Congratulations, player Yan Hebi, for earning the recognition of Advanced World NPCs and obtaining the Achievement QR Code: ‘Friend of Women.’

This QR code is neither an item-type nor a time-delayed QR code; it can be used in combination with other QR codes. Upon activation, the player will receive an achievement title. This title permanently belongs to the player, cannot be taken away, and will not deduct points. As long as the player's actions continue to align with the title’s meaning, the achievement will not disappear.

This title grants the player a “Friend of Women” aura, allowing them to gain a certain degree of favorability from female entities in the Advanced World. When used in conjunction with the initial skill “Central Heating,” the player can request minor favours from female entities, as long as the request does not violate their principles or the world’s rules. However, the effects will not be overly powerful.

 

Yan Hebi: “……”

What kind of ridiculous title was this?!

Upon seeing the effect of Yan Hebi’s QR code, Xing Ye fell into deep thought.

His younger brother, Xing Zhuo, also had an achievement—“Faction Reversal”—though Xing Ye didn’t know which world he had earned it in.

Achievement QR Codes were clearly obtained by meeting specific conditions in the Advanced World. They weren’t based on luck but rather on a player’s actions.

“What’s the use of this QR code?” Yan Hebi asked.

“It’s very useful,” Xing Ye replied. “With this, combined with your initial skill, I finally have an idea of how we can escape this world. But before that, we need to prepare. I need to figure out how Shao Lin is manipulating Liu Yi’s luck and uncover his initial skill.”

"The skill you told me to pass on to Xinxin earlier?" Yan Hebi asked.

Yan Hebi had initially disliked Shao Lin, believing him to be the biggest obstacle in the casino world. However, after talking with Xing Ye, he realized that Shao Lin was just another ordinary player bound by the game’s rules, unable to escape its constraints.

On the other hand, Xing Ye’s words had given Yan Hebi newfound strength. He asked eagerly, "What can I do?"

Xing Ye looked at him and said, "There's plenty you can do. First, go back to your room and make it seem like you had an intimate encounter with Ning Xinyao."

Yan Hebi: "……"

*

At 2 AM, Yan Hebi returned to his room.

Ning Xinyao was lying on his bed in a bathrobe—clothes that Xing Ye had arranged for a staff member to provide for her. Yan Hebi’s room only had one bed, which was now occupied by Ning Xinyao, so he couldn't sleep beside her. Instead, he lay down on the sofa, planning to doze off for a bit.

With his 185cm frame curled up on the sofa, he felt extremely cramped and uncomfortable. Normally, Yan Hebi wouldn’t have minded, but tonight, he found himself unable to sleep. He picked up his phone and sent a message to Madam Lin: "I used the tie clip. I like it a lot."

Madam Lin was probably asleep, as she didn’t reply. Yan Hebi, however, found himself even more restless.

He tossed and turned on the sofa until 6 AM before finally dozing off, only to wake up an hour later at 7 AM.

Sensing that Ning Xinyao was about to wake up, he quickly climbed onto the bed, making sure not to touch her.

At 7:30 AM, Ning Xinyao opened her eyes. She sat up in bed, trying to recall what had happened the night before, but her mind was a mess.

However, there was one thing she remembered clearly: she and Yan Hebi had only lasted five minutes before falling asleep.

The reason this five-minute memory stood out so vividly was because the hypnosis effect of Xing Ye’s redrawn ability only lasted five minutes.

Ning Xinyao: "……"

Yan Hebi was such a big guy, looking like he could fight well, yet he only lasted five minutes? That was just…

She felt disgusted by Yan Hebi, from the inside out.

The friendship they once had had already gone thin in the Advanced World. Now, seeing Yan Hebi still asleep, Ning Xinyao immediately got dressed, tossed the room key onto the bedside table, and left his room with an expression full of disdain.

Yan Hebi, unaware of Ning Xinyao’s five-minute memory, woke up later, saw the room key she left behind, and realized their friendship was completely over.

If Ning Xinyao hadn’t come last night, it would have meant she simply saw Yan Hebi’s words as a friendly warning—she wouldn’t have told Shao Lin, and she wouldn’t have had to worry about Yan Hebi informing Xing Ye. However, if Ning Xinyao did show up, it meant she intended to use this information to set up a trap for Xing Ye, even at the cost of exhausting the last shred of friendship between her and Yan Hebi.

Yan Hebi was sentimental, but he wasn’t stupid. He tossed aside the room key and went to the bathroom for a cold shower.

The icy water sent shivers through him, and he trembled under the showerhead, but he never hesitated.

Xing Ye was right—this wasn’t a world where he could afford to be soft-hearted.

Leaving his room, he met Xing Ye at the restaurant, waiting for the second day’s point calculations.

At 9 AM the next morning, a notification sound rang from their phones. The two of them opened their devices to check the message, which read:

 

Luxury Gambling Cruise – Day 2 Settlement

Red Team: Player Dong San eliminated. Four players remaining.
Total passenger chips won: 5,145
Total player chips: 20

Green Team: Players Liu Yi and Mu Ba eliminated. Three players remaining.
Total passenger chips won: 4,152
Total player chips lost: 37

Congratulations to the Red Team for temporarily leading. Green Team, keep it up! See you at 9 AM tomorrow.

 

Yesterday, the Green Team had only engaged in internal gambling. Regardless of how they won or lost, their total chip count remained unchanged. However, all the chips were in Xing Ye’s hands. Aside from the 4,152 passenger chips, they still had 213 player chips—these belonged to Mu Ba, Song Er, and Yan Hebi, along with the 2 initial chips Xing Ye had exchanged and the 10 he won from Lin Si.

Xing Ye himself never exchanged his personal points or initial skills for chips, because he simply didn’t need to.

As soon as the world refreshed and the gambling round reset to zero, the four players of the Red Team immediately approached Xing Ye and used a Duel Card against him.

It was Lin Si who used it. He said, "Now you can accept the Duel Card, right?"

"Of course," Xing Ye leisurely accepted Lin Si’s challenge. "But let me finish my breakfast first."

"I haven’t eaten yet either. Let’s eat together," Shao Lin said as he sat down next to Xing Ye without hesitation, carrying his tray of food.

He picked up the sugar on the table and added seven or eight spoonfuls into his milk. Even though the spoon wasn’t very large, the amount of sugar he added was still shocking.

His tray was filled with desserts—cakes, pudding, cheese, and ice cream… Even someone like Xing Ye, who had perfectly healthy teeth, felt his gums ache just looking at Shao Lin’s breakfast.

Xing Ye’s phone was placed on the table, and its reflective case showed Shao Lin’s face.

Shao Lin wasn’t just handsome; his every movement was elegant, clearly the result of formal etiquette training. A player’s actions weren’t influenced by the system—they were their own. A face could change, but one’s demeanour would not.

It seemed that in real life, Shao Lin was also a well-mannered and refined person.

With a pleased expression, Shao Lin finished everything on his tray. This, too, was proper dining etiquette—no waste.

After drinking the last sip of milk, he popped a mint candy into his mouth and sat there quietly, waiting for Xing Ye to finish his meal, not in the least bit impatient.

In contrast, the other three members of the Red Team looked visibly anxious, with Ning Xinyao appearing especially unwilling to sit anywhere near Yan Hebi.

Once breakfast was over, Xing Ye finally turned to the Red Team players and said, "Let’s go."

The group made their way to the casino. Along the way, Xing Ye glanced at his phone and noticed that the case displayed a message: "Shao Lin doesn’t like sweet food."

This was the power of Lu Mingze’s Eye of Truth at work. No matter how flawless a disguise was, the little mirror’s eyes would never be fooled.

Shao Lin doesn’t like sweet food? Xing Ye thought back—ever since he had met Shao Lin, the man had been constantly eating desserts, barely touching anything that wasn’t sweet.

Shao Lin presented himself as a hedonist—someone who indulged in pleasure, acting recklessly and without scruples in the game. But if that were truly the case, why would he force himself to keep eating sweets?

It didn’t take long for Xing Ye to figure out the answer. It had to be a requirement for a specific ability. And not just any ability—a personal skill, not a tool-based one.

Shao Lin needed to consume large amounts of sugar in order to maintain this skill.

The group arrived at the casino. When the Duel Card was played, a dealer stepped forward and led them to a private duel room.

At that moment, the house dealer approached them and said, "Starting a duel in the morning again? And still dueling within the same team?"

Under normal circumstances, Yan Hebi wouldn’t have thought much of the dealer’s words. But after hearing Xing Ye’s analysis last night, he immediately understood what the dealer was implying.

If the casino truly saw them as part of its grand spectacle, and if the dealer had already mentioned that passenger traffic was low before noon, then it meant that the casino wasn’t pleased with them dueling each other internally. Even more so, it didn’t want them dueling too early, as it lacked entertainment value.

According to Xing Ye’s reasoning, if they tried to max out their three duels as soon as the clock struck nine again today, the casino would almost certainly introduce a new rule.

Seeing that the duel was between Lin Si of the Red Team and Xing Ye, the dealer’s lips curved into a smile. "Ah, so it’s a duel between different teams this time. I hope you both enjoy the game."

He said no more, stepping out of the duel room to observe the two players while waiting for them to select their game.

 

Translator : DarNan