Chapter 127: The Auction Concludes

After logging out of the game, Zhang Shan took off his gaming helmet.

He first decided to call Boss Wu to ask if he had actually started the resignation process. It felt a bit early, though; he probably hadn’t finished his shift yet. But who cared? He was on his way out anyway, so it shouldn't be an issue if he answered a call.

The line connected.

"Boss Wu, off work yet?"
"Not yet, but any minute now."
"Did you tell your boss about resigning?"
"I did. He tried to talk me out of it, even saying that if I thought my pay was too low, he could help me apply for a raise. Heh."
"What the hell? Why didn't he give you a raise when you weren't planning on leaving? It’s so fake that they only bring it up once you're halfway out the door."
"Tell me about it. They haven't given me a cent of a raise in two or three years, and now this. It’s ridiculous."
"Did they say when you can wrap up the resignation?"
"I told them I'd take two days off, and once they get things sorted, I’ll head in to handle the handover."
"Isn't it a factory? Why is there so much bureaucracy? I thought in factories you could just pick up your bucket and leave whenever you wanted."
"Forget it, it doesn't matter. It won't hold us up. I’ll just go back in a couple of days."
"Alright then. The price of our skill book went up again; it’s currently bid at 150 million. Heh."
"I saw that on the forums. I really can't believe how loaded the big spenders in 'New World' are."
"There are so many people playing. With that many players, you’re bound to get all kinds of big shots, it’s not that strange."
"True. I'm getting off work now, let's talk more when we log on."

After agreeing on a time to log back in, they ended the call. Zhang Shan went downstairs to eat and took a stroll through the streets as usual; long hours in the game tended to keep his nerves on edge. He felt like his mental state was a bit off, so he figured he should spend more time walking around, even if just for the sake of it. After all, a person lived in reality; games could be entertainment or work, but they could never truly replace real life.

Checking the time, it was almost time to log back in as agreed with Boss Wu. Zhang Shan returned to his apartment, logged in, and before long, Boss Wu appeared online.

"Let’s go check the auction, then go farm some mobs."

They teleported to the auction house. The progress was the same as before—the price was locked at 150 million, and no one had raised it further.

"I think that’s the limit. Forget it, we’ve already made a killing; we shouldn't be too greedy."

The auction was set to run until past 11:00 PM. Zhang Shan didn't want to end it early, so he decided to let it expire on its own.

"Let's head to the Ant Mountain map to level up."
"Right, let's go."

They teleported to the city gate and began running toward Ant Mountain.

"Did you tell your wife about quitting your job?" Zhang Shan asked.
"I did. That’s something I definitely had to discuss with her."
"Did she object? After all, giving up a steady job to make money playing games sounds a bit shaky."
"She didn't believe it at first. I told her we found a skill book and sold it for 100 million, and she wouldn't hear of it. If she didn't know you personally, she would’ve thought I’d been scammed by a con artist, haha."
"Does she believe it now?"
"Still skeptical. Even after I showed her the forums, she’s still not entirely convinced. But I can't blame her—even I feel like it's surreal."
"Don't worry, once the auction ends and we have the money, it’ll feel real enough."

Unlike Zhang Shan, Boss Wu had joined the game a bit later and hadn't seen much of the big spenders. Having witnessed the bounty incident involving "Heart Follows My Will," Zhang Shan had a more direct understanding of the "whales" in New World. If someone could offer a bounty of over 10 million gold coins just for a hit job, then dropping a "small target" (100 million) for an ultimate skill book wasn't surprising at all. Plus, when that bounty was posted, the gold exchange rate was nearly double what it was now.

To people like Zhang Shan and Boss Wu, who were at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, it was hard to understand how the super-rich made their money or their philosophies on spending. It was like that old story about the two woodcutters: one asked the other what he thought the Emperor’s life was like, and the other replied, "The Emperor must use a golden axe to chop wood."

By that same logic, compared to the truly wealthy, Zhang Shan and Boss Wu were just two woodcutters. A person's net worth and status defined their circle, and consequently, their perspective and insight. Even though information was now more accessible than ever, and it seemed like ordinary people could find anything online, in reality, people only ever learned what they were meant to learn; what they weren't supposed to know, they never would. Just like in this game—players like "Wind and Clouds" always knew more than Zhang Shan did.

"Once you get the money, how do you plan to spend it?" Boss Wu asked.
"Buy a house first. Can't live in this apartment forever. I want a big villa, one right by the sea."
"Are you serious about a big villa? You'll spend every cent you just made, and it might not even be enough. You know how crazy the property prices in Pengcheng are."
"If the money’s gone, I’ll just earn more later. Besides, once I have a house, there won't be much else to spend on. I’m a lone wolf; nowhere else for the money to go."
"Don't you plan on finding a girlfriend? You're not exactly young anymore."
"I don't know how. I play games all day—can't exactly find one in-game, can I?"
"Why not? You can find someone in-game. New World is identity and gender-verified, so you don't have to worry about 'traps,' heh."

Zhang Shan was speechless. Still, he realized he really needed to think seriously about the life he wanted to lead; he wasn't young anymore. He definitely wanted a girlfriend—nobody wanted to be a lone wolf forever. Before, his situation had been too dire; his salary was barely enough to keep himself alive, so no matter how much he wanted one, it was a pipe dream. Now that he had made money in the game, if he weren't too picky, it shouldn't be hard. But he didn't want to be overly calculating—he would let fate take its course. Maybe finding someone in-game wouldn't be so bad.

They chatted while farming, quietly waiting for the auction to close. When it hit 11:00 PM, Zhang Shan finally received the email notification.

*Auction Email: Hello, the 'Invincible Slash' skill book you auctioned has been successfully sold for 150 million. After deducting the service fee...*

"The auction’s over. It closed at 150 million, no more bids. Split it down the middle—I’m sending your half via mail."

After telling Boss Wu, Zhang Shan sent 75 million gold coins.

"Got it. Thanks, brother. Who would’ve thought that after all these years of grinding, we’d actually make it big by playing a game? Life is truly unpredictable."
"It really is."
"Shall we head back to the city and convert the gold to Blue Coins?"
"Yeah, let’s go. Once the money is converted, we can find time to look at houses. Let’s get the living situation sorted first."