Chapter 76: Dark Undercurrents

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Trending: [List of popular topics/games would be here]

“First, impersonate the Emperor’s pet?”

The moment this suggestion was made, everyone instantly realized it was a good idea.

“Exactly. It’s more believable to claim to be the Alchemy Emperor’s slime pet, explaining that the Emperor was attacked and I, his pet, was also severely wounded.”

Countless people strongly agreed. It was the most plausible approach, and it was clear their strategy needed to change.

Witnessing this, Xu Zhi quietly withdrew, hiding behind his computer screen, his contributions unrecognized.

So, everyone enthusiastically resumed their research, meticulously crafting lines and persuasive statements to convince the other party that he was indeed the Alchemy Emperor’s pet.

Shortly after, another renowned, certified expert in linguistics and persuasive communication appeared.

“Let me do it.”

He declared he could no longer stand by and watch a group of amateurs fumble.

He quickly applied linguistic psychology to draft an explanation designed to maximize the other party’s belief that he was the Alchemy Emperor’s pet.

Recharge and Chop Hands: “Wow, another linguistics master just popped up! Expertise truly makes a difference. This is like a crowd-funded cheat code! It’s confirmed: Primordial Thunder Hand is a truly authentic transmigrator, just like in the novels, and this cheat is incredibly innovative!”

Chunzi Loves Learning: “You’re truly lucky to have us, a group of helpful players! Go in, deliver these lines, and try to persuade them. Then, we’ll see what happens next and offer more ideas.”

Li Shengjiang put on his VR glasses.

Then, in barely two or three seconds, Li Shengjiang quickly exited the game.

At this point, Primordial Thunder Hand shamelessly continued to play the victim:

“I succeeded! I’m so happy! They now believe I’m the Alchemy Emperor’s pet and are willing to help me rescue him, taking me with them to escape pursuit and reach my secret treasury. Actually, they weren’t entirely convinced at first. I believe that without the expert’s crafted dialogue, I would have struggled to win their trust! It almost fell apart.”

Screenshots, screenshots, screenshots (12 images)

A series of exquisite fantasy wallpaper images, comparable to CGI, were rapidly posted, drawing exclamations of delight from everyone.

Succeeded so quickly?

Three full hours had passed within the game, yet to us netizens, it had only been mere seconds. It was as if a choice was made one moment, and the answer, complete with a flurry of screenshots, appeared the next.

Could this be a real-time, text-based narrative game?

At this very moment, the esteemed elderly linguistics expert, sitting before his computer screen, was slightly taken aback. “How can it be so realistic?” he wondered. “The AI inside feels like real people, even down to such details? And they can be influenced by persuasive techniques?”

He was also surprised.

The old man had been traveling with his granddaughter and had just received calls from several old friends, who asked him to temporarily join a classified research institute for a task. That’s why he had just opened his laptop to check the buzzing online game forum.

The linguistics expert, initially dismissive, was now utterly astonished, his mind a jumble.

Inside the research institute.

“We have urgently contacted Elder Xu, who was traveling, and he has successfully provided assistance,” said a staff member in a white research coat, taking a deep, shaky breath, almost unable to recover.

Over the past few days, they had established a secret research institute and made significant progress. Initially, they hadn’t taken it seriously, but the deeper they delved, the more terrifying they found the game to be. The research level had been continuously elevated, and it had now reached the highest national research clearance.

Every photo from the game had been sent to experts in professional image analysis.

Every detail was precise, down to a single strand of hair; every silk thread on the clothing was minutely visible, as if the images were captured from a “real world” photograph.

Furthermore, they had already managed to embed personnel in this third beta test. However, due to the incredibly fierce competition and the abundance of skilled individuals among the general public, they had initially hoped to secure five slots but the government could only manage to place one person.

That individual, emulating a previous expert, had begun farming and developing a compound, effectively becoming a basement scientist. They had since crafted a microscope within the game and discovered that every item possessed a microscopic world, revealing molecular structures under magnification!

How terrifying was this!

Even more astonishing, it wasn’t just inanimate objects; the structures of living organisms were even more diverse.

They also reviewed the screenshots sent by the Alchemy Emperor player to medical students: plants and animals both displayed cellular structure diagrams, each distinct, perfectly aligning with biological uniqueness and diversity, and without violating any biological laws!

According to their analysis, these biological structures were incredibly plausible, very likely existing, yet not belonging to any natural species found on Earth.

“To be observable under a microscope and computed with such precision, down to the molecular nanoscale—this is beyond the capability of any supercomputer centuries ahead of our time.”

Countless people were shocked.

Initially, when the authorities suddenly issued a directive for university professors and experts from various societal fields to form a private research institute to study this game, they were quite puzzled.

Why were the higher-ups so invested in an online game?

Upon inquiry, they learned it was merely an online sandbox casual game, highly praised for its educational aspects and popular among countless parents.

What was there to research about a mere casual game?

Could it be that this was an educational game developed by the government itself, and they were brought in to identify flaws?

But when they formed this institute, why were there authoritative experts from every conceivable field?

Authoritative professors from entirely unrelated fields—biology, linguistics, history, psychology, sociology—were all brought together to research the game’s ecology and various environments, leaving them utterly bewildered. At the time, they began their research filled with questions.

But now, countless experts and professors were starting to discern truly baffling aspects.

They were utterly horrified and had already begun considering using their interaction with the Alchemy Emperor to conduct more in-depth investigative tests!

At this moment, Li Shengjiang naturally did not know this.

In any case, he was now incredibly, profoundly excited.

He miraculously used self-awakening to recover from a serious injury and coma.

He miraculously, with the expert’s reminder, avoided a death trap.

He miraculously, with magical linguistic rhetoric, persuaded that Almin.

Three authoritative experts from different fields “coincidentally” appeared simultaneously to assist him, creating three miracles that made it seem as if he were cheating. This allowed him to launch a counterattack in the other world, breaking through an impossible predicament, and the netizens were absolutely thrilled.

“Actually, I’m the one who’s most satisfied.”

Primordial Thunder Hand sat before his computer, a look of profound relief on his face.

My Alchemy Emperor is finally saved.

“Sir,”

Just then, his secretary couldn’t help but knock on the door. “Sir,” she began, “our afternoon project is ready, and it’s also our annual company conference, with over three thousand employees attending from around the world. We’ve customized a concert venue and invited several celebrities. Will you be giving the closing address and performing a song, as you do every year?”

“I don’t have time! Have some of the vice presidents host it!” Li Shengjiang snorted, a cold edge to his voice.

His voice carried the imperious authority of a CEO long accustomed to power. Having been the Alchemy Emperor for over two centuries—a lifespan several times longer than his real one—his imposing aura was even more pronounced.

“Yes, yes, sir.”

The secretary trembled at the reprimand, intimidated by his aura, and quickly withdrew.

Outside the door, several company vice presidents were already waiting silently. Seeing the secretary emerge pale-faced and shaking her head, they couldn’t help but feel a pang of panic. “What has happened to our powerful CEO, our idol?” they wondered.

At this moment.

Inside the room, Li Shengjiang, who hadn’t showered in days, with disheveled hair and dark circles under his eyes—now resembling an internet-addicted middle-aged man—dropped his stern expression, replaced it with a fawning look, and began typing on his keyboard.

“You guys are amazing, wow! I’m finally not so miserable now! (Tears in my eyes, tears in my eyes). So, what should I do next? Does anyone have any suggestions? (Trembling)”

Having reached this point and fully tasted success, the man was now utterly shameless!

He had completely “dumbed himself down,” utterly abandoning his ability to think for himself. He even wanted the experts to help him decide when to go to the restroom.

Was he stupid?

No.

He sat before his computer, drinking tea:

“Heh heh,” he thought, sipping his tea. “After playing this hardcore game for so long, researching like crazy until half my hair fell out, now all I need to do is act cute and pretend to be foolish. I can finally navigate this late-life crisis with ease. This is truly exhilarating.” He silently stroked his receding hairline, secretly pleased, believing that seeking help from netizens was one of the wisest decisions he had ever made.