Chapter 6, Old Games

Mai Qianchong has already descended the stairs

In just one afternoon, Lu Linbei's character reached level 10, and the territory began to take shape, no longer just a patch of grass. He now had ten subordinates, consisting of two farmers and eight warriors, as recommended by the system.

Which one

This is not apparent; I only know one thing: the Earth cannot support so many warriors in any era

The two closed the door to the room and looked at the items on the sofa. Lu Yezhou was utterly perplexed, "Is this really a game for us? What kind of task is this?"

Hey, it's just a game; focusing solely on production is rather uninteresting

After finishing the meal, Lu Linbei continued to wash the dishes, while Lu Yezhou stretched lazily and said, "If it's just a character upgrade, we can reach level 99 in at most three days. The old gambler has given us a week, which is quite generous. How about we go out for a stroll? It's rather uncomfortable being cooped up here."

I searched for some game backgrounds. Lu Linbei pointed to his own head, stating that even as an interstellar orphan, there is a chip within him, which is sufficient to run the game; merely looking at the text is more than enough.

What happens next

Lu Linbei's first impulse was to turn around and assess the situation, but years of training kicked in at the last moment. He rushed forward, embracing Lu Yezhou and tackling him to the ground, not even having the time to throw away the cup in his hand

That is a very old game. Lu Yezhou has a slight impression of it

Lu Linbei shook his head, truly lacking interest, and stood up to say: "I will go cook."

They bought two cups of beverages and drank while walking

Lu Yezhou had no choice but to sit on the other side. "It's a very ordinary game, with a maximum level of ninety-nine. Each time you level up, you can recruit one more subordinate. Subordinates are divided into two types: farmers and warriors. Then you take the warriors to fight monsters, and you can also join guilds and such. It's quite a boring game, the only feature is its longevity. It is said to have been developed several decades ago, and even the company is no longer in existence, yet the game still persists.

Lu Yezhou was indifferent to these matters, and www.hetushucomcom did not dare to inquire further about the game. However, there was one thing he had to clarify, "Um... should we have some sort of onboarding procedure or something?"

Fighting monsters is uninteresting; it is the battles with other factions, player versus player, that hold some excitement. Our levels are insufficient, so we can only observe and cannot participate. Do you want to go watch

Up to eight characters, the system can select for you

The only neighbor invited by Lu Yezhou is Lu Linbei. He mentioned that he had previously invited other neighbors, but due to not being online for too long, the neighbors had been "absorbed" by the system. He only comes to check in occasionally, which is how he has managed to retain this small piece of territory

I did not join

Experience points for leveling up are easily obtained, but the challenge lies in controlling the warriors. They have a separate leveling system known as Tactical Points, which increase with the number of monsters defeated. Only after leveling up can more complex combat strategies be unlocked; otherwise, it results in a chaotic melee, often with several warriors attacking the monsters while others circle around on the periphery

"Keep trying, there is still a chance," Lu Linbei said with a smile, extending his drink cup. The two lightly clinked their cups, and their mood improved a little.

Uncle San has taught me

Two convenient meals, more difficult to swallow than the first time I ate them

Regardless of the ingredients placed on the counter, the chef must make several cuts, whether chopping, slicing, dicing, or shredding... At the very least, a few incisions must be made, even on a top-quality steak, where the chef will trim the sinews from the edges. Similarly, for a spy, when faced with acquired information, the first task is to 'cut' it into several segments for unforeseen circumstances.

Lu Yezhou suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. Transmitting schedules in the game is much safer than showing up in person. I have been playing for several years and never thought there would be such a feature in the game. You actually thought of it on the first day... how did you come up with that?"

Mei Qianchong stood up suddenly and smiled, "I forgot to mention, the game is called 'Homeworld Territory'. You should have heard of it, and perhaps even played it when you were young"

As Lu Yezhou stated, this is quite a boring game; if it were not for the task at hand, Lu Linbei would not be able to persist for long.

Lu Yezhou also stepped back, stretched lazily, "It's free, what more can I ask for? I only played to around level 50, and the most annoying part is that I still have to join a guild"

"This is the kind of life that a con artist leads." Lu Yezhou's eyes sparkled with envy, even though he had never seen what a true spy life was like.

Lu Linbei sat down, put on his glasses, placed the control panel on his lap, casually turned on the microcomputer, and asked: "What kind of game is this?"

We should not be like this" Lu Yezhou suddenly said

Really? What is it?

I do not know this, but I believe I can guess one of the uses of the game

Lu Linbei was playing a game while searching for relevant information. When he finally exited the game, he truly wanted to throw the microcomputer out of the window, and so he wearily asked, "Are there really living people who play this game?"

The greater the number of warriors, the higher the demands on tactics

Wait a moment, I invite you to establish your territory near me, so that we can assist each other

Mei Qianchong is a faithful executor of this regulation, wielding the knife with even greater ferocity, leaving the subject utterly unrecognizable

The game has begun, revealing a vast expanse of grassland. Not far away lies a forest, and further in the distance are wooden stockades, which belong to the neighbors. The system indicates that Lu Linbei can still invite three neighbors.

Ha, you have already joined. By accepting my invitation, you have joined my faction. I have also joined another gang, and there are many layers above the gang, with dozens of them. You may not have noticed, but 5% of your output is paid as tax to me. In the future, if you send troops to fight alongside me, you can be exempt from taxes, and if we win, there will be rewards

The player's character is a warrior, clad in simple leather armor, wielding a sword and shield, facing a dazed figure who is awaiting orders

This setup amused Lu Linbei, as he knew that in reality, the ratio of producers to warriors is exactly the opposite and is much more disproportionate

He said that sometimes conveying information is more difficult than obtaining it, and every channel is worth cherishing

Shall we go hunt monsters together

Since Lao Qian did not say anything, there is no need to conceal it. Lu Linbei has already entered the game and is currently in a daze, unsure of what to do.

As Mei Qianchong walked out, Lu Yezhou kept signaling, hoping that Lu Linbei would say something. Receiving no response, he could only muster his courage and shout: "We are running out of money for food..."

The two individuals turned into a quieter street, standing opposite each other. Lu Linbei continued to explain: "This is a distributed game, with no central server. As you mentioned, even the company that initially developed it no longer exists. Therefore, this is a game with a very high degree of freedom and a lack of regulation, making it most suitable for conveying information"

It indeed sounds unremarkable, but the tasks assigned in thousands must be taken seriously. Although Lu Yezhou has some grievances, he only expresses them verbally.

It is based on the terrain set by the Earth. Do you think it resembles the study of Earth's history?

The comings and goings of people have no impact on them

"No wonder your upgrades are slow; I thought you just weren't skilled at playing," Lu Yezhou mocked, raising his cup to drink the last bit of his beverage when his body suddenly stiffened, and his expression changed.

Convey information

"Like two vagrants, we should be like them—" Lu Yezhou looked at a few young men passing by, "wear the finest clothes, go to the most expensive bars, drink with the most beautiful women, and seek out the fiercest bullies to fight..."

The nights in the old town are livelier than during the day, with pedestrians everywhere out seeking entertainment. Right in front of the barbershop across the street, there are actually several groups of young men and women taking selfies, each occupying their own space and not interfering with one another

Lu Linbei played for only a short while before choosing to have the system assist in leveling up. The progress was not slow, as it took only about ten minutes to reach the second level. An additional subordinate was added, becoming a warrior, and accompanied the player to hunt monsters.

The two individuals wandered along the street, hesitant to venture too far and reluctant to enter any shops casually. It was unclear whether it was the favor of the night or the enhancement of the lights, but these stores appeared to be even more expensive than during the day

Lu Linbei shook his head

You two will start playing a game from today, aiming to reach level ninety-nine within seven days, with no other requirements for the time being. I wish you both a pleasant experience. I have brought a microcomputer that can be used by two people simultaneously

We really have no money, are we going to eat convenience meals every day in the future? Lu Yezhou could hardly conceal the dissatisfaction in his heart

Hmm?

The first subordinate can only be a farmer, with various options such as logging, farming, mining, and construction. Players can choose for themselves or allow the system to arrange it.

Each time a new account is created, a small piece of land will be added within the game. Players can choose a random location or accept invitations from others to be adjacent to them. Each player can have a maximum of eight neighbors, with four assigned randomly by the system and four that players can invite.

"Why is the game called 'Homeworld'?" Lu Lin asked while eating.

"Spies and chefs have one thing in common." Uncle San raised two fingers of his right hand, with the index finger noticeably shorter than the middle finger, creating a stark contrast. For him, this did not represent a number, but rather served as an emphatic gesture, with a hint of intimidation. He likely believed that rather than hiding his disability, it was better to use it to frighten the students a little.

The player can engage in battle to gain experience points, with two options available: manual operation, which results in faster experience gain, or system-controlled operation, which leads to a decrease in experience points and incurs a time penalty. After a certain duration, the account will be directly deleted, and the territory will be "absorbed".

A strangely dressed youth shouted the loudest, "Right here! The heir of the eighth planet! This is his barbershop! Everyone, follow my finger! There are bloodstains inside!"

Lu Yezhou said in astonishment: "Nonsense, even I know that the barber did not die here at all, where could the bloodstains come from?"

He has mentioned this game

The account that Lu Yezhou has used is still active, "Do we need to use our real identities?"

Lu Linbei laughed out loud, "What you have is a movie, not real at all"

Like many players, Lu Yezhou arrogantly calls himself "The Farm Boy Unites the World" in the game. He stated that he originally wanted to name himself "Unites the World," but unfortunately, that name was already taken, so he had to add a four-character prefix.

The games in the microcomputer are ready-made and can be run simultaneously by multiple players. Lu Linbei had not been exposed to them before, but Lu Yezhou taught him, which was not difficult. A new account was quickly established.

Lu Linbei let the system choose, and received a strange name "Ben Yu Huashi Tong Er Shi". The system kindly reminded that the player has one opportunity to change their name.

"Is there a connection between the game and that barber? Perhaps he has played it too, and there are secrets hidden in his account." Lu Yezhou always wanted to decipher the organization's intentions, and the only person he could inquire with was Lu Linbei, who was by his side.

The microcomputer is a small rectangular box, placed together with several peripheral devices on the sofa, appearing quite old

As the layers of a thousand leaves unfold, "Continuing to play is still quite interesting"

"Can you think of so much from just this one sentence?"

"Wait for my next command." Mei Qianchong had already put away her smile, but she deliberately nodded to Lu Linbei. Although they were both members of the same team, he displayed a completely different attitude.

No rush, we can talk about it later, as long as you all trust me, that is enough

The game features a simple tutorial, and with Lu Yezhou's guidance, Lu Linbei has generally understood the gameplay