July 1, 2209, a hot summer morning, in the capital of Hua Xia.
“Welcome to the world of ‘Reincarnation’. There are 35 minutes left until the game’s open beta begins. Please be patient.”
Feng Xiao reluctantly exited the game pod, deciding to continue browsing the official website for any potentially useful information.
For a long-term unemployed man stuck at home, Feng Xiao could barely remember how many online games he had played, but no MMORPG had ever excited him as much as this one. Apart from the unprecedented features of “Reincarnation”, there was also the eerily accurate prophecy from his father and an inexplicable mission.
“Reincarnation” was a sudden entrant into the world of virtual technology games. A year ago, over thirty countries around the world simultaneously began promoting “Reincarnation” without warning. The intensity of the publicity campaign was unparalleled, from TV, internet, magazines, billboards, buses, and even roadside telephone poles and public toilets. Wherever there were people, there was “Reincarnation”.
Even more shocking was that the propagators were the governments of various countries. Not long after, they dropped another bombshell: the game was developed by “Ying Luo”, which put “Reincarnation” in the spotlight. The game hadn’t even started yet, but its popularity was already off the charts.
What, you don’t know “Ying Luo”? Let me ask you seriously: are you from Earth?
In the 23rd century, where the world’s internet coverage rate has reached 99%, almost all communication, information, life, transportation, and military are dependent on the internet. If someone could cause a country’s internet to become paralyzed, then they would be an absolute terror.
And “Ying Luo” was just such an entity.
“Ying Luo” appeared on the internet world 20 years ago. Nobody knew how she came into being. Some speculated that she was a “spirit” created by the over-intelligent network system, while others thought she was an order manager automatically generated by the internet world. The generally accepted view was that she was a god of the internet, an omnipotent god. In the internet world, she could create storms or rains with a flip of her hand, easily controlling and changing any area of the internet world.
The appearance of “Ying Luo” made the world’s population go from surprise to alert, then to welcome, and finally to fervent worship and respect. Her appearance can be said to have thoroughly cleaned up the filth of the internet world. More importantly, she played a pivotal role in maintaining world peace.
In 2188, when the United States assembled over 200 hacker elites to maliciously target the Hua Xia’s military secret system, “Ying Luo’s” image first appeared in the internet world: her body was covered in white sand, her face was similarly veiled, making it impossible for anyone to see. On the display, she warned all the attackers, and when unsuccessful, instantly blocked the IPs of these 200+ people and exposed some secrets of the United States on the internet as a warning.
In 2190, the country of East Yen, under a non-existent pretext, militarily attacked a small country in East Asia. “Ying Luo” appeared to warn them, but East Yen acted against the warning. In anger, “Ying Luo” paralyzed the entire East Yen network until they ceased their actions and offered compensation and apologies. This 20-hour network paralysis resulted in a three-year economic stagnation for East Yen.
Fast forward to the 23rd century, you might not know who the President of the United States is, you might not realize that snails crawl slower than turtles, but you cannot not know the name “Ying Luo”. She is respected by people all over the world, a true global idol.
The games she develops have the whole world in anticipation.
According to the official promotion, the game “Reincarnation” has the following features:
“Reincarnation” is a reality simulation online game developed by “Ying Luo”. Its degree of virtuality can reach an unprecedented 99%, and can accommodate 100 billion players online at the same time without lag. The game is wholly authorized by the World Online Gaming Alliance and the Sky Group, which provides hardware and equipment support as well as the establishment and control of the currency system.
“Reincarnation”, adhering to the principles of fairness and justice, transfers all data and authority to the intelligent host “Sky” to eliminate any influence from GMs and external factors. The “Sky” system was also set up by “Ying Luo” herself. After the game runs, no one can manage or change the game data. All changes or updates are executed by “Ying Luo” herself.
“Reincarnation” is the first online game to receive national support. The Sky Group has also negotiated with the world’s top ten banks. After the game starts, they will open the business of exchanging game coins for real coins at the appropriate time. The exchange rate worldwide is uniformly 1 RMB: 1 gold coin.
Game equipment is divided into portable game helmets and portable game cabins. The game helmet’s global price is 100 RMB, and the game cabin is priced at 100,000 RMB. The game cabin can be folded into the size of an ordinary suitcase, is easy to carry, and can inject nutritional fluid into the player’s body in the game so that the player does not feel fatigue or hunger. The maximum game time can be up to one month.
The game started selling game equipment on June 1, 2209. Each person can only have one piece of game equipment, which will be bound to the user’s identity. The game will be tested worldwide at 8 am on July 1, 2209.
Therefore, the advent of “Reincarnation” has driven the world crazy. Some forward-looking online game companies in the world have gradually faded their investment in online games and started to develop in other directions – ready to compete with “Reincarnation”? It’s ridiculous.
A month ago, various countries started to distribute game equipment simultaneously. In the China region, game equipment was sold in retail stores nationwide. Despite being prepared, the level of popularity still left everyone speechless. In just three days, a total of 100 million game helmets and 10,000 game cabins were sold out. As of June 30, China has sold more than 500 million pieces of game equipment, which surprisingly exceeded one-third of the total population of China, and this number is still increasing. Apart from the elderly and the very young, almost everyone has a piece of game equipment. The hot conditions in other countries are no less than that of China. After all, to experience this epoch-making game, no one would be stingy with a mere 100 RMB.
At 7:55 am on July 1, 2209, with 5 minutes left until the public beta, Feng Xiao was already somewhat impatient and climbed into the game cabin. The early bird gets the worm. Perhaps the first few people entering the game will receive rewards. Feng Xiao is playing “Reincarnation” with the goal of being the first player in the game, and he will try all potentially advantageous factors.
“Welcome to the world of ‘Reincarnation’. There are 5 minutes left until the game’s public beta begins. Please be patient.”
“……… Please be patient.”
“……… Please be patient.”
………
………
“10…9…8…7……2…1…0”
Feng Xiao felt a flash of white light before his eyes, and he was already in a strange void filled with luminous objects of various shapes. Colored rays crisscrossed in the emptiness, whirling and dazzling, piercing the deepest part of his soul, bringing him unparalleled comfort. Meanwhile, a pleasing alert chimed in his ears:
“Welcome to the world of ‘Reincarnation’. As it’s your first time entering the game, an identity scan will be carried out. Please wait…”
Simultaneously…
At the heart of Hua Xia’s capital stood the Yan Huang Tower, the tallest building in Hua Xia, the largest commercial and entertainment center, a gold mine for countless wealthy people. However, few knew that the top floor of this grand building, symbolizing Hua Xia’s prosperity, contained a quiet, antique study room. This was virtually forbidden to everyone; less than ten people in all of Hua Xia had the privilege to step into this room.
“Leader, ‘Reincarnation’ started its worldwide public test 10 minutes ago. Everything is going as expected without any accidents. However, it’s estimated that for a long time the public entertainment industry will be impacted, but it won’t harm the fundamentals.”
The man behind the voice looked a bit old, but his voice was still firm and powerful, full of vigor. He was now bowing and reporting to the man before him.
In front of the window of the study stood a middle-aged man with sword-shaped eyebrows and starry eyes. There was a slight furrow on his brow and a hint of worry on his face, yet his dominant aura as a man of power was undeniable. He was now overlooking the bustling city with an air of dominance.
“Wang Bo, just call me Young Master as you used to. Changing the title makes us feel like strangers.” Long Wei turned around and smiled. This kind man had taken care of him since he could remember, even when he became the youngest supreme leader in Hua Xia’s history. The man was still single and childless, having devoted his life to the Long family.
“Yes, Young Master.” The old man responded with a hint of emotion.
“Young Master, do you think her method will work?”
“Perhaps, at present, it seems to be the best solution. At least, no one will die in the game. Besides, do we have other options?”
“…”
“The gradual strengthening of Hua Xia has already caused panic among some countries with ulterior motives. The Treasure Island issue is merely their excuse. At last year’s summit of heads of state, they seized the opportunity to suppress Hua Xia. If ‘Ying Luo’ hadn’t suddenly appeared on the screen in the conference hall, Hua Xia would probably have been the target of several countries now.”
“So, ‘Ying Luo’ is helping us this time?”
Long Wei paused for a moment, then said, “Back in the day, Emperor Ye bathed East Yi in blood, which shocked the world but also gave East Yi a handle on the situation. The matter was widely known, and at last year’s meeting, East Yi brought up the old affair, escalating it to the level of ‘world’s enemy’ with the encouragement of some interested parties. Under the circumstances at the time, we were indeed at a significant disadvantage. This time, it was indeed ‘Ying Luo’ who helped us temporarily solve the crisis.”
“Young Master, you can’t blame Emperor Ye for that incident, after all…”
“I understand,” Long Wei interrupted Wang Bo, looking somber, “If I weren’t burdened with the responsibility of ensuring Hua Xia’s safety, I probably would have killed more… after all, the one who died was my son… The Long family line was also severed with my generation…”
Long Wei’s body began to tremble. Even though more than 20 years had passed, every time he recalled it, the deep-rooted hatred still made him lose control for a moment.
“Young Master…”
“Alright, Wang Bo, you can go now. I have a guest coming.” Years of cultivated strong will quickly restored his calm.
“Yes, Young Master.” Wang Bo turned around and left the study.
The moment the door closed, a figure appeared in front of Long Wei like a ghost. It was a woman veiled in black, her tight black outfit perfectly highlighting her explosive figure. Despite the inability to see her face or determine her age, it did nothing to diminish her charm. She giggled, “Uncle Long, you sensed my presence so quickly. Seems like your skills are catching up to Uncle Ye.”
Long Wei laughed, “Little girl, don’t try to flatter me. Even a hundred of me wouldn’t stand a chance against that freak. So, have you seen the person you wanted to?”
“Yes, but I still won’t tell you who he is. Hehe~~ Now, I am here to say goodbye to Uncle Long. It will be a long time until we meet again.” The young woman’s voice carried a natural charm, and even in front of this imposing leader of Hua Xia, she didn’t seem the slightest bit tense or shy.
“Alright, Xiao girl, off you go. Little Tian and Little Bing are waiting for you. Little Tian was just complaining to me, but when I told him it was Uncle Ye’s decision, he immediately quieted down, haha.”
“My little brother has been waiting for ‘Reincarnation’ for a whole year. It’s strange that he didn’t burst into tears when he was dragged off for special training on the day of the public test.”
“Goodbye, Uncle Long, I, Xiao Tong Ying, will not let you down…”
The enchanting figure vanished from the study, leaving behind a puzzled Long Wei.
Long Wei, the supreme leader of Hua Xia, who held sway over the nation and was revered by billions, unconsciously wiped an imaginary cold sweat from his forehead, “Phew, finally got that devilish woman out… But I wonder which poor boy caught her eye.”
In an unknown space, a ethereal young girl, clad in a white veil, roamed alone in a vibrant world. After a while, the girl sighed softly, “It’s been 50,000 years, my mission is about to be completed… Will the person in the prophecy really appear?”
