"Today is a day of celebration. In the past year, our company has achieved excellent results. Our profits have risen by 300 percent..." The CEO of Tianxun Internet Technology Ltd., Wu Rui, was giving a speech on a stage under bright lights.
He was only 28 years old and already the CEO of a million-dollar company. He had studied overseas and came from a powerful family background. He was also handsome and favored by the ladies. He embodied the true definition of the term "young and capable".
In front of the stage, hundreds of employees of Tianxun Internet Technology Ltd. were in the audience, sitting around tables. They were looking up at the stage with a mixture of expressions.
This was Tianxun Internet Technology Ltd.'s annual meeting. As always, it was a time to report on the company's performance and engage in celebratory activities.
"Well spoken. We can all learn from Chairman Wu's every word. His words enlighten us with wisdom." A greasy-looking department manager, Wang Dahai, clapped with gusto as he listened to Wu Rui's speech.
Wang Dahai was the kind of person who would take a whiff of Wu Rui's fart and praise it as being great and fragrant.
"Clap, all of you clap! Why are you guys just sitting there as if you're frozen?" Wang Dahai exhorted all the employees who were sitting around him. Then the employees also gave perfunctory claps and cheers.
Only one person remained unmoved. He continued to look down, playing a game on his phone.
This person was Xia Chengfeng, an employee who had just joined the company this year. He was tall and extremely suave. He was one of the company's game designers.
Wang Dahai looked displeased as he noticed Xia Chengfeng. He reminded him, "Xia Chengfeng, do you know what this occasion is? Why are you still playing on your phone?"
"It's the annual meeting," Xia Chengfeng glanced up at him and answered.
"What's the annual meeting for?" Wang Dahai asked.
"It's an occasion for the employees to relax. Is there a problem with me playing my game?" Xia Chengfeng returned a question with another question.
"You…" Wang Dahai had no answer for him. However, he still felt extremely displeased. All he could say was, "Don't pay any attention to him, you guys."
Xia Chengfeng couldn't be bothered with these people. The annual meeting was supposed to be a time for employees to relax, yet instead it had become a giant reflection session.
Everyone would head up to the stage and reflect on their year, then make an oath to work harder next year so that their bosses could afford a new car and house.
Furthermore, the company also asked the female employees to dress in sexy outfits and dance for the corporate leaders. The lucky draw at the end of the meeting was also a bonus for the higher-ups. Ordinary employees wouldn't be able to get anything.
Xia Chengfeng couldn't be bothered with such a vile annual meeting.
He was playing a mobile game that he had downloaded not long ago called "Crypt World".
It was a survival simulation game. At the start of the game, players had to survive in an underground world. The aim was to dig tunnels and look for resources in other caves to refine their main base.
After six months of playing, Xia Chengfeng had become an expert at the game.
Suddenly he got a System notification: "The game will undergo maintenance in 30 minutes and be pushed into public beta. You have been ranked first during the closed beta period and will be rewarded with a mystery large reward bag. Please take note."
"Ranked first during the closed beta period?" Xia Chengfeng was confused. He had always thought that the game was a single-player game. He had never encountered another player within the game.
Furthermore, the game had never released any information saying whether it was in closed beta or public beta.
"Whatever, being in public beta will make the game even more fun. There is also a reward bag. I might as well take that," Xia Chengfeng thought to himself.
The annual meeting was still going on. Wu Rui had just finished his speech, which was met with a flurry of cheers.
Wu Rui smiled. "Today, the company has also specially invited a famous singer, Miss Bai Yuwei, to sing for us. Please welcome her!"
"My God, it's Bai Yuwei!" The venue instantly burst into commotion. Bai Yuwei was a singer who had become famous the moment she entered the industry.
She had shot into stardom with her graceful voice and an appearance like a fairy. Bai Yuwei was one of the most famous singers at the moment. Even Xia Chengfeng could not help but look up.
A pair of fair, smooth thighs first entered his field of vision. Then he noticed the elegant, stylish qipao that accentuated her curves.
Bai Yuwei was also very tall with long, straight hair. She had beautiful eyebrows and eyes that shone like the moon. She kept a faint smile on her attractive face.
"Hello, I am Bai Yuwei." The people sitting under the stage started to cheer and scream the moment Bai Yuwei walked onto the stage.
Even the higher-ups of the company, Wu Rui included, turned their gazes on her body.
"I've accepted your company's gracious invitation to sing…" Bai Yuwei started to sing. Her low notes were subtle, her high notes crisp. Her singing was rewarded with a rain of cheers.
"Now we'll give you 15 minutes to have a photo taken with Miss Bai Yuwei," Wu Rui announced.
Immediately, a large number of employees swarmed forward. They wanted to get a photo with Bai Yuwei as a memento.
"Xia Chengfeng, you're not going to go?" the colleague sitting beside Xia Chengfeng asked.
"For what? I don't chase after celebrities," Xia Chengfeng answered, shrugging.
"That's Bai Yuwei," the colleague said excitedly. "Goddess of the masses!"
Xia Chengfeng laughed. "What does that have to do with us? We are not people from the same world."
He understood his situation well. Even after the photograph, a goddess of the masses like Bai Yuwei would forget about him the next second. Why should he waste his time?
"You're right. I think that only people like Chairman Wu would be able to be her friend," the colleague said, overcome with emotion. "One will truly not be able to obtain these things if they are not there from birth. Chairman Wu's dad must have assets worth billions."
"Pay attention to what you are saying. Don't talk about Chairman Wu behind his back," Wang Dahai whispered.
The next 15 minutes passed in a flash. The people who went to grab a picture with Bai Yuwei were the leaders of the company. The ordinary employees had no chance to step forward.
After the performance, Xia Chengfeng saw Wu Rui follow Bai Yuwei's assistant backstage.
"Miss Bai, you sing so well." Wu Rui praised her.
"My singing is only average. Thank you, Chairman Wu," Bai Yuwei said politely.
"Miss Bai, we have a gathering after this. I am extending a sincere invitation for you to attend. Of course, the fees for your attendance will be calculated separately. We will offer you the highest possible rate…" Wu Rui was very interested in Bai Yuwei. He had dug out some very interesting information about her.
Bai Yuwei had also been born into wealth and had had singing lessons since she was young. Her family background and her individual life were very clean. She was only 19 years old and was young, beautiful, and talented. Wouldn't it be a waste to miss out on such a woman?
"Indeed, I'm going to have to beg off. Please, all I want to do is go home, take a shower, and play a game. Can't I do that?" Bai Yuwei thought these thoughts to herself. However, what came out of her mouth was, "Chairman Wu, I am a little tired…"
Beside her, her assistant quickly said, "Chairman Wu, let us rest for a moment. We'll definitely be there."
The assistant knew very well that Chairman Wu had an impressive background. Many people wouldn't even be offered a chance to suck up to him. Only a fool would reject this opportunity.
"I'm sorry, I had some cephalosporin before I came out today. I can't drink any alcohol." Bai Yuwei took a box of medicine that she had prepared in advance out of her pocket. The label on the box was very clear: Cephalosporin.
"Ah, this…" This had completely negated what Wu Rui was about to say. He had no arguments against this.
The atmosphere became a bit awkward. Just as Bai Yuwei's assistant was trying her best to alleviate the situation, Bai Yuwei suddenly disappeared from right in front of her eyes.
It was not just Bai Yuwei. Everyone in the room vanished!
At this moment, the sound of a notification rang out in Xia Chengfeng's head, "The public beta of Crypt World has been activated. Selected players: the entire human race."
His vision turned black. It was as if he had arrived in an illusory world.
The notifications continued to ring out in his head, "This is a crypt world filled with underground caves. Secrets fill every corner of this world. However, what you first have to do is to survive.
"You have to dig for caves to find resources for your survival. Everyone only has one chance at survival. Failure means death. You will permanently vanish from the world.
"Everyone has equal opportunity in this world. The status and resources you had in the previous world do not exist here.
"There might be survival resources in the underground crypts, but there might also be danger. Please make your choices wisely.
"Every underground crypt is enveloped by a space bubble. The underground crypt will collapse and vanish when the space bubble is broken. Everyone possesses a movable space barrier that can be built into a survival base for the storage of your resources.
"Everyone has a chance to select a magic soul. The magic soul will give you a basic talent that will be of utmost importance for your growth. Please choose wisely.
"The handicapped population will receive suitable arrangements.
"Please check the game interface if there are any other questions."
When the notifications disappeared, Xia Chengfeng noticed that he had arrived at a sealed space.
It was a narrow space that was less than five yards in width, height, and length. The area around him was filled with black soil.
There was a certain amount of air in the space. The thin film that was the space bubble provided the space with light. However, Xia Chengfeng still felt a little claustrophobic. There were no doors or windows here. There was no way to escape.
At the center of the underground cave was a shovel that was about as long as his arm.
"This is the world of Crypt World? Have I arrived in a game world? Did all of humanity come to this world?" Xia Chengfeng was a little doubtful.
He pinched himself. He had a clear feeling of pain and the pinch left an obvious mark. This was not a dream!
At this moment, an interface appeared in front of his eyes. On the interface was his personal information.
Name: Xia Chengfeng
Age: 22
Race: Human
Strength: Weak creature
Stamina: 10
Status: Normal
Magic Soul: Temporarily none
Talent: Temporarily none
Survival Space: Yet to be activated
Storage: Blank
System notification: "Please choose your magic soul immediately."
"Magic soul!" Xia Chengfeng was hit with inspiration when he heard this term. Magic souls were extremely important in "Crypt World".
Every player had to be fused with a magic soul. Only then would they be able to perceive the unique energy in the world.
It was said that magic souls were the soul fragments of powerful ancient creatures. A player would receive unique talent abilities after they fused with the magic soul.
These talents were exceptionally important when seeking survival in the underground crypts. These were ways for players to preserve their lives when they were weak. They were also powerful weapons when players became strong.
The descriptions of ten magic souls appeared in front of Xia Chengfeng's eyes. Every player could choose from ten random magic souls at the start of the game.
[Warrior Soul (One Star): Possess talent ability -- Fearless Vigor. It can boost an individual's defenses.]
[Knight Soul (One Star): Possess talent ability -- Song of Bravery. It can boost an individual's battle abilities.]
[Wizard Soul (One Star): Possess talent ability -- Elemental Affinity. It allows individuals to perceive elemental power.]
...…
Xia Chengfeng read through all the options and immediately locked in on the eighth one.
[Destruction Soul (One Star): Possess talent ability -- Evil Eye of Destruction. It allows individuals to break down physical items.]