On July 1, 2209, a scorching summer morning in the capital of China, the game "Reincarnation" was about to be officially unched.
"Welcome to the world of 'Reincarnation'. The game will be publicly unched in 35 minutes. Please wait patiently."
Feng Xiao helplessly exited the game pod and resumed browsing the official website to search for any useful information.
For a man like Feng Xiao, who had been unemployed and living a dull life for a long time, he had lost count of how many online games he had pyed. Yet, none had made him so eager as "Reincarnation." Apart from its unprecedented features, there was also the eerie prophecy tied to his father and a mission that could not be expined.
"Reincarnation" was a virtual technology-based online game that came into existence suddenly. One year ago, over thirty countries across the world started promoting "Reincarnation" simultaneously, with no warning. The scale of the promotion was unprecedented, with advertisements on television, the internet, magazines, billboards, buses, even telephone poles and public toilets—almost every pce with human presence featured "Reincarnation."
What was even more shocking was that the promoters were the governments of various countries. Soon after, the governments dropped a heavy bombshell: the game was developed by "Ying Luo," further pushing "Reincarnation" to the forefront. The game hadn't even unched yet, yet its popurity had already reached staggering levels.
What, you don’t know "Ying Luo"? Let me ask you carefully: Are you even a human?
By the 23rd century, with global network coverage at 99%, almost everything—communication, information, daily life, transportation, and military—relied on the internet. If someone could cause a country’s network to colpse, they would be an absolutely terrifying existence.
And "Ying Luo" was that kind of existence.
"Ying Luo" appeared in the digital world 20 years ago. No one knew how she came into being. Some specuted that she was a "spirit" created by an overly intelligent network system, while others said she was the self-generated order manager of the network world. Theories were abundant. However, one thing was universally acknowledged: she was a god in the network, an omnipotent being. In the virtual world, she could command the elements, control any area, and change the network with ease.
The appearance of "Ying Luo" first astonished the world, then made them cautious, before eventually leading to adoration and respect. Her presence essentially cleansed the digital world of its dirt. More importantly, she pyed a crucial role in maintaining world peace.
In 2188, the United States assembled over 200 hacker elites to maliciously attack China's ** cssified system. This was when "Ying Luo" made her first appearance. Dressed in white sand, her face covered with a thin veil, she warned all the attackers. When the warning went unheeded, she instantly blocked the IPs of over 200 people and revealed part of the United States' cssified information as a warning.
In 2190, Japan, under a false pretext, unched a military strike against a small East Asian country. "Ying Luo" appeared and warned them. Japan pretended to comply, but "Ying Luo," in anger, paralyzed the entire country's network until Japan ceased its actions and issued an apology. This 20-hour network paralysis caused Japan's economy to stagnate for the next three years.
In 2194…
In 2195…
In the 23rd century, you might not know who the U.S. President is or that snails move slower than turtles, but you would certainly know the name "Ying Luo" because she was revered by all the people of the world. She was the true global idol.
Her game, "Reincarnation," was enough to make people around the world eagerly await.
According to official promotions, "Reincarnation" had the following features:
"Reincarnation" was a virtual reality-based online game developed by "Ying Luo." It had an unprecedented virtual immersion rate of 99% and could support up to 100 billion pyers online simultaneously without g. The game was fully licensed by the World Online Game Union's Flying Sky Group, which provided hardware support and controlled the game's currency system.
"Reincarnation" adhered to the principle of fairness and justice, transferring all data and permissions to the intelligent host "Flying Sky," ensuring that no GM (game master) or external factors could interfere with the game. The "Flying Sky" system was personally established by "Ying Luo," and once the game started, no one could modify the game’s data; all changes or updates were executed personally by "Ying Luo."
"Reincarnation" was the first online game to receive state support and assistance. The Flying Sky Group had also negotiated with the world’s top ten banks to offer currency exchange between in-game and real-world money. The exchange rate was set at 1 RMB = 1 gold coin worldwide.
The game’s equipment consisted of portable game helmets and game pods. The helmets were priced uniformly worldwide at 100 RMB, while the game pods cost 100,000 RMB. The game pod could be folded into a standard suitcase size for easy transport. It could also inject nutrition fluid into the pyer's body to prevent fatigue and hunger, allowing pyers to py for up to a month without issues.
The game’s equipment would be released on June 1, 2209. Each pyer was allowed only one device, which would be tied to their identity. The public test of the game would take pce simultaneously across the world at 8 a.m. on July 1, 2209.
Thus, the unch of "Reincarnation" sent the world into a frenzy. Some forward-thinking online game companies began to scale back their investments in online games and started developing other areas. Were they preparing to compete with "Reincarnation"? That was a ughable thought.
A month ago, various countries began distributing the game devices. In China, retail stores nationwide began selling the equipment. Despite the preparation, its popurity was still beyond anyone's expectations. In just three days, 100 million game helmets and 10,000 game pods were sold out. By June 30, 5 billion pieces of equipment had been sold, more than a third of China’s popution, with the number still rising. Almost every household, except for the very old and very young, had at least one device. Other countries saw simir surges in sales. After all, who wouldn't be willing to spend 100 RMB for the chance to experience a groundbreaking game?
At 7:55 a.m. on July 1, 2209, with just five minutes remaining before the public test, Feng Xiao, unable to contain his excitement, entered the game pod. Early birds might get rewards for being among the first to enter the game. Feng Xiao's goal was to become the first pyer in the game. He would explore every possible advantage to achieve that.
"Welcome to the world of 'Reincarnation.' The public test will begin in 5 minutes. Please wait patiently."
"……Please wait patiently."
"……Please wait patiently."
...
"10...9...8...7...2...1...0"
Feng Xiao felt a fsh of white light in front of him, and suddenly found himself in a strange, void-like space, filled with luminous bodies of various shapes. Colorful beams of light crisscrossed through the air, swirling and fshing, penetrating deep into his soul. It felt incredibly comfortable. At the same time, a pleasant prompt echoed in his ears:
"Welcome to the world of 'Reincarnation.' Since this is your first time entering, we will perform an identity scan. Please wait..."
At the same time…
At the center of the capital, towering above all was the Yan Huang Tower, the tallest building in all of China. It was the rgest commercial and entertainment center in the city, a treasure trove for the wealthy, but few knew that the top floor of this magnificent building, symbolizing China's prosperity, housed an elegant, ancient-style study. It was a restricted area, and only a select few had the privilege to enter this room—less than ten people across all of China.
"Sir, 'Reincarnation' began its global public test 10 minutes ago, and everything is going according to pn without any unexpected events. However, it's predicted that public entertainment industries will face significant challenges, but it won’t affect the core."
The speaker’s figure was slightly aged, but his voice remained steady and powerful. He was reporting to the man sitting before him.
Standing near the window of the study, looking out over the bustling city, was a middle-aged man with sharp brows and starry eyes. He furrowed his brow slightly, his face bearing a hint of worry, but his imposing aura as a leader could not be hidden. He was gazing down at the prosperous capital below.
"Uncle Wang, just call me young master like before. Changing the way you address me feels distant," Long Wei turned around with a smile.
This kind old man had cared for Long Wei since he was a child, attending to his every need. Even after Long Wei became the youngest highest leader in China's history, Uncle Wang continued his faithful service. To this day, he had neither wife nor children, dedicating his life to the Long family.
"Yes, young master." The elderly man responded, slightly emotional.
"Young master, do you think this method will really work?"
"Perhaps. For now, it seems like the best solution. At least, there won't be any deaths in the game. And, do we have any other choice?"
"…"
"China's gradual rise has already sparked fear in some countries with ill intentions. The Taiwan issue is just an excuse. The international summit a year ago was their chance to suppress China. If 'Ying Luo' hadn’t suddenly appeared on the screen during the meeting, I suspect China would have become the target of those countries by now."
"So, this time, 'Ying Luo' is helping us?"
Long Wei remained silent for a while before speaking, "Twenty years ago, when Ye Huangtian sughtered Japan, it shocked the world. But it also left a mark on Japan. The events of that time were widely known. Last year's summit saw Japan bringing it up again, with some people pushing it to the level of 'global enemy' and 'anti-human.' In that situation, we were at an absolute disadvantage. This time, 'Ying Luo' did help us solve the crisis temporarily."
"Young master, we can’t bme Ye Huangtian for that. After all..."
"I understand," Long Wei interrupted. His expression became somber, "If I weren’t bearing the responsibility of protecting China, I might have killed even more... after all, it was my son who died... and the Long family’s bloodline is now severed with my generation."
Long Wei’s body trembled slightly. Although it had been over 20 years, the intense hatred still caused him to lose control for a moment.
"Young master..."
"Alright, Uncle Wang, please leave. Someone is coming." His long-trained resilience allowed him to regain his composure quickly.
"Yes, young master." Uncle Wang turned and left the study.
As the door closed, a shadowy figure appeared in front of Long Wei. It was a woman wearing a bck veil, dressed in tight bck clothing that showcased her fiery figure. Although her face and age were concealed, her seductive aura was undeniable. She smiled mischievously: "Long uncle, you sensed my presence so quickly. Your skills are catching up to Ye uncle's."
Long Wei ughed heartily: "Little girl, stop fttering me. Even if there were a hundred of me, I still wouldn’t be able to match that pervert. So, have you met the person you wanted to see?"
"Yes, but I’m not telling you who it is. Hehehe~~ Now, I’m here to say goodbye to you, Long uncle. The next time we meet, it will be a long time from now." Her voice carried a natural charm, and even before the mighty leader of China, she was unafraid and unashamed.
"Alright, Xiao girl, you go ahead. Xiaotian and Xiaobing are waiting for you. Xiaotian was just compining about you, but I told him it was Ye uncle’s decision, so he stopped talking, hehe."
"My little brother has been waiting for 'Reincarnation' for a whole year, and yet he was sent to special training on the day of the public test. I’d be surprised if he’s not crying his heart out."
"Goodbye, Long uncle, I, Xiao Tongying, will never disappoint you..."
The enchanting figure disappeared from the study, leaving Long Wei with a strange expression on his face.
The most powerful man in China, revered by over a billion people, wiped the nonexistent cold sweat from his forehead: "Phew, I finally got rid of this devilish woman... but I wonder which unlucky guy is the one she has her eye on..."
In the unknown space, a misty girl cloaked in white gauze was drifting alone in the colorful world. After a long while, she let out a soft sigh: "Fifty thousand years have passed, and my mission is nearing its end... Will the one foretold in the prophecy really appear?"
