Survival in an apartment, starting with a stroke of luck on a plane

After taking stock of all his gains, a strong sense of exhaustion washed over Lin Yu like a tidal wave.

The continuous high-intensity battles, the mental strain, and the almost non-stop "demolition" work for 24 hours straight left him feeling completely drained, even though he was in much better physical condition than most people.

"Hoo..." He exhaled a long breath and put the [Mother and Daughter Evil Ghost Sword] back into his system inventory (Liu Xiangxiang and Liu Yue'er are now sword spirits and have already formed a contract with Lin Yu, so the statue will not target them). He also put away his other items for the time being. Now, Lin Yu just wanted to get some sleep.

He walked to the bedside and lay down directly on it.

The tranquility and sense of security in the apartment completely relaxed his tense nerves.

Almost as soon as my head touched the pillow, my heavy eyelids could no longer hold me up, and my consciousness quickly sank into darkness.

Lin Yu slept soundly for a long time.

When he opened his eyes again, the "sky" outside the window of the community still maintained that constant light, but according to the system's built-in time display, it was already past three o'clock in the afternoon of the next day.

He slept for nearly a dozen hours.

It seems I'm really exhausted.

Hunger, like a beast awakening, immediately took over.

Lin Yu got out of bed, took out the instant food and water he had stocked up on from the refrigerator, and wolfed them down to fill his stomach.

After eating warm food, the fatigue in my body was truly relieved, and my spirits were refreshed.

After eating and drinking his fill, Lin Yu began to think about his next move.

Upgrading the apartment is of utmost importance! We're only 5 steel ingots away from a level 3 iron gate. Upgrading the apartment will not only give us more space and stronger defenses, but more importantly, it may unlock more rooms, which will provide a place for the [Taoist Study].

He opened the player public channel, intending to see if anyone was selling steel ingots or exchanging them with the vast amount of basic materials he had.

The channel was still bustling with activity, with messages flooding the screen at an astonishing speed. As before, there were still quite a few people hawking their wares in the channel.

However, the information is mixed and it is difficult to distinguish between true and false.

With hawkers, buyers, team recruitment, and scam warnings all mixed together, it takes a lot of patience and sharp eyesight to sift out useful transaction information, and it's easy to fall into traps.

Lin Yu frowned and looked through the listings for a long time. He did see people selling steel ingots, but the prices were generally too high or the requirements were outrageous.

Trading basic materials? There are players in the public channel who buy basic materials, but the prices are extremely low, clearly bullying newbies or people who urgently need to sell their materials.

"It's too inefficient and risky." Lin Yu turned off the public channel, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

He thought of the "internal trading group for veteran players" that Jiang Zhongshan had mentioned. The requirement for joining that group was "passing three games".

He's only played the game twice; he's clearly not qualified.

"Rules are rigid, but people are flexible." A glint of light flashed in Lin Yu's eyes: "The reason that group set up a threshold is simply to ensure the quality of its members and the level of transactions, and to avoid being flooded with low-value information and scammers. As long as I can prove my 'value,' I might be able to join."

Value… He stroked his chin.

What does he have now that can prove its value? The Silver-grade [Mother and Daughter Demon Sword]? That's definitely good enough, but it's his core weapon for survival, and he absolutely cannot reveal it easily.

【The Seven Secrets of Subduing Demons in the Green Mountain Path】? Silver-level skills are also very precious, and one should not easily reveal one's trump cards.

A ghost generator might be feasible. It's an apartment facility that can only be used within the apartment and doesn't offer much of a practical boost to a player's combat power, so it's perfectly acceptable to show it off to others.

As for the purpose of this action, it naturally proves that he has sufficient strength, since obtaining silver-level items is itself a form of strength.

After thinking it over, Lin Yu decided to ask someone about the situation first. He opened his friends list.

Jiang Zhongshan's name was highlighted, indicating he was online.

Players' entry and rest times are fixed, so unless there are special circumstances, once one player leaves the game, it generally means all players have returned to their community (even if the in-game times differ).

Lin Yu sent a message:

Lin Yu: Brother Jiang, are you there? I have a question. That veteran player trading group you mentioned before, is there any way to get in without prior connections? Like, could you provide special items or proof of skill?

Jiang Zhongshan replied shortly after the message was sent.

Jiang Zhongshan: Brother Lin? I'm here. Congratulations on surviving and completing the game!

Exceptionally allowed entry into the group? Well… I really don’t know.

I'm just an ordinary member, and I'm not familiar with the group owner or the administrators or any of those big shots.

The group rules require three gaming experiences, and I've never heard of anyone being allowed in through exceptions.

I'm sorry, I can't help you.

Jiang Zhongshan's tone didn't sound like he was making excuses, and given his situation, Lin Yu asked again, but didn't get many meaningful answers. Helpless, Lin Yu thanked him and closed the chat window with Jiang Zhongshan.

He swiped through his friends list, his gaze landing on another ID—【Violent Ghost Slayer】.

This is a real "big client," generous with his money, and even has a title. Based on the information he revealed during the last transaction, this person is clearly a seasoned veteran player, and his level should be much higher than Jiang Zhongshan's.

Lin Yu thought about it and decided to ask anyway. After carefully considering his words, he sent a message to the Violent Ghost Killer.

Lin Yu: Hey bro, are you there? I'd like to ask you something.

I heard there's a special way to join the veteran players' trading group in our 9527 community? Would you be willing to share that information? Of course, I know the rules, but you can name your consultation fee.

After sending the message, Lin Yu waited patiently.

This time, the reply was much slower than Jiang Zhongshan's; it took a full five or six minutes before the violent ghost-killing maniac's avatar finally popped up.

Violent Ghost Slayer: Bro, congratulations on being alive! You're asking about this... Well, there are ways to get in through special circumstances, it's not like there aren't.

Violent Demon Slayer: But you know the rules among players, intelligence always has some value.

I'm not trying to scam you. You seem pretty sensible. How about this: treat me to a meal at a restaurant in the entertainment area. Just consider it a small gesture to make friends. We can chat while we eat.

The restaurant's price isn't unreasonable. Although eating at a restaurant in the entertainment district is much more expensive than buying food in the commercial district, Lin Yu can afford it now.

He still has about a hundred game coins in his hand.

The restaurants in the entertainment area charge per person, with each person paying 1 game coin for unlimited food. However, the dishes are said to be made with top-quality real-world ingredients.

For ordinary players who only complete the main storyline, spending 1 game coin on a meal is an absolute luxury. But for a hardcore monster hunter who can spend hundreds of game coins on equipment, it might just be a "small token."

Lin Yu is currently financially well-off, and the intelligence fee of 1 game coin per meal is perfectly acceptable.

He immediately replied: No problem. When is a convenient time for you, sir? I can come over right now.

Violent Demon Slayer: Awesome! Let's do it now, I'm hungry too, see you at the restaurant entrance.