After AFK for five years, I returned to be number one in the entire server.

"My aunt sent it," Su Nian said.

Lin nodded, lifted the box, turned and walked towards the stairs, carrying the cardboard box back to the rented room on the third floor.

"You must be Lin Ye's friends?" Gu Qingxin asked with a slight smile. "We're planning to go to a hot spring resort in the suburbs for a day trip. If you're not in a hurry, why don't you come and relax with us?"

Upon hearing this unexpected invitation, Su Nian's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

She has always disliked these kinds of social situations where people are only partially acquainted with each other, and was just about to politely decline.

"Okay, okay!" Fang Cheng said quickly, grabbing Su Nian's arm.

Fang Cheng had already learned about Lin Ye and Shen Yi's romantic relationship during this time.

Although she felt sorry for Su Nian and even cursed Lin Ye as a scumbag, her love of joining in the fun instantly prevailed when she learned of the opportunity to relax at a high-end hot spring resort for free.

Most importantly, she wanted to take this opportunity to observe Lin Ye and Shen Yi up close.

"Niannian, please, please," Fang Cheng coaxed Su Nian in her ear. "You've been so tired from studying for finals lately, let's go to a hot spring together to relax, okay...?"

Looking at Fang Cheng's expectant expression and then at Gu Qingxin, who stood by the car door with a gentle expression, Su Nian finally agreed.

The group boarded the spacious black van one after another. Their destination was Qiyun Hot Spring Resort, located in the northern suburbs of Ningchuan City, about 60 kilometers away from the university town.

Nestled against the mountains, the area draws natural geothermal water, making it a popular leisure destination for wealthy people in Ningchuan during this season.

The heating inside the carriage was on full blast, completely isolating it from the harsh cold outside.

The black van has excellent sound insulation, filtering out outside noise completely.

During the more than 60-kilometer journey from Ningchuan city to the northern suburbs, Fang Cheng single-handedly kept the entire carriage lively.

She is an outgoing girl by nature, and with the excitement of going to a high-end resort today, she hardly stopped talking.

She started by complaining about the ridiculously difficult way the school would highlight the key points for final exams, and then went on to talk about the newly opened trendy dessert shops in the shopping district. She even turned trivial things like which professor in school loved to take attendance into a story with great emotion.

In this otherwise somewhat delicate group of five, Fang Cheng's chattering mouth undoubtedly became the best lubricant.

More than an hour later, the van slowly slowed down along a well-maintained mountain road and finally stopped in front of the gate of Qiyun Hot Spring Resort.

The air here is much fresher than in the city center; you can even feel a coolness mixed with moisture when you breathe.

The manor is built against the backdrop of rolling mountains, with its well-arranged antique-style buildings hidden among lush evergreen trees. White steam rises from every corner of the manor, like a thin layer of mist.

Gu Qingxin told the driver to go back first, while she led the four of them by cable car to the mountainside, where she had booked a detached villa with an open-air hot spring.

Pushing open the heavy solid wood door, a delicate fragrance wafts towards you.

The interior of the villa exudes luxury, featuring a combination of extensive use of natural wood and warm-toned stone.

The first floor area was designed entirely as an activity and entertainment space, with thick, soft carpets on the floor, a large leather sofa in the center, and top-of-the-line home theater equipment next to it.

In the open-plan side room on the other side, there is a billiards table, an automatic mahjong machine, and a temperature-controlled bar filled with all kinds of expensive liquors.

Outside the villa is a spacious backyard surrounded by artificial hills and a grove of black bamboo.

"The bedrooms are on the second floor, and there are six single rooms." Gu Qingxin turned around, looking at the young girls who were looking around the villa, her smile still gentle. "Everyone, please go upstairs and choose your rooms first."

There are plenty of rooms here, more than enough for each person, perfectly avoiding those potentially awkward allocation problems.

Fang Cheng was already captivated by the luxurious facilities before him. He grabbed Su Nian's arm and headed towards the spiral wooden staircase leading to the second floor, excitedly muttering that he must soak in the private hot spring outside for an hour first.

……

……

Shulu, Heli country.

On this vast land known as the New World, prosperity and chaos have always been inseparable twins.

The official player organization, the Polar Day headquarters building.

Through the wide bulletproof glass of the high-rise building, one can overlook the urban blocks below, which are crisscrossed like a chessboard.

Sunlight shines on the staggered glass curtain walls of skyscrapers, refracting dazzling spots of light.

The streets were bustling with people of all races, including immigrants of various skin colors.

Several blocks away, marchers holding protest signs could be vaguely seen, and sporadic gunshots and sirens could even be heard.

In this country that champions absolute freedom and is rife with gun violence, the conflict between the gaming community and ordinary citizens is more acute than anywhere else in the world.

Inside the office, a constant temperature system keeps the air conditioning at the most comfortable level.

Two typical white men sat at a large oval metal table, the atmosphere so heavy it was almost palpable.

"This is the fourth report this month."

Oliver, the blond, blue-eyed deputy executive, pushed an extremely thick document to the center of the table.

Sitting opposite him, Chief Executive Arthur picked up his black coffee, took a sip, and the bitter liquid flowed down his throat, slightly dispelling the fatigue between his brows.

The two were discussing a strange phenomenon that had been quietly spreading throughout the entire Dawn Continent over the past month.

All the selected players in the world, no matter what life-or-death battles or adventures they experienced when entering "Star Abyss" late at night, would have all their memories of that world completely erased as soon as they opened their eyes in reality.

It was as if an irresistible giant hand was wiping away the traces on their souls every day.

But this ironclad rule has recently begun to loosen.

Some players who woke up from their sleep began to experience frequent and intense stress reactions.

Even though they still cannot clearly recall the complete sequence of events, some fragmented images remain deep in their minds.

Oliver picked up the remote control, pressed a button, and a huge high-resolution LCD screen lit up on the wall on one side of the office.

The scene shows a pure white isolation room covered with a special material, with an extremely burly man curled up in the corner.

That was Raymond, a Radiant-level action captain from Polar Day. In everyone's memory, Raymond was a veteran player who had been playing the game since the first year that Star Abyss was launched.