T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World

"What breed of dog is it that barks so fiercely?"

"I, Whale, am here today to share in your joy."

These remarks were basically prepared for him.

"Could it be that my good luck in drawing cards has continued to the Proof of the Stars?" Jiang Heyi couldn't help but wonder.

Chapter 2 of the game begins after entering the dream.

After sorting out his catch, Jiang Heyi went to the "slime" bubble.

Sensing the presence of the newcomer, the slime bubble's round, translucent body cracked open in the middle, like a slightly open mouth, silently begging for food.

Jiang Heyi stuffed the low-level monster materials he had collected over the past four days into this hungry mouth, emptying it completely. But the slime bubble seemed to have a bottomless appetite, still demanding more from Jiang Heyi.

"Is it edible?"

After a moment of contemplation, he added more ingredients, this time including sea bass, rabbit meat, carrots, and other ingredients he had ordered for his cooking.

"Glug, glug~~~"

The swallowing continued, and the slime bubble's body visibly expanded, with an illusory azure light beginning to flicker.

This seemed like a prompt that a certain threshold had been reached, making Jiang Heyi dare not slack off. Looking at the few remaining fruits of his labor in his backpack, he gritted his teeth, a bit of a hoarder, and went all in.

"Here you go, all of it is yours!"

The bubbles expanded rapidly, rising higher and higher like hydrogen balloons.

"Is it going to explode?" Jiang Heyi wondered.

The slime bubbles shone brightly like the sun, their dazzling blue light sweeping across every corner of the space like a tidal wave, filling every crevice with their radiance.

Jiang Heyi instinctively covered his eyes, the all-pervasive light seeping through the gaps between his fingertips and into his mind.

In a daze, he heard a soft, gentle female voice echoing in his ears.

“Honorable ‘Cyber ​​Potato’, my master, please bestow a name upon me.”

Jiang Heyi slowly opened his eyes. A bluish-blue, sticky humanoid figure was bowing to him in a half-bowing posture. The original white world had been replaced by magnificent mountains, boundless forests, and a babbling brook flowing beside the wooden house.

“My master, please give me a name.”

The sticky, humanoid voice drew Jiang Heyi's attention back.

He looked at the NPC in front of him, with whom he was speaking for the first time, and hesitated before asking, "You don't have your own name?"

"As dolls that guide their masters, only you can give us life."

"Can giving a name bring a doll to life?" Jiang Heyi became interested in the details of this game setting. Although the game was about to end, he couldn't help but ask more questions.

However, this time the puppet did not respond.

"Alright, you're going to name it after me, then... Garlic Sprouts."

It makes perfect sense that Cyber ​​Potato has Cyber ​​Garlic Sprout as a doll.

After confirming again, the words "garlic sprouts" appeared faintly above the doll's head.

Jiang Heyi wanted to ask something more, but the third notification sound forced him to reluctantly bring up the control panel.

He was slightly taken aback when he saw the additional options on the panel, then realized that these were the options that were unlocked after the Doll and Home options were unlocked.

After thinking for a while, he triggered one of the options and exited the game.

……

……

With his phone alarm blaring, Jiang Heyi rewarded himself with two more 5-minute naps. Then, yawning, he removed the Star Token game login device—the headband—and its accompanying smartwatch.

He opened the mobile app to check his sleep status last night, which showed that everything was fine. Comparing the data with that provided by the Stars of Witness app, there was no discrepancy between the two.

After washing up, the clock struck 6:40, everything was just right.

Jiang Heyi's home is located in an old-style residential area. Early in the morning, you can see elderly men and women carrying vegetable baskets and pushing carts to go out to buy vegetables, all of them full of energy.

You rarely see young people at this time of day. Most of them take their commute to work at a carefully calculated time. Sleep is a luxury for them, and getting up early is a joke. If you do see them, they are always yawning.

Jiang Heyi, 22 years old, just graduated from university and is now looking for a job. He feels that he is moving towards this kind of life.

However, his seniors thought he was worrying unnecessarily.

To move towards this kind of life, one must first have a job, but Jiang Heyi's current resumes have all gone unanswered.

Even being a corporate slave doesn't qualify you.

"Hey, Xiao Jiang's here! What would you like to eat? The usual?"

As you walk into the breakfast shop in the alley across the street, the busy owner, Lao Fang, greets you warmly. This nearly sixty-year-old man is always full of energy.

"Soup filling, red bean paste, freshly ground soy milk."

"Not eating custard buns anymore?"

"Let's try something different."

There aren't many people in the store yet; most of the diners are long-time residents from the neighborhood.

Old Fang's breakfast stall has been open for more than ten years, catering to the local community. He never skimps on ingredients, insists on large portions to satisfy everyone, and always keeps the shop clean and hygienic. As a result, both the older and younger generations are willing to patronize his stall, and his business has always been booming.

Jiang Heyi's order was quickly served, but Lao Fang didn't leave immediately. Instead, he sat down opposite Jiang Heyi with a steamer of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).

"Xiao Jiang, I have a question for you."

"Just ask, no need to bother with this," Jiang Heyi firmly declined.

"Sigh, just accept it honestly, you can take it home and eat it."

Old Fang wiped the sweat from his forehead, took out his phone, and opened a short video app.

The short video was playing information about Proof of the Stars, with marketing accounts using sensational and mysterious music to introduce the "epoch-making" nature of Proof of the Stars in a pretentious tone. It was the kind of video that you'd want to skip as soon as you heard the music.

Unlike the communities and content creators that Jiang Heyi follows, the short video marketing accounts that Lao Fang collects do not discuss topics such as authenticity, open world, gameplay, or game strategies.

Their focus is on "multinational collaborative operation" and "the first-ever sleep entertainment project".

The major rivals, who were openly and covertly fighting each other, cooperated closely on this matter. The game was able to obtain distributorships in various countries without any obstacles, while the developer, "Starfire," was a completely unknown company that suddenly rose to prominence overnight.

The mere claim of "a second life after falling asleep" in the promotion of Proof of the Stars was enough to overturn many people's understanding of cutting-edge technology, and when it actually enters people's lives, the shock is self-evident.

This anomaly naturally prompted some to investigate further, and the investigation into the "Starry Night Campfire" ultimately yielded the official explanation: "Strengthening cooperation in cutting-edge technologies is the most powerful accumulation for moving towards the future."

The answer is thought-provoking; the "Stars and Bonfire" program has national backing, so its significance is self-evident.

Some people were surprised and remarked that it was rare to see several major rogue states reach a consensus.

Some are amazed that, without their knowledge, technology has once again experienced a major explosion, and they, as people in the 21st century, are about to witness, just like people in the early 20th century, dramatic changes brought about by technology.

And some people... they are dedicated to conspiracy theories.

Just as some people in the 19th century saw electrical appliances as the power of the devil, there is naturally a game in the public sphere that views the Testament of the Stars as a distortion of consciousness to achieve the purpose of mind control.

Some people feel that this means working for capitalists even in one's sleep.

Some pessimistically proclaimed that the shift from reality to virtuality would destroy humanity.

In the two months since the announcement of the Proof of the Stars, conspiracy theories and tech enthusiasts have been arguing endlessly in the public opinion field. As for Jiang Heyi, a game enthusiast, after successfully winning the first batch of lottery, he did not hesitate to buy the login device.

The clamor in the public sphere could not influence his decision; he was utterly powerless against elements such as high degree of freedom and groundbreaking gameplay.

But Lao Fang is not Jiang Heyi.

Any technology that existed when I was born is commonplace;

Any technology that is invented between the ages of 15 and 35 will be a revolutionary product that changes the world;

Any technology that comes into being after I turn 35 is against the laws of nature and will be condemned by the heavens.

Old Fang is almost 60 years old, and he feels more fear and incomprehension towards the changes in technology.

The times are accelerating, and the tides are surging. Many people of their age only recently learned to use mobile payments, while many more elderly people are still trembling as they face questioning glances from those who take mobile payments for granted. And now, even more incomprehensible technological advancements are emerging...

Old Fang sighed, "My grandson wants to buy it, but his mother won't allow it, and they've been arguing a lot lately..."

"Because you felt it was dangerous?"

Old Fang nodded hesitantly: "They say it affects brainwaves and makes people stupid."

The rules of the Star Certificate stipulate that only those who are 18 years of age or older can bind their identity information. As an adult who can take responsibility for his own actions, even if his family does not allow it, he can find a way to work and earn money to purchase it.

The conflict stems from the fact that Lao Fang's son agrees with the conspiracy theory, while his grandson, like Jiang Heyi, believes that having fun is the priority when it comes to a good game.

There's no way I can interfere in these kinds of family conflicts.

Jiang Heyi lowered his head and took a sip of soy milk, quickly thinking about what to say.

Fortunately, more and more customers started coming in, and Lao Fang no longer had time to sit idly. He greeted them and got busy again, and the worry on his face gradually eased as he chatted with his regular customers and neighbors.

As Jiang Heyi left the shop, taking advantage of the crowd, she still swiped the money for the steamed buns.

After checking his resume in his backpack, he took a deep breath, looked at the gradually bustling streets, and embarked on his job search once again.

……

……

As the sun set, a weary Jiang Heyi walked into a milk tea shop near Chengning No. 6 Middle School.

Among a group of noisy students, he stood out as he occupied a table all by himself.

The air conditioning in the store dispelled the heat that Jiang Heyi had felt from being exposed to the scorching summer sun, and his heart gradually calmed down.

"Dingling bell~~~"

The shop door was pushed open, and Jiang Heyi, who was browsing game forums, subconsciously looked up.

He was a man, about 1.8 meters tall, around 25 years old, with a refined and scholarly demeanor that immediately brought to mind the word "refined".

He was wearing a clean white shirt, crisp black trousers, and slightly worn white sneakers, looking simple yet capable.

The sweltering heat made him sit down next to Jiang Heyi as soon as he entered the store. He took out a tissue from his pocket to wipe the fine beads of sweat from his forehead, tugged at his sweat-soaked clothes, and finally cleaned his black-rimmed glasses before letting out a long sigh.

"What would you like to drink?" Jiang Heyi asked Zhong Zemo.

"Milk green tea, please."

As the two cups of milk tea were served, Jiang Heyi took out 200 yuan in cash and handed it to the other party.

"That's 216. I'll pay you back slowly."

"Don't bother with the two milk teas, they're on me."

"Then next time there's a chance, I'll treat you."

Zhong Zemo often said this, but he didn't always keep his word. However, he was not a man of his word.

Jiang Heyi and Zhong Zemo are friends in the same gaming group. They have known each other for more than 7 years. Since they are both from Chengning City and have common interests, they get along very well.

He used to enjoy trying out all sorts of games with his friends in the group, including mobile games, PC games, console games, and physical trading cards. However, since getting married two years ago, he has become much less active in the group.

Many people in the group are like this, constantly arguing with life, speaking less and less, only popping up on holidays.

Six months ago, Zhong Zemo suddenly contacted him, hoping to borrow some money.

Zhong Zemo was a history teacher at Chengning No. 6 Middle School, while Jiang Heyi had not yet graduated from university. It was quite humorous for a teacher to ask a student for money.

If it were anyone else, he would have skipped over the request to borrow money, but since it was Zhong Zemo, he simply couldn't refuse.

After getting married, Zhong Zemo only had 100 yuan for living expenses each month. Although he neither smoked nor drank, 100 yuan was still too tight.

At such times, he could only ask his wife for help, but the results were often not what he wanted.

Zhong Zemo also requested that the cash loan be made because his account would be checked via mobile phone.

Jiang Heyi often hesitated to speak because he couldn't even afford to spend 200 yuan.

"Going online at midnight tonight?"

“No problem.” Zhong Zemo glanced at the time, hurriedly stood up, “It’s time, I have to hurry home to cook. See you tonight.”

Watching the other person's hurried back, he couldn't help but sigh.

Having bought a considerable amount of vegetables at a low price before the market closed, Jiang Heyi leisurely returned home.

With one person eating their fill, the whole family isn't hungry, and he lives a leisurely and carefree life, which gives him plenty of time to hone his culinary skills.