Chapter 3: : Unequal Treaty!

"Xiao Chen Na, I understand that as a newcomer, you may be eager to make a name for yourself, but that doesn't justify providing a false evaluation. This is irresponsible to the gaming community. Do you realize that? Our company hires professional game evaluators, not individuals who engage in sensationalism. The company has just gone public, and what it needs is a solid industry reputation. Are you willing to tarnish the company's reputation with such a review?"

Through the transmission portal, Xiao Chen bowed his head, attempting a smile. "Boss, it's not what you think."

"Humph!" The middle-aged man leading the conversation snorted disapprovingly. He couldn't believe that a private player could give a game a five-star rating. Who does he think he is? Sure, a five-star gameplay might be possible, given the abundance of hidden talent in the gaming world, but such achievements required more than basic skills. It demanded the utilization of cutting-edge virtual engines and exceptional artists. How could an independent designer possess all these resources?

"Welcome to Xinghai, brave explorers! Come, sign a contract, and become citizens of the Great Lord of Night!" The NPC's introduction still followed the same old pattern, which indicated that the game's planning team might not have invested much effort into the dialogue.

However, at this moment, none of the three players paid attention to this. The middle-aged man who previously questioned Xiao Chen was left dumbfounded, his face reflecting astonishment. Despite being a seasoned veteran with over 20 years of gaming experience and having encountered numerous remarkable games, no screen had ever left him as awestruck as this one.

The other two men shared the same bewildered expression. Were they all hallucinating?

The NPC's opening line felt relatively old-fashioned to professional reviewers, suggesting that the game's planning team hadn't put much thought into it.

Nonetheless, at this point, the trio had little interest in the dialogue. The middle-aged man who had initially criticized Xiao Chen was now staring in disbelief, a stunned look etched across his face. As someone with more than two decades of experience, he had encountered countless high-quality games, but none had ever impacted him like this one.

What about the other two? Did they experience the same shock as well?

There was a trace of displeasure on Xi Ye's face underneath his helmet. As a lord, when recruiting workers, he naturally preferred energetic young individuals and had no interest in the inclusion of these elderly gentlemen, unless they possessed rare technical skills unique to their races. For instance, the Boer of Holbers, the Copper Whisker blacksmiths, the cutting-edge Hexian mechanical and electrical experts of Clockwork, or the physicians from the Mulings. Most lords would appreciate advanced technical talent, especially those of older generations.

However, the technological underdevelopment of Planet D made Xi Ye uninterested in their so-called technical talents. What he needed were robust young individuals who, following biological transformation, could become efficient miners.

"Dear Lord, how should we proceed to sign the contract?" The two older men who had just arrived weren't as hasty as the young man who had preceded them. They, too, appeared interested in observing how far the game designer had developed the gameplay.

Xi Ye raised an eyebrow as he glanced at them, though his emotions were largely inscrutable. He mused to himself that he couldn't discern their intentions, and the intelligence promptly communicated: "Dear Lord, beggars can't be choosers. Although they are older, they can still be of use following biological transformation."

"They may be useful, but it's a waste of genetic storage space," Xi Ye replied via thought transmission.

Indeed, it was possible to undergo biological transformation at an older age, but the cells in an older individual had already begun to deteriorate. Their absorption and evolutionary abilities were markedly inferior to those of younger people. Even if the transformation were successful, their gene absorption capacity would be significantly limited.

"What's the harm, my Lord? You got a great deal on the gene bank, didn't you?"

Xi Ye revealed a slight smirk upon hearing this. He wondered which company produced this intelligence, vowing to advise his future siblings not to buy the same model as himself. After all, he had conversed with this malfunctioning intelligence for hundreds of thousands of years in the universe. He pondered the exhaustion it must have been causing him.

But it was true. He had indeed acquired the gene bank at a reasonable price. Who could criticize him for being frugal?

"Dear Lord Lord?" The NPC inquired when Xi Ye remained silent for an extended period.

Xi Ye was momentarily lost in thought but quickly regained his composure. He addressed them from a position of superiority. "You've made the wisest decision of your lives!"

With a grand gesture, a stack of meticulously designed contracts materialized before the three of them. Xi Ye continued, "Sign your names, and you will become my loyal citizens from now on, serving the Great Lord Xiye. After signing the contract, I will proceed to back up your consciousness and clone your original bodies, which will then be used for biological transformation. In the event that you die, your consciousness will be instantly transferred to the backup brain by a special device, ensuring your continuity. Rest assured, this technology is derived from the Clockwork race and developed from the principles of the ancient Lich's life box. It has been perfected in the fourteenth era, and there is no room for error."

"Cool!" Xiao Chen's eyes lit up, as the other's brief words contained a vast world background. He had clearly underestimated the planning skills of this game.

"What genes should I use?" Xi Ye opened his gene bank, staring at a plethora of options, and wondered which to employ for the first experiment.