Chapter 1 The Virtual World

Inside the virtual world's training ground, Cheng Zihao stood watching the figures arriving one by one.

"Boss, the management of all three companies are here," a middle-aged man said, standing beside Cheng Zihao.

Cheng Zihao looked at the group of managers and said calmly, "You should all be able to guess that the emergence of the virtual world has made things difficult for the Tiger Shark Group. We can no longer rely on the Tiger Shark Group; we must rely on ourselves."

The managers all listened obediently.

This was the boss, the one who paid their salaries! They couldn't afford to offend him.

"The emergence of the virtual world is a crisis," Cheng Zihao said, "but also an opportunity!"

"These three companies of mine include a modeling agency and two streaming companies," Cheng Zihao said. His three companies had signed a group of beautiful women. "Before, many employees of the company were slacking off during their streams! The online audience was only in the single digits, and they were still not worried or concerned, connecting with their girlfriends who also had single-digit viewers. The two of them would chat! Chatting for one or two hours! They'd complete their online time for the day and then log off! Earning twenty to thirty thousand a month, working for me! So happy!"

Cheng Zihao glared. "I didn't care about it before, but I can't allow it now!"

"The three companies must make money!" Cheng Zihao stared at the group of managers. "If you can't make money, all of you managers, prepare to pack your bags and leave!"

"Boss, what do we do next? Tiger Shark's traffic has plummeted," one of the managers asked.

"Do you even need to ask?" Cheng Zihao said. "I said, the virtual world is a crisis and also an opportunity! Did you see the first God-level battle in Xia? Over eight hundred million online viewers, it's unbelievable. That's the charm of virtual world streaming. Our streamers, our beauties, from today onwards, all of you will move into the virtual world!"

"I require at least six hours of virtual world streaming time per day," Cheng Zihao said. "Those who can't do it, get out."

"Boss, we still have streaming contracts with the Tiger Shark Group..." the middle-aged man said from the side.

"Lao Zhou, don't worry."

Cheng Zihao shook his head. "The Blue Star Alliance countries will soon issue regulations to guarantee people's right to stream in the virtual world. Tiger Shark Group will also quickly adjust the contracts with the streamers."

"Your task is to think hard about how to make the streams more attractive! Attract more people to watch," Cheng Zihao said.

"I think, we can form teams of five beauties! A beauty team would definitely be attractive."

"It also needs to be unique! Beauties with a cool and aloof style, and also beauties with a cute style, different styles of beauty teams should be differentiated."

"The popular teams can challenge other teams in the company, to boost the popularity of the weaker ones."

"We also need to find strong members! The company has to sign professional martial arts athletes, both male and female. Those professional martial arts athletes... in A-level and B-level events, many don't earn much money, it's easy to sign them! We can have one powerful male athlete lead four beauties in a team."

"We can also have five female archers in a team, archery is easier to train in."

The managers came up with various ideas.

Cheng Zihao nodded in satisfaction. "I believe that beauties always attract attention! Our three companies definitely have a great future in the virtual world! I require you to come up with a complete and executable plan for me before 8 PM tonight. Afterwards, I will formally announce it to everyone in the company, and it will be implemented starting from 0:00 tomorrow."

There was no choice, ordinary employees could only spend a maximum of 10 hours a day in the virtual world! They had almost used up today's time.

"Yes."

"Yes, boss."

The managers all responded. For the sake of their jobs, they had to give it their all.

Soon, all the managers left, leaving only the middle-aged man beside Cheng Zihao.

"Zhou Feng, you've been with me for so many years," Cheng Zihao stared at the middle-aged man. "You should know that I have no way out now, I have to take a gamble. If we succeed, you and I will both prosper! If we fail... you can only find another job."

"Boss, don't worry, there are quite a few companies moving into the virtual world now," Zhou Feng said solemnly. "But our three companies have an advantage, the streamers and models we choose are all real beauties. In the virtual world, there's no way to fake it, everyone is their real selves. We actually have an advantage."

"The competition is fierce, we have to fight hard," Cheng Zihao said. He had watched his father manage the company for years, and had also suffered losses managing the company himself, so he still had some experience.

...

"Xu Jingming isn't on the national key training list, yet he killed Wang Qiao in a one-on-one, and then killed Gao Chong." A thin man with a scar on his face watched the livestream video. "I told the higher-ups that selecting based solely on grades doesn't produce the most suitable list. There are too many talented players whose grades aren't high for various reasons."

"The higher-ups are also afraid of favoritism, so they directly base it on grades," the scarred man shook his head gently. "But I have to work hard too, or I'll be embarrassed if I'm defeated by Liu Hai's disciple one day."

The scarred man was named Lei Yunfang, one of the three legendary figures in Xia's martial arts world.

He won first place in the third World Martial Arts Competition in his first participation. After resting for several years, he participated in the eighth World Martial Arts Competition, but unfortunately only won second place, losing to the White Eagle Federation's legendary player "Kyle*Saint*Mills." The following year, at the ninth World Martial Arts Competition, he reunited with that old rival "Kyle*Saint*Mills" in the finals, and this time Lei Yunfang won first place, but announced his retirement due to injuries.

Kyle*Saint*Mills was the White Eagle Federation's greatest martial arts player. He possessed a perfect physique and perfect weapon skills, and was also the player with the most first-place finishes in the World Martial Arts Alliance, having won four world championships in his career. Therefore, Lei Yunfang's two peak duels with this legendary player were also legends in the martial arts world.

...

"Master was right, if this kid Jingming didn't have a leg injury, he could have taken first place in the world," the short and stout Tie Lanyun was also carefully watching the video of this first God-level battle.

Tie Lanyun was Liu Hai's most proud disciple. He was thirty-nine years old this year, and had fought in five World Martial Arts Competitions, taking first place three times! He was one of the three legendary figures in Xia's martial arts world.

However, in terms of fame, he ranked last among Xia's three martial arts legends. Because the opponents he defeated weren't strong enough.

Unlike Liu Hai, who had achieved such accomplishments even when fighting in the most barbaric era, and had also taught a large group of powerful disciples. Unlike Lei Yunfang, whose two duels with Kyle were talked about with relish.

"Great, the retired old seniors will all appear. And countless geniuses will emerge from the masses. In this era, I will also prove myself," Tie Lanyun said silently. "I am the strongest in Xia!"

...

"Gao Chong, Wang Qiao, Dong Xu, all stumbled, martial arts masters lose too!"

"A ninety-seven-year-old senior can suppress a martial arts master. If you don't improve, you will be surpassed."

Yang Qingshuo, Heng Fang, Liu Chongyuan, Dai Xiaoqing, and other experts, including the civilians Dai Tongda, Xu Hong, and the old man Liu Jianfeng, were all working hard to train.

******

Inside the virtual world's training ground.

Xu Jingming was watching the replay of the battle, studying his responses.

"In the future, when I enter the battle map and go to meet up with my teammates, I should use dual shields," Xu Jingming watched the scene of himself being assassinated by the old man Liu Jianfeng. "If I hold dual shields, I can protect most of my body while walking. It will be ten times harder for an assassin to assassinate me. No matter how much stronger the old senior Liu Jianfeng is, if I slightly close my dual shields, he will be dumbfounded."

Holding dual shields would be much safer.

"When I was fighting Wang Qiao and Sun Yuting two against one, my single-minded defense was too conservative, I should have incorporated some attacks into my defense," Xu Jingming watched. "Sometimes, offense is the best defense."

Xu Jingming was pondering the problems in this battle when he suddenly received an invitation - "Liu Hai invites you to his personal space."

"Master invites me?" Xu Jingming was a little surprised and immediately clicked.

Whoosh.

Xu Jingming only felt a change before his eyes and arrived at another training ground, where the burly and strong Liu Hai was standing.

"Master," Xu Jingming said.

He was used to his master with white hair, so seeing his master looking like a middle-aged man was a bit unfamiliar.

"Jingming," Liu Hai looked at Xu Jingming with a smile. "You won that battle, defeated Wang Qiao and Gao Chong, do you feel like you're riding high?"

Xu Jingming grinned and smiled: "It's pretty great."

"Then I'll let you cool down."

Liu Hai reached out, holding a single saber in his hand. "You can choose any weapon or equipment, come at me."

"Master, you're just wearing cloth clothes and holding a single saber?" Xu Jingming asked. "Aren't you looking down on your disciple too much?"

"Don't you want to know how strong Master is at his peak?" Liu Hai looked at Xu Jingming. "No one in the world has ever seen it. Today, I'll let you see."