Chapter 334: Robbing the Rich to Help the Poor

The online realm of Grand Theft Auto V revolved around amassing fortune and climbing the ranks through an assortment of "jobs" and missions.

Indeed, characters in this world were bound to a hierarchy of levels, where a higher standing generally promised a vast accumulation of wealth, influence, and weaponry—after all, the System’s version countenanced no alternate accounts.

These tasks could stem from the foundational jobs inherent to the game itself, or they could be custom-made trials devised by the players.

As for Boss Fang, he was currently immersed in one such pursuit: a high-stakes street race.

Before long, Boss Fang outpaced the young Black man and crossed the finish line first; having placed a modest wager beforehand, he walked away with over a thousand dollars in earnings and over a thousand experience points, his exceptional performance swiftly propelling him to level two.

Concurrently, Boss Fang’s own cultivation rose alongside his in-game level, matching the progression pace typical of a standard single-player game; for a casual pastime, it naturally lacked the frenetic, monster-slaying velocity of Legend, where one leveled up without the constant dread of malicious player-killing.

"Just like that, you level up?" Ruan Ning blinked, her eyes wide with astonishment, accustomed as she was to the slaughter of monsters in Legend.

"If you dislike this method, you could always go kill a few police officers," Boss Fang remarked dryly. "Assuming you have no fear of death."

"..." The memory of multiple police cruisers swarming her after she ran someone over left Ruan Ning with a lingering dread, yet a more pressing issue remained. "But what if I don't know how to drive this car?"

Evidently, the others shared her predicament.

"Go play the offline mode then," Boss Fang said, casting a dismissive glance her way. "The characters handed to you there possess at least a modicum of driving skill."

"No!" Liu Ningyun rejected the suggestion outright. "I believe I can find another way. One doesn't truly die in this game anyway, so why not simply practice driving more?"

"Boss, what are you doing?!" Ruan Ning suddenly cried out in alarm; having just completed the racing tutorial, Boss Fang was now driving past a storefront.

Before their eyes, Boss Fang stepped out of the vehicle, strode inside, and drew a pistol, pointing it directly at the clerk.

The clerk, trembling with terror, had already begun scooping up the money.

"???" The spectators gathered behind him exchanged bewildered glances.

"Robbing the rich to relieve the poor," Boss Fang stated with utmost righteousness. "This city is teeming with those who grow wealthy through unvirtuous means. Given the chance, one must naturally rob the rich to aid the poor."

"Does this particular shop truly look so unvirtuous?" Daoist Xi Chi stared at the screen in utter confusion, sensing that something was amiss.

"And Boss, why are you wearing a ski mask?"

They watched as Boss Fang stuffed cash into his pockets while hoisting a bag of money proffered by the clerk, stepping out of the door with immense satisfaction before returning to his car.

Then, everyone watched as Boss Fang deposited the funds directly into his own bank account.

Though the concept of modern banking was foreign to them, they understood the nature of a money plaza well enough.

"Boss, didn't you claim to be robbing the rich to relieve the poor?!" Liu Ningyun instantly exposed the contradiction.

Boss Fang explained smoothly, "I possess a mere few thousand dollars to my name right now. Would you not call me poor? Have you encountered anyone more destitute than me along this entire journey?"

The crowd: "..."

It was an argument absolutely devoid of flaws!

And at that very moment, everyone noticed that Boss Fang had leveled up once more!

"Boss!" Liu Ningyun felt a sudden surge of dread. "This game cannot possibly rely on brigandage and robbery to level up, can it?!"

"Of course not," Fang Qi replied. "This place is akin to an alternate life for an individual. Whether you choose to be a villain or a paragon of virtue, whether you wish to indulge every whim or maintain strict self-discipline—it is entirely your own choice."

"Here, even if you are a renowned savior of the world in reality, you may attempt to be an unmitigated scoundrel in the game, drowning in wine, green lights, and extravagant luxury, living a completely different existence," Fang Qi explained. "When the game concludes, you remain yourself in reality, while everything within the game dissolves into nothingness, like a grand dream of the yellow millet."

"Even performing good deeds yields no karmic merit, and committing evils incurs no sin," Ning Bi remarked, her gaze locked onto the screen. "Who would have thought Grand Theft Auto V would be a game of this nature?"

"Does that not mean this Seat can commit any deed whatsoever within the game?" the Black Demon muttered, his expression laced with eager anticipation.

"If you do not mind being beaten to death by others," Boss Fang replied earnestly.

Fang Qi had just tested the waters, and the virtual reality rendition of GTA5 was conspicuously more demanding than the original version. This difficulty did not stem from an artificial adjustment of stats, but rather from its heightened realism.

For instance, in the original game, a player could sprint effortlessly while carrying a rocket launcher, a sniper rifle, and an entire arsenal.

Yet in this virtual reality, given the current limitations of technology, spatial storage devices were unavailable to them, meaning the sheer weight and transport of weapons and ammunition introduced a myriad of complications.

Furthermore, the fragility of life was far more pronounced than in the original; the absurdity of surviving several bullets directly to the chest without perishing was entirely absent from this virtual reality version.

Compounded by the fact that in the System’s version, ordinary pedestrians possessed intelligence on par with actual humans, the entire game world differed scarcely from a true modern society. Consequently, certain constraints were far more oppressive than those of the original game.

Conversely, players were free to experience anything a city had to offer, unrestricted by the narrow gameplay loops originally dictated to them.

It was equivalent to an authentic, genuine life in a modern metropolis!

Boss Fang drove the vehicle back to their point of origin. "If any of you are intrigued, you may try racing against other players or undertaking different jobs. The methods of making money in the tutorial are merely the simplest and swiftest routes. Of course, if you cannot even manage this... you need not bother thinking about subsequent endeavors."

"I still have little desire to play the offline mode..." Liu Ningyun said, her brow furrowing slightly.

"Pretentious!" Ning Bi appeared far more relaxed and magnanimous as she claimed a vacant seat. "To occasionally experience the life of another—what a splendid opportunity."

"You foreign cultivators simply fret over too many trifles," the Black Demon sneered. "This game has piqued this Seat's interest."

"Uh..." Boss Fang felt a wave of awkwardness. "I must say, it is merely playing a game. Why must you all make such a grand affair out of it?"

Indeed, just as Fang Qi had stated, it was merely a game. Even if some present exhibited a degree of hesitation, they ultimately began to immerse themselves in it.

Their familiarity with the game's controls was understandably lacking, prompting them to begin with the offline mode first. Meanwhile, across the distance in the Jiuhua City shop, the crowd’s reaction was entirely different.

"Boss, the firearms in this shop are exorbitantly expensive! Where must we go to earn money if we wish to purchase them?" Song Qingfeng and his companions sent a message inquiring.

"There are actually so many modern weapons?!" Li Haoran hastily sent a message via QQ to Boss Fang. "Boss, what is the fastest way to make money in this game?"

Su Tianji: "Boss, I want to buy guns! Tell us how to make money immediately!"

"The few of you—you all know how to handle firearms, correct?"

"Boss, are you speaking nonsense? We have played Counter-Strike and Resident Evil for so long."

"Come, come, come. Let us do a few missions. An experienced driver shall lead you to rob the rich and relieve the poor."

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