[System Quest: Intercity Trade Route Unlocked]Quest: Establish a Trade RouteStart: Duskmire PortDestination: Falling Mirror TownTime Limit: 48 hours to complete first trade deliveryObjective: Deliver designated goods (goods change periodically)Rewards: Trade Stall Slot, City Support, Increased Real-World Currency Exchange LimitCurrent Required Items:
Condensed Grass ×30
Flame Ore ×10
Silk Cloth ×5
Jiang Ci scanned the quest description and instantly understood—this was not something an average solo player could complete.
Condensed Grass and Flame Ore came from opposite ecological extremes—one in snowy mountains, the other deep in a volcanic rift.Silk Cloth? A rare dungeon drop.
If he followed the "normal" route like everyone else, there was no way they'd finish in time.
"If I try to brute-force it like others, we're bound to fail."
But a memory flashed across his mind from his past life—
Someone had once completed this exact quest in just four hours, without fighting a single monster.
They didn't battle; they bent the system.They exploited logic, mechanics, and technicalities.
Jiang Ci's eyes lit up.
[New Strategy: When You Can't Fight It, Outsmart It]
The Herb Alliance was on the verge of falling apart.
"Boss, we're not a combat team. This quest is impossible.""Are you sure you're not being too idealistic?""Sunlight Trading already deployed—mounts, escorts, investors backing them..."
Jiang Ci looked at the dozen uneasy faces before him and took a deep breath.
"We're not going to compete on speed—we'll compete on strategy."
He unfurled a hand-drawn map and began pointing to paths.
"We substitute Flame Ore with processed ore dust.Condensed Grass with synthesized potions.As long as the system recognizes equivalent item value, we can bypass dangerous zones."
"Silk Cloth? We'll 'rent' it from local players in Falling Mirror Town.The system only checks our inventory at the point of submission."
Mo Bai's eyes widened.
"You're playing with logic loopholes?"
"Not loopholes," Jiang Ci smiled. "Resource allocation."
"They rely on force. We rely on math."
[Execution: The Trade Route Operation Begins]
They split into three teams:
Team One: Led by Jiang Ci himself, took a hidden trail to avoid monster zones.
Team Two: Led by Mo Bai, negotiated with Falling Mirror players to "rent" rare materials.
Team Three: A negotiation expert handled local NPC merchants, acquiring "substitute" goods to mimic system requirements.
It was a full-scale operation of zero-combat logistics optimization.
The system never explicitly stated players had to personally gather or battle for the items—So Jiang Ci exploited the mechanics with equivalent value submissions and time maximization.
[Lin Wanzhou Appears In-Game]
When the quest progress hit 80%, a black-clad female player blocked their route.
ID: ShadowZhouClass: ObserverGuild: Sunlight Trading – Special Ops Division
Mo Bai tensed, hand on her weapon.
"Hostile presence?"
But Jiang Ci recognized her instantly.
That walk. Those eyes. That calm, analytical voice—Lin Wanzhou had logged in.
"So, you actually bypassed most of the system logic," she said quietly."Now I understand why you refused our offer."
Jiang Ci remained silent.
"Even if you finish the quest," she continued, "Sunlight Trading can still buy out a third of the port's stalls."
"You didn't really win this quest.What you did was force us to pay attention."
Jiang Ci looked her straight in the eyes for the first time.
"If your goal is to control the economy with capital—Then my goal… is to build a road that can't be controlled."
ShadowZhou said nothing, but left a glowing signal marker on his map.
"I respect you. But know this—The central cities aren't a playground for grassroots guilds."
She turned and vanished into the crowd.
"Was she… a real-world official?" one player whispered.
Jiang Ci didn't answer.
"She used to be my friend," he said quietly."She's not anymore."
[Quest Complete]
Two hours before the deadline, Jiang Ci's team delivered the goods.
[Congratulations! Herb Alliance has completed the Cross-City Trade Route Quest]
Rewards:
Port Stall License ×1
Monthly Cashout Limit +$500
City Influence +15
Unlocked: [Trade Route Management Console]
Mo Bai leapt forward and hugged him.
"We actually pulled it off!"
Jiang Ci smiled faintly, watching the system payout roll in.
[Reality · Bank Account Dashboard]
Withdrawal Complete: $106.70 USDCurrent Balance: $128.30Total Monthly Earnings: $187.00Status: Silver-Tier RedeemerEligible: Apply for Real-World Commercial Node (Entry-Level)
Jiang Ci exhaled.
Over a hundred dollars.His first real paycheck.
He opened his laptop, paid his next month's rent ($80), electric bill ($15), and internet ($20).Just over $10 remained.
He stood up and stepped outside.
For the first time, the sky above his cheap apartment didn't feel so heavy.
[End of Chapter 7: A New Storm Begins]
Just before logging out, a new notification popped up.
[Emergency System Notification]Player: Jiang CiReason: Three consecutive successful cross-city free trade missionsStatus: Added to High-Tier WatchlistNew Access Unlocked: [Hidden Mode – Virtual Economic Core: ECHO Protocol]Do you authorize analysis of your trade network?→ [Yes] / [No]
Jiang Ci stared at the blinking prompt.
This was no longer "just playing a game."
He was being pulled into the deepest layers of the system.And behind it all—Real-world rules were starting to move.