Wang Facai said this much and refused to reveal any more. "They arranged for you to face He Qishen as your first opponent, so they'll definitely ensure your safety. The first match will probably be judged by the number of Zerg killed."
"But when they poisoned me, my mother hadn't yet discovered traces of the Divine Ruins Key, right?" Chu Ran keenly sensed something off. If Lin Shenyin married into the Chu Family because He Yi found the Divine Ruins Key, then what about the earlier moles?
And besides...
"Chu Heng faked his death?" Chu Ran looked astonished. "How did he manage that?" Chu Heng was born without spiritual power. Although he had managed the Chu Family's businesses over the years, with Old Master Chu still alive, no one truly obeyed him. Even if he hired someone to rescue him from the research institute, what kind of background would that person have? How did Chu Heng come into contact with them?
"Is the old man from the Chu Family involved with Chu Heng too?" Chu Ran suddenly thought of something.
Wang Facai looked at the Black Divine Stone and remained silent.
Chu Ran was silent as well. This method of turning a blind eye to family ties was somewhat similar to her own.
"Did he marry my mother with ulterior motives?" Chu Ran's thoughts went deeper.
"Stop. Let's end this topic here. If the Central Star hasn't investigated it, I can't answer you either." Wang Facai quickly put an end to the conversation as it veered out of control. If they kept talking, he might have all his secrets exposed.
Chu Ran raised an eyebrow. "I hope our meeting wasn't planned."
Although Wang Facai seemed to have great admiration for Aunt Huang and a good relationship with Chang Han, her initial connection with him was through Dr. Sun's recommendation. And Dr. Sun's suggestion to recommend Wang Facai came after a discussion with Professor Hu.
Sensing Chu Ran's suspicious gaze, Wang Facai sighed, pressed his palms together, and raised them to the sky. "I swear by all my wealth that I will never do anything to harm you."
"Hmm..." Chu Ran mused, staring at him. "To be honest, swearing by all your wealth is much more convincing than swearing by your character."
Wang Facai was speechless. "Alright, hurry back and rest up for tomorrow's match. Choose that black rod as your weapon."
Chu Ran wasn't surprised that there would be spectators. Since betting was open, even if the amount bet on her was pitifully small, the competition still needed to appear fair. Besides, setting bait was meant to draw more attention.
But when she actually entered the StarNet battleground the next day and saw the dense crowd of virtual spectators in the stands, it felt like being surrounded by zombies.
"Why so many people?" Chu Ran swept her gaze over the sea of heads.
"Of course, because the Spiritist Association gave you the best promotional spot!" No.3's excited voice rang in her ear. "Today, everyone who opens StarNet will see your battle poster first."
As he spoke, No.3 projected the promotional poster for Chu Ran to see. In the poster, her brows were indifferent, her pupils tinged with gold, a red cape fluttering behind her. White clouds beneath her feet and a golden rod formed the most solid support, and below were endless Zerg corpses.
Gold and red large characters read: "The deity born from the sea of Zerg corpses will descend today at the Spiritist Tournament preliminaries."
"This poster's downloads and repeat views are far ahead of the rest," No.3 couldn't help but marvel. "It's completely worthy of the three hundred carats you secretly bet."
?
Chu Ran's mouth stiffened, and her voice squeezed through her teeth. "You're monitoring my account?" She hadn't used her own Light Brain to place the bet; she had borrowed Jian's.
No.3's electronic gaze looked at Chu Ran with pity. "I'm the final tally clerk, so of course I know whose account every bet comes from. But you don't need to be ashamed. Betting on yourself is perfectly normal for seeded players. Compared to others, you bet far too little."
No duh. If she had bet ten thousand carats, the total betting amount would have doubled, making it too conspicuous.
"But your scope of duties is quite broad," Chu Ran said.
No.3 puffed out his non-existent chest with pride. "Able people do more work. It shows I'm capable."
Mm. Born to be a workhorse.
Chu Ran quickly grasped the true meaning of those words.
The countdown on the field began. No.3 kept bouncing. "Wishing you a victorious return~"
Chu Ran reached out and pressed the virtual entry button.
A white light flashed, and then she appeared in the center of the arena.
Opposite her, He Qishen had already been standing for a long time, holding a longsword. Seeing Chu Ran appear, he lifted his eyes, his expression indifferent as he stood there without any intention of greeting.
Chu Ran looked around but couldn't see anything unusual.
"Although there are many things I want to know, I doubt you'll tell me." Chu Ran infused her spiritual power into the black rod, watching it gradually grow in her hand. "But I still have to say, I never imagined you'd be my first opponent."
He Qishen remained unmoved, his gaze fixed on the iron door not far away. Once the match started, that door would open, and countless simulated Zerg beasts and Zerg would swarm out. His orders were to force Chu Ran into a god-summoning state.
"Welcome everyone to the Spiritist Tournament preliminaries! Today we'll hold the first match. The contestants are He Qishen, who was once a member of the God Summoning Society, from the Third Prison, and Chu Ran, the legendary hero of the Seventh Sub-Star."
There was an uproar in the stands.
He Qishen's figure seemed to stiffen for a moment, but when looked at again, he resumed his cold, upright posture.
Chu Ran frowned slightly but said nothing.
The audience's emotions, however, peaked instantly.
"How dare they release someone from the God Summoning Society? They're murderers! Send him back to prison!"
"Demon! Everyone in the God Summoning Society is a demon!"
"He should be sentenced to death! Kill him!"
The phrase "kill him" seemed to give the audience an outlet for their emotions. "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!"
Hatred and murderous intent poured down from all directions like a flood, even though everything was virtual and they themselves weren't physically present. But the loathing and hatred were inescapable, present in every part of the air, as if the arena was no longer a battleground but a courtroom.
On the left stood the unforgivable sinner; on the right stood Chu Ran.
This stark contrast quickly seeped into people's consciousness. Someone changed the slogan first: "Chu Ran, kill him!"
"Chu Ran, kill him!"
"Chu Ran, kill him!"
Chu Ran could feel the fervent hope in their voices, just like when the Zerg invaded and people expected her to create a miracle and kill the Zerg. This was the first time she had felt such unparalleled hatred from the populace toward the God Summoning Society.
Shifting her gaze slightly, she saw the person beside her, standing there like an abandoned statue, rigidly rooted in place.
She seemed to have experienced this feeling in a different scene. But back then, it was only a few people, and their disgust had been overwhelming due to their extremely important natural identities.
He Qishen showed no reaction, as if the hatred of thousands meant nothing because they were complete strangers.
The host seemed satisfied with this effect. "I declare the match begin!"