Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes

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The baby, Sanhua, who was lying on her belly, was struck dumb, and her squinted eyes suddenly widened.

Is this really something a human being can say?

I, a fox, am a canine, but you are a real dog, wow.

But in order to accomplish the grand plan!

Sanhua's eyes suddenly hardened, and with a leap, she landed on the boat, grabbed an oar even larger than herself, and began rowing wildly once more.

Soft, non-glaring light shone down, the small boat pushed through the shimmering waves, the banks were shaded by green trees, and flocks of birds and animals roamed around, it was not like the underworld at all, but rather had a tranquility like a paradise.

Half an hour later.

When the small boat docked, Sanhua was exhausted and collapsed on the boat, her tongue hanging out and drool dripping all over the ground, as if she had been played with to death.

"Well done."

Dongshan casually condensed a drop of spiritual liquid and flicked it into Sanhua's mouth. The latter's eyes immediately lit up, and she sat up upright, fully revived, trying her best to regain her elegant appearance.

Stop teasing it, Dongshan returned to reality, and came out of the bathroom.

"Brother, how long are we going to stay in Hokkaido?" Higashiyama asked sullenly as he lay on the bed, typing as he spoke.

"At least two or three months."

"Have you been staying here for so long?"

"I'm moving tomorrow; I've rented a place outside."

Upon hearing that he wouldn't be able to return to Tokyo for two or three months, Higashiyama Doku felt as if he had eaten a bitter melon stuffed with green peppers.

His sadness was palpable.

“If flights resume to normal, you can go to Nagoya,” Higashiyama Shin said calmly.

"Am I the only one?" Higashiyama's eyes lit up, then he became uncertain. "Can...can I get on the plane?"

"You just need to be 12 years old, are you afraid?"

"Of course I dare! Of course I dare!"

After their pre-sleep chat, Higashiyama tossed and turned in bed, his mind already starting to plan his trip to Nagoya a month from now.

He had been to this place several times and was quite familiar with it.

In the darkness, Shinichi Higashiyama looked at the virtual screen and reviewed the game system update information once more.

Although it's in an update state, the store is still open.

He has accumulated quite a few points, so he casually bought "Peach Blossom Village," a book he had been wanting to read for a long time.

[Special game, "Peach Blossom Village," has been purchased.]

[Due to system updates, the game is temporarily unavailable to other players and is only available for your use.]

[This game can be set as a regular open game. As the number of official players increases, there is a chance that rich gameplay elements such as ruins, puzzles, and treasures will appear.]

I initially thought it was just a system similar to a homestead, but based on this information, it's at least not entirely like that.

Let's go in and take a look.

Players, please enter: End of Volume

"Hayato's physical condition is incredible—of course, he is an extraordinary being, so it's not surprising that these things happen to his body."

"We can guarantee that apart from drawing some blood as a sample, everything was a normal medical procedure and there was no overstepping of boundaries. All of this is documented and can be verified."

"These past few days, the medical expert team has been working tirelessly to help him wake up as soon as possible."

"Alright." Muramasa Taki interrupted Leon, who was talking at length about the many hardships he had endured. "I can feel your sincerity."

“It’s our honor, after all, we would like to have another extraordinary being join us. But rest assured, according to the agreement, I certainly did not coerce him to join, nor could I coerce an extraordinary being with terrifying speed.” Leon smiled brightly.

Taki shook his head slightly: "You have already investigated his situation thoroughly and know that he cannot refuse that condition."

"But that was his choice, and I'm no exception. I'm only cooperating with you for the sake of profit."

Leon raised an eyebrow after hearing the first half of the sentence and was about to defend himself, but after hearing the second half, he swallowed his words in relief.

"I know you tricked him into revealing a lot of information, hoping to use it to verify something with me."

Muramasa Taki stared intently at him.

The atmosphere around us unconsciously became serious.

Leon's smile slowly faded; he had a premonition that Muramasa Taki's next words would be very important.

“I know you already had a plan in mind, and you only came to me to increase that last 10% or 5% accuracy rate.”

Muramasa Takii chose to release this information, which was almost confirmed by the Extraordinary Measures Department, as a sign of sincerity.

“Your guess is correct. We do need more help to deal with the increasing number of demons that may appear in the future. So I don’t intend to beat around the bush. We should establish a more trusting model.”

"Yes."

You may call us extraordinary, or...

"Player."

[End of this volume]

I might take the day off tomorrow.

Chapter 258: The Land of Peach Blossoms

You have entered "Peach Blossom Village"

The white light before his eyes gradually dissipated, and Higashiyama Shin found himself surrounded by clouds and mist.

As he arrived, the surrounding clouds and mist automatically dispersed, slowly revealing their true form.

"This place is neither a paradise nor a village."

He looked around and made his comments.

It was nighttime, and he stood on a low hill.

Behind them, a towering lighthouse cast its cool light in place of the moon, illuminating a limited area around them.

However, even without the lighthouse, he would still be able to see at night.

As far as the eye could see, there was an extremely ordinary hilly plain, with sparse, withered grass spread out, and some trees whose names I did not know standing in the distance, their bare appearance resembling the tops of a middle-aged programmer's head.

Further away, a thick fog enveloped the area, resembling a gray-white city wall.

Even the sky was shrouded in mist, and the overall observable area was about the size of an upside-down bowl. The lighthouse behind him should be the center.

Below the hills lies a flat plain, dotted with dilapidated wooden houses and earthen walls covered in moss.

[Peach Blossom Village Main Quest Unlocked: Restoring Life]

[You are the newly appointed village chief of Peach Blossom Village. Please guide your villagers to plant organic crops, harvest them in a timely manner, and offer them to the "withered branches" to revive the vitality of Peach Blossom Village.]

As the village chief, plants grown within your designated area will receive a 20% bonus to growth rate.

Higashiyama Shin raised an eyebrow, having roughly guessed what was going on.

What is a broken branch?

The very source of life in Peach Blossom Spring was the withering of the ancient Peach Blossom Tree, which led to the village's decline and destruction. The remaining branches are the last remnants of the ancient tree; they require sufficient life force to irrigate them and allow them to regrow.

The explanation is fairly clear; it's not particularly riddle-like.

Where do plant seeds come from?

[Can be redeemed with points]

Is there a reward for donating to "broken branches"?

[You can earn points and contribution points]

Got it, it's a reskin of Happy Farm.

This Haki system of yours, it wasn't distributed by Tencent, was it? It's always something copied from here and there.

Dongshan Shen's lips twitched. To confirm further, he continued to ask, "If a player's plant matures but isn't harvested in time, can other players steal it?"

This behavior is unrestricted; whoever contributes the finished product will receive the points and contribution value. Plants will wither if not harvested within 12 hours of maturity. As the village chief, you may supplement the rules as appropriate.

“Then let’s add a rule: each theft cannot exceed 10% of the mature crop in that batch.” Dongshan Shen put on the role of the village chief and showed great mercy.

It would take at least ten players to steal everything.

If a player can be stolen by ten other players, then that player should reflect on their own actions and do something about it.

Have you been taking good care of the fields? Or have you been slacking off?

Why steal from you and not others?

Wait, something's not right! There's a key point!

Higashiyama Shin then asked, "As the village chief, I have a lot of authority, right? Can I set more rules?"

As long as the underlying logic is not violated, reasonable rules can be effective.

What is the underlying logic here?

The Basic Rules of Peach Blossom Village:

1. Areas shrouded in fog cannot be explored.

2. Unconventional modes of transportation such as flying and burrowing underground are prohibited.

3. All player abilities will be compressed to conform to the normal logic within the village.

4. Maliciously damaging the environment and wasting resources are prohibited. The harvesting of natural resources is permitted only for necessary construction purposes.

5. Crops may only be harvested, not maliciously destroyed.

6. Players cannot inflict fatal damage on each other.

7. Natural laws cannot be modified (e.g., the speed at which crops mature, the inability to turn rice into wheat, or wood into stone).

Higashiyama Shin quickly scanned the list; these underlying logics did not conflict with what he wanted: "Okay, I'll set two rules. First, only I have the right to buy seeds and offer crops to the 'remaining branches'."

In this way, other players can neither use points to directly buy seeds from the system, nor can they offer their harvest in exchange for points.

All channels must go through him as an intermediary.

He plucks feathers from passing geese, a local tyrant.

Yes, he wants to be a middleman.

Farming? Farm my ass!

He's going to levy an agricultural tax on the players!

Where do lords personally farm? Even with the so-called 20% growth bonus, it's nothing compared to sitting back and collecting money. But if you don't have to farm yourself...

This system is the only one that doesn't complain; otherwise, people would at least call it a beast.

"Secondly, I can designate a creature and grant it the position of deputy to the village chief, which only grants it the authority to exchange seeds, offer crops, and cultivate and harvest."

That's right, he even outsourced the tax collection to himself.

[The rule has been approved and is now officially in effect according to the rule record.]

After seeing the rules approved, Higashiyama Shinichi closed his eyes and delved into his mind.

He discovered upon entering this paradise village that, unlike in typical games, he could retain many abilities and items.

The Soul-Gathering Umbrella is one of them.

He took out the Soul-Gathering Umbrella and reached inside.

"Hey!"

The calico fox was pulled out by the scruff of its neck, looking completely bewildered.

It seems that it is indeed possible.

He casually tossed the ball of fur onto the withered grass at his feet, opened the exclusive exchange list for Peach Blossom Village, and used a few points to exchange for the cheapest and roughest iron hoe, which he then threw in front of Sanhua with a clatter.