When a person stuck their hand into the small hole on the mechanical pillar, an electronic bracelet would instantly materialize on their wrist, forcibly binding their identity information to it.
Seeing how massive the line was, Long Ming settled in for the wait.
Just then, he overheard the two men in front of him complaining.
"Damn, look at all these people. Sun Yan, how long is this going to take?"
"Just be glad. We waste a little time in line, but at least we get a bracelet. People in the smaller Sanctuary Cities either have to wait for us to finish and then apply to Mountain City Mountain for theirs, or they have to risk going into the wilds to get one."
Sun Yan explained to Wu Qi.
"Fair enough. By the way, what are you planning to do after you get your bracelet?"
"What else? Get the stuff out of my warehouse, of course. Don’t you get it? All those items are real now!"
"Right! Aren’t you with one of the merchant groups? You must know what’s valuable now."
Wu Qi asked, his eyes lighting up.
Hearing their conversation, Long Ming’s interest was piqued.
"Of course. Let me tell you, basically all the in-game items have skyrocketed in price. Anyone who was hoarding has struck it rich. But there’s one thing, and only one, whose value has plummeted."
Sun Yan said with a wide grin, leaving him hanging.
"What is it? Is it the vendor trash?"
"No, most items with a quality rating have gone up in value, especially jewelry! Think about it. A red-quality gem was originally worth, what, 1,000,000 Wei Coins? That converts to a little over 60,000 Mountain Coins. But just imagine how much that gem is worth out here! It’s a huge, flawless gemstone—a true luxury item!"
"Holy shit, I’m kicking myself for not buying some. If I’d known, I would’ve sold everything I had to get my hands on them."
"Forget about it. Practically everyone sold theirs back to the Shop."
"Makes sense. Are you talking about weapons and ammo, then?"
Wu Qi asked curiously.
"Nope. With weapons and ammo, only the special types have seen a huge price jump, but you’re not losing anything by bringing them over. After all, weapons and ammunition are controlled goods out here. It’s not like you can just go out and buy them."
"Then what was a total bust?"
"I’ll tell you: food and water! That category is also in short supply out here, but we’re not desperate for it yet. In the game, however, everyone needed food and water to run dungeons, so the prices were pretty high."
Sun Yan said with a chuckle.
"Makes sense. Anyone who hoarded that stuff is going to lose their shirt."
"Exactly. That’s why I chose to hoard cheap stuff like cigarettes. Now, they’ve gone through the roof!"
"Holy shit, that’s brilliant!"
Wu Qi replied, his voice thick with envy.
Hearing this, Long Ming quickly pulled out his phone to check the current price fluctuations in Civilization Paradise.
Even though he hadn’t gotten his bracelet yet, many others had, and the market was already starting to fluctuate wildly.
Soon, Long Ming found a few posts on his phone related to pharmaceuticals.
However, these posts unanimously stated that the price increase for pharmaceuticals was less than ideal.
This made Long Ming frown, and a sense of dread washed over him.
He then tuned into a live stream hosted by a streamer named Kassans.
This Kassans was a professional merchant, and he was currently live-streaming an analysis of the Civilization Paradise market.
"That concludes my analysis of weapons and ammunition. For the most part, people who hoarded those won’t lose out, but you can’t say they made a huge profit, either. Next, we’ll analyze the pharmaceuticals sector. First off, prices in this category have seen almost no fluctuation."
The moment he said that, Long Ming’s heart sank, but he quickly composed himself and continued to listen to the streamer’s analysis.
"Of course, I’m speaking in general terms. For medications like painkillers, we have those in the real world, so there won’t be major fluctuations. However, special types of pharmaceuticals have skyrocketed. For example, Genetic Potions. But that type of potion has a price but no market, as all the ones produced so far have side effects. Then there are the rapid-recovery potions. If I remember correctly, at their lowest point, these potions went for around 7,000 Wei Coins, which is less than 50 Mountain Coins. But just think, in the real world, how much would a potion that can instantly heal your wounds be worth?"
"Holy shit! So anyone who hoarded those must have struck it rich!"
"Damn, if only I’d known, I would have hoarded some too."
...
Countless comments flooded the screen.
Just then, Kassans spoke up.
"However, there’s no set price for these rapid-recovery potions right now. The stock in the Shop has been completely wiped out, and the supplies held by the merchant groups have all been claimed by the major guilds."
"Damn it! Which sleazy merchant hoarded them all?"
"So shameless."
...
The viewers spammed the chat angrily.
Hearing this, Long Ming silently lowered his head. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions.
Kassans’ analysis was spot-on. The value of rapid-recovery potions had indeed skyrocketed.
Back in the game, people were reluctant to use potions. If you died, you died; it was no big deal, you could just respawn.
But if you died now, it was a real-life game over.
Time trickled by.
More than ten hours passed in a flash. Long Ming simply sat on the ground and waited patiently.
It still wasn’t his turn, but he had made it near the front of the line. He just had to hold on a little longer, and he’d be up soon.
Just then, a burly, scar-faced man walked up to a stern-looking administrator in his forties with graying hair at the temples.
"Name."
The administrator, Xiao Sui, glanced at the man and asked coldly.
"Shi Zhuang. This is my ID card!"
Shi Zhuang handed over the ID card.
Xiao Sui glanced at the ID card, then at Shi Zhuang’s face. After confirming they matched, he placed the card on the reader.
Shi Zhuang’s file appeared on the computer screen in front of him.
When he saw Shi Zhuang’s file noted his violent tendencies and a record of a two-year, three-month prison sentence for assault, he spoke coldly.
"Your information isn’t in the system. You are not eligible for a bracelet."
"Bullshit! They can get one, so why can’t I?"
Shi Zhuang erupted in anger.
"Shut up! I said you’re not eligible, and that’s final. Take him away!"
Xiao Sui ordered without a shred of courtesy.
Two soldiers moved in, grabbed him, and forcibly dragged him away.
Shi Zhuang cursed the entire way.
"I’m gonna report every last one of you!"
...
"Next."
Xiao Sui called out coldly.
A scrawny man with dark skin and sallow teeth ambled up to Xiao Sui with a smile.
"Sir, I’m here to get my bracelet. This is my ID card."
Xiao Sui took the ID card, read it, then narrowed his eyes and glanced at the soldier standing nearby.
The soldier understood immediately, stepping forward and seizing the man.
"What are you grabbing me for?"
The man was completely flabbergasted.
"A wanted fugitive dares to show up here. Did you really think we wouldn’t notice you’re using a stolen ID? Take him away!"
Xiao Sui ordered without a shred of courtesy.
Watching this from a distance, Long Ming’s heart sank to his stomach. The screening process was incredibly strict. He had already lost count of how many people had failed to get a bracelet, and this case was even more extreme—the man was arrested on the spot.
For a moment, he began to worry. ’This is getting serious.’
"Sir, my name is Tao Mu. This is my ID card."
Xiao Sui scanned Tao Mu’s ID card, looked at the information, and asked.
"You’re with the Nightfall Commerce?"
"Yes!"
Tao Mu replied with a cheerful smile.
"Please follow NCO Zhou Xin to the back. Our commanding officer wants to see you."
Xiao Sui handed the ID card back to Tao Mu.
"Huh? I haven’t committed any crime, have I?"
Tao Mu asked worriedly.
"Relax. Our commanding officer just wants to discuss something with you."
Xiao Sui said in a placating tone.
"Alright."
Tao Mu had no choice but to follow the NCO who was standing nearby.
Seeing Tao Mu being led away made Long Ming feel even more uneasy.
「Several hours later.」
It was finally Long Ming’s turn.
"Name."
Xiao Sui glanced at Long Ming and asked coldly.
"Long Ming. This is my ID card."
Xiao Sui took the ID card and placed it on the scanner.
He looked at the information displayed on the computer screen, then spoke.
"You’re a member of the Star Wish Guild’s Fifth Rat Group?"
"Yes."
Long Ming replied, slightly taken aback.
"Wait here for a moment."
Xiao Sui said to Long Ming.
Long Ming’s heart sank. ’Don’t tell me there’s a problem...’