Chapter 3123: A Good Birth Is Also a Good Talent
The middle-aged man shot a sharp glance at Li De before turning back to Xu Huo. "Many members of the Field family have received guidance from Mr. Carmen. Naturally, the elders in the family have also accumulated considerable experience. Some of them were once Mr. Carmen's guides. Since the Field family has publicly displayed Mr. Carmen's relics, they naturally won't begrudge a little help. Allowing more players to benefit from them is also the family's hope."
Xu Huo tentatively accepted his explanation and nodded. "Thank you. If there's a need, I will certainly speak up."
The middle-aged man said nothing more. Geniuses were rare, but no genius would want to miss out on the true legacy left by Carmen Field. So he wasn't in a hurry. Xu Huo would eventually make that request.
"The luncheon is about to begin. You all might as well rest for a while. Other matters can be set aside for now." He turned and left, calling Sen Sen away with him.
Since the host had left, Xu Huo and the others naturally couldn't remain in Mr. Carmen's room any longer. They returned to their previous resting area.
The formal attire for the banquet had already been delivered. After changing into the finely crafted clothes, everyone looked much more spirited.
"You really need to be rich," one player said, rubbing his sleeve. "It shows just how hard my life was before."
An A-level player was never truly destitute, but naturally, there were plenty of places to spend money. Ordinary items were beneath them; they had to buy better ones. Standard evolution potions were of little use; they had to seek out superior ones. Not to mention upgrading other carried equipment, especially considering the possibility of being restricted by spatial instruments—that required even more resources.
Planning to settle in a better district and saving up a pension fund to prepare for future degeneration were also on the agenda. That was why many players weren't exactly flush with cash. Otherwise, the players from District 025 wouldn't have risked everything for retirement benefits.
"Don't you have family support?" Li De asked curiously.
Once your strength improved, even if no other factions tried to curry favor, your own family or close associates would certainly support you. An A-level player, unless they were in a district with a high level of evolution, could easily succeed in business or politics. How could they be short of money?
The others had nothing to say. Not everyone could find a player family like the Field family to back them. Even the money most people could offer to curry favor was very limited. How much did a good A-level item cost?
Not everyone was a billionaire.
"Compared to good items and good instruments, A-level players should be more worried about degeneration," another player said. "I've been gathering potions to slow down degeneration lately. Mass-produced ones are of little use. Customized single-person potions cost a fortune. And for the best effect, you have to start preparing early. Otherwise, by the time degeneration begins, it's too late to take the medicine in time."
"I wonder if the Field family has any good potions," said Cui Tan.
Li De snorted. "Even if they do, do you think they'll give them to us for free? Customized potions based on individual conditions require knowing the player's genetic makeup. If you reveal everything about yourself, and someone wants to tamper with it..."
That was naturally a concern for the other players as well. After all, they were all A-level players with bright futures ahead. It wasn't worth capsizing in a ditch.
"It's better to customize through the game platform and order from the Game Government," Cui Tan said. "The Game Government serves a huge number of players. An A-level player should be inconspicuous."
That was a matter of opinion.
"Mr. Xu has extraordinary talent, but we've never heard of you before," the topic turned to Xu Huo. "You must be at the top of your wormhole point's rankings."
"I haven't paid much attention to it," Xu Huo said. "Aren't the rankings based on clearance ratings and the number of clearances? It shouldn't have anything to do with evolution level."
"That's true, but most of those at the top of the rankings have undergone secondary evolution. Generally, the higher the evolution level, the closer the ranking, because Super Evolvers have a higher survival rate than ordinary players."
If you can't survive, there's no point talking about rankings. The people on the leaderboards change frequently. So the more prestigious the list, the more Super Evolvers it contains.
The others were just trying to get a rough idea of Xu Huo's background. Seeing that he had no intention of revealing it, they dropped the subject.
They noticed that Xu Huo lacked the arrogance and refinement typical of players from "historically established" families, so they guessed his family background was probably ordinary. But background was background. With his talent, he certainly wouldn't lack investors. Seeing another powerhouse on the rise, he might even elevate an entire district. The evolution level and civilized order of a district directly affected the quality of life for all players within it. If a strong player was in charge and the district's rules were relatively reasonable, it could be a livable place.
It was really not easy for players from later wormhole points to settle down in A-level wormhole points.
The topics were all touched upon lightly. Soon, Sen Sen personally came to take them to the luncheon.
The people attending the luncheon were members of the Field family specifically responsible for external relations. There were men and women, mostly some celebrities. You could find news about them on the Message Collection Terminal. Of course, not major reports, but more trivial bits—like being close to so-and-so from such-and-such family, or participating in some negotiation that might lead to business changes...
The main person in charge of entertaining them was an elderly woman. She was very approachable. "Most of the family's decision-makers are tied up and won't be able to arrive until the evening. I hope Mr. Xu won't think the Field family's hospitality is lacking."
"You're too kind." Xu Huo took his seat under her guidance.
The twenty-meter-long dining table was soon filled. Thirteen players from other districts and eleven members of the Field family. Most of them were somewhat older. They hadn't deliberately brought in the family's younger generation to cater to Xu Huo. The only one close to their age was Sen Sen, who had been in contact with them from the start. The middle-aged man from earlier was nowhere to be seen.
However, Xu Huo knew there were far more people in the manor than these. Last night, when he tested his spatial power, he realized that the truly important Field members were those players operating in the shadows. Even now, these people were scattered in different residences within the manor, strictly controlling everything inside.
There were naturally plenty of people outside the dining room as well.
Apart from the discomfort of being constantly watched, everyone could understand. After all, they were entertaining a group of strangers.
"Mr. Xu looks very young. You're not even thirty yet, are you?" Ms. Ryan looked at him kindly. "You're even younger than my grandson. It's a pity that none of my younger generation has talent like yours."
"Being born into the Field family is also a kind of talent, isn't it?" Xu Huo said with a slight smile.