Chapter 787: Conversation
(To be revised later) If she were an ordinary painter, absolutely no one would pay this much attention to her after the player process began. But her paintings could bring inner peace to players, and plenty of people wanted to buy information about her. She was kidnapped almost once a month. There were also those who proposed marriage, wanting her only as the family's mascot, requiring just one painting a year.
The marriage matter never succeeded, because half a month after such a condition was proposed, the person involved was assassinated—some players who were mentally dependent on Jiang Jiang had a peculiar possessiveness toward her.
This wasn't an isolated case. Subsequent players who proposed similar conditions were assassinated to the point they had to flee into instances. There were quite a few players openly surrounding Jiang Jiang, but even more seemed to be lurking in the shadows. They weren't controlled by anyone, acting entirely on their own to clear obstacles around her—because given Jiang Jiang's status and abilities, it was hard for her to refuse others' threats, so these suitors were seen as obstacles that needed to be eliminated.
In general, this behavior was like a large-scale brainwashing cult, though this one was more sophisticated. It didn't require Jiang Jiang, as the "goddess," to say or hint at anything. The followers would be as devout as pilgrims, and there were even urban legends about people taking pride in protecting Jiang Jiang from the shadows.
"...I don't want to go out today. Let's have braised beef for lunch. Haven't had it in a long time." The protagonist capable of stirring up a small player storm was currently discussing the lunch menu with someone, while also complaining about the side dishes from the last time they had the same food.
Song Xu, the bodyguard and nanny, noted everything down. "I'll go pick out the ingredients myself later."
Bian Yongyi, who had long lost any room to speak, instinctively glanced at Xu Huo. Even a rich second-generation heir wouldn't be this extravagant with meals.
Xu Huo showed no reaction and even expressed a desire for vegetable soup.
Song Xu stared at him darkly for a few seconds, then added vegetable soup to the menu.
Bian Yongyi secretly gave Xu Huo a thumbs-up.
After breakfast, Song Xu went out to buy groceries. Before leaving, he specifically told the other bodyguards to stay glued to Jiang Jiang's side at all times, to prevent anyone with ill intentions from harming her.
Bian Yongyi felt unprecedented pressure, because even when he went to the bathroom alone, someone followed him.
Xu Huo was invited to Jiang Jiang's studio.
Most of the paintings in the studio were covered with cloth. Jiang Jiang said, "These are all unfinished."
"That's quite a lot. Why not finish them? No inspiration?" Xu Huo gave a rough count—nearly thirty paintings.
"Once a painting is finished, it gets taken away to be sold," Jiang Jiang said. "I don't like that."
"No one in Zone 009 should be able to force you, right?"
"But the people who come to buy paintings all have their own difficulties." Jiang Jiang smiled. "They suffer in the game too, and many of them have contributed to Zone 009. I can't just ignore them completely."
"I can only do this small thing... but painting every day is indeed exhausting, and some paintings aren't suitable for others to see."
As she spoke, she lifted the cloth covering the easel in the center of the studio. This one was clearly a work in progress—only a layer of black paint had been applied, barely outlining a human silhouette, with nothing else.
"This is my self-portrait." Jiang Jiang reached out and touched the figure in the painting. "I put all the good parts into the paintings I sell, so I can only keep the bad parts for myself."
"Everyone has a dark side."
She turned around, smiling at Xu Huo. "You don't think I'm overrated, do you?"
"No, I'm not your fan." Xu Huo said flatly. "Besides, as I said, I have no appreciation for art."
Jiang Jiang let out a low laugh. "This is the first time I've met someone who doesn't react to my paintings. Aside from players, many ordinary people also say they can see something in them, though I don't know what they see."
Xu Huo's gaze shifted to the other covered paintings. "Can I look at these?"
Jiang Jiang shook her head. "Unfinished paintings can't be viewed."
"How about I paint a picture of you?" she suddenly suggested.
Xu Huo narrowed his eyes, walked over to her side, and stopped her from picking up the brush. Smiling, he said, "I noticed you have a strange kind of flower growing in your yard."
"Oh, you mean those purplish-red ones. Those are Wormhole Flowers." Jiang Jiang put down the brush, walked to the window, and pulled open the curtain. "They were all gifts. Apparently, they're a plant that can show the level of evolution in a game zone. The more red there is, the deeper the evolution in Zone 009. Haven't you seen them before?"
"No." Xu Huo's expression didn't change. "I was just curious why they're called Wormhole Flowers."
Jiang Jiang laughed. "What else would you call them? It's just a name. Besides, every game zone under a major wormhole point draws energy from that wormhole point to evolve. Wormhole Flowers are very indicative and convenient—one look tells you what stage of evolution a game zone is in."
"Once, a player told me a joke. He said that after one game zone learned about Wormhole Flowers, to prevent other zones from knowing their strength, they massively poisoned all the flowering plants. In the end, the soil and groundwater got contaminated, and a large number of ordinary people in the zone fell ill."
"An entire game zone full of people, all that stupid. Whether they could win or not, others could just try it out, or simply bring a pot of the flower over."
"It could also have been a large-scale poisoning incident," Xu Huo interjected. "If a large number of ordinary people die, the foundation for nurturing players is destroyed. The fewer players there are, the weaker the zone. Players who have already become players might leave due to their homeland's poverty and war, while newly evolved individuals might not survive to grow up due to a lack of protection and guidance from their predecessors."
"In that case, destroying or swallowing up a game zone is just a matter of time."
Jiang Jiang stared at him for a long moment before saying, "Is the truth really that cruel? I'd rather it were just a joke."
"Precisely because the truth is cruel, so many people seek peace of mind in your paintings." Xu Huo smiled at her. "From this perspective, no matter which zone you go to, you'd be treated as an honored guest. Interested in becoming a player?"
Jiang Jiang gave a wry smile. "Zone 009 already tested me. My constitution isn't suitable for becoming a player. Besides, this world is too cruel to players. I'd rather be an ordinary person and paint every day. That's fine too."
Xu Huo's smile faded slightly. "There's nothing wrong with that way of thinking."
"You're quite impressive," Jiang Jiang turned the topic back to him. "Do you like the game?"
* * *
"What do you think?" Xu Huo tossed the question back.
"Fifty-fifty." Jiang Jiang lowered her head. "I can tell you're a very kind person. But some people also enjoy the thrill and danger of the game. Regardless of their nature, people will rush forward with all kinds of motives. As for you... are you the type who would sacrifice yourself for family and friends?"