Chapter 680: Qin An Takes It in Stride
Qin An was in a pretty good mood today.
Although he still couldn't make it to the final circle, he had managed to kill five people today and placed 22nd. The only pity was that during what should have been a 100% successful ambush, his target managed to outplay him.
Qin An felt helpless too. After all, he had spotted the enemy's trail first, but the opponent immediately rolled behind cover, and then the two of them exchanged fire. Qin An lost by a narrow margin.
Otherwise, he could have survived a few more rounds.
But regardless, this was his best result in quite a while, so it was worth celebrating.
Qin An brewed a cup of instant braised beef noodles and even boiled an egg to go with it. Yawning, he scrolled through the latest gaming news.
"Wolf Soul: Modern Battlefield — Micro-Aimbot Programs Run Rampant; Officials Vow Severe Punishment."
"Blaze Assault 2 Sales Thrilling; Players: The Story Is Moving!"
"PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Officials Confirm: 'Cheater Server' Exists; Streamers Like Haimi Proven to Have Used Cheats!"
"Haimi: Will Prove Innocence Offline; Sincerely Invites Clubs and Pro Players to Supervise in Person!"
Qin An was stunned. "Cheater Server?!"
He clicked on the article and read it carefully.
"...So, the account I bought is actually a Cheater Server account?!"
Qin An was a bit dumbfounded.
If he hadn't seen this news, Qin An would probably still be blissfully unaware, happily playing in the so-called "high-level lobbies." But after reading this article and connecting it with his own experiences and the price of his account, he instantly understood—he had been playing on the Cheater Server all along!
No wonder the account was so cheap. So that's how it was...
"Scared me for a second. So all the players in here are using micro-aimbots. I thought I was just really bad."
Qin An let out a long sigh.
This was where Qin An's thinking differed from others. If anyone else had learned this news, they'd be cursing the account seller for being a scammer and fuming over all the suffering they'd endured.
But not Qin An. His first reaction was: So I wasn't getting wrecked because I suck—awesome!
Qin An wasn't upset at all; in fact, he was a little pleasantly surprised. He read the explanation about the Cheater Server more carefully. There were no players using wallhacks or health-locking hacks; everyone could only use micro-aimbots. In other words, everything was still within the realm of the game's mechanics.
Qin An didn't think these micro-aimbot users were that strong either. They just had slightly better aim. It wasn't like they headshot you every single shot. They were more like high-level players with more consistent performance.
"Whatever. Cheater Server it is. I can still play."
Qin An closed that article and moved on to the next one.
If it were any other player, learning this news would probably make them switch accounts. Who in their right mind would want to play with cheaters? And not just one cheater—the entire server was full of them!
Playing in that environment was just asking to be tortured, right?
But Qin An didn't see it that way. On one hand, he had been playing for so long that he was already used to the Cheater Server's pace. On the other hand, he felt it was more challenging and helped him improve faster.
Of course, the most important reason was that he couldn't afford a legitimate account! A real account cost 980, so he had to make do with this Cheater Server account.
"Haimi's offline self-proof? Oh, isn't that the big streamer from Moyu? He was on the Cheater Server too? Whatever, it's none of my business. I'll just be a spectator."
Qin An scrolled through more news. There wasn't much else major. For a long time now, the gaming channels had been flooded with coverage of the three new FPS games.
At first, each game had its own fanbase, but after being on the market for a while, their performances started to diverge.
Blaze Assault 2 was the first to see a decline in sales. After all, it was a single-player game with story as its main selling point. Although it had online features, the multiplayer wasn't particularly mainstream and didn't encourage repeated play.
Of course, Blaze Assault 2 had the highest price tag among the three. It was profitable and had great word-of-mouth, but it just wasn't as explosive as the other two.
Wolf Soul: Modern Battlefield, on the other hand, continued the success of the original Wolf Soul. Its biggest problem right now was cheating, especially micro-aimbots.
At first, many people were skeptical about PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' battle royale mode, thinking its popularity would quickly fade.
After all, there had been plenty of quirky FPS games before, but they mostly remained niche. Once players lost interest, those games slowly faded into obscurity.
But PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds seemed different. Players weren't getting bored; instead, they were getting more addicted!
Moreover, a series of recent events kept fueling the game's popularity, especially the "Cheater Server" incident, which intrigued many players.
And now, all the buzz was centered on "Haimi's Self-Proof" event.
...
After Haimi's extensive efforts, the self-proof event was quickly finalized.
The venue was set at the MG eSports Club in the capital, with brand-new gaming pods. The club's manager, Bai Shunhua, was in charge of the entire process.
The on-site review panel included: several well-known FPS players from MG eSports Club, representatives from domestic clubs like UB, and reputable domestic gaming media.
The event was quite a spectacle. Several domestic streaming platforms and video sites were following the matter closely and had set up dedicated live streams.
And the day before the self-proof, MG Club officially confirmed that Chen Mo would also be present!
Hearing this news, the spectators' excitement reignited!
After all, the people mentioned earlier weren't heavyweight enough. Sure, they were notable figures in the gaming circle, but the official behind PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds was Thunderbolt Interactive.
If Chen Mo didn't show up, what was the point of this self-proof?
Some players also wondered: Since it's a self-proof, why not just do it at Chen Mo's experience store? Why go through all the trouble of inviting so many people and then inviting Chen Mo?
But since Chen Mo was coming, no one complained anymore.
In truth, Haimi had his own reasons. If he went to Chen Mo's store to prove himself, he'd be handing over the final say to Chen Mo. But by doing it at MG Club, the decision rested with all the on-site reviewers. Although Chen Mo's opinion carried weight, it wouldn't be the final word.
Haimi was confident in his skills. He also wanted to take this opportunity to gather all these professionals from various clubs. If he could successfully prove himself, it would settle the matter once and for all.
In muddy waters, it's easier to fish.