The forum was debating whether Bai Liu's strategy had been good or not, but Wang Shun had already expected this reaction.
Bai Liu's previous performance had been too stunning, and the amount of points he received from charging had been too high. The total had surpassed 500 points. The previous record holder for Siren Town, Mu Sicheng, had received over 1,000 points from charging. For a pure newcomer, earning more than 500 points was already extremely impressive.
Being too eye-catching would inevitably attract envy.
Other players entered Siren Town and struggled through it in constant fear. After deducting the cost of their items, they barely earned one or two hundred points. Meanwhile, Bai Liu could spend only dozens of points on items, deal with monsters with apparent ease, and earn several hundred points in return.
Both the spectacle and the cost-effectiveness of his speech were astonishing. If nothing else, Wang Shun was certain that Bai Liu would eventually enter the overall rankings.
Still, he couldn't help wondering what Bai Liu planned to do with the remaining barrels of alcohol. Wang Shun believed Bai Liu was the type of player who wouldn't waste a single point. Leaving five barrels of alcohol unused while buying a Water Bubble didn't fit his style.
According to the game's progression, the player was about to go ashore. There were mermaid statues on land, and they couldn't be burned with alcohol at all. Moreover, the light produced by burning alcohol wasn't strong enough to reach the level that the mermaid statues feared.
Wang Shun frowned, deep in thought.
The single-player zone where Bai Liu was now located was much larger than the dark corner of the Death Comedy Division. If the Death Comedy area resembled a shabby 1980s video hall, this place was more like a clean, modern game arcade. Small TVs were neatly arranged throughout the zone.
Bai Liu's screen was in the "Recommended" area.
The system's recommendation section was located right at the entrance of the single-player zone. The foot traffic here was excellent, and the requirements for entry were relatively loose. A player only needed to gain 2,000 likes within one minute to enter. However, because of this, it was an intensely competitive spot.
Typically, veteran players with established fan bases would rely on their accumulated followers from previous games to quickly gather 2,000 likes and secure this promotional position. It was considered a standard springboard: high visibility, prime location, and manageable entry conditions. As long as a player performed well here, they could advance to even higher promotion tiers. In other words, it was a battleground.
This position was usually dominated by experienced players leveraging their fan bases. Many mid- and low-level players fought fiercely for the chance to enter it. Very few newcomers ever made it here.
Bai Liu's rise to this position as a newcomer caused considerable controversy and drew many curious onlookers. Combined with the heated arguments on the forum about his strategy, more and more people came to watch this "newcomer with a strange brain circuit."
As Wang Shun pondered, the crowd behind him grew denser.
The viewing area inside each player's small TV appeared limited from the outside, but once inside, it expanded into an infinitely large space capable of accommodating thousands of spectators.
A dense crowd gathered in front of Bai Liu's screen, whispering among themselves.
"Isn't the system recommendation area supposed to be a battlefield? I heard there's always a bloody struggle before it opens. Why is there a newcomer here?"
"Hiss—the data on this newcomer is pretty impressive. A pure rookie playing this well… No wonder the system pushed him up."
"But if this newcomer took the spot, then whoever was here before must've been pushed down. I remember the last batch of recommended players was insane. Wasn't there one who killed for show effects? Who did Bai Liu squeeze out?"
"Let me check… fuck! He pushed down Brother Gou!"
"Fuck! This newcomer is doomed!"
"I saw on the forum that Brother Gou already cleared his game. He must know by now that he's been knocked out of the promotion spot. I'm lighting a candle for this newcomer."
At that moment, a man over two meters tall with a long scar across his right eye entered the area.
His face was thick with flesh, his cheeks heavy and layered. His teeth were clenched, and he looked like a savage Shar Pei about to bite. His upper body was broad and bulky, and a machete as wide as two palms was strapped to his back with a black steel-studded belt.
Several viewers subtly stepped aside.
This was Brother Gou.
Rumor had it that in his last multiplayer game, he had killed his own teammates and looted them before clearing the level—all for the sake of showmanship.
After killing them, he had skinned their corpses for dramatic effect. Quite a few perverted spectators enjoyed such bloody scenes. It was said that Brother Gou had likely had blood on his hands even before entering the game. His movements were precise and practiced—almost elegant in the eyes of those who enjoyed brutality.
Brother Gou walked up to Wang Shun. His left eye flicked toward him, and Wang Shun felt a chill run down his spine. He wisely stepped aside, giving up the best viewing position.
Brother Gou immediately sat down cross-legged on the floor and grinned viciously at the screen.
"I want to see which little rabbit stole my spot," he sneered. "I'll follow him into his next game and see just how capable he really is."
The crowd that had been whispering fell silent.
Bai Liu might have reached this position through his own ability, but he had provoked the ruthless Brother Gou. Even if he survived this game, surviving the next one would be another matter. In his last game, Brother Gou had killed his teammates and looted over 36,000 points and several valuable items. His wealth alone was something Bai Liu couldn't compete with.
Wang Shun frowned and opened his game manager interface. Using his skill, he pulled up Brother Gou's information.
[Player Name: Li Gou]
[Occupation before entering the game: Butcher]
[Reason for entering the game: Imprisoned for the brutal rape and murder of a female high school student who had bought meat from him one afternoon. During the trial, an intense desire to survive was triggered, and he entered the game.]
[Core Wish: To be released from prison and retaliate against those who accused him. He has formulated a revenge plan and intends to accumulate enough points to secure his release before setting a fire to kill the family of the female high school student who testified against him.]
[Recommended Store Items for Fulfilling Wish:— Crime Erasing Cream (can alter one's face, allowing those sentenced to death to live a brand-new life with a brand-new identity. One bottle lasts 10 years. Price: 12,000 points.)— Seamless Arson Match (lighting a single match will cause a fire officially ruled as an accident. Remember—it's an accident~ It has nothing to do with you. Price: 21,000 points per stick.)]
A detailed criminal record of Li Gou was attached below the profile.
Wang Shun hesitated for a moment before clicking on it.
Li Gou's criminal record was for raping and killing a female high school student in a small alley.
The female high school student was in her third year of high school. She was on a break from school and went to buy meat to help her parents, who were cooking. In the end, she was raped by the malicious Li Gou. Since she resisted fiercely, he became angry and chopped off the girl's hand with a knife. The girl bled to death in the process.
Li Gou didn't want to be discovered, so he chopped off the girl's hands and feet, selling her meat as pork.
The girl's parents thought their daughter was tired from studying and went for a walk when she didn't return from buying meat for a long time. They even went to buy the meat. They almost collapsed when they learned the truth.
However, Li Gou gritted his teeth and insisted he killed her unintentionally. He just saw she was pretty and wanted to tease her. He didn't expect to kill her by mistake. His later actions of chopping off her hands and feet and selling her meat were due to regret, not intentional torture.
The girl's parents were stubborn and wanted to sue him even if they lost all their money. He was indeed sentenced to death. This aroused his resentment and desire for revenge, becoming an opportunity for Li Gou to enter the game.