Chapter Fifty-Eight: Are You Human or Ghost?

"Mouse? What's going on?" A bespectacled boy asked without even looking up, his eyes glued to his phone screen, clearly still absorbed in his game. His question was casual, no more than a throwaway remark.

"Holy crap! Are you guys insane?! Is this for real?! Stop playing already, check the news! The news!" The boy called Mouse screamed again.

"What’s the big deal? What’s so great about the news? Another celebrity caught cheating?" Another boy asked indifferently.

"Oh my god! Am I dreaming? The legendary 100% real virtual reality game has actually appeared..." Mouse ignored his roommates’ confusion, his eyes blazing with fervor as he stared at his phone screen.

"Ladies and gentlemen, what you are seeing right now is the scene our reporter from Youku Entertainment is personally experiencing..." Mouse’s phone blared out the sound. If Lantian were present, he would have instantly recognized his own voice.

What Mouse was watching was the video of the press conference Lantian had held earlier. He hadn’t expected the media to publish the video so quickly.

"Heavens! It’s actually real! My god, I have a feeling—a new era is upon us!" When Mouse saw the face of the archer in the hologram, identical to that of the reporter, he couldn’t help exclaiming in awe.

"Why are you still playing that stupid game?! I swear, within a month, King of Glory will be a ghost town—every single server!" Mouse was at his wit’s end seeing his roommates still immersed in their games, desperate enough to want to snatch their phones and smash them.

"Enough! Stop playing already!" he roared.

His roommates turned to look at him, finally taking notice as Mouse’s flushed and agitated state became impossible to ignore. They all paused their games, exchanging puzzled glances, uncertain what had happened.

Seeing everyone staring at him in confusion, Mouse hurriedly waved his phone, signaling them to come over.

He then showed them the video, and watched with immense satisfaction as their expressions shifted from confusion, to shock, to elation, and finally to the same feverish excitement he felt.

See? They usually ignore me, but in the end, it’s me who brings them the most important news!

What Mouse didn’t know was that the same scene was playing out in every major city across the country at that very moment. Everyone who saw the news was left dumbfounded, unable to believe it. If not for the fact that every major media outlet had run the story as their front page headline, and the reporters swore on their honor they’d experienced it themselves, no one would have believed it.

Even so, many people still refused to accept it, insisting they’d only believe it when they could see and experience the device for themselves.

Something legendary had appeared, so suddenly, that curiosity was driving everyone mad. People were all frantically visiting the Virtual Network Company’s official website.

Unfortunately, aside from the same introduction and video shown in the news, there was no information about a release date—only the words "Coming Soon," endlessly stoking the flames of people’s curiosity.

That night, everyone who knew about the news, whether they believed it or not, found themselves unable to sleep.

That night, for the first time, Lantian did not train.

Outside the hospital’s VIP ward, Wang Ling’s parents stood behind the glass, hearts aching as they gazed at the frail, unconscious figure lying on the bed.

Besides Wang Ling’s parents, Lantian and Chen Xiaoxuan remained on watch, both hoping Wang Ling would wake soon.

The police had already visited, but with Wang Ling’s father stepping in, they left within five minutes, taking no one with them. It wasn’t that he wanted to shield Lantian—he didn’t really like the boy—but, after a moment’s thought, considered that since this young man was a friend of his daughter, and had supposedly killed for her sake, it was better to keep him around. Everything could be decided once his daughter regained consciousness.

Not long after, the man named Xiao Lü returned to the hospital, his face etched with shock.

"Lantian, born September 17, 1993, Han Chinese, ID number 321281199309171898, lives at Apartment 303, Building 4, Jinxiu Community, Xing City, Jiangsu Province. Only child, parents run a small business, third-rate university graduate, worked at Ningcheng Environmental Technology after graduation. Just days ago, he suddenly became the new chairman of Forest Real Estate. This morning, he officially renamed Forest Real Estate to Virtual Network Company, and released a product claiming to be a 100% real virtual game and network. After the press conference, in the company’s underground garage, he was attacked by the former Chief Financial Officer, Zou Tao, who was seeking revenge with a gun, and was saved by Miss Wang Ling."

"After the news about the Virtual Network broke, it’s gone viral online. Everyone is frantically discussing the virtual game and the network, saying that if the news is genuine, the earth is about to enter a brand new era!"

Wang Ling’s father listened in silence to Xiao Lü’s report. By the latter half, his expression had grown grave. As the real estate leader in Ningcheng, he had been aware of the recent turbulence at Forest Real Estate, but he never imagined that the young man before him was the company’s new chairman.

Moreover, this so-called Virtual Network was being hailed as the dawn of a new era. It was almost unbelievable.

"Uh... sir, perhaps you should see this next video for yourself..." Xiao Lü glanced nervously at Lantian, his eyes full of unspoken fear, then handed his phone to Wang Ling’s father.

Wang Ling’s father took the phone, and his eyes widened in shock as he watched—clearly, the video showed Lantian in the underground garage, killing Zou Tao, captured on security camera.

At the rank of Vice-Governor—especially one who was a member of the Standing Committee and oversaw public security—if he made a request, no matter if the Ningcheng Police had classified this footage as top secret, they would have no choice but to hand it over.

"The time the hospital registered your arrival is only ten minutes after the moment Zou Tao fired his gun in the video," Wang Ling’s father said, trying hard to remain calm, but his voice still trembled. "The company is over fifty kilometers from here... In less than ten minutes, you crossed more than fifty kilometers—how did you get here?"

"I carried her and ran here," Lantian replied without hiding anything. In fact, if he hadn’t worried that going too fast might harm Wang Ling, he could have been even quicker.

Chen Xiaoxuan, having seen Lantian’s terrifying outburst in the garage with her own eyes, was not surprised by his answer. But Wang Ling’s father, after hearing this and recalling the chilling footage in the video, was truly unable to process it. With a trembling finger, he pointed at Lantian and stammered, "Boy... are you human, or a ghost?"