Chapter 160: The Bund

On Earth, in every country and across all media outlets, the front-page headlines every day were about the Fantasy Park.

Some photographs leaked from the park were turned into various internet memes across the media.

For the people of Earth, the emergence of the Hollow Earth had almost become commonplace.

Even so, on its opening day, vast crowds still rushed eagerly to enter it.

That magnificent world left all visitors reluctant to leave.

Yet the revenue it brought to Qiao Mian remained limited.

Sitting in his office and silently checking his current assets, Qiao Mian let out a quiet sigh.

Three consecutive realms had brought him negligible income growth, leaving him quite frustrated.

Now, with the park on the verge of upgrading to Level 3, and the next realm activation using the Realm Incubator requiring over a hundred million game coins, he inevitably felt a sense of urgency.

"While I still have over ten million game coins, let's open a new realm first," Qiao Mian thought to himself. "I can probably upgrade to Level 3 tomorrow."

He exhaled softly, headed to the bathroom to wash up and change clothes, closed his eyes to offer a silent prayer to the deities of all heavens, and then purchased the Realm Incubator, immediately expending game coins to catalyze it.

A colorful egg appeared before him, hatching rapidly.

Qiao Mian held his breath, staring at the newly emerged characters amidst the cracked shell of the egg.

*The Bund*.

Upon seeing those three words, Qiao Mian was so depressed he almost coughed up blood.

What kind of ghost was this?

He had been pinning his hopes on an immortal-cultivation realm, figuring that even at worst it would be a fantasy martial arts, post-apocalyptic, or monster realm, yet it gave him something like this.

Sighing lightly, he carefully checked the information on this realm.

Just as he expected, this realm lacked even a shred of the supernatural.

After hesitating for a moment, he still spent 100 game coins to purchase a Realm Item Locator.

[Key character discovered: Xu Wenqiang]

[Key character discovered: Ding Li]

[Key character discovered: Feng Chengcheng]

...

Only a few sparse prompt lines.

Qiao Mian looked over and over, failing to spot any key items or new modules.

This left him deeply disappointed.

Originally, he had imagined that such a bustling world of glamour would at least feature a casino, a brothel, or a theater.

He slumped lower in his seat, resting his legs on the coffee table and leaning his head against the edge of the sofa, staring blankly out the window.

"Consider it as doing a charity for this realm," he said helplessly.

After all, he had watched *The Bund* when he was young, held immense admiration for Xu Wenqiang, and at one point even harbored thoughts of running away from home to make his own way in the world.

Had it not been for a severe thrashing from his parents that extinguished his dream, he might already have been a tycoon in Shanghai.

Consider this a fulfillment of a childhood wish to meet a former idol.

Having made his decision, he immediately chose to contact Xu Wenqiang.

...

*The Bund*.

Street.

Xu Wenqiang wore a gray cloth tunic, looking around with curiosity.

This was his first time coming to this city.

Experiences from a few years ago had left him disillusioned; his past fervor had cooled, and now he only wanted to try his luck in this "Adventurer's Paradise" and accomplish something.

Unfortunately, he was penniless and upon first arrival could only seek out an old classmate for assistance, only to draw a blank.

His old classmate was no longer at their original address.

This left him bewildered, not knowing where to go or what to do next.

Just as he was planning to find a place to rest his feet, he suddenly heard a voice echoing in his mind: "Do you want to understand the meaning of life? Do you want to truly live?"

Xu Wenqiang started in alarm.

He whirled around: "Who is it!"

Behind him was a peddler selling pears, looking at him strangely.

Xu Wenqiang scanned left and right, the wariness on his face quickly turning into shock.

Scenes flashed rapidly through his mind:

A giant black gorilla the size of a small hill, a winged python flying through the air, a foreigner suspended in mid-air with his hands behind his back, a monster bursting out from a person's chest, a rickshaw that transformed into a humanoid shape, a terrifying woman hanging from a tree who suddenly contorted her face and cursed, "Can't you guys ever wish me well?"...

His chest heaved violently, and he found it hard to believe.

Could this be the true face of this city?

[Accept invitation to Fantasy Park?]

[Yes] [No]

Seeing such a prompt appear before him, Xu Wenqiang was startled.

Subconsciously, he took half a step back, bumping into the pear-selling cart.

The vendor looked at him with unkind eyes: "What are you trying to do?"

Xu Wenqiang paid him no mind at all.

With trembling hands, he jabbed at [Yes], but his finger hit empty air.

The anger on the pear vendor's face subsided slightly, turning into doubt and suspicion.

This fellow had been shouting and randomly pointing at nothing in broad daylight; could he be out of his mind?

He picked up a pear-peeling knife from the side, intending to drive the person away.

After jabbing into empty air, Xu Wenqiang first looked puzzled and poked a few more times, then tried shouting "Yes" in his mind.

Just as the pear vendor had grabbed the knife and intended to scold him, the space in front of him suddenly became empty.

There was no one left in front of him!

"Ghost!" the vendor screamed in fright, scrambling backward in a hurry and falling flat on his buttocks. The peeling knife grazed his thigh, tearing his trousers and sticking into the ground.

As for Xu Wenqiang, he felt a flash of light before his eyes and found himself appearing in a brand-new location.

Compared to the noisy streets of The Bund, it was much quieter here.

Beneath his feet was a soft carpet, and outside the glass window to his side was a lush, verdant jungle.

As his gaze swept past, he happened to see a long-necked dinosaur stretching its neck to eat leaves.

Its immense size immediately left him standing frozen in place.

"Welcome to Fantasy Park," Qiao Mian said with a smile.

Hearing the voice, Xu Wenqiang turned his head and saw Qiao Mian sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed.

The man before him...

Looking at Qiao Mian's appearance and attire, he suddenly felt a sense of self-deprecation.

He had always considered himself handsome, figuring that even if he couldn't survive in The Bund with just his looks, he could always sponge off wealthy women.

Yet upon seeing Qiao Mian's looks and demeanor, he realized he was utterly ordinary.

"Hello," he said awkwardly.

"Sit down, make yourself at home," Qiao Mian said.

Filled with confusion yet forcing himself to remain calm, Xu Wenqiang sat on the adjacent sofa.

He stealthily sized up the surroundings.

Qiao Mian was likewise secretly observing the Xu Wenqiang opposite him.

He looked vastly different from the dashing and debonair image in memory.

Dressed in tattered clothes with a haggard expression, only his eyes revealed a glimmer of shrewdness.

Having previously reviewed the detailed information of that realm, Qiao Mian wasn't particularly surprised.

At this moment, Xu Wenqiang had yet to experience the grand world; he was merely an ambitious young job-seeker who had come to the city, still a long way from wooing the daughter of a wealthy family.

To be able to maintain his composure upon entering such a miraculous place was already extraordinary.

An ordinary person coming here would probably have gone weak at the knees long ago, just like those two nouveau riches from Xihong City.

Taking the initiative, Qiao Mian started a conversation with Xu Wenqiang.

Through their words, he could sense Xu Wenqiang's tension, along with his suppressed excitement and joy.

After chatting for a few moments, Qiao Mian said directly, "If you have no objections, go help out at the shooting range for the next few days."

He wondered if Li Yunlong and the others could also mold this fellow into a steadfast revolutionary.

Qiao Mian thought with a hint of anticipation.

"Thank you, Mr. Qiao!" Xu Wenqiang stood up and said quickly.

Even though he had no idea what a shooting range actually was, he readily agreed.

He wasn't stupid; pulling someone into another world out of thin air was a method he had never even heard of—immortals probably couldn't do much better.

Working for an immortal, did it matter what the task was?

He would happily shovel manure for an immortal!

"Alright, off you go then," Qiao Mian waved his hand.

Xu Wenqiang instantly felt as if his body were bound by something, rapidly flying toward the window.

Glancing down and seeing the great height, cold sweat broke out all over him.

Only when he discovered that his body was completely safe and sound in mid-air did he quietly let out a breath of relief, while his previous resolve solidified even further.

This place was something he must not miss!