Chapter 1

The wind, carrying rain and snow, swept chaotically through the streets. The shops on both sides were already closed, with their roll-up doors completely separating the inside from the outside.

It was already January, and the weather was bitterly cold. However, since Nandu City was located in a basin, the temperature was not too severe. Even so, the rain and sleet continued to fall, and it was rare to see anyone on the streets.

On this street, there was an internet cafe that was also closed. Outside, the wind and rain were raging, but inside, it was warm like spring.

The air conditioning in the internet cafe was on, and about a dozen people were online. These were mostly people who had booked the night shift, including students from nearby, recent graduates who hadn't found jobs, and even professional gamers who made a living from playing games.

In a private room sat a young man of about twenty-five, his hair almost reaching his shoulders, and his beard unkempt, suggesting he hadn't shaved in days. He was wrapped in his clothes, his eyes fixed on the computer screen.

Zhang Tianyuan had been out of university for three years. Since graduation, he had been hanging around in this internet cafe, making a living by playing games. He could earn two to three thousand yuan a month, so his basic needs were covered. However, during holidays, he would feel a wave of anxiety, unsure of how to face his parents.

He had always been passionate about antiques. When he applied for university, he blindly chose an archaeology major related to antiques. But after graduation, he was unemployed. With the expansion of university enrollment, finding a job was difficult, especially for someone in a niche field like his. He struggled to find work.

Fortunately, he could numb himself in the game. This online game was an adventure game, and one of the professions was a treasure appraiser. It wasn't a combat profession, but it was interesting. Zhang Tianyuan became a professional gamer through this game, relying on his limited knowledge of antiques. At least he didn't have to ask his family for money to make ends meet.

Rural students who came from poor families often felt a bit inferior, but Zhang Tianyuan was different. He was always very confident, standing at 1.86 meters tall with a chiseled face, he was a man with a rugged charm, and he was a popular figure in school.

However, the stark contrast after graduation made him somewhat fall into a rut. Perhaps only in the game could he find the confident and energetic self he used to be.

Of course, what others saw as a fall, he saw as finding a shelter from the storm, a place where he didn't have to run around looking for jobs, facing rejection, and enduring humiliation.

When it comes to online games, many people think of fighting and killing. Even so-called life professions are just supporting roles. No one thinks the focus of the game is on those.

But the game Zhang Tianyuan played was different. The treasure appraiser was one of the most important professions in the game, along with dragon hunters and feng shui masters.

The theme of the game was adventure, tomb raiding, treasure hunting, archaeology, and exploration. Only the treasure appraiser could identify the items found. Whether it was ceramics, jade, antiques, paintings, or bronze furniture, the treasure appraiser could appraise them.

The game also designed a set of "treasure appraisal secrets," which players commonly referred to as game skills.

In the game, the professional knowledge required for appraisal was not much. You just needed a basic understanding of appraisal, and then you could use the appraisal secrets to directly apply the skills. The authenticity, age, material, and even the place of origin of the items would be clearly displayed.

Most of the people in the internet cafe were familiar to Zhang Tianyuan. Apart from the network administrator and the cashier, most were students from nearby universities. However, a few people from society seemed to have come in today, and Zhang Tianyuan didn't know them. He didn't care much about it, as he had chosen a private room for its quietness, and it was unlikely that anyone would bother him.

He didn't realize that while he was engrossed in the game, something was happening outside.

The cause was unknown, but two people who were online suddenly started arguing. One of them, in a fit of anger, threw a half-smoked cigarette at the other, but it missed and landed on a pile of spider-web-like wires.

These wires were already very old, with many exposed parts, and sometimes sparks could be seen. When they came into contact with the flame, they quickly caught fire, and a strong smell of burning rubber quickly spread throughout the internet cafe.

Everyone started running outside.

This dilapidated internet cafe didn't even have an emergency exit. It took a long time to open the roll-up door, and by then, the fire was already raging, with thick smoke billowing.

Zhang Tianyuan was so engrossed in the game that by the time he noticed the smell, it was too late. When he came out to check, he was surrounded by flames and thick smoke, which made him stumble and fall backward. His head hit the table, and he fainted.

What he didn't notice was that when he fell, his hand landed on the data cable of the computer. The exposed data cable and wires intertwined, and an electric current surged into Zhang Tianyuan's body.

The electric shock jolted Zhang Tianyuan back to consciousness. He was puzzled, as something seemed to have been added to his mind, but he didn't have time to think about it. He grabbed a blanket he usually used for sleeping, soaked it in water, and wrapped it around his head before rushing out.

Fortunately, most modern buildings were made of concrete and steel, so although the internet cafe was on fire, nothing fell from above, and nothing blocked his path out.

Just as he was about to leave, he saw a fourth-year student he had played games with lying on the ground, apparently unconscious from the smoke.

He almost tripped over the student. Without much thought, since he was already at the door, he decided to help. Besides, they knew each other, and the student, who was three years younger, had even treated him to a few meals, and was a very nice person.

He picked up the student and rushed out. The fire, though significant, wasn't as exaggerated as in TV shows. It was the thick smoke that was unbearable. So when Zhang Tianyuan covered his nose with the wet blanket, he could hold his breath and rush out.

However, just as he was about to leave the fire scene, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head, which made him faint again.

...

In a daze, Zhang Tianyuan heard the sound of an ambulance. He was lifted onto a stretcher and taken to the hospital.

Then, the sharp pain in his head returned, but this time he didn't faint. Instead, he entered a strange state, as if a large amount of data was being forcibly inserted into his mind, making him very uncomfortable.

This is the treasure appraisal secret from the game!

Zhang Tianyuan was shocked. He couldn't be wrong; this was definitely the skills from the game, but there seemed to be some new elements, and the name of the treasure appraisal secret had changed to "Feng Shui Treasure Appraisal."

The new elements seemed to replace the game's mana, called "earth qi."

He didn't know what this meant or what had happened to him. His body was immobile, and his eyes couldn't open. He felt as if he had been paralyzed, passively accepting the input of data.

He didn't know how much time had passed.

It could have been a day, three days, or even longer.

Suddenly, he heard his parents' voices.

"Don't worry. The doctor said the child is fine, just temporarily unconscious. He will wake up in a few days."

This was his father's voice, but his father was supposed to be working in their hometown, which was far from Nandu City. It would take sixteen hours by train to get there.

"It's been four days, and the child hasn't had a drop of water or a bite to eat. Aren't you worried? You keep saying he's fine, but how can that be?"

This was his mother's voice. His mother, a Chinese teacher at a middle school in their hometown, had also put aside her work to come. It wasn't even winter break yet, and she had traveled a long distance just for him.

At that moment, Zhang Tianyuan felt a deep sense of guilt. His parents had supported his education, but after graduation, he had only been hanging around in games, which was utterly useless.

Thinking of his sister, who had been forced to drop out of school, made him feel even more guilty. Although her academic performance wasn't as good as his, she could have gone to university. She dropped out to support his education, went to work in the south, and three years ago, the year he graduated, she returned and got married in the local countryside. Her husband did some small business, but their family wasn't well-off.

At that moment, he felt as if his heart was being cut with a knife. He wanted to stand up and kneel before his parents, swearing to find a job and settle down after he recovered.

What's a little hardship and a little suffering?

People only learn to cherish things when they are on the brink of life and death.

"Rest assured,