Chapter 409
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Chapter 409: The Neutral Zone
At this moment, the item Ye Qingxuan handed over was a conical bamboo hat with a black veil sewn onto it.
Except for the color, it was almost identical to the one on her head.
Judging by its appearance, it was clearly prepared for him.
Taking the veiled hat, Luo Ji’s expression was peculiar.
“Why would I wear this?”
“To hide your identity.”
Ye Qingxuan softly stated.
In response, Luo Ji innocently expressed.
“I feel like wearing this would make me stand out even more. Besides, I’ve been standing here for a while. Isn’t it too late to hide my identity now?”
“Don’t worry, no one noticed you before. Besides, this kind of attire is actually quite common. If you don’t believe me, look over there…”
As she spoke, Ye Qingxuan specifically pointed out several players dressed similarly.
Some of them even wore masks directly on their faces. It seemed quite a few players preferred not to be recognized.
Thus, he eventually put on the veiled hat obediently.
Although the veil was thin, it still affected his vision to some extent.
However, he could still barely see the path, and Luo Ji was too lazy to dwell on the issue further.
“Where are we going now?”
“To my shop.”
“Shop?”
Luo Ji’s expression was peculiar.
“That’s right.”
Ye Qingxuan said with a smile, nodding.
“The buildings in this neutral zone can actually be bought or rented using Civilization Points.”
“I can’t afford to buy one yet, so I spent some points to rent a relatively secluded small storefront.”
“Other players rent buildings to serve as strongholds or resting points, but I use mine for business.”
Upon hearing this, Luo Ji pondered for a moment, and a hint of understanding flashed across his face.
“So, you’re using this shop to find trade partners?”
“Exactly.”
Ye Qingxuan’s tone carried a definite hint of pride when she spoke of this.
“However, this is just one of the channels. Usually, a hired NPC shop assistant is in charge of watching the shop. While my identity is hidden, players who come to purchase resources will write down the resources they wish to buy on paper and place an order. I then periodically come to confirm the items on the orders. If I have the resources, I will contact them. If not, I will decline.”
“So, just now in the fountain plaza, even if someone saw my appearance, it could be explained as a customer coming to purchase resources, right?”
“Clever!”
Ye Qingxuan responded with a grin.
“But even if you hide your identity now, your name will still be exposed during the official transaction, won’t it?”
“Don’t worry, I have special confidentiality skills.”
As she spoke, a system pop-up window immediately appeared before Luo Ji’s eyes.
[System notification: Player ‘Trade Merchant’ has sent you a trade request. Do you accept?]
“Trade Merchant? This is…”
Luo Ji’s gaze instinctively shifted to Ye Qingxuan.
Then, quickly realizing, his expression definitely showed a hint of surprise.
“You can actually be anonymous? How did you do that?”
“It’s a special skill of my commercial civilization. After all, my identity is also considered a trade secret.”
Even through the veil, Luo Ji could feel her smugness, and a hint of envy rose in his heart.
Being able to be anonymous, that skill was amazing!
“Just to confirm, can one be anonymous when attacking others?”
If one could be anonymous when attacking others, it would be too invincible.
Hit and run, no one would know your name, and the opponent wouldn’t be able to find anyone to get revenge on.
Just thinking about it was exhilarating.
However, the result disappointed Luo Ji.
Ye Qingxuan shook her head.
“You’re thinking too much. This effect cannot be used in combat.”
Well, his psychological balance was inexplicably restored.
If anonymity could be used during invasion battles, that effect would be far too enviable.
Luo Ji, not planning to dwell on this matter further, decisively changed the topic.
“Speaking of which, how’s business recently?”
“It’s alright. Food has always sold well. After all, no matter how high-tier a player is, as soon as they get into a serious fight with another player, they’ll almost certainly run out of food eventually. Besides food, the best-selling items are probably ores and herbs.”
As they spoke, the two had already arrived at the storefront Ye Qingxuan had rented.
They didn’t use the main entrance but discreetly entered through the back door.
Once inside, Luo Ji smoothly took off the veiled hat he was wearing.
Wearing it continuously felt quite awkward.
As he took off the veiled hat, a pair of slender hands instinctively reached out and took the hat from his grasp.
Luo Ji assumed those hands belonged to Ye Qingxuan and didn’t think much of it.
But when he looked up, he was instantly stunned, because it wasn’t Ye Qingxuan who took the veiled hat, but a NPC wearing a woman’s suit.
Completely different from Zhao Pan, Luo Yong, and the others, Zhao Pan and his group looked like flesh-and-blood living beings from head to toe.
If someone said they were NPCs, Luo Ji wouldn’t believe it.
However, the one before him, although everything from her overall appearance to her subtle facial features and expressions was rendered lifelike, Luo Ji clearly sensed that the being standing before him was not a living person at all, but a NPC operating according to some specific program.
“You can sit here for a while. I’ll confirm the orders.”
After speaking, Ye Qingxuan quickly motioned for the NPC shop assistant to retrieve the orders.
There weren’t many orders, mainly because Ye Qingxuan’s tier was currently too low, and her reputation wasn’t widespread.
This was unavoidable; a customer base had to be accumulated slowly.
After quickly reviewing the orders, Ye Qingxuan clapped her hands and stood up.
“Done. Let’s go. I’ll take you around the neutral zone and then treat you to a meal.”
“We can eat here?”
Luo Ji raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“Of course.”
Ye Qingxuan nodded seriously.
“They probably want to trick players into spending money. The system has set up various entertainment and consumption shops for players in this neutral zone.”
“Coffee shops, Chinese restaurants, Western restaurants, and similar establishments are everywhere. The only minor drawback is that you can’t directly access information online here.”
Well, Luo Ji’s interest was piqued.
This neutral zone seemed even more enticing than he had anticipated.
“This is truly worth a good look.”
For the rest of their time, Luo Ji followed Ye Qingxuan and thoroughly explored the neutral zone.
It had to be said, Ye Qingxuan was spot on.
All those things in the neutral zone were definitely created by the system to trick players into spending Civilization Points.
Although those things were basically useless for developing a civilization, there were still plenty of players willing to pay, just to satisfy their appetite.
Luo Ji, who had just put a piece of braised pork into his mouth, undoubtedly understood this deeply. It was irresistible; this was truly terrifying…
