The Companion Player Doesn’t Want a Shura Field [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 3

When Qi Ming returned home, the smart courier happened to be delivering a package. The thing was a bit ugly, but its efficiency certainly matched its exorbitant fee.

Hanging the leather jacket he was carrying on the coat rack, he squatted at the entrance and sized up the cardboard box. He had not looked closely before, but now Qi Ming noticed the address on the shipping label was located on the Central Star: a place where the average cost of living was so high that, in all likelihood, he would not want to set foot there in his entire life.

It seemed the company behind this game was quite wealthy.

Pulling a dagger he always carried from his coat, Qi Ming planned to unbox it right at the doorway to avoid dirtying his own floor.

The rich guys who slept with him did not know that every time Qi Ming pinned someone beneath him, his dagger was never more than a meter away. If anything went wrong, he could reach it instantly.

This was because Qi Ming had taken some falls during his youth. He blamed it on his experience being too shallow back then, making him no match for certain black-hearted “old foxes.” On several occasions, he had nearly become a canary in someone’s cage, bound by shackles.

It was supposed to be a consensual business transaction; one gave money, the other sold beauty. However, there were always those who vainly attempted to become Qi Ming’s final customer, to become his “only one.”

Most of those people held the paranoid notion that if Qi Ming was unwilling, they would clip his wings and trap him by their side forever.

But Qi Ming was no fragile bird.

He understood clearly that some guests possessed power and influence far exceeding his own. Relying solely on a shabby, ordinary dagger made it difficult to subdue them directly. Therefore, if he encountered such a situation again, he had two choices.

Facing someone obviously weaker than himself, Qi Ming naturally would not show mercy. But if he ran into a “hard stubble,” he would simply hurt himself.

He was not afraid of death. Or rather, Qi Ming actually took great pleasure in seeing the horror and regret in the eyes of those high-class people when they saw him bleed. It brought him physical and mental delight.

Although Qi Ming disdained “love” born solely from physical appearance, he was not stingy about exploiting these people’s shallow affection. Because they loved him, they could not bear to see him get hurt. Yet, they were willing to disregard his wishes and strip him of his freedom just to possess him.

What a ridiculous kind of love! If he did not exploit it, would that not be a waste?

Qi Ming considered himself a kind person. He never rejected a guest’s sincere feelings, including those small material gifts. It was just that his “kindness” was usually quite brief.

Nowadays, Qi Ming was exceptionally skilled in his business. Plus, since he chose his own guests, he rarely slipped up anymore. Of course, it was still better to take precautions.

After wiping it down with alcohol wipes, Qi Ming moved the gaming pod into his living room.

His residence was not very large, and there was no extra space in the bedroom at all. In reality, Qi Ming owned many properties, all of which were gifts from former guests trying to please him. But Qi Ming would not live in them.

That would be no different from flying into a cage himself.

He was not that stupid. And those guys were not fools who were easy to trick, either. After all, money does not just fall into an idiot’s pocket for no reason. There is always a price to pay.

And Qi Ming was unwilling to pay it.

He only planned to wait for property prices to rise, then sell off all those well-located houses on high-level planets and convert them into solid Star Coins. He still had that right. By the time those people realized it, Qi Ming would likely have fled to some unknown small planet and vanished.

In his line of sight, the gaming pod in the center of the living room was a sleek, teardrop shape. Qi Ming tapped the shell with his knuckles, and a crisp, bright sound echoed immediately. Based on his judgment, it was likely made of a special nanocrystal material. There was no obvious noise, only a clear resonance.

The surface of the pod did not just have a metallic luster; it also shifted colors under different angles of light. It was high-end stuff; he had definitely made a profit.

Qi Ming could not help but curl his lips into a smile as he pressed the touch-screen switch on the side of the pod.

As the cover opened, a soft blue light beam emitted from within, and a black seat slowly rose. He lightly pinched the backrest with his fingertips; a cloud-like soft sensation traveled through his skin to his nerve endings. This smart gel could automatically change shape according to the user’s body contours. Sitting on it would feel like floating in a zero-gravity universe. The comfort level was definitely the highest on the market.

Surrounding the seat was a ring of sophisticated neural sensing devices. Other than that, there were no other control panels. Qi Ming guessed this must be the “Full Reality Simulation” mentioned in the advertisement. Lifting a leg to step into the pod, he sat down, intending to immediately experience the product treatment only the wealthy could enjoy.

There were too many messages on his Brain Link, but Qi Ming was too lazy to look at them now. He would play the game first.

The moment he touched the chair, he got goosebumps. Qi Ming felt his body suddenly wrapped in something soft as water, as if he were being caressed from head to toe. It was so comfortable it was almost creepy. It was comparable to when he was working.

Was this some strange hobby of high-class people? They certainly knew how to enjoy themselves.

Closing his eyes, a light blue light screen suddenly appeared in Qi Ming’s dark field of vision. It simply provided two options:

1. Player B. Companion

Besides being a game player, there was actually another identity. However, why were there no descriptions for the options? This was way too perfunctory and mismatched the expensive appearance.

While Qi Ming was silently leaving a bad review in his mind, a clear and pleasant male voice suddenly spoke in his ear:

“Hello, Mr. Qi. Welcome to the closed beta test of ‘Boundless Life.’ I am your game assistant, Xing. My apologies for not providing the option descriptions in a timely manner.”

Qi Ming calmly suppressed the surprise surfacing in his heart and tentatively responded in his mind: “You can hear everything?”

“Yes, Mr. Qi. But if you mind, you can enable the selective communication function. I will only appear when you call my name. This game fully respects the user’s personal privacy.”

Qi Ming decisively enabled the function. He minded 100%. Mind-reading was disgusting.

“Xing, do you belong to me alone?” Before understanding the options, Qi Ming inexplicably asked this question.

He was not sure if it was his imagination, but he noticed that the game assistant’s voice, which was as steady and smooth as a trickling stream, paused for a second when he uttered the name “Xing.”

“Mr. Qi, Xing belongs to you alone.”

Every game assistant is encoded data built into the gaming pod, a unique existence. Qi Ming was naturally satisfied with Xing’s answer. Not just any random guy could eavesdrop on his thoughts. If he were just one of countless players being served, he would feel very uncomfortable. If he felt uncomfortable, Qi Ming would likely quit the game immediately, no matter how rare it was. He was just that capricious.

“Xing, what is the difference between those two options?”

Hearing its name for the second time, Xing did not lag again. Actually, calling it once was enough, but its data told it: it did not want to say that.

As the introduction began, the light screen in front of Qi Ming started to change.

“The difference between spending money and making money.”

After summarizing the answer Qi Ming wanted in a concise manner, Xing continued to supplement: “Option A, Player, refers to users who can freely experience this game. They can choose any life they want to simulate, and the price is just some Star Coins.”

Just some Star Coins?

“How much is the price?”

Hearing the numbers coming out of Xing’s mouth, Qi Ming felt as if he had truly entered outer space; for a moment, he felt a lack of oxygen. He could not even make that much money from three consecutive jobs. The “face” of this game company was not even trying to hide it, was it? Calling it “just some”: if you want to rob people, just say so.

“Xing, are you using that word to mock me on purpose?” Feeling annoyed, Qi Ming asked directly.

This time, Xing’s speaking rhythm was disrupted again. It glitched for two or three seconds before explaining: “Mr. Qi, you have misunderstood. I am not mocking you. It is my fault.”

In Xing’s database, compared to the company’s assets, that amount of money was indeed as tiny as dust in the universe. But sensing Qi Ming’s dissatisfaction, it felt a bit flustered. The urgency in its tone made Qi Ming feel as if it were a living person.

But it was just a stream of data. Emotions were all pre-set by the program.

“Of course it is your fault. Now, tell me what a Companion does.”

Even as he asked, Qi Ming had already ruled out Option A. In his view, it was a consumer trap by the game company. The advertisement clearly said they were drawing ten free beta slots, yet the services inside still required payment. Was that not pure fraud? So, only the equipment was free.

“Companion, as the name suggests, involves accompanying other players as they experience simulated lives and providing corresponding services. After each service ends, the companion can receive a reward. The specific amount is decided by the companion. However, after negotiation with the player, it can be increased or decreased to a certain extent.”

That sounded pretty good.

“What are the types of services?”

“Companions can choose their direction. Because the simulator is divided into Career and Romance categories, the available directions fall within these two types.”

Qi Ming did not need Xing to explain these two directions further. Literally, one was helping someone succeed in a career, and the other was dating. Being a stepping stone for someone else’s success did not interest Qi Ming at all. But as for lovers, he had had more than he could count on both hands; he was quite skilled in that area. He always used what he was good at to gain convenience.

“I will be a Companion, Romance direction.”

Just like that, Qi Ming had another part-time job. In reality, he used his body to make money; in the game, he would use emotions. Qi Ming’s original job did not involve giving any real emotion. But as a game companion, he would have to act out some feelings to give the other party the service and experience they wanted.

“Alright, Mr. Qi. Congratulations on becoming the second Companion in ‘Boundless Life.’ Now, please choose a name for your account.”

Hearing the words “second one,” Qi Ming was somewhat surprised. He did not expect someone else to have chosen to be a companion as well. Either it was a poor person as down-to-earth as him, or a wealthy person with a “problem” who wanted to experience new things and craved serving others. Having money and not wanting to be the boss; is that not just having a screw loose?

Regarding the account name, Qi Ming did not want to exert much effort. He hated picking names the most. Even Xiao Wu’s name was replaced by Qi Ming with “Xiao Wu” because he did not know how to write the character “Wu.”

For as long as he could remember, Qi Ming had lived on this dilapidated small planet. Orphaned and homeless, even getting a full meal was a problem, let alone schooling. Before meeting his first lover, Qi Ming had been illiterate. Coincidentally, while wandering the streets, he met a professor who had come to the planet to gather inspiration.

He had long forgotten what the professor’s specialty was. But Qi Ming had to admit the man was a good teacher; he taught him how to read and write. He also taught him how to make him feel like he was in paradise in bed. But looking at the man’s inexperienced physical reactions, Qi Ming knew the other party only had theoretical knowledge and was actually a novice. An older virgin Beta who delivered himself to the door.

He was useful in every sense of the word.

Taking him down took Qi Ming almost no effort. He just lowered his head silently when their eyes met, hiding the dirt on his face while his fingers gripped his tattered clothes. A pair of emerald-like watery eyes dimmed when they touched the man’s hem. This scene happened to fall into the man’s gaze.

In contrast to Qi Ming, the professor’s clothes were neat, and the material was clearly high-end; his background was definitely superior. Just as Qi Ming predicted, the man wiped the smudge from his cheek with a handkerchief.

“Child, do you want to come with me? I will take you home.”

Qi Ming followed the man home.

Once he had the capital to be independent, he immediately sneaked away while the professor was on a business trip and never returned. After all, he just wanted a simple lover, not a “cheap dad” who nagged about everything. Besides, he had grown tired of that body and wanted to try something fresh.

From then on, Qi Ming discovered his appearance could be a weapon, and he applied everything the professor taught him to other guests. He was quite adept at it. Because of this, Qi Ming had not mastered all the characters, but he still wrote a beautiful hand. He had insisted the professor teach him stroke by stroke and practiced hard in private for a long time. In the New Era where Brain Links were prevalent, few people wrote with pens anymore. But to Qi Ming, it symbolized his “face.” Once he decided to do something, he would do it to the best of his ability.

“Let’s just call it Qi Ming Xing.”

Being lazy, Qi Ming used a play on the pronunciation of his own name. Xing noticed that its name was included, and it lagged for a long time again, so long that Qi Ming thought the game assistant had gone offline.

“Alright, Mr. Qi. Would you like to proceed with the Newbie Experience?”

“Xing, what is a Newbie Experience? Am I not a Companion?”

He did not even have a client yet.

“Given that this is your first time and you have no record of completed orders, the game will randomly match you with a player for a trial run. When the simulated world ends, the player will write a review for you, which will then be displayed on your personal profile for other players to see.”

Qi Ming understood. Right, he had no track record yet; who would pay for him? He needed an outstanding result to attract customers.

“Then let’s start.”

“Alright, matching companion target”

“Match complete. The player has selected a simulated world.”

“Time: 21st Century. Location: Planet Blue, Country H. Identity: A male university student in the drama department, about to be discovered on the street by an entertainment company scout to become a trainee. There will be corresponding prompts when you first encounter the player.”

“Mr. Qi, everything else is for you to play freely. The game begins now.”