The Mercenary of Prestigious Summit Academy - Chapter 17: "Target"

I am currently re-writing the first chapters of this story. They are quite rough and bounce around a lot and I can do better. At some point, I will replace these with the better chapters.Sometime in 2024 Aethon Books will publish the first volume of this story on Amazon, KU, and audible. This will mean the story will be stubbed. I will notify people far in advance of that.In the dystopian world of the future, life is rough when you live at the bottom. Jobs are non-existent. Far too many people live in poverty, crammed into huge buildings called Habitats. With no jobs in the real world, many people can only find work online in VR worlds as servants to the very rich. And it's getting worse. The old internet is unusable and hacked to pieces. The new system needs AI to run things, but all but one of them were destroyed. The last sentient AI is ordered to create a new game world so the rich can have a playground, and the corporations that rule the world can have a new global market place. Everyone wants a piece of the new game. The guilds are competing to be the first to find the dungeons and kill the biggest monster. The corporations are claiming land and putting in their online market places. Ozzy and his friends just want a paycheck.Four friends sign five year contracts as virtual serfs in a small village, and can't go adventuring at all to gain money. They don't have many choices. They can work as a blacksmith, barmaid and shepherd for all those years....or they can cheat and find ways to take advantage of the system and carve out a section of the game world for themselves, and earn a fortune in the real world.When they give you a mop and not a sword, you have to find the loopholes and change the rules.

After five years of being together, Gu Qingming thought it was love. Who would have thought it was simply an elaborate scheme? After learning the truth, she decided to exact her revenge on that pair of scumbags! Just as she was about to return and receive millions in inheritance, she died unexpectedly! When she opened her eyes again, she had returned to the moment when her parents kicked her out of the house. She was also pregnant with a fatherless child. She decided to return to her grandmother’s house in the countryside. There, she grew watermelons, peaches, and oranges…

Gu Qingming followed her grandmother to the field and saw a large plot with lush green plants. She asked excitedly, “Grandma, why is there so much leek planted here?” Her grandmother’s expression changed when she heard the question. With a smile, she explained, “Darling, that’s not leek. They’re rice seedlings! When harvest time comes around, they’ll turn into the rice that we eat every day!” Gu Qingming: “…”

An adorable toddler stood between the endless rows of crops, staring at his mother who was busy plucking watermelons. He balled up his tiny fists as he yelled, “Mommy, you can do it! You’re almost there! You can do it!” Everyone: “…”

A certain businessman was on the prowl for investment opportunities in the boonies when he bumped into a little munchkin. Their gazes met. The kid stared up at the bigger version of himself. The little kid clung to the man’s thigh and announced proudly, “This is the hill where my Mommy works. You can’t buy it!” The man picked up the kid and a slight grin broke across his face. “Well, that’s fine. We’ll get your mom to marry me, and you can call me Daddy. This hill, alongside all the assets under my name, shall also belong to your mommy. How’s that for a deal?” The boy: “…” That’s very tempting indeed! The little kid gulped, but he was determined not to sell out his mom! This is the story of a princess who hails from a small family of farmers, who goes on to become an expert farmer, and then an agricultural tycoon!

Inside the dining room.

Fangzheng: Hello, I’m on a blind date.

Sister Yu: A blind date?

Fangzheng: To make a long story short, I know you are here to deal with your parents. As long as we make it clear, we can go back to our respective homes.

Sister Yu: Do you know who I am?

Fangzheng: I don’t know much, so what do you say? Continue to photograph or?

At this time, a waiter came in and bowed awkwardly to the two of them: I’m sorry sir, I made a mistake, this is not the room you are looking for! Your blind date is next door!

Fangzheng: ….

- Description from novelbuddy

Ye Sichen, a well-known singer with perfect appearance, is also a father of two kids. In the outside world, he is a charming star who cares about his fans and people in need. At his home, he is a lovely father and also a considerate master. A man with his fortune and statue, what bothers him so much?