Chapter Sixteen: The Mysterious Gate Company

His praise was not without reason. Compared to Blue Ocean, Qimen Corporation was far less renowned, but within Dream Star City, it was a truly prominent company. Wu Hua had long heard of it; Qimen’s slogan was “Taking the Road Less Traveled,” which suited them perfectly.

Based on past experience, major in-game companies usually followed professional paths—auction houses, mercenary guilds, elite squads, and the like. But Qimen was different. Their business spanned a wide array: black market dealings, monster-hunting commissions, advertising, news dissemination, and more. Most impressively, they had contracted an entire TV station in Dream Star City, and whatever they touched flourished. In short, they avoided traditional operations and thrived on unconventional ventures.

Of course, behind any major company lay money and experts holding it up.

Wu Hua followed Motorola into Qimen’s elevator. In the lavish function hall, Tina brought them two cups of clear tea.

“This is our company’s own blend—Calming and Invigorating Tea. Try it, it helps restore stamina,” Tina explained.

Wu Hua picked up the cup, doubtful but curious.

In Star Wars, physique specialization had another effect: increased stamina, just like in real life. HP recovery didn’t mean stamina recovered too; stamina determined fatigue and could only be slowly restored by resting or sleeping. Once it ran dry, the system would force you offline—a built-in anti-addiction mechanism.

Wu Hua sipped the tea. A subtle, sweet fragrance filled his senses. Checking his stamina value, he found it was indeed recovering—faster even than sleeping.

He marveled, “Qimen truly lives up to its reputation!”

Tina smiled radiantly. “It’s patented.”

Then Motorola recounted what had happened at Bingxi Path. It was a brief account, but Tina listened intently. From his terse words, she discerned the immense peril and exceptional skill involved.

After a long moment, her chilly demeanor softened into one of admiration. “Mr. Blast, your skills are extraordinary. On behalf of the Motorola siblings, I offer our deepest thanks.”

Wu Hua stood and returned the courtesy. “Qimen is truly a haven for talent. Gunmen like Motorola are top tier.” The image of the Tiger Fang dagger slicing open the boss’s belly was still vivid in his mind.

Tina smiled. “Is Mr. Blast interested in Qimen Corporation?”

“Heh, just making conversation,” Wu Hua hurriedly waved his hand. He dreaded joining any organization—past experience told him they were unreliable; only relying on oneself was the true way.

But Tina’s words began to flow. “It’s been a month since Star Wars launched. Qimen still has much room to grow. Actually, for a company in a game, success doesn’t depend on what path you take.”

Wu Hua asked curiously, “Then what does it depend on?”

A sharp glint flashed in Tina’s eyes. “On popularity. Popularity breeds commerce, and commerce breeds profit.”

Her words were concise, but Wu Hua was impressed nonetheless. A major company’s executive truly had a unique vision and sharp mind.

Tina turned her gaze to Wu Hua. “You must be quite the expert on firearms, Mr. Blast?”

She was correct—Wu Hua was more than an expert; he was practically a gun fanatic. But he remained humble. “Heh, I’d say I’m just passable.”

Tina continued, “Then have you heard about the ‘Road to Survival’ quest lately?”

Wu Hua was puzzled. Quests in Star Wars were triggered randomly—how could you hear about one? Still, Tina must have a reason for mentioning it, and his interest was piqued. “What kind of quest is it?”

Motorola laughed. “Brother, you really do live in your own world, training your Sage’s Gun all day. How could you not know something this big?”

Wu Hua replied, “Tell me! Even the name sounds exciting.”

Tina rose and activated the electronic map on the function hall wall, pointing to the eastern zone of Dream Star City. “You’ve been to this area, right, Mr. Blast?”

Wu Hua nodded. “That’s the Mirage on the eastern edge.”

Tina said, “But now, it’s no longer the easternmost area.”

Wu Hua was taken aback. “Don’t tell me someone’s unlocked a new unknown zone?”

Tina sat back down and nodded. “Yes. Blue Ocean recently sent an expedition to open up that region.”

Wu Hua suddenly recalled Hotshot and her group. “Blue Ocean again. Impressive.”

A strange look appeared on Tina’s face. “I’ve been thinking about it—this game is so captivating because it has two opposing federations.”

Wu Hua suddenly remembered what happened when he first entered the game: the system required players to choose a faction. He had picked the Radiant Federation; the other was the Sacred Federation. The two were enemies. Yet, since entering the game, he had never seen anyone from the Sacred Federation. In the Radiant Federation, everyone—including NPCs—had an emblem resembling a four-leaf fan like BMW's logo on their clothes or armor once identified by a tech master. It marked them as Radiant Federation, and the emblem couldn’t be hidden.

“Yeah, it’s odd. I’ve never seen anyone from the Sacred Federation,” Wu Hua said.

“But recently,” Tina pointed at the map, “Blue Ocean has encountered people from the Sacred Federation. Beyond the Mirage lies a vast ocean. According to reports from the Federation’s administrative hall, across the sea lies the Sacred Federation. This information is absolutely reliable.”

Wu Hua nodded. If it came from the authorities, it couldn’t be false.

Tina went on, “Currently, ordinary transports can only sail near shore. To cross the open sea, they’re not up to the task. So Blue Ocean is planning to build a massive harbor there. Their engineers and scientists are preparing to construct large supply ships and battleships. Reliable sources say they even have plans for building an aircraft carrier.”

“An aircraft carrier?” Wu Hua and Motorola stared in disbelief, as if hearing a wild fairy tale.

“They can really build one?” Wu Hua was skeptical.

Tina smiled. “Of course not now. Even building a cruiser is impossible at this stage. But in the future, who knows? Once the engineers and scientists level up, anything could happen.”

Once, Wu Hua would have dismissed this as fantasy. But after witnessing Flying Girl’s modification skills today, he was convinced.

“What does this have to do with the Road to Survival quest?” Wu Hua asked, puzzled.

“It’s related.” Tina’s expression grew grave. “Because the Road to Survival was discovered by their architects while laying foundations there.”