Chapter 251: The VR Workers and the Real Price

Alfie scowled, ready to push the boy aside, but before he could move, Farrah slapped the back of his head.

"Hey!" Alfie was surprised as he rubbed the spot.

Farrah glared at him. "He must be hungry or something. Don’t you feel sorry for the kid?"

Alfie frowned but didn’t argue. He wanted to say something at first, but his hands dropped to his sides.

The boy, thin and ragged, looked up at them with wide eyes. His blue hair was messy, his cheeks hollow, and his clothes smelled faintly of sweat and dust. Yet there was a spark of determination in his gaze.

"Please," he said, voice trembling but firm. "Hire me. I can be your guide... or help you with errands. Just one C‑Grade Core for the whole day."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Hire you?"

He didn’t expect that the boy would offer his services.

The boy nodded quickly. "Yes. My name is Xian. I know the streets, the shops, and the shortcuts. I can show you where to find things. One C‑Grade Core is enough. I won’t ask for more."

The group exchanged glances.

Alfie snorted. "One core? That’s cheap. But why us? Are you going to lead us to a shady place to capture us, then sell our organs?"

He had watched many documentaries back on Earth, and he knew something like this could happen.

Kai didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he studied the boy carefully. Something about his desperation felt genuine, but he wasn’t about to hand over resources without knowing more.

"We’re not hiring anyone yet," Kai said evenly. "But tell me... what do you know about the Divine Gene?"

Xian’s eyes widened as he heard this... He then hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "Not much. Only rumors. Everyone talks about it, but no one has proof. I... I don’t know if it’s real."

Mei tilted her head. "Then why do you look so desperate to work for us?"

Xian’s lips pressed together. He looked down at his worn shoes, then back up at them. "Because I want to be hired by someone... anyone... to work inside Perfect World. I... I just thought that you might be looking for one."

That caught them off guard.

Kai frowned. "Work inside Perfect World? What do you mean?"

Xian took a deep breath as he realized that these people were completely ignorant.

It was quite disappointing how clueless they were, but he decided to explain further, hoping to earn a tip.

"Yes... Organizations hire capable people to be laborers in the game. They need workers for mining, gathering resources, delivery tasks... all kinds of jobs. It’s like real work, but inside Perfect World. You earn credits, sometimes even items, and if you’re lucky, you can bring things back through the Transference Nodes."

The group exchanged glances.

Their understanding of the virtual world just kept expanding.

Claire muttered, "So Perfect World isn’t just training or entertainment... it’s an economy or something..."

Ralph rubbed his chin. "Mining, gathering, delivery... it sounds like they’re treating it like another world entirely. Well, since the Transference Node exists, I guess that made a lot of sense."

Mei’s eyes widened. "A second civilization... inside a game."

Kai listened silently...

He didn’t expect that the Perfect World was being used like that. But just like what Ralph said, it certainly started making sense.

Still, he couldn’t understand why Xian wanted to work like that. "Why risk yourself in a place like that?" Kai asked.

Xian’s expression hardened.

His voice trembled as he tried to control his emotions.

"Because I want to find the Divine Gene. If I can get it... if I can claim the reward... I can save my sister."

The group froze.

Farrah’s eyes softened. "Your sister?"

Xian nodded... "She’s sick. A disease that no doctor here can cure. Medicines are too expensive, and the factions don’t care about people like us. But if I find the Divine Gene... if I get the treasures and medicines they promise... I can save her."

Silence fell over the group.

That seemed quite impossible to happen. If the Divine Gene were easy to find, the large organizations would’ve discovered it already.

Alfie scratched his head, suddenly uncomfortable. "Damn... that’s heavy."

Claire frowned as she really didn’t like seeing children suffer.

"So you’re willing to risk everything... just for her?"

"Yes," Xian said firmly. "Even if it means working as a laborer inside Perfect World. Even if it means mining for scraps or delivering packages. I’ll do anything. Because one day... maybe I’ll stumble across the Divine Gene. And then... she’ll live."

Mei’s chest tightened. She could see the desperation in the boy’s eyes, the determination of someone with nothing left but hope.

"He’s serious..."

Kai looked at his team. They were all thinking the same thing. Perfect World wasn’t just a distraction or entertainment... It could also be a place of hope.

Xian stood there, waiting... "Please. Just one C‑Grade Core. I’ll guide you anywhere in the city. I’ll prove I’m useful."

Kai finally smiled.

In the end, they certainly needed a guide. So he decided to give the boy a chance. "Alright, Xian. We’ll take you on as our guide."

Xian’s face lit up with relief, but Kai quickly pressed further. "Then tell me... where can we purchase a cheap Transference Box?"

The boy’s smile as he looked at the nearby shop... Then, his smile faltered for a moment as he recalled something. His eyes turned toward Kai’s pouch. "Wait... Before that, I saw you buy the storage stick for Perfect World just now. Is it with you?"

Kai blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

Xian gave a helpless smile. "That installer... it usually costs only two C‑Grade Energy Cores."

Kai’s eyes widened in shock. The others froze, also stunned by the revelation.

Mei and Claire immediately wanted to storm back into the Immersion Hub, but Xian quickly reminded them, "You already agreed to the price. Once the cores are paid, there’s no refund."

The group exchanged frustrated looks, but in the end, he was right... They didn’t even bother checking the other store’s price!

They could only sigh and thank Xian for informing them.

Kai tightened his grip on the pouch and shook his head. He got played, but he didn’t really feel that bad.

"Alright... Show us around this city."

And just like that, the boy became their guide...