Xia Liang remained indifferent. He wasn't short on money.

"I despise your money. It all comes from gamers like me. If I take it, would I be doing right by all the other people who spend a fortune and still can't pull a Ninja?"

"Hey, bro, money is money. As long as it wasn't obtained illegally, what's there to be afraid of?"

"Wow, you sound pretty righteous," Xia Liang said, kicking him in the butt. "It was only because of the weak copyright laws back then that you found so many loopholes to exploit. You're completely shameless."

Muggle defended himself, "That was more like 'inspiration,' not plagiarism."

"Just give it a rest. They release Coral QQ, you launch Goose Factory QQ. They have Xunlei, you have Xuanfeng. They release United Crowd XC, you have Grand Hall. They make Kart Racer, you make Racing Car. They come out with Bubble Hall, you come out with QQ Hall. They launch Dance Troupe, you rip it off with Show Dance. The most disgusting part is, after you reported Kuai Fang to the authorities, you immediately turned around and created QQ Video. Plagiarism is one thing, but you should at least have a conscience! Even the original creators weren't as shamelessly greedy as you with your knockoffs. My God! A few in-game guns for tens of thousands of Yuan? Is that something a human being would do?"

Muggle was left speechless.

He knew the truth all too well. But that was just business, full of tricks like these. If you didn't exploit loopholes, you were a fool. Besides, it wasn't illegal back then, just like that guy outside said. To get a girl's attention, you needed a Red Diamond, right? To expand your social circle, you needed a Yellow Diamond, right? To secretly listen to music with her during P.E. class, you needed a Green Diamond, right?

"You absolute fiend. You've practically emptied out every student's piggy bank, and you still have the nerve to argue with me."

Muggle still didn't quite understand.

A single diamond isn't expensive, only a few mililiter, so what's with all the resentment?

"Bro, just tell me what you want me to do to get you to save me. I'll agree to any condition."

"Saving you is simple. I have one request. Later, you'll go live on a national broadcast and say a few words. That's it."

Xia Liang then gestured toward the outside. "Those kidnappers may not be professionals, but as the old saying goes, the reckless are afraid of the desperate. They're definitely capable of killing the hostage."

Muggle was stunned. "It's that simple?"

"It's that simple. So, do you agree or not?"

"Of course, I agree! Only a fool wouldn't!"

Xia Liang smiled and began to untie him. Then, he walked toward the door. That's right. He was heading for the main door.

"Hey! Outside is—"

Before he could finish, the door was pushed open, and dim yellow light spilled in.

The kidnappers were dumbfounded, their minds struggling to process the shocking scene.

They threw one person in, so how did two come out?

Xia Liang clapped his hands. "Gentlemen, this is a society ruled by law. Kidnapping won't solve your problems. Money? You can earn it with your own two hands, so why resort to knives and guns? Wouldn't it be better to get a proper job, find a wife, and raise a family? It's much better than getting into a brawl with your cellmates in the slammer, right?"

Scarface was the first to react, his hand immediately reaching for the shotgun at his feet. Its range wasn't great, but up close, it was devastatingly ruthless. A single blast would turn you into a human honeycomb. Death would be a mercy. If you survived, not even the best plastic surgeon in the world could put you back together.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Me?" Xia Liang shrugged. "I'm just a Didi driver."

"By the way," he continued, "you guys might be new to this whole kidnapping thing. You missed a lot of details. For example, you should have changed the license plate and covered the car. You should've had a lookout at the main door, and you should've sealed the windows in the room where you're holding the hostage."

One of the kidnappers nodded repeatedly. "Boss, he's making a lot of sense."

"Sense my ass!" Scarface kicked him. "Who cares about details? Getting the money is what matters! Go on, waste this kid. It's about time you all grew a pair and saw some blood."

Xia Liang put on a friendly smile. "There's really no need for violence."

"Heh, I think there is!"

Half a minute later, all the kidnappers were lying on the ground, howling in pain.

"Anyone makes another sound, and you'll have only yourselves to blame." Xia Liang took out his phone, opened the live streaming function on an app, and found a good angle to place it on the table.

Muggle already knew what he was supposed to say, and his expression was grim.

"How about this? I'll give you four hundred Yuan. Cash, under the table. I guarantee there'll be no trace."

Xia Liang glanced back at him. "You're still trying to bargain with me? Believe it or not, I could kill you right now and pin it on these idiot kidnappers."

"Five hundred Yuan! Bro, I'm begging you, this speech will practically kill me!" Muggle slid over on his knees and hugged Xia Liang's leg, his face a mess of snot and tears.

He'd expected a divine savior to descend, only to find a Demon from the Ninth Abyss.

Xia Liang didn't respond. Instead, he picked up the shotgun from the floor.

"Fine, fine, I'll say it, alright?!" Muggle's face looked as if he had just eaten a turd.

The live stream started quickly. Mind you, Xia Liang used to stream on Feiyu, so he waved at the camera casually.

"Hello Tai Family, it's your Big Brother Xia. I've recently switched careers to become a Didi driver. Tonight, I was on a normal run and happened to pick up Mr. Muggle, the CEO of the Goose Factory Company. After his rescue, he was moved to tears and has been reflecting on his actions over the past twenty-odd years. He has some things he needs to get off his chest. So, let's welcome Mister Muggle with a round of applause!"

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP.

Xia Liang clapped all by himself as he stepped to the side.

Muggle sat on the chair, staring at the camera, and tried his best to force a smile. "G-good evening, everyone. I'm Muggle. First, I want to thank Mister Xia for rescuing me and bringing me to safety. I also want to thank all the netizens for their concern for my well-being. And now, I'd like to talk about our company's new mobile game. Sign up and you'll receive a 998 Yuan cash red envelope. Log in for ten consecutive days for a chance to win the latest Red Devil handset—"

BANG!

Xia Liang slammed the shotgun against the corner of the table, making Muggle jump.

Meanwhile, the number of viewers in the stream was skyrocketing as if launched by a rocket. After all, who wouldn't want a close-up look at a God of Wealth? Xia Liang's old fans poured in; his drawing power was second to none.

"Holy shit! Summer God Hao is finally streaming!"

"Damn! No wonder he stopped streaming, he became a Didi driver!"

"Summer God Hao's wicked sense of humor."

"Wait! That scumbag Muggle is there too."

"You've got to be kidding me. Is the big shot doing a sales stream now? Please don't."

"That's weird! God Xia doesn't need money."

"Didn't you hear? Muggle was kidnapped this evening. Sigh, I was hoping he'd finally be out of the picture. God Xia, I get saving people, but why save *him*?"

Muggle cleared his throat softly, trying to make his expression look as natural as possible.

"Regarding the various criticisms leveled against me over the years, I would like to solemnly announce three things. First, all purchasable items in all games under the Goose Factory Company will have their prices clearly marked. There will be no gacha-style draws, and the price of any single item will not exceed two mililiter."

As he said "two mililiter," Muggle's voice trembled noticeably.

"Second, the Goose Factory Company solemnly promises to release the best original works in the shortest possible time, to live up to our name as Blue Star's number one game company. Third, I would like to advise all my peers in the industry to stay true to their principles and, as much as possible, follow the example of the Goose Factory Company. Be a conscientious enterprise and a person of integrity."

Instantly, the viewers were baffled.

The chat was flooded with a tidal wave of question marks.

What is this? Has Muggle grown a conscience? Is he turning over a new leaf? Am I dreaming, or has he gone insane? What? The most expensive virtual item is capped at two mililiter? That's practically giving it away for free!

Not long ago, there was that huge ruckus about the new "Star" skins in that pesticide game. Countless players had to grit their teeth and pay up. And who knows how many kids blew their parents' hard-earned money on it. It was only after a massive public outcry that the Goose Factory Company finally developed a conscience and offered refunds for underage players.

But now, he was making such an explosive statement. For years, the Goose Factory Company had become the world's number one game company by shearing its player base.

How did they do it? By bleeding their players dry, of course.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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