On the third floor of the Night Charm Bar, in a private room.
Black Dream is an illegal dream simulation strictly cracked down upon and prohibited by the “Dream Monitorea” For ordinary people, the main source of access is through black market dealers acting as “middlemen.”
However, with Keyji using his background and connections, he could bypass the middlemen and directly obtain the product face-to-face from the “manufacturer.”
Renji and the others didn’t have to wait long, perhaps just about fifteen minutes, when the door of the private room was roughly pushed open. A group of four or five grim-looking men and women quickly entered, with the last one, a female member with a tattoo resembling a “black flame” on her left arm, closing the door behind them.
These people, with firearms at their waists and various non-standard cybernetic enhancements under their jackets, were dressed in a way that screamed “gang members.” The leader of the group, a burly man with both arms fully cybernetically enhanced, scanned the room and then fixed his gaze on Keyji.
“So, you’re the rich guy the boss mentioned, wanting to buy Black Dream?”
“Yes, that’s me. How should I address you brother?” Keyji didn’t show much fear in the face of these menacing gang members. He seemed more curious about this new experience and tried to strike up a conversation with the leader, much like he had with Renji earlier.
However, the gang leader was not as friendly as Renji had been.
“No need for names, as we won’t be having a second meeting. Buyer’s identity confirmed. Bring out the goods for this rich boy.”
The burly man gestured to his companions, and two or three of them carrying briefcases approached Keyji, opening the cases on the table to reveal several Dream films that looked like “cartridges.”
Seeing these retro mechanical cartridges, Keyji’s expression turned to one of surprise. He had expected the Dream technology to be more advanced, not resembling outdated video discs.
“In the Mechanical Alliance, the Monitorea can track you down from a single electronic cigarette you’ve smoked, identifying even the color of your underwear. So, for us, the older and more primitive, the safer and more reliable it is, you understand?”
As the leader spoke, he lit a traditional cigarette wrapped in paper, taking a deep drag before exhaling the smoke and sitting down on the sofa in the room. Glancing at his mechanical watch, he waved the hand holding the cigarette at Keyji and said:
“The goods are here. Each cartridge has a brief description of the Black Dream it contains. Pick what you want, and we’ll settle the bill together. But I must remind you, we only have fifteen minutes for this transaction.”
While the burly man was speaking, Renji and Eileen had already approached the Black Dream cartridges, examining each one. Eileen, in particular, appeared more excited and enthusiastic. On the other hand, Keyji, who was supposed to be the buyer, didn’t show much reaction and remained seated without moving.
The burly man’s expression froze slightly, a frown forming on his face. The other gang members in the private room also showed similar expressions, some even casting a “what should we do?” look at the burly man.
However, soon, as Keyji seemed unable to sit still any longer and joined Renji in selecting Black Dream cartridges, the burly man’s micro-expression returned to normal, and he took another drag of his cigarette.
Black Dream is prohibited precisely because many of its contents can lead to mental issues if watched for too long. Apart from sex and violence, there are also some perverse scenarios, like one where you’re transformed into a dog and experience being kept by a female owner.
There are also elements of horror and mystery, like the Black Dream named “Murderous Ghost” that Eileen is currently holding, which records the perspective of a passerby who happens to witness the urban legend of the “Murderous Ghost.”
While Renji pretends to be selecting, he actually awakens 86 and uses it to scan each Black Dream cartridge upon touching them.
Unfortunately, the results are not as desired. None of these Black Dreams are related to “Dream Zero,” clearly indicating that the secrecy level of Dream Zero is much higher than these Black Dreams.
Disappointed but not unexpected, Renji symbolically picks two or three Black Dreams, including the “Murderous Ghost” that Eileen pleaded for. It wasn’t a total waste of a visit.
“Have you made your choice? Let me see, five in total, each for 100,000 Ashen Coins, making a total of one million. Time to pay.”
Renji picks three, and Keyji picks two, making five in total. But…
“Wait a second, brother, there’s a mistake in your math, isn’t it? One million? Shouldn’t it be five hundred thousand?”
After Keyji’s question, there was no scene of an on-the-spot price hike. The reason for asking for an additional half million was because…
“Ordinary devices can’t play these Black Dreams. So here, take this. You’ll need our Black Fire Gang’s special Dream terminal to read them.”
The lead gang member stood up from the sofa, tossing a portable Dream terminal, resembling an “eyemask,” to Keyji.
Eileen had explained to Renji when he first encountered a Dream terminal that the most straightforward way to judge the model and grade of a Dream terminal is by its appearance; the simpler it looks, the higher its grade.
And obviously, this eyemask-like Dream terminal is not a low-
end model.
“Let me tell you, rich boy, don’t think it’s expensive. You can’t even buy this terminal on the black market. Besides watching Black Dream, it has another function.”
“What is it?”
“It can show you the most realistic Black Dream.”
“The most realistic Black Dream?”
Seeing Keyji’s confused expression, the gang members in the room burst into laughter before speaking seriously in a tempting voice:
“It’s the top of all Black Dreams, the real Black Dream Zero.”
“Do you know why those big corporations came together to prohibit us from entering Dream Zero? All that talk about realism, danger… it’s all nonsense! I’ll tell you, it’s because Dream Zero is a gold mine. It contains endless wealth from the old world. They don’t want anyone competing for this gold mine with them. They’re trying to monopolize this gold mine, you get it?”
“Remember what I told you earlier, in the Mechanical Alliance, advanced doesn’t always mean better. It’s the older, more traditional things that people covet.”
The burly man showed Keyji the half-burnt traditional cigarette in his hand.
“People’s deaths in Dream Zero can be brought into reality, but conversely, the cultivation and training done in Dream Zero can also be brought back to reality. Do you know what this means?”
“It means we’re no longer confined to this barren world, thinned out of Miasma after five hundred years. We can return to that glorious era, five hundred years ago, filled with Miasma. Just breathing in the air from the old world’s Miasma concentration could turn us into Eclipse beings, and what’s more, stable ones, without the risk of going berserk!”
Growing increasingly passionate, the burly man spread his arms wide. .𝒎
“So many people have used the old world of Dream Zero to successfully become Eclipse beings, gaining immense power. Then they use this superhuman power to continue exploring Dream Zero, delving into the old world’s technology, history, knowledge, and even the legacy of the legendary Emperor!”
“Any one of these things, if brought out, would be a lifetime’s worth of wealth. So now do you understand? It’s those damn corporations in cahoots with the government. They’re trying to monopolize, to occupy, to deprive us of our right to explore Dream Zero!”
“They keep saying Dream Zero is dangerous, yet they themselves are developing intelligent AI, forming armies, and sending them into Dream Zero to explore the old world for them. Isn’t this the height of shamelessness!”
The more the burly man spoke, the more agitated he became, clearly harboring great resentment towards corporations and the government. It was also evident that he held an extraordinary fascination, even reverence, for Dream Zero.
Eventually calming down, the burly man seemed to realize he had digressed. He glanced at his watch, noting that time was almost up, and steered the conversation back on track.
After listening to the burly man’s impassioned speech, Keyji seemed somewhat swayed. Kael Technology had only been instilling in them the dangers of Dream Zero, but it was from this gang leader that Keyji saw another side of Dream Zero. He wasn’t so much after the wealth, but the idea of becoming a stable Eclipse being, a person with ‘superpowers,’ was something many young people fantasized about.
One million was a small sum for Keyji, who promptly paid up. The members of the Black Fire Gang, upon receiving the payment, didn’t linger for long. They left the private room as swiftly and neatly as they had arrived.
Not long after, Renji, Eileen, and Keyji also left the Night Charm Bar, calling a taxi to return to their hotel.
As their taxi departed, a car that had been inconspicuously parked in a corner near the Night Charm Bar also lit up.
Inside the car, which was unusually manually driven by a driver wearing dark sunglasses and looking like a secret agent, a phone call was quickly made.
Soon after the connection…
“Yes, Mr. William, that’s right. Keyji has returned.”
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