Chapter 9: The Desire Tower Duo

"The mission you mentioned is in a place called Moon City, and that area is actually quite difficult to complete."

"Jennifer, one of the Three-Tower people, is a child. It’s easy to please her, but no matter how happy or joyful you make her, you can only ever achieve a Tier 1 completion rate."

The smile on Ji Boda’s face dimmed slightly.

"Nobody knows why Jennifer, who is so easy to coax, is actually unhappy."

"For most Three-Tower people, once their emotional value rises, you can achieve a Tier 1 completion."

"But Jennifer is different. This little girl is so easy to please; give her a piece of candy, and she’ll be happy for a long time."

"The mission immediately shows as ready to complete."

"But if you really choose to complete the mission… you’ll find that you only receive the lowest level of rewards."

At this point, Ji Boda gave a mysterious smile.

"Because of this, many people have deduced that the way to make Jennifer happy on the twenty-first floor might have nothing to do with her at all."

"The key lies with her mother, Yulia, a Three-Tower person."

"My friend, you are handsome, young, tall, and have a distinguished air about you. Perhaps you could use your… innate talents to conquer Yulia!"

Wen Xishu almost laughed, but he had undergone professional training and managed to hold it back for now.

Ji Boda’s words reminded him of two things.

First, the "Three-Tower people" were not some alien species; they were simply people who lived in the Three-Tower world. However, almost exclusively, the humans in the Desire Tower were referred to as Three-Tower people. This was the counterpart to "Bunker Dwellers," which meant that the Bunker Dwellers acknowledged the Three-Tower people as their own kind. The Trick Tower and the Desire Tower were different; at least, Trick-Jack and the monsters in the Slaughter Tower... they could truly only be called monsters.

Second, Wen Xishu recalled a meme. It was said that a certain country hoped to use ideological infiltration via the overseas internet to make the citizens of China hate their own country. But statistics showed that 99.9% of Chinese citizens only went on the overseas internet to watch adult content and would close their browsers as soon as they finished. The combined popularity of those American officials probably couldn't compete with the likes of Nana from Taipei, Kana Hashimoto, or the international student Liu Yue.

It was the same with the Three Towers. If there were some demon observing how humans brought joy to others in order to study complex human emotions, it would surely be disappointed. At least, the only way the Bunker Dwellers seemed to conceive of bringing joy was by "conquering with their assets."

Jennifer was a child and off-limits, so they targeted her mother. Wen Xishu had to admire this group of people who solved every problem through seduction; it was simple, crude, and overflowing with raw data.

"Thank you very much for the intel. It’s very useful."

Actually, in a sense, Ji Boda was right. The root of a child’s unhappiness often stems largely from their parents. If one brought joy to Jennifer’s mother, Jennifer might indeed be happy for a long time. But unfortunately, the true root of this mission lay with a neighbor named Jack.

No matter how much happiness was brought to Jennifer, if the situation of Jack couldn't be changed, then the fate of Jennifer, and all the other neighbors, would not change. Because of this, those who explored this floor could only ever reach a Tier 1 completion rate.

Wen Xishu said, "I don’t have the means to purchase your information. In that case, let me return the favor with a piece of information."

Ji Boda readily agreed. "I like trades like this."

Wen Xishu said, "Still in that same area, I suggest you change your approach and target Jennifer’s neighbors instead. For example, Jack. If you talk to Jack about Jennifer, you’ll learn some details."

Ji Boda couldn't recall anyone named Jack from his last exploration of the twenty-first floor.

Liu Ruyan looked thoughtful, her gaze toward Wen Xishu growing deeper.

"By the way, how do I leave this place ahead of time?"

Another incredibly novice question. Ji Boda said patiently, "Through your login device."

Wen Xishu turned his back to the couple, rolled up his sleeve, and revealed the black Trick Tower login device on his wrist. It was indeed strange for a Trick Tower login device to appear in the Desire Tower’s preparation zone, and he didn't want to waste effort explaining it.

"Farewell, you two. May we meet again in the bunker."

"May we meet again, then," Ji Boda said with a smile.

The next moment, Wen Xishu’s figure vanished.

After he was gone, Liu Ruyan spoke slowly. "He didn't seem to be faking it. Judging by the subtle twitching of his facial muscles, he was hiding something, but he wasn't lying."

Ji Boda’s smile also faded. "Hiss, he couldn't really be a newbie, could he? But why would a newbie head to the twenty-first floor?"

Liu Ruyan said, "When you mentioned that the way to complete the mission was to please Yulia, he had traces of suppressed laughter."

Ji Boda was silent for a second. "Meaning, he thinks my intel is flawed. He has his own views on that area... and he did indeed offer a suggestion. Let us try to start with the neighbor, Jack."

"It’s strange. You can only visit a mission once, yet he acts as if he has already been there."

"To be able to go to the twenty-first floor, one must have drifted through the Sea of Desire for a few rounds."

"But he is so young. And he asked many questions like a complete beginner."

Liu Ruyan said calmly, "Wen Zhaohua, Xun Hui, Wenren Jing—these people also reached dozens of floors while still young."

"Today, Wenren Jing has explored over sixty floors in the Desire Tower. Xun Hui has explored fifty-seven in the Slaughter Tower. The two of them are considered the elite of the Tower Climbers."

Ji Boda gave a bitter smile. "But the people you mentioned are geniuses among geniuses. Could it be that he is a genius of that caliber?"

"There are many things about this kid that I find contradictory."

Liu Ruyan nodded. "He doesn't recognize us. So he isn't from the Desire Tower Academy."

Ji Boda and Liu Ruyan were a high-ranking couple on the Desire Tower’s leaderboard. Both were also teachers at the Desire Tower Academy, appointed by the Bunker Administration. They started from the bottom, but thanks to their powerful talent and hard work, they brought back quite a lot from the Desire Tower. It could be said that in many planes and countless stories of the Desire Tower, the two of them had left their mark.

Liu Ruyan was extremely good at observing people and judging their inner thoughts. Ji Boda was skilled at performance, possessing a "thousand faces." Both of these were essential survival skills in the Desire Tower and were things that modern humans needed to learn. Because of their respective skills, both had opened forums and lectured at the Desire Tower Academy.

Ji Boda smiled. "A young man who claims to be from the bottom, very young, yet qualified to enter the Desire Tower and at a high level—it’s too interesting."

"I’m suddenly curious about what level of completion he will achieve."

Liu Ruyan said, "If he really is a genius, he might cause a sensation. It’s a pity we don't know his name."

Ji Boda nodded. "Indeed. Otherwise, I would definitely recruit him into the Desire Tower Academy."

Liu Ruyan seemed to recall something else. "There is another strange thing. He turned his back to us to activate his login device, and he kept it hidden in his sleeve."

Ji Boda remembered it too, feeling a bit puzzled. "Could it be that there’s something special about his login device? I’m becoming more and more curious."

Even with their extensive experience and status as mentors at the Desire Tower Academy, they could not help but be intrigued by Wen Xishu.