Chapter Fifty-Two: The Reporters Were Stunned into Silence

Lan Tian stood on the stage, smiling as he waited. He did not begin to speak until the commotion below had gradually died down.

“Dear friends from the press, I suppose none of you know who I am.” Lan Tian paused, giving the reporters no chance to interject, and continued: “First of all, congratulations. Today, you will indeed be the first to witness history, the lucky ones to see the dawn of a new era!”

As soon as his words fell, the audience burst into another uproar, the entire room buzzing as people looked at him as if he were insane.

One lunatic just left, and another comes up next?

No wonder Forest Real Estate is going bankrupt—how could it not, with executives like this?

Lan Tian remained unfazed, maintaining his smile as he raised his hand for silence. “Please, everyone, stay calm. Let’s make a wager. After today, not only will you know who I am, but everyone in the country will know me—everyone in the world will know me. So, do you dare to take that bet?”

“Is this guy... really the new chairman of Forest Real Estate? Are you sure he’s not a runaway from a mental hospital?” This was the shared thought of everyone present.

Of course, Lan Tian wasn’t mad. The scene had already been made chaotic by Fan Ming, so he figured he might as well go all the way; after all, in the end, it would be them who were stunned.

He went on, “There are two reasons for today’s press conference. First, I hereby announce that Forest Real Estate Co., Ltd. will officially change its name to Virtual Network Corporation.”

“Second, starting today, Virtual Network Corporation will be releasing a groundbreaking product—a product that will change all your lives, and perhaps even transform the world itself!”

“Change the world? Who do you think you are?” a reporter suddenly stood up below, his tone dripping with scorn. “Mr. Lan, is it? If you keep making a spectacle of yourself, I don’t see any reason for us to stay at this so-called press conference. Our time is valuable!”

“Yeah, exactly! Who do you think you are, Steve Jobs? What a joke!” another reporter shouted from below.

“Haha, Mr. Lan, my lifestyle is just fine. I don’t need it changed.”

The scene descended once again into chaos, and some veteran reporters shook their heads in exasperation. They had never seen a press conference quite like this—it was nothing short of a farce.

Amidst all the questioning, Lan Tian kept gesturing for quiet, but to no avail. Left with no other choice, he shot Wang Ling a look, signaling her to bring out the prepared helmet.

In truth, Wang Ling herself was bewildered. Lan Tian seemed like a different person today: arrogant, brash, erratic, nothing like his usual self. She’d asked him several times what the helmet was for, but he had only smiled mysteriously, refusing to answer. She couldn’t tell whether he meant to surprise or frighten everyone.

Lan Tian took the helmet from her wordlessly and walked straight to the reporter who had just challenged him. “Put this on, and you’ll know exactly who I am.”

“What is this?” the reporter asked, eyeing the helmet in Lan Tian’s hands.

“Something that can change the world.” As Lan Tian spoke, the room grew quiet. He handed the helmet over once more.

With everyone looking at him, the reporter hesitantly took the helmet and tried it on.

And then, nothing happened.

He simply froze where he was, motionless for a long time. Even when those nearby pushed him hard, he remained unresponsive.

“Ladies and gentlemen, at this moment, his consciousness has entered a miraculous place—a place we call the Virtual Network.” Lan Tian stopped the reporter still shaking his colleague and smiled. “Since today is the press conference and the environment is inevitably noisy, I didn’t activate the anti-interference function. He is now in a deep sleep. Unless he wakes up on his own, you won’t be able to rouse him.”

Of course, this was a lie. The truth was that the reporter had been forcibly pulled into the system, and unless Bai allowed him to leave, even stabbing him with a knife wouldn’t get a reaction; he would simply die in silence.

“Please, everyone, look at the stage.” Lan Tian pointed casually toward the podium.

A point of light flickered in the air above the stage, rapidly expanding until it formed a three-dimensional holographic cube, more than two meters on each side.

“Wow!” The audience gasped in awe at the sight of such high-tech, three-dimensional holography.

Inside the projection, an archer stood dazedly, glancing around, fidgeting, smacking his own cheeks, and pinching his thighs from time to time.

“What you’re seeing now is the scene being experienced by this... hmm, ‘Youku Entertainment’ reporter,” Lan Tian declared with dramatic flair. “I’d like to congratulate him: in the world’s first virtual game with 100% realism, he is the very first player!”

“No way...”

“He must be lying!”

“He’s crazy!”

“Wait, is that... Hou Yi? Or Varus?” one game-loving reporter blurted out.

“My god! Is virtual gaming really happening? Am I dreaming?” As Lan Tian finished speaking, everyone stood up in unison, faces filled with shock and exclamations echoing through the room.

“Look at the archer’s face!” Suddenly, a reporter pointed at the holographic archer, stammering in disbelief.

Everyone followed his finger, and only now did they notice—the archer’s face was unmistakably that of the “Youku Entertainment” reporter standing among them!

This time, no one could keep calm. Even Wang Ling and Chen Xiaoxuan were staring at Lan Tian, their expressions a mix of terror and astonishment.

“He was right... This really is a groundbreaking product that can change the world. We really have witnessed history!” An older reporter in the crowd murmured in feverish awe.

“I never imagined I’d live to see the advent of virtual gaming with my own eyes!”

“This is madness! The whole world is going to go mad!”