Debut!
3208 Words
Ten Days!
For ten whole days, Lu Ming had been crazily making cards!
During this time, Zhang Xiaopang came by once.
He didn’t quite understand Lu Ming’s approach to card-making. “Lu Ge, why don’t you sell them while you’re making them?”
“You’ll see soon enough,” Lu Ming replied with a smile, but didn’t explain further.
In ten days, he made 300 cards, averaging just 30 cards a day! This was already Lu Ming’s limit!
If it weren’t for his limited resources being completely used up and his energy stones nearly depleted, he figured he could have kept going for a few more days! After all, grinding was a basic skill for a programmer!
“Three hundred cards... I wonder how much money I can make,” Lu Ming took a deep breath.
Three hundred one-star Fruit Ninja cards.
Among them, white cards cost 30 each, and making one card consumed energy worth about 20 bucks. In total, the cost was roughly 50 yuan per card.
Three hundred cards meant a total cost of 15,000 yuan.
This was all the savings Lu Ming had left.
If this venture failed...
He might have to sing Chrysanthemum Terrace to make a living.
“Marketing Fruit Ninja is likely to be a one-time hit, so the timing has to be perfect,” Lu Ming calculated constantly.
As for the number of uses...
It’s best to use a specialized illusion activator.
An illusion activator is a device specifically for illusion cards. It usually has only one slot for placing the illusion card, with a hollow space inside for placing energy stones.
There are only two buttons on it: one to start and one to stop.
Lu Ming chose the illusion activator for several reasons: first, energy consumption. Portable card activators use energy cards!
Energy cards are costly to make and consume, so using them would not be worth it.
These non-portable activators, however, can use energy stones.
Second, safety.
These illusion activators are designed specifically for illusion cards and usually come with a safety mechanism. If any danger is detected, they automatically shut down, significantly protecting the user.
Third, number of uses.
Normally activated cards disappear after one use, but with an illusion card activator, the process can be interrupted and resumed as long as there’s energy and time left!
As long as the illusion time hasn’t run out, it can continue to be activated.
This is incredibly powerful.
This way, one card can be used many times, and if people don't last long, it can be used even more frequently!
Three hundred cards would be enough.
Lu Ming went over the plan one more time, ensuring there were no issues before going to rest.
The next morning.
As the sun's rays bathed the street and the crowd outside began to grow, Lu Ming stepped out of his shop holding a massive poster, which he placed by the roadside.
"Huh?"
Passersby instinctively glanced at it and were instantly stunned.
No wonder.
Because of the striking title: "A Real Man Lasts 100 Seconds!"
And the content was even more astonishing.
“Are you a real man?”
“If so, come challenge your limits!”
“This is the secret to a powerful master… He used this method to train! His enhanced reaction speed makes him last longer than the average person!”
“This is the first training card in history!”
“Completely improve your reaction speed, become more efficient, more focused!”
“One trial, only 100 yuan, just 100 yuan, it’s a deal you can’t pass up! But it could boost your power!”
“PS: The person who lasts the longest within seven days will win 10,000 yuan!!!”
The shocking content.
The roaring exclamation marks.
This huge poster instantly caught the attention of all the passersby.
“This is…”
Many people stopped in their tracks.
The poster was packed with content, not just those roaring words, but also neatly written rules and price details below.
Challenge your limits?
The first training card?
Can enhance reaction speed?
A master’s powerful secret?
10,000 yuan reward for the longest time?
And the experience only costs 100 yuan?
…
No doubt.
Many people were tempted.
These keywords undoubtedly struck a chord with them.
Power improvement requires hard practice, and even with all sorts of treasures, it's not something ordinary people can easily obtain, but here...
It only costs 100 yuan? Why not give it a try?
Moreover!
There’s a reward of 10,000 yuan!
“Is this for real?”
“Not sure, how about you give it a try?”
The crowd started murmuring.
More and more people gathered.
Lu Ming squatted at the shop entrance, grinning as he watched these people, who in his eyes, had turned into walking dollar signs.
One hundred yuan...
One hundred yuan...
As he scanned the crowd, he felt completely at ease.
“Boss, let me give it a try.”
A middle-aged man passing by said steadily.
A hundred yuan wasn’t a big deal to him. His time was valuable, so he didn’t want to waste it standing around. It was better to try it out directly.
“Sure.”
Lu Ming led him into the shop.
In the middle of the shop, he had left enough space and marked a spot at the center for the man to stand on, then prepared the illusion activator.
“Hurry up.”
The man urged impatiently.
“All set,” Lu Ming smiled.
The people outside were all watching closely.
Click!
Lu Ming pressed the start button.
At that moment, the man’s eyes focused, clearly entering the illusion.
“What kind of crap is this?”
The man frowned.
He could honestly say he had never seen such a lousy illusion! No, not just almost, he had really never seen an illusion this crude and low-quality!
Distant scenery?
Nonexistent.
He glanced around; beyond ten meters, it was just a blank space.
This illusion only had a tiny area with stuff in it, and it was a ridiculously low-res, crude tavern!
It looked...
Like a beginner’s doodle.
Pixelated beyond belief!
“This kind of…”
“Crap... can even be called an illusion?”
The man was astonished.
Because an illusion isn’t just random stuff thrown together; it needs a stable, complete loop to even be considered an illusion.
And this...
Could this really be considered complete?
Meanwhile.
Inside the shop, although the onlookers couldn’t see the illusion, they could hear the man’s words, and they started to feel disappointed.
As expected...
They had suspected it was too good to be true!
What kind of improvement can you get for just 100 yuan?
“It's a scam.”
“Seems like it.”
“This guy looks nice, but he’s a con artist.”
“Hmph, I’ll report this scam shop to the market administrator later!”
People started whispering.
“Heh.”
Lu Ming kept smiling calmly, not in a rush.
He was confident.
There would be results soon.
Meanwhile.
Inside the illusion, the man finished reading the rules and picked up the knife.
“No energy allowed for better training effects?”
“Heh.”
“More likely this illusion is so basic that using any energy would cause it to collapse, and they’re just using training as an excuse. Tsk tsk...”
The man couldn’t help but ridicule.
“And this knife’s feel… what a joke?”
“It’s so uncomfortable.”
The man was utterly speechless.
He was sure.
He had never encountered such a lousy illusion!
The existence of this card was an insult to illusions!
He was about to make a few more snarky comments when suddenly, a gust of wind came by, and a yellow object flew toward him. Instinctively, he dodged it, and the fruit crashed to the ground.
Boom!
The illusion ended!
By the time he realized it, he was back in the shop.
Man: ???
“What the…”
The man was dumbfounded.
He hadn’t expected it to end so quickly!
“How long did you last?” Lu Ming curiously glanced at the device.
The illusion activator recorded energy consumption. When the man picked up the knife, the energy began to deplete rapidly, and the duration was...
“You only lasted one second?” Lu Ming looked at the man in surprise.
“I…”
The man’s face turned red. “This lousy illusion…”
“The illusion is indeed very basic.”
Lu Ming replied matter-of-factly, “It’s meant for beginners. If the illusion were more complex, the difficulty would be significantly higher. But if you can’t even handle this level of difficulty…”
Lu Ming spoke with a doubtful tone.
“I can!”
“I just wasn’t paying attention,” the man explained. “I was focused on the stuff in the illusion…”
“Sigh.”
Lu Ming sighed deeply, “That’s precisely why the illusion is so empty, to prevent people like you from getting distracted by a higher difficulty!”
“Yet…”
“You still need more practice,” Lu Ming said earnestly.
“I’ll try again!”
The man’s face darkened.
Especially with all those people watching him and Lu Ming’s surprised expression at how he only lasted one second—it pricked his pride.
It's one thing for his wife to say so at night, but to let people say it during the day?
“I’ll do it again.”
The man gritted his teeth.
“One hundred yuan.”
Lu Ming smiled.
“Fine.”
The man gritted his teeth and re-entered the illusion.
The people outside exchanged puzzled glances. They hadn’t expected this scene. If the illusion was truly garbage, shouldn’t he have come out cursing immediately?
It seemed...
There might be something to it.
The spectators who had been about to leave suddenly grew more interested.
Meanwhile.
Inside the illusion.
The man picked up the knife and was ready.
Swoosh!
The first fruit fell, and he easily sliced through it, the fruit disappearing.
So that’s how it works.
The man nodded.
It’s like a simple training method, making fruit fall from the sky and then slicing it to train your reaction speed.
As long as your reflexes are good enough to slice it quickly, that’s enough!
Simple!
Too simple!
So simple that he couldn’t understand why he only lasted one second.
But at this moment…
Swoosh!
A second fruit fell.
Swoosh!
A third fruit fell.
He sliced through them with ease.
Although the knife didn’t feel great, it could cut through the fruit, which was good enough.
But gradually, as the man began to feel more confident, he suddenly noticed a few issues.
Huh?
The rate of the fruit’s descent had quickened.
Huh?
The angle of the fruit’s fall had changed.
Huh?
The fruit is flying towards his face!
And…
There were more fruits falling!
The man was shocked.
How could this be?!
Shouldn’t there be just one fruit falling at a time?
He dodged a bit to the left to avoid the fruit, but another came from the right, which was a bit disorienting. The fruit on the left that he barely sliced sent a chill down his spine!
How could this be?!
Why was this happening?!
Boom!
A fruit hit the man’s head.
Illusion over!
The man opened his eyes, dazed.
Although it was a simple illusion, he suddenly felt a strange pressure when the fruit started to speed up. Those innocent, cute little fruits became incredibly difficult to cut.
The man frowned.
The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
Could this be the difficulty that everyone talked about?
Could it be that his reaction speed really isn’t that fast?
“I lost again,” the man shook his head.
“How long this time?”
Lu Ming glanced at the device and shook his head, “This time, you only lasted 1.6 seconds.”
“Still not enough?”
The man frowned.
“Huh?”
The crowd was shocked.
Just 1.6 seconds?
How could that be?
This guy is clearly a warrior! He’s also the head of some construction crew, right? How could he be so slow?
But they quickly realized that this illusion wasn’t just about being strong but required a combination of speed, reflexes, and timing!
“Hm…”
“Let me give it a try too.”
“I think I’m fast.”
More people became interested.
One person after another began trying the illusion.
Soon…
The shop filled with people.
Ten people…
Twenty people…
More and more people came in, trying out the illusion and inevitably coming out in a daze.
They hadn’t expected that such a simple illusion could be so challenging!
Not only was the fruit fall accelerating, but the angles, trajectories, and patterns of the fall were also constantly changing! The illusions seemed simple, but it made them nervous!
The faster the speed…
The more nervous they became!
They realized this wasn’t just about reflexes; it was also about mentality!
No one lasted more than ten seconds!
As time passed…
Outside the shop, there was a crowd of people.
The entire alleyway was blocked.
The neighbors were stunned to see this.
What had happened?
They peeked out curiously, and when they saw the big poster, their eyes widened.
Real men last 100 seconds?
The first training card in history?
Ten thousand yuan for the person who lasts the longest?
This was…
Absolutely insane!
“It’s like Lu Ming’s store is opening for real,” someone sighed.
“He actually has a marketing strategy,” someone muttered.
“Are people really that gullible?”
There were mixed opinions.
At this moment…
After about an hour of bustling activity, someone finally couldn’t take it anymore and rushed to the market administrator’s office to report it!
Within the office of the market administrator.
Sun Xiaoyan was just about to leave.
As the market administrator in this area, she was no stranger to this alley. This was a small alley and was typically very quiet.
Although she wasn’t very strong herself, she was still a legitimate two-star professional, much better than most of the one-star people around here. At least, she was doing better than most people here.
Of course.
Her role here was administrative, and her primary task was maintaining peace.
This was a relatively easy job.
After all…
What kind of chaos could occur here?
But…
When she reached the door, she saw someone rush in.
“Administrator!”
“Someone’s causing trouble!”
“Huh?”
Sun Xiaoyan’s face darkened.
Causing trouble?
At her market?
Who dares to?
“Where?” Sun Xiaoyan asked coldly.
“Lu Ming’s shop!”
“His shop?”
Sun Xiaoyan frowned.
She had heard of Lu Ming, that little card maker who had no future to speak of. He used to sell cards quietly, but what was he doing now?
“Let’s go,” Sun Xiaoyan said coldly.
She followed the man who reported the incident to the scene.
And the moment she arrived…
She was stunned.
The alleyway, which had always been deserted, was now jam-packed with people! And they were all blocking the entrance to Lu Ming’s shop, struggling to squeeze in!
How was this possible?!
Lu Ming’s shop was so popular?
“Calm down, calm down.”
Sun Xiaoyan squeezed through the crowd and managed to get to the entrance. Then, she took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and spoke up.
“Everyone, settle down.”
“Who reported trouble here?”
“Who’s causing trouble?”
“Please step forward!”
Her voice, powered by energy, echoed throughout the alley.
Many people were startled and looked over.
But when they saw that it was just a market administrator with a bit of authority, they went back to their business.
“Administrator, it’s him.”
The person who reported pointed at Lu Ming.
Sun Xiaoyan shifted her gaze and saw a young man calmly directing the crowd.
Although Sun Xiaoyan had never met Lu Ming before, she knew this was him from a glance. After all, there weren’t many other young men in the alley who looked so clean-cut.
And now…
Even though she didn’t understand what was happening, she had to admit that the way Lu Ming was handling the crowd was rather impressive.
He wasn’t overwhelmed by the crowd’s enthusiasm; instead, he managed the situation with a professional calm.
Impressive.
“This young man is surprisingly capable,” Sun Xiaoyan thought to herself.
But since someone had reported the incident, she had to investigate.
“Mr. Lu, someone reported you for causing trouble. Could you explain what’s going on?” Sun Xiaoyan asked, trying to sound neutral.
Lu Ming paused for a moment, then smiled.
“Administrator Sun, thank you for coming. It’s really nothing serious; I’m just running a small promotion. But I assure you, everything is perfectly legal.”
He gestured to the crowd, “These are all my customers. They’re here to participate in the challenge I’ve organized.”
Sun Xiaoyan raised an eyebrow, “Challenge?”
Lu Ming nodded and handed her a copy of the rules.
Sun Xiaoyan skimmed through it, her expression softening as she read.
“Oh, I see… A training challenge.”
She nodded thoughtfully.
Lu Ming smiled, “Yes, it’s just a fun event to attract customers. I understand it might seem a bit chaotic, but I assure you, we’re following all the regulations. And as you can see, everyone here is participating voluntarily.”
Sun Xiaoyan scanned the crowd again. Many of the participants were chatting excitedly or discussing their performance in the challenge.
There didn’t seem to be any coercion or wrongdoing.
But…
“Mr. Lu, I appreciate your entrepreneurial spirit, but the crowd is blocking the entire alley. It’s causing a disturbance to the other businesses here.”
Sun Xiaoyan spoke with authority but not unkindly, “I’ll have to ask you to manage the situation more effectively. Maybe you could organize the crowd better or limit the number of people inside your shop at any one time.”
“Absolutely, Administrator Sun. I’ll take care of it right away.”
Lu Ming responded promptly.
Seeing his cooperative attitude, Sun Xiaoyan softened further.
“Good,” she said, “Just keep it under control, and there won’t be any problems. I’ll check back later to make sure everything’s running smoothly.”
With that, she turned to leave, but before she did, she glanced at the poster one more time.
A training card that improves reaction speed…
She shook her head with a wry smile.
People will buy anything these days.
But who knows, maybe there’s something to it.
Maybe she’d give it a try later, just for fun.
As Sun Xiaoyan walked away, Lu Ming turned back to his shop, a satisfied smile on his face.
The day was just getting started, and business was already booming.
His plan was working perfectly.
“Next!” Lu Ming called out.
The crowd surged forward, eager to take their turn.
And in the middle of it all, Lu Ming was already thinking about his next move.
- Writer
