【Player Xing Xiu has posted a Duel Room Announcement:】

Clearly, this was someone using an Announcement Card to broadcast a message.

At first, Jiang Ye didn’t think much of it.

Until—

The next voice he heard was the Black-Robed Player’s!

【Bald kid at seat A06-5525, you must be enjoying your three-win streak rewards, huh?】

【I’m making this announcement just to remind you—】

【What I said in the arena wasn’t just a scare tactic.】

【You will pay for your stupidity.】

【You’ll soon understand—】

【My influence is far beyond what you can imagine!】

【Enjoy.】

The Black-Robed Player’s voice was still arrogant and mocking, dripping with contempt.

Meanwhile, the entire Duel Room erupted into discussions.

"Wait, what? This Xing Xiu guy just burned an Announcement Card just to call out some bald kid?"

"And what's with that 'my influence is beyond your imagination' crap? Dude thinks he's the final boss or something?"

"Hah! Sounds like some arrogant prick who got his ass kicked and is now throwing a tantrum."

"Exactly! The way he talks is hilarious!"

At first, the announcement was met with mockery and skepticism.

But then—

A second announcement echoed through the Duel Room:

【Emergency Duel Room Announcement:】

【VIP Player ‘Duoe’ is currently linking 1,000,000 Duel Machines to this duel zone.】

【These 1,000,000 Duel Machines will be fully integrated within 10 minutes.】

【At that time, 1,000,000 veteran players will gain access to this duel zone.】

…

Silence.

The entire Duel Room fell into a dazed stupor.

Some players just stood there, staring blankly.

"Wait… what? What does that mean?"

But those who were quick-witted immediately understood—

"HOLY SH*T! Does this mean our duel zone is about to be flooded with a million veteran players?!"

"You mean in Random Matchmaking or Challenge Mode, we’ll have a higher chance of fighting experienced players?!"

"Are you kidding me?! I already struggle to win against players at my level! If we start getting matched against veterans, we're doomed!"

"This update is going to DESTROY our win rates!"

"Who the hell is ‘Duoe’?! And what the hell is a VIP Player?!"

"No way… VIP Players can just force a million veterans into our duel zone?! That’s INSANE!"

"Wait—remember the first announcement? That Xing Xiu guy was talking about making a bald kid pay…?"

"F*ck—are you telling me this million-player flood is because of that guy?!"

"So Xing Xiu wasn’t just some arrogant loser… he’s actually that powerful?!"

"SH*T! This isn't just about punishing one bald kid! He just screwed over our entire duel zone!

"Damn it! Who the hell is this bald idiot that pissed off such a bigshot?!"

In an instant, the initial mockery toward Xing Xiu turned into pure resentment toward "the bald kid."

Everyone now felt like their entire duel zone was being ruined because of that one idiot.

And the "bald kid" in question—Jiang Ye—had already quietly changed seats the moment Xing Xiu’s announcement came out.

As he relocated, a realization hit him—

Spectators could search for a seat number to watch that player’s duels live.

In Random Matchmaking, players only saw their opponent's seat number, not their actual identity.

That’s why Zhao Yudie had used an Announcement Card earlier, telling her fans to search for Seat 151 so they could watch her matches.

At the time, Jiang Ye didn’t think much of it.

But now—he noticed something off.

The seat numbers on the second floor all followed a XXX-XXXX format.

So why was Zhao Yudie’s seat number just "151"?

Was it because she was ranked "Stubborn Bronze" and had access to the third floor?

That was one possibility.

But Jiang Ye had another suspicion—

Could there be "private seats" hidden from regular players?

He even considered—

If the public Duel Room was like an internet café, where players could sit at any available Duel Machine…

Then did some players have “personal computers”—private Duel Machines that belonged to them alone?

Turns out—he was absolutely right.

Apartment 985. Room 2008.

Right now, Zhao Yudie was sitting inside her private room, using her own Duel Machine.

Of course, this Duel Machine wasn’t originally part of her room.

She had stolen it from a package delivery.

By using a private Duel Machine, she could secure a permanent seat number in the virtual Duel Zone.

In the public Duel Room, seats were first-come, first-served.

If you left, someone else could take your spot.

But with a private Duel Machine, she had a fixed seat number—like a permanent streaming channel.

Even when she wasn’t online, no one else could occupy her seat.

This was why she had made a public announcement earlier.

While her announcement claimed she just wanted viewers for one match…

Her real goal was to make her seat number as famous as a streamer’s channel ID.

That way, every time she dueled, she’d automatically have an audience, just like a live streamer.

Once her seat number became popular, her earnings per match would skyrocket—

Winning just one fight could make her as much as a celebrity streamer!

With this model, earning six figures daily was totally possible!

…

At least, that was the plan.

But then—

This million-player announcement ruined everything.

Because for her streaming empire to work—

She needed to actually win her matches.

With a million veteran players joining the duel zone, Zhao Yudie knew her win rate was about to plummet!

Worse yet—

Those veteran players would have their own “streaming channels”, competing directly with hers!

Realizing this, her hatred for the “bald idiot” who provoked a big shot reached new heights!

But after quickly calming down, she made a decision—

She needed to make as much money as possible before the veterans fully arrived!

Meanwhile, Jiang Ye, now in a new seat, could clearly feel the hostile gazes around him.

Even though nobody could confirm he was the "troublemaking bald kid," he still felt the subtle animosity from other players.

This was because the Disguise Mask always generated a bald appearance—

So nobody could tell if he was the infamous one or just another bald player.

Jiang Ye remained calm and collected, but internally, he was confused—

Xing Xiu was only around 55 combat power, right?

How the hell did he have enough influence to call in “Duoe” and summon a million veteran players?!

And seriously—

Was his sneak attack really that big of a deal?!

Did it really warrant such an extreme response?!

Could there be another reason behind all this?

Now that he thought about it…

When he had landed the final blow on the Black-Robed Player, the guy had seemed like he wanted to say something…

But Jiang Ye didn’t give him the chance.

What was he trying to say?

Jiang Ye had no clue, and there was no point dwelling on it.

What really mattered now was—

Should he use his Privilege Card before the veteran players arrived, or should he wait until after they joined the duel zone?