Chapter 48: The Treasure Chest in the Wild

The boss immediately knew that this kid was a rookie and said, “Oh, you mean you pay to rent it and you get to drive, right?”

“Yes, isn’t that how it works?” Chen Yun asked, puzzled.

The yacht owner shook his head with a chuckle, “Can you drive? Do you have a yacht license?”

A yacht license? What’s that? Chen Yun shook his head.

“I knew you didn’t. Who would let you drive without a license? This yacht’s worth hundreds of thousands of copper coins. If something happens while you’re driving, could you afford the damages?” The owner pursed his lips. “When I say ‘rent,’ I mean you pay me, then I take you out on the sea. You don’t drive, I do. Got it?”

Damn!

Chen Yun was speechless. If you’re taking me around, what’s the fun in that?

“Boss, I can drive a yacht. I’ll pay extra. Let me drive for an hour, how about it?” Chen Yun asked, unwilling to give up.

“No way. Without a license, if you get caught, I’m in trouble. Are you going or not? If not, I’ll refund your money,” the owner said with a tone that brooked no argument.

“Alright.” Chen Yun gave up and obediently sat inside the yacht. “Just take me around, then.”

The owner started the yacht, and it shot out toward the ocean. The sea breeze brushed Chen Yun’s cheeks—he felt incredibly comfortable.

There was no denying that speeding across the boundless ocean on a luxurious yacht, with seagulls wheeling beside the boat, brought a unique exhilaration. Chen Yun gripped the rail, watching the spray at the stern and the fish leaping from the water, longing for a life like this.

Before crossing over and becoming a player, he’d been a city white-collar worker, not lacking in food or drink, but worlds apart from true wealth. Scenes like racing across the sea were only fantasies in his dreams.

But now, with this mysterious “Big Player” game system, the impossible had become possible. The system was full of traps, but he couldn’t deny it had brought him fame, fortune, and benefits he’d never dared imagine.

Previously, Chen Yun could cook, but never dishes that sent crowds into a frenzy. Now, he’d achieved that.

He’d loved singing, but had only indulged at karaoke bars, never considered entering a singing competition. Now, he was about to participate in one.

He’d had some money, but could only gaze up at villas and luxury cars, never expecting to own them. Now he had a car, gifted to him, and money—also gifted.

Chen Yun had to admit, the system had given him a completely new path, one with infinite possibilities.

“I’m heading back,” the yacht owner said when they’d reached about a thousand meters from the beach.

“Hm?” Chen Yun was startled, about to agree, when he saw a golden light flashing a hundred meters ahead and, curious, asked, “Boss, do you see that up ahead?”

The owner looked where Chen Yun pointed but saw nothing but water. “There’s nothing. What’s up?”

“No way, there’s a flashing golden light right there. Look, just there!” Chen Yun insisted.

The owner slowed down, peering in that direction. No golden light, nothing at all. Annoyed, he said, “Are you messing with me? There’s no golden light.”

Chen Yun was about to argue when a thought struck him.

Could it be that only he could see the golden light, and the NPC couldn’t?

That made sense—after all, the system was tailored for him alone; it was normal that others couldn’t see it.

Did this mean there was something valuable?

Excited, Chen Yun urged, “Boss, go forward 150 meters in that direction.”

The owner shook his head firmly. “No way. Beyond that, there’s no barrier. You could run into sharks. I’m not going.”

It dawned on Chen Yun why so many tourists felt safe surfing and swimming by the shore—there were barriers in place out at sea.

“I’ll pay more. Just go forward 150 meters, let me take a look, then we’ll come right back. How about it?” Chen Yun pleaded. He was sure that anything invisible to NPCs had to be extraordinary, and he had to check it out.

“Well…” The owner hesitated. “How much extra? I won’t do it for peanuts.”

“One gold coin! How about it?” Chen Yun pulled out a coin. “That’s as much as you’d make from sixty passengers.”

Seeing the gleaming gold coin, the owner took it decisively. “Alright, let’s go!”

Following Chen Yun’s directions, the yacht reached the spot where the golden light flashed. Yun saw, about a meter below the surface, a square, locked wooden box. Immediately, Yun received a system prompt.

“Player Chen Yun has discovered a wild treasure chest. Would you like to open it?”

Holy shit!

Chen Yun was overjoyed. A wild treasure chest!

In the game, there was such a feature: while leveling up or doing quests in the wild, players had a chance of encountering a treasure chest. What you could get from it depended mostly on luck, though the higher the chest’s level, the better the rewards.

Someone might find a divine artifact from a chest in the beginner village, while another might only get starter gear from a chest in the top-level map. Ultimately, luck was everything.

“Open the chest!” Chen Yun silently commanded.

“Player Chen Yun’s Lockpicking Skill is below level 3. Unable to open wild treasure chest.”

Chen Yun was dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected the chest to require a level 3 lockpicking skill. What now?

He didn’t know if the chest would stay permanently or was a temporary event. If it disappeared, he’d miss out big time.

“We’re here. Time to head back—this place isn’t safe,” the owner said, promptly turning the yacht around, leaving Chen Yun staring regretfully at the chest.

After disembarking, Chen Yun sighed and was about to leave when he noticed a large anti-theft lock on the chain securing the yacht, labeled “Level 1 Mechanical Lock.”

Damn lockpicking skill!

No, he had to improve his lockpicking!

With that thought, Chen Yun grinned and asked the owner, “Uncle, are you selling this lock?”

The owner looked at Chen Yun, then at the lock. “You want to buy this?”

“Yeah. I rarely get to the seaside—got to bring back a souvenir, right?” Chen Yun lied.

The owner was speechless. He’d seen people buy shells, pearls, and sea treasures as souvenirs, but never a lock. Was this kid right in the head?