Chapter 27.1 I have been playing this game since I was born
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He entered the game in the early morning of the third day. Taking advantage of that short time gap, Lin Zhaohe diligently reviewed the boundaries.
Joining him in the review were the recently moved-in litte red square in his home and the Jiang Guan #2 above his head.
Lin Zhaohe was troubled by Jiang Guan’s presence and decided to call Zhuang Lao, asking why this thing was so unwilling to leave.
Zhuang Lao asked Lin Zhaohe if the female ghost had scared him anymore, and upon learning that she hadn’t, he pondered for a moment and suspected a bug in the ghost’s behavior.
“A bug?” Lin Zhaohe asked, “What do you mean?”
Zhuang Lao: “It means you were supposed to be someone she had already killed, and now you suddenly came back. Her design is to kill one person and then move on to the next. Now she has indeed killed someone, but the person hasn’t died… do you understand?”
Lin Zhaohe cried, “I don’t want to understand. Did she get stuck on my roof?”
Zhuang Lao: “She probably won’t leave. How about you move?”
Determined, Lin Zhaohe clenched his teeth and said, “Why should I? This is my house! She’s even more unreasonable than a bank!”
Zhuang Lao: “…”
Lin Zhaohe, who confronted the female ghost, became conflicted and decided to challenge her to see who would leave this world first – forgetting that the ghost had already won this contest by her very nature.
As for Lin Zhaohe’s aging body, it seemed to gradually recover with the passage of time. For instance, today his hair was not as white as yesterday, and he felt more robust while walking. This relieved Lin Zhaohe from worrying about his health issues.
The game, Boundary, was truly challenging, especially for a beginner like Lin Zhaohe.
For example, some levels had monsters, and he had to immediately hide in a cabinet upon hearing the monster’s sound. However, his hearing wasn’t very good, and often the monster would be right in front of him before he realized what had happened.
Such situations were numerous, but fortunately, after playing for a few days, Lin Zhaohe managed to clear a level.
The process of the boundaries was fixed, and the goal was to find the exit of the final level. Exiting meant returning to the normal world. When Lin Zhaohe saw the “Game Over” message on the screen, he let out a sigh of relief and took off his reading glasses.
“Come to the office.” Zhuang Lao called Lin Zhaohe and advised, “Come and see what needs to be prepared and the people who will go together.”
Lin Zhaohe replied, “Okay,” and hobbled to the company with his cane.
The company had quite a number of employees, but usually, everyone was busy with their own tasks. Even if they had met, it was only a passing encounter. Lin Zhaohe was quite well-known in the company – his high salary was famous.
“Hey, Sister Yun, long time no see,” Lin Zhaohe arrived at Zhuang Lao’s office but didn’t see Zhuang Lao. Instead, he saw a familiar face.
This “Sister Yun,” whose full name was Yun Yuzi, was considered a senior in the company. She had joined the company before Lin Zhaohe and possessed both beauty and a fiery temperament. At the moment, she was sitting on the sofa, reading through documents. When she heard Lin Zhaohe’s voice, she lifted her head slightly and opened her eyes. “Old man… Do you know me?”
Lin Zhaohe: “…” He always forgot what he looked like.
“Oh… You must be Lin Zhaohe’s grandfather, right?” Sister Yun clearly didn’t understand the situation. Lin Zhaohe’s use of “Sister Yun” left her at a loss. She stood up, quickly supported Lin Zhaohe, and gestured for him to sit down. “Grandpa, please don’t call me the same as those people. Just call me Xiao Yun.”
Lin Zhaohe was about to speak but coincidentally had an itchy throat and coughed twice.
“If you… have any matter, feel free to tell me. I will help with whatever I can,” Xiao Yun said cautiously.
Lin Zhaohe had become a legend in their company. If his previous fame was due to his determination and high salary, it was evident that he had now ascended to a revered figure.
Everyone usually inherited their family business, but he was different. Even when he encountered trouble, he called his grandfather to come to work, creating a scenario where the grandfather continued the family business through the grandson. It was enough to make capitalists shed tears.
Lin Zhaohe was unaware of these underlying motives. After pondering for a moment, he didn’t provide an explanation. Instead, he nodded kindly and said, “Xiao Yun, you’re really kind-hearted.”
Sister Yun felt a hint of familiarity in his tone but didn’t dwell on it. She asked, “Um… Are you planning to join us tomorrow?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Yes.”
Sister Yun hesitated, clearly thinking that it might be somewhat inhumane to involve an elderly person in such a task. She looked at him, wanting to say something but hesitating.
Lin Zhaohe: “Xiao Yun, let me see what you’ve prepared.”
Sister Yun quickly handed over the supplies. Lin Zhaohe couldn’t help but secretly smile at her reaction. Xiao Yun usually had a strong temperament, but he hadn’t expected her to be so respectful towards the elderly.
The preparations were quite comprehensive, with a bit of everything. Of course, the most crucial item was the flashlight that Jiang Guan had specifically mentioned.
“Does this flashlight consume a lot of power?” Lin Zhaohe asked, as he didn’t notice any batteries in the bag.
“I don’t know. It’s a two-dimensional thing that the boss found,” Sister Yun explained. “You know those types of nuclear-powered flashlights in horror games? The ones that don’t require battery changes from start to finish.”
Lin Zhaohe: “…” The boss is really powerful.
“No need to change batteries, right?” Lin Zhaohe opened the flashlight and tested it. The light was slightly dimmer than a regular flashlight, but compared to the advantage of not needing battery changes, it was an insignificant issue.
“That’s right,” Sister Yun replied. “We also have some emergency food, medicine, and weapons, but I’m not sure if we can bring them inside…” She seemed afraid that Lin Zhaohe wouldn’t understand and gently explained each item’s usage, even planning to explain how to open the food.
As Sister Yun was introducing the items, Zhuang Lao pushed open the door, followed by someone else.
“Boss Zhuang,” Yun Yuzi called out, “Lin Zhaohe’s grandfather is here.”
Zhuang Lao glanced at Lin Zhaohe and knew he wouldn’t provide an explanation. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “Lin Zhaohe’s grandfather?”
Yun Yuzi quickly stepped forward and whispered, “Boss, is it humane to have such an old person accompany us?”
Zhuang Lao slowly said, “What’s inhumane about it?”
Yun Yuzi: “…” Boss, you’re a true capitalist.
“Enough with the jokes,” Zhuang Lao said. “This is Lin Zhaohe, not his grandfather.”
The entire office fell silent for three seconds. Yun Yuzi slowly turned her head to look at Lin Zhaohe, whose face was wrinkled, and trembled as she said, “You are… the real Lin Zhaohe?”
Lin Zhaohe thought she was angry and quickly said, “Xiao Yun, I was just joking with you. Don’t be mad.”
Yun Yuzi: “How did you end up looking like this? It’s not from overworking, is it??” She spoke while hurriedly touching her own face. “Do I have wrinkles too? Oh no, my crow’s feet!!”
Lin Zhaohe: “…” Sister Yun, your concerns are quite weird.
On the other hand, the person behind Zhuang Lao laughed and said, “You guys are amusing.”
Lin Zhaohe tilted his head and looked over. He noticed a new face, shorter than Zhuang Lao, probably around 1.7 meters tall. The person looked young, like a high school student.
“Qin Xu,” Zhuang Lao said, “Jiang Guan’s friend.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Nice to meet you.” He intended to stand up and shake hands but his bad back prevented him. As he tried to get up, he exclaimed in pain and ended up unable to move, clutching his back for support.
Qin Xu:, “Jiang Guan couldn’t make it, so I’ll accompany you tomorrow. The things you need to prepare are right in front of you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Boss, this time, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to come back. I know I’m not of much use, but if this broken body can help the company once, I’ll be content…”
If Lin Zhaohe said something like this on a regular day, everyone would know he was trying to be mischievous. However, at this moment, Lin Zhaohe was an old man on the verge of senility, and as tears streamed down his face, his words carried a weight that silenced the room. People’s expressions became complex and sympathetic, except for Zhuang Lao.
Zhuang Lao’s heart was as firm as iron, his face expressionless and his tone indifferent as he said, “A raise.”
Lin Zhaohe: “It seems like I can live for another five hundred years!”
The compassionate expression in Sister Yun’s eyes vanished in an instant, and her beautiful face contorted with a twisted expression. “Damn it, Lin Zhaohe, you haven’t changed a bit after a few days.”
Having worked with Lin Zhaohe before, Sister Yun knew that no one in the entire company could match his ability to request a raise. While others might think about calling their spouses and children when facing death, Lin Zhaohe would call Zhuang Lao and whine, asking for more compensation.
Qin Xu, not being a part of the company, found Lin Zhaohe’s remarks amusing and chuckled. “You’re quite interesting.”
Lin Zhaohe: “You’re too kind, too kind.”
Sister Yun couldn’t be bothered with these two and rolled her eyes before continuing to organize the supplies.
With things almost sorted out, Lin Zhaohe decided to grab a quick meal downstairs. As he was leaving, he noticed Zhang Xiaoxiao holding a framed photo and wiping away tears.
Seriously, the funeral business was booming these days. They even arrange black and white photos?
Lin Zhaohe walked over and tapped Zhang Xiaoxiao with his cane, telling him to focus on his work and stop doing unnecessary things.
Zhang Xiaoxiao looked puzzled after being tapped and asked, “Grandpa Lin, why are you here at the company again?”
Lin Zhaohe: “I’m here to take on some tasks.”
Tears welled up in Zhang Xiaoxiao’s eyes as he exclaimed, “Grandpa, why are you so determined? Do you have a second child to support?”
Lin Zhaohe scolded, “Zhang Xiaoxiao, are you out of your mind?”
The familiar tone made Zhang Xiaoxiao pause for a moment. He stared and hesitated, “Grandpa Lin, why do you look much younger today compared to yesterday?”
If yesterday his hair was completely white, today it had turned significantly darker, and he appeared much more energetic.
“I haven’t died, damn it!” Lin Zhaohe angrily retorted, “Stop crying over the photo. It’s bad luck!”
Zhang Xiaoxiao: “…”
After chatting for a while, Zhang Xiaoxiao finally learned the reason behind Lin Zhaohe’s transformation. Reluctantly, he set down the black and white photo in his hands.
Lin Zhaohe: “What do you mean by being so reluctant to part with it?”
“It cost over four thousand,” Zhang Xiaoxiao said, filled with reluctance. “The photography studio downstairs is really expensive.”
Lin Zhaohe: “…You keep it for me. Who knows if I’ll need it in the future.” It was more expensive than his cane, which was simply outrageous.
Zhang Xiaoxiao: “Is it appropriate for me to keep it?”
Lin Zhaohe didn’t see anything inappropriate about it. If a four-hundred-dollar photo had a slight sense of impropriety, then four thousand completely erased that concern.
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Soon even the boss might go bankrupt by the amount of raise this guy gets.