Chapter 35.1 Gu Xuyu
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Lin Zhaohe had slept for a long time before being awakened once again, this time by someone calling him.
“Who… who are you, and how did you get into our house?” His sharp voice carried fear as Lin Zhaohe opened his eyes and saw a large square sitting on top of him. The small hand nervously pressed his shoulder and exclaimed, “I’m going to call the police!”
Lin Zhaohe was momentarily confused but quickly regained his senses. “It’s me, Little Square!”
The small red square looked puzzled. “Do you know me? Who are you in relation to Grandpa Lin?”
Lin Zhaohe: “I am Grandpa Lin!”
The small red square wore an incredulous expression. “Huh?”
Lin Zhaohe briefly explained the changes that had occurred on his body, summarizing that working had aged him.
The small red square quickly understood his plight and sympathetically said with tears, “Grandpa Lin, I didn’t realize you were going through such a hard time…”
Lin Zhaohe touched the little red square’s face, which felt cold and plasticky. “So, when will you guys release new levels?”
The little red square remained silent. It really didn’t want to go to work.
After waking up, Lin Zhaohe enjoyed a hearty takeout meal. The gloomy gaze of the female ghost on the ceiling didn’t bother him in the slightest. He even took a moment to give her a friendly meeting and inquire about her living habits.
The female ghost made several attempts to lunge at Lin Zhaohe, but she couldn’t touch his body anymore. She could only pass through him, just as Zhuang Lao had described as a bug.
In this peaceful atmosphere, Lin Zhaohe calmly finished his breakfast and received a phone call from Zhuang Lao.
“Boss, didn’t we agree to take the day off today?” Lin Zhaohe asked after finishing the last sip of soy milk.
“I didn’t ask you to come to work,” Zhuang Lao said. “Jiang Guan invited us for a meal. Are you coming?”
“Where are we eating?”
When Zhuang Lao mentioned the name of the restaurant, Lin Zhaohe immediately agreed.
This restaurant was famously expensive. Considering Lin Zhaohe’s current salary level, he could only afford to eat there twice a month if he worked hard.
Nowadays, the worlds of 2D works and reality had intertwined, introducing many ingredients from the 2D world. As a result, the culinary industry had become highly competitive. The owner of that restaurant was said to be a renowned chef from the anime world, making the restaurant not only pricey but also difficult to secure a reservation.
When the agreed-upon time arrived, Lin Zhaohe washed his face quickly and reluctantly left the house. He reverted to his youthful appearance, but the injured spot on his shoulder still throbbed with pain. He didn’t dare to make any sudden movements as even a gentle touch caused him to grimace.
Upon reaching the restaurant, Lin Zhaohe was guided by a server and found the group of people sitting in a private room.
Both Jiang Guan and Jiang Nan were present, as well as Qin Xu, who had previously covered their backs. There were also a few unfamiliar faces. Among them, one person stood out, dressed in white robes with a hairstyle reminiscent of ancient times. He exuded an otherworldly aura, exquisitely handsome, and carried an air of a master.
“Brother Lin, over here,” Jiang Nan greeted him with a beaming smile.
Lin Zhaohe took a seat next to Zhuang Lao.
“This is Lin Zhaohe,” Jiang Guan introduced, “Boss Zhuang’s subordinate and an incredibly talented individual… This is my friend, Gu Xuyu, the protagonist of a cultivation novel.”
Lin Zhaohe politely greeted him, thinking to himself, Gu Xuyu, why does that name sound so familiar?
“Brother Lin, haven’t you read ‘Immortal of Shu’?” Jiang Nan asked curiously when he noticed Lin Zhaohe’s lack of response.
“I haven’t read it,” Lin Zhaohe said. “I’m not a fan of cultivation novels, but it does sound somewhat familiar.”
“That one,” Jiang Nan said. “The incredibly popular one. My sister was supposed to play a major villain in the movie adaptation, but her role got snatched by some scheming person who had connections… The movie turned out to be a complete flop.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Oh, I remember now!”
Zhuang Lao: “Let’s put work aside for now and focus on eating.”
The group then changed the topic of conversation.
The dishes at this restaurant were truly extraordinary. With just a single taste, Lin Zhaohe’s face lit up in amazement. Even the egg fried rice alone was unlike any other he had tried before.
The rice was plump and distinct, each grain perfectly separate. It melted tenderly in his mouth, bursting with flavor as the eggs coated every single grain. The sprinkling of fragrant green onions added the finishing touch. After a few bites, tears started streaming down Lin Zhaohe’s face.
“This egg fried rice reminds me of my mother’s cooking,” Lin Zhaohe said, moved by the experience.
“It’s okay, Brother Lin,” Jiang Nan reassured him. “When everyone takes their first bite, they feel like it’s their mother’s cooking.”
Lin Zhaohe remained silent.
“That’s what this chef does,” Qin Xu chimed in with a smile. “We all call him Aunt Han.”
The following dishes were equally delightful in their own unique ways. Lin Zhaohe would eat a bite and tears would well up again. Eventually, he wiped away his tears and said, “I think these dishes are just delicious, nothing too extraordinary. I don’t know why the tears won’t stop.”
Jiang Nan said it was the chef’s buff taking effect and that it would be fine after eating a few more times.
Lin Zhaohe remained speechless.
While they were eating, Zhuang Lao and Jiang Nan casually discussed matters related to the Boundary. Zhuang Lao mentioned that they had already sent someone to investigate Lu Pingping, but it would take some time, and it wouldn’t be easy to find the people behind him.
Jiang Nan’s expression turned gloomy. She requested Zhuang Lao to inform her once they found something because she wanted to see who was behind this mischief.
While the two were conversing, Lin Zhaohe kept his head down and ate in silence.
Jiang Nan, on the other hand, was playing with her phone. Suddenly, she exclaimed, “Oh my gosh!”
“What’s wrong?” Lin Zhaohe was startled by her sudden outburst.
Jiang Nan’s expression contorted as if she was trying hard to hold back laughter. “This…,” she said, “This thing has spread to the forum!”
Lin Zhaohe was puzzled. “What thing?”
Jiang Nan said, “Take a look for yourself.”
Lin Zhaohe lowered his head and saw that Jiang Nan’s phone screen was playing a video. In the video, a young man seemed to be confronting someone wearing a mask. Due to the angle, his face wasn’t clearly visible, but there was a strange sense of familiarity.
It wasn’t until the voice in the video exclaimed, “Yellow Banana Girl Transformation!” that Lin Zhaohe snapped back to reality and shouted, “What the heck!”
Those little rascals were truly something else. While he was up front fighting monsters, they were recording a video from behind! And now they had even uploaded it online!
Jiang Nan couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into laughter. “Brother Lin!”
In the video, the Yellow Banana Girl had successfully transformed. Wearing a cute little skirt, holding two bananas, and wielding a magic wand, she happily unleashed freezing beams of light, freezing every would-be attacker, including the serial killer.
Lin Zhaohe watched with his eyes wide, nearly grinding his teeth to bits. He said, “Whoever did this, if I catch them…”
Jiang Nan chuckled, “Hahaha, Brother Lin, you’re famous!”
Indeed, he had become famous, not just on the forum but throughout the entire internet. In just a short morning, the video had rapidly reached millions of views.
In a time when all the anime videos were being banned, the fact that this video spread so quickly was nothing short of a miracle.
The comments below made Lin Zhaohe feel a mix of shame and anger.
“Is this character real? I feel like I know her, isn’t she called Yellow Banana Girl? But why does she look different from what I’ve seen?”
“Is this a filmed production? It doesn’t seem like it. Isn’t this from the Boundary game?”
“Are those bananas on her head real? Can you take them off and eat them?”
“I have to say, this person is quite good-looking, hehe.”
“Indeed, he’s a cute boy.”
All these comments made Lin Zhaohe’s head spin. At this moment, he finally understood what it meant to experience social death. He no longer had anyone in this world who mattered to him…
Clearly, the others couldn’t comprehend his inner pain. They happily joined in the cruel online bullying. Jiang Nan, that cunning girl, even smiled and said that she used to be a fan of Strawberry but now thought Yellow Banana was cute too.
Lin Zhaohe cried out, asking her to shut up, which caused everyone to burst into laughter. The air was filled with a sense of cheerfulness.
After the jokes subsided, Jiang Nan, with her remaining conscience, contacted the forum administrator to have the post deleted.
Seeing the farce finally come to an end, Lin Zhaohe finally breathed a sigh of relief. He thought to himself, “Thank God I didn’t undergo a physical transformation in real life. If others had seen me, I wouldn’t be able to live on.”
While they were laughing and joking, Jiang Nan’s friend, Gu Xuyu, sat next to them with little expression. He didn’t eat much and seemed unable to blend into the surroundings.
Lin Zhaohe didn’t pay attention at first. It wasn’t until everyone had almost finished eating that he noticed Gu Xuyu had hardly touched his chopsticks.
“Don’t mind him,” Jiang Nan chuckled. “He hasn’t been in this world for long, so he’s still not accustomed to it.”
Lin Zhaohe acknowledged with an “Oh.”
“Maybe in a few days, we’ll have to trouble Boss Zhuang,” Jiang Nan said.
Zhuang Lao smiled and replied, “Business is business. If there’s anything, you can come to the company and talk to me.”
Jiang Nan continued, “Of course, but my friend hasn’t decided whether or not to seek assistance yet. Today, I’ll introduce you to each other, and who knows, there might be future opportunities.”
Zhuang Lao nodded politely and smiled, showing little interest in the conversation.
Suddenly, Lin Zhaohe thought about something. He realized that most of the company’s clients were related to the world of anime and manga. How did they make payments? Although the company claimed to offer insurance for employees, the figures involved were simply unaffordable for ordinary people…
Since he hadn’t considered this before, he hadn’t paid attention to the issue. But now, the question surfaced in Lin Zhaohe’s mind like ants, making him feel itchy. With so many outsiders around, it didn’t seem appropriate to ask. Lin Zhaohe thought for a moment and decided to remain silent.
After finishing the meal, everyone went their separate ways. Zhuang Lao drove Lin Zhaohe back home.
Just as they were about to arrive home, Lin Zhaohe casually asked, “Boss, did Xu Yuan pay for his insurance?”
Zhuang Lao, who was driving, replied, “He did.”
Lin Zhaohe: “He must be really wealthy.”
Zhuang Lao: “He paid with something else.”
Upon hearing that, Lin Zhaohe immediately became alert and asked, “What did he use to pay?”
“Himself,” Zhuang Lao replied with a half-smile, a hint of seriousness in his jesting tone. His gaze shifted towards Lin Zhaohe, and he asked, “Are you interested in joining too?”
Lin Zhaohe dared not utter a word. He obediently sat in the passenger seat, not sure why, but he felt that the boss’s question was rather dangerous. He didn’t dare inquire further about what it meant to pay with oneself.
Lin Zhaohe remained silent and only bid farewell politely to the boss after getting off the car.
Zhuang Lao waved his hand and watched Lin Zhaohe’s figure receding into the distance while his gaze turned deep.
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