Chapter 87.2 Unique game (5)
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The game was well-made. Although the pace was much more relaxed compared to the previous online games, the world map, which was a one-to-one replica of the real world, still exuded the charm of exploration. The newbie village where Lin Zhaohe was located served as their city. He didn’t know how the game developers achieved it, but he even saw the buildings from before the fusion in the central area of the newbie village.
This included the tower and the square that were destroyed by Lin Yan. His in-game character stood beneath the tower, gazing at the balloons floating in the sky, and for a moment, he felt a sense of daze, as if he had traveled back to the past.
As he walked along the road, he noticed not only players but also many NPCs. Suddenly, Lin Zhaohe caught a glimpse of a certain NPC’s appearance and his eyes widened in astonishment. Without thinking, he quickly maneuvered his character and chased after them.
He soon caught up with that NPC and clicked to initiate a conversation.
The NPC’s voice came through the computer, and upon hearing that familiar tone, Lin Zhaohe shuddered all over. The NPC said, “I hope the weather will be good tomorrow so we can celebrate the New Year here.”
That voice was exactly the same as Lu Feihe’s. Looking at the NPC’s character model and portrait, wearing the same T-shirt that Lu Feihe often wore, and greeting every passing player with a gentle voice.
Lin Zhaohe stared blankly at the “Lu Feihe” on the screen, feeling an electric shock running down his back. He remembered something and hurriedly continued searching in the square. Sure enough, among the NPCs walking in the square, he discovered several familiar faces but didn’t find his own parents…
Lin Zhaohe felt a bit desolate, but then he had another thought. He controlled his character and jogged all the way back to the entrance of his residential area, where he saw the flower beds and the fountain in the neighborhood, along with NPCs coming and going.
Lin Zhaohe stepped into the elevator and pressed the familiar number, his heart pounding like a drum.
The elevator stopped on the seventeenth floor. Lin Zhaohe clicked the mouse, maneuvering his character to the doorstep of his home. He clicked the mouse again to knock on the door.
“Knock, knock, knock.” The sudden sound of knocking from inside the house startled Lin Zhaohe. He looked towards the door in fear and called out, “Who is it?”
Had the game and reality merged? Could the actions of the in-game character affect the real world?
“It’s me,” came the voice from outside the door, instantly relieving Lin Zhaohe. It was A’Yao’s voice. A’Yao probably couldn’t understand why Lin Zhaohe was so nervous. His voice carried a hint of doubt, “What’s wrong?”
“Is there something important at this late hour?” Lin Zhaohe walked to the door and peered through the peephole. It was indeed A’Yao.
“We bought some fruits at home that we didn’t finish. I brought some over for you,” A’Yao said. “Did I disturb you by coming this late?”
Lin Zhaohe said it was no problem and opened the door.
A’Yao handed over the fruits and heard the sound of music coming from inside the house. Curiously, he asked if Lin Zhaohe was also playing this online game and if he wanted to be friends in the game.
“Sure,” Lin Zhaohe said. “How long have you been playing?”
“Just a few days,” A’Yao scratched his head. “It’s quite interesting. Even dating gives you experience points.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Oh…”
It was fortunate that A’Yao interrupted, pulling Lin Zhaohe out of his immersed state. However, as he returned to the computer, looking at the two NPCs who opened the door for him, it was inevitable that his eyes would well up with a tinge of bitterness.
The NPCs were dressed exactly like his parents when the accident happened. Lin Zhaohe rubbed his eyes, finally understanding why this game attracted so many people and immersed them in its world.
Faced with the harsh realities of the world, this game was like an untainted utopia, where the people he missed the most existed.
Lin Zhaohe felt a deep discomfort in his heart, causing him to rub his eyes again.
Coincidentally, Zhuang Lao sent him a message, asking if he was feeling tired at the moment.
Lin Zhaohe: “Not tired. Just thinking about something.”
Zhuang Lao: “What are you thinking about? Feeling down?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Not really feeling down, just wondering… Do you think the God Creation Plan is truly worthless?”
If such a beloved game were to truly merge with reality, it seemed that it wouldn’t be as terrible as imagined.
Zhuang Lao fell silent for a moment and replied, saying that the past cannot be chased after.
Lin Zhaohe forced a bitter smile, realizing the truth in those words.
This game was unlike anything humans could create. The level of detail inside was simply exquisite. Every apartment building along the road housed NPCs, and every shop had vendors selling their wares. Some vendors were even players, attempting to lead a normal life within the game.
Lin Zhaohe walked aimlessly through the streets, his gaze lost in the surrounding buildings. He wondered what Lin Yan wanted him to see. After reaching level ten, would leaving the newbie village reveal a different world outside?
It was already too late. Lin Zhaohe couldn’t hold on any longer past three in the morning. He decided to rest and continue the next day.
The following day, even before the alarm clock rang, Lin Zhaohe woke up on his own. He got up, turned on the computer, and resumed playing the game.
Little Red Square, who was preparing to go out for work, was surprised to see Lin Zhaohe’s enthralled face as he typed on the keyboard. “Brother Lin, you’re playing this too?”
Lin Zhaohe: “No, I’m not playing. I’m just doing it for work. How do I complete this task?”
Little Red Square glanced over and explained, “You have to work in the restaurant for a few days to earn coins, and then you can buy a ticket.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Can I use real money to buy in-game currency?”
Little Red Square pondered for a moment and said, “Well, it’s possible. There’s a forum where you can purchase game currency.”
Lin Zhaohe’s spirits lifted. He asked Little Red Square to send him the link to the forum.
The forum was indeed bustling with activity—people selling game currency, equipment, and even offering services to level up players. Everything could be obtained by exchanging real money.
It seemed that even though there was no official way to spend real money in the game, people’s desire to consume couldn’t be suppressed. Lin Zhaohe even saw some individuals renting out shops on the forum…
The ecological environment of this game was so fascinating that it was difficult for anyone not to become addicted.
Lin Zhaohe had been trying hard and finally reached level three. However, reaching level ten still seemed like a long way off. He felt a bit anxious and worried. He was thinking about taking a day off from work to continue his efforts at home when he received a call from Zhuang Lao.
“What are you doing?” Zhuang Lao asked.
“I’m getting ready to go to work, boss. It’s so cold today…” Lin Zhaohe began hesitantly.
“Hmm,” Zhuang Lao said, “Don’t feel like coming to work?”
Lin Zhaohe replied, “Uh, I was thinking of taking a half-day leave.”
Zhuang Lao slowly said, “Lin Zhaohe, you’re not playing the game too, are you?”
The hand controlling the game’s mouse froze instantly. Lin Zhaohe looked at the character on the computer screen, and a faint smile stiffened on his face. “Boss, how could that be? How could I play such a game that lacks morals, manners, and substance?”
Zhuang Lao: “……”
Thinking that his boss didn’t believe him, Lin Zhaohe quickly said, “I was just joking. I won’t take the leave. I’ll come right away.”
Zhuang Lao: “Let me calculate the time. You must have started playing last night.”
Lin Zhaohe: “?”
Zhuang Lao calmly analyzed Lin Zhaohe’s soul, “You suddenly remember to take a leave, haven’t pulled an all-nighter, and you should only be at level three. You’re currently working on the level four mission, which has a small area of coverage…”
Lin Zhaohe’s hair stood on end instantly. “Boss, I really haven’t been playing!”
Zhuang Lao: “You wouldn’t choose the face and appearance for the character yourself. The default hairstyle and face, default clothing in red… Lin Zhaohe…”
In the blink of an eye, Lin Zhaohe saw another black-clothed figure appearing beside his in-game character. The figure had black hair and black eyes, identical to Zhuang Lao’s appearance. Now, standing next to Lin Zhaohe’s character, a thought bubble appeared above its head with three words: Want to take a leave?
Lin Zhaohe: “………”
A prolonged silence.
There was nothing more terrifying in the world than getting caught by your boss for using gaming as an excuse to take a leave. If there was, it must be when they were trying to shut down the game servers yesterday and got caught red-handed today.
Lin Zhaohe weakly typed three words: What a coincidence.
“Indeed, quite a coincidence,” Zhuang Lao said. “Not feeling well, need to take a leave?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Haha.”
Zhuang Lao: “I didn’t originally intend to catch you, but do you know how many people came to the company today?”
Lin Zhaohe: “How many?”
Zhuang Lao: “Including Xiao Ci, just one. Everyone doesn’t feel like working, right?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Boss, you didn’t go either…”
Zhuang Lao: “Guess why I’m the boss?”
Lin Zhaohe wiped away tears.
However, this statement exposed a small loophole. Lin Zhaohe looked at the little character wandering beside him and asked with suspicion, “Boss, your character looks like it’s of a high level.”
Zhuang Lao: “Oh, it’s someone else’s account.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Someone else’s? Then why does the clothing style resemble what you usually wear?”
Zhuang Lao: “Perhaps that person has a secret crush on me.”
Lin Zhaohe: “But you always say that Chinese people don’t deceive each other.”
Zhuang Lao: “Why do you lack even the most basic trust in me?”
Lin Zhaohe caught Zhuang Lao off guard and exclaimed, “Well, well, Zhuang Lao, you, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, betrayed the organization ahead of time. Come on, how long have you been playing this game?”
Zhuang Lao cleared his throat and said, “For a little over half a month.”
Lin Zhaohe asked in surprise, “What? So you were secretly playing when the incident happened on Min’an Street?”
Zhuang Lao: “I wasn’t just playing. I was infiltrating the enemy’s ranks. You have no idea about the content of this game. How can you persuade others not to play?”
Lin Zhaohe found some logic in Zhuang Lao’s words and asked, “So how are you persuading others now?”
Zhuang Lao: “Playing games too much can harm your eyesight…”
Lin Zhaohe: “What?”
Eyesight problems, well, you might as well say that playing this game too much can affect kidney function. Maybe you can actually deceive some middle-aged men facing difficulties.
“Boss, what level are you?” Lin Zhaohe asked.
“Level eight,” Zhuang Lao replied, “But I haven’t played much.”
Lin Zhaohe: “So, are we still going to work at the company today?”
Zhuang Lao: “Um… How about coming to my place?”
Lin Zhaohe felt a bit embarrassed, thinking, “Is he inviting me over?” Images of shameful scenes from certain movies flashed through his mind, making his face turned red. But before he could fully feel embarrassed, he heard Zhuang Lao continue, “Let’s play games together.”
Lin Zhaohe: “……” No, that won’t do.
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