Chapter 90 Unique game (8)
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Lin Zhaohe didn’t know much about Xiao Xu’s specific situation, but based on his appearance, the child seemed harmless.
Following Mrs. Li’s request, Lin Zhaohe had to accompany Xiao Xu for dinner before taking him back to sleep.
They decided to eat at the crispy duck restaurant that Xiao Xu wanted, but unfortunately, when they arrived at the address, they discovered that the restaurant had closed down. The sign was still there, but the shop had merged with a large ancient tree. Some squirrels wearing glasses were perched on the tree, chatting animatedly. They were discussing the grocery store owner’s infidelity and how the hardware store owner caught his wife red-handed. The husband cried and embraced his wife without giving her a chance to explain…
Lin Zhaohe and Xiao Xu stood beneath the tree, listening attentively. They felt satisfied after hearing the entire story.
Lin Zhaohe had tried the food at the Home Store before and it was indeed delicious. Unfortunately, Xiao Xu didn’t have the opportunity to taste it.
“The restaurant is no longer here,” Lin Zhaohe looked at Xiao Xu. “How about we eat something else? There’s a good spicy hot pot place nearby.”
Xiao Xu looked disappointed and expressed his desire to have crispy duck.
Lin Zhaohe pondered for a moment and looked up at the squirrels on the treetop. “Excuse me, sorry to disturb you. Is the owner still running the business?”
One of the squirrels responded, “Yes, but they no longer make crispy duck.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Then what are they making now?”
The squirrel: “They switched to the dried fruit business.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Why did they suddenly decide to venture into dried fruit business?”
The squirrel adjusted its glasses and slowly explained, “Because the owner turned into a squirrel.”
Lin Zhaohe: “……” It was truly a bizarre joke.
Since there was no crispy duck available, they had to settle for something else. Lin Zhaohe felt a slight sense of regret and couldn’t help but deeply miss the world before the fusion.
They had no other option but to find a nearby noodle shop and have their meal there.
Xiao Xu proved to be an experienced gamer. Throughout the meal, he never took his eyes off the screen of his phone, which displayed the game “Earth Online.”
To establish a good connection with the child, Lin Zhaohe asked, “Xiao Xu, how long have you been playing this game?”
Xiao Xu: “For half a month.”
Lin Zhaohe: “What level are you?”
Xiao Xu glanced up at Lin Zhaohe and whispered, “Not much, just a few tens.”
Lin Zhaohe: “……”
Recalling the results of his week-long efforts, his expression twisted uncontrollably. After a moment, his voice trembled as he asked, “How did you manage to level up so quickly?”
Xiao Xu: “Hard work.”
Lin Zhaohe: “……” It seemed he wasn’t hardworking enough.
They were currently sitting in a small roadside shop, waiting for the owner to cook their rice noodles. The air was filled with the rich aroma of food. People hurriedly passed by on the street, most of them holding their phones and looking down at game screens. It became difficult to distinguish what was real and what was illusion.
The red sunset slowly descended from the treetops, casting orange hues on the steps.
Lin Zhaohe also took out his phone, but he didn’t open the game. Instead, he engaged in a casual conversation with Zhuang Lao. Soon, the owner brought their noodles to the table.
“Let’s eat,” Lin Zhaohe said. “Though it’s not as delicious as crispy duck, it still tastes good. I used to come here often.”
“Are you from the 3D world?” Xiao Xu asked.
“Hmm,” Lin Zhaohe replied, “Are you… from the 2D world?”
Xiao Xu said, “No.” He glanced at Lin Zhaohe’s fluffy white ears and added, “I thought you were an orc.”
“I’m just an ordinary 3D office worker,” Lin Zhaohe slurped his noodles. The rich bone broth and the savory aroma of the meat instantly brought him back to the real world. In the cool breeze of late autumn, he lifted the bowl and took a big sip of the soup, feeling the scalding heat flow down his throat and through his pores, instantly relaxing his entire body.
“I thought you were the boss’ wife,” Xiao Xu joked. He glanced at his watch, and his slow noodle-slurping suddenly accelerated, his plain expression now filled with nerves.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Zhaohe was startled by his sudden change of behavior, thinking something had happened.
“It’s getting dark,” Xiao Xu said, “I have to get home before it’s dark.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Why?”
Xiao Xu: “Because I’m afraid of the dark.”
Lin Zhaohe: “……”
Although he found Xiao Xu’s reason somewhat abrupt and puzzling, he was still a customer. Lin Zhaohe decided to respect the child’s habit. He quickly finished his noodles, slurping them down, and then took a couple of sips of the steaming hot soup, drinking most of it. The entire process took less than two minutes, leaving Xiao Xu wide-eyed. Lin Zhaohe wiped his mouth and asked, “What’s the matter?”
Xiao Xu weakly asked, “Aren’t you burning your mouth?”
Lin Zhaohe replied, “It’s alright, I have a thick skin.” In order to not be late for work, he had mastered the skill of slurping noodles. It took him less than five minutes to finish a bowl of steaming hot soup noodles along with half of the soup.
Eventually, it ended up with Lin Zhaohe sitting next to Xiao Xu, waiting for him to finish eating.
After finishing their meal, they took a taxi back home.
On the way back, Xiao Xu appeared extremely uneasy, constantly looking out the window and checking his watch as if something or someone was chasing him.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Zhaohe couldn’t help but ask.
Xiao Xu shook his head.
He didn’t want to say, and Lin Zhaohe couldn’t do anything about it. When they got off the car, Xiao Xu sprinted into their residential area, with Lin Zhaohe following closely behind. Lin Zhaohe noticed how he increased his pace throughout and rushed into their building as if being chased by a tiger, only slowing down and catching his breath once they were in the elevator. His anxious and fearful appearance was as if a tiger was about to bite his rear end.
“Are you alright?” Lin Zhaohe asked with concern, seeing Xiao Xu drenched in sweat.
Xiao Xu shook his head, indicating that he was fine.
Lin Zhaohe asked, “Why did you run so fast? Is there something or someone chasing you?”
Xiao Xu hesitated, but in the end, he didn’t say anything.
His series of behaviors had already been strange enough, but the strangest of all was when he opened the front door of their house.
Upon entering the room, Lin Zhaohe was stunned by what he saw. The spacious living room was filled with densely packed light bulbs. The first thing Xiao Xu did after entering the house was to flip the switch and turn on all the lights.
In an instant, Lin Zhaohe’s eyes were blinded by the brightness. The whole room was dazzlingly bright, as if it were broad daylight, completely devoid of the atmosphere of the setting sun.
Lin Zhaohe felt like reaching for sunglasses.
In contrast to Lin Zhaohe’s distressed expression, Xiao Xu suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. His movements returned to their previous sluggishness.
Lin Zhaohe remembered that Ms. Li had said she wanted him to accompany Xiao Xu because the child was afraid of being alone. But looking at the child’s behavior at home, he didn’t seem to be very afraid.
Lin Zhaohe was puzzled.
After returning home, Xiao Xu immediately turned on all the lights and went to the kitchen to find something to eat. He planned to go to the bedroom to play games and shyly invited Lin Zhaohe to join him.
Lin Zhaohe naturally wouldn’t miss the opportunity to get paid for playing games. He followed Xiao Xu to the bedroom, and unsurprisingly, the ceiling of the bedroom was adorned with extravagant lighting fixtures. Lin Zhaohe even noticed that these were not ordinary lights but surgical operating lights. They had a high wattage and shone brightly on the top of Lin Zhaohe’s head, making him feel warm.
Xiao Xu was completely unaware of any discomfort and was thoroughly enjoying his current state. He hummed a tune as he turned on the computer and logged into the game. Being considerate, he found a spare laptop for Lin Zhaohe to use.
Sitting beside Xiao Xu, Lin Zhaohe also embraced the life of an internet addict as he opened his computer.
Xiao Xu hummed happily as he operated his character in the game. Lin Zhaohe glanced at his screen and his eyes widened instantly.
Earlier, when Xiao Xu was playing on his phone, Lin Zhaohe couldn’t see clearly, and Xiao Xu hadn’t mentioned his specific level. Lin Zhaohe couldn’t believe that Xiao Xu’s character was already at level ninety. It left Lin Zhaohe astonished.
“You’re level ninety??” Lin Zhaohe exclaimed incredulously.
“Hmm,” Xiao Xu replied softly.
“That’s impressive!” Lin Zhaohe suddenly held great respect for the child in front of him, his eyes filled with admiration. “Just a few days ago, the highest level in the game was only in the eighties. Are you the highest-level player in the game?”
“Hmm…” Xiao Xu said, “I found a special method to level up quickly.”
Lin Zhaohe asked, “What method?”
Xiao Xu responded, “A unique method.” He glanced at Lin Zhaohe, showing no intention of explaining further.
Clearly, there was something extraordinary about his leveling method, or else he wouldn’t be so far ahead of everyone else. Zhuang Lao had been playing for half a month and was only at level eight. Following Lin Zhaohe’s current method, it would be impossible to level up so quickly, even if one immersed themselves in the game day and night.
The experience points gained from leveling up in the game are based on the character’s experiences. In other words, the more things they try and the more scenery they encounter, the faster their experience grows. Running through maps was the simplest leveling method, but the game’s maps were not limitless. Even sprinting through them wouldn’t get you to level ninety.
Xiao Xu’s method was his secret technique, so naturally, he couldn’t casually tell Lin Zhaohe about it.
Although Lin Zhaohe was curious, if Xiao Xu didn’t want to share, he couldn’t force him. He could only give up and continue leveling up through conventional means.
As Lin Zhaohe leveled up, Xiao Xu was busy typing away beside him. Lin Zhaohe glanced at him and noticed that he’s chatting with several people, probably friends who were leveling up together.
Wasn’t this child enjoying himself? Lin Zhaohe couldn’t see any signs of fear that Ms. Li mentioned.
The night grew deeper, and the world became quiet.
Looking out the window, Lin Zhaohe saw the lights in the neighborhood gradually dimming, until only their bedroom remained illuminated. Before he knew it, it was already late at night. Lin Zhaohe yawned and looked at Xiao Xu.
Xiao Xu also yawned repeatedly but showed no intention of turning off the computer and going to sleep. He continued to immerse himself in the world of the game.
Lin Zhaohe checked the time and realized it was already 2 a.m. It was not a good idea for a young child to stay up late. “Xiao Xu, aren’t you going to sleep?”
Xiao Xu shook his head, claiming not to be tired. If it weren’t for the expression on his face, as if he could barely keep his eyes open, Lin Zhaohe might have believed him. “Are you really not tired?”
“Not tired.”
Lin Zhaohe was unsure of what was bothering Xiao Xu. After a moment of thought, he considerately said, “Why don’t you sleep? I’ll keep watch.”
Xiao Xu hesitated, showing a trace of indecision.
Lin Zhaohe suggested, “Seeing how tired you are, you won’t last much longer. It’s better to go to sleep now, and when you wake up, I’ll sleep.”
Xiao Xu responded, “Then, you can’t fall asleep halfway.”
Lin Zhaohe straightforwardly agreed, “Alright.”
Xiao Xu yawned and agreed. He was genuinely tired. After a quick wash, he hurriedly got into bed. In less than two minutes, he emitted a faint snoring sound. Lin Zhaohe had a long nap in the afternoon, so he could still hold on. He continued to sit in front of the screen and play the game.
After playing for a while, he felt his eyelids getting heavier. He had never been so sleepy before.
Lin Zhaohe’s eyes glazed over, and just as he felt himself about to fall asleep, a soft sound of “bang” woke him up from drowsiness. Startled, Lin Zhaohe turned his head and saw that the main light in the living room seemed to have been shattered by something, plunging the bright room into darkness.
If you enjoy this novel, support the Translator ginevre on her ko-fi account :))
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
