Chapter 6
On their way home, Lin Ran continued pondering the Moon Goddess Halo, while Jiang Jie reveled in the triumph of his first successful business venture, exclaiming about the joy of earning money.
“Lin-zai, I’ve never felt so happy earning money myself.”
Lin Ran, his thoughts interrupted, smiled. “Then you should try it more often. Find a job and experience the feeling of earning your own money.”
For the first time, Jiang Jie didn’t argue, instead falling into contemplation. Previously, when his family urged him to study, his immediate reaction was impatience and resistance. But hearing the same words from Lin Ran somehow made it less objectionable. He even considered it seriously.
But what could he do? He wasn’t academically inclined. Maybe he should just forget it…
[Detected destiny points near the player. Use the reward item “Beginner Time Mirror”?]
Just then, Lin Ran’s phone vibrated with a new notification. The other reward item from the game was activating too? If this was real, wouldn’t it mean the halo’s effect was real too?
Hesitantly, Lin Ran clicked “Use.”
A strange light flashed before his eyes, transforming into a mirror. The mirror showed Jiang Jie’s fate for the next ten years!
Five years later, Jiang Jie would become suddenly wealthy due to the demolition of his old house. However, before Lin Ran could celebrate for him, the situation took a dark turn. Overnight, Jiang Jie, now rich, became the target of a group of con artists preying on those who had received demolition compensation. Using the guise of brotherhood and loyalty, they lured Jiang Jie into trying various new things and standing up for them, while they borrowed money or pocketed the cash.
Within half a month, Jiang Jie’s millions were gone. By the time he realized something was wrong, the so-called “brothers” had vanished without a trace…
The final scene in the mirror showed Jiang Jie working on a construction site to repay his debts, surrounded by men wielding metal rods. What would happen next was all too clear. Moreover, this Jiang Jie, with his dull, lifeless eyes, was a stark contrast to the vibrant young man Lin Ran knew.
“Lin-zai? Lin-zai?? Why did you suddenly brake? Aren’t we going home?” Lin Ran, lost in thought, was brought back to reality by Jiang Jie’s waving hand.
Snapping out of it, he instinctively grabbed Jiang Jie’s arm: “A-Jie, you absolutely cannot get a tattoo!” In the mirror, the group who led Jiang Jie astray had initially approached him using the topic of tattoos.
“Tat-tattoo? Huh? How did you know I wanted to try getting one? They looked cool in the movies,” Jiang Jie stammered, embarrassed by Lin Ran’s grip on his arm.
The next moment, Lin Ran turned the tricycle towards a bookstore. Soon, Jiang Jie found himself holding a book.
“This is for you. Study it hard during the summer break.”
“What is this? ‘5000 Civil Service Exam Practice Questions’?” Jiang Jie was confused. What was wrong with Lin-zai?
“Didn’t you want to find a job and earn money? The civil service exam is a good option. And I remember you saying you wanted to be a policeman when you were little. Remember, tattoos disqualify you from the physical exam,” Lin Ran said seriously, successfully convincing Jiang Jie.
Oh right, tattoos were cool, but they would prevent him from taking the exam.
Jiang Jie’s mind went blank as he watched Lin Ran pay for the book and other items, placing them in the back of the tricycle. Only when Lin Ran was about to start driving did he finally react: Wait, why should a cool dude like him take the civil service exam?!
He hugged the unwelcome study material in despair: “No way, if they see this, they’ll laugh me out of town!”
“Then throw it away,” Lin Ran blinked.
This reverse psychology worked. Jiang Jie mumbled, “…Why throw it away? It cost money! That’s wasteful!”
Lin Ran, initially worried, couldn’t help but smile. Perhaps he had overthought it. At least for now, A-Jie was still the same A-Jie he knew.
Arriving home in the afternoon, Lin Ran counted the money and placed it in Grandma’s handmade cloth pouch. Knowing Lin-zai had “worked hard” to earn it, Grandma, both pained and proud, busied herself in the kitchen making snacks. Jiang Jie and his friends set up the hotpot they had bought from the supermarket in the courtyard.
To celebrate their successful peach-selling venture, the usually quiet courtyard buzzed with activity.
“Lin-ge, I heard you bought a gift for Jie-ge?! He’s been bragging but won’t show us!” Someone complained to Lin Ran, accusing Jiang Jie of being unbrotherly.
Lin Ran looked at Jiang Jie, who immediately looked guilty. It was a gift, but he was too embarrassed to show it off.
“I’ll give you all the same gift when he’s ready to show you,” Lin Ran explained with a smile, eliciting cheers and anticipation. “Yay! That’s our Lin Ran-ge! Awesome—”
Only Jiang Jie’s expression grew more strained. Did they even know what the gift was before getting excited?! He wondered if his friends were all a bit simple-minded. Perhaps it was because Lin-zai said it with such a gentle smile that no one suspected the gift would be a set of devilish exam preparation materials.
That evening, after the hotpot gathering, lying alone in his room, Lin Ran stared at the “Update Complete” message on his phone, hesitant to open the “Demon World” app.
If feeling Sootball’s fur could be explained by some advanced sensor technology, today’s experience with the Time Mirror, showing him Jiang Jie’s future, was undeniably terrifying, regardless of its veracity.
This game was definitely not normal. Logic told him that no matter what the update contained, he should uninstall it.
But then, he thought of Sootball. Sootball might be waiting for him. He had promised to check its wing. He couldn’t just abandon it; it felt too cruel.
He should at least check on Sootball one last time, right? Use his remaining coins to buy items for it?
Lin Ran stared at the “Update Complete” message, his lips pursed in thought. Finally, he clicked the app icon.
“Cheep, cheep, cheep…” As soon as he opened the game, Sootball was there, squatting by the screen, chirping tirelessly like a baby bird, seemingly trying to confirm if it had been abandoned.
Even though it was just a game program, Lin Ran couldn’t help but feel moved by Sootball’s lifelike behavior, as if it were a real creature. Today, the first time he hadn’t logged in, happened to be the first time Sootball was actively waiting for him.
He felt like a terrible person. Orz
“Sootball?” Are you waiting for me?
“Che-Cheep.” Sootball, chirping just a moment ago, fell silent as soon as it sensed Lin Ran’s presence, just looking in his direction. Its pitiful look made Lin Ran feel even guiltier.
This little guy was too cute! Help! TwT
Honestly, he had never seen Sootball express such a range of emotions before. Was this the game’s tactic to retain players?!
Little one, it’s Daddy’s fault. Daddy shouldn’t have thought of uninstalling the game.
Just as he reached out to pet Sootball, a message popped up: “Insufficient affection. Head pats failed.”
?! Why did a previously unlocked interaction fail?
He opened the game log, and his initial annoyance vanished. The affection log showed a long history of increases and decreases, so long he couldn’t scroll to the bottom. Sootball had been waiting for him ever since the update ended. Every time it lost hope, its affection would decrease by one point. But when it reached the critical level of 10, it would sniff its peach-scented fur and force itself to think positive thoughts, increasing its affection back up, keeping it fluctuating around 20.
Lin Ran was touched and slightly concerned. He hoped the little guy wouldn’t be a hopeless romantic when it grew up… It looked like it was trying to hypnotize itself.
It was a good thing he came back. What if he had actually uninstalled the game?!
As Lin Ran’s hand retreated, Sootball, noticing his movement, let out a soft “Cheep” and tilted its head up at him.
[+10, Affection level has reached 30!]
Lin Ran watched, his heart melting.
Just then, the game displayed the update details:
[Activate new Immersive Interactive Mode?]
[This feature is the highlight of this update. Activating it implies agreement to the following… (several hundred words omitted)]
[Yes][No]
Immersive Interactive Mode? Lin Ran had a hunch about this new feature, but it seemed too fantastical. How immersive could it be?
As he clicked [Yes], a strong sensation of weightlessness overcame him, as if falling into an abyss!
[Beep—System loading]
[Congratulations! You have successfully activated Immersive Mode.]
[Entering map: Initial Woodland. Receiving a set of beginner equipment. Enjoy the game.]
“Hiss—” Lin Ran groaned, clutching his head as he sat up, a soft, damp grassy sensation beneath him.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring in disbelief. Strange, giant brambles, brightly colored luminous butterflies, and in the distance, a magnificent pink and grey sunset beyond the mountains.
This was clearly the scenery from “Demon World”!
Had he actually entered the game?
His clothes had also changed, now a large, dark-patterned cloak over a white, wide-sleeved shirt and black trousers that accentuated his waist.
As a human, he felt incredibly fragile in this demon-infused environment. A mere scratch from the grass had left a faint, bleeding mark on his face.
“Che-Cheep…?” A familiar, hesitant chirp made him turn around.
“Sootball?” Sootball was no longer a 2D image on his phone screen but a fully 3D creature! No, a real, fluffy sootball. Every single black strand of fur was meticulously rendered.
Lin Ran’s eyes widened as he crouched down, looking at the little creature before him. “Don’t you recognize Daddy anymore?”
The shock and wonder of seeing his cub in person momentarily overshadowed the incredible fact that he was inside the game.
Sootball, initially about to flee, stopped upon hearing the familiar voice, staring at Lin Ran like a plush toy.
The young man before him had black hair and eyes, porcelain skin, and a uniquely Eastern mystique. When he spoke, his gentle, smiling eyes seemed to draw one in completely.
Even as Lin Ran held his breath and tentatively reached out to pet its fluffy head, Nemo forgot to struggle.
