“Then you play by yourself.”
Lǐ Míng returned the phone to her and walked out of the apartment.
This was originally a youth apartment, run by Sū Cuì's father. Unfortunately, tourism was in a slump, but luckily there was a university nearby, so it was converted into an apartment for rent to people like Lǐ Míng who had just started university.
As soon as Lǐ Míng stepped out of the apartment, he bumped into Sū Cuì's father, Boss Sū.
In his past life, Boss Sū was disemboweled and eaten alive by a monster resembling a giant lizard while protecting Sū Cuì's younger sister.
Boss Sū was a tall, ruddy-faced middle-aged man, usually always smiling, but today his face was serious.
He grabbed Lǐ Míng, pulled him aside, and said in a low voice, “Little Lǐ, I know you’re young and hot-blooded, but I’m telling you, you can mess with my son, but you can’t mess with my daughter!”
Lǐ Míng was stunned. He hadn’t expected Boss Sū to suddenly say this.
He quickly explained, “Uncle, Su Cui and I are just friends. And don’t you only have two daughters? Where did you get a son?”
“Don’t worry about the son! If you want one, I’ll find one for you.”
Boss Sū eyed him suspiciously, “Quit playing dumb, kid! I saw it this morning, you two were hugging and kissing, and…”
Lǐ Míng’s face turned red, and he hurriedly interrupted, “Uncle, you’ve really misunderstood. This morning was a misunderstanding. I just woke up and was groggy…”
“Misunderstanding? Damn it! No wonder your face is so red, something really happened!”
Boss Sū exploded, yanked open his trouser pocket, and pulled out a Seven Wolves belt!
Lǐ Míng panicked and took off running, “Uncle, listen to me, it’s really not what you think!”
Boss Sū chased him relentlessly, “Then don’t run! Uncle promises he won’t hit you!”
Lǐ Míng didn’t believe him and ran all the way out of the apartment and into the small park next door.
Boss Sū followed him in, shouting as he chased, “Stop right there, kid! Don’t think just because you’re fast I can’t catch you! Back in the day, I used to run five kilometers with a load…”
There weren’t many people in the park. Lǐ Míng ran around the flower beds a few times, and Boss Sū gradually ran out of energy, slowing down.
Seizing the opportunity, Lǐ Míng suddenly accelerated, ran out of the park in one go, and disappeared around the street corner.
Boss Sū chased him to the park entrance, bent over, hands on his knees, panting, and reluctantly gave up the chase.
“You brat, don’t let me catch you again!” Boss Sū gasped and cursed.
Lǐ Míng ran into a secluded alley and stopped to catch his breath.
He felt both annoyed and amused. What was all this about!
He could only text Sū Cuì and ask her to sort it out before he went back...
The evening breeze was light, carrying a hint of early autumn coolness.
The dim yellow light from the streetlights spilled onto the street, stretching the tree shadows long.
From a distance came the sounds of children playing and a few dog barks, reminding him of his childhood in his hometown, on evenings like this, chasing and playing with friends in the alley until he was called home for dinner by his grandmother.
The aroma of cooking food filled the air, and he suddenly felt a sense of inexplicable self-reproach—the first thing he did after being reborn was play games!
Although it was to save the world, it wouldn’t have hurt to wait a day.
He glanced at his phone’s time. There was still the high-speed train!
So he ran to the roadside and hailed a taxi.
...
At ten o’clock at night, the night deepened, and there were no streetlights in the dim village.
Lǐ Míng walked home, his steps light.
Eight years!
After losing them, he had thought about ending it all.
But he remembered his mother’s words, “Don’t do anything foolish, Mom will be sad.”
So he struggled to survive until the moment the world was destroyed.
He walked into the familiar yet strange yard. The yellow dog, which hadn’t seen him for half a year, barked incessantly at him.
With a creak, the iron gate opened, and dim yellow light spilled out, illuminating a small area of the yard.
“Who is it?”
Lǐ Míng looked at the woman in front of him, wearing a faded pajama, and softly said, “Mom!”
...
“Why are you back so late? Didn’t you say anything so your dad could pick you up?”
Mother Lǐ asked Lǐ Míng, who was helping her, while she was cooking.
“A classmate of mine is getting married tomorrow, and he gave me a ride, so I came back directly,” Lǐ Míng made up an excuse to fool her. “You’ve already washed up and are getting ready to rest, so just cook the food for me.”
“Go sit and wait for the food! Your cooking isn’t that good!” Mother Lǐ shooed Lǐ Míng out of the kitchen with a hint of disdain.
Lǐ Míng couldn’t refuse her. He washed the dishes and waited for the meal at the dining table.
After a while, Mother Lǐ brought out a plate of eggs, which she usually didn’t want to eat, and a plate of pork.
“Your dad is on the night shift and won’t be back until tomorrow morning. Eat your meal, and then I’ll cook for him.”
“Okay!”
“When are you going up? Is the summer job money enough for tuition?”
Lǐ Míng said while shoveling rice, “It’s enough, Mom. The e-commerce boss who hired me is very generous and pays well. He also said that if I do a good job, I can continue to work part-time after school. You won’t have to give me pocket money anymore, and I can send some to you both.”
Mother Lǐ smiled with relief, “That’s good. Keep your money for yourself. We’re not short of a tiny bit like that.”
“It’s not tiny at all! I earn commissions from operations. The bigger the online store, the more money I make. Just you wait, I’ll be sending tens of thousands for household expenses every month!”
This wasn’t a joke. Some people still thought playing games well didn’t make money; they must be living in the last world.
“Okay, okay! Then I’ll live a good life through your efforts in my lifetime~”
After dinner, Lǐ Míng helped Mother Lǐ clean up the dishes and then returned to his room.
The room was not large, with just a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe—that was all the furniture.
Several celebrity posters were stuck on the wall; they were his former idols.
Lǐ Míng sat at the desk, opened his computer, and began to browse information about Game Pods.
The more he enjoyed the present, the more he feared the arrival of that day.
Having lived a second life, he was the only variable. He couldn’t afford to muddle through like in his previous life.
He needed to spend more time on the Alien Race Game.
Although the game helmet could allow players to enter a resting state, it couldn’t provide the necessary nutritional supplements.
The Game Pod, however, allowed players to be online all day without worrying about their health.
He opened the official website of the most famous Game Pod brand, “Starry Sky,” and carefully browsed the different models of Game Pods.
The basic “Nebula” model Game Pod was relatively inexpensive and had basic functions, with only the essential somatosensory connection and neural feedback systems.
The mid-range “Galaxy” model Game Pod added an environmental simulation system, which could simulate various climates and terrains, giving players a more realistic immersive experience.
The high-end “Deep Sea” model Game Pod not only had all the above functions but also the most advanced biofeedback system. It could monitor the player’s physical condition in real-time and adjust according to the player’s needs, even performing simple physical therapy and rehabilitation training.
Lǐ Míng carefully compared the parameters and prices of each model. After calculating the game exchange rate, he finally set his sights on the top-spec “Deep Sea” model Game Pod, which cost one million.
Choosing a suitable Game Pod was crucial. It not only directly affected his performance in the game but also his future extraordinary abilities in the real world.
However, he didn’t have the money for it yet; these were plans for the near future.
After selecting the Game Pod, Lǐ Míng didn’t plan to sleep. Instead, he habitually checked the game forum to see if anything major had happened.
Today was the first day the Alien Race Game was launched, and the forum was buzzing with activity.
Countless players were sharing their adventures and hauls in the game, with strategies and tips popping up everywhere.
Major guilds, clubs, and professional players were all showing off their progress in clearing content.
As the first player to “become an NPC,” Lǐ Míng was also a hot topic, with even a popular post about him.
【Top Player Appears in Línchéng, Impersonating an NPC and Issuing Hidden Profession Quests!】
Lǐ Míng clicked on the post.
It contained many videos and photos of himself, issuing quests in Aba Village, taking Bái Xuě out, learning skills in the inner city, the talent test crystal...
Judging from the angles of the photos and videos taken by passing players, they were all taken by players who happened to be there at the time.
The replies from players under the post were varied:
“I can confirm, he’s not an NPC. This is me with a high level and perception, only then could I see his information.”
Below was a photo of Lǐ Míng with his ID from a player’s perspective: Yīmíng Hǎorén.
If you don’t look, you’d guess it was posted by some mage who got beaten up.
“Holy crap! Real or fake? Is he a player and not an NPC?”
“This is true immersive experience! It feels like we are being played by the game, not like he’s playing the game!”
“I’m jealous, I want to go to Línchéng to find this guy to play with me, I’ll pay!”
“Does anyone know him? I’m from the Blazing Fire Guild. We want to trade with him for Hidden Profession quests in the future!”
“Add me! I’m a little sister with a loli voice, I want to ‘trade’ too!”
“+1 (Lolis go die)”
“+2 (Lolis go die)”
“+! (Loli die)”
Suddenly, “Yīmíng Hǎorén” became popular.
Besides these curious and worshipful comments, some analytical emperors began to seriously study Lǐ Míng’s videos and photos, trying to uncover some hidden information.
“Have you guys noticed that the attitude of these NPCs towards him is really special?”
“Yeah, it’s like he’s their own son! I’d believe you if you said he was the biological grandson of the ‘Palace’ Group!”
“Studying alongside the crown prince?”
“Can any big shots analyze his techniques?”
“It’s hard to analyze, there’s no first-person perspective, and we don’t know what he talked about with the NPCs at first.”
A player with the ID “Professional NPC Observer” replied, “Brothers, I feel like this person is not an ordinary player. He’s very likely a Hidden Profession! Look at the quests he issued; they are things ordinary players like us can’t access. Moreover, have you noticed the NPCs’ attitude towards him? It’s like they’re treating him as one of their own! I suspect he might have triggered a hidden quest or obtained some special status that allows him to act like an NPC in the game.”
This reply immediately sparked heated discussions among other players.
“Hidden Profession? Real or fake? Does this game even have Hidden Professions?”
“He’s already given out two profession quests, and you’re still saying there aren’t any?!”
“Damn rich dude, why don’t I have friends like that!”
“Is it possible he’s really a ‘shill’ arranged by the officials?”
“A shill? Doesn’t seem like it. The officials wouldn’t go to such great lengths, and especially make him so high-profile. Isn’t that deliberately attracting players’ attention?”
“Then what do you think he is?”
“I don’t know either, but he’s very mysterious!”
Yes, very mysterious.
This game has a very powerful privacy function.
When you enable portrait masking, any photos or videos taken by other players of you will have your face automatically blurred by the system. Therefore, the photos, videos, and audio on the forum are all blurry.