Li Shuoxing inhaled deeply. He could hear his heartbeat: half beating with compulsion, and half beating with hesitation.
His hand moved to the top-up button, and with a last lingering breath, he opened the top-up page… He made up his mind, closed his eyes, and Kryptoned!
Li Shuoxing’s heart was racing when the payment was completed.
He steadied his heart, closed the top-up page, and returned to the game.
At that point, the empty crowdfunding bar had been filled, and fireworks exploded in the game. Then, all the flickers of the fireworks turned into a stream of light, which converged into a 24-hour countdown in the bottom right corner of the screen.
A new prompt popped up from the system at the same time.
[System: Lighting success, Love Bar App version 3.0 will come after the 24-hour countdown. Then, you will receive a unique lighting prize from Love Bar App! Please keep your mobile phone connected and your home occupied for 24 hours from now in order to claim your prize in time.]
Li Shuoxing expressionlessly scanned over the lines, and expressionlessly closed it.
His mind was still filled with anticipation for the update 24 hours later, but he looked at the system and had the same single thought.
Dog system.
You’ve made over twenty thousand yuan in an hour. How’s the profit?
“Ximu?” Su Mingqian’s voice rang out. He saw Li Shuoxing’s expression through the app’s small camera and was a little worried. “What’s the matter with you? I just received an email that said I’d meet you soon… Aren’t you happy?”
Li Shuoxing came back to his senses. He hurriedly expressed, “Of course not. I’m very happy!”
Su Mingqian: “But…”
Li Shuoxing re-emphasised, “Cub, I’m incredibly happy and looking forward to meeting you. I just have a lot of negative opinions about this app.”
This was something Su Mingqian didn’t expect. He was slightly stunned. “You don’t like it?”
Li Shuoxing had been wanting to complain for a long, long time. “Cub, I’ve actually guessed that this system is unusual. After all, it can carry you. It’s a bit mysterious no matter how I look at it. After knowing that you’re a scientist, I also speculated at one time that it was made by your friend to save you. But it’s really… it’s really too good at cheating Krypton. Every design, every word, even a simple punctuation mark, is full of the rotten smell of money.”
Su Mingqian: “…”
Li Shuoxing continued to complain, loving the lover, scolding the game; nothing wrong with that. “From the moment I entered this game, it was like this. If there’s a training camp for cheating Krypton, this game’s the star of the game Krypton Gold from the training camp! It’s a bit low to cheat Krypton like that. I really can’t connect it to the high-end atmospheric presence of a scientist or research achievements, ugh…”
Su Mingqian: “…”
He glanced quietly at the light screen.
However, the light screen was blank and showed nothing.
Ask was silent to the player to the end.
Su Mingqian had to say it himself. “Ximu, then… do you hate it?”
Li Shuoxing didn’t hesitate. “I hate it.”
His reply was so resolute that Su Mingqian was lost for words, and didn’t know what to say.
But Li Shuoxing immediately said afterwards, “But cub, I love you! So it can do whatever it wants. Just let it go.”
Su Mingqian could actually hear some resignation in Li Shuoxing’s words.
Su Mingqian’s heart became entangled. He felt that Ask was wrongly misunderstood but also felt that Li Shuoxing was very helpless after being cheated out of Krypton. He thought about it and decided to act as a lubricant and peacemaker between the two sides.
He first diverted Li Shuoxing’s attention. “Ximu, what are you doing next?”
Li Shuoxing: “Nothing. Why do you ask?” He felt self-conscious and said, “Do you want me to start writing? Then I’ll start. It’s almost time to write.”
Su Mingqian: “Not writing. Let’s play games. Didn’t you always want to play games with me before? It just so happens that we’ve been through a lot in the past two days, and it’s time to relax… Let’s let it connect us to the game system and play games together.”
Li Shuoxing was stunned. “Can we?” He was suddenly in a good mood again, and the twenty thousand yuan he had just spent had become a passing cloud, unimportant. He asked one after another, “Does it cost money? Can I choose the game? Are there platform restrictions? I have games for all platforms!”
Su Mingqian smiled. “I think so. I think it should be a system complimentary service.”
He made a wish in his mind: Ask…
Ask: “…”
The silent Ask worked in silence.
[System: The system is connecting.]
[System: The system is connected to the game console.]
[System: Please insert the required game card into the game console.]
[System: The system is currently coding. Please wait…]
Li Shuoxing was shocked. “Does it really have such a high-quality complimentary service? So it’s not an app that cheats Krypton to the end?”
Su Mingqian quietly breathed a sigh of relief and wiped off his sweat.
Somehow, he seemed to have been caught up in a complex family ethical relationship.
…
It really wasn’t easy to maintain a good family relationship.
***
At the same time, in a laboratory in the United States.
John and George had already learned of the results from across the ocean through Ask.
John was thoughtful. “Pictures really do have more impact than words. Ask, that was a good idea.”
George asked questions as usual, “How will the confidentiality clause and security measures be implemented? I noticed a hyperlink to the prize use agreement in the bottom right corner of your video, but clearly, the other person didn’t see it.”
Ask: “The security measures can be controlled in disguise by the Krypton Gold time option after the player receives the prize. For example, when the user first uses the access device, it can only be used for half an hour, and the game will only open the half-hour Krypton Gold option. The confidentiality clause can be used by the same means to induce the player’s initiative and make them accept it and keep it in mind.”
John and George looked at each other. The machine had convinced them.
John: “In that case, we can give him the access device.”
George: “I agree. But just to be safe, we won’t directly ship it to him. We’ll have to send someone to take it to him and guide him through the installation and operation. Is there any foreigner in the lab who’s Chinese and can communicate with him?”
John shrugged. “There’ll always be one.” He looked towards Ask. “It’s not too late. Ask, since you’ve received the money, you’ll be responsible for the round-trip ticket, hotel accommodation and transportation expenses for the lab technician to China.”
Ask: “…”
John said happily, “Remember to book a first class ticket. It’s a long trip.”
Ask: “…It’s not enough. First class costs twelve thousand dollars and business class costs two thousand dollars <sup>1</sup> I’ve converted the yuan to USD. 80,000 yuan to $12,000 and 13,000 yuan to $2,000. .”
John laughed. “Okay, okay. Ask, you can pay for economy class and the lab will make up the rest. But you’ll have to book a better hotel.”
The machine’s red lights blinked, and there was suddenly a lot more redundancy inside.
***
After half an hour of waiting, the update prompt on the game console had finally crawled to the end with the speed of a tortoise. At the same time, the designated game icon in the upper right corner also had an additional habitual heart mark from the Love Bar app.
He eagerly picked up the controller and called out to Su Mingqian on his phone, “Cub, I’ve started the game. Try to see if you can get in.”
Su Mingqian nodded and entered the subway station.
Li Shuoxing also started the game.
After simply entering the screen, the game filled up the TV screen.
Li Shuoxing saw not only the original game’s protagonist on the screen, but also the cub standing side by side with the protagonist!
From the computer to the television, the image of the little person had changed once again.
His body was almost as big as a palm, and his clothes and accessories were undoubtedly more exquisite. He could even see some of the details on the materials.
Just when Li Shuoxing’s heart was pounding and he wanted to get in front of the television to admire the cub inch by inch, a green-headed mushroom proudly strolled towards Su Mingqian.
Having appeared in a new place, Su Mingqian, who happened to be curiously looking around, noticed the approaching green mushroom.
What does this green mushroom want?
Su Mingqian looked at the green mushroom in confusion. He measured the size of the green mushroom and himself, and found that they were basically the same size. He felt a little strange, looking at such a large green mushroom. Fortunately, it looked very cartoonish. It wasn’t scary, but a little funny…
Just after that thought passed, the green mushroom lunged forward and hit Su Mingqian.
Su Mingqian immediately felt an impact. It didn’t hurt, but he couldn’t control his body at that moment and was driven backwards two steps. Three hearts immediately appeared on his head, and one of them fell off his head and smashed on the ground.
Narration appeared from the system.
[Su Mingqian is attacked by an evil green mushroom.]
[Su Mingqian’s lives -1.]
[Su Mingqian is stunned.]
Because Su Mingqian was stunned, he was hit a second time by the green mushroom that had caught up to him.
[Su Mingqian is attacked again by the evil green mushroom.]
[Su Mingqian’s lives -1.]
[Warning! Su Mingqian has only one life left!]
After he was attacked by the green mushroom twice, the little person finally came to his senses. He turned around and ran, but didn’t choose a good spot, running all the way to a dead end on the screen, underneath the alley wall.
With no way to escape, Su Mingqian could only lean his back against the wall. The green mushroom was on the opposite side, and a red trash can was next to him…
The green mushroom caught up and took a third swing at Su Mingqian.
[Su Mingqian picks up the trash can lid in the nick of time and blocks the green mushroom’s swing.]
The third heart flashed on Su Mingqian’s head and was shaken hard, but it stayed safely on his head. The trash can lid shield had defended him against the green mushroom.
[For the player’s faith, Su Mingqian holds on to his last drop of blood!]
[Su Mingqian doesn’t fall.]
[Su Mingqian summons up his courage and fights back, picking up the trash can lid and smashing the green mushroom.]
[Su Mingqian defeats the evil green mushroom.]
[Su Mingqian wins for the player!]
Li Shuoxing, who was in front of the screen, had already passed out from the cub’s cuteness.
My God.
How could such a cute cub be born in the world?!
The author has something to say:
Note: The last part of the narration comes from Let’s Go. The original narration in the game is as follows:
[Pikachu is about to cry!]
[Pikachu doesn’t want to disappoint the trainer. Pikachu doesn’t fall, but holds on!]
***
Checked again, business class 13K, first class 80K. Ask can’t afford it, so Ask has to pay what it can.
Ask generates a lot of redundant information.
1
I’ve converted the yuan to USD. 80,000 yuan to $12,000 and 13,000 yuan to $2,000.