Police station.
"Name."
"Fang Yu."
"Age."
"21."
"Why are you here?"
"Got into a fight."
"Why did you fight?"
"He stole my spot!"
Fang Yu was furious.
He had arranged for a scalper to reserve a spot day before yesterday just so he could be first in line to buy the epoch-making game helmet for "Seeking Demon" released by the Blue Sea Group today.
It just went on sale today, and the scalper had secured the spot, but then he tells me it’s gone! Somebody bought it off with a higher bid!
How could he tolerate that??
"Just over a lousy game helmet, is it worth it?"
"Worth it! Very much so! I make my living by playing games, if I can’t get the helmet, what am I supposed to do, live off the Northwest Wind?"
"Watch your tone."
Brother Jing tapped on the desk.
"Subjunctively, you started the fight, and objectively, you were the first to throw a punch. But the other party has already forgiven you...."
"Forgiven me??" Fang Yu stood up, slamming his hand on the table.
"Don’t get worked up, besides forgiving you, he also agreed to compensate you with a "Seeking Demon" game helmet."
Fang Yu sat back down.
"Really? That game helmet is quite expensive."
Brother Jing: ???
I still prefer your unruly attitude from before, can you bring it back?
"So what’s the situation now, are we at peace?"
"Since he gave me the game helmet... I forgive him, he forgives me, we all forgive each other."
"Alright then, sign here and you can leave."
Stepping out of the police station, Fang Yu was already holding a squarely proper box in his hands, inside which was a game helmet worth ten thousand yuan.
You should know, he had only spent a thousand on the scalper for the spot.
Doing the math, he had saved quite a bit of money.
Humming a tune, Fang Yu rode away on his small electric scooter.
...
Not long after Fang Yu left, a young man dressed in a suit and leather shoes came out from the police station.
Arriving at a corner, the suited young man took out a piece of parchment from his pocket.
Rows of black text began to emerge on the parchment.
"I’ve successfully purchased a game helmet that comes with a Lucky Gift Package."
"This is the first and crucial step to protect myself after the future game becomes reality, and reality turns into the apocalypse!"
"I must enter the game as soon as possible, and at all costs, enhance the strength of my game character."
"Doomsday is approaching!"
"There is little time left!"
"Phew—"
The suited young man exhaled a long breath.
He had already verified the authenticity of the parchment; the parchment can be trusted.
"Game becomes reality, world ended... Order collapses, a new king is born, then why can’t I be that king?"
He opened the car door, sat in, and contacted an agent to prepare to sell real estate.
Currency will soon be worthless.
The game will be the future battleground!
However, he did not notice that the parchment in his pocket was quietly developing rows of blood-colored text.
"Yes, hurry into the game."
"The moment you enter the game, your body will be mine!"
"HAHAHAHA... HAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
...
"Xiao Yu, buying so much groceries today?"
"Hey, Xiao Yu, making big bucks? Even splurging on seafood!"
Returning to the district, he ran into two elderly gentlemen.
Carrying several big bags, Fang Yu chuckled and waved his finger.
"NO~NO~NO~! Uncle Zhou, Uncle Wang, I’m getting ready to go into seclusion mode!"
"Oh, going to start playing games again? Didn’t you lose tens of thousands last time and had to work on my son’s construction site to fill that hole?"
"Hey! Don’t slander me! I was inexperienced at that time, I chose the wrong game. But this time is different, this game is sure to be a hit, sure to make money! I’ll treat your whole family to a big meal when I make it big."
"HAHAHA, alright, alright."
The two elderly gentlemen didn’t mind.
Fang Yu had been living here for three years, since college until graduation, they know him through and through.
He has ambition, but not much skill was ever shown.
"By the way, Xiao Jin was calling you to collect the rent today..."
Uncle Zhou hadn’t finished speaking when Fang Yu had already dashed inside, not sure if he even heard him.
Uncle Zhou shook his head and didn’t pay it much mind.
Suddenly, his expression froze.
He saw a string of numbers above Lao Wang’s head.
[19 hours 15 minutes 22 seconds.]
What was this? A trick of the eye?
Uncle Zhou rubbed his eyes, but the numbers were still there, accurately ticking down second by second.
Instinctively, he looked up.
Above his own head, it displayed — [3 hours 2 minutes 51 seconds.]
Uncle Zhou jolted upright from his chair, his heart racing, a sense of inexplicable panic washing over him.
...
Qingshui District was a rental building converted from an old house.
Due to its proximity to Wangjiang University, there was never a shortage of tenants, most of whom were students or recent graduates.
Fang Yu had lived here for three years without a rent increase. Regrettably, his earning capacity was limited. Even with part-time jobs, he could barely afford the rent, sometimes months overdue. If it weren’t for the understanding landlord and good relations with neighbors, he would have been homeless long ago.
Fang Yu’s room was 1905 in Building 1. As the elevator doors opened, he headed straight for his apartment, laden with big and small parcels.
He took out the keys and unlocked the door.
Swoosh—
A graceful figure threw herself into his arms, her fragrance overwhelming him, leaving him completely stunned.
Looking down.
"Jin, Sister Jin?"
Sister Jin was the daughter of the landlord, responsible for collecting rent for this building. Although about the same age as him, Fang Yu still respectfully addressed her as Sister Jin.
At this moment, there were tear stains on Sister Jin’s face, as if she had been crying.
Her eyes, reddened, looked deeply at him again before suddenly burying her head in his chest.
This frightened Fang Yu.
"Sister Jin... what, what happened?"
He swore by all that was holy! His relationship with Sister Jin was nothing more than a pure tenant-landlord one.
Even with occasional interactions, all their conversations were strictly about rent. He didn’t remember ever being so close with Sister Jin.
The last conversation seemed to have been about overdue rent, getting a bit fierce, and Sister Jin had even threatened to kick him out.
How had things suddenly...
What was this situation?
Fortunately, Sister Jin had recovered her composure by now and gradually calmed down.
"...it’s nothing, I saw a cockroach in your room and got scared."
Sister Jin gently pushed Fang Yu away and wiped her tears, speaking softly.
That tender voice nearly scared the wits out of Fang Yu.
Something was off, terribly off! Sister Jin was known for her fierceness!
Even being afraid of little bugs, she had never spoken to him in such a soft tone, not even when he owed ten months’ rent.
Could it be she wanted to kill me??
Gulp.
Fang Yu swallowed.
"Sister Jin, about the rent, I..."
"No rush! Just stay, for as long as you want!"
While Sister Jin was speaking, she suddenly noticed the virtual reality game helmet packaging in Fang Yu’s hand and her expression changed.
"You’re going to enter the game?"
"Ah? Oh... this is the gaming helmet I just bought today. It’s really popular, and I’m sure I can make a fortune inside! Once I earn big, I promise to pay the rent early every month!" Fang Yu patted his chest as a guarantee.
But Sister Jin looked somewhat conflicted.
"Going in is good... is good..."
She pondered for a moment, then said, "You carry on, I’ll come back to find you later."
Coming back to find me?
What for?
I can’t pay the rent right now!
Fang Yu outwardly agreed, but as soon as Sister Jin left, he immediately locked the door from the inside!
To delay even for a moment was a moment gained; maybe tonight’s game launch would earn me the rent money!
Fang Yu thought secretly.
...
Outside in the corridor, Sister Jin walked faster and faster, unconsciously biting her finger.
This was a habit she had developed only after the apocalypse had fallen.
"I’m back... back to five years ago, just when the game started right before the apocalypse!"
"How could this be? Could it be related to the Spring-Autumn Cicada Fang Yu gave me?"
"No matter what, now that I’m back, I must change those tragedies that happened!"
"One year later, the game will enter reality, beginning the era of the apocalypse!"
"Fang Yu, this time, I won’t let you die before my eyes!"
"I’ll definitely save you! Absolutely!"
Five years had dulled many memories.
But she remembered the major events crystal clear!
"Enter the game, seize the opportunities, then protect Fang Yu, protect the people around me!"
"In my previous life, I couldn’t enter the game at the crucial moment."
"This time, I’ll take a different path!"
...