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Chapter 4: Introductions

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Disconnecting his mind from the server and closing the game cabin, Feng Bujue sat bolt upright with a gasp.

Right now it was noon; the sun was shining brightly outside.

Feng Bujue lived on the top thirteenth floor of an apartment building that demanded rent; he lived a solitary life. His parents lived solely for their books and never showed up on any occasion. Due to this, Feng Jue was constantly angry, having long since given up on mankind several years past. This lonely protagonist left alone in the world, hid his name and accomplishments. Since he left, his name and surname became an inconvenience and so those could said to have died, even in the records.

Looking at the time, Feng Bujue found that he had only spent fifteen minutes in-game. Under Non-Sleep Mode, time in Thriller Paradise in-game seemed to be 2 to 1 to reality’s. In other words, he stayed in-game for what he felt was half an hour just now. However, under Sleep Mode the degree of depth between the mind link is different. Time could be said to be at the extent of 10 to 1. So in the so-called “Dream World time”, if a player persisted without disconnecting, by just sleeping it could be possible to complete eighty hours of gameplay. Of course, this is tantamount to dreaming continuously for eight hours in one night, guaranteeing a headache the next day. The game cabin’s manual distinctly wrote that players are not recommended to stay in Sleep Mode and play for more than four hours at a time. Feng BuJue obviously read and remembered this.

Feng Bujue left the game cabin at this moment, not because he needed to rest, but because he and his friend agreed to play this game together. Today was the first day of closed beta; the official launch is tomorrow morning at eight. But because his friend has no time during the day, Feng Bujue wanted to wait for him. He went online just now to familiarize himself with the game’s layout and did not want to progress too far from the other.

Speaking of which, did Feng Bujue have nothing to do on a bright white day like this?

Yep, nothing to do…

Technically speaking, he is a mystery novelist. Surely right now someone must be thinking, this punk can’t be one of those even-if-he-doesn’t-write-anything-he’s-rich-as-fúck sort of famous writer, can he?

Obviously, not…

Feng Bujue had a little bit of fame to his name, but definitely was not famous. His works weren’t bad, every book was publishable, and the publishing house was willing to collaborate with him. He is the kind of writer that does not make much money, but by no means is he a starving novelist.

He has a two-page column in a weekly magazine, where he submits the manuscript for a serial detective story once every month. The job pays on a monthly basis. All the serialized content for the next month must be sent in early, but if the quality isn’t up to par it’ll be rejected and must be redone before the end of the month.

But on this income alone, in the middle of this S city, he could only endure the passing days. And so in addition, he still writes long detective series, one of those print back novels. Every time he finishes one of these novels, Feng Bujue only makes enough have a little surplus to deposit.

But why does he have nothing to do during the day?

This is very easy to explain using Feng Bujue’s own words to describe his work and lifestyle, that is,“Inspirations abound, then your manuscript is prompt, and you can have delicacies like cake; but if your imagination is weak, it is difficult to write and you will only eat ramen!”

Evidently, he’s been in a slump as of recent.

This person is just too easy-going. If he can’t write, squeezing something out won’t produce anything interesting either. So he just plays…… Not only is he playing, but he even calls it gathering source material.

So, basically, hoping for Feng Bujue to finish a manuscript on time, is just wishful thinking.

Every month at the middle of the month, when he sees the editors from the magazine, they come carrying broadswords, riding alone for thousands of miles, ready to kill. His landlady as well, comes as if brandishing gold plated wing in one hand, having seized a spare key, and barges in with a chop to his door.

Every time it reached this day, Feng Bujue would normally have made early preparations, keeping one’s spear by the pillow (ready for battle), line up his soldiers (ready intimidation), gold beat drum (war cry), waiting for these two people to attack. They fight three hundred rounds in this great war, fighting until the sky and earth turn dark (wreak havoc on the earth), the wind and clouds darken and finally leave in the sky eight great (size) words: IF THERE IS NO MONEY, PUNISHMENT BY BROOMSTICK.

Ok, it’s not that exaggerated. In any case, he’s content with life this way.

Let’s talk about Feng Bujue’s friend instead. In a normal course of event, birds of a feather flock together. Of course Feng Bujue’s friend couldn’t be a tall and handsome wealthy person?

That’s right, he is tall, handsome, and wealthy……

His name is Wang Tanzhi, Feng Bujue’s childhood friend. In S city’s dialect, they’re called, “Red Pants Brothers.” Starting from kindergarten, they were classmates all they way up until they graduated from high school. As Wang Tanzhi got closer to entering medical school, Feng Bujue only became an idle person of society.

……

These two have an iron clad friendship that can be explained through facts and assumptions. Let’s start with the facts; Why does Wang Tanzhi want to go to medical school? That’s because from childhood Feng Bujue has determined to become Sherlock Holmes, and since Watson was an ex-military doctor; that’s pretty much the reason why he’s going.

Now if we suppose Wang Tanzhi were a girl, then our novelist’s behavior would be different because Lady Wang would have already given ** to Feng Bujue many years ago.

Considering that scenario, as well as everyone’s wild imaginings, I still have one more thing to say. Don’t worry, this is just conjecture; they’re both men and not homosexual.

Wang Tanzhi family is very wealthy, doesn’t matter how much they have, in any case even if he never works he’ll be able to very comfortably. He’s also slightly handsome, just taller than Feng Fujue at 1.8 meters, gentle personality, honest, somewhat cowardly, but doesn’t like to stir up trouble, and exhibits patience in dealing with others.

In short, a person with very few flaws, when comparing to Feng Bujue’s oddness, they form a distinct contrast. Wang Tanzhi is the person whom others will brag about as an upstanding youth when they see him, but when others assess Feng Bujue it’s often: to trifle without respect, cynical, moody, a rogue lacking in culture.

But the world is just this mystical, and in this way, these two were able to become brothers.

The afternoon quickly passed, and Feng Bujue spent another hour reviewing material online. Because after having entered the game as well as having finished the novice tutorial, now that he’s looking at the instructions, many things are much clearer.

The rest of the time was just making noodles, not because he really likes eating them, but because he used the money left over from buying instant noodles to buy noodle flour.

This weirdo, unexpectedly he calculated how much food he has, all the way until how much he needs every meal, figured out how just how much food he needs to not starve to death, then spent all of his bank saving (there wasn’t much to begin with), bought the game cabin, and spent the rest on noodle flour. What about his utility bills…

You say he’s meticulous in planning, but he unexpectedly went and spent almost the extreme limit of all his fortune to buy a luxury item (the new gaming cabin was very expensive). You say he’s extravagant, but again he would never bankrupt himself to a point he couldn’t handle.

   …………

In a flash it was evening, Feng Bujue had a bowl of noodles in broth for dinner and left it at that.

Wang Tanzhi called over, said he already downloaded the game. He just finished the tutorial, got scared half to death, and his body covered in cold sweat. He went offline to make a phone call but only just now managed to calm down his state of mind.

Feng Bujue thought: I, your father, am really envious of you, cold sweat is something I have already not experienced for many months.

The two people exchanged their game nicknames as they prepared to go online…

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