MS Chapter 38

Fatty came running, panting, and found Lu Qingjia coming out of the bathroom alone.

Seeing him, he called out, “Let’s go back.”

Fatty glanced inside but didn’t see his brother’s ex, suddenly revealing a complicated expression—

“Is that it? Less than five minutes? That brother looked so pumped, but his skills are lacking.”

Lu Qingjia slowly turned his head and looked at Fatty: “If you were put in a juicer, the juice that comes out would be yellow.”

Then he snatched Fatty’s phone: “I thought about it and decided not to push the girl into the fire pit; better delete her number.”

Fatty quickly protested, “Hey, hey, hey! It’s all fun and games, don’t joke about girls!”

After a bit of back and forth, Lu Qingjia finally tossed the phone back to him, and Fatty didn’t dare to joke around anymore.

However, even with his dullness, he could tell that his buddy’s mood was off.

Just a moment ago, he was acting like a ghost, now he seemed to have lost that panicked demeanor, but it looked like he hadn’t shaken off the person either.

Fatty watched Lu Qingjia walk ahead, scratching his head, unsure how to comfort him. After a long struggle, he finally said, “How about we go ride a roller coaster? You always said it was thrilling, and after one ride, you’d forget all your worries. It’s your favorite, right?”

Lu Qingjia smiled slightly: “Is it?”

“Of course!” Fatty helped him recall, “Back in college, there was a time you often dragged me along to ride.”

Lu Qingjia thought for a moment and casually replied, “Oh, that was because you developed PTSD from roller coasters after watching ‘Final Destination 3.’ I wanted to see you scared to the point of wetting your pants to counteract it.”

Fatty: “……”

“Did you just casually reveal another secret that tormented me? How many more of these have you done?”

Lu Qingjia: “This came out of nowhere; how am I supposed to keep track?”

“That’s it, we’re cutting ties today. I don’t want you as my brother anymore.”

“Weren’t you just calling me ‘dad’ a moment ago? My son.”

Fatty was almost brought to tears from anger, but amidst the banter, Lu Qingjia seemed to relax a bit.

Though they were bickering, when evening came and it was time for Lu Qingjia to go back, Fatty felt reluctant—

“Why not stay in the city for a few days? My mom has cleaned up a room for you. Just play a few more days before heading back. You have employees at your shop; you don’t have to do everything yourself, right?”

Lu Qingjia: “Let’s take a break for now; apologize to Auntie for me.”

“Then you should come up more often.”

Lu Qingjia nodded. Since they had already torn off the mask, he had no more reservations. In the future, not only would he be going into the city, but as the Game progressed, there would likely be many places to visit.

After graduating from college, Lu Qingjia’s contact with many classmates was limited to online interactions, and the frequency wasn’t high. However, quite a few girls he used to get along with would occasionally reach out for emotional advice.

Even so, he was still aware of where his classmates had ended up after graduation.

Once home, Lu Qingjia dug out an old classmate’s contact from his address book, someone he hadn’t spoken to in over half a year, and sent a message.

That person had always worked in internet entertainment, both during college and now, and was a well-known content creator online.

His main focus was on editing film works and creating original videos or animations.

After graduation, he secured some investment and established a studio, now accumulating over ten million followers across various platforms.

Back then, Lu Qingjia had borrowed money from him for his startup, and he had always remembered that favor.

Upon receiving Lu Qingjia’s message, the other party quickly replied, “Yo! Old Lu, what made you think of me?”

Lu Qingjia got straight to the point: “I need your help.”

“You say it, say it! It’s rare for you to need someone!” The other party rubbed his hands together, eager to help.

During college, Lu Qingjia was the star of the school, handsome, well-off, and emotionally intelligent, liked by both boys and girls.

That might sound exaggerated, but back then, most people in school truly took pride in being friends with him.

After all, not only was he outstanding, but he was also loyal; if a friend he valued faced difficulties, he would definitely help without hesitation, and he did it in a way that made others comfortable.

For instance, he would help without making a big deal out of it, ensuring that everyone saw the person in need at their worst, nor would he hint at his own favors.

Now, years later, those who had received his help had all achieved their own successes, so when he finally reached out, they were naturally eager to assist.

“I want to commission you to produce a short film or animation; the script will be based on what I write, and we can negotiate the price.”

“Hey! Why are we even discussing this?”

“Business is business. I can boss you around for free, but your employees need to eat. You can’t handle all the work by yourself, can you?”

The other party didn’t push back any further. After finalizing the outline and rough budget with Lu Qingjia, he quoted a cost price.

Lu Qingjia immediately transferred double the amount to him: “Business is business; don’t be too polite with me. I’m not doing this for fun; there will be various promotions, and I hope this work can gain wide recognition within a certain timeframe.”

“This level of marketing, if the work isn’t good, it will definitely offend ordinary netizens. So regarding quality, you can hire the top professional team in your circle. What I just gave you is just a deposit; if it’s not enough, feel free to ask me for more.”

“Wow, buddy, what made you suddenly think of doing this? You really know how to play.”

The other party pondered that in the past two years, since Old Lu graduated and didn’t stay out, but instead returned home to take over the family business, many fools who had made some money in the last two years had developed a sense of superiority, thinking that the once-great figure was now just a recluse, living off his inheritance.

At class reunions, they would boast about their new cars, new girlfriends, and new expensive hobbies, which was just laughable.

“Alright, write out the specific script and requirements. The core of your story is good; although the theme is too dark to become mainstream, if done well with a critical perspective and reliable marketing, it can definitely gain some fame.”

“Don’t worry, your name will definitely be prominently displayed as the producer and screenwriter.”

But Lu Qingjia said, “No need; my name doesn’t have to be on the credits. Just make sure to leave the studio’s contact information in a prominent place.”

“Also, please have someone monitor it 24/7. If anyone sends similar information, like the principles of hospital formations or mentions controlling hair with red silk, then give me their contact information.”

The other party flipped through the outline just provided, “These settings aren’t in there?”

“Exactly, that’s why I want it that way.”

Lu Qingjia ended the conversation while the other party was still confused. The horror Game does not encourage Players to form groups, and in reality, it’s nearly impossible to find discussions about the Game.

The two key protective measures are: first, once a Player leaves the Game, the identities of other Players who cleared the level with them become blurred.

For example, Lu Qingjia now remembers everything from the previous dungeon, but when recalling other Players, their appearances and any clues related to real-world information, including names, become vague.

Except for Zhong Liyu, because he is someone Lu Qingjia knows in real life.

The second measure is that if someone reveals Game-related information or extraordinary abilities, the world’s consciousness will automatically correct it.

For instance, if Lu Qingjia were to post looking for horror Game Players, the moment the post goes live, it would turn into gibberish.

Similarly, when Zhong Liyu uprooted his family, he had used supernatural abilities in reality, but only his closest relatives remembered; others would quickly have their memories altered, replaced with self-constructed narratives.

But Lu Qingjia knows that even with such strict defenses, Players at a certain level still have their own circles.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t be Doctors or people like him who already understand rules and information that are beyond the comprehension of low-level Players, because ensuring Players cannot easily carry over grievances from the Game into reality prevents social unrest, while also presenting them with things they need to resist.

That is the money-making Players.

Money-making Players, as the name suggests, treat the Game as a gold mine. Ordinary people are caught up in life-and-death horror Games, and in the constant risk of losing their lives, it’s easy for them to break down and go insane.

But just as there are those who are content with the mundane, there are also those who disregard life and death in pursuit of profit.

The Game has a rule: if someone is seen by outsiders during the brief two seconds while entering the Game, that person will also be pulled into the Game as an observer, going through a dungeon and then choosing whether to become a Player.

If Lu Qingjia’s uncle had been willing, he could have simply placed Lu Qingjia beside him during one of the dungeon entries, turning him into a Player.

In fact, Lu Qingjia had begged his uncle countless times, but he was ultimately refused.

The result was that he couldn’t bear to let his nephew take risks and step into this endless world, ultimately dying in the treachery of human hearts.

This method is a third way to become a Player, aside from the normal selection mechanism and quota transfer operations.

Money-making Players in reality are mostly desperate individuals, knowing each other, pulling each other into the Game world, and even forming a massive dark force.

Like the previous Cleaner, strictly speaking, he doesn’t count as a money-making Player because money-making Players have their own organizations, but similarly, these people cannot avoid trampling on the laws of reality once they gain power.

Thus, under the guidance of the Game, another type of Player, the Hunter Player, emerged, specifically hunting down money-making Players to maintain stability in reality.

Generally, once a Player reaches the Intermediate Level Game, the presence of money-making Players becomes apparent after filtering out many mediocre talents. Game tasks are no longer just about teamwork; alongside clearing levels, there are often Hidden Quests to eliminate money-making Players.

Of course, that’s a bit off-topic. In short, since those villains can easily form groups, ordinary Players naturally cannot lack channels for grouping.

As long as there are a few major premises: first, Players must be in the same world; second, they cannot agree on a code word within the Game—if they do, they will either forget or be unable to express it.

So when Lu Qingjia said goodbye to a female Player he had high hopes for, he made no hints but directly found someone to turn the previous dungeon’s plot into a work.

He left out the explanation for the hospital formation principles and removed the setting about hair being controlled by red silk. If someone who knew these two points came knocking, it would likely be a previous Player.

He just hoped that the other party was in the same reality as him; if luck was bad, it wouldn’t be a loss if another Doctor Player saw it.

After finalizing the arrangements with his old classmate, Lu Qingjia prepared to work overnight on the script and scene designs, including the designs for the bugs and beauty liquid. His drawing skills were decent, so it wouldn’t be too difficult to recreate them.

Just as he was about to get busy, he suddenly saw a news headline that exploded across the internet—

“Super Human Trafficker Arrested, Committing Up to 25 Crimes This Month Alone.”

Just the title alone sent chills down one’s spine; the month wasn’t even halfway through, so one could imagine how many families had been destroyed by this trafficker and how many people were still trapped in hell.

Lu Qingjia clicked on the news and indeed saw a blurred face with kind eyes and a smile, making it hard to feel wary—it was the Cleaner.

Since she was a Villainous Player killed by Lu Qingjia, her real-world information wasn’t confidential. Even before seeing the news, Lu Qingjia still remembered that face.

The news reported that the police had made significant progress in several missing persons cases they had been tracking recently. The suspect, Wang xx, fell from a height while evading capture, impaled by exposed iron sheets at a construction site, and died after unsuccessful medical treatment.

Wang xx’s husband and son were also arrested, with a large amount of criminal evidence found at their home, including three infants that had not yet been “shipped out.”

Based on the suspect’s previous “shipping” records, the police had notified various locations to rescue the victims and were conducting further interrogations.

Once this news broke, it naturally shocked the nation, with all sorts of online outrage, wishing to see the entire family suffer a thousand cuts.

However, Lu Qingjia noticed the reported cause of death; unfortunately, he couldn’t get a photo, but based on the description, the manner of death should closely resemble how he had killed her.

Recalling the scene from the day his uncle died, where he inexplicably coughed up blood, and the autopsy results showed internal organ rupture.

Lu Qingjia tightened his grip on the mouse, forgetting his strength, and ended up crushing it like a potato chip.

Regaining his composure, Lu Qingjia glanced at the plastic shards in his hand, shook his head, and went downstairs to the hall to find a new mouse.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Southeast Asia, the picturesque seaside manor remained unchanged.

At this moment, the servants in the manor walked cautiously, as the master had a formidable presence, and the atmosphere left behind made it so that even if the young master seemed easygoing, the manor wouldn’t be lively when the lady wasn’t around.

In the afternoon, the eldest young master went out for a while, and when he returned, he looked just like the master did when he was cleaning up the family.

The servants were even more on edge, barely daring to breathe loudly.

Zhong Liyu had been standing on his balcony for several hours, resting his arms on the stone railing, watching the sun sink below the horizon.

By the time the sun completely disappeared, the lights in the manor had long been turned on, yet he still stood there motionless.

No one knew why, and no one dared to ask.

Not long after, a red sports car drove in with a flourish, stopping at the entrance of the mansion.

A beautiful woman in a sleeveless dress stepped out, with wavy hair, fiery red lips, fair and delicate skin, and a hot, sexy figure. She looked under thirty but had a mature charm like fine wine.

As she got out of the car, the servants in the manor visibly relaxed, coming over to park the car and greet her warmly.

Uncle Zheng smiled as he approached, saying, “Sister-in-law, you’re back? Have you eaten? The kitchen has made your favorite soup.”

“I’ve eaten. Has Aye eaten?” The beautiful woman, Ms. An, Zhong Ye’s mother, asked.

Uncle Zheng replied, “Not yet. He went out for a while this afternoon and came back just staring into space. He must have been dumped.”

Ms. An: “Why do I hear a hint of schadenfreude in your voice?”

“No, no! The kid is grown up; he should handle his own relationship troubles, right?” Uncle Zheng quickly added, “By the way, there’s a prison football match tomorrow, and family members can attend. My brother has been practicing hard to impress you, and a spot has been saved. Sister-in-law, what do you think about tomorrow—”

“Let’s talk about it later; I’ll see if any of my friends invite me for tea.”

Uncle Zheng’s face twisted in sympathy for his boss, but given the circumstances, he had to tread carefully—

“Big brother, the brother has done his best.”

Ms. An went upstairs directly to Zhong Liyu’s room. Seeing her son standing there as if he were part of the railing, she could roughly guess what was going on.

Her gaze fell on the bed, where a coat was carelessly thrown, surrounded by scattered photos.

She picked it up and flipped through the photos, her eyes lighting up: “Oh! Isn’t this Jiajia?”

Hearing this, Zhong Liyu finally stopped being a statue and rushed in to snatch the photos.

But his mother turned away to avoid him: “What are you grabbing for? I’m just looking. At most, I’ll copy two copies—one for my computer and one for my phone as a screensaver. I’m not taking yours.”

Zhong Liyu was displeased: “Can you please stop judging by appearances? You don’t even spare your son’s ex.”

Ms. An sighed: “If I could change that, I wouldn’t have fallen for your dad in the first place.”

“Then look at my dad.”

“What’s so great about that old man?” Ms. An scoffed, “I’ve heard that even now, many women send him love letters and chocolates every week.”

Father Zhong was a heartthrob in his youth, and now nearing fifty, thanks to good maintenance and some skincare products from his son’s wife, he still looked like he was in his thirties.

Standing next to Zhong Liyu, they looked more like brothers than father and son. When he was thrown into prison, news of his level of influence spread worldwide.

Countless women fell in love at first sight upon seeing his photo in the newspaper, and he had held the title of the world’s most handsome prisoner for three consecutive years.

Every week, he received love letters and gifts from all over the world, from various countries and races, in different languages.

However, behind this seemingly glamorous facade, who could understand the loneliness of a middle-aged man neglected by his wife and constantly stabbed in the heart by an ungrateful son?

Ms. An watched her son scanning the photos with his phone, waving him away: “Hey, don’t block the light; it’s not clear anymore.”

While praising, she said, “Indeed, every bit of Jiajia fits my aesthetic. If he had been born twenty years earlier, your dad wouldn’t stand a chance. That Doctor’s robe makes the abstinent Jiajia even more charming.”

That hypothetical scene was too beautiful for Zhong Liyu to bear, and he quickly snatched the photos back: “That’s enough! My dad dislikes him so much; you can’t take credit for that.”

“Am I to blame for the old man being stingy?” Ms. An rolled her eyes, then excitedly said, “Speaking of which, I haven’t been back to the country in years. I should book a flight to visit tomorrow and arrange a date with Jiajia.”

“Jiajia has great taste and is more patient than you fools. I can’t wait to see him.”

“But I just heard Uncle Zheng mention the prison football match tomorrow?”

“Does it matter?”

“That’s true—but the key is, what does it mean for you to suddenly run over?” As Zhong Liyu spoke, his expression darkened, and his tone turned sarcastic, “You want to see him, but he might not want to see you.”

Ms. An paused, looking at her son’s sad eyes, feeling a pang in her heart. Her son had always had it easy; when had he ever suffered such grievances?

As a mother, she felt it was necessary to try to comfort him, using maternal love to ease his pain.

So, Ms. An slapped her son across the face, showing a look of disdain: “What are you still doing at home? You haven’t even brought him back; how can you show your face here?”

Zhong Liyu held his half-red face, looking at his stepmother with disbelief.

Ms. An’s voice was harsh: “Get out! We don’t need useless things like you in this house.”

“Mom, are you my real mom?”

Ms. An sneered: “Don’t give me that. I don’t know you? You’re just as foolish as your dad.”

“What did you say to Jiajia the first time?”

“I said I forgave him.” Zhong Liyu initially wanted to brush it off, but when his mother got serious, it was as if Sherlock Holmes was in front of him, and he had to be honest.

Upon hearing this, Ms. An laughed and raised her hand for another slap: “Forgive? Forgive? I told you to forgive! Good traits don’t get passed down, only your dad’s foolishness does.”