Chapter 95 - 70: Move In Directly, No Bags Needed
Two hours later.
SLAM!
Chen Lin violently shoved his keyboard away, leaned back in his chair, and let out an angry groan.
"What is this crap!"
On the screen, the little bug in *Hollow Knight*, with its pale white mask, lay helplessly on the ground, its body dissolving into a shattered black shadow.
[DEFEATED]
’That damn Li the Monkey!’
’This is the "masterpiece" he was raving about?’
’The entire game experience is just getting my ass handed to me by all sorts of bosses or getting lost while trying to explore the map!’
The more Chen Lin thought about it, the angrier he got. He finally just slammed the power button. Out of sight, out of mind.
However, after he took a shower, changed into his pajamas, and lay down in bed, his temper gradually cooled.
Thinking back on it, Chen Lin had to admit that *Hollow Knight* was actually a pretty interesting game.
The bosses were tough and the map was a maze, but the sense of accomplishment from exploring an unknown world bit by bit, discovering new areas, and unlocking new abilities was truly addictive.
Besides, the death penalty in the game wasn’t that severe. He had struggled a lot, but that feeling of ’Just one more try, I can definitely beat it this time’ never went away.
This was far better than those other so-called "hardcore" games he’d tried, which were really just filled with malicious design choices from the developers.
’If you suck, you’ve just got to practice more.’
Chen Lin muttered to himself and, taking his own advice, opened his phone and searched for walkthrough videos on a certain video-sharing app.
There’s no shame in turning failure into motivation.
...
...
「The next day, July 15th, 9:26 AM.」
Line 2, Liu Zhuang Station.
Chen Lin yawned as he squeezed his way out of the stream of people at Exit C.
Last night, he’d been watching *Hollow Knight* walkthroughs and had gotten through almost half of a full-game guide by some content creator before finally drifting off to sleep after one in the morning.
The consequence was that he’d been jolted awake by his alarm at eight-thirty this morning and had to rush out the door without even having time for breakfast.
He stood at the station entrance, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the somewhat glaring sun, and looked toward the south gate of the residential complex three hundred meters away.
His vision, enhanced by the "Little Champion" title, allowed him to instantly lock onto his target.
He saw a slender man in a light blue polo shirt standing at the entrance, head down, looking at his phone.
It was Sun Yu.
Chen Lin quickly crossed the crosswalk, came up behind Sun Yu, and gently tapped him on the shoulder.
"Sun!"
"Whoa!" Sun Yu jumped, nearly dropping his phone. He whipped his head around, and upon seeing it was Chen Lin, his face immediately broke into a warm, enthusiastic smile.
"Chen Lin! You’re finally here!" he said, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "I was just about to send you a WeChat message. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to find the place."
The way Sun Yu looked at Chen Lin was so sincere, it was as if he were seeing a long-lost brother.
It was no wonder he was so excited.
This was the first time Sun Yu had seen Chen Lin in a month, since June.
In his heart, Chen Lin was his benefactor.
During their very first online consultation, Chen Lin had solved a technical problem that had stumped the entire project team. The consulting fee was a bit steep, but President Peng had reimbursed it!
Later, to ensure a stable line of communication with Chen Lin and to have company personnel present during consultations, President Peng had given special approval for Sun Yu to be stationed in Jinmen. Not only was his salary paid as usual, but he also received a hefty monthly travel allowance.
But what was the reality? After arriving in Jinmen, his primary task was to be available for Chen Lin. The rest of the time, he was completely idle, free to do as he pleased. He only had to contact Chen Lin on the rare occasion the company needed a consultation, and he would occasionally run some errands for him. It was basically a paid vacation, and he was loving every minute of it.
The last time Chen Lin returned to Jiangdu, Sun Yu had made a mistake at work without realizing it, and Chen Lin had even made a trip to Modu himself to cover for him.
Sun Yu now felt a gratitude for Chen Lin that came from the bottom of his heart.
"Come on, let’s go inside and talk." Sun Yu enthusiastically took out a key card he had prepared, swiped it over the gate with a BEEP, and led Chen Lin into the complex.
As they walked, Sun Yu eagerly began his explanation. "Chen Lin, you mentioned you wanted to live alone. I looked around, and most of the one-bedroom places on the market right now are either tiny, dilapidated apartments in buildings that are twenty or thirty years old, or they’re in those mixed-use commercial-residential buildings, which are crowded and have poor environments."
"This complex was the best option I could find that wasn’t too old and wasn’t too far from your university. The building is from 2008, so its age is still acceptable."
Chen Lin nodded. He had already checked it out on a map app yesterday. The complex’s environment was indeed nice, with ample space between buildings and well-maintained greenery.
Seeing that Chen Lin seemed satisfied, Sun Yu continued with even more enthusiasm. "I also made a point to ask around. The property management for this complex just changed last year. The management fee went up a bit, but the quality of service is top-notch! Look, they have security guards patrolling 24/7, dedicated cleaning staff who take care of the trash, and the green spaces are all neatly trimmed."
He pointed to a gardener watering a flower bed not far away and lowered his voice. "And get this, if you have any minor problems at home with the plumbing, electricity, or gas, you just call property management, and they’ll send someone over to fix it for free. The only exception is from June to September, when you have to pay the repairman a hundred-yuan high-temperature fee for daytime calls. The rest of the year, it’s completely free!"
As they spoke, the two of them arrived in front of a building.
Sun Yu swiped the key card again to open the door, leading Chen Lin into the lobby.