Infinite Nightmares

Morning light spilled onto Song Jianguo’s treehouse, shining through an opening and onto Zhang Wenda’s grim face. He was leaning back, silently waiting for something.

"What’s he doing here so early in the morning? Practicing Qi Gong?" Big Auntie asked Song Jianguo, sipping her brown sugar water while Song Jianguo was busy wolfing down steamed buns.

Just as Song Jianguo was about to speak, things started to happen. Wounds began to appear all over Zhang Wenda’s body and face, and with the physical pain came an overwhelming wave of negative emotions.

It was past 8:00 AM. The rules’ punishment had arrived.

In just a moment, Zhang Wenda’s face and body were covered in wounds. Trembling, he fumbled in his pocket for a piece of candy and stuffed it into his mouth.

A wave of joy welled up from within, beginning to wash away his inner pain. At the same time, the wounds on his body slowly began to heal under the candy’s effect.

The rules’ punishment and the lollipop’s healing power began a tug-of-war, with Zhang Wenda’s body as the battlefield.

But even with the candy’s help, Zhang Wenda’s body still ached. The candy’s analgesic effect only downgraded the pain from ’so agonizing he’d pass out’ to ’on the verge of passing out’.

’Damn it... is it just my imagination? Why do I feel like the rules’ punishment gets worse every time?’

Zhang Wenda gritted his teeth, enduring the inhuman torment. He pulled two more pieces of candy from his pocket and stuffed them into his mouth, only then feeling some relief.

When Zhang Wenda, drenched in sweat, finally climbed to his feet, he saw a large clowder of cats, along with the other two, staring at him curiously.

"How long did that take?" Zhang Wenda asked, grabbing a nearby cat and using it to wipe the sweat from his face and neck.

"Twenty minutes," Big Auntie said, giving Song Jianguo another punch.

For Zhang Wenda, those twenty minutes had felt like an eternity.

"Kid, how are you so unlucky?"

"This is what I’m trying to escape. Why else would I need to go to the Internet World?" Zhang Wenda bent over, checked his belongings, and seeing that he had everything he needed, turned to the other two.

"I’m all set. No more loose ends. I have a full day over there. We can go now."

"What’s the rush? We haven’t even finished our morning tea."

Song Jianguo reached out and patted Big Auntie’s large belly. Only then did the other woman reluctantly get to her feet.

"Alright, let’s go. But let me warn you, that place is really dangerous. If we run into real trouble, my priority is protecting Mimi."

"Protect me? Are you that tough? I don’t need your protection. I just need you to lead the way," Zhang Wenda said, walking out of the opening.

"What the hell! You looking down on me, you little brat?" Big Auntie rolled up her sleeves and followed them out.

When they reached the utility pole, Zhang Wenda immediately turned to Big Auntie and asked, "How do we get there? Which way?"

He’d never been, so now he had to rely on Big Auntie for directions.

"On foot? That place is really far, you know."

"How far?" Zhang Wenda thought for a moment, then turned to Song Jianguo. "Have your cats turn into three bicycles."

"Huh?" Song Jianguo was taken aback by the request. "Are you insane? They’re cats! Not Transformers!"

"Just try it. If it doesn’t work, we’ll figure something else out."

"You cheapskate! So stingy you won’t even spend a little money," Song Jianguo grumbled, then blew a sharp whistle.

At the sound of the whistle, the Black Cats climbed over and clung to each other, finally forming a tall, old-fashioned roadster bicycle.

Soon, Zhang Wenda was pedaling furiously on the unusually large bicycle, heading in the direction Big Auntie pointed.

Because of his height, he couldn’t even reach the seat. He had to stick most of his body through the frame under the crossbar, pedaling from an awkward, crooked position.

Meanwhile, Big Auntie sat on the bicycle’s rear rack, holding Song Jianguo. And don’t ask why they weren’t the ones riding; the proud and ready answer was that they were "illiterate" and didn’t know how.

Luckily, the cats provided some assistance, otherwise Zhang Wenda wouldn’t have been able to move them at all.

Fifteen minutes later, an exhausted and panting Zhang Wenda angrily dismounted the bicycle. "I’m not pedaling anymore! I’m dead tired! Have your cats turn into a car!"

Big Auntie placed Song Jianguo on her shoulder and strolled casually past Zhang Wenda. "Let’s go. We’re almost there."

"Almost there? Here?"

Zhang Wenda looked around at the various buildings on both sides of the road, clad in white ceramic tiles and fitted with blue-green glass. This place didn’t look like it had internet access at all.

Zhang Wenda followed Big Auntie for about two minutes, then saw Song Jianguo hop down from her shoulder and head into a nearby alley. "In here."

When Zhang Wenda followed her in, he found the alley was narrow and dim at first, with puddles of standing water on the ground. But after a little while and a few turns, it began to widen.

When they finally arrived in an abandoned room the size of a basketball court, they found other people were already there.

There were adults and children among them, all of whom nervously sized up the three newcomers and their clowder of cats, as if they were in the middle of some clandestine activity.

Glancing at the oppressive, dilapidated buildings outside the window, Zhang Wenda leaned toward Song Jianguo in confusion. "Are you sure this is the place? What’s the next step?"

"We’re waiting to dial up," Song Jianguo said with a frown, tilting her head slightly. Zhang Wenda’s breath was tickling her cat ears.

"Dial up?" Following Big Auntie’s pointing finger, Zhang Wenda looked up and saw a large ring marked with the numbers 1 through 9 appear before them.

While Zhang Wenda was waiting, a bearded man in Daoist robes emerged from a nearby gap. He was followed by a young acolyte who was carrying a bulky, old-fashioned computer.

As soon as he appeared, everyone else crowded around him. "Master Tao, you’re finally here! Please, what’s today’s dial-up number?"

"Yeah, I barely managed to free up some time for this. Tell us!"

"Patience, everyone!" As the Daoist spoke, the crowd instantly fell silent, looking at him with anticipation.

Under the watchful eyes of Zhang Wenda and Song Jianguo, Daoist Tao formed a hand seal and began chanting.

"Taylor is three, Fourier is two, the I Ching’s yin and yang form two Kans, three stacks make a Bagua, the atomic nucleus shell is a secret illusion, 2.5, 17, 49..."

After finishing his chant, he jabbed his hand seal toward the acolyte’s screen. CLICK! The screen in the boy’s arms lit up, displaying eight large words: "Computer Fortune-Telling, Dual Cultivation of Science and Mysticism."

At that moment, Big Auntie explained to Zhang Wenda, "You need a number to dial up to the Internet World, but the number is different every day. So, you need someone to figure out the access code."

"Oh, is that how it works? Does that mean we have to pay him?" Zhang Wenda reached for his pocket.

"Pay him?" A young man who looked like a college student turned his head and shot Zhang Wenda a look of contempt.

"Master Tao is a great power who embodies the pure spirit of the internet! Don’t you dare lump him in with those vulgar people who only want to use the internet to make money!"