Chapter 208: Dropping the Act
Liang Xueyao’s heart skipped a beat.
He hadn’t realized his mom was this worried.
The game was causing a huge stir on social media right now, so it must have attracted a lot of attention.
Since Liang Xueyao was playing it himself, his mother must have sensed something was off.
Plus, the people who visited today had an unmistakable air about them.
Liang Xueyao knew that he wasn’t the only one who suffered when he lost his leg; his mother did, too.
Now, she didn’t want him to take any more risks.
Thinking of this, Liang Xueyao wheeled himself over and gave his mother a gentle hug. "Mom, don’t worry. I’m fine. I’m just playing a game, that’s all. I didn’t promise them anything. The equipment upgrade is a standard requirement for everyone, not just me."
This was the first hug Mrs. Liang had received from Liang Xueyao since his accident.
She couldn’t remember the last time she and her son had talked so peacefully, heart to heart.
Mrs. Liang’s eyes couldn’t help but turn red.
"But this game..."
It was causing such an uproar. They weren’t living in the dark ages; how could they not know there was something strange about this game?
She was terrified that this game of unknown origin would trap her son inside it.
"Mom, it’s okay." Liang Xueyao broke into a smile. "The game is really fun. Other people are fighting for a spot and can’t even get one; your son is one of the lucky ones. Besides, given the game’s technology, if something were to happen, it’s likely that all of Blue Star would struggle to deal with it. If we don’t seize this opportunity, it would be extremely disadvantageous for us if the game launched in foreign markets first."
Hearing her son’s reasoning,
Mrs. Liang still let out a soft sigh.
"Alright, go on and play."
At least she could see a smile on her son’s face—something she hadn’t seen for a long time.
’Should I let him live on in misery, or let him fall into some unknown danger?’
Mrs. Liang didn’t know. At least, for now, she didn’t dare to make that choice.
If...
"Is the game really that fun?" Mrs. Liang couldn’t help but recall the praise and hype on social media. "Is it truly like a second life?"
Liang Xueyao’s eyes lit up. "It’s really like going to another world. Mom, you can’t imagine how realistic it is, completely immersive. I... In that world, I’m a perfectly healthy person."
Hearing this, Mrs. Liang felt a pang in her heart.
Finally, she made up her mind.
"Next time they release more slots, let me know. I want to give it a try, too."
Liang Xueyao was ecstatic. "Okay!"
’If his mother could get into the game and enjoy another life, that would be a wonderful thing.’
His mother was a classic, well-bred lady who had never done anything unconventional in her entire life.
She was an excellent woman, but she had spent the first half of her life devoted to her husband and the second half to her son—a choice many women of her era made, following the conventions of their time.
Now that she was willing to make a fresh change, Liang Xueyao was, of course, supportive.
Mrs. Liang finally gave a genuine, heartfelt smile. "Then go on. I won’t bother you when you’re busy."
She knew the game required long hours online, and her son was so engrossed that he rarely took the time to log off.
Yet, seeing that his physical check-ups were getting better and better, Mrs. Liang couldn’t find a reason to stop him.
’In that case, I might as well go take a look and see that marvelous world for myself.’
—
"Hello, Ms. Dongfang Wanqiu. We’re from XX Supermarket. Our store is currently holding a member appreciation event, and we’ve randomly selected a winner from our members. Congratulations, you’ve won the first prize, which is a free upgrade to a Feiyun brand luxury VR simulation pod. We can deliver it to your door. May I ask if you’re home right now?"
Dongfang Wanqiu received the call while making instant noodles after logging off. Her brain seemed to crash for three seconds.
"You mean, the XX Supermarket downstairs from the XX complex, the one whose owner is a notorious cheapskate who won’t part with a single feather? The one that was fined for selling expired food long after it had gone bad?"
The person on the other end: "...Uh, yes. Our boss learned his lesson from that incident and has recently mended his ways."
"..."
Dongfang Wanqiu habitually adjusted her glasses. "I’m broke. Go scam someone else."
"Ms. Dongfang Wanqiu, please believe us. You really did win. In fact, we’ve already delivered the prize to the ground floor of your building. The security guard is right here. You can come down and take a look. If you think we’re scammers, you’re free to call the police."
"You can also check the device’s serial number on the official Feiyun website or inquire at one of their official stores."
Dongfang Wanqiu frowned slightly.
’Scammers have gotten this brazen these days?’
Dongfang Wanqiu hung up and dialed the direct line for property management. The gate’s security guard answered. When Wanqiu asked about the situation, the guard confirmed that there were indeed people waiting at the entrance with a large box.
Dongfang Wanqiu was suspicious, but she decided to go downstairs anyway.
The security in this complex was pretty good. She had only moved in recently, for the sole purpose of playing the game without distractions.
Her previous place had been too close to her office, and the sight of it made her agitated.
Han Tian had even prepaid her rent.
’I’ll be working for Han Tian from now on, anyway.’
When she got downstairs, Dongfang Wanqiu fell silent for a moment.
There were indeed a few people at the entrance who looked like staff, but her powers of observation had sharpened recently. She didn’t miss what happened the moment they saw her come down.
Their previously casual stances all snapped into a single, unified motion—their backs instantly went ramrod straight.
Then, apparently realizing their mistake, they quickly relaxed again.
"..."
’I knew this day would come sooner or later,’ she thought. ’I just didn’t expect them to target me so quickly.’
’It seems the game is already under surveillance.’
A large box sat on the ground, and a beautiful woman immediately came forward to greet her.
"Hello, you must be Ms. Dongfang Wanqiu? Your device is right here. You can sign to accept the delivery. You can also inspect it on-site to verify that it’s an official Feiyun product."
Feiyun was a fairly well-known domestic technology brand.
And they did, in fact, manufacture VR equipment.
Dongfang Wanqiu: "..."
’Nice one. They’re not even pretending anymore.’
’I registered for a membership at that supermarket, sure, but I never gave them my photo or home address, did I?’
’Although in this age of big data, everything is exposed anyway.’
Dongfang Wanqiu said nothing. She took the delivery confirmation form; there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with it.
’If I didn’t sign, they’d probably just find some other method anyway.’
After that, she said no more. When they offered to carry the new equipment upstairs and install it, she didn’t object.
’Why turn down a free gift from the government!’
The security guard at the gate was rather envious. "You’re a lucky one, miss, winning such a huge prize."
Dongfang Wanqiu tugged the corners of her mouth into a smile.
Once inside the elevator, the four men stood with perfect posture. They even subconsciously shifted to the very back, leaving the maximum amount of space for Dongfang Wanqiu and the leading woman.
Dongfang Wanqiu glanced at the webbing of the woman’s hand, between her thumb and index finger. It was covered by a thick callus.
She asked curiously, "So, did any of you manage to get a slot?"
’We’re also curious if the ’national team’ has sent anyone in yet.’
’Han Tian suspects a few people, but we have no proof so far.’
The woman: "..."