Chapter 73: The City Knows How to Play

Chen Fan took off the VR headset, and his first instinct was to reach up and touch his own face. Fortunately, that melancholic and handsome visage was still there, not swollen into a pig's head as it had been in the scenario. Chen Fan let out a long sigh of relief, glanced at the time on his phone—less than an hour had passed since he started the game. There was still enough time for another round, but Chen Fan was already exhausted. The logic in that last match was without a doubt the pinnacle of his Werewolf game career.

Carefully, Chen Fan laid the VR headset flat on the table and wandered between the different booths, momentarily disoriented and unsure of his direction.

"Chen Fan, well played! You’ve improved quickly—you actually deduced that Number 3 was the wolf faking the role of guardian," Gu Kai said from behind the front desk, several computers in front of him, screens flickering through various displays as if he were monitoring server status.

"Yeah, I only figured it out towards the end. But if Number 5 really is the wolf, I’ll never dare to overthink things again. We can’t let the weaker players win by default," Chen Fan stretched his limbs. The chairs in the lounge were so soft he felt like he was sinking right in.

As if remembering something, Chen Fan added, "Oh, by the way, could you make the Republic-era scenario stop slapping people so much? Do you know how many times that NPC slapped me on the first day?"

Gu Kai laughed and coughed, "There are over a dozen scenarios in test operation right now. The system assigns a suitable plot based on the player’s past experience. That concession police station, if I’m not mistaken, was specifically designed for those with masochistic tendencies."

Chen Fan froze, skipped over that topic, and asked, "So what other scenarios are being tested in this batch?"

Gu Kai listed them off as if reciting treasures: "Monopoly Casino, Caribbean Pirates, Ancient Tomb Treasure Hunt, Island Survival, Harem Power Struggle, Aristocratic Inheritance War, Masquerade Ball... I can’t remember the rest at the moment. They’re more or less the same—just different settings and some trendy lines added. At their core, the programs are cut from the same mold. That’s the situation."

"I see. Well, I hope to try a different scenario next time—preferably one with a gentle, lady-like NPC," Chen Fan began to daydream.

Gu Kai scratched his head and shrugged. "If you get the chance, create your own room and take your time picking. In competitions, players are usually assigned randomly based on their profiles."

Chen Fan asked, "Do you stay here every day? Feels like I always run into you."

"No, I only come for events. Usually, Xiao Qin, the assistant, arranges the shifts. You’ll have your turn on duty, too," Gu Kai shook his head and turned his attention back to the screens.

"Alright, I’ll catch you later," Chen Fan didn’t disturb Gu Kai further and walked alone down the campus path back to the dormitory.

"Can’t believe I actually managed to carry that game," Chen Fan was still riding the high of victory, pushing his bangs up excitedly. It was his first time leading the team to a win. Although not as legendary as the reversal victories of the masters, it was a promising start.

The great white shark of the deep sea had beached itself—or rather, come ashore. Compared to reviewing his gameplay, Chen Fan was even more curious that he’d been able to use his card ability within the VR scenario. If he reasoned backward from this, it seemed the card’s power wasn’t limited by time or space.

Chen Fan didn't know if this conclusion was correct, nor did he have a way to test it. Seeing no one around, he felt a sudden urge and began to perform the Orchid Dance.

In the darkness, a youth ran beneath the dim lights, flames cupped in both hands. If those flames were a bit more ghostly, he might have startled any passerby who glimpsed him from afar.

"Sigh, I still can't make the fire move freely away from my fingertips. Looks like I need more practice," Chen Fan muttered in frustration, standing at the edge of the bushes before turning away disappointed. As before, the moment the flames left his palms' control, they vanished into nothingness—leaving not even a trace of ash behind.

"Hey, did you see that light just now?"

"Light? Did someone spot us?"

"Maybe I was imagining things. Are you coming in or not? You’re squashing me here!"

"Don’t rush… I got so startled just now I went all weak."

"Useless! Why did I end up with someone like you? Always dragging me into the woods and making me so nervous I can’t even enjoy myself."

"Don’t worry, babe. Once I’ve saved up enough, we’ll get a room by the hour and really enjoy ourselves."

"Hey, are you sure you didn’t notice anything behind us?" The elder suddenly poked his head out to speak.

Chen Fan had already walked twenty or thirty meters away. Hearing the elder’s words, he paused and glanced back at the seemingly quiet grove. "What could possibly be going on? There are all sorts of creatures here—it’s not like a person’s going to crawl out from there."

"You have no potential as a reporter—you’re far too insensitive to the slightest disturbance," the elder lamented, beating his chest in mock despair.

"Well, that’s true. What do you expect? I’m a fish," Chen Fan admitted cheerfully and turned away to continue walking.

"The sky tonight, not a single star," Chen Fan gazed upward at the night, the bright moon hanging high, but not a single star in sight.

The elder chimed in, "With the level of urbanization in Abyssal Fish City, you still expect to see stars? If you’re really interested, I could send you a one-way ticket to the primeval grasslands—you’d get your fill."

Chen Fan said nothing, took a deep breath, grabbed the handrail, and ran all the way back to his dorm. His two roommates hadn’t returned yet; it seemed he was the only one without a nightlife.

"You know astronomy and geography, too?" Chen Fan teased.

"I dabble in everything—a privilege of age," the elder replied, pushing up the black-rimmed glasses that had appeared out of nowhere, assuming the air of a learned professor.

"Hey, it’s already the eleventh day of the eighth lunar month," Chen Fan turned his gaze outside. The high-hanging crescent moon was missing a large piece, far from round.

"Never mind, it’s just a normal astronomical phenomenon," Chen Fan comforted himself.

The elder shrugged, pulled out a model pipe, and clamped it between his teeth, complaining with mock seriousness, "If only I could let you experience two cards a day to speed up the fusion process."

"Go ahead, I’m not afraid. The more skills, the better," Chen Fan replied with bravado.

The elder pouted and shook his head, "Not in your current state. Two a day would be too much for you. These things can’t be rushed."

A sudden thought crossed Chen Fan’s mind, something less than wholesome. Fortunately, his upright spirit quickly suppressed the wicked notion.

"Tsk tsk, you’re so pervy," the elder read Chen Fan’s thoughts.

"Shut up. That’s your fault for phrasing it that way," Chen Fan made a 'stop' gesture to cut him off.

"A good student spends weekends in the library," Chen Fan composed himself, determined to go to bed early and wake up refreshed.

The elder sniped from the side, "I know you have no nightlife, not even a girl to date on weekends. I get it."

"Shut up."

Chen Fan stuffed the elder’s card into his stinky sock, tying a tight knot at the top.