Though the Special Affairs Office was an official government agency, it couldn’t compare to a grassroots civilian collective.
The Director slunk away in shame; Lulu stormed out in fury to chase after him.
The rest of the office just shrugged it off—they were used to this. A few went to respond to messages from international players, turning down a request to team up for the next instance.
Once that was handled, there wasn’t much else to do.
Fu Changxun clocked in at the office, wandered around the floor a bit, and quickly realized there was absolutely nothing that needed him. He turned to Dong Zi. “Let’s get out of here. Go for a walk or something… then pick up Xiao Xiao from school!”
He was more than ten centimeters shorter than Dong Zi, so when he turned to speak, all he could see was Dong Zi’s chin.
Everyone knew—there was no such thing as a man who was 179 cm tall.
Guys who claimed to be 179 were really just 180s being modest. And yet… Fu Changxun quietly stared at the height listed on his personal game panel, then snuck a glance at Dong Zi.
He had to look up. Ugh. He really didn’t feel like talking to anyone over six feet tall right now.
Dong Zi casually brushed aside Fu Changxun’s bangs and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead.
“Stop fussing. Let’s go home.”
Fu Changxun turned and headed for the elevator. Dong Zi, a bit puzzled, followed behind. “Gonna rest a couple days before diving back in?”
“Yeah.” Fu Changxun nodded.
They wouldn’t go as hard as Dagong, but it was probably time to increase their frequency.
***
Xiao Xiao sat at her desk with her textbook propped up, hiding her face. She was in a foul mood.
Somehow, word had gotten out that she’d taken time off to enter the game. Now the whole school treated her like a celebrity. Everywhere she went, people pestered her with questions like:
“Was the instance scary?”
“How did you survive?”
“Wow, that’s amazing! Got any tips for us?”
…And on and on.
She was sick of it. She wanted to drop out just to get some peace. Restless and squirming in her seat, she barely managed to survive until dismissal before bolting out the door with her bag.
“Wait! Xu—Xu Xiao!” A girl’s breathless voice called out from behind. Xiao Xiao was about to ignore it when the girl added, “My mom’s in the game too!”
Xiao Xiao froze on instinct. She turned around hesitantly and saw it was a classmate—someone she didn’t know very well but had spoken to a few times.
The girl looked anxious, clearly nervous as she asked, “I just… I want to know. Is it really dangerous in those game instances?”
People who only watched the streams had no way of truly understanding what it was like inside. Of course they had questions.
Xiao Xiao opened her mouth, unsure if she should tell the girl the harsh truth.
They were the same age. Ten-year-old girls couldn’t help but worry about their moms.
“If… you’re lucky enough to start off with strong teammates, then the odds of surviving are pretty decent.” In the end, she gave a vague, noncommittal answer. “Your mom will come back.”
It was hard to tell whether the girl looked more hopeful or more devastated—like she’d grabbed onto a lifeline only to be pulled deeper into despair.
She whispered a thank-you and drifted off like a lost soul.
Xiao Xiao’s own mood sank with her. She trudged out of the school gates, backpack weighing heavily on her shoulders.
Classes were out, and students poured onto the sidewalk in droves. Their familiar car was already parked in the shade by the curb. Fu Changxun walked over to take her backpack and opened the door for her to get in.
“What’s wrong? Why the long face… someone bothering you at school?” He closed the door and slipped into the front passenger seat, glancing into the rearview mirror. When he saw Xiao Xiao’s expression, he frowned. “If something’s bothering you, you need to tell us.”
Xiao Xiao let out a long, heavy sigh.
It was such an old-soul gesture for someone her age that Fu Changxun couldn’t help but chuckle.
She muttered, “More and more people are getting pulled into the game. My classmate’s mom—”
She didn’t even need to finish. The two adults understood immediately.
Fu Changxun reached over to ruffle her hair, speaking with quiet determination. “That’s exactly why we need to keep entering instances. We have to find a way to clear the game completely. End this for good.”
