Chapter 38: The Newcomer

Qiong Cang stepped down from the simulation pod, her limbs weak. The simultaneous recovery of multiple memory segments had taken quite a toll on her. She sat quietly on a nearby chair to ease her mental exhaustion.

The equipment room was exceptionally quiet, filled only with the hum of various running machines. Having received the notification that she had exited the pod, the staff waited but did not see her emerge. Someone knocked gently on the door from outside, asking if she felt unwell.

Qiong Cang gave a perfunctory reply and slipped her hands into her pockets. Her fingertips bumped against a hard object. Looking down, she pulled out a Sanyao game card.

Recalling the luxurious lounge in the Sanyao building, Qiong Cang couldn’t help but smile. She pulled out her phone and dialed the most recent number in her call history.

Qiong Cang: The Instance is over. Let me treat you to a meal.

Currently checking backend data, He Jueyun was flattered and even a little incredulous, fearing he might be reading too much into it. He stopped his work and replied.

He Jueyun: Where are we eating?

Qiong Cang: The lounge. The service inside is high-end and comprehensive. Even specialized private clubs can’t compare.

He Jueyun: “…” Thanks a lot. But how is that any different from me paying?

He Jueyun: Keep making things up. You’ve been to a specialized private club?

Qiong Cang: Oh my.

Qiong Cang’s reply leaked her shock, probably not expecting a mere mortal to grow smart so quickly.

Qiong Cang: Are you coming or not?

He Jueyun: I’m coming.

After replying, He Jueyun felt he shouldn’t appear too eager. He finished writing and uploading his summary report before walking over unhurriedly. By the time he arrived, Qiong Cang was already sitting there eating, showing no politeness whatsoever.

Several large bowls were laid out in front of her, and the cold noodles in her hands were still radiating a chill.

He Jueyun was amused at a single glance. Not bad, she really knew how to enjoy herself.

He Jueyun sat down opposite her, tapping his knuckles on the table to get her attention. Qiong Cang looked up at the sound and said politely, “Make yourself at home. Just treat it like your own house, I won’t play host.”

He Jueyun: “…” Isn’t this actually my place?

Qiong Cang warmly recommended, “These cold noodles and the braised beef are pretty good. The uncle over there even peeled a whole crab for me, which I also think is delicious.”

He Jueyun glanced at the already emptied small plate and said with mixed feelings, “There is no crab-peeling service here. Even I’ve never received that treatment. You’ve got quite the status.”

“Really?” Qiong Cang was pleased. When she smiled, her cold aura quietly faded. She said happily, “The people here are so nice, they even mixed the sauce for me.”

So making her happy was actually such a simple thing. He Jueyun smiled too and said, “Have you never mixed your own sauce? A sauce only has a soul when you mix it yourself.”

Qiong Cang said with absolute clarity, “I don’t want to give it the soul of a culinary disaster.”

As the two sat opposite each other eating, the lounge gradually filled up. Most of them were Players who had just finished 【Case Analysis】.

The number of Players gathered for this bounty was quite substantial, including many star contestants. He Jueyun recognized several familiar faces sitting in the corner touching up their makeup.

Those who could participate in 【Case Analysis】 were not necessarily geniuses. Sanyao tested the Players’ psychological resilience more than anything, so some internet celebrities with camera experience actually found it easier to pass the test. Although they couldn’t solve the cases, they still carved out a niche for themselves using humorous, contrasting styles in their Live Stream Rooms.

Not far from the two of them, a small group of people gathered. Judging by their interactions, they were clearly acquainted enthusiasts. They were excitedly discussing related topics. At first, they lowered their voices, but as they grew more excited, they unconsciously raised their volume.

“When I just got out of the Instance, I took a look. There’s a Live Stream Room next door with really high popularity. It’s a female Player, and she seems to be a newcomer. Without any agency or team, she actually climbed onto the donation leaderboard. I haven’t seen a Player like that in a long time.”

“I saw it too. I followed her first Instance back then. I guess she must be over fifty years old. She’s highly experienced and very steady. Ordinary young people don’t have that sense of having everything under control. Maybe she’s a retired professional.”

“Wasn’t this Instance closed to newcomers?”

“Can an ordinary newcomer be the same as an internal professional? She probably used an internal recommendation channel.”

“When will 【Case Analysis】 get another high-IQ beauty like Dada? Sanyao’s qualification test for this game is way too strict. Let’s make some waves in the community again!”

“Maybe that newcomer is here too. Everyone, keep your voices down.”

“Right. Which one do you think it is?”

He Jueyun listened intently while sizing up the professional “retired person” sitting opposite him, finding it rather amusing.

The group of people shrank their necks, searching for the “newcomer” among the crowd, but unfortunately, they couldn’t find a suitable target. They never even considered Qiong Cang, assuming she was either a Player’s family member or a Sanyao staff member.

Having found nothing, they began discussing the plot of the Instance again.

“Damn, you guys have no idea. I played Lu Sheng, and I was so miserable. Wasn’t my job a game streamer? I thought all the clues were in my gaming friends list, so I kept taking the audience to play games and clear dungeons, staying up late streaming. In the end, I realized I was actually playing a simp! And to clear the dungeon, I hung up on Li Yujia twice in a row!”

“Better than me. I played an unfaithful woman. I found Lu Sheng, and thinking he was the murderer, I called him to my house to have a showdown with Wu Ming. In the end, Wu Ming got furious and beat up the lover. The plot collapsed, and I got booted out.”

The group sighed and groaned as they shared these hilarious details. Caught off guard, He Jueyun choked on a mouthful of noodles, holding back a cough until tears welled in his eyes.

“Come on, yours were just accidents. The Player in my Instance was the one with a screw loose. He grabbed me and fought with me, insisting he was right and that I had to listen to him. Bah! Why should I listen to him in a team Instance? He was clearly just trying to ride my coattails for views and money. Why would I play along? So the two of us fought right at the start and both ended up in the hospital. We stayed there for two days, and by the time we were discharged, we got booted out of the game.”

“Did you guys know I drew Wu Ming? For the audience, I wore women’s clothes and high heels, then went to have a showdown with Li Yujia. I scared her half to death. And even with just that, the plot still collapsed. Can you believe it?”

As the group discussed it, they also began to realize something was off.

“Why did they all collapse? Did not a single person clear it?”

“This game doesn’t even have a save function. Every collapse catches me completely off guard. If I could try again, I could definitely do it.”

“So it really comes down to your teammates. Take the rookie’s Live Stream Room next door. The player named Lu Sheng was just a slacker who did absolutely nothing. The rookie relied on her own abilities to explore eighty percent of the plot, skipped 【Night of Murder】, and in the end, the Instance exploration rate was actually perfect. I wanted to cry just watching it, okay?”

“I think the Li Yujia in that Instance was also a slacker, but her acting was pretty good, so she was still somewhat useful.”

He Jueyun hadn’t expected that listening to gossip would drag him into it. His expression darkened, and he swept a chilly gaze toward the speaker.

I’ll remember him.

Next Instance, he’s getting assigned as an extra.

While He Jueyun was distracted listening in, Qiong Cang had already finished eating. She laid her chopsticks flat, pushed her large bowl aside, and rested both hands on the table, watching him.

Belatedly realizing he couldn’t swallow his food while being stared at like this, He Jueyun slid half a seat over to the side.

Qiong Cang immediately followed him.

He Jueyun had to admit she was targeting him.

“What are you doing?” He Jueyun said. “You’re done eating. You don’t need to wait for me.”

Qiong Cang said, “Since we’re friends now, there’s something I hope you can help me with.”

He Jueyun: “Tell me first.”

Qiong Cang: “I want to see Li Yujia.”

He Jueyun’s first reaction was that she was teasing him, deliberately bringing up his character. He had raised his chopsticks halfway, ready to slap them down, when he suddenly realized she might be referring to the real-life prototype of Li Yujia.

His hand froze midair, leaving him in an awkward position.

“Why do you want to see her?” He Jueyun adjusted himself, calmly pulling his arm back. “No, that’s against the rules.”

Qiong Cang gave a faint smile and didn’t press the matter. “Alright then. Sorry to bother you.”

Since she gave up so easily, He Jueyun felt uncomfortable instead.

That’s it? Doesn’t this woman know how to ask for a favor? Or does she think spending a little time eating with me counts as showing sincere effort?

…Actually, she might really think that.

He Jueyun said awkwardly, “If you can give me a convincing enough reason, I can try to pass the message to her lawyer.”

Qiong Cang’s fingers toyed with the corner of her ID card. After a moment, she said, “It’s already very late today.”

Outside, the sky had already turned dark.

He Jueyun: “Do you have a long story to tell?”

“No, there’s no long story,” Qiong Cang said. “I’m just too tired today.”

He Jueyun: “Tomorrow, then?”

Qiong Cang: “We’ll see tomorrow. I’m going back first.”

He Jueyun said, “I’ll drive you. You don’t know how to drive, do you?”

Qiong Cang smiled and said, “No need. Fang Qi said he’s coming to pick me up. He also lives near A University, so we’re heading the same way.”

He Jueyun spent a long time trying to remember who that fellow Fang Qi was. Only after Qiong Cang’s figure had vanished did he recall that he was the psychiatrist in charge of evaluations.

This period happened to be the peak time for many players finishing their games. The lounge grew increasingly crowded, and the environment became noisy.

He Jueyun lowered his head, suddenly finding the cold noodles in front of him tasteless.

He lost all interest.

He stood up from his seat and called a waiter over to clear the tray.

·

He Jueyun originally thought Qiong Cang’s words were just an excuse, but to his surprise, the next morning, she sent him an address and asked to meet him there.

When his car pulled up to the designated location, He Jueyun was not surprised to see Qiong Cang standing quietly by the roadside, holding two bouquets of flowers.

She was dressed in all black today, making her look even more gaunt and pale. The gold lettering engraved on the stone monument not far away stung his eyes.

He Jueyun: “A cemetery?”

He remembered that Qiong Cang’s mother had died long ago, and her file didn’t list any other relatives or friends.

Qiong Cang said, “Come over.”