Kaidan Game Train: Abide Rule or Die!
Chapter 786 Do you like games?

Chapter 786: Chapter 786 Do you like games?

Compared to the other boy, Liu Yi’s information was much more detailed, especially after she became famous. Where she had been, where she had sketched, whom she had met, and covert photographs of her checking in at various gourmet restaurants.

If she had been an ordinary painter, no way would so many people have paid attention to her after the player process began. But her paintings brought inner peace to players, so many were eager to buy her information. She nearly faced a kidnapping incident every month, and some had even proposed marriage to her, only requiring her to serve as the family’s mascot and paint one picture a year.

The marriage proposal didn’t succeed, because half a month after it was made, the proposer was assassinated—some players who heavily depended on Jiang Jiang had a peculiar possessiveness towards her.

This was not an isolated case. There were instances where players who proposed the same offer were assassinated, forced to hide in copies of themselves. Numerous players openly surrounded Jiang Jiang, and seemingly even more did so in secret, acting without control, autonomously eliminating obstacles around her—seeing as with Jiang Jiang’s identity and abilities, it was difficult for her to reject threats, those suitors were seen as obstacles to be removed.

All in all, this kind of behavior was like a large-scale brainwashing cult. However, this one was more sophisticated. Without Jiang Jiang, the "deity," having to say or hint at anything, the cultists acted with devout earnestness. There were even urban legends that took pride in protecting Jiang Jiang from the shadows.

"...I don’t feel like going out today, let’s have braised beef for lunch, haven’t had that in a long time," the protagonist, who could stir up a minor player storm, was discussing the lunch menu, while also expressing distaste for the side dishes in the same meal last time.

Song Xu, the bodyguard-cum-babysitter, noted it all down, "I’ll personally select the ingredients later."

Bian Yongyi, with no say in the matter, glanced at Xu Huo unconsciously. Even the meals of a wealthy second-generation weren’t this exaggerated.

Xu Huo showed no particular reaction, even expressing a desire to have vegetable soup.

Song Xu glared at him for a few seconds before adding the vegetable soup to the menu.

Bian Yongyi gave Xu Huo a surreptitious thumbs up.

After breakfast, Song Xu went out to buy groceries and made a point of telling a few bodyguards to stick close to Jiang Jiang, to prevent any harm from those harboring malicious intent.

Bian Yongyi felt an unprecedented pressure, for even a solitary trip to the restroom was shadowed.

Xu Huo was invited to Jiang Jiang’s studio.

Most of the paintings in the studio were covered with canvases. Jiang Jiang said, "These are all unfinished."

"There are quite a few. Why haven’t you finished them, no inspiration?" Xu Huo asked, his eyes briefly scanning the near thirty paintings.

"Once a painting is completed, it will be sold," Jiang Jiang said. "I don’t like that."

"Zone 009 shouldn’t give you any trouble, though."

"But the people who come to buy paintings have their own difficulties." Jiang Jiang smiled, "They also suffer inside the game, and many of them contribute to Zone 009, I can’t completely ignore them."

"This little I can do... But painting every day is indeed tiring, and some paintings aren’t meant to be seen by others."

As she spoke, she uncovered the cloth on the easel in the center of the studio. This painting was clearly a work in progress, with only one layer of black paint outlining a vague human figure, nothing more.

"This is my self-portrait." Jiang Jiang reached out, touching the figure on the canvas, "I’ve put all the good aspects of myself into the paintings I’ve sold, so the bad parts have to stay with me."

"Everyone has a dark side."

She turned around, her gaze resting playfully on Xu Huo, "You don’t think my fame is undeserved, do you?"

"No, I’m not your fan," Xu Huo replied indifferently. "Besides, I’ve said before, I lack the ability to appreciate art."

Jiang Jiang laughed softly, "You’re the first person I’ve met who’s had no reaction to my paintings, aside from the players. Many ordinary people also say they can see something in the paintings, though I don’t know what they see."

Xu Huo’s gaze moved to the other covered paintings, "Can I see these?"

Jiang Jiang shook her head, "Unfinished paintings can’t be seen."

"How about I paint a picture for you?" she suddenly suggested.

Xu Huo narrowed his eyes, stepped closer, and stopped her from picking up her brush, smiling, "I noticed you have a peculiar flower planted in your yard."

"Ah, you mean the purplish-red one, that’s a Wormhole Flower." Jiang Jiang put down the brush, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains, "They were all gifts from others. Supposedly, it’s a plant that reflects the evolutionary stage of a gaming zone. The more red it has, the more advanced the evolution of Zone 009. Haven’t you seen it before?"

"No," Xu Huo kept his expression neutral. "I was just curious as to why it’s called the Wormhole Flower."

Jiang Jiang started to laugh, "What else could it be called but the Wormhole Flower? Besides, every game zone under a major Wormhole Point evolves by drawing energy from that Wormhole Point. The Wormhole Flower’s indicators are strong, convenient; just one glance reveals the evolutionary stage of a game zone."

"There used to be a player who told me a joke about a game zone that, upon learning about the Wormhole Flower, in order not to reveal its strength to other zones, actually poisoned a wide area of flowering plants. This led to soil contamination and polluted groundwater, causing many regular residents to fall sick."

"An entire game zone couldn’t be that foolish. If they can fight or not, others will find out soon enough, or they could simply bring a pot of the flower over."

"It might have been a large-scale poisoning." Xu Huo continued, "If a large number of regular people die, the foundation nurturing players is destroyed. With fewer players, the zone’s strength wanes. Those already players might leave due to the desolation and conflicts of their homeland, and new Evolvers might not survive to maturity without the protection and guidance of their seniors."

"This way, destroying or swallowing a game zone is just a matter of time."

Jiang Jiang looked at him for a long while before saying, "Is the truth that cruel? I would rather it was just a joke."

"It’s precisely because the truth is cruel that so many people seek spiritual tranquility in your paintings," Xu Huo smiled at her. "From this perspective, no matter which zone you go to, you will be an honored guest. Are you interested in becoming a player?"

Jiang Jiang laughed wryly, "Zone 009 has already tested me. My constitution isn’t suited to be a player. And the world is too cruel to players; I’d rather be an ordinary person, painting every day is good enough for me."

Xu Huo’s smile was faint, "That kind of thinking isn’t wrong either."

"You’re impressive," Jiang Jiang turned the topic back to him, "do you like games?"