My ‘Healing’ Game -
Chapter 277: This Devil you’re talking about, does he look like me?
Chapter 277: Chapter 277: This Devil you’re talking about, does he look like me?
Han Fei had a thorough conversation with Spider, and he knew that once Butterfly targeted someone, it would start by destroying the target’s spirit. Butterfly excelled at using psychological suggestions and dreams.
Whether there were ghosts in the world, Han Fei did not know, but he knew Butterfly was constantly trying to make him believe in ghosts and instill a fear of them.
The Meat Factory Courtyard, where Spider had lived, was filled with shrines. The elderly residents who had not moved out were firmly convinced of the existence of ghosts and gods, likely a masterpiece of Butterfly.
In order to deal with Spider, Butterfly would even create a terrifying atmosphere throughout the entire building.
In Butterfly’s eyes, all people were exploitable, and human nature and hearts were merely toys in its hands.
When Han Fei exited the game and began thinking about Butterfly involuntarily, it indicated that Butterfly had already made its move on him.
Based on Spider’s previous encounters, Butterfly would next invade Han Fei’s dreams, becoming an inescapable nightmare.
Theoretically, this should have happened, but it was not until Han Fei woke up at noon that he realized he had not dreamed about Butterfly at all the previous night.
"Butterfly didn’t appear in my dream, I only dreamed about Xu Qin last night. Could it be because the presence of the Black Box prevented Butterfly’s consciousness from invading?"
No one can control their dreams, and Han Fei found it strange but decided to try again tonight.
"When Butterfly initially targeted Spider, Spider got deeper and deeper, eventually trapping Butterfly deep within his own personality with his nine personalities."
"My situation seems to be the exact opposite of Spider’s; Butterfly simply can’t enter my dreams."
Han Fei and Spider each had their own methods to deal with Butterfly, so Butterfly’s final battleground might be on Huang Ying.
"Butterfly might consider Brother Huang Ying as a hidden power player pretending to be weaker than he is, and will definitely target him fiercely. His will is not strong enough, and he is timorous; it looks like he needs more training," Han Fei thought he had been too soft on Huang Ying in the past, considering it pampering which was not beneficial for Huang Ying’s growth.
"It’s better he undergoes safe training with me than loses his life at the hands of Butterfly."
It just so happened that Han Fei was planning to buy a game box today, and he decided to check on Huang Ying along the way.
After freshening up, Han Fei reported his schedule to the police and then headed for Xinhu Smart New City.
With only a few days left until the official public test of "Perfect Life," their advertisements were everywhere, described as omnipresent.
Watching people around him enthusiastically discussing the game, Han Fei honestly felt a bit envious. A game like "Perfect Life" that focuses on social interactions and human nature is perfect for playing with friends. For most people, "Perfect Life" would become a sanctuary from real life.
Everyone was looking forward to the game that seemed like Heaven on the virtual projection, yet Han Fei was slightly resistant to the game company’s advertisements.
If Heaven really exists, then Hell must also exist; it’s just that most people only see Heaven.
The future always develops in unpredictable directions, and now the future had arrived.
Butterfly had fluttered its wings, and a storm was brewing over the city.
Taking the inter-city high-speed train, Han Fei would reach Xinhu Smart New City within minutes, the sharply contrasting architecture along the way giving him a surreal sense of absurdity and disjunction.
There was a severe technological divide between the New City District and the Old City District of Xinhu, yet nobody seemed to think this was a problem; the vast majority of residents believed that with continuous technological advancement, everything would get better and better.
Stepping out of the station and beholding the skyscrapers towering into the clouds, with virtual projections reflecting off the sky, Han Fei, despite not being his first time, was still amazed.
Guided by smart navigation, Han Fei easily found the offline flagship store of "Perfect Life."
Stepping into the overly grand mall, a dazzling array of high-tech products he had never seen before nearly blinded him.
A housekeeper who spoke seventy-seven languages, a virtual companion with an upgradable emotional system, a holographic home park, a smart doctor assistant, and so on.
Many of these things, Han Fei hadn’t even heard of, let alone seen.
Besides, it was not his fault; if the circumstances were right, who wouldn’t want to experience the latest technological products?
With Han Fei’s previously meager salary, it would have taken him years of saving, not spending on anything, to buy the latest game box. Considering he was single with no family burdens, a normal family would surely use such money to better their lives.
Scientific and technological research requires lots of money, and big companies are not charities; people like Han Fei living at the economic bottom had to wait till technology was fully matured and widespread to enjoy these innovations.
"Hello, I would like to buy a multi-functional game box," Han Fei said after searching for a while before finding a salesperson.
"Sir, all your needs can be met online, we will install the game box within twenty-four hours for you."
"The thing is, I want a game box that can connect to a gaming helmet."
"What type of gaming helmet is it?"
"This..." Han Fei’s gaming helmet was heavier than any helmet on the market and had even been inserted into stuff on his head, probably personally modified.
While Han Fei was considering how to answer the salesperson’s question, a dignified middle-aged man walked out of the building’s elevator.
Dressed in a suit, exuding authority without anger, the salesperson straightened his back immediately upon seeing him, his smile brightening and becoming more enthusiastic towards Han Fei.
"Is there a problem?" the middle-aged man also noticed Han Fei and the salesperson. Normally, shopping was all automated; smart shopping guides could solve all problems, and it was rare for a young customer to still ask a salesperson.
"This customer wants a game box that can connect to a gaming helmet, but he can’t remember his helmet model," the salesperson still smiled warmly.
"Then fit it with an interface that can switch automatically." The middle-aged man personally helped Han Fei choose, and after finishing, he took the salesperson aside, quietly asking him something.
Han Fei wasn’t purposely eavesdropping; his hearing was just slightly better than that of an average person.
Actually, Han Fei recognized the middle-aged man the moment he appeared; he was Kong Tiancheng, whom Han Fei had seen at the "Perfect Life" press conference.
The day Meng Chang’an was arrested, this guy was just happening to speak on stage.
"All the data regarding Zero has already been archived, the company acknowledges your contributions. Aren’t you going to consider my previous proposition?"
"President Kong, it’s not a matter of money. The risk of brain surgery is really too high. I have children and family; I dare not gamble," the salesperson said, his face still smiling, but the smile was tinged with bitterness.
"It’s just a very minor surgery, merely implanting an element that has no side effects..."
"You should find someone else. There were several others on shift with that mad employee. Besides, there’s someone named Feng Ziyu who was close to the employee involved in the incident; you might want to talk to him." The salesperson tactfully declined Kong Tiancheng.
After the salesperson left, two more people came out of the elevator and approached Kong Tiancheng, "Brother Kong, still no one agrees? Maybe we should just drop this matter?"
"Absolutely not! Back in the day, our employee massacred the residents of a neighborhood in the game; this matter is a thorn in my side. I won’t feel at ease until we clear it up!"
"But haven’t we already issued a reasonable investigation report? It was indeed the fault of that employee, and he is already dead."
"Just because he’s dead we stop investigating?" Kong Tiancheng glanced at him sharply.
"No problems have occurred in the recent several tests, which proves indeed that it’s unrelated to our game; it was the employee himself who went mad," the man murmured softly.
"Don’t have any wishful thinking. We can’t afford a single mistake. Remember this, you must not make a mistake!" Kong Tiancheng’s tone was unequivocal, "Go and re-screen that neighborhood that was massacred, don’t overlook any data. We have to find the devil mentioned by that mad employee!"
"Brother Kong, you said it yourself, that employee was already mad. Is the devil seen by a madman really a devil? It could be his own illusion," the man said somewhat helplessly, "We know you still want a seventh test, but we’re out of time; everyone has been waiting too long for this game."
"Illusion? Then can you tell me why the mad employee’s illusion matches the information in the unpublished testament of the Chairman of Eternal Life Pharmaceutical?" Kong Tiancheng spoke rudely, "Jia Cheng, your dad sent you here to learn and contribute to the company, don’t think it’s just about polishing your résumé."
"I understand, but we’ve wasted too much time on the Death Building, a map we’ve deleted. We have a lot of other work being held back," the man was not uneducated; on the contrary, he was highly capable and had his own ideas about things.
"Death Building is a priority, the rest can wait," Kong Tiancheng asserted.
"Brother Kong, whether or not the unpublished testament is true is still uncertain. The Chairman’s mental state was unclear at the time, how could he possibly remember what the devil looked like?" the man remained skeptical, "Wearing a mask, holding a bladeless knife, harboring all the world’s misfortune and despair—these words are too vague and explain nothing."
"You underestimate the Chairman of Eternal Life Pharmaceutical too much. He was the person closest to a god before the technological burst, a witness to an era. Every word he said is worth our careful analysis," Kong Tiancheng said with reverence as he mentioned the Chairman of Eternal Life Pharmaceutical.
"Whatever the case, he has passed away. You’d better think about how to deal with the board; our company’s resources should not be wasted on investigating a pointless matter."
"I can’t change the minds of the board, but I will still go ahead. To you, the incident is just an anomaly, a case of an employee going mad. But what if that employee did not go mad and everything he said was true? What then?" Kong Tiancheng shook his head, feeling very exhausted, "The Devil truly exists. I’m now very worried that ’Perfect Life’ has become Pandora’s box, and we are the ones who have opened it."
"You’re thinking too much. ’Perfect Life’ is just a game." The man could not understand Kong Tiancheng’s worries; he simply didn’t see why Kong Tiancheng was concerned.
"It is indeed just a game, but it is also a game that has never existed before, you don’t understand the significance this game has been given." Kong Tiancheng did not say anything more and hastily left the hall after assigning the tasks.
Han Fei watched Kong Tiancheng walking away and saw the warning on the wall next to him.
"Do not presumptuously pry into God’s power. Humanity should study itself."
After picking out everything, Han Fei stared silently at Kong Tiancheng’s figure, memorizing everything he had said. He had not expected that people from Deep Space Technology were also investigating the entire map of the Death Building that had been deleted.
"Could they have found the abnormalities in the Death Building too? Or did the Butterfly do something?"
"Sir, have you finished choosing your items?" The salesperson came over to Han Fei again.
"Yes, just deduct it from my account. I have time today, can you come and install it today?" Han Fei could hardly wait to lie in the comfortable game box and play the game.
"Okay, we will be ready to install it at your place by five o’clock this afternoon." Seeing that Han Fei didn’t even blink and directly purchased the most expensive multifunctional game box, the salesperson’s attitude changed a lot. He had been worried about the potential embarrassment of insufficient funds when fetching the identity information just now.
After setting the installation time and place, Han Fei left the store and called Huang Ying. They agreed to meet at the Street Corner Café.
Arriving on the second floor of the café, Han Fei saw Huang Ying with dark circles under his eyes.
"I just wonder how, you play games every night and shoot intense scenes during the day. How do you find time to be a ’Righteous Hero’? Aren’t you tired?" Huang Ying was envious of Han Fei’s physical condition, which was virtually monstrous.
"I just manage my time better, that’s all."
Han Fei stared at Huang Ying for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Did you dream of the Butterfly last night?"
Huang Ying paused for a moment, shook his head, "I did not dream of the Butterfly last night, but I did have a very strange dream."
"What dream?"
"I dreamed I was back in my childhood, and there was a time I went to the lake with my mom. I accidentally slipped into the icy lake water. I was struggling and crying, but this time my mother did not jump into the water to rescue me. She just stood silently on the shore watching me sink, get submerged." Desperation could be heard in Huang Ying’s words.
"But that’s actually fine too, I guess. At least it was me who died, so it’s not really a nightmare, right?"
"Brother Huang Ying, you have to believe something. Your mother would never do such a thing. She’s the person who loves you the most in the world, you must never doubt that." Han Fei felt the Butterfly indeed had attacked Huang Ying and even tampered with Huang Ying’s most crucial memories.
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