Chapter 2: Harmonious Neighbourhood Relations
"Perfect Life is a leisurely healing game that nourishes the soul and soothes the mind. It features heartwarming daily life scenarios that will bring a smile to your face. We aim to convey hope and happiness, providing players with a positive force."
As time ticked away, the mechanical synthesized voice that had echoed from the depths of Han Fei's mind abruptly ceased at 11:59 PM.
"Now, you can choose your own Perfect Life."
The sensation of the cold, hard ground stimulated Han Fei's facial nerves as he slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself lying in an unfamiliar room.
The room was approximately seventy square meters, with dust covering the furniture and the walls showing signs of wear and tear, marked with black and red stains.
"My head hurts. Feels like there's a hole in the back of my skull."
A faint musty smell wafted into his nostrils, and Han Fei could vividly sense everything around him.
Hearing, sight, smell, touch—there was little difference between this game and the real world.
Sitting blankly on the floor of the living room, Han Fei gazed at the empty and desolate space.
The architectural layout of the house and the furniture remained the same as they were decades ago, covered in layers of dust, as if no one had lived there for a long time.
"So, this is my virtual home in the game?"
Rubbing the back of his head, Han Fei stood up from the ground. "According to the game description, this is a healing simulation game with an open world and no fixed gameplay. I can strive to level up my character and improve attributes, indulge in the accumulation of wealth, enjoy virtual relationships with a virtual girlfriend, and experience virtual bonds of family and love."
As Han Fei pondered his next move, he suddenly heard a knocking sound at the door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Walking to the other side of the living room, Han Fei opened the security door, and the dim light from the voice-activated lamp filled the room, dispelling the loneliness and emptiness.
"You must be the new resident, young man?"
A kind and gentle voice came from outside the door. In the cluttered hallway stood an elderly woman with a kind face and silver hair.
"Today is New Year's Day. I've made dumplings at home. Come over and join us for a meal. Festivals should be lively and bustling."
In the hustle and bustle of modern urban life, neighbours might go weeks without exchanging a single word. Han Fei had never encountered a situation where a neighbour invited him to their home for a meal on a holiday like this before.
"It's okay, I don't want to trouble you," Han Fei replied. Ever since being dismissed by the company, he had become quiet and withdrawn, preferring not to engage in much conversation with others.
"My son and daughter-in-law are working in another city. It's just me and my grandson at home. I've made so many dishes, and if we can't finish them, it would be a waste."
The old woman looked at Han Fei with eyes that resembled those of a mother looking at her own child. Each word she spoke felt like the morning sun, warming his heart.
"Dumplings symbolize bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, as well as family reunion and blessings. By eating dumplings, you can get rid of any bad luck from the previous year. It's not easy for a young person like you, striving away from home. Come and have some warm dumplings to nourish your stomach."
The old woman insisted, and if this were the real world, Han Fei would likely find various excuses to decline. However, this was all happening in the game, and the old woman might just be guiding him through a plotline or quest.
Nodding his head, Han Fei picked up the bunch of keys on the living room coffee table and walked out of the door, supporting the old woman as they made their way downstairs.
"Ah Po, please watch your step and take it slow."
The hallway in front of them was cluttered with debris and trash. The iron railing was rusty, and the walls were covered in small advertisements and children's graffiti.
It resembled an old and dilapidated neighbourhood from over a decade ago. With the rapid advancement of technology, such neighbourhoods had become increasingly rare.
The old woman led Han Fei down one floor and stopped in front of the door to Room 1031.
The number painted on the wall with blood-red paint had become somewhat blurry. She coughed lightly and opened the door to Room 1031.
A rich aroma of meat wafted out from inside the room, making Han Fei's mouth water as he peeked inside.
The old woman hadn't turned on the lights in her house; instead, she had lit a few candles on the dining table.
"The fuse burned out, and the repairman hasn't come because of the holiday break."
"Ah Po, why don't I take a look? I used to replace fuses in my own house whenever they burned out." Han Fei didn't treat the old woman as just an NPC in the game. He couldn't explain why, but perhaps it was because she felt like a living, breathing person.
"Be careful and the spare fuses are in the drawer." After giving her instructions, the old woman entered the kitchen, where the meat she had been stewing seemed to be ready.
Standing on a stool, Han Fei replaced the fuse and switched on the power. Warm light illuminated the dark little house.
"Attention, Player with ID 0000! G-rank ordinary mission 'Fuse Replacement' has been completed. Meng Shi's friendliness level increased by five. Building harmonious neighbourhood relations is the first step in Perfect Life."
A cold mechanical synthesized voice resonated in Han Fei's mind. "Mission system activated. Newbie missions have been updated. Completing newbie missions will help you understand everything about this world more quickly."
As he listened to the unfamiliar voice in his mind, an attribute panel appeared before Han Fei. However, before he could examine it closely, the old woman emerged from the kitchen, carrying a pot of fish soup.
"Just finished stewing the fish soup. Have it while it's hot." The old woman placed the fish soup on the table, smiling gently. She then walked to the bedroom door and unlocked the iron lock: "Chen Chen, come out for dinner."
After a moment, a five or six-year-old boy walked out of the bedroom. He kept his head lowered, as if he were sulking with the old lady.
"You two go ahead and eat. I still have a few dishes that aren't ready." The old woman opened the refrigerator and took out a half-frozen chicken from the top shelf. "It's been without power for so long, and it hasn't thawed yet?"
She placed the frozen chicken in a small bowl and casually placed it on the table.
"Ah Po, don't make so many dishes. We won't be able to finish them."
"It's rare to have guests at home, so I should make more. The meat in the refrigerator will spoil otherwise." The old woman's warm and kind-hearted nature, as she busied herself in the kitchen, reminded Han Fei of his own family.
When he was young, their home was always bustling like this during the Lunar New Year.
The aroma of the meat filled the air, and the freshly cooked fish soup steamed with heat. The faint, tantalizing fragrance made Han Fei feel a sense of disorientation, as if his memories in his mind were overlapping with the virtual game.
The dim light illuminated the small house, the sounds of pots and pans coming from the kitchen, and the television playing advertisements. The subtle scent of fireworks seemed to dispel the indifference of this unfamiliar city.
"These simple joys may be the essence of life itself."
There will always be a special period of darkness in one's life. If one remains stagnant due to fear of the future, they will be forever trapped in the darkness.
Han Fei picked up a ladle and scooped a bowl of fish soup for himself and Chen Chen.
The creamy white fish soup emitted an enticing aroma. Han Fei gently blew on the surface of the bowl to cool it down.
Just as he was about to taste the soup, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye. The child sitting across from him had lifted the bowl of fish soup above his head.
"What does this child want to do?"
Before Han Fei could react, the child forcefully slammed the bowl of fish soup onto the floor!
"I won't eat anything taken out of a coffin!"
Spurt!
Upon hearing the child's words, Han Fei involuntarily spit out the fish soup from his mouth in surprise.
A coffin?
The ceramic bowl shattered on the floor, and fish soup splattered everywhere. The old lady, alarmed by the noise, quickly ran out of the kitchen, her apron still tied: "Chen Chen! What are you doing?!"
"All the food you make is taken out of a coffin!" The boy, who appeared to be only five or six years old, raised his head, his eyes bloodshot.
"What nonsense are you saying?!" The old lady, worried that the boy would get burned, didn't even bother to remove her apron as she rushed to the dining table.
"The building manager said that only coffins would contain dead bodies!" The boy broke free from the old lady's grasp and threw the frozen chicken he had just taken out of the fridge onto the floor before running towards the bedroom.
"Come back here!" The old lady followed him into the bedroom, leaving Han Fei alone in the living room with his bowl of fish soup.
"Kids can be so terrifying." Han Fei silently put down the porcelain bowl. He found a broom and dustpan behind the door, intending to help the old lady clean up. However, as he was about to pick up the frozen chicken on the floor, something crossed his mind.
The child said he wouldn't eat anything taken out of a coffin, but Han Fei clearly saw that the old lady took out the half of a frozen chicken from the fridge.
At first, it didn't seem significant, but when combined with the child's later statement, "The building manager told me that only coffins would contain dead bodies."
Why would the child mistake the fridge for a coffin? Could it be that there was a corpse hidden inside their fridge?
Huh?
As this thought struck him, Han Fei froze. This didn't seem like the progression of a healing game!
As time ticked away, the mechanical synthesized voice that had echoed from the depths of Han Fei's mind abruptly ceased at 11:59 PM.
"Now, you can choose your own Perfect Life."
The sensation of the cold, hard ground stimulated Han Fei's facial nerves as he slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself lying in an unfamiliar room.
The room was approximately seventy square meters, with dust covering the furniture and the walls showing signs of wear and tear, marked with black and red stains.
"My head hurts. Feels like there's a hole in the back of my skull."
A faint musty smell wafted into his nostrils, and Han Fei could vividly sense everything around him.
Hearing, sight, smell, touch—there was little difference between this game and the real world.
Sitting blankly on the floor of the living room, Han Fei gazed at the empty and desolate space.
The architectural layout of the house and the furniture remained the same as they were decades ago, covered in layers of dust, as if no one had lived there for a long time.
"So, this is my virtual home in the game?"
Rubbing the back of his head, Han Fei stood up from the ground. "According to the game description, this is a healing simulation game with an open world and no fixed gameplay. I can strive to level up my character and improve attributes, indulge in the accumulation of wealth, enjoy virtual relationships with a virtual girlfriend, and experience virtual bonds of family and love."
As Han Fei pondered his next move, he suddenly heard a knocking sound at the door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Walking to the other side of the living room, Han Fei opened the security door, and the dim light from the voice-activated lamp filled the room, dispelling the loneliness and emptiness.
"You must be the new resident, young man?"
A kind and gentle voice came from outside the door. In the cluttered hallway stood an elderly woman with a kind face and silver hair.
"Today is New Year's Day. I've made dumplings at home. Come over and join us for a meal. Festivals should be lively and bustling."
In the hustle and bustle of modern urban life, neighbours might go weeks without exchanging a single word. Han Fei had never encountered a situation where a neighbour invited him to their home for a meal on a holiday like this before.
"It's okay, I don't want to trouble you," Han Fei replied. Ever since being dismissed by the company, he had become quiet and withdrawn, preferring not to engage in much conversation with others.
"My son and daughter-in-law are working in another city. It's just me and my grandson at home. I've made so many dishes, and if we can't finish them, it would be a waste."
The old woman looked at Han Fei with eyes that resembled those of a mother looking at her own child. Each word she spoke felt like the morning sun, warming his heart.
"Dumplings symbolize bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, as well as family reunion and blessings. By eating dumplings, you can get rid of any bad luck from the previous year. It's not easy for a young person like you, striving away from home. Come and have some warm dumplings to nourish your stomach."
The old woman insisted, and if this were the real world, Han Fei would likely find various excuses to decline. However, this was all happening in the game, and the old woman might just be guiding him through a plotline or quest.
Nodding his head, Han Fei picked up the bunch of keys on the living room coffee table and walked out of the door, supporting the old woman as they made their way downstairs.
"Ah Po, please watch your step and take it slow."
The hallway in front of them was cluttered with debris and trash. The iron railing was rusty, and the walls were covered in small advertisements and children's graffiti.
It resembled an old and dilapidated neighbourhood from over a decade ago. With the rapid advancement of technology, such neighbourhoods had become increasingly rare.
The old woman led Han Fei down one floor and stopped in front of the door to Room 1031.
The number painted on the wall with blood-red paint had become somewhat blurry. She coughed lightly and opened the door to Room 1031.
A rich aroma of meat wafted out from inside the room, making Han Fei's mouth water as he peeked inside.
The old woman hadn't turned on the lights in her house; instead, she had lit a few candles on the dining table.
"The fuse burned out, and the repairman hasn't come because of the holiday break."
"Ah Po, why don't I take a look? I used to replace fuses in my own house whenever they burned out." Han Fei didn't treat the old woman as just an NPC in the game. He couldn't explain why, but perhaps it was because she felt like a living, breathing person.
"Be careful and the spare fuses are in the drawer." After giving her instructions, the old woman entered the kitchen, where the meat she had been stewing seemed to be ready.
Standing on a stool, Han Fei replaced the fuse and switched on the power. Warm light illuminated the dark little house.
"Attention, Player with ID 0000! G-rank ordinary mission 'Fuse Replacement' has been completed. Meng Shi's friendliness level increased by five. Building harmonious neighbourhood relations is the first step in Perfect Life."
A cold mechanical synthesized voice resonated in Han Fei's mind. "Mission system activated. Newbie missions have been updated. Completing newbie missions will help you understand everything about this world more quickly."
As he listened to the unfamiliar voice in his mind, an attribute panel appeared before Han Fei. However, before he could examine it closely, the old woman emerged from the kitchen, carrying a pot of fish soup.
"Just finished stewing the fish soup. Have it while it's hot." The old woman placed the fish soup on the table, smiling gently. She then walked to the bedroom door and unlocked the iron lock: "Chen Chen, come out for dinner."
After a moment, a five or six-year-old boy walked out of the bedroom. He kept his head lowered, as if he were sulking with the old lady.
"You two go ahead and eat. I still have a few dishes that aren't ready." The old woman opened the refrigerator and took out a half-frozen chicken from the top shelf. "It's been without power for so long, and it hasn't thawed yet?"
She placed the frozen chicken in a small bowl and casually placed it on the table.
"Ah Po, don't make so many dishes. We won't be able to finish them."
"It's rare to have guests at home, so I should make more. The meat in the refrigerator will spoil otherwise." The old woman's warm and kind-hearted nature, as she busied herself in the kitchen, reminded Han Fei of his own family.
When he was young, their home was always bustling like this during the Lunar New Year.
The aroma of the meat filled the air, and the freshly cooked fish soup steamed with heat. The faint, tantalizing fragrance made Han Fei feel a sense of disorientation, as if his memories in his mind were overlapping with the virtual game.
The dim light illuminated the small house, the sounds of pots and pans coming from the kitchen, and the television playing advertisements. The subtle scent of fireworks seemed to dispel the indifference of this unfamiliar city.
"These simple joys may be the essence of life itself."
There will always be a special period of darkness in one's life. If one remains stagnant due to fear of the future, they will be forever trapped in the darkness.
Han Fei picked up a ladle and scooped a bowl of fish soup for himself and Chen Chen.
The creamy white fish soup emitted an enticing aroma. Han Fei gently blew on the surface of the bowl to cool it down.
Just as he was about to taste the soup, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye. The child sitting across from him had lifted the bowl of fish soup above his head.
"What does this child want to do?"
Before Han Fei could react, the child forcefully slammed the bowl of fish soup onto the floor!
"I won't eat anything taken out of a coffin!"
Spurt!
Upon hearing the child's words, Han Fei involuntarily spit out the fish soup from his mouth in surprise.
A coffin?
The ceramic bowl shattered on the floor, and fish soup splattered everywhere. The old lady, alarmed by the noise, quickly ran out of the kitchen, her apron still tied: "Chen Chen! What are you doing?!"
"All the food you make is taken out of a coffin!" The boy, who appeared to be only five or six years old, raised his head, his eyes bloodshot.
"What nonsense are you saying?!" The old lady, worried that the boy would get burned, didn't even bother to remove her apron as she rushed to the dining table.
"The building manager said that only coffins would contain dead bodies!" The boy broke free from the old lady's grasp and threw the frozen chicken he had just taken out of the fridge onto the floor before running towards the bedroom.
"Come back here!" The old lady followed him into the bedroom, leaving Han Fei alone in the living room with his bowl of fish soup.
"Kids can be so terrifying." Han Fei silently put down the porcelain bowl. He found a broom and dustpan behind the door, intending to help the old lady clean up. However, as he was about to pick up the frozen chicken on the floor, something crossed his mind.
The child said he wouldn't eat anything taken out of a coffin, but Han Fei clearly saw that the old lady took out the half of a frozen chicken from the fridge.
At first, it didn't seem significant, but when combined with the child's later statement, "The building manager told me that only coffins would contain dead bodies."
Why would the child mistake the fridge for a coffin? Could it be that there was a corpse hidden inside their fridge?
Huh?
As this thought struck him, Han Fei froze. This didn't seem like the progression of a healing game!
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