Chapter 103

Error (Bug Fix)

Curly Hair stood behind Chao Musheng and watched until Old He disappeared through the ticketing gates.

[Ding! One player has failed their instance. Erased by the system.]

At that notification, she nearly laughed aloud. Erased by the system? Even now, the system was still trying to intimidate her — the only player left "alive"?

Zhao Shang, Zhang San, Ah Ze — had any of them actually been "erased"?

She drew her gaze back to Chao Musheng standing ahead of her.

She didn't know what Xiao Chao was in this world — its miracle, or the redemption of its players?

But she knew this: meeting Xiao Chao was the single most fortunate thing that had happened to her since she entered the infinite world.

"Xiao Juan." Chao Musheng could feel her staring and turned. "Are you looking at me like that because you want to borrow money?"

Curly Hair: "..."

Right. This miracle is a bit too down-to-earth. "Xiao Chao, I'm actually fine for money."

When she got back to the hotel and opened her phone, there was a red envelope from Xiao Chao — two hundred yuan.

She said she was fine for money, but her hands were more honest than her mouth. She accepted it.

WeChat's maximum red envelope is two hundred. He sent the maximum. Xiao Chao is so good.

In a burst of feeling, she sent back three different thank-you-boss sticker sets in a row.

Chao Musheng had just returned to the villa when the messages came in. He looked at three distinct thank-you-boss stickers in a row and couldn't hold back a laugh.

Not needing money — that meant needing money.

"What are you laughing at?" Secretary Liu came out of his room dragging his packed bag. "Did you find money on the ground?"

"Laughing at Wang Xiaojuan's ability to say one thing and mean another." He put away his phone. "Liu-ge — are we leaving now?"

Secretary Liu had a vivid impression of Wang Xiaojuan, mostly because he'd never seen anyone change jobs with quite her efficiency. "Once the boss comes down. She changed jobs again?"

"The current one hasn't finished yet — though maybe soon." He tucked away his phone. "I'll go pack up."

He'd already started wondering what job she'd have next time they met.

"Fine — boss is upstairs too, come down together when you're ready." Secretary Liu thought for a moment. The world is wide; many people who part ways never see each other again. Wang Xiaojuan changed jobs constantly — how had she managed to run into Xiao Chao every single time?

Was there really this much coincidence in the world?

He watched Chao Musheng go up the stairs. With Xiao Chao's perceptiveness, if she were deliberately approaching him, he'd have noticed by now. So it must just be coincidence.

*

Chao Musheng's bag had barely been touched. Packing took no time at all. He came out with his suitcase and, rather than going straight downstairs, turned and knocked on Xu Chenzhu's door.

It opened quickly. Xu Chenzhu had a towel in hand, was wearing a silver-grey shirt, and his hair was still dripping.

"Just out of the shower?"

Xu Chenzhu nodded. A droplet fell onto the back of Chao Musheng's hand.

He must have come out in a hurry — two shirt buttons were still undone. The scent of grass and wood mixed with clean soap. Without thinking, Chao Musheng reached forward and fastened the second button, his fingertip brushing Xu Chenzhu's chest.

Firm. A little elastic.

The colour rose up Xu Chenzhu's neck in an instant.

Chao Musheng's hand paused. He didn't fasten the last button. He gave a small cough and smiled. "I'll wait downstairs."

*

"Xiao Chao — you're packed already?" Secretary Liu had dropped off his bag and came back to find Chao Musheng sitting on the sofa, a flush still on his cheeks. "Are you warm?"

"A little." He looked up toward Xu Chenzhu coming down the stairs. He was carrying a leather case and had his suit jacket over his arm. The shirt was now completely and properly buttoned — elegant, with an edge of something restrained and hard to name.

"Boss — everything's arranged, we can leave whenever." Secretary Liu noticed the boss's ears were slightly pink, a brightness in his usually pale complexion. His gaze drifted to Chao Musheng.

Both of them were warm. Excellent. Warm is good.

*

Despite the extreme weather following the fashion charity gala, there had been no fatalities, the organizers had managed the aftermath quickly and well, and most of public attention had drifted back to the red carpet coverage.

The calibre of the artists who had attended was astonishing even to casual observers. Nangua Video and 时光 Magazine came out as the biggest winners.

With every major fashion brand wanting their ambassador on 时光's cover, Chao Yin had become one of the most sought-after figures in the industry.

The relevant departments issued a public notice about the gale — vague on causation, focused on post-disaster recovery. With viewers absorbed in the carpet photos, almost no one read it, and the notice quickly disappeared into the noise of the internet.

*

Chao Musheng had been away from Kunlun headquarters for several days. When he came back, the games division and R&D received him with such enthusiasm that he was immediately swept into helping resolve a series of technical problems — and wasn't released until term started.

Second and third-year students were usually responsible for the freshman orientation period, but Chao Musheng was exempted on account of his role at Kunlun. He didn't return to school until the first day of classes.

"Fourth — you're famous in the computing department now." His senior roommate distributed local specialties he'd brought back and handed Chao Musheng his portion. "Even the freshmen coming in already know there's a senior who went to Kunlun as an intern and got kept on as technical consultant."

"Can't be helped. The burden of genius, perhaps." He stowed the snacks carefully. "Thank you."

"That's from First specifically saving some for you," Third said. "Yesterday our neighbours heard First had brought specialties and nearly stripped him clean. Your share was hidden in the wardrobe and barely survived. Mine and Second's were not so lucky."

The moment First's snacks had reached his hands, the neighbouring room had descended like locusts and left not even the dried salted vegetables.

"Big news." Second pushed the door open. "Apparently next week our school is joining with another university for a poverty alleviation project in a deprived area. Our department has been assigned a project role, and there are two spots for third-years."

This kind of work covered a wide scope — medicine, science, culture and more. The school organized such activities every year; usually it was the fourth-years who accompanied the professors.

"I didn't think computing ever got involved in these," Third said, reaching over to appropriate one of Chao Musheng's walnut packets. "Why do they need us this time?"

"Apparently they're building some kind of infrastructure project and need computing support." Second looked at Chao Musheng. "Fourth — from what I hear, this project is considered significant. One of the third-year spots will almost certainly go to you."

Technically, there was simply no one in their year who matched him.

"Nothing's confirmed yet — no point speculating." Chao Musheng blocked two sets of reaching hands from his snacks, bundled everything under his bedsheet, and slumped over his desk. "I worked five days straight. Right now I want to do absolutely nothing."

Second, failing to acquire any snacks from Chao Musheng, went for Third's walnut packet instead. "Forgot you've been a full-time salaryman for two months. You were very visible online these past few days — the day before yesterday, a freshman actually asked me if you were one of ours, if I knew you."

"What did you say?" Third asked.

"Nothing. I didn't dare." Second cracked a walnut. "I was afraid of getting pulled into a question session I couldn't handle."

Mostly I was worried about making trouble for Fourth, with his profile so high right now.

Close to class time, everyone grabbed their books and headed to the lecture hall. The mood on the first day back was subdued.

Chao Musheng had one morning lecture and was heading back to the dormitory afterward to sort out his laundry when a second-year student stepped into his path.

The student was clean-featured, wearing brands head to toe. Chao Musheng had seen him at student council meetings — the standout name of the second-year computing cohort.

"Chao-xuézhǎng." The student's face had gone pink. The corridor was full of passing students, and everyone who noticed the scene was finding reasons to slow down.

"I'm a second-year computing student." He produced a beautifully packaged gift box from behind his back, a luxury brand name printed on its side. "I really admire you. Is there any chance we could be friends?"

He'd been careful about it — no showy flowers, no confession of love. Just friends.

Everyone in computing knew that Chao Musheng was warm with people and wouldn't put anyone in an uncomfortable position. The second-year had timed this with that in mind.

"I'm sorry." Chao Musheng looked around — some students had already raised their phones.

He didn't take the box. "I've heard you're a very strong student. I hope you keep doing excellent work."

"I've been learning from you all along." The student had not caught the gentle refusal. His eyes were bright and direct, full of open admiration. "Even if we become friends, I won't let my studies slip — I'd probably do even better."

"I bought this watch abroad." He opened the box and raised it slightly, the gesture of someone presenting a treasure. "I hope you'll like it. Even if — even if you don't want to be friends with me, that's all right."

A student nearby who recognized the model said in a low voice: "That watch retails for over five hundred thousand."

"This second-year has some resources."

Quiet conversation moved through the crowd — but nobody egged things on. This wasn't the first confession Chao Musheng had received.

At the start of last term, someone had tried to give him a seven-figure sports car. After a considerable talking-to from Chao Musheng, the would-be giver had driven the car away looking like a deflated balloon.

"It's a very beautiful watch, and I genuinely appreciate the thought." Chao Musheng closed the lid. "But I can't accept this."

"Why?" The student pressed, urgent. "Even if you don't want to be my friend — please take it."

He just thought the watch was beautiful and wanted Chao-xuézhǎng to wear it.

"Someone has already given me a watch." He smiled gently. "If I accepted yours, he would be upset."

There's already someone?

The student stared at him, uncomprehending, eyes going slightly red. "Chao-xuézhǎng — is that just an excuse to turn me down?"

He'd been watching since he entered Jinghua. Chao-xuézhǎng had always been single.

"Besides — I'm only giving you a gift. If he'd be bothered by even that, he doesn't respect you enough."

"It's not an excuse." The watch Xu Chenzhu had given him was too valuable to wear casually; after the gala he'd put it away. He found the photos from the event on his phone, and pointed to the watch on his wrist. "This is the one he gave me."

The student went pale. He knew this watch. He knew its price.

"And he does respect me — very much. Even if I accepted your gift, he wouldn't blame me." Chao Musheng was sincere about this. "I just don't want him to feel sad."

"I understand." The student lowered the box, energy draining out of him. "I'm sorry, Chao-xuézhǎng."

He could feel the jealousy of the person Chao-xuézhǎng actually thought about — and couldn't control it.

Mr. Chao won't even accept a gift without checking whether it would upset that person. What kind of fortune does someone have to have?

The onlooking students were shaken too. Chao Musheng has someone he cares about?

"Sorry for taking up your time." The student's eyes were red as a rabbit's. "I hope you'll be happy."

He wasn't about to wish happiness on the other person, whoever they were.

He pushed through the crowd and ran, his retreating figure somehow conveying tears even at a distance.

"Ah." Third put a hand on Chao Musheng's shoulder. "And so the world gains another heartbroken soul."

"Fourth." Second elbowed Third aside. "Did you actually get together with someone?"

Even the steadiest of their four roommates — First — was looking over.

Chao Musheng glanced at the students who still hadn't dispersed, then led his three roommates outside the lecture building before answering. "I'm still single."

"Forget it then!" Second immediately removed his hand from Chao Musheng's shoulder. "I thought I was finally going to get a celebratory dinner out of you. You were just using it as an excuse."

"Fourth still treats girls better — if a girl had confessed today, he definitely wouldn't have done it in front of this many people." Third nudged him. "Am I right?"

"I've been relatively visible online recently — I didn't want someone filming it and putting it out there." He dropped his gaze. "Clearing the air quickly seemed better."

"Fair enough." Third's shoulders fell. "Though classmates here are decent people. They probably wouldn't spread the video around."

"I know." He smiled. "I just wanted to eliminate every possible chance of being misunderstood."

With his temperament, if he ever saw a video of someone confessing to him online, he'd spend ten days quietly suffering internally and never ask a single question.

People's hearts always favor themselves a little.

He didn't like to embarrass people. But he liked the idea of that person suffering through a pointless internal spiral even less.

"Eliminating every possible chance?" First looked at him with new attention. "Fourth — are you..."

You don't actually have someone you like, do you?

Chao Musheng smiled. "Come on. I just got paid — lunch is on me today."

"Fourth, you are dazzling as always!"

"I want the stir-fry!"

*

"Boss." Secretary Liu pushed into the office and stopped when he saw that the food he'd set out on the desk had barely been touched. "The Hanyue County support project opens next Friday. The local government, wanting to thank you for the donation, has called to invite you personally to the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Will you attend?"

"No need." Xu Chenzhu said. "Arrange someone to go in my place."

"Understood." Secretary Liu laid a file on the desk and passed over a separate report from R&D. "The research team has been pressing HR to transfer Xiao Chao back to their department. But Xiao Chao is currently your direct assistant, in your immediate reporting line. A transfer would require your signature."

"Doesn't the company have anyone holding a dual role?" He put the R&D file at the bottom of the stack. "Tell HR to issue Zhaozhao a dual-position staff card."

"Yes, boss." Secretary Liu smiled.

He cleared away the now-cold food, left the office, and sent Chao Musheng a message.

[Xiao Chao — good news. The boss is too attached to his trusted lieutenant to let you go, so you are now simultaneously President's Assistant and R&D Technical Consultant. Double salary. Surprised? Delighted?]

Chao Musheng was, in fact, surprised — because he had just received notice from his department: next Thursday, he was going to Hanyue County with Professor Zhang for a support project. Duration: twenty to thirty days.

This kind of community welfare project was taken seriously by the university and all relevant local departments. Chao Musheng was walking out of the department office with the notice in hand when he saw Secretary Liu's message.

Twenty days away from the company. Drawing two salaries during that time felt dishonest.

He called Secretary Liu directly.

"Xiao Chao?" Secretary Liu had waited over ten minutes for a reply, and picked up quickly. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Liu-ge. I was in the department office just now, couldn't look at my phone." He stepped under the shade of a tree — September's sun still had some force to it. "What is it?"

"Nothing serious, don't worry about it." Secretary Liu said. "School leadership called you in — is there something on your end?"

"Yes." He was slightly sheepish. "Starting next Thursday, I probably won't be able to come in for close to a month."

"What's going on?" Secretary Liu went immediately alert. That long away — the boss would pine himself into the ground.

"My school is involved in a poverty support project in a deprived area. The faculty want me to participate." He sounded genuinely apologetic. "I know it's a lot to ask. But I think I should go."

"I understand." Secretary Liu laughed. "Have a word with the boss about it — I think he'll support you."

Chao Musheng laughed too. "I know he will."

"Where is it you're going?" Secretary Liu said. "Kunlun has a production line presence across the country — we know a fair amount about local conditions and customs in most areas. I can pull together some briefing material for you."

"Thank you, Liu-ge." He had only just received the notice and hadn't had a chance to prepare anything. "The place is called Hanyue County."

"Hanyue County?" Secretary Liu paused. "Cold-hán, mountain-yuè ?"

"That's right." Chao Musheng caught the shift in his tone. "Is there a problem with the project?"

"No problem at all." Secretary Liu smiled. "Just that this morning, the leadership of Hanyue County invited the boss to attend their ribbon-cutting ceremony for next Friday's project launch."

"Will Mr. Xu go?" Chao Musheng's voice went up just slightly.

"He might." Secretary Liu grinned. "I haven't had the chance to pass that on to the boss yet."

He ended the call with Xiao Chao and stood up immediately.

"Liu-mi — didn't you just come out of the boss's office? Why are you going back?" A colleague noticed his empty hands. "The boss seems like he's barely left the office today. He might be in a bad mood — you might want to hold off."

"Maybe the boss's mood will improve this afternoon." Secretary Liu knocked on the office door, still smiling.

"Secretary Liu." Xu Chenzhu set down his pen. "Something else?"

"Boss — still about the Hanyue County ribbon-cutting." He kept his tone easy. "Kunlun has an agricultural processing factory near Hanyue County. Their anniversary apparently falls on the fifteenth of this month."

"Secretary Liu — it's only the first." Xu Chenzhu's brow furrowed faintly. "Have the nearest branch leadership attend."

Kunlun had processing facilities everywhere. When had he ever been expected to show up at a factory anniversary?

"I understand — although that particular facility was commended recently by local official media." Secretary Liu coughed lightly. "You could go to encourage them."

The furrow deepened.

"And Xiao Chao also leaves for Hanyue County next Thursday. There's a chance you might even run into him there." He watched the frown tighten and added quickly: "Xiao Chao just contacted me — he's going to Hanyue County for a support project, almost a month."

Boss, I've taken care of every reason and excuse. There is a step waiting for you. Please use it.

"Secretary Liu, that is a very reasonable point." Xu Chenzhu's brow smoothed. "The workers at that processing facility have been devoted year after year, contributing to the local economy and employment. As Kunlun's CEO, I should bear witness to the work of those at the frontlines."

"Your consideration for every employee in the company is deeply appreciated." Secretary Liu understood the assignment perfectly. "I'll reply to Hanyue County's invitation right away."

The place Xiao Chao was going to — the boss was also going. That counted as a kind of fate.

*

When Curly Hair returned to the infinite space, she noticed something was off.

The player forums had accumulated a significant number of threads about exploration instances. The threads were regularly deleted and locked — the Main God seemed to strongly dislike discussion of this topic.

She met with a few of her anti-Main-God alliance teammates. They waited in the infinite space for several days. The exploration instance never refreshed.

The player hall was packed with players flowing in and out of instances. Curly Hair stood in the hall and looked up toward the ceiling.

Above it: an endless expanse of cloud and light. But whether it was her imagination or not, the light in the hall seemed a little dimmer than before.

On the display screen above, the names of countless instances scrolled — waiting for players to be randomly assigned or to sign up voluntarily.

No matter how many times she refreshed the system — no exploration instance appeared.

Had the Main God stopped opening exploration instances entirely?

A cold feeling moved through her. She had assumed there would be countless more chances to meet again, and so she had never properly said goodbye to Xiao Chao.

The light above the hall flickered. On the screen, a new instance updated — 3S grade: City of Despair.

That difficulty rating had never existed before.

[Ding — City of Despair is opening. Congratulations, player, you have been randomly assigned to this instance. You will enter in ten seconds. Please prepare. Ten, nine...]

At the moment she was pulled in against her will, Curly Hair saw her phone emit an inexplicable gold-violet light — as if something was fighting the system to hold onto her.

[Beeep—]

Her system issued a sharp alarm.

[Error! Instance has been drawn by an unknown force. Anchor point deviation. Anchor point error. Anchor point error!]

[Instance has been generated. Please prepare, player.]

[The climate of the Ruined City is harsh. Its people are merciless, brutal. For survival and food, they will abandon all principles of decency.]

[They are human. They are also beasts.]

[And you — how will you survive?]

The players found themselves on a run-down street.

Food was... scarce?

They looked around. Along the roadside, elderly men and women were crouched with plastic sheets spread in front of them, covered in melons, vegetables, and fruit.

A tall player reacted immediately, scooped up several sweet potatoes from the ground, and sprinted off.

If survival is the hard part, food was the first priority.

The sweet potato vendor he'd just robbed: ...

What in the world just grabbed his sweet potatoes?

Can't afford to live, that it, grabbing a few sweet potatoes?!