Chapter 1789: Mr. Dong Doesn't Want to Talk to You and Throws Fishing Gear at You
The Painting Woman's three-minute enthusiasm didn't last long. She crouched outside Xu Huo's door until he woke up the next morning, then burst in to say she didn't want the laboratory anymore. The reason was that people were too uncontrollable—skinning them might dirty the floor.
Xu Huo paused. "Did you actually skin them?"
"Not yet!" the Painting Woman said indignantly. "I just tied them up and threw them around a few times, and they started crying and screaming, even attacking me with poison gas bombs!"
Xu Huo relaxed slightly. "Then don't play that game anymore. How about challenging Xiao Yuan and the others to see who can write the most characters?"
The Painting Woman's anger vanished without a trace. Her eyes darted around everywhere but refused to look at Xu Huo. Then she backed away, and once she reached the doorway, she reverted to a piece of paper and slipped out from under the door.
Xu Huo smiled. After finishing breakfast on the third floor, he familiarized himself with his items again and took out "Perfect Assistance" to test it with the Black Blade.
The Black Blade's advantage lay in the extreme hardness of the material used to forge it. In head-on collisions, it was difficult to damage, and it had devastating destructive power against lower-level items. If there was a drawback, it was that it couldn't perform ranged attacks. "Perfect Assistance" could extend the range of its slashes. Of course, this item worked well with many attack items, but the biggest leap was with the Black Blade. Although the ranged attack effect couldn't match the Black Blade itself, its power was still considerable—comparable to B-grade cutting items like "Little Triangle."
"Perfect Assistance" could attach itself to other items, but retrieving it was still inconvenient. So Xu Huo planned to get a rope to string the item through, then simply loop it around the blade's handle.
This rope, or any rope-like item used to hold the item, would have to be an item itself—and a high-grade one at that.
So he contacted a few major item trading posts in the city and asked them to send over items with similar effects.
"The castle will have workers coming and going soon, making it unsuitable for recovery. I suggest you go out for rest and recuperation, and get some exercise while you're at it. Sitting still all day does your body no good," Mr. Dong said, bringing over fishing gear, signaling that Xu Huo should find something to do.
"I'm an injured person," Xu Huo said. "The activity level in the instance was already enough."
Mr. Dong selectively lost his hearing. He placed the fishing gear in front of Xu Huo and said sternly, "Miss Li Chun has been playing in the annex all morning. This is seriously delaying the project's progress."
Xu Huo understood. He called the Painting Woman and the others together, and they took a flying vehicle to a resort that Mr. Dong had booked for them in advance—a place separated from the Game Government Base City by at least three major cities. The accommodation fee alone covered ten days.
"Do we not have to go to school these days?" Xiao Yuan asked curiously.
"Mr. Dong will ask for leave for you," Xu Huo said, looking out the window. There were still at least four hours to go before they arrived.
The Painting Woman, completely unaware that she had been sent away because she was too mischievous, excitedly pointed at the passing scenery and asked about the fishing process.
"Fishing is an activity that keeps people quiet," Tan Qi said.
After reading the explanation on the communicator, the Painting Woman expressed confusion about the activity and volunteered, "I can go into the water and catch fish."
"The joy of fishing isn't about eating the fish, but the process itself," Xu Huo said, patting the fishing gear beside him. "You'll understand when we get there."
Having never played a fishing game, the Painting Woman maintained a high level of enthusiasm for this upcoming activity. On the way, she even self-studied the precautions for fishing, deciding that if she couldn't jump into the water to catch fish, she could at least catch the bait worms.
This suggestion got Xiao Yuan's approval. She wasn't afraid of the meaty worms used for bait and instead volunteered to thread the hooks.
"Uncle is injured, so he can sit and watch the float," she arranged methodically. "Sister Li Chun and I can catch worms and thread hooks. Brother Tan Qi can chum the water and help Uncle hold the rod."
Xiao Yuan's past life had almost no entertainment. Since coming to District 011, she had mostly been at school or the castle, rarely going out to play, let alone participating in group activities. Seeing her and the Painting Woman so excited, the other two present had no choice but to agree.
The resort Mr. Dong had booked was nestled in a ring of mountains. The flying vehicle had to stop outside, and staff from the resort came down to pick them up. After crossing the mountain, the area facing the lake surrounded by peaks was where they would be active.
It was a natural lake, stretching out as far as the eye could see, indistinguishable from the sea. Because Mr. Dong had informed them in advance that Xu Huo was there to recuperate, the resort arranged his fishing activities accordingly. They chose a time when the lake water was relatively calm and provided a dedicated fishing boat, minimizing rocking to avoid causing him discomfort.
"However, you must be careful not to go into the water casually," the manager specifically warned. "There are many undercurrents beneath the lake. The resort generally does not allow guests to enter the water without permission. If you wish to play underwater, please inform us in advance, and we will prepare diving equipment. You must also be accompanied by our staff."
Xu Huo had no interest in underwater play, but seeing the Painting Woman and the others looking tempted, he booked an underwater play package.
"You've come at just the right time, sir. The underwater play package is always in high demand at our resort. Most of the slots for the next few days have been booked, leaving only one spot left," the manager said with a smile as he placed the order, even throwing in some complimentary underwater play accessories.
By the time all this was arranged, it was almost dinner time. When the Painting Woman heard there was night fishing and that they could see glowing fish, she couldn't wait to board the boat and head out onto the lake.
The manager thoughtfully arranged a large boat, telling them they could rest on the lake at night and that sleeping under the night view had a unique charm.
"I want to go! I want to go!" the Painting Woman exclaimed, holding up her communicator. Xiao Yuan stood beside her in the same pose. Tan Qi didn't speak, but his eyes were bright.
"Please prepare the boat," Xu Huo said to the manager.
The manager cheerfully replied, "Don't worry, Mr. Xu. Our boat is equipped with plenty of emergency equipment. You won't feel uneasy at all."
After saying this, he had a server bring a wheelchair.
Although he had no need to travel in a wheelchair, seeing that everyone around him seemed to think he needed one, Xu Huo graciously sat down. Surrounded by a group of staff, he boarded the boat.
The boat moved slowly, with little sound of water. The lake was vast, and some fish liked to follow the boat. Less than ten minutes into the lake, Xu Huo was forgotten on the deck. Some of the staff prepared dinner, others made fishing preparations, and the rest were dragged away by the Painting Woman and her group.
The lake water was deep and dark, and a cool breeze blew across the surface. Xu Huo sat on the deck, keeping an eye on the Painting Woman and the others while reading an instance guide.
A graceful female staff member brought over fruit and drinks, smiling as she crouched in front of him. "Sir, why not give your eyes a rest?"