Chapter 243: Entering the Dream
Nie Xuan let out a sigh. "An individual's strength is truly too weak. Relying on the nation is the best choice."
"Of course you can rely on the nation, but not everyone in this nation is reliable." Xu Huo drained his glass and patted him on the shoulder. "If you elevate your expectations of individuals to the level of the nation, you're bound to run into problems sooner or later."
Nie Xuan stared at his back for two seconds before turning around with a smile, mimicking his gesture of rolling the glass.
After leaving the bar, Xu Huo tried to hail a cab to go home, but the drivers all refused once they heard his destination.
"We don't go into densely populated residential areas at night, young man. You'll have to find another way."
Fortunately, the subway was still running. Xu Huo tied his shoelaces and ran toward the nearest station.
There were very few people on the subway, and they kept a wide distance from one another, occasionally glancing at the newly installed real-time monitors and the several security guards in the car.
Xu Huo found a seat and sat down, pulling out his phone to check messages. First, there was a message from Team Leader Wu informing him that his family had moved into a safe residential area. Next came concerned messages from his parents, with Ms. Fang telling him to remember to go see a psychologist.
There was also a thank-you message from Zhou Ning, saying she had found a glove-type item in the game and that he could come get it from her anytime.
Another message was from Yan Jiayu, saying she had discovered a very interesting random instance in a neighboring city and inviting him to go in together.
The message had been sent the day he entered the Hundred-Person Art Museum. There had been no follow-up in the past few days, so she had probably gone on her own.
He turned off his phone and leaned back, dozing off.
Just then, a man who had been sitting at the other end of the bench with a hat covering his face took off the hat and was about to stand up when he suddenly heard someone speak: "You'd better stay right where you are."
The hat man whipped his head around and saw that the man who had seemed half-asleep was now looking at him sideways, a cold gaze tinged with the displeasure of being disturbed.
The hat man's body stiffened, and he obediently sat back down.
Xu Huo closed his eyes again.
"The next stop is Egret Park. Passengers alighting here, please mind your step." Half an hour later, the subway arrived at the station.
Xu Huo got up and exited the train. The hat man hesitated but did not follow.
Returning to his rented apartment, the moment he opened the door, a kitchen knife came flying straight at his face.
He caught the knife mid-air and casually placed it on the shoe cabinet beside him, saying to the person inside, "Passed the preliminary train?"
"Cousin, you're too smart. You knew I'd definitely pass the preliminary train smoothly." Yu Qingqing put down her other knife, walked over with a grin, and handed him his slippers. "I've been at your place for a day now. Did you just come back from an instance? Where's that annoying Li Chun? Is she dead?"
The Painting Woman flickered into view behind Xu Huo, poking her head out.
Yu Qingqing snorted and pointed at the cold food on the table. "Look, I made this. I learned it from the head chef on the preliminary train."
Xu Huo glanced at her. "You're pretty well-off, huh."
"Of course. Before getting on the train, I transferred all the money from Mom's card into my account." Yu Qingqing said smugly. "Money makes the world go round. The preliminary train wasn't as hard as people said."
"Call your mom. Don't let her spam me with texts." Xu Huo sat down at the table.
Yu Qingqing snatched the Painting Woman's chopsticks, snapped them in half, and threw them in the trash, ignoring her pitiful look. "No way. She wants me to go back and meet that Tang Guangbo. I don't like that guy."
Xu Huo's expression remained calm. He gestured for the Painting Woman to get another pair of chopsticks. "If you don't like him, don't see him. And don't accept his things."
Yu Qingqing nodded repeatedly, sat down beside him, cupped her cheeks with both hands, and said with sparkling eyes, "Do you know what my profession is?"
Before Xu Huo could ask, she answered herself, "Psychological Analyst. How about that? Isn't it perfect for me?"
"With my trait, I can analyze a person's current psychological state in no time. Cousin, you haven't slept in days, so why do you look so hyper?"
Xu Huo lifted his eyelids and glanced at her. "What else do you see?"
"Hmm... I also see that you've been single for over twenty years and need a girlfriend. I have quite a few friends who admire you. Want me to introduce one to you?"
"Did you also see that if you don't shut up in three seconds, you're definitely going to get a beating?" Xu Huo said coldly. "Now that you're a player, you won't die easily."
Yu Qingqing shrank back, but the smile quickly faded from her face. Her posture relaxed, yet her gaze turned sharp. "Last time, you told Li Chun to hit me."
"If you can beat me, you're welcome to challenge me anytime." Xu Huo put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "Yu Qingqing, pretending won't fool others, and it won't fool yourself. Since you're in the game now, it's time to see yourself clearly."
"What makes you so sure I'm fooling myself and others?" Yu Qingqing sneered coldly. "I can protect myself."
Xu Huo stared at her for a few seconds before saying, "A real schizophrenic doesn't act like you. Also, I'm not schizophrenic."
Yu Qingqing lifted her chin. "I know you're not. And I'm not imitating you."
Xu Huo rubbed his temples, stood up, and said, "Go home early if you have nothing to do. Also, don't install a tracking system on my phone. Tell your friend to go back. He has the same scented water as you. Next time you go out on business, wipe yourself down with cleaning agent first."
Yu Qingqing, as if insulted, stormed out and slammed the door. But a moment later, she came back and knocked. Xu Huo put down the dishes he was halfway through cleaning and opened the door for her. The person outside had put on a smile again. "Cousin, I want to stay at your place for a few days."
Xu Huo reached out and patted her head. "Come in."
Yu Qingqing ducked under his arm and slipped inside, immediately starting to boss the Painting Woman around to wash the dishes.
The two of them were noisy, and the Painting Woman, now proficient in using the reading function, added another voice to the chaos. Xu Huo simply took a shower and went to his room to sleep.
But Yu Qingqing was right—he was in a hyper state and couldn't fall asleep.
He opened the game panel, took out the Dream Come True Potion, confirmed it had a sleep aid function, and drank it.
After lying down again, he fell asleep within minutes.
...
"...Do you remember the patterns on these mahjong tiles?" In his field of vision, a tall doctor in a white coat was speaking.
A chubby little hand reached out and flipped over a mahjong tile on the table. The doctor let out a laugh after seeing it and praised, "Not bad. What did the fingernails of the third person you met on the way from the ward to the consultation room look like?"
"Pinkish-white, with lots of vertical ridges." A childish voice answered.
The doctor's hand reached over and covered the top, and the field of vision swayed slightly with his rubbing motion.
"I want to go out and play with the puppy." The childish voice said.
The doctor shook his head. "You're sick. Sick children shouldn't like puppies. It will harm you."
"The puppy doesn't bite."
"This has nothing to do with the puppy. Any strong emotional fluctuation won't help your condition. Here's a puzzle. Can you find the missing piece?"