It's quite rare to see a character and identity both being a player. However, the character's quest is "to become someone unforgettable." Does this character feel they aren't famous enough and want to be more distinctive, ideally leaving a lasting impression?
With that in mind, Ren Yifei took out his resume.
The character, Zhong Lan, is a typical product of a business-political marriage. His mother is the sister of an official, and his father is a rich second-generation. After he was born, his parents' marriage was in name only, and he was raised by his always serious grandfather.
Because of her family background, Zhong Lan has always been a serious person and has always followed the established path until she graduated and took over the family business.
Based on the information, he is a well-behaved and obedient child, and his serious and indifferent appearance is just a protective shield.
If nothing unexpected happened, his future would have been to find a wife of equal social standing, have children, and inherit his business. And he had indeed reached that stage, currently preparing for a marriage alliance with the daughter of a wealthy conglomerate, but then the unexpected occurred.
Oh, this unexpected event doesn't refer to him suddenly having a 'cold CEO falls in love with me' love story with someone, but rather to the 'little game' incident.
The aloof CEO, focused solely on work, had no interest in romance and had barely ever played games. But somehow, he clicked on something and found himself in the world of 'mini-games.' He didn't survive a single round after that.
Zhong Lan knows a lot, and he could pass other games, but the first mini-game was related to Qing Dynasty customs, which happened to be his weakness.
As he approached death, he reviewed his past and realized how pale his life had been. If he died, apart from his grandfather who might miss him (or perhaps not, because for his grandfather, the family business was more important than his grandson, and besides, he had more than one grandson), everyone else would quickly forget him, including his parents.
He never lived for himself; all his choices were given to him by others.
Others' understanding of him was also so superficial: although he was good-looking and had decent abilities, he was a very boring person, like a puppet on stage that someone had pushed out.
"If there is an afterlife, I want to be someone who cannot be forgotten, and do what I truly want to do." This was his wish before he died.
This resume even includes a 'will'?
It's rare to encounter such an 'ordinary' character with no hidden identity, yet she is unforgettable... Everyone has undiscovered charm, and Zhong Lan is no exception.
Some people's charm is like a peacock's tail, intense and dazzling; others' charm is like a lily in a deep valley, quietly blooming. Being overlooked doesn't mean lacking charm or being easily forgotten.
Perhaps he has some misunderstanding about himself, Ren Yifei thought.
"Hmm?" A text message came in on his phone, signed 'Old Hu'. He gave a number and said it was a small gaming group and wanted to add him to it.
Ren Yifei wasn't in a hurry to join the group; instead, he opened the app for the mini-game.
Player: Zhong Lan
Level: lv.1
Points: 6
These are the three fixed pieces of information. In addition to these, there are several more pieces of information below.
The next game will start at 10 PM.
Next game hint: 8x8
Outside of game hours, players must not disclose the existence of the game to any non-players; otherwise, they will be eliminated.
You can send an invitation code to non-players within ten minutes before the game starts. After a successful invitation, you will receive one exemption opportunity.
He stared at the last piece of information for a long time. He remembered that the resume said that the original owner had entered the game world after touching something.
Given this well-behaved child's personality, he shouldn't be using VPNs or browsing spam websites.
Is it possible that he was scammed?
Thinking of this, Ren Yifei immediately opened several messaging apps to see who had contacted him recently. He even checked his email, looking at the emails he had recently opened.
He woke up in the carriage at 9:30 a.m., and he glanced at his watch and was sure it was that time.
However, looking at the records, it appears that no one was contacted intentionally at this time, nor was the email opened.
"Does that invitation code disappear after I view it?"
He kept this suspicion to himself and continued reading.
"64? No, it specifically points out 'multiplied'... or does this symbol have some meaning?" After thinking for a long time without figuring it out, Ren Yifei decided to seek help from the all-knowing netizens.
It doesn't say that you can't reveal the existence of the game to non-players, but it also doesn't say that you can't show some information to ask for help.
Ren Yifei, who is good at playing word games, took out a protective item and then typed: 8×8. What do you think of when you see this?
One second, two seconds, three seconds passed, nothing happened. He put away the prop amulet, reached up to touch his forehead, and found that he was sweating a little. It turned out that he was nervous too.
"An eight-wheeled armored vehicle?"
"rubik's cube?"
The knowledge exchange forum quickly saw messages appear, and the high rewards set by Ren Yifei attracted many people.
But after waiting for a while, there was no answer that could provoke him further. Everyone's guesses were varied, but none of them had an overwhelming advantage.
"If online friends can't help, could veteran players offer some assistance?" Thinking this over, he decided to join that player group, using the codename 'Workaholic'. The group had a notice: Players are welcome to exchange ideas.
Welcome to the newcomer!
"Hey, looks like a young man is coming."
As soon as he entered, a bunch of bubbles appeared, all saying "Welcome, newcomer!" Ren Yifei took the opportunity to send a five-figure red envelope, which was snatched up in three seconds.
群里大约有二十 多人,他不确定二十多人占总数的几分之几,他们又各自身处游戏的哪个层次.
After much deliberation, he did not rush to ask for help. Instead, he turned off his phone and pondered, trying to connect the broken timelines to find out why the original owner entered the mini-game and explore the opportunity for the existence of this infinite world.
Their car stopped for a second at the entrance of an upscale residential area before driving smoothly into the villa district.
It was past ten o'clock, but the streets were still brightly lit. Moreover, these lights only illuminated the driveway, and the rest of the light was blocked by the tall trees on both sides, so it wouldn't disturb the residents on either side.
The driveway is lined with villas, each surrounded by neat, tall trees, so that they cannot be seen from one another, only the brick walls are vaguely visible.
These villas have similar basic designs, but their interior decorations are completely different, and they are also far apart from each other, so they don't feel crowded.
"Boss, we've arrived." The driver's voice rang out shortly after. The partition between the front and back seats slowly lowered, and Ren Yifei looked out. The first thing he saw was a courtyard filled with roses, and the balcony above was also lush with flowers and plants, including deep purple spider plants.
The car stopped in front of a very luxurious villa. As soon as it stopped, a security guard ran over and opened the car door for him: "Young Master, you're back."
"..." This form of address made Ren Yifei uncomfortable.
Ren Yifei assumed that young people of this age would all live alone, but when he went inside, he saw an old man. Although he was old, his eyes were very bright and he had an imposing presence.
"Grandpa." Ren Yifei could tell at first glance that this old man was the true master of the house, so there was no need to ask who he was.
"Hmm, you're back? There's soup simmering in the kitchen."
After the old man spoke, the whole house seemed to turn on a switch. People went to the kitchen, pushed the old man's wheelchair over... everyone quietly went about their work.
Ren Yifei had originally been trying to figure out how the original owner behaved at home, wondering if being a little more enthusiastic would be more appropriate. But now he realized that being taciturn was actually the most suitable.
But does this family actually have the habit of eating late-night snacks after 10 PM? He thought that wealthy people who pay attention to health wouldn't eat anything after 9 PM.
"Young Master." A woman in a dark dress walked over, her movements indicating she was taking the coat from his hand. Ren Yifei handed him the coat, feeling somewhat awkward; he really didn't like having too many strangers in the room.
Even though these people are well-trained, they managed to create an effect of complete silence in a room with a dozen or so people, as if you could hear a pin drop.
The old man didn't speak after that, nor did he open his mouth. He just looked at the expressions of the people around him, as if this was normal.
If the original owner grew up in this kind of environment, then it's quite normal for him to become so cold and aloof.
At the long, square table, the old man sat at the head of the table, with Ren Yifei's seat to his left. Since the tableware was already placed there, he didn't need to look for it.
As he walked over, the servants moved the chair away. Every movement was so practiced, as if it had been done hundreds or thousands of times.
A moment later, the soup was served. There were only two people in the house, yet the soup in front of them was different. The old man had millet porridge, easy to digest and absorb. The other man had mushroom soup; it was unclear whether this was the original owner's preference or the old man's.
"Remember to invite Miss An out for dinner tomorrow night."
Miss An is the blind date mentioned in the resume; the two are a good match.
Ren Yifei paused, his hand still holding the food in his chopsticks: "I have something to do tomorrow."
"I asked your assistant, and there are no plans for tomorrow night." The old man continued to explain his arrangements. "It's not like you can just meet once and make a deal. If you don't have that intention, we, as elders, won't force you. After all, it's about marriage, not enmity."
Now that things have come to this point, it wouldn't be in the original owner's character to refuse again, so Ren Yifei softly replied, "I'll have someone make the arrangements."
The old man looked up at him and sighed, "You're so businesslike, no wonder girls don't like you. You should always pick out a gift yourself, or give her a bouquet of flowers. This is your future wife, you should respect her."
Ren Yifei: "..." Silence.
He was rhythmically stirring the soup with a ladle, back and forth, to cool it down, without the ladle ever touching the side of the bowl. Since he didn't know the family's dining etiquette, he simply used everything he had learned.
This is why he doesn't like living with others; suddenly there are too many restrictions.
The old man ate a bowl of soup for more than ten minutes before stopping his spoon, and Ren Yifei also put down his spoon.
"If you really don't have time, have Xiao Wei bring over the gift list, and you can pick one." The old man glanced at him, and although his gaze was ordinary, Ren Yifei could still sense the 'disappointment' in his eyes.
"..." No, you've been thinking about this over the course of a meal?
Looking at the time, it was almost eleven o'clock. The old man's wheelchair was pushed into a small elevator and went up to the third floor. Ren Yifei took the stairs.
He had no idea which floor or room the original owner lived in. He had originally wanted to check the floor for any traces to help him find his way, but the floor was spotless and there was nothing there.
This is awkward. I've almost reached the second floor. How am I supposed to explain that I forgot my room number?
Although Ren Yifei wished for a timely reminder, reality was cruel. The servants were all there, but none of them came forward to give him a hint, and they had already reached the second floor.
Left or right? Second floor or third floor?
This is a question that could cost you your life.
He paused for a second, pretended to feel his phone vibrate in his pocket, glanced down at his pants, and then casually pulled out his phone. With a cold, document-reading expression, he swiped his fingers up and down, searching for clues.
"Xiao Wei" is a name the old man mentioned before. He might be the assistant, and perhaps the other party can provide some information.
He quickly found "Xiao Wei," who was indeed his assistant. His communications were filled with trivial matters from the company, with not a single thing related to his personal life. Let alone anything like his private residence or room number.
He lingered at the top of the stairs on the second floor for so long that he could feel people looking down at him.
Help! Does anyone want to talk about their private life?
Ren Yifei had a tense expression, looking like a corp
orate slave whose rest time was taken up by work and who was dealing with official business, but his heart was constantly on SOS: Save the children.
Author's Note: Afei: Pills.