Chapter 1: Dreamland (14)
==============================
In a cramped private room, a pale, n*ked woman was pinned to the table by a man.
Anyone who saw this scene would immediately think the man was up to no good with her.
So, Lin Nan sensibly raised his hands, ready for the cold handcuffs from the police officers.
But just at that moment, he was stunned by what was happening before his eyes.
Because the police had their guns pointed at the n*ked woman, not him.
Lin Nan thought he was seeing things until two female officers came in, draped a blanket over the girl, and took her away. He was still in a daze.
He was taken back to the police station for questioning.
The officers explained that the female server was actually the mistress of a drug lord. She had been controlling the drug trade in three nearby streets. Because of her elusive identity, even after the police dismantled the drug trafficking chain, they had never managed to catch the mastermind.
Upon receiving the tip-off, they suspected the situation was more than meets the eye—no one in their right mind would dare to act so brazenly in downtown, right?
So they quickly checked the girl’s identity and discovered she was none other than the suspect they had been hunting.
They immediately sent extra personnel to the scene at lightning speed.
And just as their investigation suggested, the girl was indeed the criminal suspect.
“Comrade! Your brave act of heroism deserves our utmost recognition!”
The questioning finally came to an end.
They didn’t even ask him why he was in the teahouse or who the young people with him were, as if all their attention had been hijacked by the arrested suspect and everything else was insignificant.
Hey, how about asking her why she was n*ked?
You can’t just strip her of all her rights because she’s a suspect!
When Lin Nan finally mustered the courage to voice his questions, the police officers chuckled.
“We know you’re a great author, surely you were doing field research, right? Off you go now; don’t let your family worry.”
As he stumbled out of the police station, the sun was blazing down on him, as if he were about to be melted like a popsicle.
Was this just a coincidence?
He didn’t know.
But what he did know was that once he got home, this entire area would immediately fall into a standstill, like a giant pause button had been pressed.
Lin Nan called Shiyuan.
“Lin, are you okay?”
“By the way, how did you know I’d be fine?”
He recalled Shiyuan even encouraging him to take out that girl right there and then.
“If you don’t believe it, you can try again. No matter what you do, this world will always show you the greatest kindness.”
“Alright then.”
Lin Nan hung up.
He looked around the police station and spotted a small supermarket not too far away.
If he barged in and robbed the place now, he was sure that in a minute, the place would be swarmed with cops.
Robbery charges, heh, at the very least he’d get ten to twenty years, right?
He was just about to act, but then the images of his wife and daughter flashed through his mind.
Especially his cute daughter, who looked up to him as a role model. What would her expression be if she found out her father was going to prison for robbery? How would they cope with the strange looks from others?
Not to mention, Wang Xue had dedicated so many years to supporting him, even sacrificing her own career.
Could he really bear to see his wife and daughter cry?
……
Maybe he should just head home and think it over?
But then he recalled the so-called truth about the world from that little wooden carving he saw. He really couldn’t imagine such an immense world having only a few real people like him, Wang Xue, and Shiyuan while the rest existed just to fill the space.
If this were a virtual reality game, then the three of them were the players, and everyone else were NPCs.
So, the real question was: how could he prove he was in reality and not virtual?
Just like Shiyuan said on the phone, he needed to keep trying, keep touching the limits of this world.
He shook his head vigorously, trying to push those images of his wife and daughter from his mind.
Lin Nan entered the supermarket, grabbed a fruit kn*fe, and shouted at the cashier, “Hurry, hand over all the money, or I’ll stab you!”
The cashier quickly raised his hands, terrified, and replied, “Dude, we only do electronic payments! I’ve got only a few bucks here. Want me to get it for you?”
Lin Nan understood the law—robbing a million or a single dollar meant the same thing.
“Just hand over the cash; I’ve got places to be!”
“Just a second!”
The cashier quickly pulled out some crinkled bills from the register. “This is all I have.”
Lin Nan gave him a look, “Why aren’t you calling the cops?”
The cashier grimaced, “With you pointing that kn*fe at me? No way I’m calling the cops!”
Lin Nan sheathed the kn*fe and shouted, “Call the cops!”
The cashier shrugged, “I’m too scared! You could pull that kn*fe out anytime!”
Lin Nan immediately tossed the kn*fe to him, “Now can you call them?!”
The cashier picked up the kn*fe and suddenly turned into a tough guy. “Then get the hell out of here! Take the money and scram! You’re useless!”
“Wait, you still haven’t called the cops!”
“Call?! You crazy?! Just take your cash and get lost!”
This guy didn’t seem like a seasoned criminal—more like someone desperate for a way into prison to have a meal or two.
Fine, let him have that few bucks; hopefully, he’ll manage for a bit longer instead of choosing the wrong path.
Lin Nan was kicked out of the supermarket, clutching the bills, utterly puzzled.
What the heck is going on?
Is it really that hard to just get back into the police station?
Wait, he mentioned the supermarket had surveillance cameras. Can’t I just turn myself in?
He dashed back to the police station, yelling, “I want to turn myself in! I want to confess!”
A couple of guards rushed out and blocked him at the door. “Come back another day to confess!”
“Hey, what kind of nonsense is that? I want to confess and you tell me to come back?”
One guard pointed towards the reception area. “Take a look for yourself.”
Lin Nan glanced over and saw the reception area packed with people. “What the heck? Even self-confessions are so crowded today?”
The guard shrugged, “Can’t help it. We just busted a telecom fraud ring! A lot of suspects involved, so we’re handling self-confessions for telecom fraud these days.”
Lin Nan quickly said, “Right, right, I’m here to confess for telecom fraud!”
“Get outta here! You don’t even sound like one! Don’t make trouble for us; just scram!”
Lin Nan wandered back to the roadside in confusion.
Does he really have to commit some serious crime to truly touch the limits of this world?
No… he absolutely can’t do that!
How can he randomly harm innocent people who have no beef with him? Even if they’re NPCs in the game, they don’t deserve to d*e!
Just then, a sharp screech blasted through the air.
Lin Nan looked up to see four or five medics in protective gear and goggles jump out of a van, rushing over to surround him.
……
P.S.: Three updates today!
