Chapter 41: A Friend in Need
“So, Brother Feng, you gotta help me out!”
Wang Xinghao clung to Xu Xiaofeng’s arm like a stubborn toddler, almost dropping to his knees.
A big guy harassing a pretty girl at the Dongda University gate drew a lot of disapproving glances from passing students.
Xu Xiaoyue had wisely created some distance, pretending to admire the scenery.
Xu Xiaofeng noticed the weird stares immediately and took a step back, only to find his hand firmly held. No escape from this one!
“Fatty, can we talk like civilized humans? It’s not Chinese New Year or anything, so no need for all this drama!”
“Brother Feng, you’re my savior! I’m in dire need of help for my college life!”
“Fine, fine, calm down! Let’s step aside and discuss this properly, okay?”
Xu Xiaofeng realized this old buddy had been waiting for him at the gate all morning, probably just waiting to set a trap!
The thing is, while Fat Wang had thick skin—being the second son in his family meant no one expected greatness from him; he could just spend his parents’ money in peace—Xu Xiaofeng was a different story. He was kind of a big deal at school, and his skin was definitely not that thick.
Ugh! Poor choices in friendships!
Soon enough, they found a less crowded spot, and the conversation continued.
“Brother Feng, you promised! You can’t back out now!”
“Alright, alright, a man’s word is his bond. Now spill the beans.”
Xu Xiaofeng let out a helpless sigh and perched himself on the curb that Wang Xinghao had just dusted off.
“Brother Feng, you know my grades are terrible. Getting into Dongda was a buy-in at an international program. Since then, I’ve hardly cared about studying. So…”
“So you want to switch to that so-called ‘Game Major’?”
“Exactly! With my current situation, failing multiple courses in the first year is a real possibility. This new major could be my ticket!”
“But haven’t you heard that the plan is still being worked out?”
“No, but I’m confident!” Wang Xinghao flashed a smirk so bright it could blind you.
“But, I mean, I play games, and my teammates are always so bad. Only you, Brother Feng, can really help me out.”
“Help you out, huh? Alright, I’m out!”
“Hey! Wait! Brother Feng, I need a hand! I’m a total newbie here!”
Why didn’t he say this sooner? Was it hard to just admit he was terrible at gaming?
“So listen, Brother Feng, you really need to play the game. I’ll cover all the equipment as payment, and if you need anything else later, just ask!”
Xu Xiaofeng thought for a moment and finally shook his head. “Forget it. Just add me as a friend. My ID is xxxxxxxxxxx.”
“Eh? Didn’t you say yesterday…”
“Didn’t I tell you that your bait tactics scared me?”
“Come on, man! I’m being sincere, and you’re being all sneaky?”
“Got a problem with that? And what’s with you blocking my way for two days?”
“No, no, no problems at all! Just proving that Brother Feng is the careful one!”
“Alright, we’re done here. Now scram!” Xu Xiaofeng stood up and kicked Wang Xinghao in the leg. “If you block me again tomorrow, we’re done!”
Wang Xinghao gave a salute. “Understood! Take care, Brother Feng!”
Xu Xiaofeng walked over to Xu Xiaoyue, signaling that they could leave.
“Sort it out?”
“Yeah, got stuck dealing with him; my future feels pretty dim right now. What a pain!”
It was Monday, and the school schedule was packed. Thankfully, the last class ended at 4:20, so he still had time to game before returning home.
What? Someone asked about homework?
Who writes their homework in the same class week after week, or just copies it?
Xu Xiaofeng rushed home, quickly leaving Xu Xiaoyue in the dust.
What use was a sister if gaming was at stake?
He zipped back home, dashed into his room, and logged on.
Once in the game, he started mulling over the day’s events.
This kind of thing had happened multiple times before; it felt like some unseen force was pushing him to log on faster. Or maybe it was just that his thoughts flowed better in-game.
According to Wang Xinghao, that so-called “Game Major” at universities was practically a done deal.
No, not “Game Major,” more like “Otherworld Major.”
With college students as the main players in “Otherworld,” transforming their hobby into a major would definitely generate tremendous interest. Implementing it should face minimal resistance.
But what was the point of such a major?
Developing games? Unlikely.
So it would likely be based on existing games, essentially learning or exploring.
If one viewed “Otherworld” as a world, it would be somewhat akin to exploration or archaeology.
Suddenly, Xu Xiaofeng had a lightbulb moment and recalled his experiences from the previous day.
There’s also the possibility of martial arts! Or sports!
But these were just guesses; he had no way to confirm anything. Maybe he didn’t guess the purpose at all, or maybe it could be all of them?
Regardless of the purpose, one thing was clear—he needed to level up and get stronger.
“Looks like it’s time to move on to the next step.”
Xu Xiaofeng sorted out his thoughts and quickly got ready.
Then, he headed to Edward’s house and knocked on the door.
“Is Uncle home?”
The door swung open to reveal Frieda. “Hey, kiddo, come on in! He’s in the living room.”
“Good morning, Auntie! I need to talk to Uncle about something.”
Xu Xiaofeng flashed a bright smile at Frieda.
She felt a certain closeness to this aunt. After all, she had received much care from her, not to mention the precious Life Stone she’d given her later.
“Morning! Go ahead!”
Xu Xiaofeng quickly entered the living room and saw Edward sipping tea.
As she walked over to greet him, she suddenly caught a whiff of something unusual.
Her nose twitched as she sniffed, “What’s that smell? I feel like I’ve smelled it somewhere before.”
“Smell? What smell?” Edward started sniffing around but detected nothing.
“Uncle, did you do anything unusual yesterday?”
At this, Edward’s heart skipped a beat, but he maintained his cool demeanor. “Oh, I just returned from a trip. Didn’t do anything else.”
“Oh. Must be from the wilderness, then! I thought I caught a whiff of it outside yesterday too.”
Xu Xiaofeng shrugged, brushing it off.
Not knowing what the smell was, she figured it was just some mysterious thing from the wild.
If she asked her ever-knowledgeable Sister Tong, she’d probably get a “please explore it yourself” response. But she wasn’t one to ask about trivial matters.
“Frieda, do I smell like anything?”
“Nothing at all.”
“Strange… how come the kid can smell it?”
“Alright, alright, enough about smells! I came today to ask Uncle Edward to take me to the Imperial Capital. I mentioned it last time too.”
She was here for serious business, not sniffing around for what someone else might smell like!
