Chapter Forty-Four: Daydream
Luxianbei murmured as she stood up, tightening her clothes, “What’s the point? I lost again? There’s something wrong with your betting setup. I’m not playing anymore!”
She had “lost” three rounds in the girl’s gambling match. From the girl’s excited and slightly flushed face, the eighty chips she “lost” were already enough for her to do what she wanted to do.
An ordinary man is innocent; possessing a precious jewel is a crime.
Those gamblers, thieves, and homeless people wandering the streets weren’t kind souls. If the girl held too many chips in her hands, it might instead bring her a fatal disaster.
The girl held the heavy chips in her small hands, dumbfoundedly watching Luxianbei leave, until her figure was about to disappear into the misty and dusty street. Suddenly, it seemed like she remembered something and hurriedly chased after her.
“Big sister, big sister! Wait a moment, wait a moment!”
Hearing the girl’s call, Luxianbei paused and turned around, looking at the girl in confusion with her head tilted.
What? Want to gamble again? If you gamble again, you won’t win! Luxianbei thought to herself.
The girl ran up to Luxianbei, hands on her knees, adjusted her breath, and then spoke in a low voice, “Big sister, did you, did you lose to me on purpose just now?”
“……”
No way! When did my acting skills become so poor that even this little girl could see through it easily? Luxianbei thought to herself.
Seeing that Luxianbei didn’t speak, the girl continued, “It’s okay if you don’t admit it, I understand. I’m really grateful for your help.”
“But, my dad says that you can’t receive favors for free. If you don’t repay, you’ll always feel indebted for life.”
“I don’t want to owe you, big sister, so could you tell me your name and address? I know I don’t have the ability right now, but in the future, I will definitely repay you.”
While speaking, the girl turned over the playing card she used to set up the gambling game and, along with a burned wooden stick, handed it to Luxianbei.
Luxianbei looked at the girl and saw the sincerity and stubbornness written all over her pale little face, as if there was a wonderful charm that was hard to refuse.
She didn’t want to destroy this wonderful charm, so after a brief silence, she picked up the stick and wrote down her address and name on the card.
[Wang Buliu, Happy Neighborhood in Huacheng]
Yes, Luxianbei didn’t write her real name or address.
Although she felt that the girl probably wouldn’t make a big deal out of it, what if someone saw it and found her home to create trouble? That would be terrible.
Over the years, there were indeed cases of criminals committing crimes based on information from delivery slips! Luxianbei thought.
The girl silently read the words on the card and looked at Luxianbei with a puzzled expression, “Big sister, your name… is it Wang, or Wang Bu, or Wang Buliu?”
“What is Huacheng? I’ve never heard of it. Can you take a train there? If so, which station should I get off at? Also, also…”
Luxianbei felt dizzy with the girl’s rapid-fire questions and impatiently interrupted her, “Stop! Are you part of a census team? Why are you asking so many questions?”
The girl was startled by Luxianbei’s gloomy expression and stepped back a few steps, hiding behind a streetlamp. Then she peeped her head out and said weakly, “Um… big sister, what’s a census?”
“……”
How can there be so many questions? Are you some sort of urban legend from ‘One Hundred Thousand Whys’? Looking at this, my time spent in the compulsory education system really is great!
Luxianbei silently complained in her heart, rolled her eyes, and coldly said, “You don’t need to know all this. If one day you really have the ability to repay me, you’ll know everything.”
“Then…” The girl opened her mouth, her expression anxious, “How can I gain the ability to repay you?”
Luxianbei had long anticipated that she would have such a question, so she had already prepared a harsh answer.
She looked into the girl’s eyes and said seriously, “Study!”
The girl froze for a moment, and when she came to her senses and looked at Luxianbei, she wanted to ask her something else but found that she had already disappeared into the smoky mist.
“Study…?”
Looking at the empty street, the girl muttered to herself.
Luxianbei hid in the shadows, observing the girl who seemed lost in thought from a distance. She shrugged and turned to head towards the grand and resplendent tower in the center of the city.
Now was not the time for a surge of sympathy.
If she continued to entangle with the girl, it would soon transition into the plot of sponsoring a poor girl from a remote urban legend gathering to attend university, Luxianbei thought.
————
After shaking off the girl, Luxianbei executed her movement technique, rushing towards Dream Come True Entertainment City, as the dimly lit city scenery rushed past her.
Wandering through this city seemingly ruled by eternal night, she felt like a nightingale flying low.
A nightingale with heavy thoughts…
After learning about the chips, the exchanges, and the Big Boss’s long-concocted scheme, she felt no sense of relief; instead, it felt like a heavy cloud loomed over her.
She hadn’t thought of solutions; she could easily use the large number of customers within the entertainment city to exchange chips at a slightly higher price, letting them go to the exchange point without any distinction, emptying the entertainment city in another way—impacting its normal operation and ultimately leading to its closure.
However, using the hands of customers to exchange chips, while they remained unaware and bore the misfortune, seemed too cruel.
Moreover, if she did that, the Big Boss might escape; who knows what he’d do next?
If the Old Destroyer were truly as unfortunate as the proxy player sister said, and had been trapped in this ghostly place for a long time, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to be mentally twisted.
What worried her more was that after helping Jiang Li exchange so much lifespan in the entertainment city, she had no idea what consequences it might bring.
What if the price of living for one hundred and fifty years was a hundred years of loneliness?
“d*mn it, I was just here to negotiate and find a way to close the routes leading to Huacheng. How did it turn into a confrontation with an old monster that has existed for who knows how long?”
After her thoughts became tangled a few times, Luxianbei cursed fiercely, a hint of dejection appearing between her brows.
Actually, now that I hold so many chips, I should have negotiating qualifications, right? Otherwise, should I just surrender?
Yes, as long as I close it down, the Big Boss can continue being his own emperor, Black Peony and Jade Palace Fairy can continue being their second emperors, and I can simply return to being a pawn. Isn’t that fine?
Even if they’re lurking around and spreading malicious worldly intentions, trying to escape would still be many years away, and by then, I might not even be alive. Why worry about this?
When problems reach a dead end, Luxianbei expertly chose the fastest solution—giving up!
“Tsk tsk, there’s no difficulty in the world if one is willing to give up. It really fits your style!”
A voice of unknown origin rang in her ears. Luxianbei subconsciously replied, “Who? Which brat is being strange?”
Suddenly, she realized that the bustling street had quieted down, leaving only the sound of fine raindrops patting on the metal lightboxes along the roadside, and the pedestrians had seemingly evaporated. The mist on the street thickened, and the dim lights exuded an inexplicable chill.
This place seemed to have turned into a corner abandoned by the world.
“This way, this way… d*mn it, how could I be in a trash can? You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”
Luxianbei followed the direction of the voice and stopped in front of a shop’s glass window.
The shop was too dark to tell what it sold; she could only see vague outlines of shelves. Dust covered the glass window, fogging it up.
Just as Luxianbei wondered if the voice came from inside the shop, a pale little hand suddenly slapped onto the glass, wiping it a few times, clearing a section the size of a mirror, reflecting her own face.
Then, the “her” in the glass suddenly grinned, startling Luxianbei into jumping back a step.
Though she considered herself a powerful ghost leader now, encountering such a scene still invoked a reflexive sense of fear.
“Tsk! We’ve known each other for so long, yet you still look like you’ve seen a ghost upon seeing me… Sorry, I forgot you don’t have expressions. But in this situation, shouldn’t you be happy to see me like you’ve seen a savior?”
After hearing the reflection of the proxy player sister speak, Luxianbei looked around and pointed at the glass window wide-eyed, “Are you… Proxy Player Sister? What the hell! You actually survived?”
The proxy player sister rolled her eyes and took a few steps forward, the glass window rippling like the surface of water, and she actually stepped out, standing beside Luxianbei with one hand on her shoulder.
“What are you talking about? I’ve been doing just fine!”
Luxianbei glanced at the hand on her shoulder, then looked at the proxy player sister’s profile, falling into silence.
Isn’t this just seeing a ghost?
In such a situation, meeting the proxy player sister gave Luxianbei an eerie feeling as if her paper character wife suddenly appeared in the real world.
Noticing Luxianbei’s thoughts, the proxy player sister patted her shoulder, “Don’t worry, this situation is just like when we met in a dream before, only…”
As she spoke, she turned her head to look around, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes. “It’s just that this ghostly place is somewhat similar to my side, so this time, it didn’t cause such a big commotion.”
The place she was in was similar to here? What place could that be? Luxianbei wondered, looking at the proxy player sister with a frown.
“So, does this mean I’m daydreaming right now?”
The proxy player sister shrugged, “Pretty much.”
“……”
Luxianbei remained silent, giving the proxy player sister a look that clearly said, “You really think I’m going to believe your nonsense.”
“Alright, are you staring at me to make me feel guilty? You know I don’t have a conscience.” The proxy player sister rolled her eyes at Luxianbei. “Also, you should know I’m not here to harm you.”
“I only hurried over when I heard someone’s thoughts loudly calling out, ‘I can’t hold on anymore! Let’s divide the luggage and go back to Gao Laozhuang!'”
Luxianbei, “……” This guy knows everything, like the tumor in my brain has come to life. I can’t let this guy stick around!
The proxy player sister pouted, “Really, how can a man easily say he can’t do it!?”
“Stop.” Luxianbei nearly punched the proxy player sister in the face. “Do I look like a man right now?”
“Oh, I didn’t think you’d adapt so quickly.” The proxy player sister replied, turning to look at the distant Dream Come True Entertainment City, narrowing her eyes and suddenly saying, “You really want to win against that guy, right?”
The topic suddenly turned to serious matters, and Luxianbei’s gaze sharpened. “Do you have a way?”
“Yes.” The proxy player sister nodded.
“What way?”
“Using a proxy player.”
Luxianbei examined the proxy player sister from head to toe, mimicking a gesture of slicing her throat, “You old lady, can you k*ll the Big Boss?”
Sacrificing ten years of lifespan to become a reckless player and k*ll an Old Destroyer doesn’t seem like a loss.
Maybe I could even get some legendary equipment! Luxianbei thought.
“What are you thinking? Of course not!” The proxy player sister rolled her eyes at her. “A diamond goalkeeper could never beat a king-level boss!”
Luxianbei shot back with an eye roll, “Tch! Speaking so straightforwardly, I thought you were like DIO!”
If spending ten years of lifespan doesn’t allow me to k*ll the Big Boss, that would be quite a loss… Luxianbei thought to herself.
“That’s not my fault!” The proxy player sister looked at Luxianbei with disdain and poked her chest, “It’s just that your hardware facilities are too poor, only allowing that level of performance.”
Luxianbei crossed her arms over her chest, stepping back in surprise. “Does fighting ability really relate to breast size? What the hell kind of setting is that? You can’t be serious!”
The proxy player sister sighed without a sound, “Honey, at a time like this, could we skip the trash talking?”
“Um… okay, you continue. Tell me your plan. Do you really have a way to win?”
“Of course!” A sly smile appeared on the proxy player sister’s face. “This little thing, I can handle it.”
“In short, to put it simply, just go for it and exchange!”
It could even let him help share a bit of your misfortune, the proxy player sister thought, looking at Luxianbei with a trace of melancholy in her eyes.
Tugging at the threads of fate and changing destiny is already great, but it’s not enough!
Fortunately, this time, she encountered a big sucker.
If I can’t beat him, can’t I just doom him? The proxy player sister thought.
“That’s fine, but…” Luxianbei said, looking towards the direction of Dream Come True Entertainment City, “Since we can exchange freely, I need to return to the entertainment city first to exchange some lifespan first.”
“After all, I don’t know how long I can live. What if I only have nine years, eleven months, and thirty days? Wouldn’t I just d*e right then and there? Even if I have a full ten years, at the moment the proxy ends, I still need to d*e, not to mention…”
Listening to Luxianbei ramble on, the proxy player sister gave her a blank stare and said softly, “Call me once you’re done exchanging.”
After that, her figure gradually faded, and with a gust of cold wind, she vanished like mist.
“… And even if I have some extra, how can you guarantee that I’ll spend exactly ten years? My opponent is the Big Boss; it’s always better to prepare a bit more, right? Hey? Where did you go?”
Just as Luxianbei was speaking, she suddenly noticed that the street in front of her had returned to normal, and out of nowhere, a dirty man had appeared, with one hand shoved in her jacket pocket.
“What the hell? Who are you?”
The man gulped, looking at her with a panicked expression, but seeing nothing, he wanted to pull his hand out but found his wrist had already been locked in by that strange coat. He could only weakly respond, “Stealing, stealing something?”
“Tsk!” Luxianbei spat, “I can’t stand you thieves, sneaking around without any guts!”
As she spoke, she raised her hand, conjuring a fiery red orb the size of a soccer ball, resting it against the man’s neck.
Feeling the incredible heat emanating from that crimson fireball, the man’s legs went weak, and he fell to his knees in front of Luxianbei, crying, “Don’t k*ll me! I won’t dare next time! I only thought of stealing because I saw you standing there motionless!”
With such a beautiful girl standing still on the street, you only thought of stealing money? Luxianbei rolled her eyes, “k*ll you?
“Now, robbery! Hand over all the chips you have!”
The man, “…”
————
One hour later, at Dream Come True Entertainment City, the exchange point on the third floor.
To be safe, Luxianbei exchanged a full fifty years of lifespan for backup for the proxy player sister before leaving the exchange point. She found a secluded spot and called out for the proxy player sister.
“Proxy player, proxy player, are you there?”
“Yes.”
A voice that sounded like a clear breeze passing through silver bells echoed in her ears, and the air seemed to resonate in a hollow, distant manner.
“It’s not my time to appear yet. You should continue winning chips and call me when you’re about to empty this entertainment city!”
“When will you come on stage?”
“When you’ve almost emptied the chips at the entertainment city and have enough to buy most things at the exchange point.”
“What the hell? Seriously?” Luxianbei exclaimed, “If I carry that many chips, I’ll be dead!”
“Tsk! It’s just a case of seeing some illusions, right? Don’t worry, you won’t d*e.” The proxy player sister said impatiently, “Alright, gotta go. Someone’s coming.”
Someone’s coming? Luxianbei was taken aback, turning around to see Ahua standing behind her with a suspicious look on her face, slightly twitching her nose. Then she turned to Jiang Li, who was walking towards them, and shouted, “Miss! I sense other women’s spirit energy fluctuations lingering on this guy!”
Luxianbei frowned, “Wait, how do you know it’s a woman?”
“Shut up, you d*mn cheating cat!”
Luxianbei rolled her eyes and glanced at Jiang Li, trying to establish a wordless connection, but was met with refusal.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Li said calmly, “Caught out with an affair? Sorry about that?”
“I don’t even have a girlfriend! What affair are you talking about?” Luxianbei cried in indignation.
“……”
Jiang Li fell silent and turned away, saying softly, “Alright, we’ve found the person. Let’s prepare to start the gambling game!”
