Chapter 20: Vestiges of a Wraith (Part 1/2) (1/2)
Chapter 20: Vestiges of a Wraith (Part 1/2)
The field of view slowly advanced forward on the projection within the car, containing within it an undulating and faint swaying gait. The distance to Luo Nan drew closer and closer.
Li Xuecheng became more and more mentally engrossed. His hand increased in strength, gripping Lian Yu’s hand to the point of causing pain. All the while, his mouth was jabbering on:
“Jie Yu, did you know? I loved playing these real life games since I was a kid. Virtual reality, sensory immersion, and the like... When compared to this they’re really lacking.
“This is a game that you truly control. Here there’s absolutely no one to interfere, no opposition at all. It doesn’t matter how exceptional the target is. At most he can only touch my puppet. He’s unable to touch the formless link weaved from money, so he’s even further unable to touch me. Looking at their helpless and anxious expression all the way until their thorough defeat, their collapse…… There’s nothing more amusing than this!”
Lian Yu’s legs were trembling subconsciously.
Today Li Xuecheng was too unfamiliar to behold. Previously this fellow was able to quite grasp the meaning of reputation no matter how petty he was. He absolutely wouldn’t have been this obsessed with a single person to perform a soliloquy…...
His entire character was now warped. It seems as though he had been stimulated into becoming mad from the intimidation and loss of consciousness as caused by Luo Nan yesterday.
Lian Yu was fully aware that it was fundamentally impossible to communicate with a lunatic. But the problem lied in the expression that Li Xuecheng was displaying. He had the look of incomparable anticipation; he was waiting for her response.
Her lips trembled slightly as she thought for quite a while. She managed to squeeze out some words: “Wouldn’t this activity attract too much attention? If everyone sees that he’s ambushed, then the withdrawal period……”
Li Xuecheng’s expression turned tender once more. He caressed Lian Yu’s knuckles lightly: “Think about it some more Jie Yu. I’m not that stupid. Right now we’re just getting a feel for the atmosphere. A good game will certainly have an excellent plot. A simple, rough plot is unacceptable. Come. Let’s watch together!”
Li Xuecheng had somewhat increased the force of his hand while he was talking. At first Lian Yu didn’t respond to it, but then her hand was pulled, awakening her. After a slight hesitation, she lifted her butt to sit up straight. Li Xuecheng was unable to wait any longer. He pulled her forcefully and she collided into his embrace.
Lian Yu let out a low cry, but she was already hugged in Li Xuecheng’s entire embrace. Luckily this lunatic’s energy wasn’t concentrated here. His chin dropped down to her shoulder and their faces stuck together. They continued observing the game, maintaining this intimate position.
The car’s AI detected that the two people were now sharing the same point of view. It enlarged the size of the projection in a humanlike manner. With the first person view as the maint support, with adding and calibrating the immersion function of contact lenses into the mix, the view of the scene was just as if they were there in person.
The receiving and recording equipment created a faithful reconstruction of the original environment of the locker room. The buzzing sound waves made Lian Yu become all the more distraught with anxiety.
Enrollment in Acumen College started in the seventh grade. They didn’t have fixed classrooms, instead they followed the western style of having an Elective Course System. Students were like livestock pheasants; they gathered together and dispersed apart randomly. And one of the most crowded and noisy gathering points of these students was the locker room. Everyday before class began, a great number of people flowed in and out. Countless rumors, slander, and sexual gossips flew up and down, rumbling like mosquitos. This was a time when it seemed the clamor would never stop.
Near Luo Nan’s locker was all students of the same year as Luo Nan. But as groups of people came and went, not a single person called out to say hello to Luo Nan.
“An invisible man.” Li Xuecheng completely controlled his state of mind as he observed Luo Nan’s actions. He laughed in delight, “Soon you’ll become famous!”
Just as mentioned previously, Li Xuecheng wasn’t willing to use an electric attack and inject drugs in a public place with several people. This was inconsistent with his expectations.
He had to patiently bide his time in order to deal with this fellow.
There wasn’t just one person acting as a hired puppet for Li Xuecheng. The circle of rich kids was wide and vast, filled with friends. Li Xuecheng didn’t care for the price, so the forces he could mobilize were quite significant.
Luo Nan finished changing clothes and carried his old clothes to leave, probably to take to the laundry room. As soon as he moved, four or five people caught up to him in succession from the surrounding chaotic stream of people.
A small map was on the upper left corner of the projection, just like that of a typical game. The surrounding structures and rooms were obtained and displayed with the current room. Li Xuecheng spirits were exuberant as he selected the location and method:
“What do you think? Should I shove his face into the urinal? Or should I use the jet shower to spray his ass? Or should I just stuff him in a trash can?”