Chapter 5

Thursday afternoon is Zhang Heng's legally designated daydreaming time.

At this time every week, he usually doesn't schedule any work for himself but instead finds a place he likes to waste his time.

This place can be a park, a temple, a museum... or, as it is now, a maid café.

Without considering other factors, the latter is clearly the winner in terms of visual appeal.

So this is also the place Zhang Heng goes to daydream the most.

"One Cup of Forbidden Love, and a plate of Big Brother Can't Do It Today, please," Zhang Heng seriously ordered something he didn't even know what it was.

"Sure, Master, please wait a moment," the small maid with cat ears crossed her hands, holding the tray in front of her chest, and said in a gentle tone.

Professional! Zhang Heng gave a thumbs up in his heart. The maids in this shop are all part-time college students from nearby schools, and they have a great reputation in the otaku community.

In contrast, the owner of the maid café on Chunxi Road is very insincere, hiring a bunch of aunts in their thirties and forties to fill in. It's said that when there weren't enough people, he even tried to step in himself, using his thick leg hair to torment the nerves of every customer in the shop. It's more like torture than dining there.

While waiting for his meal, Zhang Heng casually picked up a copy of "Food Wars" from the nearby shelf. He had just flipped through a couple of pages when a voice came from behind him.

"Pity, I still prefer his earlier works."

Zhang Heng looked up and found that a stranger had appeared opposite him. It was a short old man wearing a Tang suit but also a small hat and a tie. This mismatched and bizarre outfit made him look very strange.

The eyes of the maid café were immediately drawn to him.

Zhang Heng raised an eyebrow, "Zuo Bo Jun? He used to be a [beep] manga artist."

"Then my memory hasn't deceived me," the old man grinned, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth, "How has the past month been, Zhang Heng? Are you satisfied with my little gift? Don't worry, the thing you're worried about doesn't exist. These 24 hours are an extra gift and won't be deducted from your life."

"Did you do something to me?" Admittedly, the other party's opening words successfully caught Zhang Heng's attention.

"It's not easy for me to do such things now, but since you're someone I value, I have to give you a little gift, right?" The old man reached out and grabbed the Forbidden Love directly from the tray, startling the small maid who had just walked over. She looked at Zhang Heng, asking with her eyes if she should call the police.

Zhang Heng gently shook his head.

"I won't take advantage of you. After we finish talking, you can still drink your drink," the old man mumbled something incomprehensible, then said seriously, "Now, let's get to the point. I'm quite satisfied with your performance this month. Since the trial period is over, it's time to discuss the conditions for your official position."

"Conditions for the official position?"

"Yes, in short, I need you to help me win a game. The game itself will bring you rich rewards, and in addition, you can continue to use the little gift I gave you."

Seeing that Zhang Heng seemed to want to say something, the old man waved his hand, "I know your family situation. Money isn't much of a temptation to you, and with this ability, making money is easy. But believe me, the game will bring you something far beyond your imagination."

"What game?" Zhang Heng asked.

"In the distant past, we used war to resolve disputes. It was simple and effective. Oh, I miss those bloody and beautiful old times. But times have changed, and a civilized society shouldn't use those barbaric and primitive methods, right?"

The old man drank the entire cup of Forbidden Love in one go, "So now we use games to decide the winner. After all, the one sitting on the throne is that annoying guy. Due to those ancient agreements, I can't reveal the content of the game to you in advance. Strictly speaking, this meeting is also forbidden, but don't worry, I can handle this small trouble."

"Since this game is so important, why don't you participate yourself?"

"As I said before, due to certain ancient agreements, we can't participate personally. You are like my agent. I'm betting on you. If you win, I win; if you lose, I lose. We're like two ants on the same string. But my luck hasn't been good lately, and my rankings in the recent games haven't been good."

The old man sighed, "As you can see, I'm getting weaker and weaker. So this time, I decided to place my bet early, even though the risk is also high. After all, you might be eliminated halfway."

"Who are you, really?"

Zhang Heng's "Big Brother Can't Do It Today" was also served, a plate of slightly burnt cookies with a suspicious color.

"For now, you can consider me your investor and partner. As for the future, I can only tell you one thing: the longer you persist in this game, the closer you will get to the truth of this world. We don't have much time, so tell me your answer now."

Zhang Heng looked into the old man's eyes. The long, seemingly middle-school-like speech just now matched the atmosphere of the maid café quite well. However, just by being able to call out Zhang Heng's name and knowing everything about him, this comically dressed man was probably not joking. And Zhang Heng had to admit that the little gift the other party gave him was indeed very useful.

This made him interested in the game the other party mentioned. So after a moment, Zhang Heng spoke, "It sounds interesting. How do I participate?"

"Very simple, let me see which game point is closest to your school..." The old man took out a Xiaomi phone from his Tang suit pocket, opened Baidu Maps, and tapped a few times, "Desire City Bar, Game Point 137, at 11 PM tonight. You won't regret your decision."

"Oh, almost forgot," the old man extended his hand, "The last step, seal the alliance. After shaking hands, you're mine."

"Please don't use such ambiguous and terrible phrases. I'm already regretting it," Zhang Heng also extended his right hand.

Their hands met, and Zhang Heng felt he was touching a cold, hard rock.

The old man looked quite pleased, "Be careful of the other guys' agents, but in the early stages of the game, you probably won't run into them. Also, no matter what happens, prioritize your survival."

"Wait, can people really die in this game?" Zhang Heng's eyelids twitched.

"No, just die in the game. In reality, it's more accurate to say they disappear. Not only will their bodies vanish, but all memories related to them will also disappear, as if they never existed. I know someone who is particularly good at this," the old man said in a casual tone, as if reminding someone to buy salt on the way out.

"......"

Zhang Heng wanted to say something, but his eyes suddenly felt dizzy. The next moment, the old man was gone from his sight.

Not far away, the small maid was holding a cup of deep red drink, walking quickly toward him, smiling and showing two cute little fangs.

"Master, here's your Forbidden Love. Please enjoy~"