Chapter 1

"You say you're a comedian, how can you be so gloomy every day? You need to perk up!"

In the outer district of Xinhu City, in an old goods store called "Next Life," an old man was comforting the store's only customer.

"Our whole family loves watching your shows; we're all your fans. If we don't watch your show while eating, the food doesn't taste as good."

The old man chattered on for a while before the young man standing in the corner of the store slowly turned around.

He looked to be in his twenties, dressed casually, with messy hair. He wasn't particularly handsome, but he had a certain melancholic aura: "The show I was part of has been canceled, and I was fired by the company three days ago."

"It's okay, you're such a good actor. We can always find work in a production team."

The store owner was very enthusiastic, but the young man just shook his head and didn't continue the conversation: "Boss, I've played almost all the second-hand games you have. Have you gotten any new ones recently?"

"There are some, but given your current situation, I suggest you don't play overly stimulating or violent games." The store owner took out a black box from the bottom of the counter. The box, made of unknown material, was very heavy: "Have you ever tried a healing game?"

"A healing game?"

"It's a game with a warm and cozy atmosphere, soothing music, and heartwarming plots that capture many beautiful moments in life, bringing positive energy." The store owner opened the black box and took out a somewhat worn second-hand game helmet: "Technology is advancing, but the feeling of happiness and joy is becoming rarer. Young people today face various pressures. A good healing game can relax the mind and warm the heart. I think you should try it."

The young man hesitated for a moment before finally nodding: "Boss, what's the name of this game?"

"Perfect Life."

...

After paying, Han Fei put on a mask and pulled down his cap before leaving the old goods store with the game helmet. He did this not because he was worried about being recognized, but simply because he didn't want to interact with others.

Back in his rental apartment, Han Fei gradually relaxed. He turned on the TV and randomly switched to a channel, then went to the bathroom and washed his face with cold water.

After graduating from Xinhu Film and Television Academy, he worked very hard every day, determined to become a comedian who could bring laughter to everyone.

But sometimes, hard work doesn't always pay off. Without any background, he worked very hard, moving from behind the scenes to the front, finally getting a chance to appear on screen, but was eventually pushed out of the company for some reason.

Water droplets slid down his cheeks as Han Fei looked at himself in the mirror, his hands pulling at the corners of his mouth, trying to force a smile.

He tried to make others laugh every day, but one day, he realized he couldn't laugh anymore.

He sighed softly and tore off several pieces of paper stuck above the mirror. The papers were densely covered with the same sentence: "The best actor is the you in real life."

Leaving the bathroom, Han Fei went to his desk and began to examine the game helmet on it.

He had heard about "Perfect Life" a long time ago. It was said to be a deep immersive virtual reality game jointly developed by Deep Space Technology and Eternal Pharmaceuticals, the first game in the world to simulate real touch, taste, and smell, claiming to be the ultimate form of games. Theoretically, if a player had no material desires, they could live in it forever.

It sounded impressive, but with the backing of two tech giants, Deep Space Technology and Eternal Pharmaceuticals, even the most impressive things could become reality. After all, with the advent of the smart revolution and the biotech revolution, these two tech giants had already created many miracles.

The game had already sparked controversy when it was first proposed. Deep Space Technology, a giant in the aerospace, artificial intelligence, and communications industries, had always been focused on cutting-edge technology research aimed at colonizing outer space. Eternal Pharmaceuticals, on the other hand, was a behemoth in the fields of biotechnology and human neural engineering, aiming to unravel the ultimate mysteries of life.

Two international top-tier companies with no connection to the gaming industry were willing to invest a large amount of resources into developing a game, and many industry insiders couldn't understand their motives.

Online reviews of "Perfect Life" were mixed. Some people thought the game's focus on warmth and healing allowed players to experience and simulate various lives, making it an artificially created paradise where they could achieve all their dreams in a virtual city.

Others said that the game, with its lack of moral and ethical constraints, would completely corrupt human nature.

In fact, since the first test of "Perfect Life," departments related to law and ethics had already been stationed at Deep Space Technology.

Other games usually invite experienced players and professional reviewers for internal testing, but the testers for this game were mostly government officials.

This alone showed the game's uniqueness.

Han Fei was trying a deep immersive virtual reality game for the first time. To be safe, he searched for a lot of information about "Perfect Life" online.

With the involvement and supervision of relevant departments, "Perfect Life" had already undergone five internal tests and three major revisions. The sixth internal test was scheduled for midnight tonight, and if everything went smoothly, this would be the last test before the public beta.

"The game hasn't been publicly tested yet. How did the old man at the old goods store get the game helmet? Does he have some internal channel? Also, I read online that 'Perfect Life' doesn't sell game helmets; they developed something called a space game pod, which costs twenty times as much as a regular game helmet."

After much thought, Han Fei felt he might have been scammed. The game included with the helmet might just be a knockoff with the same name as "Perfect Life."

But since he had already bought it, Han Fei decided to give it a try.

He connected all the wires and, seeing the indicator light turn on, put the game helmet on his head.

His vision was blocked, and darkness enveloped everything. Han Fei felt as if he had been thrown into a black sea.

He couldn't see anything, but his ears could still hear the news broadcast from the TV.

"December 31st news: The construction of the smart city in Xinhu is nearing completion. The fully automated, interconnected smart city will be a milestone in human history."

"December 31st news: Anti-monopoly investigations into Deep Space Technology have been restarted in multiple countries."

"December 31st news: To protect the welfare of citizens, our government has decided to increase investment in education and technology, unlocking more high-tech industries and cultivating more high-quality talent."

"December 31st news: A serious fire broke out on the antique street in the outer district of Xinhu City, destroying several old goods stores. The possibility of arson cannot be ruled out."

The sounds in his ears grew fainter, and at a certain moment, Han Fei's world suddenly turned blood red.

Strange sounds began to come from inside the game helmet. Han Fei instinctively felt uneasy and was about to take off the helmet when a sharp pain shot through the back of his head, as if a steel needle had pierced his skull, delivering something into the depths of his brain.

"Biological file upload successful, memory file upload successful, neural connection successful, first-generation administrator account activated, permission code 0000..."