Chapter 2

"Perfect Life" is a leisure and healing game that can nourish the soul and soothe the mind and body. It features heartwarming plots and warm daily life, with hope and happiness as the main themes, bringing positive energy to all players...

Time ticked by, and at 23:59, the mechanical voice from the depths of his mind suddenly stopped.

"Now, you can choose your own perfect life."

The hard, cold ground stimulated the nerves on Han Fei's face, and he slowly opened his eyes. He found himself lying in a strange room.

The house was about 70 square meters, with furniture covered in dust, and the walls were spotty with some dark red stains.

"My head hurts so much, it feels like there's a hole in the back of my skull."

A faint musty smell wafted into his nostrils, and Han Fei could clearly perceive everything around him.

Hearing, sight, smell, touch—this game was not much different from the real world.

Sitting dazedly on the living room floor, Han Fei looked at the empty, desolate room.

The layout and furniture of the house still maintained the style of several decades ago, covered in dust, as if no one had lived there for a long time.

"Is this my home in the game?"

Han Fei rubbed the back of his head and stood up. "From the game introduction, this is a healing simulation game with an open world and no fixed gameplay. I can work hard to level up my character and improve attributes, collect money to indulge and enjoy, or even find a virtual girlfriend and have virtual family and love."

Just as he was thinking about what to do next, Han Fei suddenly heard a knock on the door.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Walking to the other side of the living room, Han Fei opened the security door. The dim light from the motion-sensor lamp illuminated the room, dispelling the cold and loneliness.

"Hey, young man, are you the new resident?"

A kind and gentle voice came from outside the door, and in the hallway filled with various clutter stood a kind-looking, silver-haired old lady.

"It's New Year's Day today. I made dumplings at home. Come over and have some; it's better to celebrate the holiday with a warm and lively atmosphere."

In the modern city, everyone is very busy, and neighbors might not speak to each other for weeks. Such a holiday invitation to have dinner at a neighbor's house was something Han Fei had never encountered in his life.

"Maybe not, I don't want to trouble you." Since being fired from his company, Han Fei had become quiet and withdrawn, and he was not very willing to interact with others.

"My son and daughter-in-law are working out of town, and it's just me and my grandson at home. I made a lot of dishes, and it would be a waste if we couldn't finish them."

The old lady looked at Han Fei as if he were her own child, and every word she said was like the morning sun, making him feel warm.

"Dumplings symbolize the transition of the year and the blessings of reunion. Eating dumplings can remove the bad luck of the past year. You must have had a tough time working alone outside. Come and have a warm bowl of dumplings to warm your stomach."

The old lady invited him repeatedly. In reality, Han Fei would likely have found various excuses to avoid it, but this was a game, and the old lady might just be guiding him through a quest.

Nodding, Han Fei picked up a large bunch of keys from the living room coffee table and walked out of the door, supporting the old lady as they went downstairs.

"Be careful, Grandma, watch your step."

The hallway was cluttered with trash and junk, the iron railings were rusty, and the walls were covered with small ads and children's graffiti.

It looked like an old neighborhood from over a decade ago, which had become extremely rare with the rapid development of technology.

The old lady led Han Fei down one floor and stopped at the door of room 1031.

The blood-red numbers on the wall were somewhat blurred. She coughed lightly and opened the door of room 1031.

A rich aroma of meat wafted out, and Han Fei swallowed, peering into the room.

The old lady's house was not lit, with only a few candles on the dining table.

"The fuse has blown, and the repairman hasn't come yet because of the holiday."

"Grandma, let me help you. I used to replace fuses at home myself." Han Fei did not treat the old lady as an NPC in the game. He didn't know why, but she felt like a real person to him.

"Be careful. The spare fuse is in the drawer." After giving the instructions, the old lady went into the kitchen, where the meat she was stewing seemed to be ready.

Standing on a stool, Han Fei replaced the fuse and turned on the power. The warm light illuminated the dark little room.

"Attention, Player 0000! The ordinary G-level task of replacing the fuse is completed. Meng Shi's friendliness increased by 5. A harmonious neighborhood relationship is the first step to a perfect life."

A cold mechanical voice echoed in Han Fei's mind: "The quest system is activated. Newbie quests are updated. Completing newbie quests will help you understand this world as soon as possible."

Hearing the unfamiliar voice in his mind, a status panel appeared before Han Fei, but before he could examine it carefully, the old lady came out of the kitchen with a pot of fish soup.

"Freshly stewed fish soup, enjoy it while it's hot." The old lady smiled and placed the fish soup on the dining table. She turned to the bedroom door and unlocked it: "Chen Chen, come and eat."

A moment later, a five or six-year-old boy came out of the bedroom, his head lowered as if he was sulking with the old lady.

"You eat first, I still have a few dishes to finish." The old lady opened the refrigerator and took out a half-frozen chicken from the top shelf: "It hasn't thawed after being off the power for so long?"

She put the frozen chicken in a small bowl and placed it on the dining table.

"Grandma, don't make so many dishes, we can't finish them."

"It's rare to have a guest at home. I need to make more, or the meat in the fridge will go bad." The enthusiastic and kind old lady's busy figure in the kitchen reminded Han Fei of his family.

When he was very young, the New Year at home was always so lively.

The aroma of meat filled his nostrils, and the steaming fish soup just out of the pot made Han Fei feel a bit dazed. The memories in his mind seemed to overlap with the virtual game.

The dim light illuminated the small room, and the sounds of pots and pans came from the kitchen. The box TV played ads, and the faint smell of cooking seemed to dispel the coldness of the unfamiliar city.

"Perhaps these simple joys are what life is all about."

There is always a special dark period in life. If you hesitate and stop because of fear of the future, you will be forever trapped in the darkness.

Han Fei picked up a soup spoon and served himself and Chen Chen a bowl of fish soup.

The milky white fish soup emitted an inviting aroma, and Han Fei gently blew on the hot steam.

Just as he was about to taste the fish soup, he saw the child on the opposite side of the table raise the bowl of fish soup over his head.

"What is this child doing?"

Before Han Fei could react, the child slammed the bowl of fish soup on the ground!

"I won't eat anything taken out of a coffin!"

Pfft!

Hearing the child's words, Han Fei spat out the fish soup he had just taken a sip of.

A coffin?

The ceramic bowl shattered on the ground, and the fish soup splattered everywhere. The old lady, hearing the noise, rushed out of the kitchen: "Chen Chen! What are you doing?!"

"The things you make are all taken out of a coffin!" The boy, who looked only five or six years old, raised his head, his eyes bloodshot.

"What are you talking about!" The old lady, worried that the boy might be scalded, ran to the dining table without even taking off her apron.

"The building manager said that only coffins contain dead people!" The boy broke free from the old lady's hand, threw the frozen chicken he had just taken out of the fridge to the ground, and ran to the bedroom.

"Come back here!"

The old lady also entered the bedroom, leaving Han Fei in the living room with a bowl of fish soup.

"Kids can be so scary." Han Fei silently put down the ceramic bowl and found a broom and dustpan behind the door to help the old lady clean up. But when he was about to pick up the frozen chicken, he suddenly remembered something.

The child said he wouldn't eat anything taken out of a coffin, but Han Fei saw clearly that the half-frozen chicken was taken out of the fridge.

It wasn't a big deal, but combined with the child's later words, the building manager told him that only coffins contain dead people.

Why would the child think the fridge was a coffin? Could it be that there was a corpse in their fridge?

Hmm?

Thinking about this, Han Fei was stunned. This doesn't seem like the plot of a healing game!