Chapter 2

"Boss, a large bowl of beef noodles!" At a stall outside the school, Su Yuan found an empty table and shouted to the busy uncle.

Before long, a steaming bowl of beef noodles was served. He picked up his chopsticks and ate the noodles and broth.

At eight o'clock, he returned to the dormitory, where the room was still pitch black. Su Yuan deduced that Ji Ye Hao and Gao Jun would probably return the next day. He shook his head, took out his laptop, and prepared to go online.

He refreshed a few times but no webpage loaded.

Only then did he realize that the software for internet access had been blocked again by the telecom company.

What bad luck!

Su Yuan pouted. As a sophomore, it was really frustrating that he couldn't even go online easily. It was a complete failure.

The campus network of Binhe University of Science and Technology operated through a client dial-up system, with one account per person. This wasn't a big deal in itself; it was just supporting the "official" version, which meant spending a few dozen more yuan each month. However, there was a hitch in this otherwise unobjectionable process. For some reason, the school leadership decided that only students who passed the College English Test Band 4 (CET-4) could obtain an internet account.

This hard rule made countless students feel hopeless. Su Yuan was clearly one of the victims.

Fortunately, it wasn't entirely irreparable. As the saying goes, the real experts are in the folk, and this was true to some extent. After much pleading, he indeed found a god-like student from the Computer Software Engineering department of a neighboring school. This student reverse-engineered the internet access software. By purchasing a larger package, one account could be shared through a router, allowing the entire dorm to use the internet. It was truly a one-machine dial-up, with the whole dorm sharing the connection.

However, such software had a short lifespan, typically lasting only about a semester, and sometimes less than a week.

It was truly disheartening.

When Su Yuan failed to connect to the internet, he knew the software had reached the end of its life. But with the room dark and empty, staying in the dorm alone was suffocating. He checked his wallet, ID, and internet card, and decided to go to the internet cafe for an all-nighter.

...

The internet cafe was located to the north of Binhe University of Science and Technology, in a newly developed residential area. Several internet cafes had opened there and had accumulated a significant number of student customers.

Walking through the lush forest and along the stone path, the large neon logo of the internet cafe appeared on the opposite side of the road.

The internet cafe was quite large, with over a hundred LCD machines. At this time, about half of the machines were occupied. Su Yuan got a card and went to a private room on the second floor to play alone.

When he got the card, the female network administrator gave him a flirtatious look, probably because he had a good face. Su Yuan felt quite pleased and returned the favor. Many people said he was handsome, and Su Yuan agreed. Some also said he looked feminine, but that was a matter of personal opinion. Su Yuan thought those who said he looked feminine were all vulgar and didn't know how to appreciate him!

In the internet cafe, he didn't like having people around him. No matter how passionate the game, the shouts and screams sounded like noise to him. Of course, another reason might be that the games he played were relatively childish.

Was "Zhu Xian 2" childish?

He was even playing a female character.

Su Yuan played "Zhu Xian 2" because the game was quite colorful. He chose a female character because it was also colorful. The fox spirit of the Lieshan clan had a somewhat weak and cute attribute from the start.

The game was quite enjoyable in the early stages, and even non-RMB players could find some fun. However, the further he progressed, the more he felt that non-RMB players were struggling. Without the "RMB player" aura, some of the game's settings were hard to overcome.

Su Yuan loved playing cute and seductive characters.

In the game, his Lieshan fox spirit had attached herself to a wealthy player. This player was really rich, showering Su Yuan with gold, equipment, pets, and mounts, which quickly boosted his level.

However, the semester was about to start, and playing a female character was damaging to Su Yuan's masculinity. Familiar people who saw him playing a female character called him feminine. Su Yuan decided to seal the account after playing tonight. On the screen, the pink-clad fox spirit held a beautiful bow, continuously shooting arrows, accompanied by soft moans and the enemies' cries of pain. Su Yuan was excited, clicking the mouse rapidly.

Cough, cough, when he saw the little fox fall to the ground and the screen showed "Revive in City," he touched his nose, feeling that he had seen the beginning but not the end. His little fox had been killed...

In a fit of anger, he looked at the clock in the lower right corner of the screen; it was almost eleven. The poor little fox lay in the wilderness, and he decided to end the game there. It was a sad and poetic ending.

He exited the game and started looking for a movie.

"What movie should I watch today?"

A good movie wasn't about big productions but about plots that explored thoughts or emotions. Su Yuan, who considered himself somewhat intelligent, chose a movie that seemed very highbrow. "The Last Man on Earth." Admittedly, he was attracted by the hint of intrigue in the synopsis. The story was about how all male mammals on Earth suddenly died in the summer of 2002, leaving only one young man and his pet monkey...

Stop!

The only surviving man in the world, a pitiful monkey, and over 3 billion women. Was this a tragedy or a story of a life winner?

Late at night, Su Yuan started chatting with his night owl friends. He only fell asleep, curled up on a soft leather sofa, when he was exhausted.

Morning, seven o'clock.

Su Yuan opened his eyes and saw that the computer screen had logged out. His head felt heavy, and he shook it, stretching. He walked out of the internet cafe.

The scorching sun began to bake the earth, and the still somewhat weak Su Yuan couldn't help but shield his eyes. He bought some simple food from a street vendor and thought about his bed.

"Hey, young man, please stop for a moment."

Su Yuan, who was eating a meat bun, turned around and saw a young Taoist waving at him. Yes, he had encountered a charlatan. The waving hand looked like it was summoning the money in his wallet.

"What do you want?"

"Sir, no... Sir, please walk a few steps slowly." The Taoist, dressed in a long-sleeved, dark gray robe, followed him.

"Sir, I see that you look tired, your steps are light, and there is a faint black line between your eyebrows, which is a sign of misfortune..."

Nonsense, didn't you see me staying up all night at the internet cafe? Su Yuan ignored him and walked away.

"Sir, Sir..."

The young Taoist stretched out his hand, blocking Su Yuan's path. The wide sleeves hung down, revealing a golden ring on his finger. Although he didn't know if Taoists had a tradition of wearing rings, such a large one seemed too showy.

"Sir, you have a great misfortune, a blood disaster!"

"Go away, don't say such ominous things!" Su Yuan frowned and waved him off. Although he didn't have a strong religious belief, he still had some respect for the traditions passed down by his ancestors.

Unfortunately, wherever Su Yuan went, the Taoist followed, as if he had targeted him.

"What do you want?" Su Yuan felt annoyed. So many people came out of the internet cafe, why did he only block him? Did he think Su Yuan was weak and couldn't beat him up?

"Sir, I am a real Taoist, not a fake one."

"Is there a difference?"

"A big difference!"

"Then why don't you call yourself 'poor Taoist'?" Su Yuan asked.

The Taoist smiled slyly, "Sir, you don't know, but nowadays, Taoists rarely use the term 'poor Taoist.' They just use 'I.'"

Su Yuan felt more and more that this Taoist was not a good person.

"Daoism values life, and the salvation of all beings, may the blessings of the infinite heaven be upon you..."

Su Yuan waved his hand to interrupt the Taoist's long speech and asked directly, "What do you want?"

"The young Taoist sees that Sir's inner and outer qi are weak, a sign of the five decays of heaven and earth. Fortunately, I have a jade talisman that can help you turn danger into safety."

"Tell me the price."

The young Taoist glanced at Su Yuan approvingly. The young Sir was indeed wise and had a good root, not in vain for the young Taoist's efforts to save him.

"This is a natural treasure, gathering the essence of heaven and earth, with great virtue and the power to change fate. The price... cough, such a materialistic attitude would devalue it... I will not accept money."

This was a classic bait-and-switch, the young Taoist thought smugly.

"Is that so? Then give it to me." Saying this, he directly snatched the so-called "jade talisman" from the young Taoist's hand and examined it closely. It was just a common square jade, emerald green, about the size of half a palm.

The young Taoist's face turned pale but quickly forced a smile, "I won't take money, but this virtue..."

"What virtue?" Su Yuan asked.

The young Taoist's expression changed, "This virtue!" He rubbed his thumb and index finger together.

"Oh, that!" Su Yuan realized. The jade was probably genuine, and he liked it. He took out a red hundred-yuan note from his pocket and handed it over, "Is this virtue enough?"

The young Taoist pouted. The more virtue, the better! But seeing Su Yuan walk away, he didn't bother to chase after him. After all, he had picked up the jade, and getting a hundred-yuan note was a good deal. He hummed a tune and crossed the road.

Suddenly, he heard the screech of brakes and a cry of pain. Su Yuan turned around and saw the smug young Taoist being hit by a small van, blood gushing from his head, confirming the "blood disaster."

He laughed. It seemed the Taoist had taken on someone else's misfortune, a great virtue indeed!

Back in the dormitory, unable to keep his eyes open, Su Yuan threw himself onto the bed. The air outside was scorching, but with the air conditioner and fan working together, he slept very comfortably.

He only woke up when he heard some noise.

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