The weather was scorching hot. Wan You placed the freshly grilled skewers onto a plate, casually picked up a bottle of water nearby, and took a few large gulps. When he turned his head and caught sight of Chao Musheng, he nearly choked on the water in his mouth.
It had only been a day—why was he back again?
"Boss Wan, I brought some friends to support your business." Without waiting for Wan You to greet him, Chao Musheng grabbed a barbecue menu from the side and prepared to find an empty table.
"Are these all your friends?" Wan You swallowed the water in his mouth, his gaze sweeping over Xiaojuan. His brows furrowed slightly.
Petite, curly hair.
This woman… she looked familiar somehow.
Wan You keenly noticed that she was also observing him.
"The boss’s surname is Wan—that’s a rare one," Xiaojuan stared at the top of Wan You’s head, where a purple mark flickered intermittently. "Back where I used to be, there was someone with the same surname. He was… very popular."
This Wan You before her was both similar and different from that universally adored player from the Infinite Space.
She had once entered a dungeon with that Wan You. All he had to do was stumble and cry a little, and countless NPCs would rush to comfort him.
Her eyes flicked to his arms—lean, but clearly layered with a thin layer of muscle.
It couldn’t be…
Just then, a server called out his name: "Wan You, Table 3 wants 20 beef skewers and 10 chicken wings."
"Wan You?!" Xiaojuan blurted out, stunned. "It really is you?!"
She stared blankly at this unfamiliar version of Wan You, her mind in turmoil.
A player who had been declared dead by the Main God System was still alive and well—how was this possible?
"You two know each other?" Chao Musheng looked up from the menu he was handing to Sister Jia, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
"We’ve met. Not close." Wan You had already guessed Xiaojuan’s origins and remembered where he’d seen her before. He averted his gaze from her. "You had barbecue last night, and you’re back again tonight. Can your stomach handle it?"
"Your skills are too good. I couldn’t wait to bring my friends to share the experience." Chao Musheng noticed the sweat beading on Wan You’s forehead and picked up a small handheld fan nearby, directing the breeze toward him. "That plum juice you gave me last night—my family couldn’t stop praising it."
"Just something I picked up from a part-time job." Wan You shot Xiaojuan a meaningful glance. Friends?
Having left the Infinite Space behind, running into another player didn’t bring him the joy of meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land—only suspicion about their motives.
A player, posing as a friend beside Chao Musheng—what was she trying to achieve?
"See anything you like?" Sister Jia handed the menu to Xiaojuan after selecting her own skewers.
Xiaojuan had too many questions for Wan You but no chance to ask them. She randomly picked a few items and shoved the menu into Ze’s hands.
Ze happily took it—finally, his turn.
"Brother Chao, over here." A girl with a ponytail guided them to an empty table and brought over a pot of honeysuckle tea, smiling. "Wan You said honeysuckle tea helps with the heat. He wants you to drink more."
"Thanks, Cai." Chao Musheng grinned. "Later, put in a good word for me with Boss Wan. Ask him to save me a pot of plum juice—I want to take it home."
"I’ll try." Cai was one of the four girls working there. After last night’s interaction, she was no longer nervous around Chao Musheng. "But my words might not carry as much weight as yours."
Xiaojuan noticed that this server named Cai also had a flickering green mark above her head, similar to Wan You’s, though hers appeared for shorter durations and vanished for longer stretches.
Was she also a failed player?
But how could a failed player still be alive, lingering in a dungeon?
She’d never heard of such a thing in the Infinite World.
Sister Jia was in a bad mood. Once the skewers arrived, she ordered several bottles of beer and downed half of one in a single go.
"Sister Jia, slow down," Chao Musheng handed her a skewer. "Eat something first."
"It’s fine. This much is nothing." Sister Jia poured her beer into a glass and added two ice cubes. "Right after graduation, I used to drink until I threw up for work. My tolerance is well-trained."
All these years, she’d been alone, renting basement apartments to save money, eating plain boiled noodles. Now that she’d finally climbed to a decent position, her parents only wanted her to return to her hometown.
"Sister Jia and Brother Chao are neighbors?" Ze asked, his mouth shiny with grease, eyes bright.
"Yeah." Having dealt with too many smooth-talking, insincere people in the business world, Sister Jia had a higher tolerance for straightforward youngsters like Ze. "When I moved into the apartment above his, he was still in high school."
One night, after drinking until she vomited blood to secure a major project, she ran into Chao Musheng returning from evening classes. He helped call an ambulance and accompanied her to the hospital.
Since then, she’d grown close to his family.
Ze glanced at Chao Musheng. Even in high school, Brother Chao must have been popular.
"Xiaojuan, why so quiet?" He nudged her with his elbow. "Spacing out?"
"Just eat your skewers." Xiaojuan snapped out of her thoughts and set down her half-eaten skewer. "Brother Chao, Sister Jia, enjoy your meal. There’s something I need to discuss with Wan You."
Wan You—the barbecue boss?
Ze was puzzled. Did Xiaojuan want to learn his cooking skills for future dungeons?
Was this the drive and urgency of a high-level player?
The meat on the skewers sizzled, oil glistening. Sensing Xiaojuan’s approach, Wan You sprinkled chopped scallions over the grill without looking up. "When did you arrive?"
"Two days ago." Xiaojuan studied this Wan You, so different from the one she remembered. "Which dungeon did you enter here?"
"What do you want to know?" Wan You placed the finished skewers on a tray and signaled Cai to take them away before bending down to tend to the next batch. "That world has nothing to do with me anymore. I can’t help you."
"But you know Chao Musheng." Xiaojuan knew Wan You didn’t trust her, so she revealed her mission. "I’m in a corporate dungeon, interning at the same company as him. My main task is uncovering Kunlun Corporation’s secrets."
"Kunlun Corp is a century-old giant in this world, with countless subsidiaries across industries." Wan You brushed oil over the skewers. "Even figuring out where their branches are and what they specialize in would be an achievement, let alone uncovering secrets."
If not for the Main God’s interference, forcing them into this corporate dungeon, would players like them even have a shot at entering Kunlun’s headquarters?
From Wan You’s tone, Xiaojuan sensed a subtle protectiveness toward this world.
She stared at the purple mark hovering above his head, flickering only occasionally.
Suddenly, she understood—Wan You had gradually come to see himself as part of this world. To players, he was now an NPC.
"You…" Xiaojuan wanted to ask—Are you really okay with this?
Becoming an NPC in a dungeon, toiling away at a barbecue stall every day, covered in smoke and grease—was this really what he wanted?
"I'm an auditing student at Jinghua University. If I score top marks in all subjects within a year, I’ll qualify as a full-time student." Mentioning this, Wan You’s movements became more vigorous as he grilled the meat. "Since I’m from a poor family, the university even waived my tuition fees."
"Jinghua University… is that the dungeon you failed in?" Xiaojuan mused. "The recent failed exploration dungeons were all set in this dimension?"
As soon as she said this, she noticed Wan You glaring at her, clearly displeased.
Wan You was indeed unhappy. He had nothing to say to a newbie player like her.
He said he was a student at Jinghua.
Did she even understand? That was Jinghua.
Whatever. A tasteless player like her wouldn’t grasp the prestige of Jinghua.
At this moment, Wan You finally felt the same resonance as the seniors who had once welcomed him.
"Everyone over there thinks you’re dead," Xiaojuan stared at Wan You’s face, not wanting to miss even a flicker of emotion. "How did you pull it off?"
To evade the system’s erasure and survive in the dungeon—how?
"I don’t know," Wan You lifted his head to meet her gaze. "The system just vanished suddenly, as if someone forcibly ripped it away from me. After that, it never reappeared."
"Since we were both players once, I’ll give you a friendly warning," Wan You glanced at Chao Musheng in the distance before quickly looking away. "The dungeons here are different from the ones before. Don’t make the wrong choices."
Choices?
Xiaojuan froze for a moment, recalling today’s failed daily task. Was that choice right or wrong?
"Boss, check please."
"Thank you for your patronage. That’ll be 143 yuan." Wan You deftly pointed to the payment QR code and handed the customer a small bottle of sour plum juice from the nearby rack. "It’s hot out—take this for the road. Hope to see you again."
Xiaojuan watched Wan You’s smile. In her memories, she had never seen him smile before—he was always crying, fragile, even sulking.
"Are you happy here?" she asked, dazed.
"It’s good," Wan You grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. "I get to study, earn money, have friends, and someday land a great job."
Xiaojuan could tell Wan You genuinely loved his current life. The corners of her lips curled up. "That’s good."
When Ze saw Xiaojuan return with a smile, he nodded inwardly. Sister Xiaojuan must’ve gotten the secret barbecue recipe from the boss—no wonder she was in a better mood.
By the end of the meal, all three at the table were tipsy, except Chao Musheng, the designated driver, who hadn’t touched a drop.
After settling the bill and accepting the large bottle of sour plum juice Wan You handed him, Chao Musheng pointed at the three still seated, smiling sheepishly. "Boss Wan, mind helping out?"
Wan You took off his apron and helped Chao Musheng carry the three to the car, muttering awkwardly, "Can you handle it alone? Should I ask Cai to go with you?"
"It’s fine, they all live near me," Chao Musheng said. "Oh, Boss Wan, I met a senior from your department at work and got some notes and materials related to your major. Not sure if they’ll help, but I’ll send them to you tonight."
"Thanks." Wan You bent down to fasten the seatbelt for Ze, who was wriggling and mumbling incoherently. The two women were still conscious enough that they didn’t need Cai’s help.
"Stay sharp during your internship. Don’t trust everyone," Wan You lowered his eyelids. "People’s hearts are hard to read. Some might look human, but inside, they’re worse than ghosts."
"Thanks for the advice, Boss Wan," Chao Musheng replied cheerfully. "I’ll be careful."
In the backseat, Xiaojuan’s eyelids twitched, but she didn’t open her eyes.
Once Chao Musheng drove off, Wan You snorted. Yeah, right. You’ll be careful? Two out of the three in your car are players.
With odds like that, why not buy a lottery ticket?
Four people in the car—three seemingly drunk, but in reality, three were wide awake.
The only one truly wasted was Ze in the passenger seat, dead to the world.
Sister Jia rolled down the window, letting the night breeze rush in. Suddenly, her mood lightened.
Maybe it was the boss’s reassurance, or maybe it was the girl beside her—much younger, yet from a similarly broken home, yet sharper, more decisive—that finally gave her the courage to shed her burdens.
If a girl like her could do it, how could she, after years of weathering life’s storms, still be trapped?
Some things, once you let go of them in your mind, turn out not to be chains—just flimsy paper, easily torn apart.
Happy Neighborhood wasn’t just rundown at the entrance—its underground parking was a mess too. Bikes parked haphazardly, construction debris left uncleared, and a few fat gray rats sauntering past the trash bins, utterly unafraid of the approaching car.
"Sister Jia, wait in the car for a bit. I’ll take him up first," Chao Musheng opened the passenger door and hauled Ze out.
Xiaojuan supported Ze’s other arm. The three had just stepped into the elevator when an old lady dragging a sack of clattering plastic bottles shuffled in after them.
Noticing Xiaojuan pressing the button for the 4th floor, the old lady’s tone turned odd. "You’re not from around here, are you?"
"How’d you know?" Xiaojuan eyed the shriveled old woman. "Is there something wrong with the 4th floor?"
"Of course there is," the toothless woman’s dark throat gaped as she spoke. "A huge fire broke out there not long ago—it even made the news. No locals would live there now."
The elevator doors opened. Fourth floor.
Xiaojuan clutched the cold key in her bag, staring at the eerie green emergency lights lining the hallway. A chill crept up her spine.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The sound of water echoed faintly down the corridor.
"Happy Neighborhood residents are such a mess. They don’t even install AC units properly," Chao Musheng kicked aside a garbage bag left by the elevator—two flies buzzed out. "Which unit are you in?"
Drunk people were heavy.
He stomped his foot, but the motion-sensor light didn’t turn on. Broken, of course. Chao Musheng sighed, propping Ze up with one arm while pulling out his phone for light.
"Boo!" A kid leaped out from the shadows, right into Chao Musheng’s face.
The two locked eyes. When the kid realized he hadn’t scared him, his lips puckered in disappointment before he turned and slammed his door shut behind him.
Even through the door, they could hear him cursing loudly.
"Let’s go," Chao Musheng stepped onto the sticky hallway floor, nudging the dazed Xiaojuan. "Hurry up and open the door. He’s really heavy."
"Right." Xiaojuan snapped out of it, heading to Unit 404 in the corner. She unlocked the door and helped drag Ze to the couch in the living room.
Chao Musheng rubbed his shoulders as he walked to the door, peering down the hallway. The corridor was cluttered with random junk piled in the corners, and the shoe rack by the opposite door emitted a pungent odor—so strong he could smell it all the way from unit 404.
Xiaojuan asked, "Brother Chao, could the place where the fire happened… be the apartment Ze and I are living in now?"
Damn system. When it came to human affairs, it refused to lift a finger.
"Don’t overthink it," Chao Musheng said, closing the door behind him. "There was indeed a fire here, but the firefighters arrived in time, so no one was hurt."
The only negative consequence was that the electronic lock businesses on nearby streets took a hit.
"Elderly folks in this neighborhood love turning small incidents into ghost stories—just take it with a grain of salt." Since Xiaojuan was a girl, Chao Musheng helped Ze onto the bed and checked their doors and windows. "But this is an old complex with lots of renters and a mixed crowd. Try not to walk alone at night."
In the bathroom, the cracked mirror emitted an eerie glow in the darkness.
Chao Musheng pushed the door open and flicked on the light. "The bottom of the mirror has a reddish tint, and the reflection’s blurry. The landlord probably cheaped out and didn’t replace it after the fire."
"Everything else seems fine." He turned the faucet, which groaned before sputtering out clear water.
Xiaojuan’s expression was complicated. Last night, when she’d turned it on, the water had been rust-red. Same thing this morning.
Yet the moment Chao Musheng showed up, the rust was gone.
What, even the faucet had two faces?
"Get some rest," Chao Musheng said. "Call me if anything happens at night. I live close by."
"Thanks, Brother Chao."
Back in the bathroom, Xiaojuan turned the faucet again. Perfect—rusty water was back.
She picked up a wooden stool and smashed it against the faucet twice.
Now not only was the rust gone, but the water had stopped completely.
Expressionless, she snapped a photo of the faucet and sent it to Chao Musheng.
[Xiaojuan: Thanks, Brother Chao. After you came, even the faucet started behaving.]
The moment the message sent, a gush of clear water burst from the faucet.
It splashed violently, soaking her feet.
Hah.
Xiaojuan laughed in frustration.
Over the next few days, Chao Musheng ran into Xiaojuan and Ze every morning at the complex gate. They’d greet him at noon too, but never disturbed his work or daily life.
By Friday, Chao Musheng had finally solved the biggest issue for the game development team, basking in his colleagues’ cheers as he prepared to leave on time.
Before he could step out, HR handed him a transfer proposal—management wanted him to join the Kunlun Software Development team for training.
"Xiao Chao, why haven’t you signed?" Secretary Liu stood in the hallway, spotting the unsigned document in Chao Musheng’s hand. He grinned. "Software R&D aligns better with your major. With your skills, we could rotate you through a new department every week—turn you into an all-rounder."
Originally, the company had planned to assign Chao Musheng to the software team, but the project lead had dismissed him as a sophomore who’d only cause chaos.
Now, after hearing how Chao Musheng had solved the game team’s crisis in just a week, the project lead had gone straight to the boss to reclaim him.
Chao Musheng hesitated. "Brother Liu, isn’t software development a confidential department? Would it be appropriate for me to join?"
"Why not? You’re someone both the boss and I value highly." Secretary Liu had absolute faith in the boss. "He rarely praises anyone, but those he does? Never wrong."
Chao Musheng didn’t know if Mr. Su had ever misjudged someone, but he could see Secretary Liu’s fawning admiration clearly.
"Right, boss?" Secretary Liu looked past Chao Musheng, his smile taking on the sycophantic edge reserved exclusively for the higher-ups.
