This commercial residence was split into two areas, both filled with shophouses that catered to different needs. It had basically become a small-scale living system. One could stay within this area for a month and not have to worry about any shortage of resources. There were even phone and computer shops here. If one felt dizzy, there was even a general hospital on the other street.
Li Xianyu wandered downstairs and reached a pharmacy within 200 meters.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed. Caller name "Yang Guangtai" flashed on the screen.
It was his roommate in university.
"Li Xianyu, are you skipping class or on a leave of absence? Why aren't you in school?!" Yang Guangtai exclaimed.
"I'm feeling under the weather and resting at home," Li Xianyu replied.
"Is it serious? I wanted to have a "winner winner, chicken dinner" date with you."
"Nothing much. I'll be back tomorrow."
"That's good." Yang Guangtai continued, "Only the two of us are singletons in our dorm room now. No one is playing games with me anymore."
Li Xianyu stayed in the school hostel for his first semester, but moved back home afterwards. His life involved playing video games live with his friends or playing PUBG. If he played late into the night, he would sleep in his dorm room.
Li Xianyu retorted, "Are you proud being a singleton? You say it everyday. Furthermore, I'm not a singleton. I'm a noble single who's better off than you."
Many did not have a girlfriend, but there was a difference.
We were different.
Li Xianyu fell into a depressed state, thinking about his family history of kidney overload.
He hung up the phone as he entered the pharmacy. A middle-aged man, wearing a lab coat, stood behind the counter and asked, "How can I help you?"
Eh?
Li Xianyu suddenly forgot the name of the medicine.
What was it called?
"I can't remember the full name," Li Xianyu said as he scratched his head.
"No worries, you can just provide me with a keyword." The middle-aged man smiled confidently and continued, "I've been selling medicine for over 10 years. Even if you give me one word, I can guess it."
Li Xianyu said, "I only remember the last part."
The middle-aged man nodded, "Go ahead."
Li Xianyu said in a deep tone, "Capsule…"
The man was speechless.
His expression became grim. What capsule? You're not here to buy medicine. More like, to pick a fight instead.
Li Xianyu laughed dryly, "Let me ask my friend."
Luckily he gave that old phone to Great-Grandma.
After a phone call, Li Xianyu was able to ask for two boxes of the capsule in full.
The man froze and gave him a bizarre look. Li Xianyu recalled to himself: This medicine is for kidney overload...
The middle-aged man gave him a side eye.
Li Xianyu reciprocated with a cute expression.
As he completed his transaction, he rushed out of the pharmacy, blushing and hanging his head in shame. It was so damn embarrassing. I'll get Great-Grandma to buy it for me next time.
...
After he reached home, he swallowed two pills and lay on the sofa to rest. He was only able to lie down for comfort because his waist ached whenever he stood up. Great-Grandma was addicted to computer games recently as Li Xianyu taught her how to play. Also, he topped up the balance on her phone and got her a budget phone coverage.
His family's history of kidney overload became his emotional baggage, as he thought about it day and night.
He woke up in a picture of despair and sorrow, his tears having drenched half the pillow.
His still felt hollowness in his kidneys, haunted by cramps from time to time. The "elixir", recommended by his great grandma, did not take effect immediately. However, since his father took the medicine and was able to get his wife to bear him a son, he believed that the medicine was effective.
Li Xianyu put a capsule in his bag and left his house for school.
Great-Grandma chose to stay at home as Li Xianyu had downloaded a ton of computer games for her last night. Although PUBG was developed by Bluehole, the computer game industry was still largely dominated by Tencent. Hence, most of the downloaded computer games were from Tencent.
Great-Grandma was intrigued by online games and swiftly fell in love with them. Last night, she sat alone in the living room to game and watch movies for the entire night. Her energy was unparalleled.
She had only been awakened from the black pearl for two days. However, her experiences had been nothing short of interesting. This era was interesting. It was better than all of the eras she had experienced, like the end of the Qing dynasty, the Republic of China, and the Early Days.
In this era, people no longer had to worry about filling their stomachs. They no longer had to live their lives on tenterhooks, for fear of being bombed by the Western forces. The chips and spicy snack strips… they were delicious. The yogurt… she had not forgotten its sweet and sour taste.
Equally developed was people's recreational life. The television screens were big, and there were films of various genres. With her previous grandson, her form of entertainment was to watch the news on a black and white television, and head to the ballroom occasionally for social dances. As for the cinema, going there was a rarity. This was all because her previous grandson did not make enough money for her to spend.
Great-Grandma was the precious daughter of a rich family. Even though she had been dead for many years, she was still lavish in her expenses. The words "not enough money" did not exist in her dictionary. Li Xianyu's father had struggled back then, just by providing her with snacks.
There were even computers now. They were unbelievably interesting. One could play games, watch DVDs, and chat online, all in one.
When Li Xianyu left his house, Great-Grandma was playing a game known as "Dungeon and Fighter". She was a fast learner and picked up the basics of the game easily. She used Li Xianyu's old account, which had not been active for many years. Now, she was able to enter the arena and provide a proper challenge for her opponents.
Great-Grandma's actions per minute, APM, speed far exceeded her opponents, but alas, his account had been untouched for many years. His level and equipment were unable to keep up with the game's progress. No matter how fast she was, she lost again and again.
She slammed the table with her hands in a fit of rage.
She changed tabs and logged onto a search engine, using her grungy index fingers to type: Why can't my character beat anyone?!
She used the "Five Stroke" input method on her computer, which was taught to her by Li Xianyu's father many years ago.
She did not find any satisfactory answers. The witty Great-Grandma rephrased her words and re-typed: How to become stronger in video games?!
The search results appeared instantaneously.
A user named "Twisted Vine" wrote, "If you want to be strong, then top up your account."
Top up my account?
Her eyes glinted as she thought of the 200,000 dollars that Li Wuxiang had left for his son.
That sum of money was actually not for the son, but her alimony.
...
Li Xianyu was a finance student at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Shanghai was an international financial hub. The university produced outstanding students. As long as one did not slack off during his university days, he would be able to land a decent job after graduation.
He had a professional course in the morning. The instructor was the famous devil Professor Qin, also known as the Vile Radish!
He was renowned for his surprise tests, the grades of which would affect one's final grade. If anyone skipped his classes, he would very likely end up failing the class and having to take a makeup test.
However, the reason for his fame was that he had a good son. He was a household name, but had not been seen for many years. Regardless, his stories were still circulated.
Li Xianyu still paid a great deal of attention to his major courses. Although being a local gave him an advantage over others in getting into this university, he still had to be on point. However, his condition was not good today, as nothing went into his brain.
This was an inevitable effect of his escapades. Double vision, fatigue, lack of concentration...
Yang Guangtai, his roommate, nudged his waist. He leaned in and whispered, "You missed a good show by not turning up for lessons yesterday."
"What show?"
"You still don't know? Didn't you see the messages on the class WeChat group?"
"Get to the point, cut the bullshit."
"Zhang Mingyu is dead."
"WHAT? Zhang Mingyu is dead?!!"
The news hit him like a wrecking ball, causing him to exclaim subconsciously, which shocked Professor Qin, who was showing off his Russian on the podium.
His classmates around him all looked towards him, which further infuriated Professor Qin.
"The classroom is a place for study, not gossiping. You can discuss these topics after class!"
Li Xianyu ducked his head.
Keeping his curiosity to himself, Li Xianyu did not raise this topic until the class ended. Then, he grabbed Yang Guangtai's arm, and asked in a shocked yet gossipy manner, "What happened? He's dead?!"