After losing his work, Han Fei engaged in a lot of gaming. He mostly did it to release anxious feelings. He expects to swiftly adapt and reestablish his sense of purpose in life.
After playing the video game "The Perfect Life," he saw how small his suffering and the beauty of life were if compared to the evil spirits and devils.
He was indeed healed in one sense.
However, this form of therapy was rather aggressive.
He swings his arm back and forth as if it was numb.
As he tumbled helplessly to the ground, pain and fatigue tore through him. Han Fei wasn't sure if he ended up dozing off or passing out.
...
Tuk, Tuk, Tuk!
A knock on the door in the early morning woke Han Fei up. His thoughts were still confused when he stood up from the floor.
He didn't realize last night's game wasn't a dream until he noticed the gaming headset and controller on the table.
The beginner's level is really challenging. What will occur once I level up? The horror in the game will increase. Isn't it a death wish? I'm just an actor. Even fighting is impossible for me. How can I confront that entire complex of nasty "neighbors"?
Tuk, Tuk, Tuk!
Han Fei, who suffered from acute social phobia, would have undoubtedly pretended that no one was home if it had been before the game. He would have waited for the other person to go quietly.
However, he didn't give it much thought after playing that game. He walked over to the door and opened it with his swollen hand.
" "Hello, we are the police from the Old Town Happiness Road Police Station, my name is Wen Tao, and this is my colleague Zhang Chu."
"Police?"
Han Fei's eyes glowed as he observed the two uniformed police officers at the entrance. The "black box" in his head threatened to kill him. This stops him from calling the police. However, the cops have now arrived at his door.
"Please, come inside!", making the way for the cops to enter, never before has Han Fei shown such eagerness for communicating with others. As soon as he invited the two police officers, he started looking for refreshments in the refrigerator.
"We came as part of the investigation. You were spotted by surveillance at the fire site in our area." The two policemen saw Han Fei's social demeanor and felt weird.
Wen Tao pulled out his phone to check his information on the citizen database. He noted that Han Fei's actions did not match the government data.
Actually, I also have something I want to discuss with you. In front of the officers, Han Fei sat down after getting his drink.
"Oh?" The two officers exchanged glances. As they both fixed their attention on Han Fei who was sitting in front of them, their faces instantly turned grave. "What do you want to tell us?" they said.
"I ... last night."
"Warning! Attention Player No. 0000! Please do not reveal the existence of the Perfect Life to anyone! After three warnings, the black box inside your body will explode!"
It appeared as though his brain's nerves were being pulled. Han Fei opened his mouth in response to that quivering sensation coming from the center of his brain, but he was unable to speak anymore.
The two officers observed Han Fei's partially open mouth. The three of them simply paused at their places for a time.
"What happened to you last night?" The two officers patiently awaited. They had no idea how much pressure Han Fei was under right now. Han Fei's cheeks were flushed with sweat, and the fear of death lingered in his head.
He had visible veins on his forehead. Han Fei gritted his teeth and pounded the sofa with his fist. Finally, he made the choice to keep the game's existence a secret.
The two policemen were startled by Han Fei's action, "Calm down sir! Talk properly. You need to cooperate with the police investigation."
Han Fei struggled to think of a way to bring up the game. He attempted to discuss his problems differently.
He carefully chose every word he spoke to keep the black box in his brain from exploding, "I was invited to join an old lady for dinner last night around midnight. Please take note of this time. Her grandson broke the soup bowl while revealing that the ingredients had been taken out from the coffin. However, the items were taken from the refrigerator. I had the feeling that there was a body in their refrigerator."
"Why didn't you consider yourself safety at the old lady's house if that was the case?", Han Fei's serious face drew the attention of the two cops. Zhang Chu's arm concealed Wen Tao's movements as he silently opened the police recorder.
"And after that?"
"I returned home to sleep. The door to the bedroom was moving by itself. Do you think there are ghosts in our world since something came into the bedroom?"
"What?"
"A ghost! It was squatting on the ground when it abruptly vanished. It had a horrifyingly white face and a boneless body! He was sitting close to the bedside lamp when I opened my eyes!" Han Fei had become distressed because he was concerned the cops would leave and he would miss the opportunity to ask for help. His hands were motioning, effectively demonstrating the scenario with his strong acting abilities.
"You are telling me about ghosts when I am recording your statement here?" Wen Tao inhaled deeply and tried to relax his tone "Save your energy if all you want to do is tell us stories. We'll ask you a few questions now, so please be honest in your responses."
"I'm being honest with you!" Han Fei was not acting; he blinked furiously as if he was an abducted hostage. But instead of kidnappers, he was taken captive by a game.
"Why were you in the outer city of New Shanghai?" was the first query. Wen Tao did not waste time with Han Fei. He began to ask direct questions.
"I was there to buy a second-hand game... That's right! We can go to the store owner! Police officers! Can you guys come with me to find that old ...", before Han Fei could complete his sentence he was interrupted.
"There is no store owner at all! All the stores were shuttered three months ago, and that old boulevard is lined with dangerous abandoned buildings.",
"Impossible! I've been buying games at that thrift store for three days straight! Let's go there right now! I'll take you to that store!" Han Fei stood up straight away.
"Do you genuinely don't know, or are you acting confused? All the thrift stores were destroyed in a huge fire that broke out on antique street late last night. Fortunately, everything was shut down long ago, so no one was injured." Both Wen Tao and Zhang Chu thought Han Fei was a bit suspicious.
"All the thrift stores were all burned?!" Han Fei looked at the two police officers stunned in silence, and after a moment his eyes became firm again: "Impossible! There's a loophole! I clearly remember the appearance of the store manager! As long as you find this person, you can prove that I'm not lying!"
As a professional actor, Han Fei's memory had been exceptional. He now pulled out a pen and a piece of paper. He made a note of the store manager's appearance. "Look for him based on this information! You will definitely find him!"
"I can guarantee that. There can't possibly be a working store there..." Wen Tao was about to continue speaking when his phone abruptly began to ring. He instructed Zhang Chu to watch out for Han Fei before leaving the residence.
"Hello? Captain Wang?"
"Have you gotten to the suspect's house in the antique street arson case? Did you come across anything?" From the other end of the phone, a commanding voice could be heard.
"We have arrived already. We discovered that there is surely something off about this guy after meeting him and conducting an inquiry." Wen Tao dropped his voice after casting a glance at the house.
"Be specific about the issue."
"He is a highly introverted, hardworking actor, according to the government database and data analysis on the citizen. We also learned about his psychological consultations. He has serious social anxiety, according to the documentation."
"An actor with a severe social phobia...?"
"That is what the database and data analysis showed for him, but our real interaction proved that the suspect is hyperactive and acts strangely. I believe he has overcome his social anxiety, except..."
"Except what?"
"Except that the man seems to have gone crazy."