Zhang Chenyang glanced at the test list. In addition to simple conversations, they were also required to dine, engage in entertainment, and undergo an intelligence test at specific locations.
Upon hearing this, Alex remarked, "I can pay for the dining and entertainment myself to accompany you, but I'll skip the intelligence test—I'm afraid of what it might reveal."
Zhang Chenyang nodded, "I'm afraid of that too."
Since it was the testing phase, the places they needed to visit were predetermined by Ters Company, and all of his expenses would be reimbursed by the company. He only needed to provide feedback on his experiences and the data on his physical responses.
Ters Company had selected both the dining and entertainment locations in City Z. Zhang Chenyang chose an entrance close to the restaurant, and after syncing with Alex, he headed out first.
Just like last time, he arrived almost instantly.
Once he arrived, Zhang Chenyang began checking the route while waiting for Alex. After a while, Alex appeared at the entrance and immediately asked, "How long have you been here?"
"Not even a minute before you," Zhang Chenyang replied after glancing at his stopwatch, "About forty-eight seconds, I'd say."
Zhang Chenyang was cautious with his answer because he was timing it with his eyes, which couldn't be perfectly accurate. But even a forty-eight-second difference was significant—in today's world of rapidly advancing technology, every second of progress is hard-earned.
As expected, when Alex heard this, he exclaimed, "Forty-eight seconds! That's amazing! I need to get a brain-machine implant too—this is so cool!"
Zhang Chenyang quickly covered Alex's mouth, "Keep it down. I don't want to be a spectacle."
Alex nodded and didn't say anything more.
Their current task was to dine, and given that it was arranged in a place like City Z, it was clear that the dining experience wouldn't be just a simple coffee or a piece of bread.
This was an ocean-themed restaurant. From the outside, the walls of the building resembled ocean water, where various fish could be seen swimming. Unlike a typical glass-enclosed aquarium, here you could reach out and feel the water flow over your fingers and the fish playfully swim across your palm.
There were no barriers; everything was visible and touchable.
Standing at the entrance, Alex gulped, "Dear Zhang Chenyang, do you have any idea how expensive this place is?"
"I don't, but I can guess. However, it doesn't concern me because Ters Company is covering the bill," Zhang Chenyang replied calmly, though his tone was a bit smug.
In the end, Alex reluctantly purchased an entry pass. As he put it, "I'll consider it a reward for all my hard work lately."
Although Zhang Chenyang didn't know where Alex had been working hard, that wasn't important.
In fact, this was Zhang Chenyang's first time entering such a place. He wasn't someone who particularly enjoyed indulgence, and the high cost of entry here had kept him away. However, the moment he stepped inside, he was captivated by the surroundings.
He had heard from Xie Han that humans used to have underwater restaurants, but those were enclosed in glass. People could only see and get a general feel of the ambiance but couldn't actually dine underwater or touch the marine life around them.
This experience was different. Here, they were genuinely dining underwater.
They were surrounded by clear water, with fish swimming around them and even interacting with them at times. Even the table in front of them and the chairs they sat on were made of coral.
The AI waitstaff were all designed as mermaids—graceful in movement and gentle in voice.
There was no background music like in typical restaurants. Instead, the only sounds were the flowing water and the occasional rustle of marine creatures against the coral.
Tranquil, serene, beautiful... none of these words fully captured Zhang Chenyang's feelings at that moment. He was completely immersed.
"How are you feeling?" Alex asked as he looked at Zhang Chenyang.
"It's so surreal, yet so real!" Zhang Chenyang's reply might have seemed contradictory, but he understood exactly what he meant.
The scene was too fantastical, yet the sensations were incredibly real.
"My experience wasn't as vivid as yours. It felt like there was a thin layer of film between me and everything else. I can't pinpoint what's off, but something's lacking," Alex shared his honest opinion. "Maybe because your brain-machine directly interacts with your brain, that layer of film doesn't exist for you."
Zhang Chenyang didn't confirm or deny it. He wasn't familiar with the details of the brain-machine's development, so he couldn't provide a scientific explanation.
But when Zhang Chenyang reflected on his actions, he realized it was true—his touch in the digital world felt more real than ever before.
If he had once been confident that he could clearly distinguish between the digital and physical worlds, between virtual and reality, he now found himself hesitating.
The food here was entirely self-selected. While you could taste it, you couldn't actually consume anything physical. Different restaurants had varying levels of flavor simulation. Ordinary restaurants typically offered simple flavors since they were cheaper and more realistic to simulate.
But this restaurant was different. They offered a wide variety of dishes, many with complex flavors and rich textures, yet their simulation was so high-quality that it felt like you were actually eating it.
"So worth it! It's expensive, but totally worth it!" Alex kept muttering, his excitement evident.
"Yes, but I still wouldn't choose to come here on my own," Zhang Chenyang admitted honestly. After some thought, he added, "But I'd like to bring my family here to experience it if possible."
In response to Zhang Chenyang's inverted sentence structure, Alex simply replied while stuffing his face with food, "You've got a strong sense of family responsibility—not very modern."
"What do you mean by modern?" Zhang Chenyang asked with a smile, "Are you referring to those who indulge in the digital world, living it up in City Z every day? Or those who drown themselves in alcohol in the underground city?"
"Uh... I just mean not as serious as you," Alex said, still unwilling to give up.
"Everyone has their own way of life. I think living the way I am now is pretty cool—constantly striving for the things I want," Zhang Chenyang replied with a smile.
After finishing their meal, as they were leaving, Alex looked back longingly.
"Ugh, we should've stayed longer," Alex said, full of regret.
"I have a test to complete. You don't, so why did you follow me out?" Zhang Chenyang laughed, "Here, you can eat as much as you want without gaining weight. You can satisfy your cravings without actually putting on pounds—a dream for many people. And it tastes great too."
"I wanted to keep you company!" Alex responded, "We're good friends! We've got to stick together!"
Zhang Chenyang doubted this but still brought him to the next destination—Elysium Island.
This was the most famous entertainment venue in City Z. Here, you could play any game you wanted. There were even staff members specifically assigned to design custom entertainment facilities based on visitors' imaginations, though it required extra payment.
However, if your idea was adopted, not only would you not have to pay merit points, but you'd also receive a royalty fee.
In City Z, the rich could do whatever they wanted, while the poor could find temporary, affordable entertainment.
In Zhang Chenyang's words, "Once you enter City Z, no one can keep from spending a little!"
He once suspected that City Z might have some sort of detection device that checked the account balance of every person who entered to determine their status.
He even asked 0810 this foolish question and got the reply, "That would be against the rules! City Z wouldn't dare!"
Fortunately, Elysium Island was reasonably priced, with a low entry fee—about the cost of a cup of coffee. The real expense was in experiencing the entertainment facilities inside.
Zhang Chenyang looked at his test experience sheet and noticed several high-altitude activities.
That's when he remembered being asked if he had a fear of heights and having his heart checked for conditions.
"I'm going to go skydiving," Zhang Chenyang said with a straight face.
"What?" Alex was taken aback.
"A bunch of skydiving-like activities, basically just jumping from a height," Zhang Chenyang explained after glancing at the test sheet again, "There's one where you jump once, another where you jump repeatedly, one where you spin while jumping, and another where you're chased by an eagle while jumping..."
Zhang Chenyang wondered if all this would give him a heart condition even if he didn't already have one.
"Making money is really tough," Zhang Chenyang sighed, "If I had a choice, I'd never try these things in my life."
"Hey, it's reimbursed—go for it!" Alex clapped him on the shoulder, "I'm not going, though—I don't have the money. Plus, I'll be here to capture your beautiful moments for you!"
"Thanks a lot," Zhang Chenyang said sincerely.
"You're welcome," Alex replied with a grin.
Zhang Chenyang approached the first high-altitude experience with the mindset of a soldier marching to his death. There were no safety harnesses, no guidance. The activity was brutally simple—just close your eyes (or keep them open if you're brave) and jump.
"Don't worry, don't think of yourself as human. Right now, you're just an avatar, just data."
"There's a cushion below—actually, a transport portal. After you enjoy the thrill of the jump, it'll teleport you back."
Listening to the comforting words beside him only made Zhang Chenyang's legs feel weaker.
Why on earth was he doing this?
"I might not enjoy this," Zhang Chenyang swore, his voice trembling as he spoke.
"The first time's always like that. Try it a few more times, and you'll love it," came the quick reply.
Zhang Chenyang couldn't help but wonder if this counselor was just going through the motions—was this supposed to be comforting in any way?
"Alright, you have to jump now, or the merit points you spent on this experience will go to waste," said the person beside him.
Before the words were fully spoken, Zhang Chenyang had already jumped.
In the moment of freefall, Zhang Chenyang felt his heart leap into his throat, almost as if it were about to burst out.
The sensation of weightlessness shot straight to his brain, spreading through his entire body. He wanted to stop, but clearly, this game had no stop option—or rather, it wouldn't stop unless the health monitor indicated that he was in danger.
"Do they really want to scare people to death?" Zhang Chenyang shouted.
But truth be told, shouting did seem to help disperse some of the fear. And since the area was soundproof, Zhang Chenyang could yell whatever he wanted without worrying about anyone hearing something embarrassing.
"I want to log out! I want to return to the ground!" Zhang Chenyang dared to shout again, though on reflection, this seemed odd—no one makes wishes while skydiving.
As time passed, although his body was still falling, Zhang Chenyang gradually got used to the sensation. His heart returned to its proper place, and his breathing steadied.
Now he just felt completely empty—Zhang Chenyang was starting to get bored.
But that boredom didn't last long, as he was soon teleported back to the starting point.
"So, did it feel amazing to overcome the first time?" the counselor asked.
Zhang Chenyang didn't know how to respond, so he just smiled and nodded.
When he exited, he saw Alex buying something. When Alex noticed him, he grinned mischievously.
"What's up?" Zhang Chenyang asked as he approached.
"I captured your beautiful moments," Alex said, waving a photo in front of Zhang Chenyang. The photo showed Zhang Chenyang with a twisted expression, practically unrecognizable.
Zhang Chenyang collected his thoughts and replied, "That's just the avatar, not the real me, so I don't mind."
Alex didn't seem to care, "You use this avatar at work, right? When I'm having a bad day at work, I'll look at you and this video—it should cheer me up."
Zhang Chenyang paused mid-step and warned, "I know your real-world address, so I'd think twice before you do anything."
Alex was taken aback, then quickly offered a compromise, "If you promise to bring me some of your auntie's cooking, I'll hand it over right now!"