1 The Mysterious Parchment

[My name is Fang Yue, and I'm 23 this year. I'm a fresh graduate, which also means I'm jobless. However, I'm quite talented in playing games.]

[So, I've decided to become a professional gamer.]

[Today is the release day for Tensent's new game, Blue Ocean]

[I'm riding my beloved electric scooter to the nearest distribution station for the watches of the games.]

[Then, a strange parchment blows onto my face with the wind.]

[I take it off my face and look at it, feeling strange and curious.]

[But after some thought, I decided to throw the strange parchment away.]

[10 minutes later, I die…]

"NO! Why don't you die instead?!"

Fang Yue reacted sourly but did not throw the parchment away. He stopped his scooter at the side and looked around. All he saw were cars speeding on the road.

"The parchment has my name on it, so it must be a prank from someone I know…Right? Whatever! My priority is to get the game!"

"I heard Tensent put a lucky gift in the numbered watches. I might miss it if I'm late."

Fang Yue wanted to toss the parchment away but noticed some changes on it that caught his attention.

The words on the parchment faded and were replaced by new lines of words.

"What the F? Is this some kind of alien tech?"

[I think the parchment was some kind of prank by my friends.]

[I don't know that the parchment will eventually become the thing that saves me!]

[I don't believe the parchment and continue to treat it as a joke, so I toss it away.]

[9 minutes later, I die…]

[I don't know why, but before I die, I keep thinking about the parchment and regret not keeping it.]

[If I had believed the parchment, I might not have ended up like this!]

Fang Yue was confused.

"The parchment can read minds? That's scary!"

Fang Yue sized up the parchment carefully. The parchment looked really old as though it was from the medieval ages and used only by noble lords.

It felt as smooth as silk to the touch.

"I think…it should be worth some money, hmm?" Fang Yue pondered.

He had just graduated from university and was a poor, jobless young man. He was still living in a cheap rented apartment, so he could surely use some money in his pocket.

As though the parchment read Fang Yue's mind, lines of words appeared again.

[I think the parchment is valuable. I plan to contact some interested buyer and sell it when I get back.]

[8 minutes later, I died…]

"I died again!?" Fang Yue looked grumpy. 

"You sick b*stard! I'll tear you into shreds!"

This time around, the words on the parchment disappeared quicker than before. A new line of words appeared.

[I get angry, but after some calm thoughts, I decide to keep the strange parchment and follow the instructions on it.]

[Then, I live.]

[A year later, I became a billionaire.]

"What in the heck? You sound weird! A billionaire? Ridiculous!" Fang Yue did not believe a word on the parchment.

The words disappeared and reappeared again.

[I keep the parchment but I don't believe what it says.]

[10 seconds later, I receive a message. It is from the distribution station. They say they only have 10,000 units left and that I should hurry up.]

[I get anxious because I am afraid I can't get the watch.]

[It is then that a bus comes around.]

[I put my electric scooter aside and get into the bus, hoping that I can reach the watch distribution station earlier.]

[5 minutes later, the bus crashes.]

[I…]

"WHAT IN THE F*CKING F*CK?! A cliffhanger?! What happened to me?! What happens if I get onto the bus? Tell me! Or I'll tear you into shreds!"

Right before he could vent his anger on the parchment, his phone vibrated and the screen turned bright.

A message notification appeared.

"Tensent Group No. 399 Distribution Station in Jianghai City. There are only 10,000 units of Blue Ocean watches in our shop. Players, please hurry and get yours!"

"What the F? The watches are running out?! What should I do? What should I do?!"

Honk!

At that moment, a bus appeared. It was the bus on route 33, the street where the distribution station was located.

Fang Yue automatically raised his hand, trying to flag the bus down, but before he could reach out, his arm froze.

"Wait. Isn't this exactly what the parchment said?"

He became anxious and confused. If the parchment was right, he was one step away from death.

Honk!

The bus driver saw Fang Yue's hand and started to slow down. The bus stopped beside the road and honked at him.

The passengers on the bus looked at Fang Yue, but he did not budge or get in.

The opened door of the bus felt like the entrance to hell, and Fang Yue dared not simply make a rash move. Despite being mid-summer, his hands and feet were cold.

"Oh, wait, it's the bus' air-con…Then, it's fine…BUT it's still cold!"

The chills cleared his mind. He awkwardly smiled at the driver and then looked at the parchment.

[The bus stops. I am hesitating whether to get on the bus or not.]

[Soon, I made up my mind.]

[In order to get the watch earlier, I get on the bus.]

[3 minutes later, the bus crashes.]

[I die…]

"Damn it! The same outcome again? Can't you be more creative?!"

"Hey, kid, are you coming on board or not?"

"Yeah, kids nowadays are so hesitant."

The passengers ranted after waiting for a while.

Fang Yue smiled awkwardly and shook his head. "Sorry, I'm not taking this bus. I thought it was No. 35. Sorry."

The passengers ranted and grumbled while the driver shook his head before the door closed. The bus then drove away.

Fang Yue looked at the parchment.

[I don't get onto the bus as told by the parchment, so I survive.]

[In order to get the game watch earlier, I call a ride from DiDi, the e-hailing app.]

[The driver is an experienced one, and I arrive at my destination earlier than expected.]

[I get my hands on the watch.]

Fang Yue would rather believe it than ignore it. He somehow found an excuse for his cowardice and being overly cautious. He unlocked his phone and called for a ride via DiDi.

Three minutes later, his ride arrived.

Right before he got into the car, something happened.

Kaboom!

Further away, a loud explosion happened. Blazing fire rose to the sky followed by fumes of thick smoke.

Fang Yue looked in the direction of the explosion and realized that it was where the bus had driven off to.

"No way…The parchment was right?"

His heart skipped a beat, and he started to feel scared.

"Damn! An accident? Did a gas tank explode?"

Even the driver was shocked and almost swallowed his cigarette.

"Mister, can we take a detour over there? I want to have a look."

Since both the driver and Fang Yue shared the same thought, the driver nodded tacitly. He could earn a little more while being a busybody, so why not?

The car drove closer to the explosion.

A while later, Fang Yue saw the scene of the accident, and his eyes widened in shock.

The bus had flipped on its side, causing it to burn fiercely from the rear. The center part had caved in severely as if something powerful had rammed into it fiercely.

Three survivors managed to crawl out of the flipped bus while screaming, but the others were either severely injured or dead.

The other vehicle that had caused the crash was a luxurious supercar with a sleek design. Although Fang Yue could not tell the brand, he knew it was worth millions.

Unfortunately, the crash turned the supercar into a pile of scrap while the passenger in the car was torn into pieces by the impact.

A lot of other cars stopped after the crash happened. Passerbys went over to offer help. Some of them were shouting to warn others while some called the hospital.

The adults obviously knew how to handle the situation more than Fang Yue did.

"Sir, let's go."

"Aye."

After Fang Yu left the scene of the crash, he sighed a breath of relief. He put his hand into the pocket where the parchment was.

"I might have…gotten something good."

…

Inside a dark room with a huge screen, the recording of the driving was being played. The screen did not show any image but voices could be heard.

"It's gone! How can it be gone?!"

"Find it! Find it or we will all die!"

"Hurry up! Hurry up!"

"Too slow! Too slow! Faster! Faster! We must return to that place…"

Then, a bus suddenly showed up on the screen. The car failed to stop in time and crashed into the bus.

The powerful explosion and noises of parts falling on the ground could be heard. It was an absolute mess.

Beep.

The screen was turned off.

The lights in the room were turned on, bringing the room back from the darkness.

The room was a meeting room of sorts, but there were only two people sitting inside.

One of them was a middle-aged man with slight facial hair. He had a lit cigarette at his mouth, and he was looking at the other person opposite him.

The other person was a girl in her 20s with an outstanding body and delicate features.

The man asked, "Xiaomiao, did you notice anything unusual?"

Xiaomiao raised her voice, "Are you serious? Anyone could tell that those two are searching for something."

The man was speechless.

"Why aren't you talking, Mr. Liu?"

"Ahem. I just can't get used to the way youngsters speak nowadays." Mr. Liu tapped his fingers on the table lightly.

"I've checked the car's records, and the last thing it shows is that it came from Mingyue Factory. It crossed Jianghai Bridge and then went through Xingfeng Road, Ruoxiang Road, and 19 more blocks. In the end, it turned around at Lianyi Road and went back to where they came from."

"Five blocks after they turned around, they crashed into the bus and died."

"What are they—discounted water bottles? That's it? THAT'S IT?! They have been driving for only 200 yards after turning around and they died?!"

Somehow Xiaomiao missed the point.

Mr. Liu reacted stiffly and forcefully brought them back to the topic. "That is why we believe the items that they lost must be around this area. I want you to investigate this—secretly."

"Mr. Liu, can I say no? Tonight is the opening of Blue Ocean."

"Which one is more important? Your game or your job? We are a bounty company. We take payment and do whatever the client asks us to do. Our reputation is of the utmost importance."

"Yes, yes, yes…"

"I'm giving you a chance because you are still young…"

Chen Xiaomiao sighed when Mr. Liu started to nag her.

"My Blue Ocean…I guess I still can sneak in an hour or so at night…hehe…"