Chapter 1.18 – Let’s Go

Xiang Han no longer believes them, he had been tricked by their words too many times. But in the end, there was no other way. Big A suggested, [Since there's nothing happening on the other side now, do you want to come back and see for yourself?]

Xiang Han had already had the intention of doing so and slyly asked, [There won't be a problem?]

[Rest assured, you are not the first tester. Our technology has been improved many times and it's already very advanced.]

[Then…okay.] Xiang Han's decision to return was mainly due to having been in the game for more than a year. He missed his father's loud voice.

The Big A voice suddenly became serious and ordered, "009, retrieve the host consciousness."

[Understood.]

The system's response was mechanical and a powerful suction force followed. Everything was dark before Xiang Han eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he felt slimy all over and had some difficulty breathing.

Small B rushed forward and quickly lifted him from the liquid tank. Big A watched the apparatus. After seeing no problems, he turned to look at Xiang Han and asked, "How do you feel? Is there any discomfort?"

He wiped the sticky liquid off his face and shook his head vigorously.

Big A sighed with relief and quickly let him connect to the star network. "In the game, you were there for more than a year, but in reality, it only lasted a bit more than one hour. This is the real time displayed by the Federation."

Xiang Han nodded. "I want to talk to my dad."

Big A was a little embarrassed, "Can you finish it up in a minute?"

Staying for a few more minutes meant ten days to half a month would pass in the game world. Xiang Han reluctantly agreed.

When Lu Ze entered the bedroom, he saw that Xiang Han was still asleep and amusement filled his eyes. Leaning over, he kissed the other person's nose and called lovingly, "Still sleeping? Wake up, it's time for breakfast."

Xiang Han laid on the bed with no reaction. The smile on Lu Ze's face gradually stiffened and quickly turned into panic.

"Xiang Han? Xiao Han? Baby…" Lu Ze patted his face, his voice trembling, unable to conceal his anxiety

Xiang Han still did not respond, even his breathing was very weak. Lu Ze flew into a panic, picked Xiang Han up, and drove to the hospital.

Even after Xiang Han was sent to the emergency room, Lu Ze's hand continued to tremble slightly and he couldn't stand still. When a passing nurse saw his terrible expression, she could not help but ask, "Sir, are you okay?"

Lu Ze shook his head in disbelief and silently sat down.

The doctor was unable to detect the cause of the sudden coma. He suggested that Xiang Han be transferred to the intensive care unit for observation. When Lu Ze heard the news, his vision went dark and he nearly fainted.

Ten days later, Xiang Han suddenly woke up, without warning, just like when he went into a coma.

Lu Ze was helping him wipe his face at the time. When he saw him suddenly open his eyes, he thought that it was because he wiped too hard and he quickly helped him shut them again.

Xiang Han opened his eyes one more time and asked, somewhat depressedly, "What are you doing?"

Only afterwards did he notice Lu Ze's haggard appearance, the stubble that had not been shaved off for a few days. Xiang Han was startled, finally stuttering out, "What happened to you?"

The towel in Lu Ze's hand fell. When he finally came back to his senses, he turned and left without a word, his steps clearly unstable.

Before Xiang Han could understand what was happening, the other person came back followed by several people in white coats. They surrounded him and after tossing him about for a long time, they came to a conclusion: Apart from some stomach problems, everything else was normal.

Lu Ze was dissatisfied with the diagnosis, "Ten days of being unconscious for no rhyme or reason, you call this normal?"

"Mr. Lu, we really are unable to find out the reason. You could try going to other hospitals to check?" The doctor also found this puzzling.

Xiang Han finally understood what was going on. He pulled on Lu Ze's sleeves and said guiltily, "Sorry, but I'm really fine."

Lu Ze finally calmed down, but he still couldn't completely relax. After leaving the hospital, he took Xiang Han to various top hospitals both locally and abroad. However, nothing was detected. Xiang Han became more and more guilty but facing Lu Ze's fearful expression, he could not refuse.

[Little nine, nowadays, I really can't bear to part with the target.]

System: […] It had already heard this more than once.

Lu Ze had probably developed a psychological shadow from this incident. Since the hospital could not find out the cause of the disease, he came to his own conclusion and finally arrived at the answer that he had been working Xiang Han too hard during this period. Therefore, they had a solemn discussion. "In the future, don't go to the Fine Arts Department anymore. Why don't you just sleep in my office and play games? If you feel bored, we can travel together. Also, weren't you interested in calligraphy before? How about I find a teacher for you?"

Xiang Han: 囧

But in order to let Lu Ze feel at ease, he nodded. It wasn't like when he was interning. Even if he didn't go to work, nobody would say anything.

Moreover, with his spare time, he could just go and learn to write from 'Husky'. Like what Little B said, he'd gained 60 to 70 years for free, it would be a pity not to learn something.

One day, when he was out with 'Husky' for dinner, Xiang Han just happened to see the original gong with his dog friends[1]. Zhao Handong didn't dare provoke Lu Ze now, even actively avoiding Xiang Han.

Xiang Han received a shock. Was this not what happened in the original story? Zhao Handong had lured the original host to this place and let him come into contact with those drugs. Thus, he glanced towards their seat. Before leaving, he made a report.

Before, Zhao Handong had been sentenced to one year and then was on probation for two years for illegal possession of a gun. In the end, before his probation finished, he was arrested for drug abuse and obscenity, angering his grandfather onto the brink of death. Zhao Handong had kept arguing and insisting that he did not use drugs. However, nearly a kilogram of narcotics were found at the scene. Didn't use drugs? Then was there a deal going on?

In any case, this could not be explained at all. The father of the Zhao Family waved his hand and said, "I don't care anymore, let him go in and learn his lesson."

After Xiang Han returned, he happily called Lu Ze. "Lu Ze, I'll treat you to dinner in a few days."

Lu Ze corrected him, "Call me husband."

Xiang Han threw out a sentence, "If you don't want it, forget it."

Lu Ze smiled, then asked, "What made you so happy?"

"Nothing much," Xiang Han felt somewhat embarrassed, "Just now I 'learned from Lei Feng and did a good deed[2].' I reported a group of people taking drugs. I searched the Internet and it said that there's a reward of 30,000 RMB."

Lu Ze had listened to Lawyer Zhang's investigation about Zhao Handong before and could more or less guess what was going on. But there were still some black lines on his face[3], "Is the salary I'm paying you not enough?"

Xiang Han disagreed. "How can it be the same? This is like hitting the jackpot." Moreover, it was earned from attacking the original gong, spending it would make him feel even better.

Lu Ze could not conceal the amusement in his eyes, "Then I'll wait for your treat."

As time flew by, the relationship between Lu Ze and Xiang Han gradually became known to those around him. In the 20th year they were together, Country C passed the Same-Sex Marriage Act. They became the first registered same-sex couple and held a grand wedding. Because of their special status, it was a sensation.

When Sun Shuya saw this news, he was shocked. The incident last time made it almost impossible for him to find a job within the industry. He could only engage in some unprofessional work to barely support himself. His appearance had long deteriorated. But the two men in the photo still looked youthful and full of happiness.

Why was it Xiang Han? Why was it different from his previous life? Even if twenty years had passed, he still could not figure it out.

Xiang Han accompanied Lu Ze till the end when he finally passed away. At the moment he stopped breathing, Lu Ze still held his hand, but it was no longer as powerful as it used to be.

A tear slid down Xiang Han's face, the burning hot liquid landing on their clasped hands. He asked, [Little nine, will his data disappear?]

The system responded, […it will be scattered, and then, together with other data, they will form new products.]

[So it's like that.] Staring at Lu Ze dazedly, he whispered, [Can't we preserve it?]

The system advised, [Even if it is preserved, the data may not be the target after the reorganisation of roles.]

[I understand.] Xiang Han remained silent for a while, then laid down on Lu Ze's side, their fingers tightly entwined. He slowly closed his eyes and said, [Let's go.]

When he opened his eyes again, the room was dark. Lying on the bed, Xiang Han slowly raised his hands. A rough touch seemed to linger on his fingertips, the feeling was extremely real.

[Mr. Xiang, are you okay?] The system watched him for a long time and couldn't help but ask.

"Why don't you spend some time in the simulation space?" Big A also felt that Xiang Han's mood wasn't good, so he kindly advised him.

The time flow rate in the simulation space was the same as that of the game world, and there is no need to worry about the situation of 'leaving for a few minutes and having two weeks fly by'.

Xiang Han slowly shook his head, "No need." When a person is alone, it is easier to recall the past.

Big A, Little B, and the system all sighed. Little B told him, "Mr. Xiang, you should let go. When the data for the next world is reorganized maybe…you can meet again in that world."

Xiang Han said, "But it won't be him."

Two people and one system were silent. Xiang Han sighed again. Repeating the mantra 'cannot confuse reality and virtual reality' several times, he then asked, "Where's the plot information?"

The system quickly replied: [It has been sent to you, and the other BUG has been repaired. Try to focus on the original host's feelings and you should be able to obtain their memory.]

"Okay." Scanning the data, Xiang Han got up, dressed, and washed.

The system opened private chat worriedly: [Admiral Dean, it seems that Mr. Xiang is not lively before.]

Big A, "Yeah, probably… he's grown up and got more mature."

System and Small B: […]

Big A, "… In fact, if you think from another angle, his current performance is quite consistent with the original host's character."

System & Small B, "…"

There was a young man in the mirror, dressed in a suit with his hair combed meticulously, looking extremely handsome. His eyes were long and narrow, able to enchant others, but they were inconsistent with his temperament. Xiang Han straightened his tie and put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, instantly blocking the twilight in his eyes. His whole person suddenly became a reserved and cold elite.

This was the image the original host showed in front of outsiders. It was also very consistent with his character; an obsessive-compulsive cleanliness freak and a dead pervert.