Slacking off in the Game of Survival

Chapter 41 Above the Wasteland(1)

“You must have heard from Xiao Chi that I arranged another blind date for you recently.”

Qian Yue was taken aback, “How did you know?”

Qian’s mother smiled and remained silent.

At first, she really didn’t know, but from the reactions of the siblings these few days at home, she could tell that something was going on. She orchestrated all these things, and even Qian’s father was initially clueless and could only guess it was Qian Chi’s doing.

When dealing with her younger son, Qian’s mother could usually be straightforward, but when faced with her long-lost eldest daughter, she often felt a sense of guilt about not knowing how to care for her.

It was like the blind date matter – Qian’s mother’s intentions were good, driven by excessive worry for Qian Yue, but the result was not entirely satisfactory.

She sighed, “Originally, I planned to keep it from you, but your dad convinced me otherwise. I also realized it was not right for me to meddle in and arrange these things without your consent. I’m sorry.”

Qian Yue’s mouth opened slightly wordlessly. She had prepared herself to argue with her parents, but she didn’t expect her mother to take the initiative to say such things.

The atmosphere in the room fell silent.

After a moment, Qian Yue lowered her gaze and spoke, “Mom, thank you.”

*

Half an hour later, the study door suddenly opened, and Qian Chi, who had been eavesdropping from the crack, quickly straightened up, pretending that he was just passing by with a glass of water.

Qian Yue didn’t even glance at him and walked past, reminding him, “You’re holding the cup the wrong way.”

Qian Chi was so focused on eavesdropping that he hadn’t noticed the cup he was holding. He hurriedly switched hands, almost spilling the water in the process.

“You’re deceiving me again, sis,” he complained.

Qian Yue had said it casually, not expecting him to believe it for real. She continued up the stairs toward her room, and Qian Chi quickly caught up, walking alongside her.

Anxiously, he asked, “So, what did Mom say to you? You didn’t end up arguing, did you?”

Qian Yue gave him a strange look, “Have you ever seen Mom argue with anyone?”

Qian Chi paused for a moment and honestly confessed, “Well, apart from scolding me and Dad, we never dared to talk back, so I guess that doesn’t count as arguing.”

Qian Yue rolled her eyes internally.

You two seem quite proud of that.

As Qian Yue was about to reach her room’s doorway, Qian Chi stretched his arm in front of her and curiously asked, “So, what did you guys talk about? I couldn’t hear anything from the study; the soundproofing is too good.”

She stopped and looked up at him, “Really want to know?”

Qian Chi nodded eagerly, “Really want to know!”

If a brother-in-law suddenly popped up halfway, he needed to prepare in advance and treat him well.

Qian Yue pulled him aside and turned around, entering her room. She said lightly, “You’ll find out on Sunday.”

With that, she closed the door with a “click.”

“Sunday?” Qian Chi repeated her words while standing at the door, suddenly realizing!

“You agreed?!”

*

Before stepping into the study, Qian Yue had never expected such an outcome. She had communicated her true thoughts with her mother, and surprisingly, the whole process was much smoother than she had imagined.

However, this blind date was arranged by Qian’s mother and the other party’s mother beforehand, and it wouldn’t be nice to cancel it at the last moment. Qian Yue didn’t want to put her mother in a difficult situation, so she eventually decided to go.

Just meet and greet, it won’t lead to anything. She heard that the other party seemed to be the person in charge behind the scenes of a new and promising gaming company, but since Qian Yue herself owned several companies of that kind, she wasn’t too concerned about how capable the other person was. She just wanted to endure the meeting for twenty minutes and then leave.

However, at the same time, Qian’s mother promised her that she wouldn’t act on her behalf without considering her wishes again, so it could be considered a happy ending—

Happy my foot!

At the weekend blind date banquet, the moment she saw who the other person was, Qian Yue almost spewed water all over the place!

In the upscale restaurant at the center of the Capital Planet, the man sat opposite wore a neat suit, his iconic black hair combed back, and his eyebrows and eyes still as delicately carved as ever.

Although his expression was typically indifferent, it seemed slightly unnatural today.

Under the urging of the elders, the man lowered his eyes slightly, then barely audible, he sighed and, before his ears turned completely red, he slowly extended his hand to Qian Yue, with a gentle tone.

“…Hello, I am Qi Feng.”

*

On the day the fourth instance opened, Qian Yue had already settled herself in the nutrition pod well in advance.

When the time came, the game started on time.

After the loading finished, a familiar white light flashed before her eyes, and then a short intro animation appeared again.

Under the gray sky, the earth trembled, tall buildings collapsed, flames surged, and dust filled the air.

The dark clouds overhead remained stubbornly in place, turning the entire city into a ruined purgatory, with all order paralyzed. Some people were running madly, some were weeping, and others had turned into a handful of lifeless dust in the air.

Amidst the apocalyptic catastrophe and city of mournfulness, the animation only conveyed the crackling sounds of the raging fire, growing more intense. Then gradually, thick black smoke rose, almost engulfing the entire screen!

Finally, a drop of blood fell with a plop, slowly covering the entire screen.

The light flickered, and Qian Yue returned to the familiar white room.

The voice of the system followed.

“Welcome back to ‘Ten-Day Plan.”

“From player feedback, the following adjustments have been made in this closed beta—”

“Added team mode.”

“Optimized special situation broadcasts.”

“Added survival reminders in special mode, but overall survival difficulty remains the same.”

“Fixed…”

Since it was a closed beta, the game made numerous changes before each new instance started. Qian Yue quickly glanced through them, and apart from the previously mentioned “team mode,” there didn’t seem to be any significant new content.

“Player number 3783 currently has one friend online. Would you like to send a team invitation?”

“No.”

The friend was Qian Chi, so Qian Yue instinctively rejected the team invitation. True to his promise, Qian Chi didn’t insist and didn’t bother her for a team-up.

“Super Mall activated.”

“Player’s current total balance is 1880 yen. Would you like to enter the Super Mall?”

Qian Yue replied with a “Yes” and then found her way to the lottery pool easily.

Qian Yue: Why am I suddenly feeling excited?

The prices were still the same as before: 【198 yen for one draw,】 【468 yen for three draws,】 and【888 yen for five draws.】

Considering Qian Yue’s current financial situation, doing a ten-draw wouldn’t be a problem.

However, she remained clear-headed.

Small bets bring joy, but big bets harm oneself.

“One draw should be enough to satisfy my curiosity.”

As soon as she said that, a window popped up in front of her.

【Double 11 Promotion! Get 40 yen off on every purchase of 300 yen or more! Original price: 468 yen/3 draws and 888 yen/5 draws. Now only 428 yen and 808 yen! What are you waiting for?!】

“…”

Qian Yue fell silent for a moment. Over the years, she had firmly believed one thing about marketing promotions: no matter how much the price dropped, she wouldn’t make any purchase, and if she didn’t buy anything, it would be a 100% discount.

So, she decisively pressed the button for 【198 yen/draw】—

And then the one for【428 yen/3 draws】.

Ah, so happy ^.^