Inside a high-class apartment at Xin Lu’s intelligent city, Ah Cheng looked up at the dark clouds in the sky and silently counted the raindrops that splattered against the window. The phone that hung around his neck was quiet.
“Ah Cheng, you’ve been standing there for 2 hours already, there’s no harm for us to actively reach out to Director Jiang since there is still no word from the agency... Even though the agency has financed this project, it was still quite uncivil for us to quit the crew like that.” His manager said carefully. “We’ll invite Director Jiang out for dinner, I’m sure he’ll offer you back the role if you just talk it out with it.”
“It has only been 46 hours, I really don’t understand why you are so worried.” Ah Cheng turned to lecture his manager. Then he subconsciously reached into his pocket. “Hmm? Where’s my phone? Help me find it! I’m sure Jiang Yi is already calling me. We need to find my phone!” Yesterday night, to prevent himself from accidentally missing out on Jiang Yi’s call, Ah Cheng strung his phone around his neck. It had been there ever since. Seeing the state her star was in, the manager did not think it was wise to remind Ah Cheng of that fact. “Alright then, I’ll go search for the phone in the other room…”
…
Han Fei left the station at 8.30 pm. He stopped at a nearby stall and had a quick dinner before he hurried home. “All the potential murderers have been captured but the actual culprit directing their moves is still out there. So now I’ll have to be extremely cautious of the butterfly's revenge.” Han Fei stood before the wall of evidence and found himself too lazy to take it down. “Why do people like that exist in this world? They’re the kind of people who should be treated to a free sample of Perfect Life. They’re the ones who require the game’s healing more than I do.”
Han Fei glanced at the Iyashikei logo on the side of the gaming helmet and couldn’t help but grumble. “If I can drag that bastard’s consciousness into the game and have it meet my neighbours, then everyone will have a correct channel to vent their inner despair. The sacrifice of a madman can cure everyone, no matter how you look at it, that is a good deal.” Justice demands retribution. Han Fei thought that was fair.
After completing a few rounds of physical training, Han Fei wiped away his sweat and sat down by his bed and picked up a book to read. In this era of everything quick, learning and reading were sanctuary for Han Fei’s soul. “Personality disorders often surface at one’s young age and stabilize around teenhood. It might persist for as long as one may live. Severe personality disorders are behavior statements that delineate a sociopath and a normal person in the study of abnormal psychology…”
Time flies when one is having fun. Soon it was 11 pm. Han Fei connected all the wires and put on the helmet. The world submerged into a red sea. When Han Fei opened his eyes, he was inside a chilly living room. ‘It feels like I’m returning to my second home.’
Before starting this game, Han Fei had no friends at all, he was the kind who was destined to die alone. But now with the game pushing him, he started to learn how to be a better version of himself.
Han Fei stood inside the living room and pondered about his complicated emotions. The murderers for the human jigsaw case had been captured. Even though the real culprit was still fluttering outside the net of law, Han Fei had fulfilled one of his roommates’ wishes. He wanted to share this good news with his roommates. He sincerely wished that his roommates could slowly walk out from their despair. Han Fei did not anticipate for his roommates to suddenly be able to communicate with him. As long as they no longer lost control, everything that he had done so far would be worth it. Turning to glance at the innermost bedroom, Han Fei gathered his courage and walked towards it.
Creak… The door swung open and Han Fei was greeted by his 7 roommates who sat facing away from him by the bed. No matter how many times Han Fei was greeted by this, the scene still shook the young man’s heart. “Your murderers have already been captured, those who hurt you have received their due punishment.” Han Fei walked into the room and described everything that happened in real life. However, none of his roommates appeared to hear them. They kept their heads lowered and their expression blank.
“I am unable to back my words with evidence. If I can bring you back to real life, I would.” Han Fei took a seat on the bed and sighed deeply. Han Fei couldn’t even drag someone into the game with him, much less bring people from the game out into the real world. Furthermore, he had no idea what kind of world he existed in. This cryptic world was isolated from the outside world, it was hidden deep inside the darkest ocean and he appeared to be the only person who could traverse between the two worlds freely.
Using pen and paper, Han Fei jotted down everything that happened in real life and then he placed the notes next to Wei Youfu. “Youfu, when you feel like yourself, please read through these. I’m not lying to you, the murderers have been captured!” Han Fei sighed as he still got no response from his roommates. He turned to glance out into the living room. He frowned when he saw the television. “If only I can record the trial proceeding in real life and then play it for you in this world. But the menu does not offer me that function…” Then Han Fei suddenly narrowed his eyes. “Wait, I remember the normal version of Perfect Life possesses the feature for its players to input videos they recorded in real life! Then, Perfect Life can simulate the captured videos in the game for the players to relive the experience again! Assuming this place is really Perfect Life’s cryptic world, then I only need to bring my roommates to the surface world and then they’d be able to witness the apprehension of their murderers through my eyes!” Initially Han Fei only wanted to escape as soon as possible with his life intact but now he wanted to bring all his neighbours with him. They deserved a far better ‘after’life than being trapped in a world of endless despair.
“It’ll be hard to find the door that connects the cryptic world and the surface world. By then, I would have made a lot more friends and neighbours. After all, the game has been urging me to be more social…” Han Fei feared that one day, he might cause a tremor that would affect both the gaming and the real world. “Will I be opening the Pandora’s Box then? Is it wise to suck the whole game into the world of the dead?”
Shaking his head, Han Fei did not want to be the one branded as the crazy person who raised the dead. Prices had to be paid for crossing the line between life and death.
“In any case, that is a worry for the far future. For now, I better focus on maintaining my survival.” Han Fei stood up and slowly retreated out from the room. Just as he closed the door, Wei Youfu reached out to take the notes. His pale fingers danced with black blood threads. When he saw the words on the papers, Wei Youfu’s broken body trembled incessantly.
Han Fei just walked into the living room when the robotic voice announced. “Notification for Player 0000. You have successfully triggered the Grade F Mission—Human Jigsaw!
“Human Jigsaw (Grade F Blood Red Mission): 7 pieces of human jigsaw are hidden inside 7 rooms at this apartment building! You need to find all of them within 3 days!
“Warning! Since the mission grade is unproportionate to the player’s current level, completing the mission will award the player with additional, unique rewards!”
