Chapter 111

Chapter 111: Don’t Even Think About Touching My Precious Game Book

It was after a while that Fang Ning recovered from his spaciness and flipped the crudely-made bound book.

As expected, only the pages in front had any content at all. After a page titled “Mission Log”, there were only two pages detailing the contents of missions 1 and 2. After that, all the pages were blank except for a line, “Please wait patiently for game updates, exciting contents to come…”

“Wait patiently my ass, I have no expectation for crap like this…” Fang Ning muttered as he chucked the Life Online book casually beneath the desk in the System Cyber Cafe…

‘I will never play this no matter how much you forced me to, I’ve already reminisced about ancient MUD games like this more than 860 times!’

Fang Ning’s spirit left the System Cyber Cafe and continued playing his Battle of the Beasts. ‘This is what a game should look like! It’s still ways away from being beaten!’

He continued playing for about fifteen minutes before he stopped, even as his character was surrounded by monsters and was about to die.

‘Wait a minute!’ Fang Ning’s eyes rolled around as he came up with a brilliant plan. It was because of his coding experience, as long as the stupid System continued to work as such, he would not need to worry about money!

‘Heh, heh,’ after having the idea, Fang Ning was pleased with himself and returned to the System Cyber Cafe with just a thought. He extracted the game book from below the desk and hugged it tight against his chest as if warning anyone from taking it away from him.

Fang Ning cleared his throat and ordered his speech internally.

Just as he was about to say something, he paused, thought for a little, and opened the voice recording program on the computer.

Having prepared, he hollered for the System, “Sir System, I have just made a very difficult decision, I shall make more time in holidays to play your game.”

The System immediately appeared, “See, Host, you finally understood my effort! I knew all the time I spent on this game wouldn’t go to waste, it would definitely be better than that Battle of the Belles game that you play!”

Fang Ning ignored the intentional slandering from the System and attempted to butter up the System, “Yes, yes. Sir System, you’re the most badass of them all. You’re good in everything, and this game that you produced is so realistic, it’s better than even virtual reality games or in-reality games, not to mention the 3D games I was playing, I am so impressed by you.”

The System was smug as it said, “Good on you to have this acknowledgment. Have fun with it. If there’s any content you want me to include, just tell me.”

Fang Ning said, “Don’t worry, I will. I believe this game will surprise me in a good way. It might even bring me extra… fun. That’s right, fun.”

The System said, “Alright, you can stop with the insincere praises. I’m not humans like you, it doesn’t work on me. So go and finish your missions. My missions are not the type that will kill you if you don’t finish them, so play around all you like and utilize your advantage of having an active imagination.”

Fang Ning said, “Yessir, I thank you, Sir System for your kindness. One question though, if I may ask?”

The System quipped, “Aside from asking me for money, will you ever be nice to me? Ask away, don’t waste my time for cultivation.”

Fang Ning thought, ‘This idiot System have learned from experience, I can’t underestimate it. Of course, my brain power evolves even faster, I have no problem overpowering it.’

Fang Ning said, “Oh, yes. There’s something. Can I ask where your game development module is? I can’t be inside this book, can it? Do I just yell at it when I submit my missions?”

The System replied, “That’s right, you’re smart, as usual. All other modules will be added in this book. I have spent a hundred thousand experience points to make you this piece of equipment 1 , it contains a sliver of principle inside of it, unlike the face-slapping, show-offish web novels you bought before.”

As it spoke, the System raised his voice, “Your high-level mechanical substitution puppet only spent 210,700 experience points as of now, but this one has eaten 105,000 experience points just to build it, and it’s only the most basic version!”

“-and you just chucked it under the desk just like that? If you didn’t pick it up and treated it like a treasure after that, I would’ve canceled a week of holiday for you.”

Fang Ning shuddered, ‘Thank goodness that idea came to me to treat it like a treasure. I must have lucked out.’

Fang Ning said immediately, “Those are my shortsightedness, please disregard those. Allow me to ask if the completion of the missions depends on you, or does the mission module decide whether I succeeded the mission?”

The System said, “The book, of course. If it decides the mission has been completed, I will acknowledge it, or else my chivalrous virtue would crash onto the ground. Are there any heroes that don’t keep their promises?”

“When I am updating the game, I will ask for the book, aside from updating it, I will not care about the book. Hey wait, why are you asking these questions? What are you trying-”

Fang Ning answered without waiting for the System to finish, “Alright, that’s what you said, so no shilly-shallying around. If you do, I will stop playing your game with immediate effect.”

The System said, “I am a martial art-based System. I will not go back on my words. Unlike you, you would just run your mouth and constantly spout nonsense…”

Fang Ning protested, “That’s because I always have to cover for you, and you criticize me for that?”

The System said, “Stop interrupting me. Why do you keep asking questions like this? What are you trying to do?”

Fang Ning said, “Nothing, I just wanna complete Mission 1…”

The System said, “Impossible, you can’t have thought of something so soon! Even Bodhisattva Spirit King would find it difficult to beat him, worrying about the minion rats wreaking havoc.”

Fang Ning hugged the book tightly, saying, “My idea would only be more troublesome… but my precious game book will not care.”

The System said, “Are you trying to set me up?”

Fang Ning said, “Oh my previous game book, I would like to submit Mission 1, Perfect Plan. My plan is to kill all the Greater Rat Demons and then track the Elder Ancestor Bai through the Truth Department, find Bodhisattva Spirit King, and bash Elder Ancestor Bai in with the System.”

The System, “…”

Fang Ning said, “In front of an veteran-player-slash-coding-slave like me, you dare say the game is ‘without bugs’, I have never seen a game free of bugs…”

System Notification.

[Beginner-level counterfeit-version game book Life Online, mission module activated and receiving the Host’s mission 1 submission.]

[Mission 1, Perfect Plan: Come up with the perfect plan to exterminate Elder Ancestor Bai in three days.]

[Mission module is evaluating…]

[Mission module is evaluating…]

[Mission module has determined the Host to have completed Mission 1 perfectly. Completion 100%. Mission reward: 500,000 in cash, the System to build the Host Attribute Interface module in three days.]

[500,000 was transferred into your account.]

Fang Ning kissed the rudimentary bound book and held it tightly against his chest, “It really is an immediate transaction, thank you, my darling game book. Sir System, your game is really fun, but the reward is a little lacking, so please give me more missions.”

The System said, “Gimme that! I need to update the book and check for bugs overnight…”

Fang Ning said, “No, don’t you dare touch my precious game book! You said this is my equipment, and when I finished Mission 2, it’ll be another million in my account. Why didn’t you issue more missions…”

The System, “…”

Fang Ning was satisfied by himself when a QQ message notification lit up. It was Zheng Dao.

Zheng Dao said he wanted to apply for a 2-day leave, which Fang Ning immediately approved. ‘Nonsense, he had been so hardworking day and night, how could I say no to this?’

Fang Ning finished replying Zheng Dao and said, “Alright, Sir System, please brainstorm new missions for me to do. You can update the game after finishing Mission 2. I don’t want to go out as Vigilante A now, I need to have my dearest game book with me at all time, so I will stay inside the System Cyber Cafe, in case you decided to sneak it away and change Mission 2 without my knowledge…”

The System said, “Even if I don’t change it, you won’t be able to finish it that quickly. That’s a long-term mission, there’s no loophole for you to take…”

Fang Ning booted up his copy of Battle of the Beasts and said, “You’re planting a flag 2 again, I will definitely complete it very simply…”

The System retorted, “I- I will stop the electricity and internet access from the System Cyber Cafe!”

Fang Ning figuratively spat blood, “With game developers like you, why would I play your game at all…”

The System admitted defeat, “Fine, since this is the first time I issued a mission, I will take the fall and admit there are bugs. Go on, play the game, I won’t steal your precious game book from you.”

***************

In a monastery up north, visitors are few and far between. It was quiet and secluded, even when leaves had covered half the ground, there was no one to sweep them.

In one of the rooms was an old man with a fly-whisk. He stood behind a teenager who was deep in his online game.

The teenager’s attention was fully focused on his game, paying no mind to anything behind him. He was fully inside the game, with the occasional keyboard clicking as he typed messages.

The old man looked at the teenager for a while, then said, “My child, in the past years, I have spent too much money on tempering treasures, and now I have invested my last bit of money in this. As you know, my new method has high efficiency in exorcising demons, but its cost is high. If your idea is unsuccessful, our monastery will immediately be bankrupt…”

The teenager’s face was one of disdain, “Dad, you could just sell any one of your so-called treasures to earn enough money, don’t threaten me with bankruptcy.”

The old man mimed flinging the fly-whisk at the teenager, “Those treasures are life-savers! It’s easy to sell them, but almost impossible to buy them back!”

The teenager said, “Don’t hit me. Look, so many rich people are signing up, so why would you worry about the money? You should be more worried about not being able to teach them well.”

The old man glared at him, “Impossible, as one of the four powerhouses in China, that Basic Cultivation of the Spirit is as it said, the basics in the cultivation of spirit. It’s even simplified, I could learn it just by scanning through it, how would I not be able to teach it to people?”

The teenager quipped, “Stop boasting, you’re the second one to master it. ‘Dragon Ascending The Heavens’ was the first.”

The old man explained, “It’s all because the monastery was secluded, the signal’s not great, so he was able to get recognized first. When we have earned some money in the future, we’ll move to the city, this problem will not happen again.”

The teenager said, “So teach properly, and we’ll have money. It’s a shame that this game developer was so greedy, there is an added fee for platform management in everything.”

“The Wolf King’s Token that we bought before was charged an extra twenty percent, or it wouldn’t have worked. And now of the half a million entrance fee, the tax is one hundred thousand, or the disciples won’t even be able to come in… It’s the first time, whatever. Dad, should we try and find loopholes in this game in the future? It looks like it’s well made, but there are plenty of loopholes, like your age, it said only fifty and below can cultivate…”

The old man shook his head, “Don’t worry about that, more importantly, our income has to be honest. I’ve heard from some friends that this game has a strong backup. The developer is a new company that sourced their talents all over the world. They are affiliated with the Truth Department, so forget about finding loopholes in this game to steal their money. They have the six powerhouses, none of which is weaker than I am…”

***************

The next day, Fang Ning received a QQ message from President Zhao. He gave it a thought and stopped gaming, asking the System to let him attend the feast on his own, he could not always ask a mechanical puppet to replace him, can he?

He would have to ask Sir System to make a meal again though, that might have cost him some benefits.

However, President Zhao did not even bring up the topic, he cooked himself, Fang Ning only needed to attend, for which Fang Ning was grateful.

As dishes were served, the whole table was filled with an assortment of colorful food.

Fang Ning started eating with the Zhao’s.

Seeing the table full of dishes, Fang Ning was surprised, he thought, ‘President Zhao kept it under wraps, but he actually can cook.’

Subconsciously, he blurted out, “Sir, your cooking skills are so good, I could never compare to this.”

President Zhao was satisfied and flung a provocative glance toward his wife.

He had met numerous people, he could tell Fang Ning was not lying. After all, Fang Ning was a homebody, he could not have learned to deceive without being detected.

What could this mean?

It could only mean that aside from saving his face, his cooking skills were actually on par with his master chef son-in-law.

Madam Zhao was confused. She looked at Fang Ning and gave the dishes a sniff. They looked good, but could never compare to whatever Fang Ning has cooked.

Hesitantly, she tried a bite. As expected, it was like chewing wax, but it seemed Fang Ning was not lying at all.

What kind of person was she? She was the one who could call herself Dragon Princess instead of snake demon, she could beautify Four-Legged Dragonization Ability into Dragonization Ability, and she could manipulate business tycoons like President Zhao like a doll.

She said gently, “These dishes must have used animal oil. Xiao Fang, I have just gotten a gift from Bodhisattva, so I will need to avoid meat for time being. Yao Yao and you should have some more. I want to share the gift with you after the meal.”

Fang Ning was moved that his future mother-in-law thought of him for good things like this.

He said, “Thank you, ma’am, for your concern. I’m forever indebted.”

“We’re a family, don’t need to be too courteous,” Madam Zhao gestured at the dishes. “Have some more, Xiao Fang.”

The only other time Fang Ning had eaten was on the Demon Slayer Feast, and even then he did not have much to eat due to his three followers.

His taste was definitely not on the same level as Madam Zhao who had used to the System’s kitchen skills.

That is why he started stuffing food into his mouth, genuinely impressed.

President Zhao was bordering full of himself at this point as he shot his wife another look of provocation, ‘You don’t like it, but someone else enjoys it.’

“Yao Yao, have some,” seeing their daughter sitting still, Madam Zhao’s eyes lit up and asked, “see if your dad’s cooking has improved?”

Liu Yao looked at the dishes and sniffed for a bit before saying, “They look good. But dad, recently I’m practicing the Guangling Verse by Ji Kang, I can’t touch dairy.”

President Zhao was immensely dejected.

Fortunately, after seeing Fang Ning eating his food, he was glad, ‘At least the future son-in-law enjoyed it. Like mother, like daughter, these two had been spoiled by the master chef son-in-law.’

After dinner, President Zhao said he wanted to discuss something important, so Fang Ning started being serious.

President Zhao said, “I have discussed with your Uncle Liu. We’re preparing to buy a piece of land near Qi city in the name of Qi City Merchant Guild to plant some of the Vitality Crops, it’s the ones we’ve learned at the Truth Department’s Institute for Special Training. Xiao Fang, do you want to invest a little in it?”

Before Fang Ning could even speak, his body became uncontrollable.

The System said, “I’ll invest a billion.”

President Zhao was shocked, “Xiao Fang, I’ve heard that your restaurant was franchised all over China, so your cash flow should be pretty tight, is it not?”

Fang Ning was stunned.

In the System Space.

Fang Ning said, “You idiot, as soon as you heard about good quality ingredients, you forget yourself! My real identity had only started earning money for a few months, how would I have a billion?”

The System said, “Go and cover up…”

Fang Ning cursed, “Bastard. Next time, don’t overtake my body without my consent and create all these bugs for my identity. I haven’t troubleshot for a while…”