Chapter 17: Inventing Writing

Chapter 17: Inventing Writing

Holidays come and go, while work persists without respite.

Lu Yao sat diligently at the company's workstation, meticulously organizing the materials and customer information on the computer screen.

Beside him, Sister Peng leaned in, her curiosity piqued. "That young foreign girl, Yin Shabel, she's like a delicate doll, with an air of sophistication. I hear she comes from a respectable family..."

"Which family does she belong to?" Lu Yao casually took a sip of water from his paper cup and replied, "Seems like she comes from a working-class background."

"So, when are you planning to tie the knot?"

Lu Yao almost choked on his water.

"We're just friends..." he managed to say, suppressing his surprise.

"Quit playing innocent," Sister Peng waved her hand, convinced that she had deciphered everything. "Do you think I'm blind? It's clear as day that she's wearing your clothes. Are those your pants? A girl wouldn't wear a guy's clothes and follow him to the supermarket unless she's living with him. Is she your girlfriend or perhaps your maid?"

Lu Yao had to stifle a laugh. "It's not what you think."

"And what is it then?"

Trying to change the topic, Lu Yao inquired, "By the way, Sister Peng, how tall is your fianc, Officer Fu?"

"He's quite tall, around 187 centimeters. A man with height exudes a sense of security."

Sister Peng beamed with pride, clearly content with her fianc's stature.

"No wonder you were vigilant regarding that deviant individual earlier, Sister Peng. It appears that your familial ties are aligned with the law enforcement sector."

"Hey, don't get me started. Those policemen have their occupational quirks. It seems like they instinctively scrutinize everyone as if they were suspects... Speaking of which, I heard they caught that pervert."

"They caught him?" Lu Yao pretended to be surprised.

"Indeed."

Sister Peng's voice dropped to a whisper, her tone tinged with secrecy. "However, it appears that the suspect's identity is of a delicate nature. They haven't disclosed it to the public yet. The case is being transferred to higher authorities. Fu Chenggang didn't provide many details, emphasizing the importance of adhering to rules."

Lu Yao was taken aback.

Handed over to higher authorities?

In other words, Lisa's status as a player has been exposed. Moreover, it seems there are specific departments governing player groups. This implies that, apart from himself and Lisa, there are numerous others who play the role of gods in the pixel world.

Recalling how Lisa once regarded Yin Shabel as a high-level player and mentioned that the committee didn't impose restrictions on her, it became evident that the committee had some involvement.

However, this also meant that Lisa had indeed been apprehended by the player management department.

For the time being, she would have limited opportunities to cause trouble for him.

"How did you end up with me?" Sister Peng snapped out of her thoughts and resumed gossiping. "Yin Shabel doesn't look like she's in her twenties, right? Which country is she from? How can her family be so trusting of you? Could it be that your families arranged your engagement from childhood?"

Lu Yao could only respond with a sigh, "She has gone back home."

"What?" Sister Peng's expression suddenly changed, and she exclaimed in anger, "You just let her go like that? Had a falling out? What if she doesn't come back? Why are you so foolish? You can find another beautiful girl, you know?"

Lu Yao raised his hands in surrender. "People always long to return home."

Usually, Zhou Qiang would come by every Monday morning to clear out the merchandise from the boxes and restock them with new goods. Lu Yao would lock the door upon returning, ensuring that Xiao Huo remained hidden from view.

The sound of stray cats outside the window mingled, their purpose unclearwere they fighting or courting?

Lu Yao rose from his seat, stretching his limbs as he twisted his neck, eliciting a satisfying crackling sound. His movements were a tad too vigorous, causing a twinge of pain in his waist that made him gasp.

As he rubbed his aching back, a new notification popped up on his computer screen.

"The Garlic tribe has invented writing, leading to a slight improvement in everyone's intelligence."

"The advent of writing has bestowed upon the Garlic tribe the ability to record and disseminate civilization and beliefs across regions."

If it hadn't been for the nagging ache in his back, Lu Yao would have been tempted to triumphantly pump his fist in the air.

The advent of writing stood as one of the paramount accomplishments of the tribal era.

Words held the essence of civilization itself, serving as its very embodiment.

Finally, the Garlic tribe emerged from the era of ignorance and primitiveness.

With the introduction of writing, the game interface underwent a change.

In addition to the population and belief indicators at the top-right corner of the screen, several new resource displays appeared.

Grain | Wood | Stone | Leather | Salt.

However, these items didn't show specific values but instead exhibited a battery-like shape that fluctuated slowly.

Grain seemed the most abundant, displayed in a vibrant green color.

When Lu Yao hovered his mouse over the grain icon, a detailed breakdown of its ingredients appeared below.

Wheat accounted for 80%, meat accounted for 10%, and the remainder constituted other food sources. This represented the current food structure of the Garlic tribe.

Apart from grain, salt and leather also thrived in plentiful quantities, as indicated by their healthy green hue.

Wood appeared yellow, suggesting inadequate reserves.

Stones, on the other hand, were painted red, indicating extreme scarcity.

After pondering for a moment, Lu Yao grasped the concept.

With the advent of writing, these resources could now be represented through textual means. It seemed that as the civilization of the Garlic tribe continued to advance, the complexity of the society would steadily rise, accompanied by corresponding interface updates.

Fortunately, the entire civilization operated and evolved autonomously, sparing Lu Yao the need for micromanagement. He simply needed to steer its general direction.

The prompts on the game interface continued to flow.

"By defeating the god Jack in this region, your relationship with the Yanchi tribe has grown intimate."

"The Yanchi tribe has offered you a sacrifice."

--- END OF THE CHAPTER ---

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