Chapter 63: People Are Addicted To Food*
*meme/buzzword usually in gaming where someone is not skilled but keeps trying and is passionate about it
This translation is originally posted on
https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
Gu Jinrong didn't wait for Shen Qingzhi's answer and directly picked a concentric knot to move closer.
The distance between the two suddenly became very close, leaving Shen Qingzhi stunned at first.
Before she could react, the other party had already stepped back, leaving only a hint of fragrance and a newly hung concentric knot on her clothes.
This knot was tied to Shen Qingzhi's coat button, and she could only lower her head to see it clearly.
Red, and heart-shaped, it kind of matched her coat color.
But that's not the point.
The point is, she hadn't agreed to accept it yet!
Gu Jinrong stepped back two steps, looked at her masterpiece, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "It looks pretty hanging like this. I'll find another place to hang it for you when I go back."
Shen Qingzhi:...
Twenty-seven concentric knots all hung on her, wouldn't she become a Christmas tree?
"It’s burdensome, I don't want it."
Shen Qingzhi held the corner of her coat, glaring at Gu Jinrong, looking quite annoyed.
She hoped the other person would be self-aware and take this thing back voluntarily.
Gu Jinrong reached out a slender hand towards her, not to take back the concentric knots, but to interlock their fingers, "Qingqing, it seems like something is shining ahead, let's go and see?"
She said it as a question, but her actions were more like a statement.
With one hand held by Gu Jinrong, Shen Qingzhi walked while using her other hand to untie the concentric knots hanging on the button. However, after walking a few hundred meters together, she still couldn't take off that knot.
She didn't know what technique Gu Jinrong had just used; it had seemed quite effortless when she tied them. Although Shen Qingzhi acted reluctantly, she didn't want to force it too much.
Forget it, I’m not skilled as someone, let’s make do with this for now.
Just as Shen Qingzhi managed to persuade herself, the two arrived at the source of the light.
It's an arcade, located in the connecting area between the trendy street and the residential district.
The shiny things just now are the various electronic lights on the entrance sign.
Shen Qingzhi has always been playful since she was young, but after entering the circle, she often had less control and missed many opportunities to play.
Now with some leisure time and fewer considerations or constraints around her, she suddenly became very excited.
This time, without waiting for suggestions from the one around her, she took the lead and pulled Gu Jinrong inside.
Initially, she only intended to sneak in quietly and play alone for a while, but at some point, their hands seemed to stick together.
Shen Qingzhi glanced at their hands clasped together and thought to herself: Forget it, let's consider it as having an extra bodyguard. With her here today, even anti-fans won't dare to come close.
The arcade was filled with various entertainment facilities, some triggering Shen Qingzhi's past joyful memories, while others were the latest releases that she didn't know how to play yet.
At that moment, Shen Qingzhi seemed like a bee happily exploring a flower bed, buzzing around joyfully.
Because of this, she had no time to count how many times she said "forget it" to herself within this short less-than-a-day span.
Racing simulators, dance mats, claw machines...
Each one represents simple joy. During her student days, Shen Qingzhi could spend a couple of hours playing each project.
Unexpectedly, an arcade situated in a non-central area of a small town would be so well-equipped despite its small size.
Shen Qingzhi, who hadn't played much lately, suddenly found herself in a dilemma of choices.
Gu Jinrong initially had little interest in these youthful activities, but she was delighted to see her little girl so carefree.
At this moment, the young girl seemed both excited and conflicted, so naturally, Gu Jinrong wanted to be understanding.
Gu Jinrong pointed to the lifelike gun displayed ahead, looking eager to learn, "Qingqing, how do you play that? Can you teach me?"
At a glance, Shen Qingzhi recognized it as one of the projects she used to play for the longest time. She felt quite pleased inside: It's rare for the black heart to ask me for advice.
She straightened her chest a bit, trying to look modest, "This is holographic CS*. Put on the helmet, grab the gun, and shoot the enemies on the machine screen. It's been a while since I played, I can only teach you the basics."
*counter strike
"I'm more than happy to learn the basics from you."
They both inserted coins into the machine, put on their helmets, and began Shen Qingzhi's 1v1 tutorial on CS for Gu Jinrong.
After putting on the helmet, the 3D holographic visuals and sound effects are incredibly realistic. Suddenly seeing a tall figure holding a gun and rushing towards you is quite intimidating.
This translation is originally posted on
https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
Especially after each shot, the lifelike gun also vibrates, making your hands feel numb.
Despite being just a game, it tests one's reaction time and mental endurance significantly.
When Shen Qingzhi first played this, she often ended up being pressed down and rubbed against the ground by her opponent, which was quite miserable.
But she loved playing it, a typical addiction to challenge, and with time, she became more skilled.
She deliberately acted modestly at first, planning to show her skills later during the actual game, creating a sharp contrast to earn the respect of a certain arcade novice.
That's called "suppress then surprise." Being around some cunning people does influence her.
Considering Gu Jinrong's first encounter with this, they chose the team mode and started with the simplest level.
"The scope will change color when aimed at the target. Different bullets have different speeds. Predict where the enemies will be when the bullets land based on their movement trajectories. You're using the basic Type 88 rifle, try to get a feel for it."
Shen Qingzhi didn't hold back in teaching, occasionally throwing in terms to demonstrate expertise but genuinely wanting to educate.
After all, the disciple needs to learn to show the master's prowess.
Gu Jinrong fired two shots at the screen, successfully smashing two wooden crates.
"Although they're still targets, your aim is spot on, just like that."
Shen Qingzhi felt like she was becoming a good teacher, employing an encouraging teaching style.
But once they started, her encouragement couldn't stop.
Gu Jinrong hit the armored soldier.
"First kill, great!"
Gu Jinrong exploded the opponent's wheel, forcing out the armored personnel inside the vehicle.
"You instinctively know how to sabotage, smart."
Gu Jinrong utilized the wall to bounce bullets, hitting enemies in blind spots.
"This luck, you're a chosen one."
Gu Jinrong exploded the explosive barrel, igniting the warehouse, then swiftly changed weapons to KO the core member chasing them from close range.
Shen Qingzhi:...
She was tired, unable to praise anymore.
During the final score calculation, Shen Qingzhi looked at their performance rating on the screen, feeling somewhat indescribable, "Was this really your first time playing this? You've learned incredibly fast."
"It was my first time; it's mainly because the teacher taught well."
Gu Jinrong's voice mixed with the background music, sounding gentle, yet oddly reminiscent of Versailles.
Shen Qingzhi tightened her grip on the **, deciding to directly increase the difficulty, "I see you've grasped the essence of this game. Instead of fighting the bots, how about jumping straight into a real PvP match?"
As she spoke, she changed the team challenge mode into a two-player battle mode, each player controlling the main character and a team of NPCs.
As the countdown began, Gu Jinrong looked at the screen and saw herself and Shen Qingzhi placed in different camps, feeling wronged, she said: "Qingqing, won't you teach me now?
“I'm going to teach you in actual combat now. Some things are hard to explain just by words.”
Shen Qingzhi's words sounded noble, but her inner calculation was: Her progress is too scary, I need to win before she grows up, or I won't stand a chance later.
Gu Jinrong was definitely an exceptional learner, whether in verbal or practical teaching, she always grasped the essence first-hand and applied it broadly, excelling beyond her mentor.
Shen Qingzhi looked at the fallen NPC allies nearby, seeing their own base in imminent danger, beginning to suspect that someone was intentionally pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger*.
*pretending to be weak and harmless to defeat a stronger enemy.
The battle is not over yet, so she cannot take it lightly for the time being.
Shen Qingzhi, who was at a numerical disadvantage halfway through the start, found a special wall cover and, using a rolling motion, glitched inside.
This position was very clever; even if the opponents could see her, they couldn't hit her, commonly referred to as a bug card.
However, she could shoot bullets out through the cracks in the wall, one by one, one for one, two for a pair.
She issued a gathering order to her NPCs and also attracted the large army from the opposite side.
Her poor last three NPC allies were chased in a very distressed state by eight from the other side. Meanwhile, Shen Qingzhi, stuck in the wall, executed maneuvers as swiftly as a tiger, instantly taking out five of the opposing NPC allies.
Even though she was the only one left on her side at this moment, exchanging three for five, she didn't come out at a loss.
She was about to take advantage of the victory and pursue a series of beautiful killings, but she found that she had run out of bullets.
No big issue, there were fallen soldier bodies nearby, and she could sneak over to resupply.
Planning to roll outward, she aimed to directly reach the cabinet three meters away through the bullet gaps.
The idea was lovely, yet she rolled repeatedly and kept circling inside the wall.
This bug point was something she had heard about before, once inside, it was invincibility mode.
But this was her first genuine attempt. Cheating by exploiting bugs in a two-player battle was unsportsmanlike. After the game, she could humbly concede, even if it meant a draw.
Yet fate didn't give her that chance for humility. Why did the person who pointed out the bug only mention half of the critical information?
Not sharing such crucial information about being trapped inside was too deceitful!
Shen Qingzhi, who tried to exploit the bug but ended up being trapped, was in despair. She could only helplessly watch as Gu Jinrong maneuvered her character next to hers.
The opponent didn't raise their gun, and the nearby NPC didn't engage in combat, likely under a [stand-by] command.
Now unable to hit each other, Shen Qingzhi could only emit a series of system-provided [taunt] expressions.
Even without bullets, she was determined to fight until the very end.
Gu Jinrong stood in front of her for a while, then suddenly seemed to understand something. After attempting a few movements, she, too, glitched inside.
Shen Qingzhi:!
This bug point can fit two people inside?
Oh no, I'm out of bullets now, but she's not!
However, after Gu Jinrong came in, she didn't shoot. Instead, she maneuvered her character around, eventually making both characters intimately close, as if embracing each other tightly.
Initially, Shen Qingzhi thought it was a coincidence until she saw a string of [heart] emojis in the nearby channel.
Shen Qingzhi:...
What's going on? Going through all this trouble to glitch in here, not for the showdown, but for fooling around?
Seeing her [taunt] had no effect, Shen Qingzhi could only express anger through [attacks].
As both were stuck in the wall, they could only communicate through text in the channel and couldn't inflict actual in-game harm.
At that moment, Gu Jinrong suddenly raised her gun. Shen Qingzhi sighed, feeling apprehensive.
Yet, the next second, the bullets went outward, and the last two NPCs fell.
Shen Qingzhi was shocked: I've seen accidental friendly fire before, but never intentionally killing allies.
In the final minute, Shen Qingzhi obediently stood in the wall, refraining from sending any more random expressions or movements.
She could only watch as Gu Jinrong kept sending continuous [heart] and [kiss] emojis as if discovering for the first time the variety of expressions available in the game.
When the time ran out, both sides had one player left, and neither had conquered the other's base. It ended in a draw.
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