“I should get back to work.” However, Gao Ming checked his laptop and realised he was not suitable for a job in the educational industry. In his current condition, he was worried he might cause his students to go insane. “What else can I do other than teach? I remember I wasn’t a teacher in the nightmare. Perhaps being in the same industry as I did in the nightmare can help me remember certain things.” After Gao Ming woke up, he encountered more people in real life, and he realised he had drifted further and further away from his memory. He was afraid that one day, he’d really forget that nightmare.
It was a strange feeling. The nightmare was filled with death and horror, but Gao Ming didn’t want to lose it.
“Perhaps because in that dream, I was never troubled by a lack of money.”
Gao Ming returned to the living room. The living room was attached to the bedroom. When they slept, Liu Yi would pull back the curtain that separated the bed and the dining table.
Gao Ming switched on the laptop and was stumped by the endless teaching lessons. He had no idea where to start. Instead, when he turned to his phone and found an in-the-progress mini-game, he finished programming it easily. He controlled the programs expertly.
Liu Yi, who spotted Gao Ming slacking at work, didn’t say anything. She looked at him with loving eyes. “He just recovered. I should let him do whatever he wants.”
After completing the game, Gao Ming uploaded the trial version to the app store. He stared at the statistics, but even after a long time, the download number was still zero. Eventually, the number ticked up to one. The person even gave Gao Ming a good review, “This is the best game I’ve played. It gave me a different feeling, the warmth of home. Thank you.”
Gao Ming was so excited. He was about to with Liu Yi when he saw Liu Yi exit the app store. He glanced at Liu Yi’s account number, and his shoulders slumped, “There’s no need to swap to a different account. I saw everything.”
“Don’t give up.” Liu Yi sat beside Gao Ming with a smile, “It’s getting late. Why don’t you take a shower? Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I’ll bully a patient? Never mind. I’ll go first.”
Gao Ming hesitated and then picked up Liu Yi’s phone. He adjusted the screen light and tried to trace the print on the screen. After two tries, he successfully unlocked her phone. There were a lot of budgeting plans and files about loans. When Gao Ming was unconscious, Liu Yi silently took on a lot of the pressure. Gao Ming replaced the phone. His emotions were complicated. On the one hand, he had a strange nightmare that he couldn’t let go of, but on the other hand, he had his real friends and family. He was squeezed in the middle. A mysterious force was making him choose.
“Without my memory, I can’t teach. I need to see if I can find a job that can help recover my memory and earn me a living.” Gao Ming wanted to share Liu Yi’s burden. He switched on the television. The television was showing a horror movie by Xin Lu’s best actor, Bai Xian. The realistic ghosts and oppressive scenarios made Gao Ming feel at home.
“What have they done to my sense of beauty?” Liu Yi was very pretty, but when Liu Yi was crying in his arms, he only felt guilty. However, when he saw the ghosts in the movie, he thought they were beautiful. “The dream felt so real. Is there any job related to ghosts so that I can verify some of my hypotheses?” Gao Ming massaged his temples. He inputted the few requirements he had of his ideal job. “Deep Space Tech, GUI Game Arts. Responsible for designing game logos and icons. Has a basic understanding of good gaming experience and user interface.
“Motu Tech Company, modelling programmer…”
Gao Ming couldn’t tell if it was his illusion. The screen darkened as he scrolled through the page. Static rang in his ears. He lifted the laptop to check it. He didn’t discover any problems. However, the internet was disconnected for a moment. After he refreshed the page, a lot of wanted ads showed up.
“Hen Shan Mental Hospital drug tester. Face-to-face interview required. Patients with a mental illness history will be given priority!”
“Jiujiang New Century Theme Park is hiring new workers. The base salary for the daytime workers is 3000 and for nighttime workers 15000. Applicants must have a basic understanding of first-aid, and they must believe that there is no ghost in this world!”
“Looking for livestreamers for a netherworld broadcast! Do you wish to be the centre of attention? Become a contracted content creator for us! Start your own stream, and all of your dreams can come true in the comfort of your own home!”
Gao Ming scrolled down. The ads became stranger and stranger. He searched for a long time before finishing one that grabbed his attention.
“Recruiting beta testers for Immortal Pharma’s Brain Realm Game. Monetary rewards up to 100000 will be given based on the quests completed in the beta…”
Gao Ming didn’t check the details. His eyes locked on the money. “I can get so much money from participating in the beta?!”
Gao Ming went on the internet to look up related news. He only found a few. They said there was something wrong with this game. Some testers submerged into deep sleep after trying out the game. Others lost their minds when they left the game.
When Gao Ming wanted to read the article, it was taken down from the internet.
“Immortal Pharma is one of the tech giants in Xin Lu. They should be official.” Concluding his experience for the past few months, Gao Ming felt like he matched this job quite well. “I should take note of it.”
Gao Ming remembered hearing about Deep Space Tech and Immortal Pharma in his nightmare. They were related to a taboo game. However, Gao Ming couldn’t recall the name of the game.
The water stopped, and the bathroom door opened. Liu Yi came out in her pyjama. Her skin was as white as milk. “It’s getting late. You should shower. Your pyjama is inside the bathroom.”
Gao Ming appeared shy. He hurried to the bathroom. When he passed by Liu Yi, the latter smacked Gao Ming’s ass.
She did it as a joke, but when she saw Gao Ming’s startled gaze, she quickly pulled her hand back.
However, this gesture showed how close she and Gao Ming were. They were once a very sweet couple.