"Ding ding dong dong..."
Just then, Lin Jichen's phone rang.
Picking it up, he saw it was a call from the delivery person. The game company sure shipped fast.
"Mr. Lin, we've arrived downstairs at your place. Should we bring everything up?"
"Hold on a moment, let me check."
Lin Jichen immediately asked Ren Lan, "I bought you a gaming pod. Do you want it in your dorm or at your place?"
"A gaming pod? For me? Where did you get the money?"
"I'll tell you later. Just tell me where to put it so I can instruct the delivery guy."
"My dorm room is too small, and my dad would smash it if it's at home. Just put it at your place; I have a room there anyway."
Lin Jichen nodded and told the delivery guy to bring both pods up.
Soon, the two gaming pods were brought in.
Lin Jichen directed the installation in two separate bedrooms, covering his eyes to avoid any potential ridicule from the delivery guy.
The delivery guy was quick, finishing in about fifteen minutes. Lin Jichen signed off, and they left.
Once they were gone, Ren Lan couldn't hold back any longer.
"What's going on? Where did you get so much money? Spill it!"
Lin Jichen coolly countered, "What do you think?"
"Did you sell your body at a nightclub? Come on, Little Lin, I won't laugh at you."
Lin Jichen's face darkened as he pretended to make a phone call.
"Hello, delivery guy? Can you come back? I need to return one of the gaming pods, I..."
Before he could finish, Ren Lan rushed over, grabbing his arm and shaking it frantically.
"Come on, Brother Lin, I was wrong, okay? You've already bought it; how can we return it?"
Listening to Ren Lan's tigerish apology, Lin Jichen felt a surge of satisfaction. Even the feisty ones bow down sometimes.
"Sigh, if someone would massage my legs and shoulders right now, I might reconsider."
Lin Jichen sat back on the couch, firmly in control.
"Your wish is my command," Ren Lan obediently came over and began the massage.
Lin Jichen wondered if he should make some excessive demands?
But the thought lasted only half a second before he dismissed it, knowing well that if he dared, his other eye would surely turn black too.
"Alright, alright, you've been so good, I won't return it."
"Really? Haha, I'm getting a gaming pod! A fifty-thousand-dollar pod! That's two years of my gym membership, boo-hoo~ This is the most expensive gift I've ever received. I'm going to take pictures and post them on WeChat!"
Ren Lan said, dashing into her bedroom to admire her gift, thinking Lin Jichen had bought the standard fifty-thousand-dollar model.
Lin Jichen couldn't be bothered to show off and let her remain blissfully ignorant.
He went back to his own bedroom, looking at the top-of-the-line gaming pod like someone who'd never seen the world.
The difference between a gaming ring and a pod was significant.
The main difference was the time a player could spend in the game.
Gaming ring users could only last about ten hours before their physical condition affected their gameplay.
If they continued, they'd be afflicted with a 'fatigue' status in the game, slowing all actions by 10%, a reminder from the game to log off.
Once fatigue reached 30%, they'd be forced to log off.
But the gaming pod was different; it had a biological nutrient solution to sustain the player's body and even allow for proper sleep.
Players could game for long periods without any physical issues.
A standard pod allowed for a full day and night of play, a deluxe model for two days and nights, and the top model allowed for a week straight without needing to exit!
Plus, the gameplay was smoother for pod users compared to ring users.
Lin Jichen admired the luxurious pod, unable to let go.
He'd never used a gaming pod in his life, even as a master of the Enlightenment Realm, because the game's popularity made them scarce.
Before the game merged with reality, the price of pods rose daily.
In just a couple of years, even the lowest model cost millions, and the top models were nearly impossible to buy.
Lin Jichen couldn't afford that, and as the two worlds merged, the pods lost their purpose.
So this was his first time using such advanced equipment.
If Ren Lan weren't there, he'd have dived into the game to experience it right away.
Next door, Ren Lan was even more over the top, hugging and taking photos with the pod, excited beyond coherence.
"Little Lin, thank you, this is the best gift I've ever received in my life! Haha!"
Ren Lan burst out, dancing with joy, living up to the 'crazy lady' nickname Lin Jichen had given her.
"Good to see you happy. The money for the pod came from my earnings in the game, so you can stop suspecting I sold my body."
As he spoke, Lin Jichen didn't forget to transfer the money he owed her for the gym membership.
"Wow! How long have you been playing this game to earn so much? Is it that easy to make money? Maybe I should drop out and earn with you!"
Ren Lan was astonished, her eyes filled with admiring stars.
"That was just luck. I found some good equipment and ran into a couple of wealthy second-generation players bidding, so I made a lot. You want to drop out? Sure."
Lin Jichen wasn't opposed to Ren Lan dropping out to play the game.
The sooner she started, the better.
"I'm just kidding. If I dared to drop out, my mom would break my legs. I'll just come over to play when I have time."
Ren Lan said, then excitedly added, "School's about to break for the holidays. I'll tell my mom I'm going on a trip and come here to play my heart out. You'll have to show me the ropes in the game!"
Lin Jichen chuckled and nodded, "Sure, you're always welcome."
He tossed her a set of keys to his place.
After finally seeing off this silly woman, Lin Jichen decided to take a shower and rest, as there was still time before meeting Leng Feiyan.
Setting an alarm, he thought to get some good rest before a satisfying battle in the game.
While setting the alarm, Lin Jichen noticed a familiar name on WeChat.
[Gu Qiuxue]: "Little Chen, my birthday is coming up in a few days, and my colleagues at the hospital want me to host a dinner. Do you have time to come?"
She had sent him a message a few days ago, but Lin Jichen hadn't replied.
In his previous life, he had forgotten about it because he was with Guo Jie and never got back to her.
By the time he heard from Gu Qiuxue again, she was about to get married to a doctor from her hospital who had been pursuing her.
At the wedding, he asked her why she suddenly decided to marry someone she had told him she didn't like.
Gu Qiuxue didn't answer and left in tears.
A few years later, she took her own life due to depression.
Lin Jichen never found out what had happened to her.
Now, he was determined to find out what had happened back then.
After a moment of silence, Lin Jichen immediately replied, "Sis, I'll definitely be there!"
After sending the message, he turned off his phone and lay down to rest.
But his mind was restless, haunted by the image of a serene and gentle face.