Chapter 29: 29


    After returning to Room 1044, instead of leaving the game, Han Fei stayed to clean up the room. “I still haven’tpleted both the New yer Missions for sleeping and showering.


    “It’s time to go. If I continue to be this stressed, I might go insane from ying this game.” After experiencing the deepest fear, Han Fei realized the beauty of normal, everyday life. This Iyashikei game had done its purpose of helping him learn to stop and smell the flowers. Opening the game menu, Han Fei was about to log out of the game when he realized the previously all greyed out chat rooms had one that was currently lit up. Among the sea of greyness, the brightness of the button to join Chat Room 444 appeared so out of ce.


    ‘Does this mean I can ess this particr chat room now?’ Han Fei confirmed that the time was 3.59 am. At this twilight hour, this change happened. Reaching out to click on the button 444, the robotic voice rang out in his brain, “Are you going to enter Chat Room 444?”


    “Yes.”


    “Please select whether to keep your Id anonymous.”


    “Yes.” Han Fei selected that option without much thought. In this ce where ghosts and murderers roamed, it was far too dangerous to show his Id. After entering the chatroom, Han Fei waited for several seconds but no one spoke. He hesitated for another few seconds before he punched in the message, “Is anyone around?”


    Huang Yin (Tester ount yer 0999): ‘There’s still someone online at 4 am? Brother, you must have more than one liver to sustain such a lifestyle.’


    ‘I have more than one liver?’ Han Fei pictured that image and it grossed him out. He could not tell whether this was just a figure of speech or something else. Trying not to expose too much information about himself, Han Fei was very careful. In contrast, this other yer was so grant with the disy of their yer id. They must be an old yer… Or they had gained ess to the function of changing one’s in game Id. Either way, this yer was definitely more experienced with the game than Han Fei was.


    Huang Yin (Tester ount yer 0999): ‘Brother, you still there? You must have gained plenty of EXP from ying until sote. What level are you at now?’


    In spite of the casualness of their tone, this yer was clearly trying to dig up more information about Han Fei. Thetter’s brow furrowed as he replied, “You must be a high-level yer too since you’re also still online now. What is your current level?” Without revealing anything, Han Fei kicked the question back to the other yer. Granted the other yer could have lied, but the lie would still tell Han Fei plenty of information. From the number given by this experienced yer, Han Fei could gauge the current maximum level of this game. This was the art of speech, the psychological battle between expert yers!


    Han Fei was focused as he stared at the chat. After all, this was the first time he encountered another yer in Perfect Life!


    In spite of the horrid nature of the game, this yer was able to chat with Han Fei with such nonchnce, this further confirmed Han Fei’s belief that this was a long time yer.


    Huang Yin (Tester ount yer 0999): ‘I joined this project as a medical consultant. I just reached level 14. My level is low because I can only y at night since I need to work during the day. I’m sure my level is much lowerpared to hardcore yers like yourself.’


    Reading Huang Yin’s reply, Han Fei sunk into deep thought. He merely asked for the yer’s level but they had volunteered their real life career and gaming habits. ‘Is he trying to confuse me with an influx of information? As an old yer, he should know that I’m fishing for information. Why would he be so generous with them? Is this another fake front?’


    Anonymous yer: ‘Level 14? You have levelled up quite fast then, how did you gain so much EXP so fast?’


    Han Fei did not think the person would reveal his levelling trick but he was proven wrong. Huang Yin’s reply soon came.


    Huang Yin (Tester ount yer 0999): ‘My gaming life started in the hospital since I was a doctor in real life. However, I had to start from the internship level. I just focused onpleting the daily missions like helping the doctors with their chores, doing night patrols of the wards and wooing the nurses. Without even knowing it, my level is already at 14. This game is honestly quite addicting. The vexing details in real life are absent and it gives one a feeling of control over one’s choice of life.’


    Seeing Huang Yin’s message, Han Fei’s frown deepened. ‘Is this person serious? In this game, a hospital has to be more dangerous than an apartment building. And he still has the nerves to patrol the wards at night?!’ The images of human organs ck market, gory surgeries appeared in Han Fei’s mind. All the doctor’s white coat was dyed red while Huang Yin pushed a cart stuffed with fresh organ harvest as he made his rounds in the wards.


    Huang Yin (Tester ount yer 0999): ‘This game is a sandbox with plenty of freedom. I am personally a casual yer. Brother, what kind of perfect life you’ve chosen for yourself?’


    Staring at the message, Han Fei did not know how to answer. He had no idea what kind of life the game had given him, after all, he had not even ventured out from this apartment building yet. Han Fei knew nothing of the world-building of the life he inhabited but he did not want the other yer to know he was actually a new yer. He didn’t want to make himself out to be an easy prey. After all, this was a hellish game where the winning philosophy was the survival of the fittest!


    Anonymous yer: ‘I’m also a casual yer. So far, I’ve spent my days visiting my neighbours, and watching television with my roommates. Sometimes, the kids in my neighbourhood will invite me to join them in their games. They’re all my friends.’


    Huang Yin (Tester ount yer 0999): ‘Wow, that does sound like a perfect life. It must be nice to have a group of friends in game!’


    Anonymous yer: ‘That is true!’


    Huang Yin (Tester ount yer 0999): ‘We should add each other as friends since we both y at night and we’re both casual yers. Many testers are ying this game but most of them have forgotten about the main objective of this game because they are too busy exploring the game’s more cryptic gamey.’


    Anonymous yer: ‘Cryptic gamey?’


    Huang Yin (Tester ount yer 0999): ‘Yea, but that’s just what I heard anyway. This game is based on human nature so it is supposed to be asplex as one too. ording to the other yers, human nature, and this game by extension, is like an iceberg. The parts which are shown on the surface are just a small part, the deeper, more cryptic parts of this iceberg are hidden under the deep and dark sea.’