Chapter 2 Harmonious Neighborhoods

Han Fei's eyes widened in surprise. He felt a surge of information flooding into his mind. The dark virtual world around him transformed into a vivid landscape.

"Welcome to Perfect Life, Han Fei. Your journey is about to begin."

The voice echoed in his ears, and Han Fei found himself standing in a bustling virtual city. The sensation was so real that he could feel the ground beneath his feet.

"Whoa, this is something else," he muttered to himself, still getting used to the immersive experience.

As he explored the virtual city, Han Fei realized that the game indeed lived up to its reputation. The details were incredible – the people, the buildings, the sounds – everything felt authentic.

He decided to take a stroll through the virtual park, where he encountered virtual characters engaged in various activities. Some were chatting, others playing instruments, and a few were just enjoying the scenery.

A notification popped up in his field of vision: "You've gained positive energy by witnessing the happiness of others. Keep spreading joy to increase your positive energy level."

Han Fei chuckled to himself, thinking, "Positive energy in a game? Well, why not?"

As he continued his exploration, he stumbled upon a virtual comedy club. Intrigued, he decided to check it out.

The virtual stand-up comedians were cracking jokes that mirrored real-life humor. Han Fei couldn't help but laugh, forgetting the challenges he faced in the real world.

He spent hours in the virtual city, experiencing the various aspects of life presented in "Perfect Life." It was a welcomed escape from the troubles that haunted him outside the game.

Eventually, he logged out, feeling rejuvenated and strangely optimistic. The weight on his shoulders seemed lighter.

"Maybe there's something to this healing game concept after all," Han Fei mused, taking off the game headset.

Little did he know that his journey in "Perfect Life" was just beginning, and the virtual world held more surprises and challenges than he could imagine.

perfect life is a game that nourishes the soul and soothes the mind, a leisurely healing game. Here, there are heartwarming scenes that make people smile, and the game revolves around hope and happiness, bringing positive energy to all players...

As time passed, the mechanical synthesized voice that echoed from the depths of Han Fei's mind abruptly stopped at 23:59.

"Now, you can choose your own perfect life."

The hard and cold ground stimulated Han Fei's facial nerves as he slowly opened his eyes, finding himself lying in an unfamiliar room.

The room was approximately 70 square meters, with furniture covered in dust and walls mottled with stains, some of them black and red.

"My head hurts; it feels like someone drilled a hole in the back of my skull."

A faint musty smell wafted into his nostrils as Han Fei could clearly perceive everything around him.

Hearing, vision, smell, touch – there wasn't much difference between the game and the real world.

Sitting dumbfounded on the living room floor, Han Fei looked at the empty and chilly room.

The architectural layout and furniture inside the house maintained the style of decades ago, and everywhere was covered in dust, as if no one had lived there for a long time.

"Is this my home in the game?"

Rubbing the back of his head, Han Fei stood up from the floor: "According to the game introduction, this is a healing simulation life game, an open-world with no fixed gameplay. I can work hard to level up my character and improve attributes, or I can collect money and enjoy extravagance. I can even pursue a virtual girlfriend and experience virtual family and love."

While contemplating what to do next, Han Fei suddenly heard a knocking on the door.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Walking to the other side of the living room, Han Fei opened the security door, and the voice-activated light cast a dim light into the room, dispelling the loneliness.

"Young man, are you the new resident?"

A kind and friendly voice came from outside the door. In the cluttered hallway stood a silver-haired old lady with a benevolent face.

"Today is New Year's Day, and I've made dumplings at home. Come over and eat together; festivals should be lively."

In the modern city, everyone was extremely busy, and neighbors might not speak to each other for weeks. Inviting a neighbor to one's home for a festival was a situation Han Fei had never encountered in his life.

"I'd better not trouble you," Han Fei, ever since being laid off by the company, had become silent and reserved. He wasn't very keen on interacting with others.

"My son and daughter-in-law are working outside the city. There are only me and my grandson at home. I've made a lot of dishes, and it would be a waste if we can't finish them."

The old lady looked at Han Fei as if he were her own child. Each word she spoke seemed like the morning sun, warming people.

"Dumplings symbolize the changing of the year and family reunion, and eating dumplings can dispel the misfortunes of the year. It's not easy for you, a young man working alone outside. Come and have some hot dumplings to warm your stomach."

The old woman extended multiple invitations. In the real world, Han Fei would likely have come up with various excuses, but this was within the game. The old lady might just be guiding him through a plot mission.

Nodding, Han Fei picked up a bunch of keys from the coffee table in the living room and walked out of the door, assisting the old lady as they descended the stairs.

"Granny, watch your step, take it slow."

The hallway was cluttered with debris and trash, and the iron railings were rusty. Many small ads and children's graffiti covered the walls.

It resembled an old and dilapidated neighborhood from over a decade ago. Such neighborhoods had become rare with the rapid development of technology.

The old lady led Han Fei down one floor, stopping in front of room 1031.

The numbers painted on the wall with blood-red paint had become somewhat blurry. She coughed lightly and opened the door to room 1031.

A rich meat fragrance wafted from inside, and Han Fei, seeing the scene through the open door, swallowed saliva, looking into the room.

There were no lights on in the old lady's house. She had only lit a few candles on the dining table.

"The fuse burned out, and the repairman probably hasn't come because of the holiday."

"Granny, shall I help you? I used to change the fuse at home when it burned out." Han Fei didn't treat the old lady as a game NPC; he didn't know why. Perhaps it was because she felt like a real person.

"Be careful, the spare fuse is in the drawer." After instructing Han Fei, the old lady entered the kitchen. The meat she had stewed seemed to be ready.

Using a stool, Han Fei replaced the fuse. He turned on the electricity, and the warm light illuminated the dark little room.

"Player with Code 0000, attention! The G-grade ordinary task of changing the fuse has been completed, Meng Shi's friendliness increased by five, and harmonious neighborly relations are the first step in a perfect life."

In Han Fei's mind, a cold mechanical synthesized voice echoed: "The task system has been activated. Newbie tasks updated. Completing newbie tasks will help you quickly understand everything in this world."

Listening to the unfamiliar voice in his mind, a status panel appeared in front of Han Fei, but before he could examine it closely, the old lady came out of the kitchen with a pot of fish soup.

"Freshly stewed fish soup, drink it while it's hot." The old lady placed the fish soup on the table with a smile, then turned and walked to the bedroom door, opening the lock: "Chen Chen, come out for dinner."

After a moment,a boy of about five or six years old emerged from the bedroom. He kept his head down, as if sulking with the old lady.

"You two go ahead and eat; I still have a few dishes to finish." The old lady opened the refrigerator and took out half a frozen chicken: "It's been without power for so long; hasn't it thawed yet?"

She put the frozen chicken in a small basin, casually placing it on the table.

"Granny, don't make so many dishes; we won't be able to finish them."

"It's rare to have a guest at home. I should make more. The meat in the refrigerator will go bad." Warm-hearted and kind, the old lady bustled around the kitchen, reminding Han Fei of his own family.

When he was very young, family gatherings during the New Year were always so lively.

The aroma of meat wafted into his nose, and the freshly cooked fish soup emitted a tempting fragrance. The hazy scent made Han Fei feel a bit trance-like, as if memories in his mind were overlapping with the virtual game.

The dim light illuminated the small room. The sounds of pots and pans clattering in the kitchen mixed with the advertisements playing on the square TV. The faint scent of smoke seemed to disperse the coldness of this unfamiliar city.

"These simple and ordinary joys might be life itself."

There is always a special dark time in one's life. If you stand still because of fear of the future, you will only be forever trapped in the darkness.

Han Fei picked up the ladle, scooping a bowl of fish soup for himself and Chen Chen.

The milky-white fish soup emitted a seductive fragrance. Han Fei blew gently on the surface of the bowl a few times.

Just as he was about to taste the soup, he saw out of the corner of his eye that the boy on the opposite side of the table lifted the bowl of fish soup over his head.

"What does this kid want to do?"

Before Han Fei could react, the boy slammed the bowl filled with fish soup onto the floor.

"I won't eat something taken out of a coffin!"

Puff!

Hearing the child's words, Han Fei spat out the fish soup he was about to drink.

A coffin?

Ceramic shards were scattered on the floor, and the fish soup flowed everywhere. The old lady, hearing the commotion, hurried out of the kitchen: "Chen Chen! What are you doing?!"

"All the things you make are taken from coffins!" The boy, who looked only five or six years old, raised his head, and his eyes had many bloodshot veins.

"What nonsense are you talking about!" The old lady, worried that the boy might get scalded, didn't even untie her apron and rushed to the table.

"The building manager said that only coffins will have dead people in them!" The boy broke free from the old lady's hands, threw the frozen chicken just taken from the refrigerator onto the floor, and then ran to the bedroom.

"You come back to me!"

The old lady also entered the bedroom, and the living room was left with Han Fei holding a bowl of fish soup.

"Terrifying kids these days." Han Fei silently put down the porcelain bowl. He found a broom and dustpan behind the door, intending to help the old lady clean up. But when he was about to pick up the frozen chicken on the floor, he suddenly remembered something.

The child said he wouldn't eat things taken out of a coffin, but Han Fei clearly saw that the old lady took the half-frozen chicken from the refrigerator.

Initially, there was nothing wrong with it, but considering what the child said afterward-that the building manager told him only coffins would have dead people.

Why did the child treat the refrigerator as a coffin? Could it be because there was a corpse hidden in their refrigerator?

Huh?

Thinking of this, Han Fei was stunned. This didn't seem like the development of a healing game!