“I took my medicine,” he argued. “It turns out that medicine doesn’t work at all.”
“It works.” The little sheep flew over and covered his mouth in mid-air. “You must have done something bad and got scolded.”
Yi Heye was speechless: "...I'd rather have a cold."
After exchanging a few words, the conversation returned to the main topic: "You mean, that guy named Ma Chunyang..."
"Fang Chunyang," Xiao Yang corrected.
"That beep," Yi Heye switched back to his familiar code name, "is he doing a whole bunch of lousy things out of environmentalism?"
"Who knows?" Little Lamb shrugged. "All I know is that he was trying to frame me."
Although SHEEP's reputation on the internet is already notorious, this does not contradict his unwillingness to take the blame for others.
Secretly committing murder and sabotage behind people's backs would ruin SHEEP's reputation if word got out.
Yi Heye searched through the information provided by the Security Department and said, "I remember he told me that he hated having other people in the world he created—that might be his motive for murder."
Based on the information, Fang Chunyang's work experience at Siwei was very simple; from the very beginning, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to the construction of the "ideal world".
At the beginning, Fang Chunyang compiled video and picture materials collected from various places in Area A. Based on those partial images, he constructed images of jungles, beaches, grasslands, and other places that had disappeared outside Area A.
The current version of LIFE also uses many of the maps built by Fang Chunyang.
"If I can't enter Area A, I'll create my own Area A."
Initially, Fang Chunyang's team designed LIFE more like a social adventure game, where players would use holographic technology to immerse themselves in the map and experience the realistic flowers and grass.
It can be said that this place is a spiritual utopia that Fang Chunyang built for himself, a place to escape pollution and darkness and take a temporary breather.
At first, those incompetent companions would willingly become his followers, coding with him one line of code after another. However, because it was a simple scene-based social game with low playability, it did not make much of a splash in its early days.
The game mechanics were fundamentally changed when that group of "workplace refugees" from cybersecurity arrived at the 4D network.
"The new senior colleague really likes my scene modeling, but why do we have to add combat mechanics? The core concept of Utopia is peace and nature, and this is defiling the world."
The decision-makers unanimously agreed that there was no market for casual and relaxing games, so they incorporated many currently popular combat elements and classic game modes such as roguelike, which greatly improved the game's playability.
In addition to Fang Chunyang's nature-themed maps, they even went so far as to create some borderline scenes, such as gay bars for adults only, and couples' modes that provide intense sensory stimulation.
With its numerous eye-catching elements and superior technology from its predecessors, LIFE instantly transformed from a fringe player into a rising star in the gaming industry.
"Disgusting, they splattered blood on my map and scared away my birds, but those idiots don't care at all. My hives are acting up again, I just want them to die."
As LIFE's revenue exploded, former comrades who had fought alongside them turned against them one by one for money or reality. The new upper echelons of 4D gradually won over everyone, leaving only Fang Chunyang, who insisted on not compromising with them.
"I want my map back... I'll just go solo if necessary!"
After this, Fang Chunyang's state changed—
"They scolded me...and said I was being unreasonable and would have to suffer the consequences."
"What do they want? They don't really want to kill me, do they?!"
“I always feel like someone is following me, damn it… The doctor said I have paranoia.”
...
"Damn it, what will happen to my ideal world if I die?!"
The last message was posted the night before his death. The following morning, his autopilot crashed due to loss of control, and he died on the spot.
After reading the series of confessions expressionlessly, Yi Heye slammed the screen shut.
"It doesn't matter, he's going to die a second time at my hands anyway."
He had no interest in this man's tragic past; he only wanted to quickly take his second life.
At that moment, the security department called.
Pei Xiangjin: "So? Are you ready? Can you keep up with us?"
Yi Heye sneered: "Have you communicated with Siwei?"
“Okay,” Pei Xiangjin said. “I’ll have the cyber security department oversee this, and Siwei will provide you with the appropriate tools as much as possible. We will also do our best to protect your safety.”
Yi Heye knew that Lan Yang had an absolute natural advantage on this map, and he didn't have the stubbornness to defeat him with his bare hands—he was a weapons expert himself, and with a suitable weapon, he was confident that he could defeat Lan Yang even in Lan Yang's happy hometown.
In fact, Siwei was not cooperative at first. It wasn't until Pei Xiangjin brought Fang Chunyang's name to the table that the group of people cautiously chose to cooperate.
He'll definitely be in jail; the rest depends on his cooperation and how long he'll be imprisoned.
Although Yi Heye hadn't fought Lan Yang for long, he quickly developed a set of strategies in his mind, meaning he was ready to respond at any time.
He glanced at the time and chose an auspicious moment: "I'll do some light exercise and go online promptly at eight o'clock tonight."
Pei Xiangjin: "Okay, wish us success."
After hanging up the phone, he glanced at the lamb beside him, wanting to say something, but in the end he didn't say a word.
The heart-wrenching experience of the last battle against Blue Sheep is still fresh in my mind. This time, with preparation, I should not repeat the same mistake.
He turned around, picked up the prosthetic limb from the table, and said to the lamb as he prepared to install it, "Turn around. Please be more considerate next time you encounter a situation like this."
The lamb slowly turned around, covered its eyes, and remained silent.
Ultimately, installing a prosthetic limb was still a tense, exciting, and somewhat thrilling process for Yi Heye.
After a long, breathless battle, although he was in excruciating pain, Yi Heye felt refreshed all over, as if he were fully charged and full of energy—he couldn't wait to start a three-hundred-round battle.
The little lamb turned around, propped her head up, and looked at him: "Actually, you'd be better off not making me avoid you. Just from the noise, I thought you were doing something embarrassing."
Yi Heye's fist hardened at his words, but the guy remained as relaxed as ever, which relieved Yi Heye of any worries or tension.
He glanced at the time and said to the little sheep, "Let your good friend Professor Jane come and take over. I wouldn't dare let a sheep who can't even touch a plug help me out."
The little lamb kicked him a few times in the face, then turned around angrily: "Open the door, he's already outside."
Yi Heye opened the door with a "whoosh," and the moment the sheep projection disappeared, he saw Jian Yunxian standing in front of him with his little cloud. Area A was quite far from Area D, and this person could come whenever he called. He couldn't help but wonder if he had bought a house next door.
“If you arrive early, you can knock on the door,” Yi Heye said. “But if you prefer to be left out in the stairwell, then disregard what I said.”
Jian Yunxian smiled and said, "I just feel that you seem to prefer spending time with that little lamb."
Yi Heye was completely immune to his self-directed and self-acted double act, and slammed the door shut.
It wasn't until I had prepared the gaming helmet that I belatedly realized what I was doing.
He turned around and earnestly defended himself: "I didn't like that sheep more."
At that moment, Little Cloud bleated, and whether it was his imagination or not, he could hear a hint of mockery in it.
Sure enough, the next second, Jian Yunxian's teasing arrived on time: "So you like me even more?"
Yi Heye rushed over and grabbed Jian Yunxian's fingers, threatening to break them.
Jian Yunxian immediately pulled her hand back: "I was just joking."
Yi Heye glared at him coldly, but felt that the commotion had loosened his body.
"Feeling better?" Jian Yunxian glanced at the time, smiling as she helped Yi Heye put on his helmet.
His fingers gently brushed against the brain-computer interface behind Yi Heye's ear, and the warmth of his fingertips made Yi Heye shiver.
"Can I help you?" The person's gentle tone touched his ear, making Yi Heye's mind go blank for a moment. "You don't seem to know how to do it very well. It will hurt a lot."
Upon hearing the word "pain," Yi Heye became uncontrollably excited, but he knew that this battle was crucial and he couldn't act on his impulses.
So he replied, somewhat confused, "...Hmm."
The next second, Jian Yunxian's fingers gently brushed open his dust plug, and the plug and words probed into his brain together:
Are you ready?
"...Ready."
"Go have fun, I'll make sure you have a great time."
Author's Note:
Little Cloud: A sheep that is good at expressing all kinds of emotions.
Chapter 33, number 033
Whether it was Jian Yunxian's words that distracted Yi Heye, or whether that guy secretly injected anesthetic behind his ear, this time, Yi Heye only felt like he was being lightly pecked, and it wasn't as excruciatingly painful.
There was still a slight stinging sensation in the area behind his ear. Compared to the exhaustion from the pain that made him unable to straighten his back, this kind of pain, which had an invigorating effect, was within the range that Yi Heye could enjoy. It made him feel like he had received a martial arts buff once again.
Looking down at the parameters, he discovered that Jian Yunxian had taken advantage of his inattention to adjust the pain perception in the game to 0.4 times the normal level—which, when multiplied by the 2.5 times pain level of his robotic arm, was exactly the normal perception of a person.
After all, if the pain suddenly disappears, it would be very dangerous for a game like this. Jian Yunxian's numerical values, which are not a single bit more or less, can be described as the pinnacle of meticulousness.
As Yi Heye got used to the new sensations, he waited for the game to load—however, this time the standby time was longer than he expected, so long that it felt like he had taken a nap.
When he opened his eyes from his blurry vision, he frowned once again.
The scene before him remained exactly as it was before he entered the game—a simply decorated room, a neatly folded quilt, and a game helmet lying nearby…
He didn't seem to have successfully entered the game; instead, he fell asleep by the table and woke up again by the table—but it was dark outside, and Jian Yunxian was no longer in the room.
Having just regained consciousness, Yi Heye's ability to discern things briefly failed him. He groggily got up and saw a note lying beside him with a printed message: "There's been a problem with the game connection. I have some things to do and need to go back first. We'll continue after you wake up. Goodnight."
Yi Heye stared at the note for a long time, then sneered and tore it into pieces with a "whoosh".
If it weren't for all this unnecessary trouble, Yi Heye might have been fooled in a moment of confusion. The fact that they left a note and dared not show their face made it seem like they were treating Yi Heye like a fool.
—He had already entered the game, and he used the same trick twice. Yi Heye was speechless.
This time, the guy didn't dare to cosplay face-to-face with him anymore. He left him a note indirectly, but he still gave himself away in a second.
After all, Jian Yunxian had said he would always be there for him and would unplug him anytime, anywhere. If he dared to leave a note and run away, Yi Heye could fly to Area A right now and demolish his luxurious sheep pen with his bare hands.
I've told you before, never impersonate Jian Yunxian, but you never listen to my advice. No wonder I always see through you at a glance.
After figuring it out, Yi Heye got up, stretched his body a little, and then quickly opened the curtains.
This time, the scene modeling is much more detailed than before—the high-rise buildings outside the gate, resembling a graveyard, rise from the ground, and even the smallest smoke particles can be clearly seen.
It was raining quite heavily outside, a light drizzle that seemed to carry a metallic smell, as if it could corrode and dissolve one's flesh.
It was only then that Yi Heye belatedly realized that it might not be nighttime, but rather a rainy daytime.
Even on ordinary days, Zone D looks like this when it rains—a pitch-black mess that's disgusting to look at.