Can Jiuluoyu Also Work As Customer Service In Wuxianliu? Chapter 16

Chapter 16

“I’m so bored.”

The surrounding balloons were a chaotic mess, and Zhang Yu had nothing to do. He felt like leaving the dream, but he didn’t know how, so he could only fret internally.

After thinking for a minute, Zhang Yu gave up the struggle. Forget it, just let nature take its course. A boat will naturally straighten when it reaches the bridgehead, and a person will naturally wake up in the morning.

He wandered around bored, hands in his pockets, and unknowingly drifted far away from the noisy balloons.

Just as Zhang Yu realized he had walked quite a distance and was about to turn back, a slender hand suddenly blocked his path.

Zhang Yu looked up. The figure that had appeared was none other than Ghost Painter. He was overjoyed: “Xichen!”

Ghost Painter smiled gently.

“What a coincidence, you’re here too,” Zhang Yu blurted out. Only after speaking did he remember this was a dream, making his comment sound silly.

However, Ghost Painter never said anything to embarrass him, and naturally replied, “It is a coincidence.”

Zhang Yu was happy again: “Hehe.”

“Are you busy?” Ghost Painter asked.

Zhang Yu shook his head.

Ghost Painter took Zhang Yu’s wrist: “Then I’ll take you somewhere.”

Zhang Yu followed along cooperatively, curiously examining Ghost Painter, wondering what differences the Ghost Painter in his dream would have compared to Reality.

But no matter how he looked, he couldn’t spot any differences.

Dreams were incredibly free; all laws were unshackled. Ghost Painter even took him traveling through space and time, finally arriving at an unfamiliar Water Area.

They were submerged in the water. The sensation of the current brushing against their skin was incredibly real. What met their eyes was a translucent blue-green, with jagged rocks and water weeds swaying with the current. Small fish and shrimp swam past them, oblivious.

Everything was too real, as if they were truly underwater.

But in Reality, humans couldn’t breathe directly underwater; only in a dream could one be this free.

Zhang Yu: “Wow.”

He had worked at a swimming pool and had been in the Swimming Pool, but he had never seen the underwater world from this perspective.

It was amazing.

Zhang Yu immersed himself in the fun of catching fish and grabbing weeds, while Ghost Painter watched him quietly from the side.

“It’s coming,” Ghost Painter suddenly said after a while.

Zhang Yu subconsciously asked, “Wh—”

Before he could finish, a dense swarm of fish suddenly surged toward them. Their scales cut through the water, stacked sharply together, like an indestructible storm rushing at them.

Zhang Yu had never seen a sight like this. His mind went blank, and he could only stare dumbfounded.

“Blue Knife Fish Storm,” Ghost Painter whispered in his ear. “I stumbled upon it before. It should be similar to the one in Reality.”

Except these fish were much more dangerous than the ones in Reality. These little things judged people; they would genuinely attack vulnerable Players.

The fish swarm passed by them, stirring up wave after wave of turbulence, causing their hair and clothes to ripple.

“So beautiful…” Zhang Yu was speechless. He had learned many idioms, but he couldn’t recall any of them now, only managing a dry compliment.

The fish swarm quickly swam past, vast and mighty yet leaving no trace. Only two human figures remained in the restored calm of the water.

Perhaps due to the stark contrast before and after, Zhang Yu felt a sense of disorientation, an illusion that the world contained only the two of them.

It was a subtle feeling.

Before he could fully savor the moment, Ghost Painter touched his head: “It’s late. Time to go back to sleep, Little Zhang Customer Service.”

Zhang Yu, for once, didn’t wake up early, sleeping until past ten in the morning. He still felt a bit sluggish when he got up.

Remnants of last night’s dream lingered; he could easily recall the shock of the Blue Knife Fish swimming past.

What a real dream.

He suddenly really wanted to see a Blue Knife Fish.

But that would undoubtedly cost money, so Zhang Yu reluctantly gave up the idea.

During the rare two days of Weekends Off, Zhang Yu stayed in his room, burying himself in study, ensuring he hadn’t wasted the sacrifice of his rent money.

Monday.

Zhang Yu arrived at work on time and ran into Tong Wei right outside the elevator.

Tong Wei was looking down, lost in thought.

“Morning,” Zhang Yu actively displayed his social skills, greeting him first.

Tong Wei snapped back to attention: “Morning.”

Zhang Yu was about to walk inside when Tong Wei suddenly called out to him: “You…”

“Me?” Zhang Yu pointed to himself. “What about me?”

“Is there anything you feel is off?”

Zhang Yu thought carefully: “No, why?”

Tong Wei stared at Zhang Yu with a complicated expression for a moment longer: “Did you go anywhere strange Friday night?”

“No, I went straight home after work.”

“…Never mind. Go on in.”

Tong Wei’s strange behavior wasn’t new, so Zhang Yu was used to it and quickly dismissed it, starting his shift.

Player: Is the CS proxy service event still running?

Customer Service Little Zhang: Dear, it is not. We do not have such an event, oh.

Player: You clearly ran Dungeons as a proxy a few days ago. So many people saw it. Don’t try to deny it.

Customer Service Little Zhang: Dear, did you not wake up properly this morning [rose]

Player: Isn’t Customer Service supposed to help Players? I’m a Player too. Why won’t you help me?

Customer Service Little Zhang: Dear, Customer Service does not play games, so we cannot act as a proxy.

Player: I get it. You’re just playing favorites. Don’t go too far.

Customer Service Little Zhang: I’m not. I eat boxed lunches; I don’t choose my own dishes.

Player: Are you playing dumb with me? Just wait. Next time I get a chance to go to the Safe House, I’ll give you a piece of my mind… Ah!

Customer Service Little Zhang: I don’t really eat fruit, dear [rose]

Player: H-help! Ghost Painter has gone mad! He’s attacking Players! How could this happen! He must be crazy!

Player: [Censored]

System Notification: The current Player has violated rules and been banned.

Zhang Yu: “?”

How did Ghost Painter get involved?

However, since the system had already banned the account, Zhang Yu couldn’t be bothered to think about it and smoothly clicked on the next task.

Player: Hey.

Customer Service Little Zhang: Dear, I’m here, oh [rose]

Player: Deliver a letter for me. You’ll be well rewarded.

Customer Service Little Zhang: ?

Player: Isn’t that what you’re after? Whatever Tong Wei gave you, I can double it.

Player: As far as I know, you’re not a Player, so things in the game are worthless to you. You need to think clearly. In Reality, Tong Wei himself is a wanted suspect, and his dad is just a street vendor. His pockets are empty. What can he give you?

Player: I’m different. My family is very rich. As long as you help me, you can name your price.

Customer Service Little Zhang: Wow, rich guy.

Player: I’ve already slipped the letter into the Safe House.

Customer Service Little Zhang: First, my name is not ‘Hey’.

Customer Service Little Zhang: Second, I am Customer Service, not a messenger.

Customer Service Little Zhang: Third, I have hands, feet, and a salary. I don’t need your money. I am very unhappy to serve you!

Even through text, Zhang Yu could sense the Player’s condescending contempt. He had experienced similar feelings in many places.

This feeling was terrible, and Zhang Yu absolutely did not want to serve this kind of person.

In a fit of pique, Zhang Yu simply blocked the other party.

“What’s wrong?” Tong Wei had been keeping an eye on Zhang Yu and immediately asked when he saw his expression change.

“Nothing.” Zhang Yu took a few deep breaths to calm down. “Work is always like this. You have to encounter a few eccentrics to make it complete.”

Tong Wei understood: “A Player made an unreasonable request?”

“Yes.”

“You can ignore Players like that directly. Don’t waste time on them.”

“Huh? Really?” Zhang Yu was shocked. “CS can choose which tasks to take?”

“Only at our company.”

“!”

Although Zhang Yu had praised the company’s benefits many times, he never expected that he could even pick and choose his work. Was this real? Unbelievable.

Monday passed slowly. Zhang Yu felt completely drained by the time quitting time finally arrived.

He listlessly packed his bag to leave work.

Tong Wei casually followed him: “I’ll go with you.”

Zhang Yu said “Oh,” staring blankly at the elevator door.

The moment the elevator door opened, Zhang Yu instinctively stepped in. Tong Wei suddenly placed a hand on Zhang Yu’s shoulder, following him closely.

“Why are you leaning on my shoulder?” Zhang Yu asked, confused.

“Low blood sugar. My legs are a bit weak,” Tong Wei said calmly.

It was a plausible excuse, so Zhang Yu didn’t pay it any mind. He continued to zone out, failing to notice the increasingly complex expression on Tong Wei’s face beside him.

Although he had long known that following Zhang Yu could lead him out of the Safe House, Tong Wei was still greatly shaken when it actually happened. His heart was pounding, almost leaping out of his chest. In that brief moment, a layer of fine sweat broke out on his skin.

He really got out.

Ghost Painter had followed Zhang Yu out once before, but he kept silent about it, and no one else knew what happened after leaving the Safe House, so no one dared to try easily.

This situation couldn’t continue, so Tong Wei decided to try it himself.

The elevator quickly reached the first floor. Zhang Yu walked out with his head down, and Tong Wei gritted his teeth and followed.

Stepping out of the Office Building entrance, the setting sun hit Tong Wei’s unguarded eyes, forcing him to squint. After adjusting for a moment, he could finally see the scene before him.

Cars were coming and going on the road. Leaves on the green belt swayed in the breeze. If he looked closely, sparrows were flitting through the greenery.

Everything was normal.

As ordinary as could be.

Tong Wei felt his heart stop for a moment. Having faced life and death in the game for several years, he had long given up hope of returning to Reality, and his memories had unconsciously blurred.

But only when he was truly immersed in it did he realize he had never forgotten.

“Which way are you going?” Zhang Yu shook his shoulder, snapping the distracted Tong Wei back to attention.

“With you…”

Tong Wei abruptly stopped the words he was about to say. He instinctively wanted to follow Zhang Yu back, even if just to catch a glimpse of Tong Guoqiang from afar.

But on second thought, he couldn’t be sure how much the game affected Reality. To be safe, he, as a Player, should avoid contact with people in Reality, lest he cause irreversible consequences.

Calm down, take it one step at a time, Tong Wei told himself countless times before suppressing the urge to go home.

“I still have to work overtime. I’ll just get some fresh air and go back up.”

“Oh.” Zhang Yu nodded indifferently. “Then I’ll head off first.”

“Wait.”

“?”

“Do you remember the case Ding Anna told you about?”

Zhang Yu paused: “I remember. Why?”

“I happen to know about that case too. Want to hear it?”

Zhang Yu was no longer sleepy. His eyes became resolute: “Please tell me.”

The two sat down on the edge of a flower bed.

“She told you the suspect was a high school senior who beat a classmate into the hospital but mysteriously disappeared before the trial, right?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“I happen to know that suspect.”

“What a coincidence!”

“Yes, he was the same age as me, and I guess you could call him a friend,” Tong Wei avoided Zhang Yu’s overly clear gaze, staring blankly at an earthworm wriggling in the dirt. “His grades were excellent. He never held grudges against anyone and lived a life of two points and one line every day. Occasionally, he’d dream about what kind of university he could attend. He didn’t have much money, but life wasn’t too hard.”

“But during his senior year, the school reorganized the classes based on grades, and some new faces were assigned to their class. One of them was named Wang Jing.”

Author’s Note:

Little Zhang’s annual video would be like: Art of Reading People, Social Skills, Secrets of Human Nature, Dark Psychology.

Also, thank you to the babies who caught typos. I will fix them all later [heart]