Chapter 14

“Oh! So that’s where it is! Yi Zhen, how hard did you throw it—flew all the way in there! Damn, can’t reach it. Stick, stick!”

This time, Zhen Lin easily found Yi Zhen’s lost phone, because when the light hit it, the screen naturally reflected a faint glimmer—barely enough to spot, but sufficient. The problem was, the phone was too far inside; no matter how he stretched, he couldn’t grab it. He complained to Yi Zhen, then stood up to find something long to fish it out with. Never mind whether scraping might damage the phone—what really mattered was getting it out. A brick would be more useful than this.

Good thing, the dorm had plenty of long objects. Though no wooden stick as he’d hoped, a metal clothesline rod would do.

Yi Zhen never spoke another word. Since the phone was found, all he had to do was wait. Talking more might worsen his dizziness. Right now, he couldn’t think at all—any accident would be disastrous. Getting the phone back was the only thing that mattered.

Zhen Lin held the metal clothesline rod in both hands, posing like a man with a long spear. Too bad his build was a liability—otherwise, he could’ve pulled off the aura just fine. No one was around to admire his mighty stance anyway: one lay still, the other stood dumbly. The dorm’s reputation as a weirdo haven never disappointed.

“Ah da!”

On his way back to the door, he couldn’t resist swinging the rod a few times, shouting dramatically like some anime character. Then he mindlessly tossed it up and down. He knew he shouldn’t delay, but his body simply wouldn’t obey. Once the rod was in hand, the feeling of “I rule the world” refused to fade. That was the joy of it.

Fortunately, he could still tell priorities. Right now, fulfilling his promise mattered most. Playtime could wait. He remembered there was some CF event tonight—with rewards. He couldn’t miss it. So he tossed the rod aside without a second thought. As a gaming nerd, he knew how to make choices.

Besides, no one cared what he was doing. If he didn’t hurry up and recover, they’d call him an idiot. He could silence them with his report card, but that was too much trouble. He’d already wasted enough time playing. Onward! Grab the phone, then game! Who cared about anything else?

This time, it was smooth sailing. The phone wasn’t going anywhere—it had no legs. With the rod in hand, he could poke it out even from the corner. Tools really were helpful. Even retrieving things became easy. If only he had hands like this, gaming would be so much easier. Heh heh!

Well, it was just his fantasy. How could something like that happen? This was the age of science. I don’t believe it. (pout.jpg)

…

“Here you go, Yi Zhen. Your phone’s back. The screen and casing are pretty busted, sorry. Still works, though. If it’s totally dead, use mine for now—I’ll buy you a new one later. I’m off to game. Your laptop’s on your bed… Oh! I see it. Still covered. Are you playing hand-con? So intense! Heh heh!”

Zhen Lin walked back and handed the phone to Yi Zhen, sincerely apologizing. He knew he probably didn’t break it, but he had to show attitude. Harmony brings prosperity, right? And they’d been best friends for so long. If Yi Zhen didn’t want to keep the half-broken phone, he could use his own for now—he had two phones anyway. He’d buy a new one once he saved enough. Yeah, he was just that generous!

Then he remembered what came next. He grabbed the charger from the top bunk.

Plugged it in, turned it on. Once everything was ready, he placed the phone in Yi Zhen’s hand and turned toward the bathroom.

He casually asked where his laptop was. Earlier, the angle had hidden it. Now that he saw it, he couldn’t resist teasing. The laptop was closed all wrong—why wouldn’t someone shut it properly? Especially Yi Zhen, half a gaming nerd. This was rare. Not teasing him would be a crime against his own laptop. You’ve suffered, cough cough! (funny.jpg)

Clearly rushed. Who knew what he was rushing for—yet he still passed out.

Ignoring Zhen Lin’s loud nonsense, Yi Zhen suspected that if Zhen Lin hadn’t put down the rod before climbing up for the laptop, he might’ve forced himself through the pounding headache to wrestle him over it.

Luckily, Zhen Lin, though eager, knew to properly store the long clothesline rod first. It was a dorm treasure. Without it, no one could hang clothes. Since they hung them indoors, it was essential. Buying one required collective dorm payment—hardly worth it. Those who understand, understand. The politics behind it were complicated—no simple family talk could explain it.

That’s why student cafeteria and convenience store operating rights got auctioned off—huge profits. People spent big money to win them. Everything boiled down to profit. The mortal world churns, all chasing gain…

Since Zhen Lin followed the proper steps, Yi Zhen had nothing to say. He hadn’t been paying attention anyway. How Zhen Lin acted didn’t concern him—except when it came time to split costs. Beyond that, he didn’t need to worry. Zhen Lin had already handled everything: everyone paid, he did the work. It was a small favor to his roommate.

After two impacts, the phone was practically ruined. But it still worked, so there was no need to buy a new one yet. Funds were low anyway; better to wait until he had enough.

Hmm? Maybe making money with this phone isn’t a dream after all.

First, check if he can enter the lottery. He remembered there was a prize wheel—decent cashback. Maybe he’d be the lucky one.

Virtual-reality items… should this count? Not sure. Better try. If he got enough back to cover the cost, he could upgrade to a better phone. This one was already damaged internally; half the back cover was gone, the battery exposed. If it heated up, it’d burn his hand.

He re-unlocked the phone. It had a bit of memory storage, so the interface was unchanged—except now it was flooded with customer service messages. The background had only one app.

At the end of the messages was a redirect link from customer service. This must be the cashback wheel he’d heard about. Looked totally sketchy.

Yi Zhen propped the phone up with his hand, keeping his eyes level with the screen. He hadn’t forgotten his body was still weak. He desperately wanted to sit up, but conditions didn’t allow it. So he’d have to find a cure inside the phone. Hope this all-powerful device wouldn’t let him down…

He clicked the link. It was a common spinning wheel game. Then six red envelopes appeared in a neat 3x2 grid. Above them, bold text read: “Zhengzhong Renhe Hospital Family Gift: Choose One to Receive a Special Medical Subsidy or Red Envelope!”

Of course, there’s no such thing as free gifts. He did need treatment, but the subsidy was useless—couldn’t fix his physical weakness. Whatever. Just pick fast and get out. He couldn’t delay longer—his body was already protesting. Too much time wasted, and he wouldn’t even make it out the door.

He randomly tapped one, didn’t even look, and immediately tapped the X. He did the same for the next wheel. But this time, he didn’t close it right away—he needed to see it again, to witness his ability in action. That way, he’d have more confidence in his next treatment step.

Though he refused to admit it, he’d always clung fiercely to things. But the truth was obvious. Maybe he was too dull, or maybe he hoped the world had no supernatural elements. Either way, it had happened. Now, he needed time to slowly come to terms with it…