Chapter 141

"Dad, Mom, open up! I'm back."

In a small residential area with decent greenery, Su Lin was tapping on the front door with his palm, deliberately holding back his strength, afraid of damaging the security door.

This house had been bought by his family only a few years ago; his parents sold their old home and added some savings to purchase this new apartment in the county town, just in time for the real estate boom a few years back, rushing to sign contracts at the bustling sales center.

Now, of course, it couldn't be sold for that original price anymore.

"Oh, you're back?" Su Xiangrong pulled open the security door, glancing at the cardboard boxes behind Su Lin—several of them, and from the gaps in the transparent tape, they seemed to contain fruit.

"Dad, help me carry these inside." Su Lin lifted two boxes of fruit and walked toward the house.

Su Lin's father, Su Xiangrong, was an employee at the local water company; his mother, Liu Yumei, ran a small grocery store.

Their family's financial situation was average; if neither he nor his family suffered any illness or disaster, they could still save a little, and live comfortably enough in a county town or a third- or fourth-tier city.

"So this is the new product you and your friends grafted together?" Su Xiangrong examined it, then picked up two boxes and carried them inside.

"Yeah, the taste is great—eat plenty, both you and Mom."

This middle-aged man with a square face had an average build, streaks of gray in his temples, wore glasses, and grinned happily as he looked at the local specialties Su Lin had brought back.

A smell of chicken soup drifted from the living room, coming from the kitchen.

Su Lin sniffed, his eyes brightening: "Mushroom stew?"

"I bought some mushrooms from farmers at the morning market—tea tree mushrooms and such. I saw prices hadn't risen much for the New Year, so I bought some to stew with chicken." Su Xiangrong pulled out his key and poked through the transparent tape on the box, then suddenly remembered: "How did you carry them up?"

"I hired a taxi driver to help me carry them—I gave him fifty extra yuan, it's the New Year." Su Lin said.

"Even if you make money, you still need to know how to save." Su Xiangrong chuckled helplessly. "You could've just called me—I'd have come down to carry them up, and you could've given me the fifty yuan. I could've bought a pack of Hua Zi."

"."

"I heard you made several hundred thousand?" Su Xiangrong picked up a fruit, examined it, then brought it close to his nose and sniffed: "Never seen this variety before. Doesn't smell quite like a pear… but so fragrant!"

Just smelling this fruit's aroma made one feel more alert; this refreshing, soul-soothing fragrance was far superior to ordinary fruits.

"Your mom wanted me to call you, said if you couldn't find a job, you should come home and take the civil service exam. Hey, I told her to let you keep trying—and you really did make something of yourself."

Su Xiangrong went on rambling about all the things Liu Yumei had done poorly or thought wrongly over the past year; though they were married, their views often clashed, and every time Su Lin came home, he listened to both of them complain.

Su Lin could only smile helplessly, helping with the chores while listening to his father's monologue.

In his previous life, he was constantly pressured to take the civil service exam, to go on blind dates, and to deal with all sorts of trivial matters—sometimes he resisted stubbornly, sometimes he could only yield helplessly.

Fortunately.

This time, he could finally live the life he wanted.

At night, after eating dinner with his family and watching a bit of the Spring Festival Gala, Su Lin returned to his bedroom—the first time in many years he had come back to it.

The moment he opened the door, Su Lin froze.

"These things…"

Su Lin had almost forgotten he used to be a homebody in college; after starting work in his previous life, he only occasionally watched anime, played games frequently, and then even those became less and less…

Since crossing over into this Parallel World, this was his first time returning to his hometown, let alone this bedroom.

A pillow with Qian Jing's face, a Chinese-made Aber figure, posters of Asuna, Yi Leina, and Qin Li…

Huh?! Yi Leina?!

Su Lin slapped his own forehead and blasted Yi Leina's poster into ashes with a burst of flame.

It was just so awkward.

Since she's not a 2D character anymore, it's time for a divorce.

Fireworks crackled outside the window; Su Lin glanced at his phone—it was 10:39 p. m. Someone had started sneaking off to set off fireworks.

Small county towns had their advantages—at least fireworks regulations weren't strict; in the city you might not find them, but if you traveled a bit farther to the countryside, you could still buy them.

Speaking of fireworks…

The toilet…

The pit latrine…

Could still blow it up one more time—consider it a New Year's gift to the whole nation.

Su Lin was mentally scripting the plan—he thought real explosives would feel more festive and be safer; Uncle Sam's warehouse in Hokkaido had plenty of fireworks stockpiled; borrowing a bit wouldn't hurt.

"I shall strike in the Form of the God of Light!"

Su Lin pulled out the Immoral Map, searched for Tokyo's direction, then transformed into a streak of light and vanished from the room, switching his physical body with his historical projection mid-air.

At 1 a. m., as the Spring Festival Gala neared its end, Su Lin had already returned home and sat with his parents watching it; his parents were slightly surprised—normally, their son would be in his room playing on his phone or computer at this hour.

【Each year has its own flavor, each station its own scenery】

The host maintained a smile as she delivered the closing remarks, then suddenly froze—her voice trembling with suppressed excitement as she said:

【We interrupt this broadcast with an urgent news update: in Tokyo, Japan…】

【A massive explosion has occurred. The cause is under investigation.】

At first, it was the startled cries of a few households, then gradually, the noise spread across the entire residential area; Su Lin remembered how the same thing happened during his college days when a gaming team won a championship.

【As the saying goes, joy brings vigor—may all viewers enjoy this day every year, and this moment every season.】

【Another urgent update: fireworks and firecrackers are temporarily permitted for production and sale nationwide.】

This was clearly an improvised line; Su Lin smiled as fireworks continued to burst and cheers swelled around him, then turned and walked back to his room, hiding his achievements in silence.

Su Lin had planned to pull out his laptop and use his superhuman reflexes and abilities to dominate in a game—but a message arrived in his chat group.

Lu Mingfei: "Happy New Year. Hand over the red envelope."

It was a private message from Lu Mingfei.

Su Lin: "Settle the accounts for Nancy's river."

Lu Mingfei: "I was joking! I brought you a New Year gift—come to Water Mirror Peak to collect it."

Su Lin: "Gift?"

Su Lin felt curious and returned to Water Mirror Peak; when he saw the sharp edges hidden beneath the massive curtain, he instantly understood.

Lu Mingfei pulled off the curtain, revealing a humanoid mecha, about twenty meters tall, its hull a pale grey-white, the overall silhouette tall and slender, the armor gleaming with a faint, strange metallic sheen, a sharp long horn set into the head section at the top.

Lu Mingfei cast a covetous glance at it and said to Su Lin, "Can I borrow it to play with? Please!"

When he had told Old Lu that he wanted one too, Old Lu had tossed him a pile of photos of girls and said bluntly, "Capture one girl, get one Gundam."

Su Lin stared at the Unicorn Gundam in surprise. Strictly speaking, he wasn't a model hobbyist—his room didn't even contain a single model—but that didn't stop him from loving this kind of large-scale machinery. He just hadn't expected Old Lu to actually build the thing, and so quickly at that. Black King Tech, number one in the world!

"Why are you still standing here?" Su Lin shot Lu Mingfei a look and said, "Aren't you going home? Isn't your little girlfriend worried about you?"

Su Lin spoke as he stood in front of the mecha like a mother hen shielding her chicks, urging, "If you're going to cultivate, then hurry up and cultivate; if you're not, then get home quick, or Hui Liyi will worry about you."

Lu Mingfei cast one reluctant glance at the enormous mecha, gave Su Lin a soulful, aggrieved look, then ducked through the teleportation gate and left Water Mirror Peak. Su Lin, unable to wait a moment longer, climbed into the cockpit, ready to get hands-on—and then

he saw a thick instruction manual.

His excitement was doused with a bucket of cold water in an instant.

End of chapter.