The Weird Life Game: Starting as a Department Head

Chapter 2 Growing Up, Becoming an Adult

In the living room, Xu Hang sipped a glass of water and leisurely put it down.

"Wanqing, you know me. I have always been on the side of fate."

With a thud, a cushion hit him in the face, and Su Wanqing, who was sitting opposite him on the sofa, blushed with embarrassment.

"Xu Hang, have you no shame? Where's the confusion you felt before leaving the classroom? Where's your fear of the future?"

"I became a manager just one year after graduating from university. What am I afraid of? The legal department?"

Xu Hang put the cushion aside.

"You... Anyway, you're not allowed to touch me for now. If I meet my true love, you'll have to agree to a divorce."

Su Wanqing also reads time-travel stories aimed at men.

She'd seen plenty of people who said "my fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens," but this was the first time she'd met someone like Xu Hang, a surrenderist.

She had no idea how she had become his wife.

Although both of them were dressed when they woke up, and had just taken a shower and confirmed their innocence, the husband and wife relationship was just a formality.

But it was still too sudden for Su Wanqing. She had never been in a relationship before, and suddenly she was a wife.

Upon hearing Su Wanqing's request, Xu Hang feigned a sigh:

"Then what about all our past actions?"

"Including transition animations."

Su Wanqing pointed to her head with both fingers:

"Xu Hang, the settings are all fake, not to mention that there is no memory of us getting to know and fall in love."

You're just a virgin whose physical age is five years older.

If it weren't for this game, I would definitely have found a rich second-generation heir in Shanghai five years from now. How could I possibly marry you?

Su Wanqing's words were quite hurtful in many ways, but Xu Hang acknowledged some of the key points.

The moment he stepped out of the classroom, he gained many memories.

But these memories cannot fill the five-year gap.

Those are just some of the changes in the world over the past five years.

"Indeed, the premise is fabricated."

Xu Hang looked at Su Wanqing and nodded:

"But you are real."

"Saying that won't help; I won't show you the special CG."

"No, I mean you can trust me."

Xu Hang took another sip of water:

"Our setup is actually a good thing. It's always better to work in pairs than to go it alone."

There is too little information available at the moment, so we can only speculate.

The game's theme is "A Bizarre Life." We've already seen the life aspect; what we need to worry about is the bizarre.

He opened the drawer, took out a photo, and placed it on the coffee table.

"While you were taking a shower, I called my parents. They are doing well."

Nothing in the room seemed out of the ordinary, until I found this photograph.

Su Wanqing curiously took the photo, then her pupils widened.

The above is a group photo of their class in high school.

There were only students, no teachers; those familiar faces seemed as if we had parted just minutes ago.

But in this photo, a third of the people have turned into black and white.

"This is……"

"Look at the back."

Following Xu Hang's instructions, Su Wanqing turned the photo over. On the back was written a line of text:

They are everywhere; don't try to find them.

This text doesn't look like it was written by a human, because it's too stiff and looks more like the font used in a computer document.

"What does this mean? Who are those students who turned black and white?"

Su Wanqing felt uneasy.

"You'll know in a little while."

Xu Hang leaned forward and pointed to a person in the photo:

"Luo Yingchen, he just turned into a black-and-white character, but this morning, his subordinate said he wanted to meet me."

"I'll know the answer if I go there."

Su Wanqing clasped her hands together, her nervousness completely evident:

"Won't it be dangerous? What if... what if he turns into something else?"

"Then you'll have more time to prepare."

Xu Hang's words startled Su Wanqing.

To her, it sounded like Xu Hang had made two preparations.

Ideally, safety would be the priority; in the unlikely event of danger, at the very least, intelligence would be relayed back.

"Is there really no other way?"

She asked with some concern:

"Look, you now have a house in the city. I just checked the map on my phone, and it's very close to the city center."

You also have a very good job.

"I didn't earn any of this myself."

Xu Hang waved his hand:

"It's all just background setting; the things behind the game can be changed with a stroke of the pen."

In this world five years from now, in this house, the only real thing is you.

Besides, I don't like to sit idly by and wait to die.

Under Su Wanqing's complicated gaze, he took out his phone and dialed his assistant's number:

"Tell Boss Luo that we'll meet in the morning at our usual spot next to the school."

Yes, that's what I meant.

After hanging up the phone, Xu Hang got up from the sofa and straightened his clothes.

"I'm going out."

As he reached the door, Su Wanqing called out to him again:

"etc."

As Xu Hang turned around, she turned her face away and gave him a few words of advice:

"Be careful. If you can bring the intelligence back safely, you can unlock a custom outfit."

Snapped!

Her response was the decisive sound of the door slamming shut.

Outside the door, Xu Hang breathed a long sigh of relief.

He felt that Su Wanqing's suspicion could be temporarily ruled out.

He couldn't find fault with anything the game gave him.

If Su Wanqing were also portrayed as a gentle and considerate wife, he would immediately surrender.

But Su Wanqing did not.

The fact that she had to say a few kind words at the end, along with ulterior motives, is actually proof that Su Wanqing is a normal person.

"I wonder how Lao Luo is doing. This game is garbage. There's no newbie gift pack and no newbie guide."

Xu Hang muttered something and entered the elevator.

As the elevator reached the first floor, Xu Hang stepped out and suddenly felt a sense of disorientation.

The surrounding scene wasn't the lobby of the residential complex, but an intersection; he recognized the place.

To my left is my high school, under my feet is the road I walk home from school every day, and directly in front of me is a small stir-fry restaurant.

He and Luo Yingchen agreed on their "usual spot".

"This game isn't even an open-world game! It's not even as good as Genshin Impact!"

Xu Hang realized what that momentary daze was—it was a black screen teleportation.

No wonder they couldn't afford actors and had to bring in these students; what a poor production team.

Cursing under his breath, Xu Hang mustered his courage and walked into the stir-fry shop.

Wooden tables and chairs, a large menu with red background and yellow lettering on the wall, and a kitchen curtain blackened by years of use.

Everything was exactly as I remembered.

"Old Xu, long time no see."

But things have changed.

Looking at the overweight young man sitting at the table, Xu Hang smiled and raised his hand:

"It's been so long, it feels like we just met not long ago."

"I think so too, come and sit down."

Let's talk business first today, and then we'll get together with the rest of the guys tonight.

Luo Yingchen greeted him with a smile, and after Xu Hang sat down, she sighed again:

"Ever since I went to Bao'an, I've dreamt about the days when my brothers and I were together for many nights."

Want one?

"No, I don't know how to do that."

Xu Hang's smile froze; he was now certain that Luo Yingchen in front of him was something else entirely.

Neither he nor Su Wanqing had any missing memories of those five years.

"Oh, and I also brought you some souvenirs."

"Oh, you're too kind?"

"Of course, buddy, I'm counting on you, the head of the credit department at the warm winter bank, to take good care of me."

Xu Hang tried his best to keep his hands from trembling and quickly took the things Luo Yingchen handed him.

He glanced at it and saw two bottles of liquor and two packs of cigarettes, but he could vaguely see something else underneath.

Upon closer inspection, several bundles of banknotes came into view.

Xu Hang's gaze immediately turned serious, and he slammed the gift on the table.