Races: Online (VR Smartphone App)

Chapter 235: Cut Scene of a Semi-Normal Life (Han Jing)

It was in one of the rooms available in Madam Dongxia's apartmentthe affordable if not somewhat shabby buildingit was the place where two siblings happened to be together on a Saturday weekend. And it wasn't actually that often that the two found each other in quite proximity to one another. Their age gap was too far for them to form a proper bond.

But it was the perfect way for a much older brother to teach his younger sibling with little problem. Answering and explaining things were a piece of cake. (He could actually use one slice right now) Han Jing instructed the younger girl on how to compute areas, radius and such with only a small cajoling of his memory.

There was also the fact that he had a Skill for this situation.

"You're actually a pretty good teacher." his little sister suddenly said. The young child was still in grade school, but her ability with words was great. She gave him a lopsided glance and a cheeky grin that was more teasing than outright brattiness for once.

Han Jing rolled his eyes, "Of course I am, my intelligence isn't just obvious"

"You're smart, but you can also be downright stupid at times." she continued and stretched. "I want a snack break, I hope Mother comes home with some."

He focused more on the former as he mock-glared at her, "Oi!"

She stuck out a tongue at him, "Deal with it, buddy."

Sibling squabbles weren't exactly something that happened often between them. Weekdays were busy days for his little sister, Jinjing, who spent most of her days in her private school something that his father had insisted on compared to him taking public. But it also meant that they couldn't exactly afford much with her extracurricular activities.

Money was tightbut education was above all.

Or something like that. Han Jing sighed and scratched the back of his head, once again a little put-out with things. He had learned things in university, but whether they actually helped him a lot in finding actual work Well, it was far easier to blame himself than a learning institution or the education system as a whole.

Little Jinjing, well not so little anymore, not a toddler, but still quite young in his perspectiveshe picked up her pencil and began to answer the assigned worksheets on her own. He could almost understand why she had received more than him, if she worked this much. A smile formed on his lips, seeing someone much younger and even better than him, well, he once heard a quote about the younger generation always exceeding the ones before it.

Or maybe it had come from an anime episode.

Han Jing picked up his porridge bowl and brought it to the sink and washed it. "Do you still need any more help, Jinjing?"

"It's not like you're going anywhere."

"... hey, I might actually go out for once, you know?" he pouted and finished drying the bowl. "I have important things to do."

"Like what?"

He froze momentarily and then sighed. Perhaps it was better that he shouldn't have said anything at all. It wasn't really like there was a legitimate excuse he could give, "Well, you know"

"Playing at an internet cafe?" she asked. The girl tilted a head at him, pausing from doing her assignment to focus on him. Her voice wasn't exactly judgemental or accusing, and neither did she say anything about the computer brainwashing you or anything conspiratorial like someone else might have said.

His mother would have said itand then he'd have to point out his dad worked with computers all day. His brain must have been washed continuously 

That remark didn't make her laugh at all.

Nevertheless, there were indeed things that he needed to accomplish. The sooner he did them was the moment that he approached closer to his goalfinancial stability, peaceful living, Han Jing really didn't ask much. Maybe a high-end PC, but he was already travelling to a different world and experiencing something better than virtual technology, so maybe it wasn't needed that much?

"Geez, I won't tell mom."

Han Jing shrugged, "Well, what else would she think? That's the only place I regularly go to. She wouldn't even probably ask. But yeah, I'm going around theredon't cook an extra cup of rice for me, I'll be good." he said. He'd probably be out all day to go gift-hunting? Was that the term to use? Well, he had a lot more activities than just that.

A moment passed.

"Actually, still make the regular ricejust in case, I can always eat it for dinner." That was much better than going out and eating outside, the thrift one that he was, well, the more money that they saved if he did that. Surely that thing was obvious. Han Jing would really have given up more for a body that had no need for anything.

No food. No water. No bowel movements. And maybe no need for air.

He'd have some kind of body similar to a video game character, and then he'd search for the pearls himself. It was only wishful thinking, but the thought of it was still nice. And considering his appearance, they'd probably think it was some kind of vampire-mermaid hybrid with his pale skin.

"are you leaving already? You didn't even brush your teeth yet."

"I was about to do that and take a shower, sheesh. Don't go gung ho on me." he wagged his fingers at her and grabbed for his towel and change of clothes. "I'll try to get back for dinner." Han Jing checked at his status screen and found that it was just 10:30am, a lot of ample time to do everything he needed to do.

He'd leave at 11am and then return by 6pm or around 7pm. That gave him seven to eight hours to work it out. Yes, that was the plan.

.. .

The young man would soon go down the stairs of the apartment and move as quickly as he could. It was a chance to see how far he had come. Even if he tiptoed on the edge of the stairs, he didn't exactly just topple over like a klutz. Good balance and almost-perfect footing.

It probably didn't seem that much, but when it came to terrainit would be put to good use. He glanced upstairs and downstairs. Nobody was going out of their apartment rooms and he couldn't hear anyone else. Anybody else who planned to go out would have already gone outside, and everyone else here stuck in their rooms.

Han Jing covertly looked around. He counted the twenty steps of the flight of stairs he still had to travel. If he jumped and didn't catch himselfhe'd break his bones. He gulped for a moment. Reckless actions were fine in the otherworld, healing potions existed but as for here, he didn't have the same access to it.

The man instead held onto the rail bars and went down by fifteen steps before he leapt and landed down on the first floor. Both of his feet planted themselves on the ground and he didn't hurt himself.

He'd do some more parkour things where it was more appropriate.

But for now, he opened his notes and found himself satisfiedhe scoured and found what he had written in Kraelonia Academy. His notes there would also reflect itself here on earth. Essentially similar to a cloud, he could continue his tasks everywhere and his notes were available for consulting.

Not just the inventory.

Maybe because transporting actual items from worlds apart was difficult, but then Skills were easier to transfer? Well, the term was Soul Synchronization. He really should look more into what Peach had said about it, or what the Wood Elf had spokenbut he needed to find an appropriate gift or get his butt kicked for not being a 'hospitable host' or something like that. 

And then he needed to find a beach for the Mermaid to arrive in that had a carnival for him to take her. Or take her to a nearby carnival. It didn't seem that bad; she didn't seem that reckless or dangerous as the other three Players like the Tiefling, Light and Shadow Elf who beat up the entire guardsmen group. But it also presented another question.

Who was going to arrive first between the two of them?

The Mermaid definitely would arrive once he finished preparations, but as for the Wood Elfit depended on his own schedule. They were both lucky that it happened that Han Jing didn't have any kind of work or it would have been impossible for them to meet. A sigh escaped his lips, and he shook his head, "If this had happened in university, would they crash through the door and take me out by force?"

"Huh, what do you mean?"

A voice suddenly popped up behind him, Han Jing spun and met face-to-face with her again. The replica of Timothy's friend, or maybe vice versa. Well, she was just Chan Lee to him, but it had changed a bit. How exactly had she been able to sneak up on him like that?

Long dark hair and eyes that glittered like the night skyhe stopped and waved, "Hey, what's up?"

A smile curled on her lips and she nodded at him, "I'm good, thank you for asking. It's the weekend, I can finally relax a bit."

"Is that so?" he returned her smile with a grin. "That's pretty cool, going out or something?"

She scratched her cheek, "Kind of, but it looks like you're going out tooare you going to take a bus? Want to take the same one together?"