Tokyo Drift Arc (1)

Chapter 31: Tokyo Drift Arc (1)

Zhang Heng was prepared to be ripped off, but he didn't expect the bartender to be so uncharacteristically helpful. "Since you tried my masterpiece, I'll give you a little advice. If you're planning to use the Tule Tree Wooden Box to contain items in the game, I suggest you give up on that idea."

"Hmm?"

"Didn't I tell you last time? Only game items can circulate freely between the game and reality. To ensure fairness, you can't bring things from the game back to reality, nor can you bring things from reality into the game. Therefore, the Tule Tree Wooden Box can only help you contain game items in the real world. As for the other side, you'll have to figure that out yourself."

"Isn't the Tule Tree Wooden Box a game item?"

The bartender shook her head. "Things that can be called game items are very rare, even the lowest F-grade ones. However, having game items can serve a similar purpose to the Tule Tree Wooden Box. It all depends on your luck. Or, you can wait for the year-end auction. There will be many good things then, assuming your pockets aren't empty, of course."

Unable to find a suitable item to contain game items, Zhang Heng didn't have any immediate solutions. This kind of thing couldn't be rushed. Fortunately, according to the bartender, most game items were contact-activated. Just being careful and wearing gloves would significantly increase safety.

Fearing he might end up drinking something even stranger if he stayed any longer, Zhang Heng decisively left the bar.

He picked an empty booth and sat down, finding a small alarm clock under the seat as expected.

Although he had been severely inconvenienced by the extra 24 hours on his person during the Desert Island Survival game, he had to admit the gains were also substantial. Compared to other players, the 12-fold increase in game time gave him more opportunities to explore. Considering the severe consequences of game over, he would still need to rely on this ability in future games.

He just hoped it wouldn't be another no-man's-land this time.

Setting the alarm for 23:55, Zhang Heng closed his eyes to rest.

About half an hour later, a wave of dizziness washed over him again. He felt as if he had been swallowed by a nightmare, unable to even move a finger.

At the same time, the familiar voice echoed in his ears once more.

[Player identity verification in progress...]

[Verification successful, randomly selecting second round instance for player number 07958...]

[Selection complete - Current instance: Tokyo Drift]

"Tokyo—an international metropolis with a population of 37 million, the undisputed center of Japan's politics, economy, and culture. By day, it's a playground for financiers and politicians, but the truly exciting stories quietly begin to unfold as night falls... As an exchange student from China, can you leave your legend here?"

[Mission Objective: Win an underground modified car race.]

[Mode: Solo]

[Time Flow: 360] (1 hour in the real world equals 15 days in this game. Players will be forcibly returned to the real world after 60 days.)

Friendly reminder: The game will officially begin in five seconds. Please be prepared.

Zhang Heng opened his eyes and found himself standing in the middle of an intersection.

Perhaps his earlier prayer had been heard. In stark contrast to the desolate landscape of the island in the first game, he was now completely surrounded by colorful neon lights and billboards.

Countless pedestrians passed by him, speaking a strange language he had only heard in movies and games before. Phone ringtones approached from a distance, sounding like Mika Nakashima's "Boku ga Shinoo to Shita no wa." Among the crowd were boys on bicycles, girls in short skirts, middle-aged men in suits hailing taxis with briefcases, and even quite a few Western faces. Despite it being night, it seemed even more lively than during the day.

Tsk, as expected of the world's largest metropolitan area.

After confirming that his current surroundings were not dangerous, Zhang Heng first checked his personal status panel.

Name: Zhang Heng

Gender: Male

Age: 19

Player ID: 07958

Games Played: 1

Current Game Points: 24

Possessions: Lucky Rabbit's Foot (E)

Mastered Skills: Piano Lv1, Language Mastery Lv1 (Two languages at daily conversational level), Archery Lv2, Wilderness Survival Lv2

Evaluation: This player has a slightly higher than average luck value, but otherwise, there isn't much to commend. Possesses some wilderness survival and archery skills. Expected to not survive the first five rounds of the game.

Although Zhang Heng had been practicing rock climbing and photography for the past month, it seemed neither of these skills had broken through Lv0 yet, so they weren't displayed in his mastered skills.

The biggest change besides that was the addition of a possession slot. Influenced by the Lucky Rabbit's Foot, his own evaluation had also changed slightly, finally moving away from being completely unremarkable. However, he still appeared to be a supporting character destined to die within five episodes.

After confirming his status, Zhang Heng shifted his gaze back to his surroundings. The location he was in was very prosperous. Directly opposite was a shopping mall with a large advertising screen displaying a Sony headphone commercial. Besides that, the area was also lined with shops and signs, with a high density of buildings and foot traffic.

This place... looks a bit like Shibuya.

Zhang Heng had visited Tokyo once with his mother when he was very young for an academic conference. However, his memories of that time were very hazy. The conference was long, and he spent most of the week in his hotel room. Only on the last day did he go shopping in Shibuya with his mother, buying a PSP before leaving, so he had a slight impression of the place.

It was a good thing to be drawn into a game instance within a civilized society, but the current situation was a bit delicate.

The main problem was that Zhang Heng didn't understand Japanese at all. Although Japanese itself contained many Chinese characters, and he could guess the general meaning of some signs by combining them, this level was definitely not enough to complete the mission. And... they couldn't just leave him here, could they?

Since the background information mentioned an exchange student identity, it meant he shouldn't have to worry about accommodation at least. However, it didn't specify the name of the school. With dozens of universities in Tokyo, including national, public, and private institutions, asking them one by one would be a death sentence.

So, at this point, he should first check what he had on him.

Zhang Heng started to reach into his pockets. Just then, a girl in a short skirt, holding two ice cream cones, ran towards him breathlessly. "Zhang-san, you're here! That's great! You scared me, I thought I'd lost you on your first day."

The girl breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing him. But at that moment, the green light across the street started to flash.

"Ah, no, we're running out of time, let's go."

As the girl spoke, she grabbed his hand.

Ah, sorry, sorry, I might only be able to update once today. I originally wanted to write about the Japanese yakuza, as it's a part of the culture and hard to avoid. But then I suddenly remembered that discussing organized crime could lead to a 404 error, both domestically and internationally, so I changed the outline. It's better to play it safe. ⊙ω⊙