Game Script

"What are you laughing at?" Tian Nina asked.

"I'm laughing because you're laughing at me," Lin Qiye quipped.

"You didn't think I'd play computer games, did you? Actually, my dad said I had a boyish personality. He originally wanted me to go to the Art Department, but I'm so clumsy that I could only study writing in the Chinese Department."

"Really? Got any masterpieces for me to admire?"

"Yeah. I'm trying to write a novel. It's roughly about this: in the ancient Tang Dynasty, a Western Regions dancer and a Tang scholar had a mixed-race daughter. She stumbled upon a phone that could travel through time, and from then on, everything went her way."

Hearing Tian Nina say that made Lin Qiye feel a little guilty. He was a time traveler himself, and he even had an Intelligent AI as a cheat.

He quickly changed the subject. "That premise is so overdone. The internet's full of stories like that. Try something original and ambitious; maybe it could even be adapted into a game."

"Exactly!" Tian Nina's eyes lit up. "My dream is to write a game script and turn it into a big-budget AAA game."

The Intelligent AI had said it could make games. Using it to pick up girls seemed a little extravagant.

Whatever. Why hold back so much when he'd been reborn? Lin Qiye moved closer. "If I help you turn your script into a game, how are you going to repay me?"

This time, Tian Nina didn't blush. Instead, she leaned toward him.

They were less than ten centimeters apart, their breaths mingling. Lin Qiye could even catch her fragrance.

"My mom said a man's promises are worth less than dog shit. My dad, though, said a man's promises only count when they're made to someone he loves. I don't believe either of them. I want to find out for myself whether you're a good man or a jerk."

Her words were so direct that Lin Qiye felt awkward. He wanted to back away, but he had to preserve his dignity as a man.

"Fine, then. To get straight to the point, my parents are coming to Kun City for National Day, and they insist I bring my girlfriend to meet them. What do you think I should do?"

"You mean... you want me to be your girlfriend?" Tian Nina suddenly panicked. She hurriedly stepped back, not knowing what to do with her hands, and could only rub them together nervously.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I mean pretend. You talked to my mom on the phone last time, and she thought you were my girlfriend. Now she insists on meeting you when she comes. You don't know how stubborn my mom is. Once she's made up her mind, there's no point trying to explain. I can only ask you to help me out." Lin Qiye explained, pretending not to notice.

A hint of disappointment crossed Tian Nina's face, but she soon brightened up again. "So Auntie likes girls like me? I'll think about it."

"Sure, take your time. There's still a week until National Day."

Tian Nina nodded, glanced at her watch, then stood up. "I'm going back to the dorm. It's dangerous for a girl to walk alone at night. You're not going to refuse to walk me back, are you?"

Fallen Street was only a few hundred meters from campus, and students were everywhere at night. How could it possibly be dangerous?

It was obviously just an excuse from Tian Nina. Lin Qiye stood up helplessly, picked up his laptop bag, and the two of them left the internet café.

Perhaps because of the pretend-girlfriend situation, neither of them seemed to know what to say to the other anymore.

They walked in silence until they reached the Chinese Department Girls' Dormitory.

"I agree," Tian Nina said, then ran toward the dorm entrance without looking back.

"Agree to what?" Lin Qiye teased, even though he knew perfectly well.

To be honest, the biggest difference about living a second life was that he was no longer the shy, naïve young man he'd once been. He never would have said or done things like this before.

Of course, she didn't answer. Lin Qiye watched her disappear inside, then turned and headed for his dorm.

It was late at night, but the men's dorm was still brightly lit. Bare-chested students could be seen everywhere.

Some were lying in bed chatting, listening to music, or reading. Others were gaming at their computers or sitting around on a bed playing cards.

Someone was even belting out a song in the bathroom.

As Lin Qiye walked down the hall, people called out to him. "Big Lin, why are you still coming back to the dorm?" "Now that you're a boss, stop being so frugal. Set a luxurious example for the rest of us young men."

"I can't afford to be extravagant. I just want to make a little money. You guys can support my business by buying more drinks when you come to the internet café."

After answering the students outside, he opened the door and went back into the dorm.

There were eight beds in the room, but only six students lived there. One bed was empty, and another belonged to Jiang Yeming. That guy had gone home to get married during his first year. It wasn't until much later that Lin Qiye learned he'd married because his girlfriend was pregnant. He'd started a family at a young age.

The other six residents included Lin Qiye, Jiang Dabao, and Li Nanguang.

There was also the dorm leader, Lou Xingyu, who always wore a stern expression and seemed very calculating. He'd eventually gone into government, and their classmates jokingly called him Director.

Then there was the chubby Bai Qifan. He seemed like a homebody now, but after graduation, he'd traveled all over the country doing sales and become a real people person. Sadly, diabetes later caused kidney disease, and he had to rely on dialysis to stay alive. Even on the day Lin Qiye traveled through time, he'd called him, but still hadn't found a kidney donor.

And then there was Fang Xinghua, the invisible man. He spent all day reading books and had the best grades in the dorm. Later, he went north to earn a doctorate, and no one knew what happened to him after that. He'd lost touch with practically all his college classmates.

Lin Qiye set down his laptop bag and was about to climb into his upper bunk when the dorm leader, Lou Xingyu, spoke up.

"Big Lin, can we still get a discount if we top up at your internet café tomorrow?"

"Sure. Just say you're in our class. I'll give them a list over there, so it won't be a problem."

"Oh, thanks." Lou Xingyu paused. "Big Lin, you should replace your phone, too."

The chubby Bai Qifan chimed in as well. "Yeah. You're a boss now. Why are you still using some no-name phone? It's bad for your image."

Lin Qiye smiled. "You're right. I should get a new phone."

He lay on his bed, took out his laptop, and typed.

"What are the most popular phones this year?"

[Samsung Galaxy S3, Nokia Lumia 920, Meizu MX2, iPhone 5, Xiaomi 2.]

Lin Qiye remembered.

When the Xiaomi 2 came out, it was incredibly popular. He'd wanted to buy one back then, but could never get his hands on it.

Maybe he should buy one now to make up for it.

But then again, future phones would be far more powerful. Some high-end models would be almost as capable as computers. If he could get a phone with those kinds of features, the Intelligent AI could move to a mobile terminal, and he wouldn't have to lug his laptop bag around every day.

"Could these phones run one of your sub-entities?"

[Absolutely not. Their performance, capacity, and other specifications are all inadequate.]

"What would make your mobile sub-entity more convenient? Carrying a laptop bag everywhere isn't ideal."

[With current technology, that problem cannot be solved for now. However, more external auxiliary functions can be developed.]

[For example, a complete set of miniature spy equipment could greatly improve my external functionality.]

[There is a workshop of this kind listed for sale in its entirety on the Dark Web. I recommend that the Manager earn money and acquire it as soon as possible.]