Game Watch distributor.
Fang Yue, who had just arrived, looked at the long line and felt a little desperate.
With a line this long, would I still be able to buy a Game Watch?
Blue Sea was launching tonight.
If he couldn't buy a watch, he'd have to wait for the next batch to arrive before trying again.
Based on his past gaming experience, being one step behind at launch meant falling further and further behind.
He was counting on making a fortune through Blue Sea!
On the way here, he'd tried using the parchment's prophecies to buy lottery tickets or stocks on his phone.
But the parchment hadn't reacted at all. No words had appeared.
After that, Fang Yue tried all sorts of things and discovered that the parchment only reacted to certain actions.
That put an end to his dream of getting rich overnight.
He got a queue number from the machine and took his place at the very end of the line.
Anxious, Fang Yue took out the parchment. This time, words soon appeared.
"I started waiting in line like a good citizen."
"The line moved forward little by little."
"When my turn came, the Game Watches had already sold out."
So my turn would never come?
Fang Yue grew anxious. The words on the parchment disappeared, then reappeared.
"I couldn't stand waiting patiently, so I started cutting in line."
"Someone noticed my antisocial behavior and started cursing me out."
"I swallowed my anger and didn't argue. I quietly kept cutting in, but someone yelled at me, riling up the crowd."
"I got beaten up."
"After a back-and-forth of arguing and beatings, I ended up with three broken bones and bruises all over, along with a seven-day stay in jail."
"Seven days later, I got out of jail and successfully bought a watch, but I was seven days behind everyone else."
"I got the watch, but my mother was gone. Was it all worth it? I fell into deep thought."
...You little shit!
Fang Yue's face darkened. This parchment never had anything good to say!
If I waited in line normally, I wouldn't get a watch.
If I cut in, I'd get beaten half to death.
What was I supposed to do?
As if responding to Fang Yue's thoughts, words began appearing on the parchment again.
"I racked my brains and suddenly noticed a guy in a baseball cap farther up the line. He looked familiar."
"After thinking it over, I remembered buying scalped tickets from him before."
"He was a scalper! I came to that conclusion, then went over to talk to him."
"After negotiating, I bought his place in line."
"Half an hour later, I bought a Game Watch."
There was an idea!
Fang Yue brightened and peered ahead. Sure enough, he spotted the scalper.
He left the line and went over to the scalper in the baseball cap.
"Hey, buddy, are you selling your place in line?"
The scalper looked up.
"Sharp eyes. You know what I do." He paused, then continued, "But someone's already reserved this spot."
"So you can't sell it?"
Fang Yue was a little disappointed. That wasn't what the parchment had said.
"Sell it? Are you kidding me? What matters most in our line of work? Our reputation! Reputation is incredibly important. Reputation is worth a fortune! So..." The scalper put extra emphasis on his next words. "...it'll cost you more!"
"...How much?"
"Ten thousand!"
"How much?!"
Fang Yue nearly bulged his eyes out in shock.
He only had thirty thousand to his name. He needed ten thousand for the Game Watch and wanted to keep the other twenty thousand for living expenses and emergencies.
The scalper wanted ten thousand right off the bat. Did he think I was some sucker he could fleece?
Fang Yue turned to leave, but after taking three steps, he suddenly stopped.
Words had appeared on the parchment again.
"I didn't buy this scalper's place. I went to find another scalper farther back in the line and bought a Game Watch from him instead."
"But only afterward did I learn that the Game Watch from the baseball-cap scalper came with a Lucky Gift Pack."
"Every night afterward, when I thought about it, I regretted it so much that I wept bitterly."
A Game Watch with a Lucky Gift Pack?!
Fang Yue thought about it for just a second, then immediately turned around.
"I'll take it!"
After transferring the money and completing the deal, Fang Yue got the scalper's place in line.
He glanced at the parchment. No new words appeared, so he felt relieved.
The people in line ahead of and behind him looked at Fang Yue strangely, as if he were a fool.
Scalpers selling their places was common, but it was rare to see anyone willing to be fleeced at such a high price.
Fang Yue ignored them all.
The line moved forward in an orderly fashion, and soon it was his turn.
"Miss, I'd like to buy a Game Watch!"
"Sure."
Fang Yue got his Game Watch and hurried off.
On the way back, Fang Yue took a taxi to pick up his electric scooter. He rode it to buy three boxes of instant noodles, preparing for the tough grind ahead.
He'd already spent over twenty thousand before even entering the game. He was so broke he could hear the wind whistling through his pockets, and now he was more motivated than ever to work hard.
When he got back to Qingshui Residential Area, he headed straight for Room 305 on the third floor.
The shared apartment had three bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen.
Fang Yue occupied one bedroom, while the other two tenants occupied the remaining rooms.
Fang Yue put the instant noodles in the kitchen and returned to his room. Suddenly, he froze. He could hear water rushing in the bathroom.
Through the thick glass, he could make out the hazy outline of a curvaceous figure washing herself.
"Who's in there?"
"It's me."
The bathroom door opened a crack, and a cute girl poked her head out. Her hair was wet, and she grinned. "A-Yue, you're back."
"Sister Yuan, it's you! You scared me. Haven't you gotten someone to fix your bathroom yet?" Fang Yue said, looking annoyed.
"Hehe, I'm short on cash, so I'm putting off the repairs for now! Washing up here is just as good. By the way, did you get that watch of yours?"
"It's a Game Watch! It's specifically for Blue Sea..."
"I know, I know. Your big sister has a date later, so I'm going back to my shower."
With that, Sister Yuan pulled her head back and closed the bathroom door, acting as if she were in her own home.
Fang Yue was at a loss. He'd known Sister Yuan for a year.
Sister Yuan had lived in the shared apartment even longer than he had. She was outgoing and warm, and she'd always looked after Fang Yue, so they got along pretty well.
It was just that her bathroom had broken recently, so she often came to shower at his place, which left him feeling a little helpless.
A man and a woman alone together—what if he couldn't control himself?
Besides Sister Yuan, the other room belonged to the landlord's daughter, but she rarely came back to stay. So, in the large apartment, it was basically just Fang Yue and Sister Yuan.
Ignoring the rushing water in the bathroom, Fang Yue tidied his room, then took out the Game Watch and examined it closely.
The Game Watch had a high-tech look, mostly silver with black accents and a round face in the middle.
It wasn't activated yet, so the watch showed no sign of life.
Fang Yue put the watch away and took out the parchment to have a look.
"It's almost time for the game to launch."
"I made all the necessary preparations."
"When the time came, I entered the game right on schedule."
Good. Everything was going smoothly.
The parchment seemed to show words whenever Blue Sea came up. Could this thing like playing games too?
Thump.
Just then, Sister Yuan finished her shower and came out with a grin. "A-Yue, I'm done."
Fang Yue didn't know where to look at the ample curves her bath towel could barely contain. All he could manage was a vague series of mumbled sounds.
Sister Yuan didn't mind. After teasing Fang Yue for a while, she waved and left. Before long, he heard the front door open and close.
Fang Yue composed himself and waited for time to pass.
Soon, it was midnight.
He put on the Game Watch and entered the game!
Fang Yue fell into a deep sleep. His consciousness was surrounded by darkness.
Rows of white text appeared in the darkness.
"Verifying identity..."
"Confirming ID..."
"Confirming iris..."
"Please choose a game ID before entering the game."
"[Night Dawn]."
Fang Yue used his old handle without a second thought. He'd worked hard to build a little recognition for it among professional gamers, and he didn't want to give up on it.
Recognition meant reputation, and reputation brought in customers.
"ID confirmed. Entering the game..."
"Welcome to the Blue Sea World!"
Fang Yue entered the game world.
At the same time, the parchment on Fang Yue's desk suddenly began to fill with words.
"I escaped!"
"But I'm too weak."
"Luckily, I took control of an idiot."
"Hehehe, that guy is completely wrapped around my finger. He's so easy to fool."
"I'm going to use him to help me regain my strength."
"Be careful. Be extra careful."
"This is my last chance to turn things around! I mustn't make another mistake!"
As the words reached this point, they began to disappear line by line, and the parchment returned to blank.
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