Entering the Desolate Dust

Licheng.

A young man with a slight middle part, wearing overalls and a white shirt, walked into the classroom.

"Wu Hen, since you've withdrawn from school, why don't you say goodbye to your classmates? After all, you've spent two and a half years together." His homeroom teacher, Wang Shan, said.

"See you around, if fate allows." Wu Hen, still in his white shirt, waved and flashed a sunny smile.

The students in the class watched him. Some looked surprised, some mocked him, and others felt sorry for him.

"Why is Wu Hen dropping out when we're about to start college?" one of the girls whispered.

"Maybe he's going abroad to study. I heard his family was really rich. Back in middle school, his housekeeper used to pick him up in a different luxury car every day."

"Dude, you're missing the point. All you noticed were the luxury cars... It was a different female housekeeper picking him up each time!"

"Holy crap, that rich? I never noticed back then. I just thought the housekeepers were all so elegant!" a boy exclaimed.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. A different housekeeper with a different look every day. Damn..." More than a few boys teared up with envy.

"Don't you people watch the news? Licheng's richest man went bankrupt last year and ended up with a huge amount of debt. Surely nobody still doesn't know that Wu Hen is the son of Licheng's richest man?" said a crew-cut young man with thick eyebrows.

The moment he said that, everyone fell silent, and all eyes turned to Wu Hen.

What? They'd gone bankrupt?

Had the housekeepers ended up on the street, too?

Or had they found someone else to serve?

Wu Hen saw how awkward things had gotten and simply smiled. "I've always wanted to hang out with you as an ordinary person. I didn't expect my family's mines to be gone before I even got the chance to come clean. Even if I get into college, I won't be able to afford tuition, so I might as well get an early start as a wage slave. I wish you all a bright future!"

With that, Wu Hen waved, picked up his things, and left the classroom filled with memories of their youth.

As soon as Wu Hen left, the classroom erupted in even louder chatter.

At the school gate, Wang Shan glanced at the gloomy sky and sighed.

Weather-warning sirens rang through the city. Wang Shan knew it wasn't safe outside, so he didn't dare keep his student talking for long.

"Has your family really run out of options?" Wang Shan was still concerned about his student.

"Yeah. My sister's ongoing treatment costs money. My parents have already been put on the debtors' list, and every penny they earn now goes to paying off creditors. Only the money I earn can go toward my sister's treatment," Wu Hen said.

"What are you planning to do, then? You've only just become an adult, and there's still so much you need to learn." Wang Shan felt it was a real shame.

Wu Hen had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he'd excelled both academically and in character. It would be a shame if family circumstances kept him from continuing his education.

"I got accepted into Otherworld Desolate Dust. The authorities said they'd give me a hundred thousand if I can find a Yuanyou Mineral Deposit and bring it out," Wu Hen said.

"That neural-interface virtual game?" Wang Shan asked in surprise.

With the development of technology, people still hadn't found any trace of other civilizations in the vast sea of stars.

With no other choice, they'd shifted their efforts from interstellar travel to virtual exploration.

And so an immense virtual world had been created, known as the Desolate Dust.

Yet everything in the Desolate Dust was utterly incredible. It seemed to be developing in a direction that was gradually slipping beyond human control, even beyond human understanding...

"I think that's the future. To be honest, I can't stand living in poverty, either. If I want to turn my life around, this is a rare opportunity," Wu Hen said seriously.

It was only after he'd been accepted for this extremely valuable opportunity that Wu Hen decided to leave school.

"If that's the case, then I'm a little less worried. Virtual-world exploration has a future. In these disaster-stricken times, going outside can get you killed. The technological powers, cutting-edge companies, and research giants have all poured huge amounts of money into exploring and developing it. Every year, they also select talented students from universities to be test players, and the compensation and rewards from the authorities are enormous..." said the gray-haired doctor.

"Don't worry, Mr. Wang. I can keep studying even after I leave school," Wu Hen said.

"Fine. Be careful on your way home. If you're living in the old district, watch out for the thunderstorms. They've been going on for years now. Several thousand people have been struck dead in Licheng alone..." Wang Shan said.

"You should be careful, too, Mr. Wang. If you can, buy an apartment in the Silver Plate in the new district," Wu Hen said.

"Ah, that bout of stomach bacteria wiped out the down payment I'd worked so hard to save. With disasters happening one after another these days, even staying in an old house can get you killed. I had a nephew who was playing games on the balcony because the signal was bad. As he played, his body temperature suddenly plummeted, and he died. There was also Mr. Guan from my office. Years ago, he held his wedding on a lawn. Just as he and his wife finished their vows, a thunderstorm struck them. They both died... You're right, the apartments in the Silver Plate in the new district are safe. I don't know where my two children will end up in the future. Sometimes I think about giving up on treatment and leaving more for my wife and kids..." Wang Shan couldn't help sharing some of his personal troubles with Wu Hen.

"Come on, Old Wang. Think about it. If you leave your wife and kids in another man's care, will you really be at ease?" Wu Hen said.

"You sure know how to comfort people. Thanks a lot," Wang Shan said sourly.

"Heh, I'm off, old man."

"You little punk!" Wang Shan watched Wu Hen walk away and helplessly waved after him.

After Wu Hen left, Wang Shan headed back toward the classroom.

At the stairwell, Wang Shan ran into a girl standing by the teaching building, gazing toward the school gate.

"Yang Qin, if you want to see him off, why not be brave about it?" As her homeroom teacher, Wang Shan had always been easygoing and not too conservative.

"I... I..." Yang Qin hesitated, but her eyes kept drifting toward the classroom window.

A few boys and girls were watching from the window, seemingly waiting to laugh at Yang Qin.

"He's not a young master anymore. What are you acting all coy for? Maybe one day he'll be the one delivering your takeout. How romantic!" the thick-browed, crew-cut boy sneered from the window.

"Keep your mouth shut!" Wang Shan barked, then turned to Yang Qin. "Do what you want to do. Don't worry about what anyone else says."

Hearing that only made Yang Qin feel more uncomfortable. She lifted her chin slightly and put on a proud air. "I'm just going to the art studio. Wu Hen and I are just ordinary classmates!"

Just ordinary classmates?

Seeing Yang Qin act like that, Wang Shan couldn't help shaking his head.

At the start of the school year, Yang Qin had shamelessly come to his office, bringing gifts and saying all the right things, just so he'd move her seat next to Wu Hen's and make them desk mates.

Now that she'd learned his family had fallen on hard times, she wouldn't even give him an ordinary goodbye for fear of what others might say.

The girl was just too shortsighted.

From what Wang Shan knew of Wu Hen, even without his family as a powerful support, he'd still shine. He'd surely make a name for himself one day. Wang Shan hoped Yang Qin wouldn't regret this then.

The school stood on the border between the new and old districts.

Wu Hen used to live in an ultra-luxurious Silver Plate estate. Now he had to cross an old neighborhood, climb over a mountain of dilapidated buildings, and walk through a deserted industrial area before reaching his new home.

Their new home was bare. There was only one room, and all four of them had to squeeze inside.

His parents had started from nothing, beginning with a street stall.

After spending half their lives working their way up and down, they'd ended up back in the hardest years of their lives. And compared to the poverty they'd started with, now they also had mountains of debt.

Usually, his parents didn't get home until around eleven at night.

But today was Father's Day, and the family had agreed to have dinner together. Wu Hen hadn't felt like staying at school to say goodbye to each of his classmates.

The moment he opened the door, the aroma of food greeted him.

A pot of pork and bamboo shoots was already simmering. Wu Yingting, once the richest man in town, was sorting through the goods piled in half the room. He'd probably rush out to his stall again as soon as they finished eating.

"Dad, there might be a thunderstorm tonight. Why not skip the stall? We've got so much debt already; missing one night's wages won't make a difference," Wu Hen said as he walked in.

He said that, but still went over to help Wu Yingting sort the merchandise.

"Your Fifth Uncle's on my case. He says he needs the money for his kid's college tuition," Wu Yingting said.

After the bankruptcy, the major creditors and big banks had worried about Wu Yingting's health, urging him to eat well and not let the debt weigh on him.

It was the relatives and friends who had made money alongside his father who were truly despicable.

They'd invested knowing there were risks, but when they lost money, they demanded it back.

"You used to be a big shot in Licheng. Can't you livestream and sell stuff to pay off your debts? How long will it take to pay everything back by earning money the hard way?" Wu Hen asked.

"I don't want to do that. I'd rather start again in a field I know. Times change quickly, and so do people's needs. I'll work my way up from the bottom. It'll be hard for a few years, but I'll make a comeback. Besides, I really miss the days when I sold little goods from a street stall. They were fulfilling and simple." Wu Yingting smiled.

"Won't people say you're putting on an act to get sympathy?" Wu Hen asked.

"Of course they will, but do I care?" Wu Yingting had a pretty good attitude about it. After all, his businesses had failed more than once. He glanced at his son and couldn't help asking, "How was school? Did people look down on you?"

"It was fine. I never flaunted my young-master status before, anyway. Of course, there are kids in my class whose parents were your business partners. They were pretty pleased with themselves. At least now I don't have to deal with them anymore." Wu Hen didn't care much about it, either.

"Then don't deal with them. Oh, something arrived earlier. Did you order something online? It looks pretty fancy. If you've got some money of your own, make sure you save it," Wu Yingting said.

"It's already here? That was fast." Wu Hen looked surprised when he saw a carbon-fiber case in the room.

Luckily, Wu Yingting hadn't opened it. If he found out it was a Virtual Helmet, he'd definitely object!

As far as Wu Yingting was concerned, virtual technology wasn't mature yet, and people who became test players suffered severe aftereffects. He was strongly opposed to Wu Hen becoming a guinea pig for technology.

"Honey, Yu Yu and I bought your favorite braised meat. Oh... Xiao Hen, you're home early today! That's nice. It's been ages since the family sat down to eat together." A woman walked in, holding the hand of a young girl.

They were Wu Hen's mother, Yu Yi, and his younger sister, Yu Yu.

They'd been bankrupt for more than half a year.

It was the first time in all those months that the family had gathered around the same table.

"Happy Father's Day!" Wu Hen was the first to raise his glass, offering a toast to his father, Wu Yingting.

Yu Yi and Yu Yu also raised their little cups to celebrate this rare family dinner.

Wu Yingting had started out with a broad smile, but as he smiled, the hand holding his chopsticks began to tremble violently.

He wanted to say something funny to lighten the mood, but when he looked at his grown son, his wife suffering alongside him again, and his daughter who still needed his protection...

The words caught in his throat.

His eyes reddened.

"You snuck some liquor again, didn't you? Look how it's made you cough. Hurry up and eat!" Yu Yi knew how to cover for her husband and quickly put food in his bowl.

"I choked. Choked so hard I started tearing up. Let's eat, all of you."

The family had tasted every delicacy imaginable, but these few plates of vegetables and one dish of braised meat tasted better than any meal they'd ever had.

Wu Hen had actually seen his father secretly wipe away his tears.

He deliberately lowered his head to eat, leaving the old man a little dignity...

All his life, his father had been like a magnificent mountain in his eyes, standing firm and unshakable. But today, seeing tears dampen his eyes and helplessness show on his face, Wu Hen understood that it was his turn to hold the family together.

After dinner, his parents braved the risk of thunderstorms and went out to their stall again.

His younger sister went to a free tutoring class provided by the community.

Wu Hen made up an excuse, saying he was staying over at a classmate's house and wouldn't be coming back.

But in fact, Wu Hen headed to the basement of an old building. He'd rented a storage room from the older man next door, and planned to enter that virtual world tonight!

He closed the door.

Then he opened the case and took out the helmet.

Looking at the sleek, futuristic Virtual Helmet, Wu Hen couldn't help feeling curious.

What was the world inside really like?

For some reason, none of the people who'd entered it were willing to reveal much about this second world.

He put on the helmet and turned it on.

"Hello, Wu Hen. Are you sure you want to enter the Desolate Dust?" the helmet's AI asked.

Wu Hen took a deep breath.

This world was full of possibilities. Even if he might be a guinea pig, his parents, who worked at a street stall, and his sister, who was still in school, all lived with the risk of being killed by disasters.

His family didn't care about becoming rich and powerful. What mattered was that they could live together in peace and safety.

The old district and its old buildings couldn't withstand the ever-worsening natural disasters.

They had to move back to the Silver Plate in the new district, or disaster would still befall his family.

Taking part came with a financial subsidy: thirty thousand upfront, with more for continued participation.

A single Yuanyou Mineral Deposit found in the virtual world could be sold for a hundred thousand!

He had to go for it!

"Confirm entry into the Desolate Dust!"

"Please close your eyes and relax, as if you were going to sleep," said the AI embedded in the helmet.

Wu Hen followed the AI's instructions. Soon, he felt a warmth, as though his whole head were immersed in some kind of warm oxygen solution...

Then an intense wave of drowsiness washed over him, and his consciousness sank into darkness.