Shi Dazhuang was promoted to deputy director of the municipal bureau, and before taking office, he had a rare long vacation. He decided to take Yu Meiren back to Kuaziba, as the little girl had mentioned more than once that she wanted to go back to see Grandpa Enkun.
Yeye Yu Meiren brought the Space Box with her. She said, "I'm giving this to Grandpa Enkun so he can see Lemao Lemao be with Yeye every day."
Hu Xing bought this Space Box for Beauty, and Shi Dazhuang was quite dismissive of it when he bought it. Although he had heard of the Space Box's reputation, in his eyes it was essentially a game console that would make children lose their ambition.
Hu Xing laughed at him for being old-fashioned, saying, "This was developed by Professor Mei and his team; it's in high demand and we only managed to buy it after a lot of trouble!"
To Shi Dazhuang, after Yu Meiren used the Space Box, she didn't become a game-addicted problem girl; instead, she became more cheerful and seemed like a completely different person. Later, he learned that Beauty had met her parents in the game, and as long as she wore the mask, she could be with them. She said her father was wearing a police uniform and was very handsome, and her mother was as beautiful as a flower.
Shi Dazhuang was somewhat tempted, and under the Beauty's guidance, he also registered an account. When he first entered, he felt very uncomfortable because he knew he had entered an unreal world, like a dream.
After using it for a while, he finally understood why this game was so popular.
Because here, everyone can dream, can realize their dreams, can have whatever they want, can do whatever they want, no one will stop you, no morality will restrain you, no law will punish you, and not even the laws of physics will limit you.
This is paradise for everyone. The heartbroken find true love here, the lonely are surrounded by friends, ordinary people can fly and travel through the world, and even the blind can see flowers blooming everywhere...
But Shi Dazhuang didn't like it; in fact, he felt a bit disgusted. He recalled a quote from Yohji Yamamoto: "I don't believe in lazy freedom; the freedom I yearn for is a broader life achieved through diligence and hard work."
As a police officer, he had witnessed too many tragedies caused by the so-called freedom. True freedom must be obtained within a reasonable set of rules. If everyone obeyed traffic rules, the roads would not be congested. Without rules, only tragedy will occur.
The world of Dream Guide is absolute freedom. It's not only a paradise for ordinary people, but also a paradise for criminals. Human nature cannot withstand the test here, because you know this is not the real world, and you don't have to take any responsibility. All the negative emotions in reality will be amplified to the extreme. Those who have conflicts with you in reality, competitors in the workplace, adversaries in love, and even people you have no connection with but are just people you are jealous of, may all become the targets of your anger in your dreams.
Ordinary people can easily become criminals in this free world, and crime is highly addictive. The freer it is here, the more unpleasant it is to return to the real world; the more unpleasant reality is, the more one longs to go back to dreaming.
But Shi Dazhuang couldn't control these things. He was a criminal police officer in Wuzhong City, not a time police officer walking in the free world. He also knew that no one could stop the tide of the times, and that things had their own laws of development. Good and bad could not be simply judged, just like cell phones back then.
Shi Dazhuang wanted to return the money he spent on the Space Box to Hu Xing. Hu Xing got angry and said:
"This is a gift for the Beauty, why should I expect you to give me money!"
Shi Dazhuang said, "That's not what I meant. Beauty wants to take that one back for Grandpa Enkun. I think if Grandpa Enkun well, we can leave it in Kuaziba for him to use. This one is mine. You can buy Beauty a new one."
Hu Xing said, "New ones are not easy to buy. Even if you pre-order now, it will take several months to receive them."
Shi Dazhuang said, "Waiting a few months won't hurt."
Hu Xing said, "Then you don't need to give me money. Are you worried I don't have any?"
Shi Dazhuang said, "One thing at a time, this one taken to Kuaziba is mine."
"Old-fashioned!" Hu Xing muttered, rolling her eyes, and picked up the phone to call someone. The Space Box weren't as hard to buy as they were when they were first released, and with the Xia Family's company directly involved in the project, there was no way Hu Xing wouldn't be able to get her hands on some.
After hanging up the phone, she said to the Beauty, "There will be new ones when you get back."
Shi Dazhuang said, "I knew you could do it. No need to be in such a hurry! Encouraging the next generation to play games—your capitalist nature is showing!"
Hu Xing replied, "Yes, yes, I know! My Beauty, you must study hard and get into a good university in the future, otherwise your uncle will definitely blame me."
The Beauty took Hu Xing's hand, pulled her down, and whispered in her ear, "My father-in-law is a good man, a good policeman, but he's just too old-fashioned."
Hu Xing burst into laughter.
Hu Xing drove them to the airport. While waiting for their flight, Yu Meiren suddenly asked, "Where did Qingmu Yeye go? Why isn't he back yet? It would be so nice if he came back with us!"
Shi Dazhuang and Hu Xing's expressions darkened simultaneously.
"Your Qingmu Yeye went to a very far place to take care of some business. He'll be back when he's done," Shi Dazhuang said.
Yu Meiren said, "What if he ends up like my father... never coming back?"
Shi Dazhuang's body trembled slightly. He seemed about to say something, but after glancing at Hu Xing, he ultimately remained silent.
Seeing the expressions on the two adults' faces, Yu Meiren knew they were sad, so she said, "If you miss him, you can look for him in the Dream Guide. That's where I found my parents."
Looking at the Beauty's innocent face, Hu Xing didn't know what to say. She certainly knew the Space Box's function and had indeed been captivated by it for a time, but she knew it was an illusion. However, for children like the Beauty, being exposed to the Space Box so early, growing up amidst the shifting between reality and illusion, meant that the world inside the box might seem just as real to them as the real world. In the long run, it was hard to say whether this was good or bad. When their generation, or even younger generations, grew up, they might become accustomed to living in two worlds—what kind of society would that be?
Before they left, Hu Xing told them, "Be careful over there, and come back soon."
Shi Dazhuang had booked the same flight as he had over two years ago. The B737 only had one boarding gate, so economy class passengers had to go through first class. He recalled the amusing incident he had with Qingmu on that flight, as if it had happened just yesterday.
As they passed through first class, Yu Meiren suddenly called out, "Aunt Jingjing!"
Shi Dazhuang then noticed Yao Jingjing sitting by the window, looking at them with the same surprise as him.
Yao Jingjing is now a prominent figure, so she naturally flies first class, unlike Shi Dazhuang, whose special status only allows him to fly economy. She deliberately bought this flight today, as this is where she used to work and where she first met Qingmu, a double nostalgia. Unexpectedly, she ran into Shi Dazhuang and Yu Meiren here.
The economy class passengers were still boarding and couldn't stay any longer. Yao Jingjing took Yu Meiren's boarding pass, glanced at it, and said, "You guys go and sit down first, I'll come find you in a bit."
She quickly contacted the flight attendants and learned that the first-class cabin was not full, so she skillfully upgraded Shi Dazhuang and Yu Meiren's cabin.
Shi Dazhuang, recalling the woman who insisted on flying first class despite having bought an economy ticket, chuckled, "Wouldn't you say we got in through connections?"
Yao Jingjing laughed and said, "Upgrading passengers to first class isn't against regulations, as long as there are empty seats. But it has to be done according to procedure, and I just happen to be familiar with the process. Captain Shi, oh no, Director Shi, this doesn't count as bribery, does it?"
Shi Dazhuang laughed heartily, leaned back in his spacious seat, and let out a long sigh.
Two years ago, he and Qingmu took this flight to Spring City. At that time, Yao Jingjing was a flight attendant on the plane. When they returned, he and Qingmu brought Yu Meiren back with them, but Yao Jingjing was no longer on the plane. This time, they met again on the same flight. He, Yao Jingjing, and Beauty were all there, but Qingmu was missing.