Chapter 3 – The beginning of the dream

Sitting across from a dear friend unseen for a decade, Lin Jichen felt an unprecedented joy in his heart, being able to chat and laugh together once again.

There were no more misunderstandings between them; they were still good friends.

To make up for past misunderstandings, Lin Jichen ordered several more dishes.

They feasted until they could eat no more, only stopping when they were about to burst.

When it came time to pay, Lin Jichen took out his phone to settle the bill.

But upon opening his phone, he was stunned.

His WeChat and Alipay accounts were empty.

Even his credit was maxed out.

He would have liked to casually pull out a precious Spirit Stone or gold bars and gems from his Storage Ring to pay the bill.

But now, he had neither Spirit Stones nor a Storage Ring, only an equally empty wallet.

With no other choice, the Enlightenment Realm powerhouse Lin Jichen, cheeks flushed, had to ask Ren Lan for help.

In the end, under Ren Lan's murderous gaze, they paid the bill and left the restaurant.

"(╬◣д◢) Lin Jichen, you sly little man! You promised to treat me, and in the end, I had to pay. What a move, really impressive!"

Lin Jichen's face turned red, and he walked ahead, too ashamed to face her.

"Emm... There was an unexpected issue. I checked my account history, and my wallet was overdrawn yesterday."

Ren Lan pouted and mocked, "Who asked you to live beyond your means? You gave Guo Jie such an expensive birthday gift yesterday and insisted on ordering so much alcohol. Now you're struggling to pay for a meal, right?"

Lin Jichen scratched his head, feeling extremely embarrassed.

Why couldn't he have been reborn a day earlier? If he had, he wouldn't have done such a foolish thing.

He could have avoided a huge expense.

Now, with Ren Lan bringing it up, he really did have a headache; he was indeed out of money.

He had been planning to move out and rent a place, but with this turn of events, it seemed he could only stay in the dormitory.

Wait, that meant he couldn't buy the game ring either!

Damn it!

Lin Jichen suddenly remembered why he had only entered "Tale of Immortal" a year after its beta test.

All his money had been spent on Guo Jie, the gold-digger, leaving him nothing for the game ring.

The gifts Guo Jie demanded became more and more expensive, and his debts snowballed. That year, he was busy earning money to pay off debts.

Moreover, Lin Jichen's parents had passed away early, leaving him nothing but an old house.

With the support of relatives, Lin Jichen barely finished high school.

Although he had the scores to attend a top university, the lack of funds led him to choose Jiangling Normal University, which offered him a tuition waiver and a scholarship.

In college, he earned his living expenses by leveling up accounts for others at internet cafes and being a paid gaming companion.

Yesterday's birthday celebration for Guo Jie had drained all his savings.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated Lin Jichen became. Why couldn't he have been reborn a day earlier?〒▽〒~~

"Give me your phone," Ren Lan suddenly said.

Lin Jichen handed it over without thinking.

Ren Lan took out her own phone and, after a flurry of tapping, Lin Jichen heard the sound of a money transfer from his phone.

He immediately understood.

"This is several years' worth of my gym membership fees. Remember to pay me back early. If I can't go to the gym because of you, I'll use you as a sandbag for my workouts."

Ren Lan waved her fist, threatening him fiercely.

Lin Jichen took his phone back and softly said, "Don't worry, I'll pay you back on time."

"Forget it, I'm not in a hurry. I can work out at home. I'm tired of giving money to the gym anyway. Besides, every time I go, there's a bunch of guys hogging the equipment, and I have to wait in line. It's better to just train at home." Ren Lan pretended not to care.

But how could Lin Jichen not hear that she was trying to comfort him?

So he mischievously smiled and asked, "Forget the sandbag, why not treat me as balloon and pump me instead?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than his ear was pinched: "What did you say?"

Ren Lan's eyes were sharp, ready to throw Lin Jichen out at any moment.

Lin Jichen quickly backed down.

Damn, this woman dares to be so disrespectful to an Enlightenment Realm powerhouse! So presumptuous... Ouch, that hurts~

***

After seeing Ren Lan off, Lin Jichen immediately left the school to look for a place to live.

To make it convenient for Ren Lan to visit, he looked for housing near the school.

Finally, after careful selection, he chose a well-furnished two-bedroom apartment in a decent neighborhood.

The rent was only 3,000 yuan a month, a friendly price for a neighborhood close to a transportation hub and with a good environment.

Lin Jichen had seen other, inferior apartments going for several times the price.

The apartment was temporarily managed by an agency for rental.

The landlord was away traveling and wouldn't be back for a few days, leaving them in full charge.

The agent repeatedly reminded Lin Jichen to keep the apartment clean and tidy, not to keep pets, and to limit occupancy to two people, as per the landlord's requirements.

The landlord would inspect the place periodically, and if dissatisfied, could terminate the contract unilaterally and evict him.

This strictness was why no one else had rented the place, but Lin Jichen didn't mind. He was somewhat of a neat freak and would definitely keep the place clean.

Plus, it was just him, and with Ren Lan, they met the conditions.

Even if the landlord inspected often, it was no big deal for him, a grown man.

Decisive in his actions, Lin Jichen signed the contract, got the keys by noon, and checked the utilities with the agent.

By the afternoon, he had moved out of the dormitory.

The dormitory housed four people, but the other three roommates always ganged up against Lin Jichen.

The reason, unclear even after ten years, seemed to be that one of the roommates had a crush on a girl who was interested in Lin Jichen.

So, they had a grudge against him, often targeting him with petty actions.

Lin Jichen had never gotten along with them and had even forgotten their names.

Now that he had moved out, both parties were more at ease.

After moving into the apartment, the first thing Lin Jichen did was order the "Tale of Immortal" game ring online for 5,999 yuan.

The game also offered gaming pods, but they were expensive, starting at fifty thousand yuan, which was beyond Lin Jichen's current means.

The order arrived in less than two hours, showcasing the game company's efficiency.

Holding the familiar game ring, Lin Jichen played with it for a while before setting it aside.

The game wasn't open for public testing yet, so he couldn't play even if he wanted to.

Taking advantage of the remaining time, Lin Jichen cooked himself a bowl of tomato and egg noodles, took a bath, and then checked the time.

It was almost here.

***

August 8, 2040, at 00:00:01, "Tale of Immortal" went live globally!

At that moment, countless players donned their rings and dove into the world of Tale of Immortal.

Lin Jichen was no exception. Lying in bed, he put on the ring, completed the iris scan to bind it, and then his entire being entered the virtual world, surrounded by a sea of stars and enveloped in celestial mist.

He stood within a grand and ancient palace.

Ten years later, he was back where the dream began.

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