Chapter 24: The Deep Sea Periphery

After being convinced by the undeniable material evidence (the cash) provided by Qing Bingke, Chen Fang finally calmed down and accepted the reality that her son had "soared to great heights."

Although she had heard that many children now make a decent living by playing video games, she never believed such a thing would happen to her own child. She had always intended for Chen Lai to study hard, find a stable job, and eventually marry a woman with "ample assets," settle down, and live out his life.

She never expected that he would actually make a name for himself in gaming.

"The situation is as follows: the Deep Sea Company has allocated student apartments in the city center for the use of academy students, free of charge, during their enrollment. They come equipped with [Deluxe Deep Sea Tanks], three bedrooms and a living room, with all utilities covered. You can go and check in whenever you're ready."

Qing Bingke stood up as she spoke and winked at Chen Lai. "Finally, I have some other matters to discuss with your son. Would you mind?"

Chen Fang hurried to her feet. "I'll go cut some fruit for you two. Go ahead and talk. Chen Lai, make sure you listen well to what the leader has to say."

Chen Lai couldn't help but sigh; his mother couldn't shake her small-town mentality overnight. But from the moment he learned that gaming could grant him extraordinary powers, he had already changed.

He wasn't going to be a small-town nobody; he was going to be an Homelander!

Once Chen Fang entered the kitchen, Qing Bingke brushed her hair back and looked at Chen Lai seriously. "The handover procedures are technically complete. I’ll perform an iris scan on you in a moment; once scanned, your name will appear on the [Tribune] roster. Of course, you are currently just a reservist."

"Tribune? Sounds very Roman."

"It's just a code name. The actual responsibility is to protect the borders and the people, primarily against 'Deep Sea Collisions.' The company pays you so that you will work hard in the game to acquire items. Otherwise, why would they support you? To feed you for nothing?"

Chen Lai nodded. "My senior mentioned earlier that you would teach me how to train my abilities... How should I go about it?"

"There are two paths. First, participate in major events and bring out items marked as [Unique]. These items help enhance your abilities. If you don't get the type you want, you can trade with players from other academies. It's a fair exchange."

"Second, log into the game and check the [Deep Sea Merch] section. The company uses salvaged, imperfect loot to manufacture special-effect potions there. You can buy them if you have the money, though the enhancement is limited. The most important thing for a Tribune is the ability to acquire unique items from within the dungeons."

"That's all for now. I'm off. Contact me if anything comes up."

Qing Bingke finished everything she had to say in one breath. Seeing that Chen Lai had no questions, she took her phone from her bag and held it before his eyes for a moment. The iris scan was complete, and she stood up to leave immediately.

Chen Lai stood up to see her off, but she blocked him. "No need. You and your mother should get ready to move into the apartment. I live there too, so there will be plenty of time to meet later."

"Also," Qing Bingke smiled, "I intend to give you an additional investment. Based on the quality you displayed during the [Shibuya Incident], I trust this investment won't be a loss."

She shook her phone, and a massive sum of money was instantly deposited into Chen Lai's account.

"Alright, I'm really leaving. Contact me online if you need anything. I'll add you as a friend when I get back. Remember to eat the fish."

The door clicked shut. Chen Fang peeked out cautiously. "Is she gone?"

"She's gone," Chen Lai sat on the sofa, feeling as if he were in a dream.

This world seemed more dangerous—and more interesting—than he had imagined.

Chen Fang sat down, put on her reading glasses, and carefully examined the terms of the contract. After a long time, she finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"Regardless, at least the two of us have a place to live."

"Those debt collectors won't be able to find us anymore... Later, you'll come with me to get a new phone card. Thank heaven, we've finally gotten rid of those plagues."

Chen Fang kept muttering to herself, eventually showing signs of fatigue. Chen Lai listened silently, only interjecting then:

"Don't worry, Mom. Quit your job at the hotel; I can support you with my gaming."

"Nonsense. The money you earn from gaming is for you to get married. Why would I need you to support me?"

"Besides, making money from games is ultimately unstable. It's not as secure as a civil service job..."

Chen Lai couldn't help but grimace. That was the mentality of the older generation: they had to stay busy, work until they were exhausted, and prioritize stability.

But in this day and age, "stability" was the greatest instability of all.

Chen Lai couldn't change his mother's mindset overnight, so he decided to let her adapt through the change in their material environment.

He found a moving company online and contacted them to help with the move. The Deep Sea Tank couldn't be moved, so he sold the [Deep Sea Fluid] inside at a discount; the new apartment had new equipment, so there was no need to worry.

He opted for the VIP service, and the entire move took less than two hours. Before nightfall, he and his mother had settled into their new home.

The student apartments at the Academy were all fully furnished. The layout was similar to a large apartment shared by overseas students, with a common living room and individual living quarters. However, the apartments provided by the Deep Sea Company were quite spacious—a duplex within a duplex.

When Chen Lai moved in, several other Academy students in the common living room glanced over. Chen Lai noticed that each of them had different "features," as if they were from different departments.

"Need a hand, buddy?" A burly man chewing bubblegum leaned against the doorframe, looking at Chen Lai in a friendly manner.

"Could use some help."

Chen Lai was helping the mover carry a large box containing old furniture his mother couldn't bear to throw away—a habit of the older generation, keeping every scrap of junk.

Chen Lai's "Heavenly Restriction" wasn't fully developed yet, so moving such things was still quite taxing.

"Got it." The burly man stepped forward and effortlessly lifted the box, leaving both the mover and Chen Lai stunned.

"What a powerhouse! Brother, what should I call you?"

Chen Lai paid the mover and caught up to the man who had helped him carry the box, offering him a cigarette he had gotten from the mover.

"Thanks, I don't smoke... My name is Zhang Long, from the Enhancement Department. You?"

"Chen Lai, System Department... Brother, is the physical fitness of the Enhancement Department this good?" Chen Lai asked, stunned.

"Log into the game later and add me as a friend. I'll teach you how to buy merch. You're in the System Department; you'll be even stronger than me soon!"

Zhang Long smiled, placed the heavy box down gently, and brushed the dust off his hands.

Chen Lai nodded. Since both Qing Bingke and Zhang Long advised buying Deep Sea Merch, it seemed the money in his account wouldn't stay there for long—he had to spend it.

As for those small loans he had taken out... Chen Lai could only say that they would have to suffer a little longer. Once he secured more from the dungeons, he would definitely pay them back!