noffsinger Chapter 309 Game City
Chapter 309 Game City
After the fierce lunar battle, the TPC headquarters leadership, considering the Victory Team members' continuous fighting and physical and mental exhaustion, issued a clear order to give this elite team a week-long mandatory leave to relieve the tension caused by being on high alert for so long.
Even the Delta Force space station, located far away in outer space, took this opportunity to conduct a large-scale personnel rotation.
The astronauts who had been stationed in the silent space for so long were finally able to return to Earth, reunite with their long-lost families, and enjoy the comfort of gravity and the warmth of the sun; at the same time, a new batch of elite personnel were dispatched to take over the crucial duty posts.
Among the lengthy list of personnel to be rested issued by the base, two names caught Lin Yeming's special attention: [Kin Shirosaki] and [Kazuma Asuka].
Jin Shirosaki, according to the records, was one of the pilots of the famous deep space exploration ship "Lomus" belonging to the TPC Space Development Bureau, and is also one of the holders of the record for the longest distance traveled by a famous spacecraft. He is known for his calm and composure and accurate judgment in times of crisis.
The name Asuka Kazuma stirred something within Lin Yeming.
He clearly remembered that when analyzing the abnormal spatial fluctuation data caused by that strange cosmic snail, Kazuma Asuka had participated as a technical support staff member. The analysis report he submitted demonstrated an extraordinary keen intuition and insight that transcended conventional technology.
The two of them happened to be scheduled for leave at the same time. From the perspective of the schedule, it might just be a coincidence in the allocation of manpower. However, Lin Yeming subconsciously felt that it was worth paying attention to the fact that these two people with special talents left their posts at the same time.
He did not take any direct action to interfere with their leave, which would have been neither reasonable nor necessary. He simply allowed the intelligence agencies to include the two men's movements in their routine observation as part of the overall security filing process, without giving them any special attention.
After the leave order was officially issued, the Victory Team's operations command center, which was usually filled with a tense atmosphere and the sound of communications, suddenly became much quieter.
The equipment was still running quietly, but the absence of the team members' busy figures and conversations made the spacious area seem particularly empty and silent.
The team members each began a short break: Daigo and Rena went to the beach in Kanagawa, where the sun was said to be shining and the waves were gentle; Shinjo dragged Horii along, insisting on undergoing so-called "intensive training for real men," even though Horii was reluctantly taken away; and Vice-Captain Munakata and Captain Megumi Iruma also entered their respective rest periods as arranged.
Everyone is cherishing and enjoying this hard-won peace during the lull in the fighting, in their own way.
The warm afternoon sun shone through the car windows and into the interior of the speeding car.
Although Yumi Kenmura gripped the steering wheel with a slight frown, she wasn't entirely in favor of Noriyuki taking Lin Yeming, who was still recovering, to play video games. However, she quickly reconsidered, thinking that such a relaxed and enjoyable social activity might be more beneficial to his mental state than keeping him cooped up in his room. In the end, she only glanced at the excited Noriyuki in the back seat through the rearview mirror and didn't say anything, focusing instead on driving the vehicle.
"How are you feeling, Yeming? Feeling better?" Ye Rui couldn't hide his excitement. He turned around, his face radiating youthful energy. "Look at this!" He carefully pulled a well-made ticket, gleaming with a laser-like sheen, from his pocket and waved it back and forth in front of Lin Yeming like a treasure. "This is a beta test ticket for 'New Town Computer Game City,' the ultimate amusement park for gamers, created by the most famous and cutting-edge game company! I went through so much trouble to get it!" Lin Yeming turned his head, looking at Ye Rui's childlike enthusiasm. A hint of pity flashed in his eyes, which quickly turned into a gentle and slightly tolerant smile. He simply replied, "Hmm, sounds great. Thank you for your trouble."
The three quickly arrived at their destination, a building with a futuristic design that resembled a giant crystal cube.
Yumi Kenmura parked the car smoothly at the entrance, reminded Lin Yeming to rest again, and arranged a specific time to pick him up before driving away with a slightly worried expression.
Lin Yeming and Ye Rui walked side by side toward the dazzling entrance.
No matter how many times he had witnessed it, Lin Yeming was still awestruck by the sight before him the moment he stepped inside the game city.
The vast hall was bathed in a technologically advanced blue-purple ambient light. Countless holographic projections of game characters moved and interacted in the air, while various game sound effects and cheers from players came from all directions, weaving together a unique electronic symphony.
In his past life, he was a typical otaku who was deeply addicted to anime, tokusatsu, games, and novels. He had fantasized countless times about how wonderful it would be if there were a city purely for games, a utopia that could truly accommodate all players to enjoy themselves to the fullest, without any external criticism or constraints.
As soon as the two reached the turnstile at the main entrance, a waiter in a well-tailored purple uniform with shimmering patterns greeted them with a professional and enthusiastic smile, bowing slightly to Ye Rui with perfect form.
"You must be Mr. Ye Rui, right?" the waiter confirmed, then turned his gaze to Lin Yeming beside him, a hint of appropriate doubt on his face. "Also... excuse me, may I ask who this gentleman is?"
Lin Yeming took half a step forward, a calm smile on his face, and answered naturally before Ye Rui could, "I am his brother, and I came with him." His tone was frank, leaving no room for doubt.
Seeing this, Ye Rui raised his hand and touched the back of his head somewhat embarrassedly, then asked the waiter with a hint of shyness, "Um... excuse me, is it okay to bring companions?" The waiter's smile immediately became even brighter, and his tone was extremely certain: "Of course! We welcome you! I am your personal guide here, you can call me Carter."
His service was impeccable.
Upon hearing the name, Lin Yeming's expression turned somewhat strange, as if he had remembered something. He tentatively asked in a slightly teasing tone, "Kater...Lina?"
The tour guide Carter's smile froze for a moment, then he said with a hint of helplessness, but still maintained his politeness, "This guest is Carter, only Carter, not Lina!"
His tone carried a hint of protest, as if he had been misunderstood.
Before the two could finish their pleasantries, Ye Rui eagerly stepped forward, his eyes shining with anticipation, and asked, "Mr. Carter! May I ask... if I can see Karen today?"
Carter's face immediately showed a slightly apologetic expression, and he bowed slightly, saying, "I'm so sorry, Mr. Ye Rui."
Miss Karen's schedule was packed from morning until evening.
During this time, she specifically instructed me to treat you well.
Now, please allow me to show you both around this place.
As he spoke, he gracefully turned to the side and made a "please" gesture.
After Carter walked a few steps ahead to lead the way, Lin Yeming immediately moved closer to Ye Rui, affectionately put his arm around his shoulder, lowered his voice, and asked with a knowing smile, "Oh—? So this girl named Karen seems to be your main purpose for coming here this time?"
Ye Rui's cheeks flushed bright red, all the way to his ears. He hurriedly avoided Lin Yeming's teasing gaze, his eyes darting around as he tried to deny it, saying, "N-no, it's not what you think! Karen is a genius programmer who designed the core system program for the entire game city! I... I just really admire her skills!"
Seeing his helpless expression, Lin Yeming nodded knowingly, then slowly uttered a sentence that left Ye Rui speechless. He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word, and his face turned even redder.
"I understand, no explanation needed. This is the mutual attraction between you 'geniuses,' right?"
"I understand!"