Playing the Foolish Beauty in a Deadly Game - Chapter 37
Regarding the closure of the “Airplane Escape”Dungeon, some players expressed support, while others did not.
The former group did not want to live in constant turmoil every day, surrounded by demons and monsters, nor did they want to be manipulated by the game, living in fear of death. The latter group was divided into several categories. Some had a strong will to survive and had not yet accumulated enough points to exchange for a longer lifespan, so they did not want to die. Others had exchanged points for a large amount of real-world currency, spending it extravagantly and becoming addicted to the enjoyment it brought. Still, others thrived in the game, not only establishing a firm foothold but also reaping numerous benefits.
Comparing the two viewpoints, the number of players who did not approve was greater. After all, the game’s “powerful and terrifying” impression was deeply rooted in the players’ minds and could not be easily shaken.
Other players did not know the reason, but Lin Qiao did, or rather, Lin Qiao guessed it. It must be related to the system that was bound to him. The system required the power of the Dungeon reset, and Lin Qiao, as an illegal immigrant, could obtain benefits from both the NPC and player camps. The system exploited this loophole to drain the entire Dungeon’s energy. This led to the inability of the “Airplane Escape” Dungeon to reset and its eventual destruction.
Lin Qiao silently watched the screen, uninterested in the gossip but instead focused on useful beginner guides, tips for passing levels, and Dungeon strategies.
On the other side, in a courtyard full of R-country charm, the atmosphere was tranquil and pleasant, with trees rustling in the breeze. Since R-country was influenced by Z-country culture, many traditional decorations bore traces of Z-country culture, although the details were handled differently.
R-style courtyards are concise and meticulous in detail, with a Zen atmosphere and a sense of wabi-sabi aesthetics. The wabi-sabi style is elegant and minimalist, but unlike minimalism, wabi-sabi pursues a sense of Zen. The not-so-small courtyard did not have many bright colors. It emphasized not only harmony and symmetry but also a kind of primitive simplicity and beauty. Essential elements of an R-style courtyard include trees, hedges, garden gates, stone basins, shishi-odoshi (deer scarers), stone lanterns, wooden platforms, stones, and moss. However, there were no overly tall trees, so Yan Ting occasionally gazed at the night sky while having tea with the doctor. Stone lanterns in R-country have the function of “purifying fire,” symbolizing the use of fire to purify everything and bring a sense of tranquility and seclusion. The flickering firelight in the breeze made it difficult for the doctor to discern Yan Ting’s facial expression.
The psychiatrist, a renowned psychologist in R-country, was somewhat nervous when he was invited. He even alerted the police to his location in advance. He did not expect that these mysterious men, who had used their means to bring him here in the middle of the night, did not seem to be in a hurry.
Next to the tea room was a “deer scarer” made of bamboo, which operated on the principle of a lever. When a certain amount of water was collected, it would strike the stone basin below, producing a rhythmic knocking sound to disturb the birds that had flown into the courtyard. If placed near the tea room, it indeed served the function of washing hands.
Listening to the rhythmic knocking and admiring the karesansui (dry landscape garden) in front of him, the psychiatrist felt his mind gradually calming down. The karesansui garden, in an abstract way, recreated natural landscapes using stones, gravel, sand, and even moss. Of course, these natural landscapes represented mountains, islands, boats, seas, and rivers, among other things.
The psychiatrist, who enjoyed observing carefully, was very interested in the scenery influenced by Zen. Soon, he noticed that next to the stones were layers of ripples, resembling flowing water, which was quite fascinating.
Unfortunately, the karesansui garden was meant for viewing and could not be entered or disturbed: “Mr. Yan Ting, how are the ripples near the stones created?”
Perhaps sensing that the psychiatrist’s state had recovered, Yan Ting finally spoke: “Specialists use tools to draw the patterns.”
So it was done artificially? The psychiatrist had not expected that. However, after his mindset stabilized, he began to fulfill his duty: “Mr. Yan Ting, can you now discuss your thoughts with me?”
This was a tactful way of asking about his condition. When the psychiatrist, dressed in a black suit and sunglasses, was led in, he had been informed of the purpose of his visit. He was here to treat Mr. Yan Ting, who had severe psychological issues.
Yan Ting nodded and summarized his situation in simple language. The psychiatrist took notes with a pen: “You have a severe case of insomnia. It’s not that you don’t want to sleep, but rather that once you fall asleep, you have all kinds of bizarre nightmares?”
Yan Ting was wearing traditional R-country pajamas, commonly known as “jinmian,” which are long yukatas. Unlike other men who might deliberately leave their collars open to reveal their chests, Mr. Yan Ting’s clothes were perfectly neat.
This kind of pajama was very particular about the wearer’s figure, and the psychiatrist would certainly not wear it. However, Yan Ting suddenly began to take off his clothes. It was not really taking them off, but rather simply exposing his waist and abdomen: “When I am injured in my dreams, I also have inexplicable wounds on my body.”
The psychiatrist lit the old-fashioned lamp in the tea garden and then frowned as he reviewed Yan Ting’s previous medical records. He soon realized that the situation was not so simple. Mr. Yan Ting’s illness was very strange. Apart from dreaming, he had no emotional issues. However, Yan Ting insisted that his dreams were real. Although he could not remember the specifics of what happened in his dreams, he had developed a fear of sleeping, leading to sleep disorders.
The psychiatrist noticed that there was also a record in the previous case files stating that “the same wounds as in the dreams would appear.” Mr. Yan Ting was not a native of R-country. His mother was from R-country, and his father was of mixed Z-country and Western YDL-country descent.
Before coming to R-country, he had already undergone several treatments. A famous psychologist from M-country, in order to verify the truth of Yan Ting’s wounds, had even installed a camera in the place where Yan Ting slept.
The results showed that the wounds indeed appeared while he was in a deep sleep. After treating Yan Ting, the renowned M-country doctor converted to Christianity.
He insisted that Yan Ting was possessed by the devil and that what he needed was not a doctor, but a priest.
“M-country.” The psychiatrist felt relieved for Yan Ting. The latter was indeed a very influential person. Otherwise, if M country were to discover Yan Ting’s abnormalities, they might capture him for research.
Wait a minute, the psychiatrist looked up and said, “Mr. Yan Ting, it seems that I must sign a confidentiality agreement, right?”
Yan Ting put on his clothes, lowered his eyes, and said, “Yes. If you leak any information, you will end up at the bottom of the sea.”
The psychiatrist’s heart, which had just calmed down, began to race again. However, he still tried to stay calm, as he was already in a difficult situation from which he could not easily extricate himself.
The psychiatrist continued, “Do you still insist that the world in your dreams is real? Can you orally recount the parts of your dreams that you still remember?”
Dreams are the most genuine reflections of a person’s innermost thoughts. Sometimes, what one dreams about can, to a certain extent, reflect psychological issues.
“Doctor,” Yan Ting’s expression became serious, “It was very rude of me to invite you here in the middle of the night, but I had no choice.”
“I feel that my condition is worsening because I can now remember the entire dream, including every detail.”
Yan Ting did not conceal his experiences and recounted the entire “scenario” in detail.
The more the psychiatrist listened, the deeper his frown became. For a normal person, it would be extremely difficult to remember their dreams in full detail. Moreover, dreams are usually illogical and often contain inexplicable elements, such as the inability to remember certain numbers in a dream or the inability to see people’s faces clearly.
However, the dream Yan Ting described was so realistic that it even included the time zones of different regions and calculations of when dawn would break.
The psychiatrist could sense Yan Ting’s dilemma. He believed that his dreams were real; otherwise, he could not explain the sense of reality he felt in his dreams or why injuries sustained in dreams would also appear in reality. On the other hand, he was extremely rational, knowing that the idea of “dreams becoming reality” was impossible, which was why he had been seeking the psychiatrist’s help.
At this moment, the psychiatrist could not easily make a diagnosis. Suddenly, Yan Ting looked up and said, “I am increasingly convinced that I am not ill, which is a very frightening thing.”
“It might drive me completely insane, and I certainly do not want that to happen.”
“I think my condition is worsening because I am beginning to remember the faces of the people in my dreams, and…” Yan Ting frowned, seemingly finding it hard to speak.
Ultimately, Yan Ting’s rationality prevailed, and he spoke: “I saw a very handsome boy when I got off the plane. He is my lover from my dreams.”
“His name is Lin Qiao. I kissed him. His lips were very soft, and he was very cute.”
As Yan Ting spoke, his ears turned red, and his expression became extremely unnatural, as if he felt it was very impolite.
The psychiatrist: “…”
The psychiatrist asked, “Alright, are you sure that the boy you saw in reality actually exists?”
“Did the people around you see him? Are you certain that he is not just a figment of your imagination?”
Yan Ting, with his handsome looks that did not seem trustworthy, was indeed stunning when shy. His sudden change of expression was also quite intimidating.
The psychiatrist quickly said, “These are necessary questions. I do not mean to offend you.”
Yan Ting then said, “Yes, the people around me saw him. His name is Lin Qiao, and he was on the same flight as me.”
Yan Ting also mentioned how he had escorted the other party and found out his name.
The psychiatrist could only think… Good luck to that boy named Lin Qiao. Would he really not be frightened by being the center of such a big deal by someone he did not know?
However, the psychiatrist found a connection between Yan Ting’s reality and his dreams: “Mr. Yan Ting, you see, you and Lin Qiao were on the same plane. Is it possible that you saw him during the flight or while boarding?”
“After all, according to your description, the boy named Lin Qiao has an impressive appearance that can leave a deep impression.”
Yan Ting frowned and denied it urgently: “We did not see each other before boarding or during the flight!”
“Calm down!” the psychiatrist reminded, “Calm down, Mr. Yan Ting.”
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