CHAPTER 9: CHAPTER 9 ENTERING THE WATER

[Lin Qianxuan (smiling): Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.]

He didn’t care whether Golden Mary did it on purpose or by accident.

He only cared whether he could successfully complete and clear the strategy.

If Golden Mary also mastered the surveillance information, he could issue early warnings, at least ensuring that they wouldn’t be surrounded by a large army.

[Golden Mary (patting her chest): I knew Mr. Lin wasn’t that kind of person.]

[Lin Qianxuan (looking seriously at Golden Mary): So, can you help me?]

[Golden Mary (nodding firmly): Leave it to me, I guarantee I’ll notify you as soon as anything unusual happens.]

After speaking with Golden Mary, Lin Qianxuan let her leave.

As for himself, he continued strategizing based on his experience from the last playthrough.

As before: clumsy magic tricks, gift-giving, cooking, adding dishes, having Chen Long’Er call names and other daily strategy events, followed by teaching Mystic Text.

Until nightfall, when Chen Long’Er began resting, the String of Destiny connection had reached 72%.

At this time, Lin Qianxuan didn’t let the game characters rest but instead manipulated them to observe the surrounding environment and check the map locations, trying to find a suitable place to escape.

He understood that they couldn’t stay here for even a day.

At most, a few more hours, and once their location was confirmed, the people from Ni Country would come after them.

Moreover, they would deploy the Chao Li Country’s army and police.

[At 11:23 PM, you received a call from Golden Mary.]

[Golden Mary (anxious, nervous): Mr. Lin, a large number of guards are gathering near the city.]

[Lin Qianxuan: Tell me the location, and where I should go to maximize the chances of not encountering them.]

[Golden Mary (flustered): Hold on, let me see, there’s someone here, and here too... Why are there so many? I found it, Mr. Lin, head towards Dragon Head River Park, there’s no one there!!]

[Lin Qianxuan: Thank you, please don’t hang up, guide me as needed.]

[Golden Mary (nervous): Mr. Lin, you should act quickly.]

(Waking up Chen Long’Er, preparing to head towards Dragon Head River Park as guided by Golden Mary.)

In the scene, the game character woke up Chen Long’Er who had just fallen asleep, and the two packed light, taking food and quickly departed towards Dragon Head River.

The two did not use any transportation, but their movement speed seemed quite fast.

Because Lin Qianxuan saw the comparison; in the scene, on the nearby road, vehicles were being overtaken by the two.

The game characters moved with such speed yet could be sniped—whoever played the sniper rifle was a master!

[It took you and Chen Long’Er twenty-one minutes to arrive at Dragon Head River Park.]

The background scene changed, and the two arrived at a park.

Here, they stood near a railing beside the surging waters of the river named Dragon Head River, their expressions somewhat subdued.

[Chen Long’Er (absent-minded): I swam over from here.]

Lin Qianxuan saw Chen Long’Er take the initiative to speak and instantly realized this was an opportunity.

[Lin Qianxuan (gazing at Chen Long’Er, gently stroking her head): You’ve suffered a lot, haven’t you?]

[Chen Long’Er (not avoiding, looking seriously at you): It’s me who caused trouble for you.]

[Lin Qianxuan (smiling and shaking his head): How could it be, we’re companions, if possible, I think we could become even closer.]

[Chen Long’Er (hugging you): Thank you.]

[Lin Qianxuan (gently hugging her back): I’d like to know about your past, is that okay? If it’s too difficult, forget it.]

[Chen Long’Er (gently shaking her head): There’s nothing I can’t say. Since I can remember, I’ve lived in an iron box where there were many others besides me...]

Chen Long’Er finally began to recount her past.

She was incarcerated with her parents at a secret base from childhood for experiments.

But the main experimental targets weren’t her, but her parents and other people from Xuan Country.

Due to some experiments requiring human cooperation, her parents compromised, allowing her some opportunities to learn.

Giving her chances to be exposed to TV, mobile phones, and other entertainment products, and learn some knowledge.

Despite some functionality restrictions, she still gained a certain understanding of the outside world, establishing her own values.

She grew up under her parents’ protection until after she was sixteen, others, including her parents, died, and she was also subjected to experiments.

It was during this experiment that she awakened her bloodline, with a high level of awakening.

Thus, her value increased.

Unfortunately, by then, she already had her own independent values.

Those from Ni Country couldn’t brainwash her with education anymore.

[Chen Long’Er (reminiscing): I remember they made me drink something called Dragon’s Blood...]

[Chen Long’Er confided her past to you. Even though she’s always faced her past bravely, she felt much better at this moment.]

[Current String of Destiny connection: 80%.]

"There’s still 20% left."

Lin Qianxuan slightly clenched his fist.

With a little more effort, there’s no need to wait until the next day.

On the first night, he could thoroughly complete the strategy with Chen Long’Er.

Lin Qianxuan pondered over some possibilities.

First, he tossed aside some strategies from the evil path.

It wasn’t a moral issue stopping him; rather, his opportunities were limited, so he planned to pass the game by the most conventional method first before considering other options.

Suddenly, Lin Qianxuan noticed the river.

Did Chen Long’Er swim over from here?

Does it mean this place leads to the ocean?

How close is Chao Li Country to Xuan Country?

Swim back?

No, that’s definitely not the solution to the problem.

According to the inertia of this dating simulation, the only way he could change destiny was to completely win over Chen Long’Er.

But perhaps this is also a way to buy some time.

(Takes out his phone, queries the locations of nearby islands and records them.)

[You used your phone to check the locations of islands near Dragon Head River and remembered them with your shared Talent and strong memory.]

As the plot progressed, Lin Qianxuan let the game character and Chen Long’Er stay in the park for a while, where they shared their past stories with each other, increasing the connection level.

[Current String of Destiny connection level is 88%.]

[Golden Mary (nervous): Mr. Lin, their people are headed your way.]

Lin Qianxuan had anticipated this.

There’s surveillance near Dragon Head River.

Though Chen Long’Er had some disguise, as long as the enemy was void in Purple Flower Street, it would be easy to analyze the situation through big data.

[Lin Qianxuan: I understand.]

After casually replying to Golden Mary, Lin Qianxuan looked at the screen with the turbulent river, slightly pursing his lips.

"If it’s a dragon, then the water is the dragon’s home field, right?"

Seeing this river, Lin Qianxuan formed a corresponding plan in his mind.

In legend, dragons usually inhabit rivers, lakes, and seas.

With natural Water Control abilities, their Combat Power is highest in their own field.

Once the game character and Chen Long’Er enter the water, they might become strongest.

[Lin Qianxuan (looking to Chen Long’Er): They’re coming. Let’s go too.]

[Chen Long’Er (nodding): Yeah.]

(Entering Dragon Head River with Chen Long’Er, heading toward one of the previously noted closest islands.)

In the scene, Lin Qianxuan and Chen Long’Er exchanged a glance, clasped hands, and jumped directly into Dragon Head River.

The scene looked rather like a joint sacrifice.

However, once they entered the water, the situation changed suddenly.

The background scene switched, after entering the water, faint red Scale Armor appeared on the game character’s body, and the surrounding river naturally pushed the two towards the distance.

[You and Chen Long’Er chose to escape into the river, sharing talent and the power of the Sound Talisman from Chen Long’Er, allowing you to move like fish in the water. You soon entered the ocean along the river, surrounded by about a dozen ships waiting. Their high-precision sonar systems detected you. Your speed was not faster than the ships’, and you were soon caught up.]

In an instant, the game character and Chen Long’Er swam ahead, while several ships approached from all sides.

Judging by this, those ships seemed to be small warships.

"Damn it!"

Although Lin Qianxuan had predicted escaping via water would definitely fail, he couldn’t help but swear upon seeing this scene.

At this moment, a dialogue box appeared, indicating that Lin Qianxuan had a chance to make a tactical decision.

Escaping is impossible.

Or rather, even escaping means a dead end.

Lin Qianxuan was convinced those ships likely carried missiles and torpedoes.

"If I can’t escape! At least let me see the Combat Power in the home field!!"

Lin Qianxuan tapped the keyboard, leaving a line of text.

(Together with Chen Long’Er, board the closest ship, subdue the enemies on board, and take control.)

After the command was entered, the background scene began to move again.

A wave rolled up beneath Chen Long’Er and Lin Qianxuan, lifting them directly onto the nearest ship.

The people on the ship noticed them and started shooting.

However, the firearms had no effect; this time, not even close.

The water surrounding Chen Long’Er flowed rapidly, creating a waterband around her, easily blocking the bullets.

On the other side, Lin Qianxuan’s performance was slightly weaker, but he wasn’t too shabby either. He also possessed Water Control abilities and mimicked Chen Long’Er in creating a water shield around himself.

Though the strength was slightly lower, reducing a bullet’s momentum didn’t allow it to penetrate the water ring. When reaching his clothes, it automatically fell off, without requiring him to exert his physical force.

With a lift of the hand, the game character manipulated a stream of water into a Water Blade, directly striking one enemy.

"Swoosh~!"

Effortlessly, the enemy’s neck was split open.

Lin Qianxuan’s eyes narrowed; the game character’s personality really mirrored his own, or perhaps, it was another version of himself.

Although these soldiers might just be following orders, regrettably, they blocked his path, prompting him to ruthlessly eliminate them.

As an orphan, Lin Qianxuan knew that surviving in society required some ruthlessness.