Chapter 8: The Diary Left by Liu Hong
On the other side, Lin Yi had already taken Liu Bo to a quiet, homestyle restaurant where the two quietly ate their meal.
After dinner, Liu Bo began to weep uncontrollably once more.
Lin Yi could only comfort him helplessly.
“Xiao Bo, your father died under strange circumstances. You were at the police station today; did any of the investigating officers say anything to you?”
Liu Bo wiped his tears and sobbed, “They didn’t say much. Mostly, they questioned me—asked if there was anything unusual about my dad lately, and if he left me anything. But I’ve been busy with exams recently; he knew I was occupied, so we hadn’t spoken much on the phone...”
Suddenly, Liu Bo looked up sharply, his eyes bloodshot. “Yi Ge, what do you think really happened to my dad? I even watched the surveillance footage from that hotpot restaurant—how could a living man suddenly turn into poisonous water? It’s completely abnormal.”
“I feel like those officers taking statements know something, but no matter how I ask, they won’t tell me...”
Lin Yi nodded and sighed, then asked, “Xiao Bo, what do you plan to do next? If you want to continue studying, don’t worry. Your dad was like half a mentor to me. I can help with your tuition fees. Also, your dad’s investments in the studio—you can take them over or cash them out if you want.”
“I don’t want to study anymore. With my dad gone like this, what’s the use of me continuing?”
Speaking of studying, Liu Bo suddenly remembered something and quickly stopped crying. “Oh right, Yi Ge, once when I came back from night study during the holidays, my dad said he was preparing something for me. He told me I didn’t have to work so hard, that grades weren’t important. But I was too tired then, so I didn’t ask more.”
Lin Yi raised an eyebrow. “Your dad really said that?”
No wonder Lin Yi found it strange. He knew Liu Hong well; Liu Hong had worked tirelessly to earn money, all for his son, Liu Bo.
He’d even heard that the high school in neighboring Qingshan City was a provincial key school, and Liu Hong had paid a high price to send Liu Bo there.
Liu Hong cared deeply about Liu Bo’s academic performance.
Once, when Liu Bo’s grades dropped sharply, Liu Hong nearly beat him mercilessly—and Lin Yi had been there.
So the idea that Liu Hong would say “grades don’t matter” was clearly out of character.
Lin Yi thought for a moment and asked, “Xiao Bo, did you tell the police about this?”
Liu Bo frowned. “No, I forgot. Yi Ge, would you take me home? I want to look around; maybe my dad really left something behind, and it might be related to how he died.”
“Okay, I’ll take you back.”
After dropping Liu Bo off, Lin Yi didn’t linger.
But early the next morning, Lin Yi received a call from Liu Bo.
“Yi Ge, come quickly. I think I found something.”
Early in the morning, Lin Yi had planned to go to the studio first, then enter the Apocalypse world to explore. His plans were disrupted; he had to go see Liu Bo right away.
When he arrived at Liu Bo’s home, he found the place in disarray. Many pieces of furniture and books had been moved and rifled through.
Liu Bo emerged from a room clutching a black box.
“Yi Ge, I know how my dad died!”
Liu Bo’s eyes were red—he had evidently already looked inside the box.
Lin Yi approached. Inside the black box were only a few items: a plain white envelope and a brand-new notebook.
Seeing the white envelope, Lin Yi’s gaze sharpened. It looked exactly like the activation code envelope he had obtained yesterday.
The difference was that his was a golden envelope made of special material, whereas this was ordinary white paper—plain and unremarkable.
“Xiao Bo, what’s going on exactly?”
“I’m not too sure either, but Yi Ge, you should read the diary my dad left. It will tell you everything.”
Liu Bo clearly trusted Lin Yi and handed over the pristine notebook.
Lin Yi opened it. Only a few pages bore Liu Hong’s handwriting.
“At first, I didn’t intend to keep a diary; after all, who serious person keeps one? But since I obtained the activation code to enter the Apocalypse game, I realized I might not be considered a normal person anymore.”
“I don’t know who will read this diary, but I feel I should record my experiences in the Apocalypse game, as a keepsake.”
“It can’t really be called a game—it’s more like a supernatural parallel world...”
“On the first day entering the Apocalypse world, I was born into a place called ‘Dayu Village.’ The village was small, with only a few thousand people, and the villagers welcomed newcomers like me warmly...”
“On just the first day, I saw monsters storm into the village and attack the residents. It seems this world is far from safe...”
“After several days of exploration, I finally understood that to level up, I had to kill monsters. The higher the monster’s level, the more experience it grants. The quests available in the village only give copper coins and item rewards...”
“As I suspected, leveling up in the Apocalypse world increases your attributes that carry over to reality. Each level up grants five free attribute points. At level two, I could lift dumbbells I normally couldn’t, and my hundred-meter dash was comparable to a professional athlete...”
“On the fifth day in the Apocalypse world, I faced a life-or-death crisis. I was just moments from dying in this strange world with no one to collect my corpse. Fortunately, the militia arrived just in time to save me. I must say, the Apocalypse world is too dangerous at night—I will never enter it at night again. Besides monsters, there are ghostly spirits as terrifying as vengeful phantoms.”
“A new player arrived. He had a terrible temper; maybe a rich second-generation heir in real life. After a brief encounter, I ignored him. People who think they’re invincible don’t last three days here. Seeing him reminded me of Xiao Bo. Luckily, Xiao Bo is sensible and doesn’t give me trouble. By the way, I should prepare an invitation code for Xiao Bo too. Though this world is dangerous, it offers unparalleled opportunities...”
“Someone died today. A level-ten Pig Horn demon stormed into the village, killing over a dozen villagers and two players. One of them was that rich new player from a few days ago, Zhu Muchen. He’s said to be the son of the richest man in Nanhai City. I wonder how his father will feel about his son’s death.”
“On the twelfth day in the Apocalypse world, it was a day to remember. With materials gifted by the village chief, I forged a spiritual weapon. As far as I know, spiritual weapons are rare and hard to obtain in the Apocalypse world. Upon hearing of my achievement and talent, the village chief wanted to take me as his apprentice.”
“...After becoming the village chief’s apprentice, even the militia captain showed me great respect. As expected, even in another world, background matters. Today, the village chief told me that level ten is a bottleneck. Beyond level ten is the professional tier. Only by becoming professional can one leave the village and roam the perilous wilderness.”
“I was curious about the professional tier and have been asking about it these past days... Now I understand. The advanced attributes on the character panel correspond to four main professions, which are the advancement paths in the Apocalypse world. My talents are special; so far, all four professions suit me...”
“With the village chief’s help, I joined the militia. By leeching experience, I quickly reached level seven. I’m preparing to forge a third spiritual weapon for myself, but I still need several green-quality materials, some of which only drop from bird serpents outside the village...”
“The Black Card Alliance contacted me again. These people are like an unshakeable skin disease—using threats and bribes. I had no choice but to trade with them, forging spiritual weapons for them. It’s my fault—I should have hidden my appearance when I first entered the game...”
“Today, the Black Card Alliance sent me another activation code as payment for the last weapon I forged. I want to save this for Xiao Bo, though Xiao Yi can consider it too. After all, in this world, you can’t survive alone; you need allies...”
“On the twentieth day in the Apocalypse world, I received bad news upon logging in. Last night, ghostly spirits attacked the village. Several militia captains and village elders were seriously injured. I’m afraid we won’t be able to venture outside the village to hunt bird serpents for a while...”