Chapter 39: Red BMW

When Lü Yang opened his eyes, everything disappeared without a trace in front of him, and he returned to the tour bus he had been riding earlier. But when he closed his eyes again, he found himself back in the movie from before, and it continued playing from the scene where he had opened his eyes.

“Uh… looks like long bus rides won’t be boring anymore…” Lü Yang was very satisfied. After watching the movie for a while, he tried searching for some computer games he usually played.

No matter what game Lü Yang searched for, he found it in the Mysterious Domain game library, and he could start playing right away without installing anything. The 3D games were controlled by his thoughts, and the scenes were all in full 3D, making him feel like he was inside the real world.

Especially in shooting games, he could aim and shoot with his mind. The realism was nothing like using a mouse, keyboard, or game controller. At first, Lü Yang wasn’t very used to it and often missed his shots. But soon, he got the hang of this new way of playing, and his aim became more accurate.

Lü Yang even thought that mastering this way of gaming might actually improve his real-world shooting skills.

Just as he was thinking that, the Eerie Computer popped up a message asking if he wanted to do virtual reality firearm simulation training. After Lü Yang chose “Yes,” the game he had been playing closed, and instead, a very realistic shooting range appeared around him!

This wasn’t just a game program. When Lü Yang picked up the handgun in front of him, the texture and weight felt exactly the same as in the real world. When he raised the gun, aimed at the distant target, and pulled the trigger, the recoil and loud blast made him tremble with surprise.

Men like guns, and Lü Yang was no exception. But as a man from China, not many people get to touch real guns. Holding this virtual but realistic handgun, he really didn’t want to let go. But when he opened his eyes, he was back in his bus seat. Around him, some passengers were sleeping, others were looking at their mobile phones, and no one noticed anything unusual about Lü Yang.

Lü Yang closed his eyes again. This time, he selected the firearm training coach option. A beautiful coach appeared in the virtual reality and patiently taught Lü Yang from the basics. Disassembly, loading, aiming… from a 64-style handgun to an AK47, and even the latest weapons in U.S. military gear, Lü Yang learned the features of various guns one by one and did live target practice under her careful guidance.

Besides firearms, the Mysterious Domain also offered training in horseback riding, driving vehicles, tanks, flying, and more. It was like a virtual spy training camp, full of things to try. After the firearms training, Lü Yang only had time for a little vehicle driving practice before several hours flew by.

When the tour bus arrived at the gas station service area where Lü Yang was getting off, the Eerie Computer automatically reminded him—while he was speeding at 300 mph in the virtual world—that the bus had reached its destination and he could exit the training program to get off.

When Lü Yang opened his eyes, he was still thinking about the fun he had with the movie, games, and virtual training. He realized he was starting to get hooked on this Eerie Computer.

Oh, no! How could he like this weird thing? Don’t forget Yi Yi disappeared because of it!

…

After getting off the bus, Lü Yang walked toward the back of the gas station service area. Following a small path, he soon left the highway. He crossed a small road and came to a larger one. After walking for over ten minutes, he reached a small bus stop that had formed in front of a roadside restaurant. A minibus with its door open was parked by the road.

The driver and ticket seller weren’t around. A few children were running and jumping around the minibus, while more than ten people waited by the roadside. It looked like they, like Lü Yang, were planning to take the bus to Lutou Town from here.

This area was at the edge of the mountains. In the mist, far off in the distance, mountain ridges rose and fell. From here to Lutou Town, it would mostly be mountain roads. Lutou Town sat at the foot of Donkey Head Mountain, facing Donkey Tail Town on the other side.

Looking at the familiar scenery, Lü Yang felt a mix of emotions, and his heart began to ache slowly. Memories of wandering here with his maternal grandmother and relying on each other came back to him. A few years ago, after his grandmother died, he secretly climbed into a truck at that gas station service area and ended up in Guishe City, where he struggled to survive until today.

In fact, Lü Yang had never returned to Lutou Town since he left, nor had he visited his grandmother’s grave. Growing up without parents, he seemed optimistic and strong in front of others, but inside he wasn’t as strong as he appeared. He was afraid of remembering the past, afraid of those hard times, afraid that seeing his grandmother’s grave again would be too much for him, and that his so-called strength would collapse in an instant.

…

A red BMW sped down the road from the end, seemingly trying to take this route to get onto the Guicang Expressway. Just then, a little girl about five years old, who was playing with the other kids, suddenly ran out from behind the minibus. Laughing, she stepped backward without realizing she had moved into the middle of the road!

The red BMW slammed on the brakes, but it was too late. The little girl froze. Hearing the car and seeing the BMW about to hit her, she stood in the road with her mouth open, not moving. Just before the car could hit her, Lü Yang rushed from the roadside and pushed the girl out of the way.

With a dull thud, Lü Yang was hit by the BMW, which hadn’t stopped in time. He was thrown into the air and landed heavily on the car’s hood.

It hurt so much!

Ugh! Why do I keep getting hit by cars these days?

…

The dozen or so people waiting by the road rushed over, shouting. The girl’s parents comforted her as she cried from the fright, while others lifted Lü Yang off the car. Some pulled open the car door and dragged out the female driver, who was stunned.

Lü Yang was in a lot of pain and couldn’t move for a moment. He didn’t know how badly he was hurt. The female driver they pulled out looked young, about the same age as Yi Ya. Her clothes and accessories were typical of a rich second-generation girl.

The crowd angrily scolded the female driver. Some people helped put Lü Yang into the passenger seat of her BMW. One helpful person even forced the driver to hand over her ID card and driver’s license and gave them to Lü Yang, saying this would stop her from running away.

The female driver cried, bowed repeatedly to the crowd, and apologized. She gave all the money she had to the girl’s parents and swore she would take Lü Yang to the hospital. Only then did the crowd let her car go.