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Action
Adventure
Alternate History
Anti-Hero Lead
Apocalyptic
Artificial Intelligence
Attractive Lead
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Biographical Fiction
Carefree Protagonist
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Comedy-drama
Complex Family Relationships
Confident Protagonist
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Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk Romance
Demon Lord
Demons
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Nature Writing
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Overpowered Protagonist
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Police Procedural
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Portal Fantasy / Isekai
Possessive Characters
Post Apocalyptic
Progression
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Reincarnated as a mosquito with blood sucking system
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Strong
Strong Lead
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Technologically Engineered
Time Loop
Time Slip
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Transgressive Fiction
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Urban Fantasy
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Weak to Strong
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Action
Adventure
AI
Aliens
AR
Bildungsroman
Comedy
Contemporary
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Eastern
Epic
Espionage
Fan-Fiction
Fantasy
Female-Lead
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It’s Just Us

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										----I’ll try to post on every Monday, Friday, and potentially Saturday)
A struggling college student.
Wait🤚
Let me rephrase that, you know what it doesn't matter just read because I'm horrible at descriptions I'll do it another time. ( first time writing)
-------
An asocial, struggling, and possibly insane college student just wants to get better.

But what happens when an outbreak helps said person positively, not at first, but it certainly helps along the way of survival.
---------
- short chapters
- Will be published on neo book once all chapters are updated and changed to longer versions (neobook chapter will be posted faster unless there are votes)
-Both books can be read at the same time doesn't matter			
		
			



Tags *


 Action
 Adventure
 Alternate History
 Anti-Hero Lead
 Apocalyptic
 Artificial Intelligence
 Attractive Lead
 Bildungsroman (coming-of-age story)
 Biographical Fiction
 Carefree Protagonist
 Characters
 Christian Fiction
 Comedy
 Comedy-drama
 Complex Family Relationships
 Confident Protagonist
 Crime Fiction
 Cyberpunk
 Cyberpunk Romance
 Demon Lord
 Demons
 Detective
 Determined Protagonist
 Disaster Fiction
 Disasters
 Doting Older Siblings
 Doting Parents
 Drama
 Dystopia
 Eco-fiction
 Epic Fantasy
 Epic Poetry
 Erotica
 Essay
 Evil Religions
 Familial Love
 Family
 Famous Protagonist
 Fantasy
 Fantasy World
 Fat to Fit
 First Contact
 GameLit
 Gate to Another World
 Gender Bender
 Genetically Engineered
 Godly Powers
 Gothic
 Gothic Horror
 Gothic Romance
 Grimdark
 Hard Sci-fi
 Harem
 High Fantasy
 Hindi
 Historical Fiction
 Historical non-fiction
 Historical Romance
 Horror
 Humor/Satire
 Hunters
 Journalism
 Kingdoms
 Knights
 Law Enforcement
 Lazy Protagonist
 Legal Drama
 LGBT+
 Literary Fiction
 LitRPG
 Love Interests
 Low Fantasy
 Magic
 Magical Realism
 Male Lead
 Male Protagonist
 Martial Arts
 Medical Drama
 Medical Romance
 Memoir
 Military History
 Military Science Fiction
 Monsters
 Multiple Lead Characters
 Multiple POV
 Music
 Mysterious Past
 Mythology/Folklore
 Mythos
 Nature Writing
 Nautical Fiction
 Non-fiction
 Non-Human Lead
 Nordic Noir
 Overpowered Protagonist
 Paranormal
 Philosophical Fiction
 Police Procedural
 Political
 Portal Fantasy / Isekai
 Possessive Characters
 Post Apocalyptic
 Progression
 Psychological
 Reader Interactive
 Reincarnated as a mosquito with blood sucking system
 Reincarnation
 Religions
 Religious Fiction
 Romantic Comedy
 Romantic Suspense
 Royalty
 Satire
 Schemes And Conspiracies
 School Life
 Science Fantasy
 Science Fiction
 Science writing
 Secret Identity
 Shapeshifters
 Short Story
 Sibling's Care
 Siblings
 Slice of Life
 Soft Sci-fi
 Southern Gothic
 Space Opera
 Space Western
 Special Abilities
 Spiritual/Religious
 Sports
 Sports Romance
 Spy Thriller
 Steampunk
 Steampunk Romance
 Strategy
 Strong
 Strong Lead
 Stubborn Protagonist
 Super Heroes
 Supernatural
 Survivalist Fiction
 Sword And Magic
 Techno-thriller
 Technologically Engineered
 Time Loop
 Time Slip
 Time Travel
 Transgressive Fiction
 Transmigration
 True crime
 Urban Fantasy
 Urban Fiction
 Vampires
 Villainous Lead
 Virtual Reality
 War and Military
 Wars
 Weak to Strong
 Wealthy
 Western
 Western Romance
 Women's Fiction
 Women's Romance
 Wuxia
 Xianxia
 Yandere





Genres *


 Action
 Adventure
 AI
 Aliens
 AR
 Bildungsroman
 Comedy
 Contemporary
 Drama
 Eastern
 Epic
 Espionage
 Fan-Fiction
 Fantasy
 Female-Lead
 Games
 Gothic
 Historical
 Horror
 Indian
 Magic
 Magical Realism
 Male-Lead
 Mecha
 Mystery
 Political
 Psychological
 Realistic
 Romance
 Satire
 Sci-fi
 Short Story
 Slice-Of-Life
 Sports
 Supernatural
 Tragedy
 Urban
 VR
 War
 Western
 Xuanhuan
 Yaoi





Type *


 Audio Book
 E-book
 Epistolary Novel
 Graphic Novel
 Interactive Novel
 Light Novel
 Novella
 Print Novel
 Serialized Novel
 Web Novel





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Native Language

मेरा इयाशिकेई गेम (My Iyashikei Game)

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Summary *

		
			
												
			
										पुलिस अधिकारी, क्या आप मुझ पर विश्वास करेंगे अगर मैं कहूँ कि यह एक इयाशिकेई गेम है?
—
अनुवादक की संक्षिप्ति:

हन फ़ेई एक हास्य अभिनेता है जिनका सौभाग्य अच्छा नहीं है।

चीजें बेहतर होने का अंदाजा नहीं था जब उसको एक महंगा गेमिंग हेलमेट मिला, जिसे परफेक्ट लाइफ कहा गया, एक ऐसा आत्मा को शांति देने वाला इयाशिकेई (स्लाइस ऑफ लाइफ) गेम।

उसने नहीं जाना कि वह जो स्वर्ग समझ रहा था, वास्तव में डरावने भूतों और प्रतिशोधी आत्माओं से भरा हुआ एक नरक था।			
		
			



Tags *


 Action
 Adventure
 Alternate History
 Anti-Hero Lead
 Apocalyptic
 Artificial Intelligence
 Attractive Lead
 Bildungsroman (coming-of-age story)
 Biographical Fiction
 Carefree Protagonist
 Characters
 Christian Fiction
 Comedy
 Comedy-drama
 Complex Family Relationships
 Confident Protagonist
 Crime Fiction
 Cyberpunk
 Cyberpunk Romance
 Demon Lord
 Demons
 Detective
 Determined Protagonist
 Disaster Fiction
 Disasters
 Doting Older Siblings
 Doting Parents
 Drama
 Dystopia
 Eco-fiction
 Epic Fantasy
 Epic Poetry
 Erotica
 Essay
 Evil Religions
 Familial Love
 Family
 Famous Protagonist
 Fantasy
 Fantasy World
 Fat to Fit
 First Contact
 GameLit
 Gate to Another World
 Gender Bender
 Genetically Engineered
 Godly Powers
 Gothic
 Gothic Horror
 Gothic Romance
 Grimdark
 Hard Sci-fi
 Harem
 High Fantasy
 Hindi
 Historical Fiction
 Historical non-fiction
 Historical Romance
 Horror
 Humor/Satire
 Hunters
 Journalism
 Kingdoms
 Knights
 Law Enforcement
 Lazy Protagonist
 Legal Drama
 LGBT+
 Literary Fiction
 LitRPG
 Love Interests
 Low Fantasy
 Magic
 Magical Realism
 Male Lead
 Male Protagonist
 Martial Arts
 Medical Drama
 Medical Romance
 Memoir
 Military History
 Military Science Fiction
 Monsters
 Multiple Lead Characters
 Multiple POV
 Music
 Mysterious Past
 Mythology/Folklore
 Mythos
 Nature Writing
 Nautical Fiction
 Non-fiction
 Non-Human Lead
 Nordic Noir
 Overpowered Protagonist
 Paranormal
 Philosophical Fiction
 Police Procedural
 Political
 Portal Fantasy / Isekai
 Possessive Characters
 Post Apocalyptic
 Progression
 Psychological
 Reader Interactive
 Reincarnated as a mosquito with blood sucking system
 Reincarnation
 Religions
 Religious Fiction
 Romantic Comedy
 Romantic Suspense
 Royalty
 Satire
 Schemes And Conspiracies
 School Life
 Science Fantasy
 Science Fiction
 Science writing
 Secret Identity
 Shapeshifters
 Short Story
 Sibling's Care
 Siblings
 Slice of Life
 Soft Sci-fi
 Southern Gothic
 Space Opera
 Space Western
 Special Abilities
 Spiritual/Religious
 Sports
 Sports Romance
 Spy Thriller
 Steampunk
 Steampunk Romance
 Strategy
 Strong
 Strong Lead
 Stubborn Protagonist
 Super Heroes
 Supernatural
 Survivalist Fiction
 Sword And Magic
 Techno-thriller
 Technologically Engineered
 Time Loop
 Time Slip
 Time Travel
 Transgressive Fiction
 Transmigration
 True crime
 Urban Fantasy
 Urban Fiction
 Vampires
 Villainous Lead
 Virtual Reality
 War and Military
 Wars
 Weak to Strong
 Wealthy
 Western
 Western Romance
 Women's Fiction
 Women's Romance
 Wuxia
 Xianxia
 Yandere





Genres *


 Action
 Adventure
 AI
 Aliens
 AR
 Bildungsroman
 Comedy
 Contemporary
 Drama
 Eastern
 Epic
 Espionage
 Fan-Fiction
 Fantasy
 Female-Lead
 Games
 Gothic
 Historical
 Horror
 Indian
 Magic
 Magical Realism
 Male-Lead
 Mecha
 Mystery
 Political
 Psychological
 Realistic
 Romance
 Satire
 Sci-fi
 Short Story
 Slice-Of-Life
 Sports
 Supernatural
 Tragedy
 Urban
 VR
 War
 Western
 Xuanhuan
 Yaoi





Type *


 Audio Book
 E-book
 Epistolary Novel
 Graphic Novel
 Interactive Novel
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 Novella
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The Way of martial art

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Summary *

		
			
												
			
										The story follows Kai, a martial arts prodigy, as he returns to his oppressed village and decides to challenge a ruthless martial arts clan. With the help of his childhood friend Mei, Kai unveils hidden scrolls containing forbidden techniques, forming a secret resistance group to free their people.			
		
			



Tags *


 Action
 Adventure
 Alternate History
 Anti-Hero Lead
 Apocalyptic
 Artificial Intelligence
 Attractive Lead
 Bildungsroman (coming-of-age story)
 Biographical Fiction
 Carefree Protagonist
 Characters
 Christian Fiction
 Comedy
 Comedy-drama
 Complex Family Relationships
 Confident Protagonist
 Crime Fiction
 Cyberpunk
 Cyberpunk Romance
 Demon Lord
 Demons
 Detective
 Determined Protagonist
 Disaster Fiction
 Disasters
 Doting Older Siblings
 Doting Parents
 Drama
 Dystopia
 Eco-fiction
 Epic Fantasy
 Epic Poetry
 Erotica
 Essay
 Evil Religions
 Familial Love
 Family
 Famous Protagonist
 Fantasy
 Fantasy World
 Fat to Fit
 First Contact
 GameLit
 Gate to Another World
 Gender Bender
 Genetically Engineered
 Godly Powers
 Gothic
 Gothic Horror
 Gothic Romance
 Grimdark
 Hard Sci-fi
 Harem
 High Fantasy
 Hindi
 Historical Fiction
 Historical non-fiction
 Historical Romance
 Horror
 Humor/Satire
 Hunters
 Journalism
 Kingdoms
 Knights
 Law Enforcement
 Lazy Protagonist
 Legal Drama
 LGBT+
 Literary Fiction
 LitRPG
 Love Interests
 Low Fantasy
 Magic
 Magical Realism
 Male Lead
 Male Protagonist
 Martial Arts
 Medical Drama
 Medical Romance
 Memoir
 Military History
 Military Science Fiction
 Monsters
 Multiple Lead Characters
 Multiple POV
 Music
 Mysterious Past
 Mythology/Folklore
 Mythos
 Nature Writing
 Nautical Fiction
 Non-fiction
 Non-Human Lead
 Nordic Noir
 Overpowered Protagonist
 Paranormal
 Philosophical Fiction
 Police Procedural
 Political
 Portal Fantasy / Isekai
 Possessive Characters
 Post Apocalyptic
 Progression
 Psychological
 Reader Interactive
 Reincarnated as a mosquito with blood sucking system
 Reincarnation
 Religions
 Religious Fiction
 Romantic Comedy
 Romantic Suspense
 Royalty
 Satire
 Schemes And Conspiracies
 School Life
 Science Fantasy
 Science Fiction
 Science writing
 Secret Identity
 Shapeshifters
 Short Story
 Sibling's Care
 Siblings
 Slice of Life
 Soft Sci-fi
 Southern Gothic
 Space Opera
 Space Western
 Special Abilities
 Spiritual/Religious
 Sports
 Sports Romance
 Spy Thriller
 Steampunk
 Steampunk Romance
 Strategy
 Strong
 Strong Lead
 Stubborn Protagonist
 Super Heroes
 Supernatural
 Survivalist Fiction
 Sword And Magic
 Techno-thriller
 Technologically Engineered
 Time Loop
 Time Slip
 Time Travel
 Transgressive Fiction
 Transmigration
 True crime
 Urban Fantasy
 Urban Fiction
 Vampires
 Villainous Lead
 Virtual Reality
 War and Military
 Wars
 Weak to Strong
 Wealthy
 Western
 Western Romance
 Women's Fiction
 Women's Romance
 Wuxia
 Xianxia
 Yandere





Genres *


 Action
 Adventure
 AI
 Aliens
 AR
 Bildungsroman
 Comedy
 Contemporary
 Drama
 Eastern
 Epic
 Espionage
 Fan-Fiction
 Fantasy
 Female-Lead
 Games
 Gothic
 Historical
 Horror
 Indian
 Magic
 Magical Realism
 Male-Lead
 Mecha
 Mystery
 Political
 Psychological
 Realistic
 Romance
 Satire
 Sci-fi
 Short Story
 Slice-Of-Life
 Sports
 Supernatural
 Tragedy
 Urban
 VR
 War
 Western
 Xuanhuan
 Yaoi





Type *


 Audio Book
 E-book
 Epistolary Novel
 Graphic Novel
 Interactive Novel
 Light Novel
 Novella
 Print Novel
 Serialized Novel
 Web Novel





Cover


				
		
		
						
		
	
	
										
							
			

			



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Native Language

the unyeilding investigator

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Summary *

		
			
												
			
										"The Unknown, the Supernatural... Enigma. These are the things people fear. But I don't,"			
		
			



Tags *


 Action
 Adventure
 Alternate History
 Anti-Hero Lead
 Apocalyptic
 Artificial Intelligence
 Attractive Lead
 Bildungsroman (coming-of-age story)
 Biographical Fiction
 Carefree Protagonist
 Characters
 Christian Fiction
 Comedy
 Comedy-drama
 Complex Family Relationships
 Confident Protagonist
 Crime Fiction
 Cyberpunk
 Cyberpunk Romance
 Demon Lord
 Demons
 Detective
 Determined Protagonist
 Disaster Fiction
 Disasters
 Doting Older Siblings
 Doting Parents
 Drama
 Dystopia
 Eco-fiction
 Epic Fantasy
 Epic Poetry
 Erotica
 Essay
 Evil Religions
 Familial Love
 Family
 Famous Protagonist
 Fantasy
 Fantasy World
 Fat to Fit
 First Contact
 GameLit
 Gate to Another World
 Gender Bender
 Genetically Engineered
 Godly Powers
 Gothic
 Gothic Horror
 Gothic Romance
 Grimdark
 Hard Sci-fi
 Harem
 High Fantasy
 Hindi
 Historical Fiction
 Historical non-fiction
 Historical Romance
 Horror
 Humor/Satire
 Hunters
 Journalism
 Kingdoms
 Knights
 Law Enforcement
 Lazy Protagonist
 Legal Drama
 LGBT+
 Literary Fiction
 LitRPG
 Love Interests
 Low Fantasy
 Magic
 Magical Realism
 Male Lead
 Male Protagonist
 Martial Arts
 Medical Drama
 Medical Romance
 Memoir
 Military History
 Military Science Fiction
 Monsters
 Multiple Lead Characters
 Multiple POV
 Music
 Mysterious Past
 Mythology/Folklore
 Mythos
 Nature Writing
 Nautical Fiction
 Non-fiction
 Non-Human Lead
 Nordic Noir
 Overpowered Protagonist
 Paranormal
 Philosophical Fiction
 Police Procedural
 Political
 Portal Fantasy / Isekai
 Possessive Characters
 Post Apocalyptic
 Progression
 Psychological
 Reader Interactive
 Reincarnated as a mosquito with blood sucking system
 Reincarnation
 Religions
 Religious Fiction
 Romantic Comedy
 Romantic Suspense
 Royalty
 Satire
 Schemes And Conspiracies
 School Life
 Science Fantasy
 Science Fiction
 Science writing
 Secret Identity
 Shapeshifters
 Short Story
 Sibling's Care
 Siblings
 Slice of Life
 Soft Sci-fi
 Southern Gothic
 Space Opera
 Space Western
 Special Abilities
 Spiritual/Religious
 Sports
 Sports Romance
 Spy Thriller
 Steampunk
 Steampunk Romance
 Strategy
 Strong
 Strong Lead
 Stubborn Protagonist
 Super Heroes
 Supernatural
 Survivalist Fiction
 Sword And Magic
 Techno-thriller
 Technologically Engineered
 Time Loop
 Time Slip
 Time Travel
 Transgressive Fiction
 Transmigration
 True crime
 Urban Fantasy
 Urban Fiction
 Vampires
 Villainous Lead
 Virtual Reality
 War and Military
 Wars
 Weak to Strong
 Wealthy
 Western
 Western Romance
 Women's Fiction
 Women's Romance
 Wuxia
 Xianxia
 Yandere





Genres *


 Action
 Adventure
 AI
 Aliens
 AR
 Bildungsroman
 Comedy
 Contemporary
 Drama
 Eastern
 Epic
 Espionage
 Fan-Fiction
 Fantasy
 Female-Lead
 Games
 Gothic
 Historical
 Horror
 Indian
 Magic
 Magical Realism
 Male-Lead
 Mecha
 Mystery
 Political
 Psychological
 Realistic
 Romance
 Satire
 Sci-fi
 Short Story
 Slice-Of-Life
 Sports
 Supernatural
 Tragedy
 Urban
 VR
 War
 Western
 Xuanhuan
 Yaoi





Type *


 Audio Book
 E-book
 Epistolary Novel
 Graphic Novel
 Interactive Novel
 Light Novel
 Novella
 Print Novel
 Serialized Novel
 Web Novel





Cover


				
		
		
						
		
	
	
										
							
			

			



Mature Content?





Alternative





Native Language

Riding the Pheonix

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Summary *

		
			
												
			
										In her previous life, Ming Wei had exhausted herself in futile efforts to change the fate of her country, ultimately losing her most important loved ones. When she opened her eyes, she found herself back in time seventy years ago. The Emperor Ling had not yet ascended the throne, the fierce Hu people had not established Western Wei, ambitious figures in Southern Chu had not seized power, and Northern Qi remained strong in military might! What was she waiting for? She needed to quickly eliminate those who needed to be eliminated, deal with those who needed to be dealt with, and collect some heads! Then, she would find the destined emperor, assist him in ascending the throne, and govern the realm properly. Only then could she happily reunite with her loved ones.			
		
			



Tags *


 Action
 Adventure
 Alternate History
 Anti-Hero Lead
 Apocalyptic
 Artificial Intelligence
 Attractive Lead
 Bildungsroman (coming-of-age story)
 Biographical Fiction
 Carefree Protagonist
 Characters
 Christian Fiction
 Comedy
 Comedy-drama
 Complex Family Relationships
 Confident Protagonist
 Crime Fiction
 Cyberpunk
 Cyberpunk Romance
 Demon Lord
 Demons
 Detective
 Determined Protagonist
 Disaster Fiction
 Disasters
 Doting Older Siblings
 Doting Parents
 Drama
 Dystopia
 Eco-fiction
 Epic Fantasy
 Epic Poetry
 Erotica
 Essay
 Evil Religions
 Familial Love
 Family
 Famous Protagonist
 Fantasy
 Fantasy World
 Fat to Fit
 First Contact
 GameLit
 Gate to Another World
 Gender Bender
 Genetically Engineered
 Godly Powers
 Gothic
 Gothic Horror
 Gothic Romance
 Grimdark
 Hard Sci-fi
 Harem
 High Fantasy
 Hindi
 Historical Fiction
 Historical non-fiction
 Historical Romance
 Horror
 Humor/Satire
 Hunters
 Journalism
 Kingdoms
 Knights
 Law Enforcement
 Lazy Protagonist
 Legal Drama
 LGBT+
 Literary Fiction
 LitRPG
 Love Interests
 Low Fantasy
 Magic
 Magical Realism
 Male Lead
 Male Protagonist
 Martial Arts
 Medical Drama
 Medical Romance
 Memoir
 Military History
 Military Science Fiction
 Monsters
 Multiple Lead Characters
 Multiple POV
 Music
 Mysterious Past
 Mythology/Folklore
 Mythos
 Nature Writing
 Nautical Fiction
 Non-fiction
 Non-Human Lead
 Nordic Noir
 Overpowered Protagonist
 Paranormal
 Philosophical Fiction
 Police Procedural
 Political
 Portal Fantasy / Isekai
 Possessive Characters
 Post Apocalyptic
 Progression
 Psychological
 Reader Interactive
 Reincarnated as a mosquito with blood sucking system
 Reincarnation
 Religions
 Religious Fiction
 Romantic Comedy
 Romantic Suspense
 Royalty
 Satire
 Schemes And Conspiracies
 School Life
 Science Fantasy
 Science Fiction
 Science writing
 Secret Identity
 Shapeshifters
 Short Story
 Sibling's Care
 Siblings
 Slice of Life
 Soft Sci-fi
 Southern Gothic
 Space Opera
 Space Western
 Special Abilities
 Spiritual/Religious
 Sports
 Sports Romance
 Spy Thriller
 Steampunk
 Steampunk Romance
 Strategy
 Strong
 Strong Lead
 Stubborn Protagonist
 Super Heroes
 Supernatural
 Survivalist Fiction
 Sword And Magic
 Techno-thriller
 Technologically Engineered
 Time Loop
 Time Slip
 Time Travel
 Transgressive Fiction
 Transmigration
 True crime
 Urban Fantasy
 Urban Fiction
 Vampires
 Villainous Lead
 Virtual Reality
 War and Military
 Wars
 Weak to Strong
 Wealthy
 Western
 Western Romance
 Women's Fiction
 Women's Romance
 Wuxia
 Xianxia
 Yandere





Genres *


 Action
 Adventure
 AI
 Aliens
 AR
 Bildungsroman
 Comedy
 Contemporary
 Drama
 Eastern
 Epic
 Espionage
 Fan-Fiction
 Fantasy
 Female-Lead
 Games
 Gothic
 Historical
 Horror
 Indian
 Magic
 Magical Realism
 Male-Lead
 Mecha
 Mystery
 Political
 Psychological
 Realistic
 Romance
 Satire
 Sci-fi
 Short Story
 Slice-Of-Life
 Sports
 Supernatural
 Tragedy
 Urban
 VR
 War
 Western
 Xuanhuan
 Yaoi





Type *


 Audio Book
 E-book
 Epistolary Novel
 Graphic Novel
 Interactive Novel
 Light Novel
 Novella
 Print Novel
 Serialized Novel
 Web Novel





Cover


				
		
		
						
		
	
	
										
							
			

			



Mature Content?





Alternative





Native Language

DC: Phantom Thief Kid

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Summary *

		
			
												
			
										<div class="hidden-content">

A talented young man who unexpectedly finds himself in the extraordinary world of DC Comics, a universe he didn't know much about. He was forced to take on the identity of a thief known as Phantom Thief Kid, a renowned master thief with irresistible charisma and a mysterious nature.

As the Phantom Thief Kid immerses himself in this new reality, he discovers that he must possess a unique set of skills and talents that make him both strong and dangerous to survive in this unknown world. This mysterious charisma becomes his most powerful weapon, allowing him to manipulate situations and influence the people around him.

Phantom Thief Kid trained himself in the art of thievery and went after valuable things all over the DC Universe. His amazing skills, charming personality, and tendency to stay out of reach quickly draw the attention of superheroes and supervillains.

...

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or the fanfic i was merely translating this.

Ps: Ccto to the book cover's owner...

Note: I used Image AI with my own prompt to create my cover art.

Support:

</div>
<a href="https://www.patreon.com/Sothisq" rel="nofollow noopener ugc">https://www.patreon.com/Sothisq</a>			
		
			



Tags *


 Action
 Adventure
 Alternate History
 Anti-Hero Lead
 Apocalyptic
 Artificial Intelligence
 Attractive Lead
 Bildungsroman (coming-of-age story)
 Biographical Fiction
 Carefree Protagonist
 Characters
 Christian Fiction
 Comedy
 Comedy-drama
 Complex Family Relationships
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DC: Phantom Thief Kid
Chapter No.: 47
Chapter 47: Consultant

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“You believe I cannot pray with a single arm? a prayer comes from the heart.”

– Isaac Netero (Hunter x Hunter)

…

At the Natural History Museum, after Barbara hung up the call with Dick, she went straight to where Commissioner Gordon was.

The surveillance control center is on the top floor of the Cultural Exhibition Hall.

A few guards at the entrance stopped her when she arrived at the control room.

“Sorry, Ms. Gordon, but no one is allowed to go in without an order from the Commissioner.”

One of the guards said.

Barbara wasn’t surprised. She wasn’t security personnel, so she shouldn’t be walking around here in the first place.

The fact that she wasn’t immediately driven away was already because she is the Commissioner’s daughter.

“I have something very important to discuss with my dad face-to-face. Can you please go in and inform him? My dad usually turns off his phone when he’s working, so I can’t reach him.”

Barbara smiled and requested the guards.

“It’s really something very important, and it’s related to the Phantom Thief’s notice.”

As soon as the guards heard the words “Phantom Thief,” their expressions changed, and they exchanged glances.

“If it’s Commissioner Gordon’s daughter, she’s probably not here to play jokes. Besides, we’re not directly letting her in, and we are just passing on a message, so it’s not against the orders.”

The Phantom Thief is being discussed more and more in Gotham, and many people have said they have figured it out.

But their explanations often seemed off and didn’t make any logical sense.

Over time, whenever the guards heard someone say they had deciphered the Phantom Thief’s notice, they would usually just drive them away.

But now, the person saying this was Barbara Gordon, the daughter of their direct superior.

They couldn’t ignore her and just send her away, could they?

One of the guards opened the door and went into the control room to inform Jim.

After a while, Jim ran out of the room and asked as he walked.

“Barbara, are you saying that you deciphered the notice? If I find out that you’re joking and obstructing official duties, then I won’t let you go to that late-night karate class anymore.”

“Dad, think about it carefully. When have I ever lied to you while you were at work?”

Barbara frowned and said it with her hands on her hips.

“Then quickly tell me what information you solved. If you’re right, I won’t complain about you constantly changing your computer anymore.”

Seeing his daughter’s confidence, Jim immediately asked and even promised a reward.

He didn’t doubt Barbara’s ability to decipher the notice. As a father, Jim knew very well how smart his daughter was.

In fact, when Barbara was in college, she didn’t pursue library management as her major.

Instead, she majored in things like criminal investigation, psychology, cryptology, and computer science.

At first, Barbara wanted to follow her father’s path and become a police officer.

The reason she ended up as a librarian in the library was only because Jim was strongly against the idea of Barbara becoming a police officer and was extremely determined in his decision.

He even used his connections to have the police academy reject Barbara’s application, saying her height did not meet the standards.

In anger, Barbara switched to studying library management and eventually got her doctorate.

For a long time afterwards, father and daughter remained in a state of the cold war…

In short, Jim had trust in Barbara’s personal abilities.

Unfortunately, Commissioner Gordon didn’t know that his daughter had found another way to continue this path.

Barbara didn’t disappoint Jim and explained the deciphering process of the notice.

“If 20 multiplied by 3 equals 4,

Then I will visit at a nonexistent time,

When Mars has passed its tenth day and night,

Following the guidance of Caesar,

I shall come to claim the blood-stained egg.”

“The meaning of the first line is to lead us to Roman numerals; as there is no zero in Roman numerals, it can be assumed that a non-existent time is equal to midnight at 00:00 o’clock. In the third line, Mars refers to March, and passing its tenth day is March 11. In the Ancient Rome Exhibition Hall, there is a Caesar statue pointing towards the direction of the Jungle Exhibition Hall, which is the guidance of Caesar.”

After a pause, Barbara continued, “In short, Phantom Thief will appear at midnight on March 10, which is equal to March 11, at the Jungle Exhibition Hall, where he will start there and steal Mrs. Chandler’s Dragon’s Egg Ruby Necklace.”

When Barbara spoke in one breath, the officers around her were surprised for a while, and it took them a while to get back to normal.

“Wow, Ms. Gordon’s explanation makes a lot of sense!”

“It’s not just sense, I think that’s exactly what Phantom Thief’s notice means!”

“No wonder she’s the Commissioner’s daughter, we’ve been trying to decipher it for days and couldn’t get any clues, and she solved it all at once.”

The officers praised Barbara with admiration.

Ignoring the flattery from his subordinates, Jim went through Barbara’s explanation in his mind and found no loopholes before smiling with joy.

With the exact timing of Phantom Thief’s actions, GCPD could set up targeted security measures and wouldn’t have to maintain high-level security for fifteen straight days.

This can not only save a lot of police resources but also prevent the cops from being too tired and always maintaining a high level of mental strength and mobility.

“I have a request, I hope you can agree, Dad.”

At this time, Barbara’s expression suddenly changed, and she revealed the real purpose of her trip.

“I want to join in on the capture of the Phantom Thief as a temporary consultant or detective.”

“What? No, it’s too dangerous, I can’t allow it!”

Gordon immediately rejected Barbara’s proposal.

“Dad, you just saw my value, I can help you guys. You never agreed with me being a cop anyway. I just want to help, why do you have to refuse me?”

Barbara persisted.

Of course, she didn’t actually want to become a temporary consultant for GCPD. It was just an easier way to accomplish what she had planned in her mind.

“Phantom Thief has never killed anyone and has never intentionally harmed others. What kind of danger could I possibly face?”

Gordon was still hesitant, but Barbara played her last card.

“If you don’t let me join your operation, I’ll come to the museum that day on my own, and you won’t be able to stop me from entering.”

“Okay, you got me, but it’s only for this one time. You can’t leave my sight and cannot interfere with the work of others!”

With no other choice, Jim agreed to the plan and set some ground rules.

With that, Barbara managed to infiltrate the GCPD security team, and despite Jim’s restrictions, she was satisfied with the result.

Meanwhile, at Gotham Academy, Dean felt like someone was watching him from behind.

He knew it was Dick who had begun to suspect his true identity.

From that moment on, Dean had to be even more careful about every move he made.

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DC: Phantom Thief Kid
Chapter No.: 46
Chapter 46: The Riddler

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“Humans aren’t made perfectly. Everyone lies. Even so… I’ve been careful not to tell lies that hurt others.”

– Light Yagami

…

“HAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAA”

As Mrs. Anderson left, Dick heard a burst of laughter around him.

He knew that his classmates were laughing at him because his earphones had been taken away.

Luckily, he had just finished his call with Barbara, or else it would have caused even more trouble.

Of course, if the call hadn’t ended, Dick wouldn’t have let Mrs. Anderson take away the earphones.

With Dick’s reaction, he could have removed the earphones before Mrs. Anderson touched them.

It’s just that there is no need for that now, and it’s not a big deal if the earphones are taken away.

“Hey, what were you listening to that got you so immersed?”

Dean turned around and quietly asked.

“Uh… nothing special, just a few new rock songs,”

Dick scratched the back of his head and laughed.

“Really? I never knew you liked rock.”

Dean glanced at Dick with his usual expression and warned, “Be careful, Mrs. Anderson has her eyes on you.”

After speaking, he turned around and sat straight.

No one noticed that there was a chewing gum-like object in Dean’s hand.

That’s right, while Mrs. Anderson was taking away Dick’s headphones, Dean quietly took back the bug stuck on the back of the table with lightning speed.

He had almost heard the entire conversation between Dick and Barbara, from his suspicions about his own identity to the solving of the notice letter, Dean already knew everything.

The only downside was that he couldn’t hear Barbara’s voice, so he couldn’t be sure who he was talking to.

In any case, it must be one of Batman’s people, either the butler Alfred or the Batgirl, whose true identity is still unknown.

‘In short, they have already started to suspect me as the Phantom Thief, and Dick’s level of suspicion towards me is not too deep, which means the person he was talking to is the one who truly suspects me.’

‘But they probably don’t have any evidence to identify me, they are still just guessing. Otherwise, Dick’s attitude wouldn’t be like this.’

Dean thought to himself, ‘In their next move, they will surely try to test me…’

…

Meanwhile, deep inside Arkham Asylum…

In a “cell” with heavy iron doors tightly locked and high-strength iron bars added to the windows.

Two men, one tall and one short, sit facing each other.

The tall, skinny man’s hands are handcuffed to the table, restricting his movement.

He’s also wearing orange inmate clothing.

Clearly, he must be a mentally ill criminal who’s been imprisoned here.

What’s strange is that there is no number written on his inmate clothes. Instead, there’s a mysterious “question mark” symbol drawn on it.

Sitting opposite him was a short, chubby man with a long, pointed nose, dressed in a tuxedo and holding an umbrella cane.

In Gotham City, there is only one person who fits this description.

Penguin, Oswald Cobblepot.

In the dimly lit “cell,” the faces of the two men are barely visible, giving off a sinister and terrifying vibe.

An indescribable chill affects the entire room, which makes the two fully armed guards disguised as “nurses” standing at the door shiver.

“Well, Nygma, any idea?”

After a long time, the Penguin was the first to speak, mentioning a name that would surely strike fear into the hearts of every Gotham citizen.

Edward Nygma, standing at 6 feet 2 inches tall and thirty-five years old, is a highly intelligent supervillain suffering from a severe mental illness.

He is extremely narcissistic about his own intelligence and enjoys using his high IQ to manipulate others.

But rather than being called by his real name, he prefers to be called a ‘Riddler.’

Not long ago, Penguin visited Arkham Asylum to ‘visit’ the Riddler.

At first, the people in charge of the asylum didn’t want to let in another notorious criminal.

However, all the necessary government documents were in order, so the institution had no reason to keep him outside.

The condition was that he could only enter alone and without any personal belongings.

At the same time, he had two prison guards… er, I mean, nurses, who were always with him and never left his side.

When Penguin came face-to-face with the Riddler, he asked him a few questions, hoping that the Riddler could help him figure out their meaning.

That’s right, it was the notice letter from the Phantom Thief. Since he couldn’t bring any items into Arkham, Penguin could only talk about it with Riddler.

Penguin is pressuring Mrs. Chandler to hold an exhibition to seek revenge against the Phantom Thief.

If he knows the Phantom Thief’s next move, he can set up a perfect trap and take him down on the spot.

There’s just one problem – The Phantom Thief’s notice is too difficult to decipher.

Barbara was able to decipher the notice because she happened to remember a book that Dean had read that day, which inspired her.

Otherwise, Barbara’s progress might not be any faster than Dick’s, and she would still be stuck on the line ‘Mars passed its tenth day and night’.

For most people, without the important hints, it’s almost impossible to figure out how to decipher the notice, and Penguin was no exception.

However, Penguin isn’t worried about not being able to solve the notice because he has his own way.

If he can’t figure it out, he’ll have someone else do it.

So Penguin approached Riddler, who in his opinion, is the best person in the world at riddles.

At this moment, Penguin is eagerly waiting for Riddler’s response.

“Interesting! This riddle is very interesting, and I like it! Who came up with it?”

Seeing Riddler close his eyes and think, a crazy joy slowly appeared on his face as if he were a child who had just received his favorite toy.

Penguin didn’t understand his joy, and he didn’t want to understand. He just wanted to know what the notice meant.

“I’m glad you like the gift I brought you, old friend, so now please tell me, have you figured out this riddle?”

Penguin asked.

“Oh~”

Hearing this, Riddler suddenly changed his face and sneered disdainfully.

“When I say it’s interesting, I mean the design of this puzzle makes me feel fresh, not because I think it’s difficult!”

“In fact, if I were to rate it according to difficulty, it wouldn’t even qualify as a decent riddle in my eyes.”

“The time is midnight on March 10th, the location is…if it really is the Natural History Museum, and if I’m not mistaken, it’s the Jungle Exhibition Hall.”

The Riddler quickly revealed all the answers to Penguin.

“I won’t bother explaining the reason to you, Oswald, as I know you don’t care.”

Penguin grinned and said, “You’re still as smart as ever. I only need the result. The process is not important.”

“I’m glad to see you today, old friend, but visiting hours are over, so I have to go now.”

“Wait!”

Riddler stopped Penguin and fixed his gaze on him, asking, “Tell me, who is this person?”

“He calls himself Phantom Thief, a thief who likes to show off.”

Penguin turned slightly and replied with his eyes with a hint of killing intent, which fell into the eyes of Riddler, but it was not directed at him.

“You don’t need to take this person seriously, Nygma, because ten days from now, you won’t have the chance to meet him again…”

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DC: Phantom Thief Kid
Chapter No.: 49
Chapter 49: Secrets of the Sutton Manor

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“No one cared who I was until I put on a mask.”

– Bane and Obito ( The Dark Knight Rises, Naruto)

…

“Wayne Manor hasn’t had guests in a long time, Master Richard. It’s a good idea to invite friends. It will bring some life to the quiet house.”

“If possible, I hope you can invite more friends in the future, especially friends from your school.”

After listening to Dick’s idea, Alfred nodded happily.

He excitedly turned to Dean and opened the back door of the car.

“Mr. Sutton, Wayne Manor is on the outskirts of the city, and it’s a long way to get there. Get in the car, please. It will take some time to get where we’re going.”

“Thank you, Mr. Pennyworth.”

Dean replied naturally to show his gratitude. He didn’t pretend and got directly into the car through the door Alfred opened.

Dick also entered from the other side of the car.

“I’m really glad that Master Richard invited friends to come to the house. You may not believe it, Mr. Sutton, but you are the first person of your age that Master Richard has invited to Wayne Manor besides the girls he’s dating.”

Alfred said as he sat in the driver’s seat with a look of relief.

“I don’t mean to say that dating girls is a bad thing, but I also don’t want Master Richard’s social circle to become like Master Bruce’s, where it’s all about women and never being able to make a true friend. I hope Master Richard can have more pure friendships.”

He’s not saying this to criticize his own boss because everyone in Gotham knows about Bruce Wayne’s romantic flings, and that’s exactly the impression Bruce wants people to have of him.

“Is that so? Then I’m really honored.”

Dean didn’t expect that he would be the first friend to be invited to Wayne Manor by Dick.

Well, using the term ‘friend’ doesn’t seem quite right.

A group of young superheroes called the Teen Titans had definitely been to Wayne Manor.

So, it should be non-superhero friends.

Speaking of the Teen Titans, it’s a group of teenage superheroes.

It was originally formed by the sidekicks of members of the Justice League and later expanded to include many independent teen heroes.

It was formed about half a year after the Justice League, and Dick is the founder and leader of the Teen Titans.

The Teen Titans don’t appear in the news as often as the Justice League, mainly because they’re all underage and still have to go to school to balance superhero life with school life.

They usually only have time to gather and do activities together on weekends.

But the other members of the Teen Titans are all very powerful, and it would make Dean miserable if Dick asked them to help.

However, he know Dick wouldn’t do that.

Just like Batman never lets the Justice League interfere in Gotham, they wouldn’t easily interfere in someone else’s city.

Dean didn’t quite understand this strange sense of territory.

On the way to Wayne Manor, Alfred and Dean chatted casually.

This allowed Dean to learn some secrets about the Wayne family.

They were secrets, but nothing more than what most people in Gotham knew.

The strange thing is that Dick, who originally invited him, suddenly fell silent at this moment and kept looking out of the car window without saying a word.

As the sky darkened, night fell.

At this moment, Dean’s house, Sutton Manor.

A person dressed in a tight black suit with a famous bat helmet and bat symbol on the chest quietly entered the small manor.

The unusually eye-catching bat helmet and the bat logo on the chest clearly revealed the person’s identity.

Batgirl – Barbara Gordon.

Why was she appearing at Dean’s house?

This goes back to when she and Dick pointed out Dean as a suspect for Phantom Thief earlier in the morning.

Because Dick didn’t believe that Dean was the Phantom Thief, they decided to test him.

Their plan was for Dick to keep Dean occupied while Batgirl searched his home for any clues.

Barbara had previously hacked into Gotham’s real estate trading network and was sure Dean owned only the Sutton Mansion.

If Dean was the Phantom Thief, then most likely his equipment would be hidden there.

It couldn’t be flawless, even if Dean had set up a safe house under a fake identity. There must be some traces to follow.

The reason why Dick chose to invite Dean as soon as school was over today was to try his best to prevent Dean from realizing that he was suspected and to leave the relevant clues at home in advance.

Not long ago, Jim removed most of the guards in the museum because he knew when the Phantom Thief was committing crimes.

Only a few guards stayed in the museum to keep watch.

Barbara said goodbye to his father, using the excuse of attending a karate training class, and rushed to the Sutton manor.

“The room was a bit messy, with items placed randomly. It looked just like an ordinary man’s room, but the biggest difference was that despite the mess, it felt clean.”

Barbara went into Dean’s room first and carefully looked at every corner.

She opened the wardrobe and bedside table one by one, searching inside and even checking the pockets of each piece of clothing.

People sometimes forget to take something out of their pockets, so even though it was unlikely, she had to look through all of them.

After searching for a while, she didn’t find any suspicious items, including any secret rooms.

Then Barbara went to other rooms and looked everywhere in Sutton Manor.

Finally, only the basement was left.

With a bat flashlight in hand, Barbara cautiously descended the stairs and pushed open the door to the basement.

Inside, she saw a wide space filled with a dazzling display of magic props, each with obvious signs of use.

There were so many magic props that there was barely any space to move around in the basement.

‘This should be Dean Sutton’s practice area for magic.

Barbara thought to herself.

There was nothing wrong with placing these things in the basement, and Barbara could quickly tell that Dean had spent quite a long time practicing with these props.

No wonder he became a famous and talented magician at such a young age.

Barbara randomly searched through the piles of props and realized she wouldn’t find any clues about the Phantom Thief here.

“It seems that Dean is not the Phantom Thief after all. I’ve suspected the wrong person.”

After searching for a while and finding nothing, a tired Barbara sat down against the wall in the basement, staring at the walls around her.

“Hmm?”

At that moment, Barbara suddenly noticed something was off.

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DC: Phantom Thief Kid
Chapter No.: 48
Chapter 48: Invitation

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“If dreams do come true, I wanna hug a girl before I die”

– Denji (Chainsaw Man)

…

After school, as usual, Dean packed his bag and was about to leave the school when Dick, who was sitting behind him, suddenly stopped him.

“Hey! Dean, wait a moment.”

Dean turned around to look at him and asked curiously, “What’s up?”

“I know it might sound a bit sudden, but… do you have time tonight?”

Dick scratched his head hesitantly.

“Uh… can I say I don’t?”

Dean’s eyelids twitched wildly.

“Well, actually, I was planning to invite you to Wayne Manor for dinner and also discuss the campus dance performance before spring break. You know, the only talent I have is acrobatics, but that’s too dangerous and requires professional skills. The venue is not suitable for performing in schools.”

Dick coughed twice and confessed.

“So, I was wondering if you could teach me some interesting magic tricks so I can impress the girls.”

After listening to Dick’s explanation, Dean showed a suddenly realized expression and then stared at him with disgust.

“I see now. But aren’t you afraid of being caught by your girlfriend at the dance? Speaking of which, who is your girlfriend now? Laia? Emma? Cori? Or Jenny? Maybe all of them? I never thought this about you before, but now it seems you’re a real player.”

“Hehehe! Can you stop being so old-fashioned? Now is the era of free love, and breaking up and getting back together is normal! I haven’t done anything wrong, so how am I a player? You make it sound like I’m so weird.”

Dick defended himself and then looked at Dean with disdainful eyes.

“The real weirdo is a guy like you who is about to graduate from high school and doesn’t have a girlfriend yet.”

“I really can’t figure it out, so many girls have confessed their feelings to you, why don’t you try to pick a few to get along with?”

At this point, Dick scrutinized Dean suspiciously.

“Wait, are you…?”

“Shut up!”

Dean was annoyed and immediately shouted at him to stop.

In the years since he crossed over, almost ninety percent of Dean used his personal time to train his skills as a magician.

He did this to earn the system’s rewards and increase his chances of surviving future major events.

He didn’t have time to get involved in teenage romances.

“Relax, man, I was just joking.”

Dick quickly put on a smile and looked at Dean with anticipation.

“The school dance is scheduled for March 12th, and I don’t have much time to prepare for my performance. So, please come to my house today, and as a token of gratitude, Alfred will prepare a delicious dinner.”

“We’ve been friends for so many years, so please help me out, okay?”

“…”

Dean stayed silent for a few seconds, then shook his head helplessly.

“Alright, I’ll teach you a few simple magic tricks, but your dinner better be good.”

“Well, before we go, I’ll quickly head home and grab some magic props…”

Before he could finish speaking, Dick interrupted directly.

“No need! Wayne Manor has plenty of things. Time is precious, so let’s head there directly. Alfred should already be here to pick me up.”

Dick grabbed Dean’s shoulder to push him and ran toward the school gate without giving Dean a chance to speak.

Dick pulled Dean forward, and he slightly squinted his eyes.

He didn’t believe Dick had suddenly invited him to Wayne Manor to learn magic tricks.

After all, Dick was Robin, the sidekick of Batman, and he didn’t need anyone to teach him how to impress girls with magic tricks.

Even if he wasn’t as skilled as professional magicians, it’s more than enough to fool those little girls in school who don’t know anything.

Obviously, Dick was testing himself, although Dean wasn’t sure yet what he intended to test.

Dean kept his poker face on, pretending that he didn’t know anything while his mind constantly imagined what might happen next and how to deal with it.

At the school gate, Alfred really stopped beside a luxury car early, waiting for Dick to appear.

When Alfred saw the two of them, Dean noticed a flash of surprise in Alfred’s eyes when he saw him.

Obviously, he didn’t know that Dick was testing Dean.

‘In this way, the person who doubts my identity is Batgirl, it’s not that Batman is back.’

Dean thought to himself.

When Dean eavesdropped on Dick’s call before because he couldn’t eavesdrop on Dick’s voice wearing headphones, he couldn’t guess the specific identity of the other person.

Even if he removes Alfred based on Dick’s words, he cannot be immediately sure that it is Batgirl.

There was still a possibility that Batman had returned to Gotham using the unique teleportation technology of the Justice League, which allowed him to appear anywhere without any notice.

Dean really didn’t want to meet the father of DC, who was idolized by countless people in his previous life so early.

The good news was that he could be sure now.

If Batman was the one suspecting him, Alfred would surely know about Dick’s plan to test him.

It might even be an important part of their plan.

Then Alfred would not be surprised when he sees Dean, and if he does show surprise, he must have pretended to be surprised after meeting him.

The question now is, why would Batgirl suspect him?

Dean ponders the fact that even Dick has spent the most time with him and has never suspected him.

How could a Batgirl, whom he has never even met suspect him?

This kind of suspicion is absolutely impossible to come out of thin air.

In Gotham City, there are at least twenty professional magicians who fit the requirements of the Phantom Thief, not to mention countless amateur street performers.

What evidence could Batgirl possibly have to suspect him?

There is only one possibility that Dean has already met with Batgirl, and some exact parts led her to suspect him.

‘Women I’ve met recently…’

Then, Dean suddenly recalls the encounter with Barbara at the library.

It makes perfect sense if it is connected through the Roman parts on the notice letter and the fact that he had been reading books related to Rome.

Dean once suspected that three people might be Batgirl, one is Bruce Wayne’s cousin Betty Kane, one is Alfred’s daughter Julia Pennyworth, and the last one is Barbara Gordon.

At first, Dean thought that it was Betty because she was close to the Wayne family.

Now, it seemed that Barbara was the real Batgirl.

While Dick is explaining to Alfred that he wants to invite Dean to Wayne Manor for dinner, on the other side…

A shadowy figure was slowly approaching the Sutton Mansion…

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DC: Phantom Thief Kid
Chapter No.: 50
Chapter 50: The Secret Room

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“Searching for someone to blame is just a pain.”

– Gojo Satoru

…

Barbara walked to the left side of the basement wall and reached out to touch it, her eyes focused.

“If I remember correctly, based on the structure and size of this mansion, there should be quite a bit of space behind this wall.”

Thump!

Bang!

Barbara pressed her ear against the wall and tapped it a few times with her hand.

While knocking, she kept moving her position on the wall, and she suddenly heard a change in the tapping sound.

“This sound… something isn’t right!”

At this moment, she was sure a secret room was hidden behind this wall.

Why would Dean create a secret room in his own basement?

Barbara’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she began searching for the switch to enter the secret room.

“The structure of this secret room isn’t too complicated, so the entrance switch shouldn’t be too far away.”

She moved her body so that she was just opposite the part where the strange sound was coming from, then extended her hand to continue touching the wall.

After a few minutes like this.

Click!

Suddenly, Barbara’s eyes lit up as if her fingers had touched a triggering mechanism, and a different mechanical sound was heard.

With a strong push, the part of the wall she was pressing against sank inside completely.

Soon after, the wall in front of her began to vibrate slightly.

With a rumbling sound, the wall opened to both sides, revealing an opening just big enough for a person to enter.

The space behind the path was pitch black, and it was impossible to see what was inside.

“Hmm, quite a clichéd design, but it does make things easier for me.”

Barbara looked at the entrance to the secret room with a bored expression.

“Let’s see what secrets are hidden inside… Wait, what!”

As Barbara stepped into the secret room, holding a flashlight, her pupils instantly shrank at the sight before her.

…

On the other side, Wayne Manor

In the low-key, luxurious dining room, Dean, Dick, and Alfred sat together at the table, enjoying a delicious dinner.

Even though the dishes on the table were unfamiliar, Dean was still enjoying his meal.

As they say, the food of the rich is indeed different from what normal people eat.

“How does it taste, Mr. Sutton? Do you like the food?”

Alfred asked with a smile.

“It’s delicious, you’re the best chef I’ve ever seen, Mr. Pennyworth. Honestly, I’m even thinking of finding a butler like you for myself.”

Dean complimented him after wiping his mouth with a napkin.

“But my house is not as big as Wayne Manor, and I can manage it well on my own.”

“You flatter me, Mr. Sutton.”

Alfred responded humbly to Dean’s praise.

“I don’t mean to interfere with your life, but I want you to know that the role of a butler is not just about working chores and tasks.”

“They can also be a trusted family member who is always there for you.”

“I agree with you, Mr. Pennyworth. It’s obvious that you are a trusted family member of the Wayne family.”

Dean nodded and suddenly had a thought.

Perhaps I should find myself an assistant…

“I’m full,”

At this moment, Dick put down his knife and fork and looked at the others.

“Have you finished? Dean, when can we start the magic lessons?”

“Dick, I know you’re excited, but hold on a moment.”

Dean replied, also finishing his meal and putting down his utensils.

“I need to ask you a few questions before I start teaching you. They will determine what type of magic I will teach you and the final performance.”

Dean talked in a serious way, but his mind was on something else.

‘It’s been almost three hours since school ended, and Dick hasn’t asked me any specific questions. He’s acting like a typical teenager who really wants to learn magic to impress girls. Why hasn’t he asked me anything about Phantom Thief?’

Dean thought that Dick would slowly drop a hint or even intentionally ask some sensitive questions to test his reaction.

But from start to finish, Dick remained calm, and he didn’t ask anything other than about learning magic.

Dean couldn’t help but feel that something was off.

‘Could it be that he really just wants to learn magic? That’s impossible—absolutely impossible! It doesn’t match Robin’s identity. He and Batgirl have already begun to suspect my identity. It’s impossible that he’s not doing anything at all…’

Thinking of this, Dean suddenly had a realization. He had almost forgotten Batgirl.

Originally, Dean thought that Dick was the only one testing him, but now it seemed that Dick’s task was only to keep him occupied.

Since Batgirl is not here, she could only be in one place.

At this point, Dean finally connected the dots.

‘No wonder Dick mysteriously invited me to Wayne Manor, it was all to distract me so that Batgirl could check his house.’

After thinking about this, Dean didn’t panic because he had expected this situation and had made arrangements at home in advance.

‘Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, can you see the truth behind the illusion?’

…

Meanwhile, at Sutton Manor, in the secret underground room.

The secret room was not too big, and it was filled with dust.

Judging by the thickness of the dust, it seemed like no one had been in there for about half a year.

The room was full of old pieces of furniture, like wardrobes and closets.

Obviously, Dean had no use for a closet.

As Batgirl approached the dressing table, she noticed that there were no skincare products on it.

Instead, there was a black-and-white photograph standing upright.

The photograph showed a couple, and above it were the words “Dear parents.”

Besides this photograph, there were several pictures of the Sutton couple hanging on the walls of the secret room.

For a moment, Batgirl’s expression became extremely complicated. Her face showed a mix of heaviness, relief, and guilt.

She knew what the old furniture and decorations in the secret room were.

They were all memories that the Sutton family had left behind.

Barbara was not surprised that Dean had specially built a secret room to keep his parents’ belongings, as she had seen even crazier things before.

As the saying goes, seeing objects reminds one of memories.

If these items were placed openly in the house, it would easily trigger unpleasant memories and keep them drowning in the sadness of their parents’ passing.

Dean put these items together in the secret room and came in to look at them once a year or every six months.

There was nothing wrong with this, and it was a good thing for Dean’s mental health.

“It seems like I made a mistake, Phantom Thief is not Dean after all.”

Barbara looked down at the footprints on the dusty floor and sighed.

“Now I need to think about how to solve this problem…”

…

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DC: Phantom Thief Kid
Chapter No.: 51
Chapter 51: Magic Tricks

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“Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”

– John Keating (Dead Poets Society)

…

Late at night, at Wayne Manor

In the entertainment room, Dick slowly stretched his hand and turned it front and back to reveal the palm and the back of the palm in turn.

There was nothing in his hand.

Then, with a gentle shake of his hand, a black Ace of Spades appeared instantly.

But that’s not all, he continued to lift his hand and suddenly flicked it down, and another red Ace of Hearts appeared.

Dick quickly repeated this step twice, and a club Ace and a Diamond Ace also appeared in his hand.

He gathered the four Aces together in both hands and held them tightly.

After a slight pause for a second or two, he suddenly spread his hands to the sides, and the four playing cards that should have been there disappeared.

It turned into a bright red rose.

“I did it! What do you think?”

After doing all of this magic trick, Dick’s face lit up with excitement, and he looked at Dean not far in front of him.

Clap!

Dean clapped his hands calmly and said, “Not bad, an average professional magician would find it difficult to spot your flaws, let alone a beginner.”

Dick twitched at the corner of his mouth, understanding that Dean meant that his flaws were obvious to someone with a higher level of magic skills.

After dinner, Dean began teaching Dick magic, and the two of them had been practicing in the entertainment room at Wayne Manor until now.

What Dick just performed was the magic trick that Dean had taught him earlier.

“Let’s stop here for today, Dick. I must say your progress has exceeded my expectations. If you can maintain the same level of proficiency you just showed, I believe you’re already skilled enough to impress the girls at the school dance.”

Dean rubbed his chin, his gaze focused as he looked at Dick.

“Just two hours ago, your technique was so rough that anyone with eyes could see the flaws. Now, you are already as good as many amateur magicians. It’s impossible for an ordinary person to have your level of finger agility and body coordination. Be honest with me, did you practice magic before?”

Hearing this, Dick was taken aback.

He wasn’t exactly sure how magicians’ skills were ranked, and he had intentionally slowed down his progress.

He really thought that this kind of magic was too hard, but he didn’t expect himself to improve so quickly.

‘Barbara hasn’t sent any information yet. If Dean is really the Phantom Thief, with his intelligence, he would easily guess that I’m suspicious of his identity. I need to come up with a reasonable explanation…’

Dick’s mind raced, and he instantly came up with a perfect explanation.

“You know, Dean, I used to live in a circus. My parents were both aerial acrobats, and for a circus performer, having a flexible body is important. So, naturally, my hands are more agile than most others.”

When he mentioned his parents, Dick’s eyes darkened for a moment, but he quickly put on a calm smile and said, “I never learned magic before, so I don’t know much about many of its principles.”

“I see,”

Dean replied calmly, nodding his head without any change in expression.

This made Dick’s heart skip a beat, and he looked at Dean with the same expression.

Fortunately, Dean quickly turned away, walked out of the house with his back to Dick, and said goodbye.

“It’s getting late now, so I’ll go home.”

“Wait!”

Seeing Dean about to leave, Dick quickly stopped him.

Barbara still hadn’t sent a signal.

Perhaps she was still searching for Dean’s house. If Dean happened to run into Barbara when he went home, it would be a big problem.

“Do you need anything else?”

Dick’s shout startled Dean, who turned around and asked.

“It’s already very late, Mr. Sutton. As you can see, Wayne Manor is far from the city. If you go back now, it will be very late by the time you get home. It’s too dangerous to walk on the streets of Gotham at night.”

Suddenly, Alfred’s voice came from outside the room.

Dean turned his head and saw Alfred walking towards them from the corridor, holding a tray with two cups of tea.

“I suggest you stay for the night. We have plenty of empty guest rooms here, and you can choose one you like. Tomorrow morning, I will take you and Master Richard to school.”

As Alfred spoke, he handed Dean a cup of tea.

“This is original Italian tea, please enjoy.”

“You know what? I want to say the same as Alfred. Dean, why don’t you stay here tonight?”

Dick rushed over and picked up the other cup of tea, taking a sip before continuing.

‘It seems that Batgirl hasn’t left my house yet, or maybe she has already left but hasn’t given any message to Dick…’

Dean thought to himself.

He pretended to hesitate for a while, then suddenly seemed to have made up his mind and decided to stay the night.

“Alright, I’ll spend the night at Wayne Manor. Then I won’t have to worry about running out of material for my bragging in the future.”

Dean joked with Dick.

“Then let me show you the way. Please follow me, Mr. Sutton.”

Wayne Manor is really huge. If it weren’t for Alfred guiding Dean, he might have gotten lost while walking inside for the first time.

After arriving at the guest room, Dean said goodnight to Alfred, took a quick shower, and went to sleep like nothing had happened, not caring at all about the Batgirl at home.

The next day, Alfred drove Dean and Dick back to school, and they resumed their normal campus lives.

After finishing classes for the day, Dean planned to go home as usual.

The reason was that Dick was learning magic very fast, so there was no need to go to Wayne Manor every day.

They agreed that he would visit every few days.

Since Dick’s intention was never to learn magic, the two naturally reached an agreement.

When he arrived home, Dean didn’t rush into the house.

Instead, he first observed whether there were any additional cameras around the house and made sure no one was following him before taking out the key to open the door.

After entering the house, he did the same thing, checking for any hidden cameras or bug devices.

Dean went to the center of the house and took out a small black device about the size of a solid-state drive from somewhere.

Without hesitation, he pressed the button on top.

It was the Mini Surveillance System Jammer he had bought in the system store.

It could automatically scan for surveillance cameras within a fifteen-meter radius and make them loop or replay the footage from one minute ago.

Additionally, there isn’t any technology on Earth today that can detect this interference.

As soon as Dean activated the jammer, the green indicator light turned on in less than a second.

This meant that the jammer was working properly and had detected any surveillance cameras!

At the same time, a red dot appeared on the radar screen of the jammer.

“At least they have some respect and only put up one camera. They didn’t go so far as to completely violate my privacy.”

Dean said, holding the jammer, and followed the radar direction to find the location of the camera.

However, when he found the hidden spot of the camera, he was shocked to discover that it was…

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मेरा इयाशिकेई गेम (My Iyashikei Game)
Chapter No.: 3
अध्याय 3: नींद

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कुछ लोग समय बिताने के लिए गेम खेलते थे, अन्य लोग अधिक वजन उठाने के लिए गेम खेलते थे, जबकि हान फ़ेई ने यह गेम इसलिए शुरू किया क्योंकि उसे एक आरामदायक अनुभव का वादा किया गया था, लेकिन अब, वह और भी अधिक दबाव में महसूस कर रहा था। पोछा हटाकर, हान फी ने चारों ओर देखा। हान फ़ेई ने अपने आस-पास का निरीक्षण किया। कमरे में रोशनी बार-बार टिमटिमा रही थी, पारिवारिक गर्माहट का एहसास बिना किसी निशान के गायब हो गया था। वह रेफ्रिजरेटर के किनारे बैठ गया। इससे पहले, बूढ़ी औरत केवल ऊपरी हिस्से को खोलती थी, जो फ्रीजर था। इसका मतलब यह था कि हान फी को पता नहीं था कि निचले हिस्से में किस तरह का आश्चर्य उसका इंतजार कर रहा था।

बुढ़िया का रेफ्रिजरेटर इतना बड़ा नहीं था कि उसमें एक पूरा व्यक्ति समा सके, बेशक…

हान फ़ेई ने धीरे से रेफ्रिजरेटर का निचला भाग खोलते हुए एक गहरी साँस ली। उसने फ्रिज की अलग-अलग दराजें खोलीं और देखा कि वे सभी उभरी हुई काली प्लास्टिक की थैलियों से भरी हुई थीं। उन्हें पहले भी डरावनी फिल्मों में ऐसे ही कथानकों का सामना करना पड़ा था, लेकिन उन्हें स्क्रीन पर देखना और उसके अंदर रहना दो पूरी तरह से अलग अनुभव थे। उसकी उँगलियाँ दराज में पहुँच गईं। हान फ़ेई को चिंता थी कि उसका स्वागत मानवीय चेहरों या बालों से किया जाएगा। अपने एडम्स एप्पल की झुनझुनी के साथ, हान फी ने पतले काले प्लास्टिक को खरोंचने के लिए अपने नाखूनों का उपयोग किया। वे जमी हुई मछलियों और मुर्गों से भरे हुए थे। जिन भयानक छवियों की उसे आशा थी, वे सामने नहीं आईं। हान फ़ेई ने शांत राहत की सांस ली। दादी के लौटने से पहले उसने जल्दी से रेफ्रिजरेटर बंद कर दिया।

“आप क्या कर रहे हो?” ठीक उसी समय, उसके पीछे से एक रुंधी हुई आवाज निकली। हान फी को अपनी रीढ़ की हड्डी में अनजाने में ठंडक महसूस हुई। ‘माई लॉर्ड, वह बिना कोई शोर मचाए आगे बढ़ने में कैसे कामयाब रही?!’ हान फी जैसे ही पीछे मुड़ा, उसने चुपचाप पोछा खींच लिया। आख़िरकार, वह आदमी एक पेशेवर अभिनेता था। वह जल्द ही अपने चेहरे के हाव-भाव को व्यवस्थित करने में कामयाब हो गया। “मैं बस सफ़ाई में मदद करने की कोशिश कर रहा था। रेफ्रिजरेटर के नीचे कुछ पानी जमा था। मुझे संदेह है कि यह बिजली की कमी के कारण चिलर से पानी के रिसाव के कारण हुआ था।

बुढ़िया की अभिव्यक्ति वही रही. वह हमेशा उसके सामने वैसी ही दयालु और स्वागत करने वाली मुस्कान पेश करती थी लेकिन जितनी देर तक वह उसे घूरता रहता था, उसे उतनी ही अधिक असहजता महसूस होती थी। ऐसा लगता था मानो यही एकमात्र अभिव्यक्ति थी जिसे वह बनाना जानती थी। “दादी, जैसा आपने कहा, मैं पहले से ही काफी समय से घर से दूर रह रहा हूँ। मुझे अपने परिवार की छुट्टियों के जश्न में शामिल होने का मौका देने के लिए धन्यवाद। हान फ़ेई ने बहुत स्वाभाविक रूप से फर्श को पोंछना शुरू कर दिया। “अब से हम पड़ोसी रहेंगे, इसलिए यदि आप किसी मुसीबत में पड़ें तो कृपया मुझे ढूंढने आने में संकोच न करें।” अपने संदेह के बावजूद, हान फ़ेई को ऐसा व्यवहार करना पड़ा जैसे वह कोई भी बुद्धिमान नहीं था।

हान फ़ेई ने लिविंग रूम को अच्छे से साफ़ किया। उसने देखा कि बुढ़िया के पैरों में परेशानी थी। उसे हिलने-डुलने में परेशानी हो रही थी, तो उसने पहले भूत जैसी हरकत को कैसे प्रबंधित किया? “किसी भी स्थिति में, देर हो रही है। तुम्हें आराम करना चाहिए. मैं तुम्हें अब और परेशान नहीं करूंगा।” जैसे ही वह जाने लगा, उसके दिमाग में फिर से रोबोटिक आवाज़ गूंजी, “प्लेयर 0000 के लिए अधिसूचना! आपके दयालु इशारों ने मेंग सी पर अच्छा प्रभाव छोड़ा है। मेंग सी के साथ मित्रता 5 गुना बढ़ जाती है। शांतिपूर्ण पड़ोसी संबंध बनाना एक आदर्श जीवन की ओर पहला कदम है।”

जबकि उसका ध्यान सिस्टम नोटिफिकेशन से भटक गया था, बूढ़ी औरत हान फी के पीछे आ गई थी। “मैं आपको रात्रि भोज के दौरान यह बताना चाहता था लेकिन मुझे संदेह है कि आप जल्द ही किसी भी समय वापस आएँगे। तुम एक अच्छे बच्चे हो और दादी तुम्हें पड़ोसी के रूप में रखना चाहती हैं, लेकिन मुझे तुम्हें यह बताना होगा… सस्ते किराये के कारण मत रुको, जितनी जल्दी हो सके चले जाओ। आपके उस घर में कुछ घटनाएँ घटी हैं।”

“कैसी घटनाएँ?”

“यह सबसे अच्छा है कि आप बहुत अधिक नहीं जानते हैं। बस यह याद रखें. रात को सोने से पहले तुम्हें अपने बाथरूम का दरवाज़ा बंद करना होगा।” बुढ़िया फिर वापस अपनी रसोई की ओर चली गई जैसे कि बातचीत में उसकी रुचि खत्म हो गई हो। जल्द ही रसोई से एक अजीब आवाज आई, जिसके पीछे मांस की स्वादिष्ट और भारी गंध थी। हान फ़ेई ने इसे छोड़ने के संकेत के रूप में लिया और चला गया। दादी के सामने वाले दरवाज़े से निकलने के बाद, उसका दिल अंततः अपनी जगह पर वापस आ गया। “इस खेल में कुछ ठीक नहीं लग रहा है।”

सच कहें तो, हान फी को बुढ़िया के रेफ्रिजरेटर के अंदर शरीर का कोई कटा हुआ अंग नहीं मिला, लेकिन कई संदिग्ध विवरण सामने आए। उदाहरण के लिए, जब वह पहुंचा, तो बुढ़िया ने उसे बताया कि उसके घर का फ्यूज जल गया है। मान लीजिए कि फ़्यूज़ अच्छी गुणवत्ता का था, तो जले हुए फ़्यूज़ का एकमात्र कारण बिजली अधिभार था। हालाँकि, जब हान फी ने पहले बुढ़िया के घर की सफाई की, तो उसने चुपचाप रसोई और लिविंग रूम का जायजा लिया। उन्होंने केवल तीन विद्युत उपकरण, टेलीविजन, लैंप और रेफ्रिजरेटर नोट किए। इन कुछ उपकरणों ने फ़्यूज़ नहीं जलाया होगा, इसलिए एकमात्र स्पष्टीकरण यह था कि अन्य विद्युत उपकरण दृश्य से दूर छिपे हुए थे।

“लड़के का शयनकक्ष बंद था, बुढ़िया अपने पोते को क्यों बंद करेगी? क्या इसलिए कि उसे डर था कि कहीं लड़का गलती से मुझसे कुछ न कह दे? या क्या लड़के के शयनकक्ष के अंदर दूसरा रेफ्रिजरेटर हो सकता है? शवों के साथ सो रहे लड़के के विचार से हान फ़ेई कांप उठी। वह भयानक दिखने वाले गलियारे की ओर देखने लगा। ऐसा प्रतीत होता था कि हर बंद दरवाजे के पीछे से कुछ आँखें उसे देख रही थीं। “वह जगह अचानक इतनी डरावनी कैसे लगने लगी?”

हान फ़ेई जल्दी से अपने घर वापस आ गया। सही चाबियाँ मिलने से पहले उसने रिंग पर कई अलग-अलग चाबियाँ आज़माईं। हान फ़ेई अपने घर की सुरक्षा में भाग गया। खाली लिविंग रूम की ओर देखते हुए उसने गहरी साँसें लीं। “क्या मैं पागल हो रहा हूँ? किसी तरह, यह इयाशिकेई गेम मेरे लिए रेजिडेंट ईविल गेम की तरह अधिक खेलता है।

अपने लिए एक गिलास पानी डालने के बाद, हान फ़ेई कमरे के चारों ओर घूमने लगा। बुढ़िया के बिदाई वाले शब्द उसके दिमाग में एक बुरे मंत्र की तरह घूमते रहे। “यह सबसे अच्छा है कि आप बहुत अधिक नहीं जानते हैं। बस यह याद रखें. रात को सोने से पहले तुम्हें अपने बाथरूम का दरवाज़ा बंद करना होगा…।”

हान फ़ेई ने अपने परिवेश का पुनर्मूल्यांकन किया। घर ने बेहतर दिन देखे थे लेकिन इस बारीकी से जांच के दौरान, हान फ़ेई में एक अजीब विवरण सामने आया। बाथरूम की खिड़की के अलावा, इस घर के अंदर की हर खिड़की एक मोटे, अपारदर्शी पर्दे के पीछे ढकी हुई थी।

खिड़कियों में से एक के पास जाकर, हान फ़ेई ने पर्दे का एक कोना पीछे खींच लिया। परदे के नीचे वाली खिड़की ऊपर लगी हुई थी। हान फ़ेई ने लकड़ी के अंतराल से देखा और एक धुंधला शहर देखा। गेमिंग की दुनिया बहुत बड़ी थी, इसमें छाया अंधेरा क्षितिज तक फैला हुआ था।

“वादा किया गया गर्म परिदृश्य और आरामदायक पृष्ठभूमि संगीत कहाँ हैं?” हान फी ने पर्दा नीचे कर दिया। हान फ़ेई को एहसास हुआ कि उन्हें जो ऑनलाइन समीक्षाएँ मिलीं, वे अधूरी हो सकती हैं। गेम में संभवतः कुछ ऐसे तत्व शामिल थे जिनका विज्ञापन नहीं किया गया था या दूसरों द्वारा नहीं उठाया गया था। “या मैं गेम को गलत तरीके से खेल रहा हूँ?”

ध्वनि की गुणवत्ता, दृश्य प्रभाव और अन्तरक्रियाशीलता के मामले में, यह गेम निश्चित रूप से हान फी द्वारा खेला गया सबसे अच्छा गेम था। वास्तव में, यह उनकी हर उम्मीद से बढ़कर था… लेकिन किसी तरह, इस खेल में सब कुछ कुछ ज्यादा ही वास्तविक लगा।

सोफे पर बैठकर हान फी ने अपनी आँखें बंद कर लीं। उसके दिमाग में दो खिड़कियाँ तैर गईं। एक था उनका चरित्र प्रोफ़ाइल और दूसरा था मिशन इंटरफ़ेस।

जब उसने वृद्ध महिला को फ़्यूज़ में मदद की, तो मिशन इंटरफ़ेस चालू हो गया। आवाज ने यह जरूर कहा कि नए खिलाड़ी मिशन को पूरा करने से उसे गेमिंग की दुनिया को बेहतर ढंग से समझने में मदद मिलेगी। इसे ध्यान में रखते हुए, हान फ़ेई ने मिशन इंटरफ़ेस पर क्लिक किया। तीन नए खिलाड़ी मिशनों का अध्ययन करते हुए, उसका चेहरा असमंजस में पड़ गया।

नया खिलाड़ी मिशन 1: स्नान करें

न्यू प्लेयर मिशन 2: एक टेलीविज़न शो देखें

नया खिलाड़ी मिशन 3: सो जाओ

मिशन इतने सरल थे कि यह हास्यास्पद था। उनके पास कोई अतिरिक्त स्पष्टीकरण नहीं था क्योंकि उन्हें किसी की आवश्यकता नहीं थी।

‘क्या मुझे सोने से शुरुआत करनी चाहिए? मैं इसमें काफी अच्छा हूं।’ हान फी के फैसले के पीछे तर्क था। बुढ़िया की अशुभ चेतावनी में सोने का जिक्र था, इसलिए यह उसे इस सरल प्रतीत होने वाले मिशन को पूरा करने में मदद करने के लिए महत्वपूर्ण हो सकता है। किसी यादृच्छिक चीज़ को चुनने की तुलना में, हान फ़ेई ने सोचा कि वह उस चीज़ को भी चुन सकता है जो उसके सामने प्रस्तुत की गई थी, भले ही परोक्ष रूप से।

‘मैं न्यू प्लेयर मिशन 3 चुनने जा रहा हूं, सो जाओ।’ जब यह विचार हान फी के दिमाग में आया, तो मिशन चुना गया और रोबोटिक आवाज वापस आ गई। “प्लेयर 0000 ने ग्रेड जी न्यू प्लेयर मिशन, स्लीप स्वीकार कर लिया है!

“मिशन परिचय: पूरे दिन के काम के बाद, आप अपने थके हुए शरीर को बिस्तर पर ले गए।

“मिशन की आवश्यकता: कृपया कमरे की सभी लाइटें बंद कर दें और अगले 5 मिनट के भीतर बिस्तर पर सो जाएं। चाहे कुछ भी हो जाए, आपको अगले 3 घंटों में बिस्तर नहीं छोड़ना चाहिए।”

‘क्या यह सचमुच इतना आसान है?’ शयनकक्ष में जाने के लिए खड़े होने से पहले हान फ़ेई ने मिशन विवरण की दोबारा जाँच की। राजा आकार का बिस्तर भी धूल से उतना ही गंदा था। हालाँकि, यह तकिए, बेडस्प्रेड और कवरलेट जैसे सभी आवश्यक बिस्तर सामान के साथ पूरा हुआ। यह ध्यान देने योग्य बात थी कि हर चीज़ का रंग लाल था, जो चीनी संस्कृति में उत्सव का पर्याय था।

“इस रंग के साथ, यह एक वैवाहिक बिस्तर जैसा लगता है।” हान फी ने धूल उड़ाते हुए भौंहें चढ़ा लीं। फिर वह बाथरूम की ओर चला गया. जैसे ही वह बुढ़िया की सलाह मानने के लिए तैयार हुआ, उसे एक समस्या नज़र आई। बाथरूम का दरवाज़ा केवल अंदर से बंद किया जा सकता था। इस पर कुछ विचार करने के बाद, हान फी ने पोछा पकड़ा और दरवाज़े के हैंडल के नीचे रख दिया। फिर उसने जूते के रैक को दरवाज़े के सामने बैरिकेड करने के लिए सरका दिया। ‘यह पर्याप्त होना चाहिए, है ना?’

अतिरिक्त बीमा के लिए, वह क्लीवर लेने के लिए रसोई में वापस चला गया। ‘इयाशिकेई गेम में क्लीवर के साथ बिस्तर पर सोना थोड़ा अजीब है, है ना? ‘ओह ठीक है, खेद जताने से सुरक्षित रहना बेहतर है।’

यह देखकर कि 5 मिनट ख़त्म होने वाले थे, वह दौड़कर सारी लाइटें बंद कर दी और हाथ में क्लीवर लेकर बिस्तर में घुस गया।

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मेरा इयाशिकेई गेम (My Iyashikei Game)
Chapter No.: 2
अध्याय 2: मित्रभावी पड़ोसी

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“परफेक्ट लाइफ एक कैज़ुअल इयाशिकेई गेम है जो आपकी आत्मा को आराम देगा और आपके तनाव को कम करेगा। यहां, आपको हंसी के भरपूर परिदृश्य और हृदयस्पर्शी पारिवारिक जीवन आपका इंतजार करते हुए मिलेंगे। आशा और आनंद को अपने केंद्रीय सिद्धांतों के रूप में रखते हुए, हम प्रत्येक खिलाड़ी के जीवन में सकारात्मक ऊर्जा लाने का प्रयास करते हैं…”

समय 23:59 तक बीत गया जब यांत्रिक आवाज, जो हान फी के मस्तिष्क के अंदर से गूंजती हुई प्रतीत होती थी, शांत हो गई।

“अब आप अपना आदर्श जीवन चुनने के लिए स्वतंत्र हैं।”

एक कठोर, बर्फीली सतह ने हान फ़ेई के चेहरे की मांसपेशियों को उत्तेजित कर दिया। युवक ने धीरे से अपनी आंखें खोलीं और महसूस किया कि वह एक अपरिचित कमरे के अंदर औंधे मुंह लेटा हुआ है। कमरा लगभग 70 घन मीटर आकार का था। फर्नीचर धूल की मोटी परत से ढका हुआ था। दीवार पर कुछ गहरे लाल दाग थे।

“यीशु मसीह, सिरदर्द। ऐसा लगा जैसे किसी ने मेरे सिर के पिछले हिस्से में छेद कर दिया हो।”

साँचे की हल्की गंध उसकी नासिका में छन गई; हान फ़ेई अपने आस-पास की हर चीज़ को स्पष्ट रूप से पहचान सकता था। उसकी गंध, दृष्टि, श्रवण, स्पर्श और स्वाद की इंद्रियां सभी बरकरार थीं, यह गेमिंग दुनिया वास्तविक जीवन से अलग नहीं थी। ज़मीन पर चुपचाप बैठे हुए, हान फ़ेई ने अपने आस-पास के खाली और जीर्ण-शीर्ण कमरे का अध्ययन किया। कमरे का लेआउट और फर्नीचर शैली उसे एक पुराने घर की याद दिलाती थी। हर जगह धूल थी जिससे पता चल रहा था कि जगह काफी समय से खाली थी। “तो यह मेरा इन-गेम हाउस है?” हान फी अपने सिर के पिछले हिस्से को रगड़ते हुए उठ खड़ा हुआ। “गेम परिचय के आधार पर, यह इयाशिकेई शैली में एक जीवन सिम्युलेटर गेम होना चाहिए। यह एक खुली दुनिया का खेल है जिसमें कोई निश्चित कथानक नहीं है। अपने व्यक्तिगत स्तर या कृषि संसाधनों को बढ़ाना मेरी स्वतंत्रता है। मैं आभासी प्रेम और रिश्तों को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए एक आभासी प्रेमिका भी ढूंढ सकता हूं।

जैसे ही हान फ़ेई विचार कर रहा था कि आगे क्या करना है, दरवाजे से दस्तक हुई। लिविंग रूम से गुजरते हुए, हान फ़ेई ने चोरी-रोधी दरवाज़ा खोला। गलियारे से धीमी आवाज-सक्रिय रोशनी कमरे में छनकर शांति और अकेलेपन को दूर भगा रही थी।

“नौजवान, तुम हमारे नए किरायेदार हो, हाँ?” दरवाज़े के बाहर से एक दोस्ताना आवाज़ सुनाई दी। दयालु मुस्कान और चांदी जैसे बालों वाली एक दादी गलियारे में खड़ी थीं जो कूड़े से भरा हुआ था। “यह नया साल है। दादी ने घर पर कुछ पकौड़ियाँ बनाई हैं। आइए और हमारे साथ रात्रि भोज में शामिल हों। आपको छुट्टी पर अकेले नहीं रहना चाहिए।” आधुनिक शहर में हर कोई अपने जीवन में व्यस्त था, आम तौर पर एक ही इमारत में रहने वाले पड़ोसी एक महीने के भीतर कुछ शब्द भी साझा नहीं करते थे। इसलिए, यह पहली बार था जब हान फी को अपने जीवन में इस तरह का निमंत्रण मिला।

“धन्यवाद, लेकिन मैं वास्तव में आप पर थोपना नहीं चाहता।” जब से हान फ़ेई को निकाला गया, उसने अपने चारों ओर एक सामाजिक ब्लॉक बना लिया। वह दूसरों के साथ बहुत अधिक मेलजोल नहीं रखना चाहता था।

“मेरा बेटा और बहू दोनों घर से बाहर हैं। घर पर केवल मैं और मेरा छोटा पोता ही हैं। मैंने बहुत ज्यादा खाना बना लिया है और हम दोनों संभवतः वह सब खत्म नहीं कर सकते इसलिए आप हम पर दबाव नहीं डालेंगे।” दादी ने हान फी को दयालुता और श्रद्धा से देखा जैसे वह अपने बच्चों पर नज़र रख रही हो। उसके हर शब्द में धूप की गर्माहट की बात हो रही थी। “परंपरागत रूप से, पकौड़ी का अर्थ एकता है और वे नए साल की शुरूआत के लिए हैं। 1 जनवरी को पकौड़ी खाने से आपको पिछले वर्ष की नकारात्मक आभा को दूर करने में मदद मिलेगी। मैं जानता हूं कि आप जैसे युवा व्यक्ति के लिए बड़े शहर में काम करने और आजीविका कमाने के लिए आना कठिन होगा। आइए और नए साल के साधारण भोजन के लिए हमारे साथ शामिल हों।”

दादी अपने निमंत्रण पर जिद कर रही थीं। यदि यह वास्तविक जीवन होता, तो हान फ़ेई को उसे अस्वीकार करने के लिए कई अलग-अलग बहाने मिल जाते, लेकिन चूंकि यह एक खेल था, इसलिए उसे इस संभावना पर विचार करना पड़ा कि यह एक आवश्यक कथानक बिंदु था। सिर हिलाते हुए, हान फी ने लिविंग रूम की मेज पर रखी चाबियों की अंगूठी पकड़ ली और दादी के पीछे-पीछे नीचे चला गया।

“दादी, अपने पैर देखो, सावधान रहो।” गलियारा और सीढ़ियाँ दोनों कूड़े-कचरे से भरी हुई थीं। लोहे के बैनिस्टर में जंग लग गया था। बच्चों के डूडल और कागज के छोटे-छोटे विज्ञापन दीवारों पर छा गए। यह स्थान कई दशक पहले के हाउसिंग अपार्टमेंट की एक आदर्श प्रतिकृति थी। जैसे-जैसे प्रौद्योगिकी आगे बढ़ी, इस प्रकार की अपार्टमेंट इमारत धीरे-धीरे अस्तित्व से बाहर हो गई।

दादी हान फी को एक मंजिल से नीचे ले गईं और कमरा 1031 के सामने रुक गईं। दरवाजे पर नंबर पुराना होने के कारण फीका पड़ गया लेकिन उसका रंग अभी भी आश्चर्यजनक रूप से लाल था। हल्की खांसी के साथ दादी ने दरवाज़ा धक्का देकर खोला। कमरे से मांस की मनमोहक गंध आने लगी। हान फ़ेई ने अपनी लार निगल ली और कमरे में झाँका। नानी के घर में अंधेरा था. लाइटें चालू नहीं थीं और प्रकाश का एकमात्र स्रोत डाइनिंग टेबल पर रखी कई मोमबत्तियाँ थीं।

“बिजली का फ़्यूज़ जल गया। मैंने इलेक्ट्रीशियन को बुलाया लेकिन वे शायद छुट्टी के कारण छुट्टी पर थे।”

“दादी, अगर मैं आपकी मदद करूँ तो कैसा रहेगा? मैं अपना जला हुआ फ़्यूज़ स्वयं बदलता था।” हान फ़ेई ने बुढ़िया के साथ एनपीसी जैसा व्यवहार नहीं किया। किसी अज्ञात कारण से, दादी उसे वास्तविक जीवन की व्यक्ति जैसी महसूस हुई।

“तो बेहतर होगा कि आप सावधान रहें। अतिरिक्त फ़्यूज़ दराज के अंदर है।” दादी ने तेजी से रसोई की ओर बढ़ते हुए कहा। चूल्हे पर उसका मांस पक रहा था.

अतिरिक्त सीढ़ी का उपयोग करके, हान फ़ेई ने जले हुए फ़्यूज़ को बदल दिया। उसने इलेक्ट्रिक ब्रेक लगाया और अंधेरे कमरे में चमकदार रोशनी लौट आई।

“प्लेयर 0000 के लिए अधिसूचना! ग्रेड जी सामान्य मिशन: फ़्यूज़ बदलना पूरा हुआ। मेंग सियौ के साथ मित्रता 5 गुना बढ़ जाती है। शांतिपूर्ण पड़ोसी संबंध बनाना एक आदर्श जीवन की ओर पहला कदम है।” हान फ़ेई के मस्तिष्क में एक ठंडी और भावहीन रोबोटिक आवाज़ गूँज उठी, “मिशन प्रणाली सक्रिय हो गई। नए प्लेयर मिशन अपडेट किए गए। नए प्लेयर मिशन को पूरा करने से आपको इस दुनिया के बारे में सब कुछ बेहतर ढंग से समझने में मदद मिलेगी। अपरिचित आवाज के बाद, हान फी की आंखों के सामने एक खिड़की दिखाई दी, लेकिन इससे पहले कि वह उसे करीब से देख पाता, दादी मछली का एक बर्तन लेकर बाहर आ गईं।

“यह स्टू स्टोव से ताज़ा निकला है, आओ और जब यह अभी भी गर्म हो तो इसका स्वाद लो।” दादी ने मुस्कुराते हुए पकवान परोसा। वह शयनकक्ष के दरवाजे की ओर मुड़ी। उसने दरवाजे पर लगा लोहे का ताला खोल दिया। “चेन चेन, यह रात के खाने का समय है।”

कुछ ही देर बाद, लगभग 5 या 6 साल का एक युवा लड़का चुपचाप बाहर निकला। उन्होंने अपना सिर नीचे झुका रखा था और वह मूड में लग रहे थे। वह शायद पहले अपनी दादी से बहस कर रहा था।

“पहले खाना खा लो. मेरे पास अभी भी पकाने के लिए कुछ अन्य व्यंजन हैं।” दादी ने रेफ्रिजरेटर खोला और ऊपरी हिस्से से जमे हुए आधे चिकन को बाहर निकाला। “बिजली इतने लंबे समय से गुल है, फिर भी यह इतनी जमी हुई कैसे है?” उसने जमे हुए मांस को एक छोटे बक्से में रखा और लापरवाही से खाने की मेज पर रख दिया।

“दादी, इतने सारे व्यंजन बनाने की कोई ज़रूरत नहीं है, हम उन्हें खत्म नहीं कर पाएंगे।”

“हमारे लिए यह परंपरा है कि हम अपने मेहमानों को सर्वोत्तम सेवा प्रदान करें। साथ ही, अगर मांस को बहुत देर तक फ्रिज में रखा जाए तो वह खराब हो जाएगा। जिस तरह से दादी रसोई के अंदर हलचल करती थीं, उसने हान फी को एक आदर्श परिवार की तस्वीर की याद दिला दी जो हमेशा चीनी नव वर्ष के विज्ञापनों में दिखाई देती थी।

हान फ़ेई एक अनाथ था, आप सोचेंगे कि उसे छुट्टियों की खुशी का अनुभव करने का कभी मौका नहीं मिला, लेकिन जिस अनाथालय में वह बड़ा हुआ, उसने इन छुट्टियों को मनाया और उन्होंने इसे शैली के साथ मनाया लेकिन… यह खुशी अल्पकालिक थी।

खेल में इस अप्रत्याशित गर्मजोशी को फिर से अनुभव करने का मौका दिए जाने पर हान फ़ेई आश्चर्यचकित होकर मुस्कुराए।

मांस की गंध हवा में व्याप्त हो गई। रसोई से खड़खड़ाहट की आवाज़ आ रही थी, और टेलीविजन पर किसी प्रकार का नए साल का विशेष कार्यक्रम चल रहा था। हर चीज़ की सामान्यता इस अपरिचित शहर के अलगाव को दूर करती दिख रही थी। “शायद ये साधारण चीज़ें ही सुखी जीवन का सच्चा सार हैं।”

जीवन में उतार-चढ़ाव आते रहेंगे। यदि किसी ने गिरने के डर से आगे बढ़ने से इनकार कर दिया तो वह हमेशा के लिए अंधेरे में फंस जाएगा।

हान फी ने करछुल उठाया और चेन चेन और खुद को मछली स्टू का एक कटोरा परोसा। दूधिया सफेद सूप से बहुत ही स्वादिष्ट खुशबू आ रही थी। हान फ़ेई ने गर्म सूप फूंका। जैसे ही उसने एक घूंट पिया, उसने अपनी आंखों के कोने से देखा कि मेज के उस पार से एक लड़का मेज से कटोरा ऊपर उठा रहा है।

‘वह क्या कर रहा है?’ इससे पहले कि हान फी प्रतिक्रिया दे पाता, लड़के ने कटोरे को जोर से जमीन पर पटक दिया!

“ऐसा कोई तरीका नहीं है कि मैं ताबूत से निकली कोई चीज़ खाऊं!”

Pfft! लड़के ने जो कहा, उसे सुनकर हान फ़ेई के मुँह से मछली का स्टू उड़ गया। ‘ताबूत?’

चीन टूट गया और सूप हर जगह बिखर गया। शोर सुनकर दादी रसोई से बाहर निकलीं। “चेन चेन! क्या कर डाले?!”

“मैं ये नहीं खा रहा हूँ! चिकन की तरह, आपने उन्हें ताबूत से निकाली गई सामग्री से बनाया है!” लड़के ने अपना सिर उठाया और उसकी आँखें अविश्वसनीय रूप से खून से लथपथ थीं।

“क्या बकवास है!” इस डर से कि गर्म सूप लड़के को झुलसा सकता है, दादी अपना एप्रन हटाए बिना ही खाने की मेज पर चली गई।

“अपार्टमेंट मैनेजर ने कहा कि आपको केवल मृत लोगों को ही ताबूतों के अंदर रखना चाहिए!” लड़के को अपनी दादी से छुटकारा पाने के लिए संघर्ष करना पड़ा। उसने जमे हुए चिकन को मेज से उठाया और जमीन पर फेंक दिया। इसके बाद वह अपने शयनकक्ष में चले गये।

“यहाँ वापस जाओ!” दादी ने लड़के का पीछा किया और हान फ़ेई को मछली के स्टू के कटोरे के साथ लिविंग रूम में छोड़ दिया।

“लड़का थोड़ा अजीब है।” हान फ़ेई ने अपना कटोरा उत्सुकता से नीचे रख दिया। उसने दरवाजे के पीछे पोछा पाया और सफाई में बुढ़िया की मदद करने के लिए आगे बढ़ा। लेकिन जब वह जमीन पर जमे हुए चिकन को उठाने के लिए झुका तो कोई चीज उससे टकरा गई. लड़के ने कहा कि वह ताबूत के अंदर रखी सामग्री से बनी कोई चीज कभी नहीं खाएगा, लेकिन हान फी ने बहुत स्पष्ट रूप से देखा कि चिकन को रेफ्रिजरेटर से बाहर निकाला गया था। तो लड़का रेफ्रिजरेटर को ताबूत समझने की भूल क्यों करेगा? शायद लड़के द्वारा दिए गए दूसरे बयान में सुराग दिए गए थे… “अपार्टमेंट प्रबंधक ने कहा था कि आपको केवल मृत लोगों को ताबूतों के अंदर ही रखना चाहिए!”

क्या ऐसा हो सकता है कि लड़के ने अपने रेफ्रिजरेटर के अंदर एक शव देखा हो?

‘हम्म?’ जैसे ही यह विचार उसके दिमाग में आया, हान फी स्तब्ध रह गया। क्या यह वह प्रश्न था जो उसे इयाशिकेई खेल में पूछना चाहिए था?!

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मेरा इयाशिकेई गेम (My Iyashikei Game)
Chapter No.: 1
अध्याय 1: क्या आप एक खेल खेलना चाहेंगे?

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“तुमने कहा कि तुम हास्य अभिनेता हो, तो इस लम्बे चेहरे का क्या मतलब है? हँसने के बारे में क्या है?” एक पुराने दुकान में, जिसका नाम ‘आफ्टरलाइफ’ था, एक बूढ़ा आदमी दुकान के एकमात्र ग्राहक को समझा रहा था। “हमारा पूरा परिवार तुम्हारा शो देखने का शौक रखता है, हम सभी तुम्हारे प्रशंसक हैं। तुम्हारा शो हमारे खाने के साथ हमेशा होता है। अगर वह नहीं होता, तो उस रात कुछ अच्छा नहीं लगता।” बूढ़ा आदमी बहुत देर तक बकवास करता रहा, जब तक युवक, जो कोने पर खड़ा था, धीरे-धीरे मुड़कर देखा। वह कुछ 20 साल के आस-पास दिखता था। उसके पहनावे आलसी थे और उसके बाल बिखरे हुए थे। वह खास रूप से हसीन नहीं लग रहा था, लेकिन उसमें एक अकथनीय दुखभरा वायु था। “मेरे शो का प्रसारण बंद हो गया है। मेरी एजेंसी ने मुझे 3 दिन पहले नौकरी से निकाल दिया.”

“ठीक है, तुम एक अच्छे अभिनेता हो, तुम जल्द ही नौकरी पाओगे!” श्रीमान बोस ने साहसी भाषा में संत्वना दी, लेकिन युवक ने केवल सिर हिलाया। उसने इस विषय को आगे नहीं बढ़ाया। “बोस, मैंने आपके यहां उपलब्ध सभी पुराने गेम खेल लिए हैं, क्या आपके पास हाल ही में कोई नई स्टॉक आया है?”

“अच्छा, कुछ है, लेकिन आपकी वर्तमान स्थिति को देखकर, मैं आपको यह सिफारिश नहीं करता कि आप वहाँ जाकर वो सभी खौनक और डरावने गेम खेलें।” बोस ने खाकी टेबल के नीचे से एक काली बॉक्स निकाली। वह बॉक्स एक अज्ञात सामग्री से बना था और यह बहुत भारी लग रहा था। “क्या आपने पहले कभी इयाशिकेई गेम खेले हैं?”

“इयाशिकेई?”

“यह एक जापानी गेम शैली है, इसका उद्देश्य दर्शक पर शांति या सुखद प्रभाव डालने के विशेष उद्देश्य के साथ बनाए गए एनिमे, मैंगा और गेम्स के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है। इस प्रकार के काम अक्सर वैकल्पिक वास्तविकताओं को शांति और विवाद के बिना शामिल करते हैं, प्राकृतिकता और जीवन की छोटी-छोटी खुशियों को बल पर रखते हैं।” बोस ने समझाया जब उसने एक पुराने गेमिंग हेलमेट को बॉक्स से निकाला। “आजकल तकनीक बहुत अधिक उन्नत हो रही है, लेकिन लोग जीवन की साधारण खुशियों से दूर हट रहे हैं। आजकल लोग इतने प्रकार के दैनिक दबावों का सामना करना पड़ता है, एक अच्छा इयाशिकेई गेम मानसिक तनाव को कम करने में मदद कर सकता है, और आत्मा को गरम कर सकता है। मेरा ख्याल है कि आपको इसे एक बार प्रयास करना चाहिए।”

बोस से हेलमेट स्वीकार करने के बाद युवक हिचकिचाया। आखिरकार, उसने सिर हिलाया। “बोस, इस खेल का नाम क्या है?”

“परफेक्ट लाइफ।”

…

खरीदारी करने के बाद, हन फ़ेई ने अपना मास्क पहना, टोपी नीचे की ओर खिची, हेलमेट को गले लगाया और दुकान से बाहर निकल गया। उसने ऐसा नहीं किया क्योंकि उसे पहचाने जाने का डर था, वह बस जितना संभावन हो सके सामाजिक आचरण से बचना चाहता था। हन फ़ेई अपने किराये के घर पहुँचने के बाद धीरे-धीरे थक जाता है। उसने टेलीविजन चालाया और थोड़ी देर चैनलों पर चर्चा की, फिर बाथरूम का उपयोग करने के लिए उठ खड़ा हुआ। शिक्षा प्राप्त करने के बाद, जब वह ने जीवन लू मूवी और टीवी एक्टिंग एकेडमी से स्नातक किया, तो उसने हर दिन कठिनाइयों का सामना करके अपने लक्ष्य को पूरा करने के लिए मेहनत की। हालांकि, मेहनत कभी-कभी परिणाम के समान नहीं हो सकती है। इस उद्योग में किसी से जुड़ाव न होने के बावजूद, उसने कई सालों तक मेहनत की पहले कैमरे के पीछे से सामने आने का मौका पाने के लिए। लेकिन किसी कारणवश, उसको अपनी एजेंसी से बाहर निकाल दिया गया।

पानी उसके चेहरे पर गिरा। हन फ़ेई अपने आप को आईने में देखा। उसके उंगलियाँ उसके होंठों के कोनों पर हंसी के लिए कांपी। आहत करके, हन फ़ेई आईने पर चिपके पोस्ट-इट्स को उतार दिया। पोस्ट-इट्स पर एक ही संदेश बार-बार दिखाई दिया—अपने जीवन में आप खुद ही सबसे अच्छा अभिनेता हैं।”

बाथरूम से बाहर निकलने के बाद, हन फ़ेई अपने पढ़ाई के टेबल पर लौटे। उसने उस गेमिंग हेलमेट की ओर देखना शुरू किया, जिसे उसने टेबल पर छोड़ दिया था। उसने परफेक्ट लाइफ नामक गेम के बारे में सुना था। पौराणिक किस्सों के अनुसार, परफेक्ट लाइफ गेम एक संयुक्त प्रयास था डीप स्पेस टेक्नोलॉजी और इमॉर्टल फार्मास्युटिकल के बीच। यह एक गहरे अंधाकार में डूबे वर्चुअल रियलिटी गेम था, और यह दुनिया का पहला गेम था जो खेल में वास्तविक सुगंध, स्पर्श और स्वाद की अनुभूति को सिम्युलेट कर सकता था। इसे आन्तिक खेल कहा गया था। सिद्धांतिक रूप से, यदि किसी खिलाड़ी का वास्तविक दुनिया के साथ कोई सामग्रिक संबंध न हो, तो वह वर्चुअल दुनिया में हमेशा के लिए जी सकता था। यह एक विज्ञान-काल्पनिक उपन्यास की कथा की तरह लग रहा था, लेकिन दोनों डीप स्पेस टेक्नोलॉजी और इमॉर्टल फार्मास्युटिकल के शोधकर्ताओं के साथ, कुछ भी संभव था। आखिरकार, AI और चिकित्सा प्रौद्योगिकियों के विकास के साथ, इन दो टेक गाइंट्स ने पिछले में कई चमत्कार किए थे।

जब गेम पहली बार जारी हुआ, तो इसने जनता में हलचल मचाई थी। डीप स्पेस टेक्नोलॉजी अंतरिक्ष, एआई और दूरसंचालन के क्षेत्र में अग्रणी कंपनी थी, उन्होंने अंतरिक्ष प्रवास के परियोजना का अध्ययन और अनुसंधान किया था। वहीं, इमॉर्टल फार्मास्युटिकल जीवन विज्ञान और मानव तंत्रिका तंतु इंजीनियरिंग के क्षेत्र में महत्वपूर्ण थी, उनका कंपनी लक्ष्य मानव जीवन की अंतिम सत्य को खोलना था।

इन दो कंपनियों का कोई खेल से संबंध नहीं था, लेकिन उन्होंने एक नए गेम विकसित करने के लिए बड़ी मात्रा में धन देने का लक्ष्य रखा था। बहुत सारे लोगों को नहीं पता था कि वे क्या कर रहे थे। परफेक्ट लाइफ के लिए इंटरनेट समीक्षा विचार बिना थी। कुछ समीक्षक लोग इस गेम को एक परफेक्ट इयाशिकेई गेम

समझते थे, खिलाड़ी गेम में हर प्रकार की अनुभव सिम्युलेट कर सकते थे, यह लगभग एक मनविर्मित स्वर्ग था। वर्चुअल शहर के भीतर सब कुछ प्राप्त किया जा सकता था, और सभी अपने सपनों को पूरा कर सकते थे। वहीं, अन्य समीक्षक ने गेम की नैतिक सीमा की कमी को लकड़ी में बहाने वाले थे। यह मानवता की सबसे अंधाकारी इच्छा को उत्तेजित करेगा।

अधिकांश खेलों का क्लोज़्ड बीटा प्रोफेशनल गेमर्स और समीक्षकों द्वारा परीक्षित किया जाता है, लेकिन इस गेम के टेस्टर अधिकांश जुड़े हुए सरकारी विभागों के सदस्यों से मिलते जुलते थे। इसी से ही एक बार दिख सकता है कि गेम कितना ‘अनूठा’ था।

जैसे ही, यह पहली बार था जब हन फ़ेई ने वर्चुअल रियलिटी गेम का प्रयास किया। सुरक्षा के लिए, वह ऑनलाइन गया और परफेक्ट लाइफ के संबंधित जानकारी की खोज की।

संबंधित विभागों की निगरानी में, परफेक्ट लाइफ ने 5 सीबी पूरी की और 3 बड़े पैच किए। आज रात, परफेक्ट लाइफ मिडनाइट पर अपनी छठी सीबी शुरू करेगा। अगर सब कुछ बिना किसी बाधा के हो जाता है, तो यह सीबी वास्तविक ओबी से पहले की आख़िरी परीक्षण होगी।

“बॉस ने गेम को कैसे प्राप्त किया अगर गेम अभी तक सीबी से बाहर नहीं आया है? क्या वह किसी व्यक्ति से कनेक्टेड है? वहांतओ, इंटरनेट पर कहा जाता है कि परफेक्ट लाइफ के साथ एक गेमिंग हेलमेट नहीं आता है, बल्कि यह एक गेमिंग हब के साथ बेचा जाएगा। मूल्य लगभग 200,000 रुपये है।”

इसके बाद सोचकर, हन फ़ेई ने निष्कर्ष किया कि उसको धोखा दिया गया था। इस गेमिंग हेलमेट के अंदर का खेल शायद परफेक्ट लाइफ का एक पाइरेटेड संस्करण था। लेकिन क्योंकि उसने पहले ही इसके लिए भुगतान किया था, हन फ़ेई ने सोचा कि इसे एक बार आजमाने में कोई हानि नहीं है। सभी सर्किट्स को कनेक्ट करने के बाद, और जब प्रकाश आया, हन फ़ेई ने हेलमेट पहन लिया।

अंधकार सब कुछ को ढ़क लिया। हन फ़ेई को ऐसा लग रहा था कि वह एक अंधेरे समुंदर के अंदर डूबा हुआ है। वह कुछ नहीं देख सकता था, लेकिन वह एक न्यूज़ ब्रॉडकास्ट की आवाज सुन सकता था।

“31 दिसंबर सुबह की खबर, जिन लू AI शहर का इमारतीकरण अंतिम चरण में है। यह पूरी तरह से स्वचालित शहर मानव इतिहास में एक मील का पत्थर होगा।

“31 दिसंबर सुबह की खबर, डीप स्पेस टेक्नोलॉजी के खिलाफ अंतरराष्ट्रीय विरोध पूंजीवाद जाँच फिर से प्रारंभ की गई है।

“31 दिसंबर सुबह की खबर, जनहित सुरक्षा को संरक्षित करने के लिए सरकार ने प्रौद्योगिकी और शिक्षा क्षेत्र में और अधिक धन निवेश करने का निर्णय लिया है, अधिक उच्च प्रौद्योगिक उत्पादों को खोलने और और उपयोगी प्रतिभाओं को पैदा करने के लिए।

“31 दिसंबर सुबह की खबर, जिन लू शहर की पुरानी सड़क के आस-पास एक गंभीर आग लग गई। कई पुराने दुकानें बर्बाद हो गईं। यह संभावना है कि यह एक अग्निसंकट के अवसर का काम हो सकता है।”

आवाज ढल गई जब तक धीरे-धीरे हन फ़ेई की आँखों के सामने की दुनिया लाल नहीं हो गई। गेमिंग हेलमेट के अंदर से एक अजीब आवाज आई। यह हन फ़ेई को चिंतित किया। वह हेलमेट निकालने के बराबर था कि उसके सिर के पीछे से दर्द हुआ। यह ऐसा था जैसे उसके तलवार में एक सुई घुस गई हो और कुछ अपलोड या डाउनलोड किया गया हो।

“जीनॉजेनेटिक डॉक्यूमेंट अपलोड सफल, मेमोरी डॉक्यूमेंट अपलोड सफल, तंत्रिका कनेक्टिविटी सफल। पहली पीढ़ी का जीएम खाता सक्रिय हो गया, क्लियरेंस आईडी 0000…”

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Riding the Pheonix
Chapter No.: 7
The Enclosure

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In mid-February, the weather grew warmer. Sunlight streamed through the windows, bathing the study in warmth and tranquility. Ming Wei sat by the window, listening to the conversation between the nanny and mother.

“There are three people on sick leave in the kitchen, two in the flower room, and some of the cleaning staff are also ill. Chunyu Niang came over this morning and said that she is getting older and wants to leave the estate…”

Su Jie interjected, “Bah! What do you mean getting older? Isn’t it because of the haunting in the garden? She wants to run away, right? That sounds better!”

Madam Ming smiled gently, “It’s just human nature. Everyone saw what happened that day, it wouldn’t be fair to make them accompany us to death.”

Su Jie grumbled, “I didn’t see them holding back on receiving rewards on normal days. As soon as something happens, they run faster than anyone else. Madam is too kind…”

Ming Wei glanced at Madam Ming. This statement had a Zen-like quality to it. Few people in the this world lived as clear-sighted as Madam Ming , and even fewer combined such clarity with kindness. Ming Wei thought that she should find an opportunity to “improve” herself. Would she be pleased if she improved? Besides, there were limited things she could do in her current role as the foolish young lady.

“Does Madam mean it’s approved?” the nanny asked.

Mrs. Ming San nodded, “Give her twenty taels of silver, let her leave the estate with dignity. We won’t need to recruit more people if some are on sick leave. At this time, having more people won’t help; it might even invite more trouble.”

The nanny agreed, “Madam’s thinking is considerate. I will instruct them to be cautious and not spread rumors outside.”

“Good.”

Outside the window, there was a commotion. Madam Ming said, “Su Jie, go and see what’s happening.”

Su Jie was about to respond when another maid, Bing xin, rushed in, “Madam! Fourth Master has come with people again!”

At the mention of the Fourth Master, the nanny furrowed her brows.

“Please tell us more,” Madam Ming said calmly. “What kind of people has Fourth Master brought? How many of them, and do we know their intentions?”

Bing xin said anxiously, “There are about a dozen of them, all strong male servants, and they’re carrying shovels and sticks… Madam, should we hide?”

Madam Ming chuckled, “Fourth Master going to attack me? Don’t worry, go and see first.”

Ming Wei followed Madam Ming quietly as they went outside.

“Do you see that line? Dig according to it!”

“These trees need to be cut down; they’re obstructing the view.”

By the time they reached the lakeside, it was in chaos, with holes dug everywhere.

“Fourth Uncle!”

Ming Si, who was supervising the work, looked over at Ming San casually. “Oh, Third Sister-in-law is here!”

Madam Ming furrowed her brow, “Fourth Uncle, what are you doing?”

Ming Si’s expression was cold, “Didn’t you say there’s a ghost? I’m helping you enclose the haunted area so that your people can have peace of mind. Otherwise, with all the rumors, people might think our Ming family is done for!”

“Fourth Uncle!” the nanny couldn’t hold back. “The Taoist priest said the evil spirit is on that tree. Bringing so many people, what if something goes wrong?”

Ming Si glanced at her and spoke without restraint, “You old hag, how dare you speak up? Shut up! If you make a fuss again, I’ll have someone strip your pants and give you a beating. Let’s see if you can still have any dignity then!”

The nanny turned pale with anger. She was Madam Ming’s wet nurse, and beating her would be like beating Madam Ming herself.

This Fourth Master, he dared to act like this! Initially, the two Second Masters of the Ming family were said to be twins, but their personalities were completely different. One was gentle and known as a true gentleman, while the other was impulsive and difficult to get along with. When Madam married the Third Master, she had considered herself lucky. Who would have thought that the Third Master would pass away so soon, leaving the family to the Fourth Master? When nothing was wrong, it was fine, but when trouble arose, the Fourth Master’s words were always laced with threats.

Blaming the circumstances, Madam Ming didn’t get angry. She gave a signal to the nanny to step back and spoke, “Fourth Uncle, how do you plan to enclose it?”

Ming Si, who had withdrawn his gaze, pointed to the lakeside, “Since this area is secluded, I’ll build a wall here to separate it. It won’t affect you.”

Madam Ming carefully examined it for a moment and nodded, “Very well, Fourth Uncle. In my residence, we have only maids and servants. Please make sure your staff behaves. Also, tell them not to approach that tree. In case of any mishaps, it won’t be good.”

Ming Si’s tone softened, “Understood.”

Madam Ming gave a polite bow and then turned to leave.

As they walked a distance away, the nanny asked, “Madam, are we really leaving it to Fourth Master?”

Madam Ming replied, “What he said makes sense. By enclosing that area, everyone can feel at ease.”

“Oh…”

Ming Wei, who was walking at the back, asked Duo fu, “Who is he?”

Duo fu didn’t understand, “Who is Miss referring to?”

Ming Wei pointed her finger at Ming Si.

Duo fu said, “That’s Fourth Master, doesn’t Miss recognize him?”

“Is that so?” Ming Wei murmured.

She had a habit since she was young – she wasn’t good at recognizing people unless they had very distinctive features. Otherwise, she needed to see them several times to remember. Later, her master taught her how to sense a person’s aura. Everyone had a unique aura, and even if their appearances were similar, their auras rarely matched.

Since then, she had relied on sensing auras to recognize people and hadn’t made mistakes. But just now, she felt that Ming Si’s aura was different from the previous encounter. Was it because she had changed bodies and her sensitivity was still recovering, causing her to make a mistake?

“Miss, shall we go back?” Duo fu urged her again.

Ming Wei wanted to turn around, but felt something was wrong, so she took a few more glances at the lake.

These male servants dug a few small pits around the willow tree and buried a few paper bags in them. One of the paper bags had a corner missing, and a little red was spilling out.

Cinnabar?

The way she looked at Master Ming Si became meaningful.

“Yes.” Ming Wei turned and walked back to the house.

This seemingly simple matter had suddenly become complicated.

“Duo fu, what did they say about the ghost they saw earlier?”

Duo fu thought for a moment, “Xiao said it was a white shadow, Jiu’er said it was someone wearing a costume, and what’s strange was that Liu’er claimed it was a bald monk! How can a monk be a ghost? Aren’t they supposed to go to heaven when they die?”

“They all saw different things?”

“Yes, each had their own description. Miss,

maybe they saw it wrong. What we saw that day was clearly different from what they described.”

Ming Wei thought, that’s right.

In a setup like this, they usually used ancient objects with a weak spiritual sense, not yet transformed into malicious spirits. They could only manifest themselves but weren’t harmful.

The ones in costumes might be from a theater troupe, and the bald monk could be from a temple.

Therefore, in this setup, there was one element that didn’t fit: the creature that terrified Ming Qi.

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DC: Phantom Thief Kid
Chapter No.: 38
Barbara

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”No one notices your sadness until it turns into anger, and then you’re the bad person.”
- Unknown
…
”Don’t worry, there aren’t many people coming to this library in Gotham, and even fewer people are interested in reading boring books. So it’s already good that you didn’t mistake me for a suspicious robber.”
Dean spoke calmly as he closed the book and put it back on the shelf.
”Besides, I was just planning to leave and get something to eat.”
Dean continued, realizing it was already close to 1:30 in the afternoon. So it’s not really a regular mealtime.
But Dean ate breakfast quite late, so he wasn’t very hungry.
He had been reading for a while and had lost track of time. Dean might have kept reading longer if the librarian girl hadn’t spoken up just now.
”Is that so? Well then, I have to recommend the dining area in our library to you. I swear in my father’s name that the cheese rolls they sell there are the best in all of Gotham, and the best part is that they are affordable. So, I really suggest you give it a try.”
The girl eagerly recommended the library’s food to Dean when she heard that he was going to eat.
Dean wondered if the cheese rolls were really that good or if she was just trying to attract customers to the library.
This kind of library shouldn’t need help from the government to keep running, right?
But maybe they hired someone else to run the dining area, or they just wanted to make a little extra money.
However, he didn’t bother thinking too much about it.
He dismissed these meaningless thoughts, as he wasn’t interested in such matters.
”If the police Commissioner’s daughter highly recommends the food, then it can’t be that bad. In that case, let me go and try it.”
Dean said as he got up and headed towards the dining area in the library.
”Wait! What did you say just now?”
The librarian girl hurriedly grabbed Dean and asked in shock.
”Do you know me?”
”No, this is our first meeting.”
”Then how do you know my identity?”
The girl looked at Dean suspiciously.
”It’s simple. The requirements for hiring librarians at Gotham City Public Library are much higher than in regular libraries, and employees can enjoy government benefits. Unless you have studied library management in college or have parents who are public servants, it’s rare for someone to qualify for a formal position here. Additionally, the color of your employee badge is dark blue, which means you have a higher rank than other librarians here.
Dean explained it naturally.
”It is impossible for ordinary people at your age to get this position.”
”But what does that have to do with being the police commissioner’s daughter? Can’t I be the daughter of any government official?”
The girl asked with suspicion.
Dean smiled faintly and replied, “In Gotham, officials are usually… not very clean. Their children would not be interested in a low-paying job like being a librarian, which has many benefits but an extremely low salary. It is even more impossible for them to endure the hardship of practicing martial arts all year round.”
”You, on the other hand, have a different background. You have trained in martial arts, maybe judo or karate. This can be seen in the calluses on your hands and the tight muscles on your legs. That type of physique is different from someone who just works out. It’s developed from years of hard work and hitting hard objects. It shows that you are very focused and have been practicing for a long time. Unlike those rich second generations who take martial arts classes, they usually do it for fun and wouldn’t achieve the same level of body as you.”
Dean continued.
Especially in the world of DC comics, if any wealthy or official second-generation member seriously learns martial arts, it’s hundred percent sure that they will become a vigilante or superhero.
But there aren’t many superheroes, so seeing one is not something you can see every day.
”With the environment in Gotham, it’s rare for families to send their daughters to learn combat techniques systematically. Those who are often focused on the political and legal systems, like police officers, lawyers, and judges, have a better understanding of the city’s hidden darkness than ordinary people. They are also wealthier than ordinary families, so they would want you to have the power to protect yourself. After all, they can’t keep their daughters at home forever.”
As the conversation went on, the girl’s interest was slowly aroused.
”According to what you said, even if my parents possibly work in the political and legal system, why do you think it’s Commissioner Gordon? There are other police officers who have daughters as well.”
The girl asked with curiosity.
”Well… that’s where my friend comes in. He has a lot of sources of information and once told me about Commissioner Gordon’s genius daughter, who graduated from Gotham University with a doctorate in library management at the age of eighteen. It is obvious that it is you.”
Dean shrugged, raising an eyebrow.
He wasn’t lying; this friend was actually Dick, and they had known each other for many years and often talked about things they knew.
Dick always complained to Dean about the corruption among the city’s high-ranking officials, while Dean would reveal some secrets of magic to Dick.
Dick had mentioned Commissioner Gordon’s daughter during one of these discussions, but Dean hadn’t paid much attention to it, and he didn’t know that Barbara was Batgirl.
”…”
The girl fell silent for a moment and said, “So, you actually knew that my father is Jim Gordon, and everything you said earlier was just nonsense?”
Dean smiled slightly and said, “Why call it nonsense? Did I say something wrong?”
”Okay, fine. Your observation skills are amazing. You should become a private detective… I’m Barbara Gordon. May I ask what your name is?”
Barbara introduced herself officially and then asked for Dean’s name.
”Nice to meet you, Ms. Gordon. I’m Dean Sutton, and this is a little gift for our first meeting.”
Dean stretched out his hand and snapped his fingers, and a pink rose appeared out of thin air.
He slightly bowed and handed the flower to Barbara.
”Oh, thank you. You can do magic tricks as well?”
Barbara graciously accepted the rose, slightly surprised.
Conjuring a rose is not a rare technique, it can be considered a basic skill that every magician knows.
But because of this, it is harder to do it, especially in front of an audience with sharp eyes.
Batgirl’s eyesight clearly fell into the category of excellent eyesight. Barbara could see through most close-up magic tricks at a glance.
But when Dean conjured the rose just now, Barbara couldn’t understand his technique at all.
It’s not that she didn’t understand, but that she couldn’t see it.
Barbara knew the method behind this magic trick, and she could even perform it successfully herself.
But it was basically impossible to do it, to the level that Dean’s trick cannot be seen at all.
But Dean doesn’t know that Barbara is Batgirl because there are too many Batgirl versions of DC comics, like Betty Kane, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown and more.
”Now that I think about it, I seem to have heard the name Sutton somewhere before… I remember now! You’re the famous young prodigy magician!”
Barbara suddenly seemed to recall something.
”Grayson mentioned you before… Wait a minute, you said your friend told you about Commissioner Gordon’s daughter? Could it be—”
”Yes, you guessed right. My friend is Dick Grayson,”
Dean admitted it frankly.

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DC: Phantom Thief Kid
Chapter No.: 39
Dragon’s Egg Ruby Necklace

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”If you don’t share someone’s pain, you can never understand them.”
- Nagato (Naruto)
…
Gotham City Public Library, dining area.
It’s hard to imagine why a library would have a dining area.
Who would be hungry while reading here?
It is very common for a library and a coffee shop to be together, as it’s more in line with the normal habit of reading and having coffee at the same time.
When Dean first entered the dining area, he found the surroundings surprisingly nice.
Although there weren’t many customers eating here, the whole place was very clean and tidy.
The decor was simple and looked like that of McDonald’s.
In fact, compared to a restaurant for new customers, Dean felt that this place was more like the cafeteria of the library.
There were obviously more people wearing librarian uniforms than those who came to read books, which may also be the reason why the meal time has passed.
At this moment, a waiter walked over with a tray of food and placed it on Dean’s table.
”Sir, this is your order for the cheese and beef roll combo. Enjoy your meal.”
The combo meal consisted of two beef rolls, a serving of french fries, and a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade.
The cheese beef rolls were much larger than McDonald’s chicken rolls, and the whole combo meal was quite good and affordable.
According to Barbara’s recommendation of the food being of good quality