Mini World Game Console-Chapter 741 - 742 Unrequited Love

March 2nd, Saturday, inside a KTV at Colorful Plaza in Lianjiang City.

"Let me tear through the half-mile of this dawn-dusk universe, with a three-foot beam of blue light revolving, clearing away the smoke and dust~"

Amid a burst of cheers, Ren Suo passed the microphone to the next singer and sat back down to drink his iced cola. Next to him, Zhao Huo was chowing down on a bowl of braised pork rice and laughed, "I had no idea you could sing so well, you know. Heavenly Lotus Academy is going to have a top ten campus singers contest this semester; I think you should give it a try."

Ren Suo waved his hand dismissively. "I only know this one song, just enough to get by in KTV. I don't actually sing normally."

Zhao Huo, seemingly reminded of something, revealed a strange smile. "They say when men take showers, 70% sing songs and the other 30% are jerking off. Do you know what songs those 70% sing?"

"I wouldn't know. After all, I've never heard you sing in the shower."

Caught off guard by this quip, Zhao Huo didn't know what to say for a moment, then finally replied, "You don't live with me, of course you haven't heard me singing in the shower!"

Ren Suo said casually, "Who said that? I've learned Scouting Magic. I occasionally spy on you, and you don't even realize how sleazy you look when you watch anime." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Ren Suo spies on me!?

I look sleazy watching anime!?

Zhao Huo did not know which point to retort first when suddenly another song ended, and Vice Principal Yuan Chu called out, "Who picked this Japanese song? If no one's singing, I'm going to skip it, alright?"

"ME, ME, ME!" Zhao Huo immediately went to grab the microphone. "A rendition of 'Unreachable Love' for everyone present!"

Bai Ji, who had been quietly sipping iced tea next to him, asked, "What does that song title mean?"

"A love that cannot be conveyed," Ren Suo explained briefly.

Oh, so it's aimed at me, huh?

Bai Ji let out an "Oh" and sneakily created a patch of ice under Zhao Huo's feet. But it was to no avail; Zhao Huo, with a solid stance as steady as a bell, managed to stand firmly even on the ice, prompting Bai Ji to tsk.

After finishing his song, Zhao Huo returned to continue eating his braised pork rice. He noticed Ren Suo sitting quietly off to the side, not going over to queue up songs. He finally could not contain his curiosity. "Speaking of which, Ren Suo, why did you decide to participate in this bonding event? The internet in the dorms isn't cut."

The staff camaraderie event was, of course, not its official name, but it essentially meant the same thing. Vice Principal Yuan Chu took the initiative to organize younger staff members to have fun together on weekends, ostensibly as a 'start-of-term meal' or a 'work commencement meal'.

This time, Yuan Chu chose this KTV with its luxury buffet as the venue. Those who wanted to sing could sing, and those who didn't could eat while listening to music, so it was suitable for a variety of preferences.

Zhao Huo's puzzlement stemmed from the fact that Ren Suo had never before participated in events like this.

In reality, Zhao Huo and Ren Suo were two types of homebodies. Ren Suo was the kind who wouldn't go out even if his girlfriend dragged him. Zhao Huo, on the other hand, was too lazy to plan activities on his own, but if someone invited him out, he hardly ever declined.

Zhao Huo was someone who could find joy in anything, like now at the KTV. He could upload anime songs online himself and then select them to sing. Even if he was the only one singing anime songs in the joint, it didn't bother him in the slightest. He even wanted to say, "Sounds good, doesn't it? If it sounds good, it's a good anime."

Generally speaking, since it was an event organized by Yuan Chu, most people would attend at least once or twice to show respect. The only ones who consistently didn't show were Dong Chengling and Ren Suo.

There's no need to mention Dong Chengling, the earliest Fourth-Stage Cultivator. If she didn't want to participate in activities, she could probably even ask for the position of vice principal, and Yuan Chu would likely petition the education bureau to create an additional vice principal slot for her...

The reason Ren Suo could also afford not to attend was mainly due to his slightly ambiguous position. He was considered both a Cultivator and the school doctor, so his attendance was optional.

Most importantly, whenever such activities were announced in the work group, Dong Chengling would ask Ren Suo at the dinner table and then say in the group chat, "Neither Ren Suo nor Dong Chengling will be attending"—who the hell would dare object to that.

Now that Ren Suo had advanced to become a Fourth-Stage Cultivator himself, he could pretty much ignore Yuan Chu, which made it even less likely that he would show up.

However, in reality, last night, when Yuan Chu initiated this last-minute event, Ren Suo was, in fact, the first to respond.

Zhao Huo, who had originally not been very interested and planned to spend his day off playing Grapefruit Society games, suddenly got excited and decided to follow along.

Ren Suo, this guy, voluntarily participating in a karaoke event?

And Dong Chengling didn't come along; otherwise, they could have sung love songs to enhance their relationship. But if Cheng Ling had come, Zhao Huo wouldn't have dared to pick "Unreachable Love"...

After some thought, he figured that Ren Suo's department's network must have broken down.

As for Bai Ji's presence, that was normal. As the head of the teachers' Cultivation group, the vice-principal's main expectation of him wasn't student performance but social interaction—interviews, open classes, networking activities. Bai Ji, Heavenly Lotus's social butterfly, had to be present at all of them; that was the responsibility of Heavenly Lotus Academy's ace teacher!

Facing Zhao Huo's question, Ren Suo smiled and said, "I just felt like coming; it's quite interesting. Plus, I don't recognize many of the teachers, and usually, I wouldn't dare to say more than a few words when I see them. Now I finally have the chance to ask for their names properly—I can't just keep saying 'hello teacher,' can I?"

This, barely, counted as a reason.

After finishing his explanation, Ren Suo stood up to join the conversation with a few other teachers. Just then, a song ended and someone called out, "Who picked 'Happy Breakup' for the next song?"

"Me." Bai Ji stood up.

...

Having returned to Heavenly Lotus Academy in the evening, Ren Suo didn't go to his own home but directly to Dong Chengling's.

"(づ￣3￣)づ Big brother!~" Little Jiu flung the door open and lunged to hug Ren Suo. He patted her little head and took out a small panda plush from his bag. "I saw it on my way here. It feels quite comfy to the touch. Want it?"

"I do!" Little Jiu replied crisply, clutching the panda plush and sitting back on the couch to continue playing with her phone.

"MEOW~" The Black Cat shifted its gaze from the tablet and looked up at Ren Suo. Ren Suo then took out a small box, and a rich eggy aroma permeated the entire space. "Wow, three fist-sized cream puffs! But my stomach is small; I can only eat one," Ren Suo said.

"MEOW MEOW MEOW~" The Black Cat gestured with its paws, signaling Ren Suo to hurry.

Dong Chengling came out of the kitchen, setting down a plate of fragrant stir-fried crab on the table. She said, "Little Jiu, it's time to eat. Whether you've just started a game or are in the middle of one, I'll give you at most five minutes—otherwise, the food will get cold and won't taste good. Suo, you're having dessert now. Will you still have room for dinner?"

"I have two stomachs: one for other foods, and one for the food you make, Cheng Ling." Ren Suo gobbled up the cream puff without hesitation, then pulled out a bouquet of roses from his bag. "HEHE, for you."

Cheng Ling took the flowers with a puzzled look and tilted her head at Ren Suo.

"I got something for Little Jiu and Luna, so I thought I definitely should get something for you too. You lack nothing, so I just bought a bouquet of flowers," Ren Suo said. "Does it feel strange?"

Cheng Ling nodded, then shook her head. "Not exactly. It's just... no one has ever given me flowers before."

"From now on, you have."

Ren Suo took Little Jiu's phone and, while helping her with a team battle, said, "Although our relationship naturally blossomed into a match made in heaven, indulging in some worldly, even clichéd romantic gestures once in a while doesn't seem too bad, does it?"

"However, I'm not at all romantic and have absolutely no experience with normal dating. If you think there's something not right, Cheng Ling, you need to point it out immediately to help me correct it."

Cheng Ling's cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't refute Ren Suo's words. She quietly said, "I don't have any experience either. Please teach me."

"But Suo, you rarely bought such small gifts before," Cheng Ling inquired. "Why all of a sudden...?"

"I attended a teachers' gathering downtown this afternoon," Ren Suo explained. "And I was supposed to spend the afternoon playing with Luna and Little Jiu. I felt somewhat sorry about that, so I bought gifts as compensation..."

"As for buying you a gift, isn't that to be expected?"

Ren Suo smiled and said, "When you meet the right person, naturally you start doing the right things. I didn't buy you gifts before because I felt like I was just trying to please you, as if I were lowering my own status for no reason... But I've realized now that it's foolish to haggle over status in a relationship. So I decided to just follow my heart—"

"Suo." Dong Chengling suddenly interrupted him.

"Hmm?"

"Your smile today is a bit strange."

Ren Suo, his expression unchanging, covered his mouth and said, "Hmm... Maybe it's because I sang with too much force this afternoon, and now my facial muscles are stiff."

"Sang?"

A sweet, girlish voice then rang out from the side. Everyone turned their heads to see the Black Cat coiled up on the dining table, curiously joining their conversation.

"Speaking of which, how have you arranged for Luna's transformation times these past few days?" Ren Suo asked, changing the subject.

"Playing with Little Jiu on the phone!" Little Jiu immediately replied.

"Luna seems to really enjoy watching live streamers sing," said Ren Suo. "Why not teach her to sing? Maybe Luna could work in that field in the future."

Having successfully redirected the topic to Luna, Ren Suo mentally breathed a sigh of relief.

After finishing dinner and washing the dishes, Ren Suo returned to his own home and entered the bathroom, putting on a professional smile for the mirror.

This smile was more than enough to deal with ordinary friends but was unlikely to fool those close to him who had a Truth Points count greater than 5,000.

All he could say was that, fortunately, he hadn't had a stable bedmate in the past (actually, he had none at all). Otherwise, he felt it would be difficult for the current him to conceal his psychological changes from the person beside him in bed.

Ren Suo quickly thought of a solution. I'll wear a mask and sunglasses. It's just perfect that the Seeker's Ornament needs a physical medium in reality.

This was the downside of rationality.

Ren Suo couldn't let his emotions fluctuate to add value to his feelings, couldn't smile like a fool, nor could he love someone else recklessly like a fool.

Instead, he had to continue improving his close relationships by combining memory and Knowledge with the most optimal strategy for coexistence.

By comparison, meeting new people was much simpler. It provided steady income in large quantities, and if he encountered adoring fans, it was like hitting the jackpot.

However, Ren Suo was very clear that while meeting strangers was simple, when it came to long-term benefits, those with high intimacy were still his best investment.

For example, after the recent transaction permission update, each of his close associates had their Truth Points increase by at least one thousand, and the additional Points alone totaled over ten thousand—a profit unattainable even by meeting many strangers.

Moreover, relationships can grow distant, and naturally, Truth Points can decrease. Therefore, Ren Suo had to maintain good relations with each close associate and aim for steady growth to maximize profits.

Ren Suo checked the Law Network. His access privileges hadn't been updated yet; someone would probably visit from Sky Capital next week to assess his fourth transformation qualifications.

However, Ren Suo had already obtained a list from Qiao Muyi of Spells he could acquire in advance.

The Spells he could acquire were still limited, only three series: Healing, Defense, and Move.

Among them, the fourth-stage Healing Spell "All Things Flow," he had already learned and integrated into "Saving Lives and Healing the Injured."

The fourth-stage Defense Spell was "Six Libraries Immortal Armor," marking the transition in Defensive Magic from "Clothing" to "Armor." In fact, Ren Suo had only learned "Clothing" and "Gauze Clothing." He hadn't learned the third-turn Defensive Spell "Gold-threaded Robe" because he lacked sufficient Law Network Spirit Stones.

Dong Chengling once demonstrated the Six Libraries Immortal Armor for Ren Suo. Its defensive power was extremely strong; a full-force punch from Ren Suo to the chest and abdomen didn't even make his chest tremble. But upon careful examination, Ren Suo estimated that its defense was only slightly stronger than when he used "The Demon King Returns" to strengthen "Gauze Clothing." It was not a transformative degree of improvement.

The strength of the "Six Libraries Immortal Armor" primarily lay in its protection of internal organs and defense against Energy. Poison gas, sound waves, ultrasonic waves, long-range Elemental Spells, and heavy impacts—all these forms of damage were greatly reduced by the armor, which could perfectly protect the body's interior.

The fourth-stage Move Spell was "Shadow Step." In terms of speed, it was quite similar to "Ghostly Rapid Step." However, through Spiritual Energy camouflage, it could effectively allow Invisibility at high speeds, making it miraculous for both assassinations and escaping.

Nonetheless, these two Spells were of little help in the second level of the "Door of Truth."

Most of the Six Hunters' attacks were point-to-point penetrations; the "Six Libraries Immortal Armor" couldn't fully negate them. Although "Shadow Step" could allow Invisibility at high speed, once the Six Hunters marked him with the 'Exclamation Mark Spell,' he would no longer be able to hide once exposed.

So...

Ren Suo donned Pandora's Magic Box and entered the Door of Truth.

First, he checked the emotions list, which had many new entries thanks to his trip to the karaoke that day.

Without much hesitation, Ren Suo pondered for a moment and sold all the emotions with Truth Points lower than 120!

These included students like Zhang Yamu and Zhou Bai; teachers Liao Yonghai, Chen Jialiang, and Yuan Chu; and even old neighbors from Baiyun City like Auntie Ba. A moment later, Ren Suo had obtained 3,150 Truth Points!

He had to sell them quickly because the prices for emotions from students like Zhang Yamu were already falling, indicating her impression of Ren Suo was fading. If he didn't sell now, they would be worthless in a few days unless Ren Suo appeared in front of her again.

For this reason, most of Ren Suo's junior high and high school classmates didn't even qualify to be sold—their relationship with Ren Suo couldn't even be considered that of familiar strangers.

Ren Suo closed his eyes and carefully savored the feeling of selling emotions.

He still remembered these people.

His memories were intact.

It was just that... Ren Suo no longer felt anything for them.

In a state of Absolute Rationality, Ren Suo wasn't entirely without emotions. He still had love, hate, dislikes, and anger.

It's just that all these emotions were clearly priced.

What was more important: Merit Points or the emotions of these people? Ren Suo had his answer.

For instance, Vice Principal Yuan Chu: Ren Suo had once priced his emotional connection to him as equivalent to 'a friend I could lend 1,000 yuan to.'

And now, never mind 1,000 yuan, Ren Suo wouldn't even lend him fifty cents.

This feeling was like being obsessed with a toy as a child, only to suddenly lose interest in it upon growing up. It just didn't matter anymore.

That was exactly how Ren Suo felt now. He could clearly recall their faces, but he just... didn't care about them anymore.

More terrifying than forgetting was not caring, being indifferent.

This was the true manifestation of selling emotions.

Once Ren Suo stopped recalling them, his brain would consider them redundant memories, and they would utterly dissipate.

"So..." Ren Suo looked at the people remaining on the emotions list. "There's still quite a way to go to reach 4,800 Truth Points... Who's the lucky one going to be chosen by me?"