Stopping her gradually bold thoughts, Mu Anqi raised her hand and rubbed her own face, only to see the ghost in charge of the Ferris wheel showing an expression of shock, disbelief, and questioning his ghostly life when he saw General Ji. No one knew what this ghost had imagined on his own. Just as he forced himself to calm down, Ji Huaichu went over and said something to the ghost. The ghost once again questioned his ghostly life, but after the shock, his body instantly stood straight, his face serious and solemn, looking just like he had returned to military training days. He said something to Ji Huaichu with utmost respect, then bowed. Turning around, he began adjusting the amusement park facilities as if he had just taken on some major responsibility.
Mu Anqi: "…" What was the ghost in charge of the carousel acting like just now? She had been too nervous and hadn't carefully looked.
She suddenly realized: if she followed the pattern she used in the game and played in the amusement park together with General Ji, perhaps it would be even more interesting.
Especially the haunted house project.
Mu Anqi very much wanted to see General Ji single-handedly take down that group of crazed "patients" and the "doctors" carrying all sorts of ridiculous weapons!
Ji Huaichu glanced at Mu Anqi, not quite understanding why in just the time it took to turn around, this little money tree had suddenly become so excited. She looked at the Ferris wheel—could it be because they were about to play this ride?
Players' thoughts were truly hard to understand.
Sitting on the Ferris wheel, Mu Anqi secretly glanced at Ji Huaichu a few times, her mind uncontrollably bringing up all kinds of legends about Ferris wheels. Uh, of course, those should all be fake, and they didn't fit her and General Ji's situation anyway. "General, have you ever watched my games?"
"Paid a little attention," Ji Huaichu said. "Your performance is quite good."
Seeing that Mu Anqi didn't respond, Ji Huaichu thought for a moment, then said: "Is there anything you like? When you next get an S rank, I'll find it for you."
"Only S rank has rewards?" Mu Anqi tilted her head, her face full of innocence as she probed Ji Huaichu's bottom line. "But my ability isn't that strong. This time was just luck. As for next time getting an S… who knows what year or month that will be."
"A rank is fine too," Ji Huaichu said. "What do you want?"
What did she want… props? Weapons? But those belonged to Nirvana Space. Were there any special items in the Shattered Mirror Continent? Mu Anqi wasn't very sure. She didn't know much about the Shattered Mirror Continent, but things she might need—points or currency—she would never dislike. Still, those obviously weren't easy to ask the General for.
Mu Anqi thought for a moment, then smiled shyly and said in a low voice: "I thought about it, and it seems like there isn't anything I particularly want. But if we're talking about rewards… when the time comes, it'd be enough if General could smile at me more."
Mu Anqi felt she was simply too clever—this was what an excellent employee should be! Perfectly completing her work without asking for promotion or a raise, only hoping the boss would smile. Mu Anqi felt she had just gained a huge wave of favorability from General Ji.
Ji Huaichu looked deeply at Mu Anqi, not expecting that the little money tree would say something like that. Well, she was a player from a modern background, after all. Ji Huaichu's thin lips pressed lightly together, then suddenly curved into a smile. Her sharp brows and eyes softened as she leaned closer. "Like this?"
Mu Anqi stared blankly as Ji Huaichu leaned in. Her face suddenly flushed red, and as if only just realizing what was happening, she jerked her body back, pressing herself right against the corner of the Ferris wheel cabin, her gaze not knowing where to land. What was worse, the thought that appeared in her head was that General Ji without her battle uniform was also quite heart-stirring.
"General… you look good when you smile." Mu Anqi stammered in praise, "Very good-looking."
"Thank you." Ji Huaichu put away her smile, lowering her brows and eyes, her fingers unconsciously rubbing at the thin calluses on her fingertips, finding the little money tree more and more interesting.
She wondered if other players were also like her—combining frivolousness, innocence, shyness, and boldness all in one.
Unknowingly, the Ferris wheel had reached its highest point. Mu Anqi looked at the amusement park rides shrinking below, then glanced at the 80-meter rotating ride beside them. "General, let's go play bumper cars later." In that ride, Mu Anqi had never even driven the car—she'd completely played it like a shooting game. "Can the bumper cars there turn into ordinary ones?"
"It can be changed," Ji Huaichu said.
So after the two got off the Ferris wheel, they went straight to the bumper car attraction.
The ghost in charge of the bumper cars had been yawning, but then he saw that terrifyingly brutal player from a few days ago coming together with the even more terrifying General Ji.
Responsible ghost: No way, no way? I didn't bully you!
The ghost, terrified and uneasy, saw General Ji walk over—her manner still considered mild—and ask if he could change the bumper cars into the ordinary amusement kind.
The ghost wiped a cold sweat: "Yes, yes, yes! Please wait a moment, I'll change it right away! May I ask if there's anything else I can do for you?"
"No." After Ji Huaichu finished speaking, Mu Anqi, who was behind her, waved at the ghost and said with a smile: "We meet again~"
The ghost stiffly pulled out a smile that looked uglier than crying: "Yes! We meet again." He didn't know what kind of sins he had committed in his past life to become a ghost only to run into Mu Anqi again and again.
He urgently called for the staff, hoping they would hurry over to modify the bumper cars. That way, he could also send these two "Great Buddhas" away.
Mu Anqi got her wish and played on the ordinary bumper cars. The only pity was that the ghosts on the bumper cars didn't seem to let loose at all—each of them was "working under duress," not daring to bump into her, and even less daring to bump into General Ji. But it didn't matter—she alone sent eighteen bumper cars flying, and the gameplay experience was excellent.
After that, she went to try out the go-karts. With General Ji there, the karts naturally were modified too—"shields" and "missiles" were removed, and the only item available was "boost." Actually, Mu Anqi originally only wanted the missiles removed, but then she thought—maybe she had bad luck, and if she ran a whole round without getting a single boost and only pulled shields, that would be ridiculous. So she had the shields removed as well. Only then did she get to experience the thrill of rocketing forward at full speed.
After completing the kart race at extreme speed, Mu Anqi was still a little dizzy from the excitement when she got off. Ji Huaichu looked at her and very considerately asked if she wanted another round.
Mu Anqi nodded repeatedly, then quickly went for another round of karts with full "rocket launch" acceleration, leaving fully satisfied.
After that, they went to play the "Sharpshooter" track facility, where you drive while shooting at various moving targets. Only then did Mu Anqi start to feel a little tired. She followed General Ji to the restaurant for a meal, and upon turning her head, she saw Xia Fenghua and the others coming off the roller coaster with excited faces.
"We're planning to try the 80-meter-high rotating ride next. General, would you like to join us?" Xia Fenghua looked very excited, seemingly having gotten into the mood.
Ji Huaichu glanced at Mu Anqi. "You all go ahead."
"Alright, then we'll go!" Xia Fenghua pulled Mu Xiaobai along, waved, and the two dashed into the crowd to line up for the rotating ride.
Mu Anqi had more or less played through all the non-thrilling attractions in the amusement park. In the end, she thought about it and still didn't go to the haunted house. After all, the staff there had already suffered once from her last visit—there was no need to deal them another blow.
It wasn't until dusk arrived that Mu Anqi sat on a bench in the amusement park, watching the coming and going ghost visitors and the sunset glow on the horizon, and sighed with emotion: "It's been so long since I've felt this relaxed."
It had been so long since she'd experienced this kind of ordinary, everyday life.
Aside from a few scary-looking ghosts among the crowd, at one point Mu Anqi even felt dazed, as if she had returned to the living world.
"The Shattered Mirror Continent has many good scenic spots," Ji Huaichu said softly. "You will experience them."
"…" Mu Anqi looked at General Ji a little helplessly. She definitely wouldn't treat the Shattered Mirror Continent's games as "sightseeing tours." Just like this amusement park—playing here after the game ended, or with General Ji accompanying her, might be relaxing, but during the actual game… it was still very dangerous.
"General, among the players recruited by the strong ones of the Shattered Mirror, has any player ever successfully escaped from Nirvana Space?"
"Perhaps there has been."
Perhaps? Well, yes—if a player truly reached the point of being able to leave Nirvana Space, then by that time the player must have become extremely powerful, possessing points, skills, and all kinds of items. And at that point, even if they gained the chance to resurrect and return to the real world to live as an ordinary person… there might be some who would give it up.
Ji Huaichu took Mu Anqi for another dinner. Mu Anqi quietly strolled around the park with Ji Huaichu, and even went to play go-karts once more. It wasn't until night had fallen that the lively Xia Fenghua came bouncing out together with Mu Xiaobai.
Mu Anqi went forward to hug Mu Xiaobai. She had been very happy today.
"Well, I'll be going back then?" Mu Anqi scratched her head and looked at Ji Huaichu. "Thank you for taking care of me today~"
After bidding them farewell, Mu Anqi teleported back to Nirvana Space. She flopped onto the lounge chair with practiced ease, her mind hazily floating up the thought: "The General is really both adorable and kind."
What kind of person had the General been in her previous life? What had she experienced that brought her to the Shattered Mirror Continent…
I really want to know.
…
"General~ are we going back now?" Xia Fenghua's face was full of excitement. It was clear that she had really enjoyed herself today.
Ji Huaichu glanced at her. "Two hours ago, a small Black Mirror vortex appeared in Taiyin Cloud Sea Town. The pollution level isn't high."
Little Xia Fenghua's smile froze. She looked at the darkened sky—never in her wildest dreams did she expect she'd have to work overtime tonight! "Yes, I'll go right away!"
"No need, I've already sent people." Ji Huaichu spoke as she raised her hand and pressed down on Mu Xiaobai's shoulder. "Report the situation to me tomorrow." After saying that, she placed her other hand on Xia Fenghua's shoulder and teleported them back to the city.
Back in the main city, it wasn't until the General had walked far away that Xia Fenghua, looking at the completely clueless Mu Xiaobai, was still a little dazed: Was the General… in a really good mood today?