"Thanks for today."
Outside the zoo entrance.
Under the scorching noon sun, there was still a long line of people.
Yu Jin looked at Yin Yao and sincerely expressed his thanks.
If Senior Sister hadn't used her "Superman" privilege, this trip to the zoo definitely wouldn't have gone so smoothly.
Let alone touching all the animals, just petting a lion or a tiger would have been a lot of trouble.
"It's nothing."
Yin Yao shook her head, not taking it to heart at all.
"But..."
Yin Yao stared at Yu Jin, asking the question that had been bothering her inside:
"Why did you suddenly decide to come to the zoo and do all these things?"
"Stuff like touching a tiger's butt..."
Yu Jin didn't change his expression at her words.
He knew his odd behavior today would definitely raise Yin Yao's suspicions—no question.
And Yu Jin had been prepared for this all along.
"I had a dream last night."
Rather than answer directly, Yu Jin suddenly said this.
"A dream?"
Yin Yao's brows furrowed slightly, not understanding what this had to do with Yu Jin's zoo-petting spree.
"Yeah, a dream—a really vivid one."
Yu Jin's face was all seriousness, as if lost in the memory:
"In the dream, I found out that as long as I got up close and touched animals like lions or tigers, I could turn into Superman!"
"You know Superman, right?"
After saying that, Yu Jin gave an awkward laugh: "Senior Sister must think that dream is childish, huh?"
On the other side.
Yin Yao's beautiful eyes widened slightly.
Yu Jin's off-the-cuff story set off huge waves in her heart.
"Could it be..."
"Last time, was Yu Jin so powerful not because of some special opportunity during the closed beta, but because of these... dreams?"
Yin Yao thought this to herself, but still showed the perfect smile on her face.
She asked teasingly:
"So after touching the lions and tigers, did you turn into Superman?"
Yu Jin shook his head, looking disappointed:
"Nope, that's why I said, it's just a childish dream."
As he spoke, Yu Jin sighed:
"If I really became Superman, I'd have to show off some superpowers for Senior Sister, no doubt."
Yin Yao didn't pursue it further.
The two walked side by side, and the atmosphere turned a bit silent.
A moment later.
Yu Jin saw the bustling Qinda Square not far ahead.
"Senior Sister Yin, as thanks for your help today, can your little junior treat you to lunch?"
Yin Yao was startled, coming back from her thoughts.
"Sure."
She replied softly.
...
...
Fourth floor of the mall.
Window seats.
Yu Jin and Yin Yao sat facing each other, table piled high with steaming dishes.
"Thanks again for all your help these past few days, Senior Sister."
Yu Jin poured himself a glass of Jiangxiaobai liquor and downed it in one go.
"It's nothing, really."
Yin Yao motioned for Yu Jin to pour her a drink too.
Yu Jin hesitated for a second but decided to respect her wishes.
Soon enough.
After several glasses of baijiu, the mood at the table became strangely weird.
Not that flirtatious vibe between a man and a woman, but...
"Be brothers—in our hearts!"
"I'll finish mine, Senior Sister, you drink as you like!"
The generous rewards from the zoo trip put Yu Jin in a great mood. Before he knew it, he drank a bit too much and lost control.
"Mmm—"
Yin Yao had seemingly never drunk baijiu before, and after several glasses, her delicate, fair face was completely flushed.
"Down the hatch!"
This always-elegant Senior Sister now seemed a bit bold thanks to the booze.
And—
The usually quiet and gentle Senior Sister began to talk more and more.
"Yu Jin..."
"Tell me, you really aren't planning to log into Wasteland, to try out that game?"
Yu Jin was swaying his head from drinking, slurring his words:
"Senior Sister, you still don't trust your junior!"
"I get motion-sick in 3D, really bad. If I play that game, I'd probably throw up in two minutes!"
Yin Yao poured herself another glass of baijiu.
"What a pity, such a pity."
"I was hoping to play with you..."
Yin Yao murmured to herself.
At the table—
The two of them kept drinking, one glass after another.
Who knows how much time passed.
Both of them were pretty much slumped over, Yin Yao's pretty face bright red, sitting back weakly.
"Yu Jin."
She suddenly called out.
"Yeah?"
Yu Jin responded hazily.
"Say..."
"If—I'm just saying if—one day, you, me, and billions of people all over the world suddenly get thrown into a perilous Wasteland World..."
"What would you do then?"
When she said this, Yin Yao's eyes were half-closed from the alcohol.
"Superman!"
"Happy Hero!"
Yu Jin answered instantly.
"Happy Hero?"
Yin Yao looked confused.
But Yu Jin didn't explain, just muttered:
"If that day really comes, I hope it arrives later—much, much later."
Yin Yao sighed.
"Me too."
"But...'
"There's not much time left."
...
...
One hour later.
Inside the restaurant.
A group of young men with buzz cuts, business suits, and sharp demeanors appeared.
"Take him back to school."
Yin Yao, who had been 'dead drunk' and slumped in her seat a second ago, now sat up straight.
Her face was still flushed, but...
Her words were clear, her mood calm.
"Yes, Miss."
The buzz cut youths responded, then carried the totally passed-out Yu Jin away.
Inside the restaurant.
Yin Yao took out a white handkerchief, gently wiped her mouth, and stared off into the distance, deep in thought.
Today's probing didn't get any useful information from Yu Jin.
At the same time—
She, too, had given Yu Jin some hints about the future in the form of "drunk talk", if he remembered them after sobering up.
But...
The dream that Yu Jin mentioned had actually caught Yin Yao's attention.
"Maybe I should go touch a tiger's butt, too?"
The absurd thought even popped up in Yin Yao's mind.
Beep beep—
At that moment, a ringtone sounded.
Yin Yao picked up her phone.
The buzz cut men in suits had already started clearing out the restaurant, keeping out all idle bystanders.
"Grandpa."
Yin Yao answered the call.
"Well?"
An old man's voice came through.
"Didn't get any effective info. Still no idea how Yu Jin could be so powerful in the future Wasteland World."
Yin Yao said softly.
"Should we monitor—"
The old man had just started speaking when Yin Yao directly cut him off:
"No."
"When it comes to Yu Jin, all we can do is make friends, keep up a good relationship. Anything else..."
"Will only bring disaster in the future!"
Yin Yao spoke with conviction.
No one understood better than her just how powerful Yu Jin was in the future Wasteland World!
A power so great it could ignore millions, ignore all dangers!
"Alright."
The old man's voice was hoarse.
In truth, he thought the same.
After a moment's silence.
The old man said quietly:
"Today, the second batch of helmets suddenly appeared in large numbers..."
"There are a lot of helmets this time, and even though we mobilized forces right away, quite a few still ended up in the public's hands."
"According to what you said—"
"Five days from now, those who activate the helmets and log in to the Wasteland game are practically guaranteed to be transported into Wasteland."
"Those who never touched a helmet will be randomly selected for crossing."
"So we can't be sure..."
"For the thousands and millions of ordinary people, are these helmets a blessing—or a curse..."