HTCYH Ch 17

Chapter 17: Game Preparation (Journey)

After Tu Si became a member of Wuming’s squad, he stepped into the life of a working man—clocking in for work, interacting with teammates to build camaraderie, clocking out, going home, and occasionally visiting the captain at night to scrounge up a meal. It was such a leisurely existence that he nearly forgot about the game altogether, feeling this vacation-like daily life wasn’t bad at all.

But the game still loomed over them, and Tu Si finally welcomed his first official mission.

On Saturday, just after waking up, still groggy and half-asleep, Tu Si heard the doorbell ringing.

He was now living in a single dorm provided by the Bureau—a small loft. The narrow second floor could only fit a bed and didn’t even allow him to stand upright; he had to stoop whenever he went up or down the stairs. Living in such a cramped layout for long might feel suffocating, but Tu Si liked it. Especially after filling the upper floor with multicolored crystals, mineral specimens, and all kinds of twiggy green plants, with countless golden tendrils slithering about like little snakes.

The cave-like, primitive setup gave Tu Si a sense of security, like returning to the deep forest.

Jarred fully awake by the persistent doorbell, Tu Si rolled over the dismantled second-floor railing, landing lightly on the ground, rubbing his eyes as he went to open the door.

“It’s already noon, why are you still sleeping? Hurry, hurry, hurry! Pack up—we’re going on vacation to Thailand!”

At the door stood Ke Xian, face alight with excitement and impatience.

Tu Si blinked blankly for a while before asking uncertainly,

“Vacation? Thailand? Is this some kind of employee benefit?”

Ke Xian was obviously thrilled, nearly buzzing with excitement. He pushed Tu Si back into the room while talking rapidly,

“Hurry up and pack up—we’re leaving in an hour! Ailin’s app got a new game—hard mode, probably related to Thai Buddhist Kuman Thong spirits. Captain applied for us to visit Thailand first for field research before entering the game. Finally, I won’t be stuck with back-end missions—I get to go in too! Hurry up, what are you dawdling for?”

Ke Xian’s chatter completely blew away Tu Si’s sleepiness. He grabbed a backpack almost perfunctorily, stuffed in toiletries and a change of clothes, and asked,

“So the whole squad’s entering the game? Is this mission very dangerous?”

“Six-star difficulty, four-star danger level, eighty percent mortality rate—not the hardest, but Captain said with me tagging along, protecting me would be tricky. So he applied for the entire squad to go in, to be absolutely sure. You’ll see the details in the app later. It’s my fault—I’m the one dragging everyone down.”

Ke Xian’s voice grew lower and lower as he spoke, tinged with self-blame and faint dejection.

Tu Si nodded seriously.

“Oh, oh! You’re the team’s most valuable tech member—it’s natural to protect you well. A team’s about cooperation, isn’t it? If someone doesn’t want to cooperate, they can just be a lone wolf. Why blame yourself?”

Tu Si had this particular trait—he couldn’t comfort people in the usual way. When he thought someone’s mindset was wrong, he would earnestly analyze it and ask why they thought that way. To those who knew him well, this came across as comforting and encouraging; to strangers, it felt like sarcasm and mockery (see: conversation with the bride).

Ke Xian was clearly the former type—and rebellious adolescents thrived on this approach. Because Tu Si didn’t patronize him like a child, but conversed as an equal, it gave prideful youths both dignity and validation.

Ke Xian huffed twice and said,

“Exactly! I’m an indispensable tech guy—of course I have no combat power! So you’d better protect me well! I’m off to help Captain pack.”

With that, he dashed off in a whirl of energy, not even checking if Tu Si had more to say.

After Ke Xian’s whirlwind entrance and exit, Tu Si waited until the boy’s figure disappeared, then plopped onto the beanbag chair and opened the Ascension app.

Game Interface

Game Name: Kuman Thong

Description: A child! A wish!

Difficulty: 6 stars

Danger Level: 4 stars

Mortality Rate: 80%

Game Rules: A cultivation world where the strong reign supreme; cultivators disregard petty details. Demonic cultivators, beast cultivators, Taoist cultivators—anyone who ascends to godhood is a good cultivator.

Friend Ailin has initiated team-up. Accept?

[Accept] [Decline]

Tu Si clicked Accept. As he glanced at the teammates’ names listed inside, his mind went momentarily blank.

Teammates, huh? Tu Si hadn’t had teammates in a long time. He wasn’t afraid of betrayal; what terrified him more was the departure of genuine companions—a despair that had to be endured, followed by endless longing.

Still, Tu Si disliked being a lone wolf even more. The taste of loneliness was unbearable. It was like watching the little cat corpse in his arms gradually turn into bare bones—despairing, utterly despairing. And humans at least lived slightly longer than cats—decades instead of mere years. Even the flowers and grasses near human settlements told more exciting stories than those in the deep jungle.

Tu Si was lost in memories, tinged with melancholy, when hurried footsteps approached, followed by:

“Why are you sitting again? Are you packed? Need help? Captain’s downstairs already—hurry up!”

Ke Xian’s voice rang out again. Seeing the boy’s boundless energy, Tu Si couldn’t help but laugh. The vigor of youth was something an old thing like him could never imitate. He slung on his backpack with a smile.

“Let’s go. I’m packed.”

Ke Xian quickly led Tu Si downstairs and into a seven-seater van. The driver—a Bureau employee assigned to field operations—wore a sharp suit, and the bulge at his waist betrayed the outline of a gun handle. He looked less like a driver and more like a bodyguard. In the passenger seat sat Wuming; in the back, Fang Xia, Ailin, and Xu Jinyan were already present. Ke Xian naturally squeezed himself into the last row between Ailin and Fang Xia, leaving the middle row seat empty for Tu Si.

Once Tu Si settled in, the car started moving. On the way to the airport, Wuming briefly explained the itinerary: not many missions, destination Mang Valley, free activities. Mainly to learn about Thai customs and Buddhist culture—essentially a business trip doubling as a vacation.

Tu Si traced the passport in his hand for a moment, then carefully tucked it away, anticipation rising for this journey to Thailand.

Stepping off the plane and out of the airport, Tu Si immediately felt the humid, sticky heat clinging to his skin—a sensation unique to coastal islands: stifling, damp, almost suffocating.

“Ah! I’m going to suffocate! Indoors, indoors—I need air conditioning!”

Ke Xian, already unable to endure, was the first to cry out.

Wuming ignored him, calmly leading the group like a tour guide to their reserved car bound for the short-term rental house.

Upon arrival at the rental, everyone divided up rooms and then dispersed to do their own thing.

Tu Si had originally planned to team up with Xu Jinyan, but after hearing he wanted to study ladyboy cabaret shows, he decisively withdrew the request. Meanwhile, Ailin and Fang Xia went off to shop malls and night markets; Ke Xian stayed holed up, trawling the dark web for clues—without the mainland firewalls, he was in his element, fingers flying across the keyboard, so absorbed he ignored everyone calling him.

Finally, Tu Si went to ask the captain about his plans. Wuming, seeing that Tu Si had only come to him after questioning everyone else, raised an eyebrow and silently stared at him, making Tu Si squirm.

“Captain… are you planning to rest first?”

Tu Si asked nervously.

Wuming blinked, smiling with exceptional gentleness.

“I was planning to visit the Reclining Buddha Temple in the old city. Want to come?”

Tu Si nodded rapidly, accepting the team-up.

Footnote

• Kuman Thong (古曼童): A figure from Thai folklore and Buddhism, literally meaning “Golden Boy.” It refers to child spirits created through certain rituals, often believed to bring protection or fortune. They are sometimes made using stillborn fetuses or effigies consecrated by monks, and play a role in Thai occult practices.