Chapter 395: Experiencing Life

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Nobody could guess the real purpose of Xing Hai Technologies, and nobody could simply claim that the company only wanted to make money.

Li Dong did not want to overthink things, either. Right now, he just wanted to fully immerse himself into this gaming experience: a game that was extremely realistic.

But if he merely stood in the Tallest Tower and truly thought of it all as a strategy game, as if he was playing chess, then it would be impossible to experience how fun the game could really be.

The time flow rate of 1-to-20 was not fast; after his many orders were issued, there would be a feedback period of at least three months, and up to six months or a year.

For example, the construction cycle for an interstellar warship was often as long as five to ten years. Divided by twenty, one would still have to wait a few months in real-time.

Without a doubt, this waiting process would be utterly boring and a pain in the a*s.

“It’s better to really experience life first, and enjoy myself.

“Moreover, I would be experiencing life in this game, among those NPCs, as a character that’s not too eye-catching.

“Additionally, as a ruler, it is best to listen to the voices of those on the bottom rungs of society, to observe the people’s sentiments and sufferings so that I will have a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the Dongmi planet. This would absolutely be beneficial for the development and future of Dongzhimu’s civilization.”

So, where would he start?

Schools.

Li Dong first thought of schools, so he went to an ordinary high school.

He looked at his image in the mirror and said to himself, “A height of 1.8 meters. Not a very handsome face, but definitely above average. Fair and delicate skin. I look to be 17 years old at most… There shouldn’t be any problems if I go as a student in the second year of high school.

“So far, I have lived for 22 years, and my youth is basically gone. I’m still a virgin, and I’ve never had a relationship. Perhaps… Is there nothing about me that is attractive to girls? Will outstanding women never like me?”

Although it was probably just because he had watched too much anime, Li Dong’s loser homebody side had taken over. He wanted to challenge himself in the game and improve his interpersonal skills.

He wanted to be a popular person who got along well with others.

“Interpersonal relationships and emotional intelligence are very important. And I think it’s also necessary to be eloquent?”

Li Dong muttered to himself like a broken record, constantly finding excuses for himself.

“In short, I should really enjoy youth! If I don’t in this period of life, there will be no chance to do so in the future!” he said, shaking his fist.

…

The city in which the Tallest Tower was located was named “Shengjing City.” It was the political, economic, and cultural center of Eastern Jupiter, with a resident population of more than 35 million. It was an extremely large city.

In the western residential area was an ordinary school named Xihai No. 3 High School.

At the school entrance.

Li Dong wore a green-colored school uniform and carried a school bag in his hand. He looked at the school’s academic blocks and field with a smile.

At that moment, the system in his brain gave a reminder: “Player Dongzhimu, due to the time algorithm, in-game events are executed at a speed twenty times faster than normal, resulting in huge information flow. The burden on the human brain is nearly twenty times what it would experience in its regular state. For the health of the player’s brain, it can only persist for 20 minutes in this micro experience mode. Multiplied by twenty, that would give us 6.67 hours. Hence, the player must withdraw from this state after 6.67 hours and let the brain rest.”

When people dream, they create the illusion that time becomes slower, making them feel as if they have experienced many things. The “Fantasy: Third Generation” virtual reality headset was based on this principle, and thus achieved the fantastical effect of extending time by a factor of twenty.

The side effect was that its running duration was short, as the brain was heavily burdened. For the average person, twenty minutes was their limit. The human brain could not enter this accelerated state too often, or it would really struggle.

“I know,” Li Dong said.

The burden on the brain in micro experience mode was really big. But after three months of intense practice during the internal test, he was able to extend the accelerated state to 25 minutes. If he deliberately intensified his practice, he just might be able to extend this time to 30 minutes in the future.

If he multiplied by twenty, that would give him ten hours, enough to cope with the daytime situation. He would exit the accelerated state at night, let the brain rest for thirty minutes, and then continue again during the day… Some genius players had monster-like brains which had completely adapted to life that was twenty times faster.

Li Dong hoped that his could also become a monster brain.

…

Xihai No. 3 High School, Second year, F class.

Li Dong stood at the podium and faced more than 50 students.

His homeroom teacher stood beside him and gave an introduction.

“Everyone, this is the transfer student Touki Ryu who had just transferred from another school. You can call him Touki. And now, Touki will introduce himself.”

Li Dong bowed and picked up the chalk. He wrote his name on the blackboard and briefly introduced himself. “My name is Touki Ryu. I am 17 years old. My hobby is playing basketball and games. I am very happy to join this class and am honored to be your classmate… I will be learning from you.”

After he finished speaking, he gave another deep bow.

Clap, clap, clap, clap… A round of applause sounded, and a flurry of voices could be heard from students discussing him below the stage.

“Touki? Isn’t that the surname of the Protoss? There are no more than 5,000 people in the world with the surname of Touki, and there’s one in our class? Is this a legal surname, or did he name himself that on a whim?”

“Touki…Ryu. A very arrogant name, and a bit awkward.”

“Touki-san is very handsome, and he is so tall.”

“A boy who likes to play basketball, wow… I like boys who play basketball the most.” The girl made a heart shape with her hands.

“I like this type of boy.”

The boys were not too enthusiastic about Li Dong’s arrival. The girls were chatting away with excitement.

However, a height of 1.8 meters was quite high for the high school’s student body. Hence, Li Dong’s homeroom teacher arranged for him to sit in the last row at the back of the class and on the far right, right next to the window.

The whole class was watching him.

He put down his bag and sat with a straight posture. A slight smile hung on his lips.

At the podium, the teacher started his lecture.

A warm breeze blew in from the window, and the white curtains were gently lifted in a wave-like effect. The bangs on his forehead blew about in the wind.

He roughly estimated that there were 30 girls and 25 boys in the class. Including him, there were 26 students.

If he were to evaluate the girls’ figures, looks, and so on, with 100 being a perfect score, he thought that most of the girls were above 65 points, assuming an online attractiveness standard. 30% or more scored over 70 points, and there were a few who left an indelible impression even at first glance. They could be scored 80 points or more.

“There are a lot of cute girls. Even an ordinary person can receive a reasonable score in terms of attractiveness… I feel like I’ve crossed into the animation world.”

“Moreover, their technology is developed, and they have a long history of civilization. Even if this is just an ordinary high school, the mind, appearance, and personal cultural accomplishments of the teachers and students are amazing overall. They are very polite, too… Hmm, while some areas are unnecessarily elaborate, they are also essential.”

Another warm breeze rolled over him.

Li Dong squinted comfortably. “Ah… this is my beautiful youth. Let me enjoy it.”