Chapter 9: First World: Sticky Ming Ming

Only after some breathing exercises did Wen Qinxi finally calm down but when that system left it left for good. He really wanted to teach that AI a lesson as soon as he got out of the game.

Fatigue was finally catching up on him when his door was abruptly opened like someone was being chased. 'Who the fuck?' thought Wen Qinxi sitting up straight wearing a quizzical expression. Lin Mingxu walked in slightly panicked looking as though he was worried Lin Jingxie would disappear on him again.

When he came back home, he found the main hall empty and ran to Lin Jingxie's room in a panic thus opening the door like he owned the place. "Jin-ge you scared me, l thought som-," said Lin Mingxu before Wen Qinxi cut him off.

"Mingxu go back outside and do what you are supposed to do whenever you come to my room," said Wen Qinxi pointing at the door. At first Lin Mingxu thought his older brother was just pulling his leg but Lin Jingxie was serious with a darkly expression all over his face.

"Mm," replied Lin Mingxu with a doleful appearance walking back outside but he didn't close the door peeking at his brother.

"Mingxu!" yelled Wen Qinxi terrifying enough to make Lin Mingxu close the door. He had to do this otherwise the character's younger brother might walk in next time while his talking to the system which will result in a discrepancy and ultimately get him kicked out of the game.

A soft knock disrupted his thought process and only allowed Lin Mingxu after knocking three times. "From now on you knock and wait for me to let you in, do you hear me?"

"Mm dage, l promise," replied Lin Mingxu with hand on his chest as though reciting the national anthem.

"Is there something you need?" asked Wen Qinxi hoping to have some alone time just in case the system comes back.

Lin Mingxu dragged in the physician he had brought along to check on his brother. "I brought him to check on you," he said pushing the physician towards his older brother.

The middle-aged physician seemed terrified of Lin Mingxu as he fumbled through his medical bag with trembling hands. Wen Qinxi scowled and placed his hand above the physician's shaky hand. "It's okay, take your time," said Wen Qinxi glaring at Lin Mingxu who was averting his gaze.

"l didn't do anything to him, he was like that when l found him," said a defensive Lin Mingxu while scratching his head. He had found the physician having dinner and threatened him to come with him that instant otherwise he would beat him up till he was wheelchair bound.

"Mingxu, if you keep threatening people, l will have no choice but to spank you like l did when you were younger!" yelled Wen Qinxi recalling how scared Lin Mingxu was of being spanked but his brother.

"Okay, okay brother no need to go that far. I will do whatever you say," said a disgruntled Lin Mingxu as he sat next to his brother like a puppy expecting its master to pat it.

"Please check him his bruises when you are done," said Wen Qinxi as the physician checked his pulse.

Lin Mingxu shook his head refuting but Wen Qinxi opened up his collar asking, "What the hell is that then? Don't you ever mess with Qie Ranzhe otherwise l will disown you as my brother."

Gasping in horror with teary eyes, Lin Mingxu pled with Lin Jingxie which Wen Qinxi found interesting. This threat would never work with his real brother, they might even end up tussling til Wen Qinxi yielded and call his younger brother dage. Yep, Wen Danzhe is so much bigger than Wen Qinxi and would always win whenever they tusseled.

Wen Qinxi pat Lin Mingxu's hair and sent him off once the physician was done which was difficult to do because Lin Mingxu insisted on staying. It's only when he promised to play checkers with him after dinner did he finally leave.

"Learnt some manners yet?" asked the system as soon as Lin Mingxu was done.

Wen Qinxi sighed heavily and addressed the cheeky system. "Yes Jolie, l learnt some manners. May you please open a communication channel?" spoke Wen Qinxi through his teeth tightly clenching his fists.

"Much better though l can tell you are forcing it. Your code please?" said the system wishing it had a face so it could smirk right back at him.

"Qieranzheisajerk," said Wen Qinxi in his mind wondering if the system will make him say it each and every time.

"Woh! Someone wants to lose their fuckin job haha. Anyway communication channel opened," said the system before disappearing.

"Hey guys do you think Jolie gave me this character on purpose?" asked Wen Qinxi as soon as the channel was opened

"Maybe...maybe not," replied an uncertain Xia Bai while chewing on some crisps with no care in the world.

Wen Qinxi frowned, these two were not meant to be eating or drinking in the game room and had the audacity to answer his call while breaking the rules. "Are you two fuckin eating in game room? Are you being serious right now?" said Wen Qinxi in a stern tone reprimanding them.

"Noooooo we are not," replied a thin-faced Hei Bao as they both paused their chewing motion as if that could convince Wen Qinxi otherwise. "So what's your plan to help Qie Ranzhe?" said Hei Bao trying to divert his attention from the snacks.

A passionate Wen Qinxi paced up and down reiterating his plan of action choosing the shadow master plan. "I will help him in the background. To prevent him from blackening, l need to halt the bullying which l hope is not too late, help him get Zhao Huangzhi and destroy his enemy before his enemy gets to him. I just need to do it without him knowing. What do you guys think?"

"Greaaaattt plan, excellent," said the two simultaneously but in actual truth they weren't listening silently fighting over the last potato crisp. They literally fought with their eyes with one accusing the other for eating more and has to give up the last crisp but the other using a 'first come first serve' rule.

In all of this Wen Qinxi kept on talking thinking they were listening to him. Little did he know the two idiots were engaged in a 'Battle for the last potato chip' that could ruin their friendship.

One of them accidentally broke the vow of silence yelling, "It's just a damn chip Bao not some cheap potato crisp, l ate less so it-,"

"Are you two fuckers still eating in the game room? Citation all of you stupid nerds, why the fuck would you....," yelled Wen Qinxi angryly cutting him off but the rest they couldn't hear.

Both men looked at each for a while before Xia Bai asked, "Did you mute him?"

"Yes, l fuckin mute him, peaceful right?" said Hei Bao feeling proud of himself.

"Yes quite handy. Will mute him each time he blows his top off. You!" yelled Xia Bai who was too busy talking to notice Hei Bao shove the last piece they had been fighting over all this time into his mouth.

"Haha," chortled Hei Bao chewing but Xia Bai lunged at him yelling,

"Spit it out you piece of shit! If l can't have it then so can't you!" chasing him all around the game room.

An oblivious Wen Qinxi only realised something was wrong after cursing them out for ten minutes straight. He couldn't wait to get out and slap fines in their faces.

***

Somewhere in a dilapidated cottage in the forest, Qie Ranzhe was calmly roasting a pheasant when one of his oldest friends, Manchu with no family name, showed up to give him a report.

"Ran-ge, Lin Jingxie hasn't said anything about what happened. No one is sharpening their knives to hunt us down yet. What should we do?" he asked purely concerned for their own safety.

Ever since Lin Jingxie was found alive the boys had been hiding in the forest ready to up and go if things escalated but the storm they were waiting for hadn't come, at least not yet.

"Tomorrow will follow him and have a private chat. I will personally finish him off by end of day tomorrow," he said with an unreadable expression handing over the fully roast pheasant to Machu to share with the boys.

He lay on the prickly straw pinching the bridge of his nose thinking, "Lin Jingxie what the fuck you playing at?"

If this was Lin Jingxie's way of intimidating him by waiting longer to exert revenge and only strike when he least expected it then Qie Ranzhe would have to disappoint him.