Chapter 1273: Vacation Resort
"Today, it's your turn to wash the dishes."
"Why don't we play rock-paper-scissors?" The grand prize elongated the tone like a pleading little lamb. "If I win, you wash them. If I lose, you wash them."
"Isn't it still me who has to do it?" Lin Sanjiu tossed the plates and utensils into the pot. "Your cutesy act won't work on me. I used to play rock-paper-scissors with you, and I never won... By the way, how did you manage to do that?"
Ji Shanqing lifted his head, with a few rice grains and curry sauce stains still on his fair skin. So what if he was one of the Veda, without looking in the mirror, he still doesn't know he has rice on his face all the same.
Seeing him hesitate momentarily, his eyes darting around, Lin Sanjiu snorted, "Anyway, I won't play rock-paper-scissors with you again."
"Then, chess..."
"Do you think I'm really that naive?"
Ji Shanqing gave up and picked up the cup of yogurt she had just handed him, licking the cap in small sips. As one of the Veda, of course, he didn't need to eat, but he enjoyed indulging in the pleasures of the palate with the help of the grand prize's body. However, Lin Sanjiu couldn't understand why he would code out a certain food, hand it over to her, and make her take it out of the card inventory before he was willing to eat.
After leaving the pocket dimension, it had been seven or eight days.
Puppeteer and Bohemia were indeed occupied with some unexpected events, and while it seemed they were not in any danger, they wouldn't be able to return for a while. Lin Sanjiu
communicated with them through several paper cranes and arranged to meet at a specific time before setting out with Ji Shanqing.
Neither of them had a specific destination, so they simply followed the highway and turned their doomsday survival into a road trip. However, Lin Sanjiu hadn't expected that after a few days of traveling with the grand prize again, the first issue that arose was the same old question they used to frequently encounter: who would wash the dishes.
Washing the pot after cooking curry wasn't easy. Just as Lin Sanjiu was about to push the pot away, Ji Shanqing suddenly grunted and fell over the outdoor table.
"Ah," he said, still holding the yogurt. "I suddenly have a stomachache."
Lin Sanjiu couldn't maintain her stern expression any longer, so she laughed and scolded, "Where did you learn to be so childish!" She finally picked up the pot and kitchenware. They were resting at a highway rest stop, and fortunately, a faucet was nearby. Of course, even if they threw the dirty dishes away, it wouldn't be difficult for the grand prize to create a new set every day. However, she hadn't suggested it, and the grand prize had never proposed it.
In fact, except for some items they didn't have, she rarely asked the grand prize to create supplies. He had never really been a normal person, and she hoped that before he had to return to the Data Stream Library, they could spend two months living together as ordinary people... Even if it was just an illusion built up with small details.
She hadn't forgotten that even though he had obtained information about how people live in theory, he had never truly experienced an ordinary life. Of course, most pocket dimensions weren't too welcoming for the two of them to enter, so it couldn't be considered entirely ordinary.
After lunch, the two of them leisurely played poker for a while. When Lin Sanjiu's face was covered with so many paper notes that she couldn't see, they set off again—this time, they found a car by the side of the road. It was in decent condition, and after some repair by the grand prize, they no longer had to rely solely on their legs to travel the world.
"Let me see..." He said, opening a hand-drawn map and contemplating for a while. "Where do you want to go? Fifty kilometers ahead, there's a Vacation Resort pocket dimension. Do you want to go and take a look?"
No matter how hard she tried, she could only be this ordinary. Lin Sanjiu sighed inwardly, not overthinking it, and casually asked, "Do you know its specifics clearly?"
"I am not sure," the grand prize hesitated.
After a few seconds, he continued, "Most of my self is stored in the Data Stream Library, and all the data is there. If I don't go back, I won't be able to see it. As for this world, I only have a rough idea from what I learned in the Astral Plane."
Suddenly, Lin Sanjiu regretted asking this question.
Once the grand prize mentioned it, Lin Sanjiu was reminded again. By her side was not a complete Ji Shanqing, just a fragment of his consciousness. Beyond this fragment was an infinite and dark universe where Ji Shanqing remained, yearning for the days on this world's highway.
Neither of them explicitly said it, but they knew their current situation was a fragile balance they were trying hard to maintain. Ji Shanqing, left far away, was beyond this thin thread; at any moment, he could come crashing down and shatter it like a dark, monstrous wave.
He sank into the ocean's depths and became an anchor, but the ship drifted away.
"Then let's go and take a look," Lin Sanjiu suppressed her emotions and replied lightly. "A vacation resort sounds quite relaxing. But they probably won't let you in."
"With my current size, analyzing Bohemia's consciousness took me so long. If I have to analyze each pocket dimension individually, won't it tire me to death?" He grumbled, "Those pocket dimensions are probably not worth it."
After over forty minutes, the car left the highway and followed the signs to a nearby vacation resort. From the elevated bridge behind the resort, they could see the vast, shimmering sea. The white sandy beach lay before the undulating villas, gently tickled by the waves.
When Lin Sanjiu slowed down in front of the resort's south gate, she felt a strange and unreal sensation. The gate's boom barrier, the nearby landscaping, the security booth, and the resort's walls were all well-maintained and gleaming. She didn't need to worry about food or tomorrow, and the grand prize beside her complained, "The cola rolled to the back seat!" He bent down, extending his arm to search around.
When a head emerged from the security booth's window, she felt like she had returned to a part of the world that had not yet witnessed the doomsday.
"Do you have a reservation?" The plump face carried an indifferent expression as he asked lazily.
Lin Sanjiu looked at his uniform and then at him. Could he have been a gatekeeper at this resort in his previous life and continued to be one even after he died in this resort's pocket dimension and never been laid off in his lifetime?
"No," she said, considering her words carefully. "Do I need a reservation to enter?"
The grand prize was still fiddling with something under his seat, seemingly determined to find that cola. The cola that Lin Sanjiu had specially iced for him when they were at the gas station.
"Yeah," the gatekeeper said and sat back, looking like he was ready to end the conversation. "Our resort is fully booked during peak season."
There were pocket dimensions that didn't allow entry?
Lin Sanjiu's gaze followed through the gate and fell on several villas in the distance, whose rooftops were barely visible, surrounded by green trees.
"I'm here to visit a friend." She really wanted to look inside, saying, "My friend has reserved a room here."
"What's their surname?" The gatekeeper said as he opened a large register—it seemed like there was a record.
Finally, after finding that can of cola, Ji Shanqing grumbled, "All dusty," as he prepared to sit up. At this moment, Lin Sanjiu pressed his back, keeping him down, and at the same time, she stretched her neck towards the window outside, saying, "Their surname... is it Ito?"
All the names were written upside down in the open register, and she was in a hurry. She only saw one surname that could be 'Ito,' but the gatekeeper's hand covered it. When the gatekeeper moved his thumb away, she quickly added, "Fuji! Ito Fuji."
"How come you're not even sure yourself," the gatekeeper grumbled, picking up the walkie-talkie and calling inside. "Mr. Ito Fuji, you have a visitor." Then he raised the boom barrier at the gate and said, "Alright, you can go in now. The parking lot is on the right side, and you are going to F03. Don't go the wrong way."
On the way in, Ji Shanqing crawled up and looked at her with a dusty and unhappy face.
"He might not let us in if he sees you," Lin Sanjiu explained in a gentle tone. "Look, his pocket dimension is not just comfortable; it's luxurious..."
When she came in, she had already planned that if there was no danger, she would have Bohemia and Puppeteer come here to join her. After all, it was a doomsday pocket dimension, so why bother with the parking lot? Besides, with Lin Sanjiu's skills, she might not be able to get out once she entered. She decided to park the car by the side of the driveway, but as she was about to open the door and get out, Ji Shanqing suddenly approached and placed his hand against her ear.
"Sis." His cool fingertips probed into her ear and put something in it. "You need to wear this to understand what others are saying."
"Oh, right, you are thoughtful." Lin Sanjiu touched the small device in her ear, asking, "Can you say a few sentences in Danish so I can listen?"
"The sentence I just said was in Russian," Ji Shanqing replied.
"Huh? Really?" Lin Sanjiu had always been quite naive and couldn't help feeling the wonders of doomsday once again.
"No, it's fake."
The two of them got off the beaten-up car and walked towards F03. F03 was at the other end of the estate, with several different styles of villas scattered in between. Surprisingly, almost every villa had occupants—not only did they have nameplates on their doors, but people lived inside.
A young woman in a dirty pink nightgown stood barefoot at the door, holding a glass of water, and briefly locked eyes with Lin Sanjiu. However, she had an indifferent expression and turned away to disappear inside the house. Lin Sanjiu noticed that her nameplate read 'Greene.'
According to the map sign in the estate, there were 11 villas, all located on the beach, with a view of the sea from the living room. In the gentle sound of the waves, they approached the vicinity of villa F03 and saw a sign with 'Ito' written on it hanging at the entrance gate.
"Sis?" Ji Shanqing suddenly whispered to her, "Look..."
Lin Sanjiu stopped in her tracks and saw it, too. Overlooking the beautifully trimmed bushes in the courtyard, she could see the living room on the ground floor. She saw a corner of the living room with a sofa through the glass wall. An aging man with a dark complexion stood tall on the sofa, his eyes fixed on them, but she couldn't tell how long he had been watching.
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