Interactive Fiction: The Right Choice After Unemployment

Chapter 4

24.2% for option one, 12.1% for option two, 6.1% for option three, 9.1% for option four, 39.4% for option five, and 9.1% for option six.

……

【Option [-]】

[A small town that looks ordinary at first glance]

……

"Does that mean—everyone thinks the safest town is—is it—"

Zheng Zhuo's first reaction was not to follow the option with the largest number of people.

He didn't call it out again!This time, it was obvious that the software jumped out by itself, so there might be some conspiracy.

"..."

But Zheng Zhuo's head, which was dazed by the high-altitude blowing, couldn't make up his mind for a while.

Rather, he himself felt that the town looked the most normal.

Zheng Zhuo looked down.

I heard that as long as you fall from a high enough place, the sea will become as hard as concrete...

"Okay! A small town is a small town! A small town!!!"

He tried to move his body in the direction of the town.Soon, he felt himself accelerating.

Amid the howling wind, Zheng Zhuo lost consciousness.

……

…………

………………

When Zheng Zhuo came back to his senses, he was standing blankly at the entrance of a small town.

What was I... just now?

The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on the trails in the town, the wind blew past with the smell of green grass, and his head started to work slowly.

Yes, yes, he is here to travel.Next, he is going to stay at the hotel in the small town...

Zheng Zhuo walked in dully, and looked at the plaques on the top of the house one by one.

There are not many pedestrians and houses in the small town.Soon, he found the only hotel in the town.

The hotel looks like it has been around for a while, and the exterior presents just the right amount of dilapidation.Just like this small town.

"Haha, I seem to be always looking for a store recently."

After saying the words, Zheng Zhuo was stunned for a moment.

Recently?
when?
Remember, applying for a job at a supermarket...

"what!"

Zheng Zhuo raised his head abruptly.He remembered everything.

After losing his job, he went to a supermarket to apply for a job. There, he encountered a loss of control of the mobile phone software.After returning home, he was sent here by the mobile phone software.

"..."

Mobile phone.

When Zheng Zhuo thought of this word, the display screen of the software appeared on his left side, which startled him.

He looked around hastily.Two passers-by walked past him, and looked strangely at Zheng Zhuo who suddenly turned his head.

It seems that no one else can see that display.

Zheng Zhuo looked at the page again.

The part of [Subconscious World] was fixed, changing from swirling colors to a panorama of the town.There is also a line at the top of it:

【Small World】

On the right side of the town world, a card is also overlaid.The card shows a man wearing an aviator hat, holding a telescope and a map.

There is a line of small characters below the card.

【Explorer】

……

Explorer?
Zheng Zhuo didn't know what this meant.With a thought in his mind, the page turned.

[Subconscious vote] is displayed.

This page is still the same as before.

……

Is this a very realistic dream?
Zheng Zhuo was completely unable to think of a reasonable explanation for the current situation.He walked into the hotel blankly.

A very lively porch.On the left hand side is the upward staircase, and on the right hand side is the counter.behind the counter...

behind the counter.

It's someone beyond imagination.

……

"A female student from a small supermarket!?"

Zheng Zhuo couldn't help crying out.

That's right.The one behind the counter is undoubtedly the female student Zheng Zhuo saw wearing black-rimmed glasses and with a mushroom head cut when he was applying for a job in the store in reality.

"Hello?"

The female student looked a little puzzled.Zheng Zhuo has also seen this expression before.When he yelled that his mobile phone was on fire, he rushed out of the store.

"You...you don't know me?"

"..."

"Ah, it's nothing. I'm here to stay at the hotel. My name is Zheng Zhuo."

Zheng Zhuo hurriedly covered up.

"Let me see... ah. It's Mr. Zheng Zhuo who made an appointment by phone, right?"

Zheng Zhuo didn't remember that he had made an appointment by phone.But he nodded anyway.

"Your room is at 204. Here is your key."

"Thank you."

Zheng Zhuo accepted the key handed to him by the female student.He heard the voice of "Is there a guest here—" from the place behind the counter, which was probably the kitchen.

A bald head poked out.

Is the manager of a small supermarket.

Zheng Zhuo was not as surprised as before.

……

Back in the room, Zheng Zhuo took off all his clothes from head to toe, and went through every pocket carefully.

The conclusion was hopeless: he carried almost nothing.

No keys (except the 204 key I just received), no identity documents, not even a mobile phone.There is only one wallet all over the body, and there are about [-] yuan scattered in it.

Three hundred yuan.If the store manager asked him to pay the rent in the end, he couldn't even afford it.

The only thing that Zheng Zhuo can be thankful for now is that the only thing left is that he still speaks Chinese.

"Hey... mobile phone."

He said.

Now, he somehow discovered one thing: as long as he said or thought of the word "mobile phone", the software called [Collective Subconscious] would appear out of thin air, as if some kind of stereoscopic projection had been turned on.

"Ok?"

Zheng Zhuo, who opened this page again, suddenly found something different.

A green percentage progress bar appeared under [Small Town World].

The percent progress bar is now only one point in progress.There are numbers at the end.

2.3%.

……

What does it mean?Zheng Zhuo thought in his heart, "Please forgive me, I'm not good at using my brain", and he had to start thinking.

Percent progress bar.It has risen a little, does it mean your own progress?Or what did you do after you arrived here?
If you want to talk about what you have done...

Only saw the boss and the boss's daughter at the door.

Thinking of this, Zheng Zhuo got up abruptly and ran out——

—then ran back again and began to dress.

……

Zheng Zhuo took two steps in three steps, jumped down from the stairs, and landed right in front of the female student who was holding a large bundle of curtains and was about to clean them.

"what!"

"Excuse me!"

Zheng Zhuo held out his hand.

"I'm really sorry for scaring you... for scaring you for the second time. Ah, you probably don't remember the first time. No no, that's not the point. I want to ask some questions...uh, uh, about hotels and …surrounding tourist attractions, etc.”

He opened his mouth to ask, but he didn't look directly at the female student, but stared at his left front, as if there was something there.

Zheng Zhuo was more like a suspicious person than a suspicious person.Still, the schoolgirl is clearly a good guy.

After a long period of suffocating silence, she still answered Zheng Zhuo's inappropriate question.

……

really.

When Zheng Zhuo returned to the room again, he showed his first smile after coming here.

After pestering the female student to ask about a series of local geographical locations, cultural conditions, key economic development, scenic spots and landscapes, the new progress bar increased from 2.3% to 6.9%.

According to Zheng Zhuo's observation, not all problems will increase the progress bar.The problems that can make the progress bar grow also contribute differently to the progress bar growth.

However, Zheng Zhuo at least knows one thing: the more he knows about this world, the more progress he will make.

Very good!It seems that as soon as I learn more about the world, the progress bar turns to 100%.

After becoming 100%, there should be good things, right?It might be time to go back.

it is good!Ask everyone in the town tomorrow!
It's amazing how quickly I can think of a solution.

Zheng Zhuo laughed alone in the dark room with a "hehehe".Before long, he fell asleep contentedly.

……

Zheng Zhuo slept soundly until he was woken up by the bell.

Boom, boom, boom.

The bell echoed in the night sky, striking a full twelve times.

"...Hiss... ringing the bell at midnight...?"

Zheng Zhuo covered his head and sat up from the bed.

A faint white light lit up in the room.The weird window opened by itself as he woke up.

Zheng Zhuo saw at first sight that there was an extra line of words under [Small Town World]—below the progress bar.

……

Tonight's winner:
【clown】

……

And at the same time.

He saw the green progress bar turn red.

Percentages are falling.

From 6.9%, down to 4.1%.

　There is no voting session for this update.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)