Interactive Fiction: The Right Choice After Unemployment

Chapter 44 A New Journey?

Option 30 15%, Option 55 [-]%, Option [-] [-]%.

……

【Option [-]】

[The focus is on finding someone named Chu Huairen in reality]

……

The first three options are all high, and the fourth option is almost negligible.

"(...still get ready...)"

Zheng Zhuo took a look and put away the phone.walk into the store.

It has to be said that the options on the voting interface provided a great help for him to sort out his thoughts.

……

After apologizing to the store manager, Zheng Zhuo said that he was not feeling well, and his entry into the job would have to be postponed for some time.

The store manager didn't say much, but asked him to pay attention to his body, which made Zheng Zhuo very grateful.

...Gratitude is gratitude.In [Ocean World], where he saw a ghost, he saw that the chef on board who looked like the store manager gradually turned into a murloc. Zheng Zhuo really couldn't get close to his father and daughter in a short period of time.

"Ah, ah ha ha."

When the store manager asked him about the situation, he smiled dryly and quietly kept a distance from the two of them.

"I have nothing... yes, yes, do you work here too?"

He asked Xue Ying.

This topic turned too bluntly.The female student named Xue Ying couldn't help frowning.Zheng Zhuo also yelled "it's over" in his heart, slowly.

He hadn't been in a peaceful environment for a long time.He has forgotten how to use social words...

"The manager is my dad. I'm not a clerk."

However, Xue Ying is as kind as she was in [Small Town World].She still answered the question.

"My university is in this city."

Xue Ying named a university.Zheng Zhuo knew that university, it was an art school, not far from here...about five or six kilometers.

"When there is no class, I will come over to help look after the store." Xue Ying said.

She is in college!
Zheng Zhuo captured this key information.

In [Small Town World], Xue Ying said that she was at home because of the holiday.In [Ocean World], Xue Ying boarded the scientific research ship because of a school research project, but this is not the case in reality: she has no vacation, nor is she engaged in scientific research.

It seems that in the [Subconscious World], the characters on stage will use the appearance and interpersonal relationship of the characters in reality, but the inside is very different from the reality-it is like being covered with a certain identity.

So, what about character?

Zheng Zhuo touched his chin.

Xue Ying outside also answered her own question.In this way, there are also similarities in personality.

"Ah, that's it." Zheng Zhuo thought deeply, then said casually, "Then, your mother—"

Snapped.

He clapped his mouth shut.The shopkeeper and Xue Ying next to him were shocked.

"Ahaha... there are mosquitoes."

Zheng Zhuo continued to laugh dryly.

He almost asked the question "Is your mother still alive?"If he hadn't slapped himself on the mouth and stopped, someone else would have slapped him on the mouth by now.

Zheng Zhuo took a deep breath and looked around the shop.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of a picture frame under the counter.One of them is a group photo of the store manager, Xue Ying and another woman.

Although there are other possibilities...

But he thought that it would be better to treat the unfounded personal information in the [Subconscious World] as false.

……

Zheng Zhuo quickly left the small supermarket.Mainly, as the number of customers increased, he, as a "reserve clerk", was really embarrassed not to help.

But he can't stay there for long.He has other things to confirm.

Zheng Zhuo walked down the streets of the residential area.

Breakfast shop, vegetable market, grocery store, small restaurant...

"...Isn't this face too hard to remember?"

Zheng Zhuo couldn't help but said.

Along the way, he has been observing other people's faces.If it is said that passers-by in the subconscious world will appear in the image they recognize in reality, then remembering more people's faces will give you a sense of peace of mind.

Moreover, I can roughly judge the character of the person I meet...

...Zheng Zhuo thought so at first.

"(Too simple to think.)"

After walking through several alleys, Zheng Zhuo found himself thinking too little.

First of all, even if he tried his best to remember people's faces and talk to the shopkeepers, they were just meeting once—even if he asked Zheng Zhuo who he recognized, Zheng Zhuo would not be able to answer.

Secondly, Zheng Zhuo had a conversation with them.But it is much more difficult to understand the other party's character through brief communication than to remember their names and looks.

"……never mind."

Zheng Zhuo let out a long sigh.

"Don't delay doing the most important things."

……

Zheng Zhuo left the alley.This time, he came to a nearby park.He sat down on a bench, pulled out his phone, and started searching for a name online.

Chu Huairen.

This was the only name he knew of the participants other than himself.

"Chu Huairen...a historical figure? A character in a novel...wrong...what keyword..."

Children playing with a ball in the park run around.They played from noon to evening, and were surprised to see this big brother playing with his mobile phone on the bench, playing from noon to evening.

"His personality is [Wise Man]. [Wise Man] means...he has a strong thirst for knowledge and likes to get to the bottom of things...then maybe he has achieved results in a certain field?"

Zheng Zhuo began to add keywords.He kept searching for words such as "[Excellent Graduate] [Chu Huairen]", "[Excellent Employee] [Chu Huairen]", "[Responsible Person] [Chu Huairen]", from a large number of inexplicable Confirm the names of those people in the advertisement, and then confirm the identities of the parties one by one.

……confirm.

This is actually a glorified statement.In fact, what Zheng Zhuo did was to find the phone numbers of their companies—or simply their own cell phone numbers—and call them.

He didn't know how to confirm the other party, so he could only say, "Chu Huairen, do you know me? I'm Zheng Zhuo."

After being hung up by No.30 Chu Huairen, Zheng Zhuo also reflected on his actions.

"(I'm too suspicious... I myself would hang up on this kind of call...)"

He sighed.Start dialing No.30 two numbers.

This Chu Huairen is a teaching assistant at a certain university.

"(What a young teaching assistant.)"

Thinking about it, Zheng Zhuo called the school's Academic Affairs Office.

"Hello."

"Hello, I want to find an assistant named Chu Huairen here—"

"Wait a moment... ah."

A hesitant voice came from the opposite side.

"Assistant Chu followed the team to attend an academic conference abroad. He hasn't come back yet..."

"Haven't come back yet?"

Zheng Zhuo just asked a normal question, however, the other party mistook Zheng Zhuo for an insider and continued talking.

"He should have returned yesterday. But... anyway, it may be delayed. You can call back in a few days."

"OK, thanks."

After hanging up the phone, Zheng Zhuo was careful.He wrote down the address and phone number of the university.

"Could it be... this Chu Huairen?"

Zheng Zhuo was suspicious, but the other party went abroad!Even if he is determined to confirm the situation, it is difficult to do it...

Just when Zheng Zhuo was thinking.

suddenly.

hum.

His phone vibrated violently.

what happened?
Zheng Zhuo looked down, he saw the [Collective Subconscious] software, and a message popped up.

……

【warning】

[Dungeon World] Participants trigger the false truth, and the world will collapse within 100 seconds.

……

what! ?

Zheng Zhuo was shocked.

He remembered that among those eleven worlds, there seemed to be such a world as [Dungeon World].

In that world...is...who is coming...

——Not the time to recall such things!
Zheng Zhuo clicked on the [Collective Subconscious] icon, and this time, the software was successfully opened.

In the [Subconscious World] column, there is indeed a box for the world.

[Small Town World] and [Ocean World] that have already passed turned gray.Additionally, there are two lit worlds.

The first one is 【Dungeon World】.Moreover, it is emitting a dangerous red light at this moment.There is also a countdown on it.

The second one is [Pure White World].

Pure white world?

Zheng Zhuo immediately thought of the pure white space.

80, 79, 78...

Etc., etc.

"The countdown is falling!"

Zheng Zhuo shouted.

At this moment, [Subconscious Voting] slid out from the right.

……

【vote】

[A strange situation has appeared in the dungeon world!Now, what to do? 】

【Option [-]】

【Click 【Dungeon World】】

【Option [-]】

【Click【Pure White World】】

【Option [-]】

【Don't you all know that diving into the subconscious world is very dangerous?Life matters!no response]

　After [Option 1], [Option 1] and [Option [-]], you can leave a message in the form of [this chapter says]. A message under [-] id counts as [-] vote.

　　票数统计截至至2022/11/24日中午12：00.
　　Finally, please recommend tickets~
　　


(End of this chapter)