Chapter 1: Fancy a game? The kind where you crack open skulls before playing.

"You say you're a comedy actor, so why the long face every day? You gotta perk up!"

At an old goods store named "Next Life" in the Outer City District of Xinhu City, an elderly man was comforting the only customer in the store.

"My whole family loves watching your show; we're all your fans. Our meals just don't taste the same without watching your program."

The old man rambled on for a while, and only then did the young man standing in a corner of the store slowly turn around.

He appeared to be in his twenties, casually dressed, with messy hair. He wasn't particularly handsome, but there was an indescribable melancholy about him, "The show I was involved in has stopped airing, and I was let go by the company three days ago."

"It's okay, with your acting skills, we can go look for work in a production crew if we have to."

The store owner was very enthusiastic, but the young man just shook his head upon hearing this, choosing not to continue the conversation, "Boss, I've pretty much played through all the secondhand games here. Have any new games arrived recently?"

"Oh, there are some, but given your current situation, I suggest you stay away from games that are too intense or bloody." The store owner brought out a heavy, black box from underneath the counter, its material a mystery, "Have you ever tried a healing-type game before?"

"Healing-type game?"

"You know, the kind with heartwarming graphics, soothing music, and plots that bring a knowing smile to your face. They capture many beautiful moments of life and can give players a positive boost." The owner said as he opened the black box, taking out a somewhat worn secondhand gaming helmet, "Technology is advancing rapidly, but the feeling of happiness and joy is becoming scarce. Young people nowadays face all sorts of pressures, and a good healing-type game can relax the nerves and warm the heart. I think you should give it a try."

Accepting the gaming helmet from the store owner's hands, the young man hesitated for a while before finally nodding, "Boss, what's this game called?"

"Perfect Life."

…

After paying, Han Fei put on his mask and pulled down his cap brim before leaving the secondhand store, cradling the gaming helmet. He wasn't so much worried about being recognized; he simply preferred not to engage with strangers.

Back in his rented room, Han Fei gradually relaxed. He switched on the TV to a random channel and then went to the bathroom to wash his face with cold water.

Since graduating from Xinhu Film and Television Institute, he had worked tirelessly every day, aspiring to become a comedy actor who could make everyone laugh.

But sometimes effort doesn't guarantee reward, and he, without any connections, worked doggedly from behind the scenes to in front of the camera, finally getting a chance to be seen, only to be pushed out of the company for some reason.

Water droplets slid down his cheeks. Han Fei looked at his reflection in the mirror, hooking his fingers at the corners of his mouth, trying to force a smile.

Every day, he thought of ways to make others laugh, but suddenly, one day, he found he couldn't laugh himself anymore.

With a soft sigh, Han Fei tore off several pieces of paper from above the mirror, all of which were densely covered with the same sentence— the best actor is you in life.

Emerging from the bathroom, Han Fei approached his desk and began to examine the gaming helmet on it.

He had heard about "Perfect Life" quite some time ago; it's said to be a deep immersion virtual reality game jointly released by Deep Space Technology and Eternal Life Pharmaceutical, the first in the world to simulate actual tactile, taste, and olfactory sensations, proclaiming to be the ultimate form of gaming. In theory, if a player has no material desires, they could even live in it forever.

It sounded far-fetched, but with the backing of two tech titans like Deep Space Technology and Eternal Life Pharmaceutical, even the most unbelievable things could become reality, especially given the advent of the Intelligence Revolution and the Biotechnology Revolution, during which the two giants have already created numerous miracles.

The game actually sparked heated debate at the time of its proposal. Deep Space Technology is a behemoth in the aerospace, artificial intelligence, and communications sectors, constantly pursuing cutting-edge technology research with the goal of colonizing outer space, while Eternal Life Pharmaceutical is a juggernaut in biogenetic technology and human neural engineering, striving to unravel the ultimate mysteries of life.

Two internationally top-tier companies, with no previous connections to the gaming industry, were willing to tilt substantial resources into developing a game, which baffled many industry insiders about what they were really thinking.

Online opinions about "Perfect Life" were mixed; some felt that the game's main appeal was its warm and healing style, allowing players to experience and simulate a variety of lives, essentially creating an artificial Heaven, where one could obtain everything they wanted in a virtual city and realize all their dreams.

Others said this adult game had almost no moral or ethical limitations, with various in-depth gameplay that could completely obliterate human nature.

In fact, since the first beta test of "Perfect Life," departments related to judicial and moral construction had already been stationed within Deep Space Technology.

Other game beta tests usually invite experienced players and professional reviewers, but most testers for this game were staff members from government-related departments.

From this alone, one could see the extraordinary nature of this game.

Han Fei was trying a deep immersion virtual reality game for the first time and, to be cautious, he searched the internet for a lot of information related to "Perfect Life."

With involvement and oversight from the relevant departments, "Perfect Life" had already undergone five internal tests and three significant changes. Tonight at midnight, it was going to have its sixth internal test, and if everything went well, this test would also be the last one before the open beta.

"The game isn't publicly tested yet, how did the boss of the secondhand store get a hold of a game helmet? Does he have some internal channels? Besides, I saw online that 'Perfect Life' didn't release any game helmets; what they developed is called a Space Game Box, and it's priced at twenty times that of a regular game helmet."

After much thought, Han Fei felt he might have been deceived; the game included with the helmet might just be a counterfeit with the same name as "Perfect Life."

However, since he had already purchased it, Han Fei thought it best to give it a try.

He connected all the wires and, seeing the indicator light up, put the game helmet on his head.

His vision was obscured, darkness enveloped everything, and Han Fei felt as if he had been thrown into a black sea.

He couldn't see anything, but he could still hear the sound of the news broadcast on the TV.

"News for December 31st, the construction of Xinhu Smart City is entering its final stages, and the emergence of a fully automated, interconnected intelligence city will become a milestone in human history."

"News for December 31st, the anti-monopoly investigation into Deep Space Technology by multiple countries has been launched again."

"News for December 31st, in order to protect the welfare of citizens, our government has decided to increase investment in education and technology, unlocking more high-tech industries and cultivating more high-quality talents."

"News for December 31st, a serious fire broke out on Antique Street in the Outer City District of Xinhu City, and several secondhand stores were destroyed. Arson has not been ruled out."

The sounds by his ears grew fainter, and at some moment, the world before Han Fei's eyes suddenly turned blood-red.

Strange noises began to emerge from inside the game helmet, and instinctively Han Fei felt uneasy. Just as he was about to remove the helmet, an intense pain emanated from the back of his head, as though a steel needle had pierced his skull, implanting something deep into his brain.

"Biological file upload successful, memory file upload successful, neural connection successful, primary administrator account activated, authority number 0000..."