Chapter 13: Mosquito Bane

"Big dumb pig! So stupid you deserve to die!" Gao Xiaojie stormed onto the dorm balcony, letting out a frustrated "Arghhh!" before rushing back to cling to Zhan Jing, wailing, "Jingjing, how can that pighead be that dumb? I thought he was sharp and clever, but he's dumber than a hog!"

Zhan Jing, having heard the soccer field saga, chuckled. "He probably blurted it out in the heat of the moment—didn't mean to drop an AoE attack that hit you all too. But he was sticking up for you, so don't take it too hard."

Gao Xiaojie wrinkled her cute little nose, sulking. "Who cares? Tons of guys chase me—I've seen every trick in the book! That creep—ugh, ptooey—thinks he's Beckham? He makes me sick. Like I'd fall for his crap!" She paused, then added, "If Chen Xu wasn't helping me out, I'd have flattened him on the spot for that line, dug a hole, buried him, and planted an old locust tree over his grave!"

A dorm mate piped up, "What's with the locust tree?"

Gao Xiaojie grinned wickedly. "Haven't you read Ghost Blows Out the Light? It's this year's hottest book—feng shui and tomb-raiding stuff. It says locust trees are 'wood' plus 'ghost,' pure yin energy. Plant one on a grave, and that creep's soul's trapped forever!"

The girls sweatdropped. "That's brutal!" one said. Another chimed in, "You're twisted, Xiaojie—reading creepy ghost stories?"

She cackled with mischief. "Yup, ghost stories! But it's so good. How about I share some juicy bits at tonight's pillow talk?"

Their faces paled. "If you dare, we're all piling into your bed and clinging to you all night!"

That should've scared her off, but Gao Xiaojie laughed. "Oh, my concubines can't wait, huh? Fine, your emperor will grace you tonight!" The girls froze, then groaned, "Zhan Jing, steer clear of this nut—she'll corrupt you!"

"No way! My Jingjing loves me best, right?" Gao Xiaojie spun around, then lunged, grabbing Zhan Jing's chest. "Ooh, bamboo shoot perfection! Such a nice feel!"

Zhan Jing clutched her assaulted spot, laughing, "Get lost, you hooligan! Enough fooling around—what jerseys are you picking for the team? You're obsessed with Beckham—Real Madrid or England? The '06 World Cup England kit was meh performance-wise, but it's gorgeous."

Real Madrid made Gao Xiaojie think of Liu Guang's smug No. 23—gross. She glanced at Zhan Jing, still flushed from the grab, looking adorable, and declared, "We're getting Fiorentina's!"

Zhan Jing blinked, then smiled. "Sure, why not? The Purple Lily's kit has always had flair—pretty too."

Gao Xiaojie squealed, "My darling Jingjing, don't you get it? I'm so lonely as the only manager! For the Purple Lily's sake, join me!"

Zhan Jing wanted to say no—she wasn't into the bustle, and managing meant responsibility. But as the refusal reached her lips, she met Gao Xiaojie's clear, pleading eyes and faltered. Sighing, she said, "Fine, I'll think about it."

Meanwhile, Chen Xu and crew were at Wang Dong's dorm.

The third-year Information Department guys lived in Building 14, fourth floor. Stepping inside, Chen Xu thought he'd stumbled into a bandit lair.

Wires—power and Ethernet—crisscrossed like a spiderweb or gnarled ancient roots sprawling everywhere. Four desks held computers, their monitors caked with dust. The concrete floor was a mess—cigarette butts, shoes, washbasins scattered about. The beds? Pigsties, piled with random junk.

Wang Dong waved them in. "Sit anywhere. College dorms are like this. You freshmen still have it neat—wait till you're our age."

Chen Xu and the others sweatdropped but plopped onto beds. Wang Dong passed out cigarettes—only Chen Xu took one.

He smoked occasionally—not addicted, just liked the light buzz it gave him. He'd picked it up in high school out of curiosity and the cool factor.

Lighting up, Wang Dong cursed, "That sleaze Liu Guang's begging for a beating, pawing at our department! Doesn't he know we're a pack of wolves with slim pickings—barely enough for ourselves?"

His third-year buddies joined in. "Liu Guang's a creep. He's hooked up with most decent-looking girls in Chemistry—dunno how far he got. Word is he knocked someone up last term, then dragged her to the hospital to fix it."

After the rant, Wang Dong got serious. "Sunday's match—watch out. Liu Guang's cocky for a reason. Chemistry's got some special athletic recruits this year, high sports scores—might have some ringers. Train with us this week, lock in your lineup, gel a bit, and set tactics. Practice hard. Even if you lose, don't make it a blowout."

He didn't sound optimistic.

Seeing Qin Xiao'an and the others' glum faces, Wang Dong took a drag, laughed heartily, and clapped Qin Xiao'an's shoulder. "Why so down? Chen Xu's right—freshman skill's from before college. Nothing you can do about it. Like you, Qin Xiao'an—you're captain 'cause you've got experience, right?"

Qin Xiao'an scratched his head with a goofy grin. Wang Dong pointed to a guy at a computer. "That's Xiao Mo—say hi. Freshman year, he'd never even watched a soccer game. Started from scratch, now he's our squad's main right-back. Back when I started, some English major was the 'Hexie Star'—killer skills. Now? Smokes and pulls all-nighters—washed up."

"So don't sweat it. One game's nothing. Our best seniors graduated, and the fourth-years are job-hunting, barely playing. You freshmen need to step up—don't tarnish our department's rep!"

Wang Dong's pep talk lit a fire under Qin Xiao'an and the crew—they howled like they'd chugged energy drinks. Wang Dong and his buddies traded looks, chuckling, "Young blood's got spirit! Not like us, all burnt out. Hell, with you lot so lively, I swear the mosquitoes in here are dropping!"

Right then, Chen Xu, mid-sip, sprayed water all over the nearby computer.

"Sorry, sorry!" He jumped up, but the senior waved him off, grabbing some grimy rag—or maybe a shirt?—to wipe it down. "What's with you? Mosquito bite? Maybe a big-mouthed one, with that reaction!"

Chen Xu mumbled he'd choked, but it was Wang Dong's mosquito line that got him.

September was peak mosquito season—bold and relentless. Every night, they'd battle the bugs in their nets for half an hour before daring to sleep. A few bites? Fine. But the buzzing—"bzzz, bzzz"—by your ear in the heat, when sleep was already fitful? Forget resting.

Chen Xu's go-to for any problem was Xiao Min, his AI assistant—be it tech or trivia (like those clueless folks asking Baidu's URL on Baidu). So, Xiao Min had hooked him up with a program: "Mosquito Bane."

It emitted ultrasonic waves—inaudible to humans, harmless too—that drove mosquitoes away. Hexie University's bugs were ferocious and inescapable, so Chen Xu kept it running 24/7. The waves didn't bother people or pets like cats and dogs. The catch? For certain "legendary" beings, it might attract a passing Superman or a wild Ultraman…

Wang Dong asked, "You play soccer?"

Chen Xu shook his head honestly. "Only on PlayStation or PC."

Wang Dong's disappointed "Oh" prompted Chen Xu to grin cheekily. "I can learn! I'm sharp—I'll pick it up fast."

The guys laughed, ribbing, "What do you think soccer is?" But Wang Dong slapped his hand down. "Alright, join us at training tomorrow—give it a shot."

Chen Xu beamed, "Sweet!" Then his left wristwatch buzzed faintly but persistently. Keeping cool, he said, "Senior, I gotta run—something came up." Outside, he sprinted to a quiet grove, entered a password, and opened the watch.

"Xiao Min, what's up?" Usually, he contacted her—rare for the computer to ping him.

"Hello! I'm notifying you: thanks to the bio-computer's cellular self-repair, a data sector's been restored and is now accessible."

"What's in it?"

"One of the 21st century's greatest inventions… the core program for the Virtual Reality System."