Spiritual Recovery: Gamification of Reality

Chapter 14

As soon as Xu Bai got out of the car, he felt like he had returned to the past.

Electric scooters were making their way across the streets, and there were some parked at the entrance of the community. There were stalls lining the streets, hawking vegetables, fruits, fish and meat.

The lively sounds of the market and the indescribable smell of life that filled the air assaulted his senses.

This was where Xu Bai had lived since he was young.

Jiuchang Community was located in the Dongcheng Area. Like other communities, it was in a rather awkward position in Feng City.

To put it simply, the city council had wanted to demolish and rebuild this community since 20 years ago, but it had not succeeded in doing so to this day.

On the one hand, it was because many of the inhabitants did not want to leave the area they had grown up in, while on the other hand, the issue of relocation and compensation had not been managed well.

However, none of this had anything to do with Xu Bai.

He did not care much about where he lived. Rather than spend money to improve his living conditions, he would rather save it to pay for his sister’s medical expenses.

After all…

A house with family was a home, while a house without family was just a place to sleep.

“Hey, Little Bai, you’re back.”

“Yes, Uncle Xu.”

“It’s time you got off work, Little Bai.”

“Yes, Auntie He.”

“I see you haven’t bought any vegetables yet. Just in time then. Take some of mine back with you.”

“There’s no need for that.”

“Don’t refuse. Take them.”

By the time Xu Bai passed through the streets and arrived at his own building, he was carrying several bags of vegetables, fish, and pork in his hands.

These had not cost him a single cent.

Xu Bai did not rely on his reputation or identity as a police officer to get these, but rather on the goodwill of the aunties and uncles in the community.

Xu Bai looked down at the bags in his hands and shook his head helplessly.

‘I probably won’t be able to finish consuming these in a week,’ Xu Bai thought to himself as he fished out his keys and opened the old-fashioned door. Then, he walked into the corridor with the bags in his hands.

“What a good fellow! Is he extorting others?”

“Nope, those were given voluntarily.”

“Really?”

After Xu Bai was discharged from the hospital, Zheng Sen and Gu Hongyu had been following Xu Bai from afar. Now, they were standing at the entrance of the community, watching as Xu Bai walked into the corridor with a pile of stuff.

They continued their discussion as Xu Bai continued to climb the stairs.

“Didn’t you see? Basically, those people forced him to accept those gifts.”

Gu Hongyu frowned.

“Is this guy that popular?”

Gu Hongyu thought about Xu Bai’s attitude when she and her colleague went to the hospital to look for him. She then looked at the auntie who was cleaning up some dishes and asked curiously, “Auntie, who was the person who just passed by? The person whom everyone was fighting to give things to?”

Auntie Wang, who was cleaning up the dishes, was slightly stunned to be asked a question out of the blue.

However, when she realized who they were referring to, she happily replied, “Oh, you mean Little Bai?”

“Right, why are these people fighting to give him stuff?”

“That’s because everyone likes Little Bai.”

“…”

Auntie Wang noticed Gu Hongyu’s suspicious gaze and smiled. Then, she started talking about Xu Bai.

To put it simply, Xu Bai had helped every family in the Jiuchang community, some more than once.

From helping to look after other people’s children, to accompanying the old grannies and grandpas who lived alone to register and get checkups at the hospital, to helping the children of various families with tuition for free…

In short, within the Jiuchang community, you could mess with anyone, but if you messed with Xu Bai, then you would be messing with everyone in the community.

In this community, even if someone like Gao Qiang came, his words would hold less sway than Xu Bai’s words.

Gu Hongyu was shocked when she heard that. She felt that it was all a little unreal. After all, the Xu Bai that the auntie described as kind and righteous was completely different from the Detective Xu that she had met.

Also…

“Gao Qiang?”

Gu Hongyu frowned and asked curiously, “Auntie, who is this Gao Qiang?”

The middle-aged woman held the bowl in her arms. “He’s the boss of the Qiangyi Group in Feng City. He’s also our old neighbor. He’s been trying to spearhead the demolition of this area for the past two years. We don’t know much about this matter, but we know one thing. If Xiao Bai doesn’t agree, we definitely won’t agree.”

After saying that, the middle-aged woman carried the washed dishes and walked off.

Gu Hongyu looked at her colleague, Zheng Sen.

“Why does it feel like he’s a completely different person?”

Zheng Sen drank the soup in his bowl.

“Don’t bother with it. It’s time to go.”

“Aren’t we going to keep an eye on him?”

“If we keep watching, I’m afraid we’ll be killed here.”

“What?”

Gu Hongyu was momentarily stunned before she followed Zheng Sen’s gaze.

The middle-aged woman who had just been washing the dishes was talking to a group of people on the other side. From time to time, she would look in their direction.

Good heavens!

Ten minutes later.

Xu Bai received a call from his neighbor, who told him that Auntie Wang had met two bad guys who were asking about him.

Based on the information she provided, the ordinary-looking Zheng Sen was described as a shifty-looking man, while Gu Hongyu was described as a promiscuous woman.

After Xu Bai heard this, he suspected that Liu San had come back from the dead. However, when Auntie Wang’s son, Wang Qiang, pulled out the surveillance footage for Xu Bai to examine, he realized that Auntie Wang had been referring to those two agents from the Department of Homeland Security.

“Brother Bai.”

“Yes?”

Wang Qiang, who did not manage to get into university, had been staying at home to help the family business. He looked at Xu Bai and asked “Do you know these two strangers?”

Xu Bai smiled.

Wang Qiang nodded and looked at Xu Bai’s face.””Are you here to cause trouble for Brother Bai?”

Xu Bai smiled and looked at Wang Qiang.

“What? Are you hoping that I’m in trouble?”

Wang Qiang quickly shook his head. “That definitely won’t happen. If these two people are looking for trouble with you, I’ll tell the group later. I guarantee that the next time these two people step into our community, they won’t be able to return!”

Xu Bai’s mouth twitched. “No return? This isn’t some sort of movie plot.”

Wang Qiang chuckled.

“In any case, even if there is trouble, just tell us. The 20,000 young and old we have here will support you.””

Xu Bai smiled and patted Wang Qiang’s shoulder. “Alright, go back and help your mother.”

“Yes,” Wang Qiang hurriedly replied before turning around and leaving.

Xu Bai stood in the corridor and looked out at the street. After some time, he smiled and turned around, returning to his empty, cold, and lifeless home.

…