Chapter 77 Unexpected Events

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After downloading, Chi Dong stared at the login interface stupidly, his mind was blank. After a long while, he tried to press the number keys according to his long-lost memory, and he pressed a full 10-digit number.

Looking at this string of numbers that seemed familiar but not familiar, he was a little hesitant. It was too long ago, and it seemed to be this number, but the numbers in the middle didn't seem to be this one.

Sure enough, after the "Incorrect Username or Password" prompt popped up four times in a row, he compromised. Instead of trying blindly here, he might as well ask his high school classmates to help him find out what his previous Penguin ID was.

If after getting the number, it still says that there is an error, then he can only apply to retrieve the password, but he hopes that it won't come to that. He knows that the procedure for retrieving the password on Penguin is very complicated, and there are only a few people around him who still use Penguin. If he needs friends to verify his account, where can he find someone to help him verify it?

Chi Dong glanced at the time on the lower right corner of the desktop, and tried hard to recall which friends in high school had added his Penguin account. Finally, based on his memory, he found a few and asked them one by one.

The first person didn't reply to him, probably because he was busy. But fortunately, when he asked the second person, the person on the other side happened to be playing with his mobile phone, and he also happened to have the Penguin app. When he learned that Chi Dong wanted to get his Penguin account back, he didn't even ask and directly sent a screenshot to him.

The number on the picture is exactly what Chidong has been thinking about.

He thanked his friend in a hurry, and then began to struggle with how to log in. He struggled for a whole hour, and finally he logged in after trying the password for the fifth time.

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar interface in front of him, Chi Dong couldn't help but feel a little emotional, but that only lasted for a few minutes. When he came to his senses, he quickly entered the numbers on the paper, clicked search, and the next second he found the person he was looking for.

Chi Dong stared at the words "Add Friend" for a long time, thinking to himself: This should be the account of "Kill One Person in Ten Steps", right?

After hesitating for a moment, he finally pressed the "Add Friend" button, thinking that the person on the other side would not be online at this time. However, before he could close the search page, a familiar system cough sounded. He moved the mouse over and clicked on the small speaker, and a message popped up immediately saying "The other party has agreed to your friend request."

"He passed by so quickly, could he have been waiting for me to add him?"

Chi Dong was stunned for a few seconds before he reacted. At this time, the mobile phone was still on the table. He supported his chin with one hand leisurely, staring at the chat box on the screen without blinking. The other hand was also not idle. Out of curiosity, he clicked on Bu Qianli's avatar and checked his personal information.

There is not much character information on Bu Qianli Penguin. His nickname is almost the same as in the game, but it is simpler and reduced to two words - Shi Bu.

What surprised Chi Dong the most was that Bu Qianli's avatar was actually a pure white, long-haired, heterochromic cat. It was seen squatting on a sofa, and its owner seemed to be sitting next to it. Only two long legs in suits were visible in the picture, and the cat's left paw was resting on the man's leg.

The picture looks very warm.

Looking at the picture, Chi Dong somehow right-clicked and pressed the Save button. When he came to his senses, he found himself staring at the picture that he had inexplicably enlarged.

He rubbed his eye sockets somewhat uncomfortably. He had been looking at the computer and mobile phone for too long today and his eyes were starting to ache.

Although the application to add him was approved quickly, there was no message from the other party. Chi Dong wanted to send him a polite greeting, but he hesitated for a moment while typing, lowered his eyes to check the time, it was so late, so he decided not to disturb him.

*

"…The lover whispers in the dream, so leisurely and unknown…" At two o'clock in the morning, Chi Dong was sleeping soundly when he was suddenly awakened by a burst of ringing. Without even opening his eyes, he reached out to the bedside for his phone and answered it in a daze.

"Hello?"

"Dongdong, it's dad."

The familiar voice woke Chi Dong up suddenly. He sat up straight in bed with a serious look on his face.

"Dad, it's so late, why aren't you asleep yet? Is it because of Mom..."

"No, no, your mother is fine, don't worry." Father Chi hastily denied, and paused, "Are you busy with homework recently? Your mother...she said she missed you a little and couldn't sleep well at night, especially tonight. Not long after she lay down, she kept muttering your name."

Hearing the tone of Chi's father on the other end of the phone was not right, Chi Dong frowned, and a hint of anxiety appeared in his eyes. While comforting Chi's father, he switched to the ticket booking software. "I was originally planning to go back to see you tomorrow, so in this case, I will buy a ticket now and take the nearest bus back."

"No, no, it's so late now, it's not safe outside." When Chi's father heard that Chi Dong was going to come back now, he suddenly became anxious and hurriedly persuaded him, "I'll put your mother to bed first, and you can come back tomorrow. Don't worry, take your time."

Chi Dong was silent for a while, then said in a hoarse voice: "Then you guys have a good rest, I will buy the earliest ticket and rush back tomorrow morning."

"Okay, then we'll wait for you at home. Be careful." Upon learning that his son would be home tomorrow, a smile broke out on the weathered, dark face of the father. But the smile didn't last long before it was covered by the worry buried deep in his heart.

Father Chi told him to be careful on the other end of the phone, and after a few simple words, they hung up. After a long while, when the smell of cigarettes had mostly dissipated, Father Chi came back from the secluded balcony, looked up at the brightly lit living room in front of him, and couldn't help but sigh.

What if Dongdong finds out that they lied to him?

Early the next morning, Chidong rushed to the station after breakfast, quickly bought the nearest ticket, and took the high-speed train home.

It was less than a month since his last trip home. Since his mother's condition stabilized, he would buy tickets to go back and visit them at the end of every month.

It's just that the phone call from his late father in the middle of the night yesterday made him feel a little uneasy. You know, his father rarely calls him so late, not to mention that the tone of the person on the other end of the phone last night was very different from before.

All these abnormalities made him wonder if there was something wrong with his mother's condition.

Originally Chi Dong was thinking of packing up and going back in the afternoon, but given the current situation, he bought the earliest high-speed train ticket without thinking.

Sitting in the car, Chi Dong frowned and looked out of the window with a serious expression. He didn't even have the heart to appreciate the beautiful scenery along the way.

His home is in the city next to Beijing. The distance is not far, but not close either. It takes four hours to get there by high-speed rail.

When Chi's mother was diagnosed with the disease, Chi Dong persuaded them to stay in Beijing and rent a house so that he could come and look after them often.

But his proposal was quickly rejected by them. Chi's mother thought that Beijing's high consumption and low income, coupled with the high cost of renting a house and hospitalization, would definitely not have enough money if they stayed in Beijing.

Later, under Chi Dong's strong request, both sides took a step back, and finally the two chose to find a place to settle down in the city next to Beijing. It was not far from Chi Dong's city, and a four-hour drive away, which was also convenient for him to come back.

Four hours passed in the blink of an eye. Chi Dong swiped his card and walked out of the high-speed rail station with his backpack on his back, heading straight for the exit. In the past, he would take the subway for an hour before returning home, but now he always felt anxious, so he gritted his teeth and generously called a Didi to take him home.

When he got home, he rang the doorbell first. The bell rang for a long time but no one came to open the door. Chi Dong thought something had really happened at home. He panicked and sweated profusely. With shaking hands, he took out his cell phone and prepared to call his father and mother.

As a result, the next second after the call was made, a familiar ringtone came from the stairs.

His eyes suddenly widened, and he stared blankly at the staircase entrance where the ringing sound was getting louder and louder. Soon, two familiar figures appeared in front of him.

"Dad, Mom, where have you been?"

"Hey, Dongdong, you're back? Why didn't you tell dad? I could pick you up." Father Chi was supporting Mother Chi, who was breathing slightly, and spoke in surprise when he saw Chi Dong standing at the door of the house.

Chi's mother, who was standing nearby, was dragged by Chi's father to the vegetable market to buy vegetables early this morning. When they came back, the community elevator happened to be broken and the maintenance personnel were still repairing it. It would take at least two or three hours to fix it.

In the end, the two of them had no choice but to climb up the stairs. Fortunately, the house they bought was on the third floor, so they didn't have to climb very high and could just treat it as exercise.

As a result, when she came back, she saw her son standing at the door with a silly look on his face. Seeing this, she immediately smiled and squinted her eyes, "Oh, my Dongdong, you are finally back. Mommy missed you so much. Come and let mommy hug you."

After saying that, she opened her arms, rushed forward in two or three steps and hugged Chi Dong who was standing there in a daze. Chi Dong was tightly held by her. While hugging him, she kept talking, "Oh my goodness, why have you lost weight again? Did you not eat well at school? Look at you, you have become so thin. Come in with mom, I will make you your favorite fried meatballs."

Since she fell ill, Chi's mother has changed her gentle and virtuous character and has become more lively and cheerful. Every time Chi Dong comes back, she will cook by herself regardless of others' objections, and she even calls it a show of her cooking skills.

Chi Dong and Chi's father couldn't persuade her, so they followed her to help, washing vegetables, cutting meat, etc. After they finished their meal, Chi Dong took advantage of Chi's mother cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen and dragged Chi's father, who was watching the news, to the balcony. He wanted to ask what happened during this period.

"Dad, tell me the truth, is Mom..."

"What are you talking about? Your mom is fine. We called you so late last night because we missed you, especially your mom. She was thinking about you all the time. Whenever she had some free time, she would tell me why you hadn't come home yet. That's why I called you."

Chi Dong was not completely relieved by his father's explanation, "But..."

"Oh, don't worry, I'll take care of everything for you." Father Chi patted his shoulder and signaled him not to be so nervous.

“………”Chi Dong still had doubts in his mind. He knew his parents. As far as he could remember, they had never called him so late at night. Chi Dong was sure that they were hiding something from him.

"Dad, my mom is not here. Just tell me the truth. I can handle it."

Seeing his stubborn determination, his father sighed and was silent for a long time before he slowly spoke, "Some time ago, we went to the hospital for a follow-up visit. The doctor told us that a new batch of drugs for your mother's treatment had been imported into the country. The effect would be more significant and much better than the current ones. However, since it is a new drug, the price is not that cheap, and it cannot be reimbursed by medical insurance. It can only be purchased at the original price."

Chi Dong said firmly: "Since there is a better medicine, we must buy it."

"Listen to me first. This new medicine requires at least three courses. I calculated the cost and estimated that it will cost tens of thousands of dollars, which will require the tuition and living expenses we saved for you. I originally planned to buy a course to try the effect, but your mother directly refused, saying that she would not change the medicine and would only take the old one."

Father Chi paused and continued in a low voice: "But after returning, her physical condition has become worse and worse, her mental state is not good, she can't fall asleep until very late at night, and she wakes up easily in the morning, so I am wondering whether to..."

"The medicine must be bought, and as for the money, you don't have to worry. I saved some money from my part-time job before, you can use it first. After this semester, we will go for internships in our majors, and once I find an internship, tuition and living expenses will not be a problem." Chi Dong took out a bank card from his bag without thinking and handed it to his father. Tuition and living expenses were not a big problem. If it was really not possible, he could apply for a student loan or borrow money from his eldest brother and others, and then pay it back later.

Since there is a medicine that can speed up treatment, he will buy it no matter how much money it costs. He never wants to see his mother endure discomfort rather than buy new medicine for the sake of money.

Father Chi nodded, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took out one of them and lit it, looked straight ahead, sighed lightly, and said to Chi Dong with full of guilt, "It's all Dad's fault for being useless. I couldn't give you and your son a stable home."

Chi Dong frowned, disagreeing with what he said, "Dad, don't let your imagination run wild. As long as the three of us live a good life, that's the happiest and most joyful thing."

"Well, let's not say these sad words. Don't tell your mother about buying medicine. If the construction site hadn't delayed paying wages this time, I wouldn't have been forced to use your tuition and living expenses."

Chi Dong comforted her, "It's okay. A friend recently recommended me a very good part-time job. The money I save is enough for my living expenses, so you don't have to worry so much. Don't help us save tuition fees privately. I can handle the money myself."

"But you are still so young. You look like a greenhouse flower that has never experienced the harsh beatings of society."

Chi Dong smiled and said, "Don't worry about it. I've grown up. I'm no longer the person who was bullied and hid behind others. Besides, I'm going to work in a company in the near future. With my salary, I can help support the family."

The father looked at his son who had grown taller than him without him noticing, and a relieved smile appeared on his dark face. "Yes, our Dongdong has grown up and can be the pillar of the family. Dad is proud of you." As he spoke, he patted his shoulder and said, "The wind is strong, let's go back quickly."

"What are you two talking about on the balcony? Why don't you come into the living room and sit down?" Mother Chi came out of the kitchen and found that no one was in the living room. She heard faint voices coming from the balcony, so she walked over. Sure enough, she saw two people standing on the balcony chatting. I don't know what they were talking about. They were so engrossed that they didn't even hear the shouts of others.

"Nothing, I just came out for some fresh air. I'm getting ready to go back." Chi Dong nodded. Noticing that Chi's mother didn't look well, he quickly stepped forward and helped her towards the living room. The balcony was windy, and if they caught a cold from the wind, it would be a disaster for both Chi's mother and them.

In the next few days, Chi Dong stayed at home with his parents. Since he didn't bring his computer back, he had to ask Bu Qianli to help him go online.

As for why they were so familiar with each other, it was mainly because after adding each other as friends that day, Bu Qianli contacted him on Penguin from time to time. The two of them didn't chat for long, and they just talked about things related to the game, such as the latest updated content, gameplay, and some ways to play new copies. Occasionally, she would also ask him about his recent situation, and small things like when he would return to school and play games.

Moreover, Bu Qianli would post some interesting stories every now and then and tell him some interesting things that happened in the game recently. For example, the most shocking thing was that Kikuka was actually together with Sword and Abyss in real life.

When he learned about this, Chi Dong was peeling melon seeds. He was so frightened that he almost dropped half a bowl of melon seeds he had worked so hard to collect to the ground. Fortunately, he was quick-witted and grabbed the bowl in time, otherwise he would have fainted from crying.

It was seven days later when he returned to school. He had no classes for two of these seven days, and he asked his counselor for three days off for the other three days. Finally, with the weekend, he managed to spend a whole week with his parents.

He also took the opportunity to ask Chi's father to go to the hospital to buy new medicine under the pretext of being out, and then the two of them secretly poured the new medicine into the bottle of the old medicine to prevent Chi's mother from noticing.

Fortunately, because Chidong stayed by her side the whole time, she didn't realize that her regular medicines had been replaced by someone else, as she had forgotten about her husband after having a son.

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To be continued tomorrow!!