I drew a talisman to save the sun from its bleeding state.

Chapter 7 Game Friends

Zhou Zheng was moving his aching hands. Even with the Rejuvenation Technique, he would still need some time to recover, so he simply made a voice call.

"beep……"

The phone rang once.

"Wow! Master Zhou, are you being so direct? You're making a phone call right away!"

Xiaoxue's slightly flustered voice rang out.

Zhou Zheng massaged his palms: "I just finished practicing drawing talismans, my hands are so sore, I don't want to type."

Xiaoxue: "Oh...it seems being a master is quite tiring. You deserve to earn this money."

Zhou Zheng glanced at the time: "Still want to play? I'll order some takeout first, then we can play while I eat."

Xiaoxue: "Hahaha! Let's add each other as friends first, then we'll start! I'll be the host! I'll carry you, master! I'm a pro!"

Zhou Zheng: "...A wheelchair expert?"

Girl, you're already playing Wuxie, what more skills do you need?

Xiaoxue: "Never mind that, come on, let's create a flying star sea together!"

Zhou Zheng grabbed his phone and hurried to the bedroom. He opened his laptop and logged into the game: "Wait a minute, the game is updating. Okay, update complete. Let's begin."

Three hours later.

Zhou Zheng blushed as he looked at the failure settlement interface on the computer screen.

The phone is currently on its stand, and the voice interface is silent.

Zhou Zheng took a deep breath: "I trusted you so much, yet you made me lose so completely."

Xiaoxue's muttered voice came from the phone: "I didn't blow up the Star Sea, and you didn't ascend successfully... We're both in the same boat... I can't take all the blame."

Zhou Zheng: "Connect to video call."

"I won't answer, I'm afraid you'll yell at me."

Zhou Zheng forced a smile: "I'll take the video call."

"...Don't you dare insult me."

When the video call connected, Xiaoxue sat up straight like a well-behaved child in class, with her hands on the table and her large bed in the bedroom behind her.

Zhou Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to find a trace of ill intent on the war criminal's face: "You really didn't do this on purpose?"

Xiaoxue's eyes widened: "Why would a 400-hour player like me screw you over? Do you think I want to lose?"

Zhou Zheng: "Whose fault is it that my backyard is on fire?"

Xiaoxue sat up obediently: "It's my fault, I failed to protect it... But if your technology didn't run, whose fault is that?"

Zhou Zheng gasped slightly: "It's my fault."

Zhou Zheng held his head in his hands, completely bewildered: "Aside from the first fifty hours of the game when I lost, I haven't lost since. I don't understand, I really don't understand."

Xiaoxue sat obediently: "Don't be angry, we can just start another game. We'll definitely take off next time."

Zhou Zheng let out a breath and composed himself: "I'm not angry. Is it convenient for you to come out? There's a hotel near my apartment complex. I'll give you the location. You can take a car over, and we'll play games together in the hotel lobby. I want to see your gameplay in person. I really want to know how you managed to get killed by the computer even in a wheelchair-bound game like 'Warrior Disaster'."

Xiaoxue shrank back: "Do I have to come out?"

Zhou Zheng picked up the notebook next to him and opened it: "How am I supposed to know how you tricked me if I don't look at the data? I need to compare it with the combat data."

This is the first time this year that I've lost a match against the computer!

Xiaoxue looked at the densely packed numbers on her homework and swallowed hard: "Okay, great master, I'll be right there, wait for me for fifteen minutes."

Zhou Zheng put down his homework, rubbed his face with both hands, and couldn't believe that he had actually lost the game.

It feels like Usain Bolt has a limp, Zhang Tianshi has become a Buddha, or Lam Ching-ying has turned into a zombie.

Very bad.

I closed my laptop, packed it in my bag, grabbed my water bottle, and headed straight out to a hotel near the entrance of my apartment complex to wait for Xiaoxue.

Xiaoxue turned off the video call but kept the voice call going, occasionally reporting that she had gone out and was on her way, and that there were probably a few more intersections to go.

Zhou Zheng entered the hotel, sat directly on the table in the lobby, turned on his computer, connected to the WiFi, and waited for the war criminal Xiaoxue to arrive so he could thoroughly review how they had lost.

Fifteen minutes later, Xiaoxue obediently carried her laptop bag and pushed open the glass door of the hotel lobby, immediately spotting Zhou Zheng with a serious expression.

Xiaoxue swallowed hard, unconsciously standing even straighter, like a soldier seeing a general. She nervously walked over, took her laptop out of her bag, placed it on the table, and opened it directly, still on the game's results screen.

She even used a hotspot to connect to the internet.

Zhou Zheng didn't bother with any of that. He simply opened his notebook and read the saved file: "Theoretically speaking, in 20 years, you should have been... Look, your production capacity was already significantly reduced in 20 years. That's the consequence of neglecting operations! You war criminal!"

Xiaoxue shrank back slightly: "Is there any other problem?"

Zhou Zheng fell silent and began to meticulously examine the data to find out exactly how this war criminal had framed him.

Zhou Zheng looked at the data in the archive with a serious expression, his eyes moving between the two computer screens, and occasionally making notes and summaries in his notebook.

Xiaoxue was stunned, and suddenly realized that she had been playing a fool. This was the sense of responsibility and demeanor that the Star Sea Emperor should have.

A quick glance reveals production data, national policies, technology, ship equipment, cost-effectiveness, and more, all clearly written down, along with expert advice and comparisons.

Xiaoxue couldn't help but feel guilty, realizing she had hindered the Star Sea Emperor's great journey... Bullshit! I failed in the Martial Calamity, and you didn't ascend in the Literary Calamity! You're just a noob!

The poor students have too many stationery items!

Xiaoxue gritted her teeth, preparing to confront Master Zhou fiercely once he finished his examination.

I was startled just now and didn't perform well. Next up is the interstellar super diplomat, Ambassador Xiaoxue!

After reviewing the documents, Zhou Zheng looked relieved and said, "I've found the problem."

Xiaoxue raised an eyebrow: "Where? Whose problem is it?"

Zhou Zheng: "It's due to the price increase of our two warships."

Xiaoxue was stunned: "There's something wrong with the ship's equipment? That shouldn't be the case!"

Zhou Zheng remained silent, simply exiting the game and opening the game's update announcement.

Xiaoxue remained silent and leaned over to read the English version of the update announcement.

The two stared silently at the 4.3 version update announcement.

Xiaoxue took out her phone, opened the video of the Qingliu Cake blogger, and selected the video with the update announcement.

Zhou Zheng watched intently, his hands resting on the table.

Xiaoxue placed her phone on the keyboard and watched intently.

The two finished reading.

Zhou Zheng uttered a single sentence: "The damn game planner is teaching players how to play the game again."

Xiaoxue: "This is an update that no human could have come up with."

In short: because having too many warships causes game lag, warship prices have increased, and ship capacity has been reduced. A typical headache-inducing, costly approach.

The two exchanged a glance, immediately putting aside their differences, and turned their anger towards the game planner.

The fault was not in the fighting itself, but in the planning.

Zhou Zheng extended his hand, Xiao Xue grasped it, and the two shook it slightly, thus reaching a reconciliation.

Zhou Zheng: "I shouldn't have been involved in the Hongwen case."

Xiaoxue: "Actually, I shouldn't be so bad."

"Dog planner."

The two spoke in unison.

Zhou Zheng laughed: "Alright, take a rest. I'll take you home later."

Xiaoxue chuckled, "How about I treat you to milk tea? I saw a milk tea shop open on my way here."

Zhou Zheng stood up: "Thank you, rich lady, let's go."

The two, carrying laptop bags, walked out of the hotel lobby together and onto the street.

The night breeze was slightly cool, gradually dispelling the lingering chill of defeat.