Mini World Game Console

"Son, do you still need your computer?"

Late at night, his mother called to ask such a question, putting Ren Suo on high alert instantly. "Which cousin has taken a liking to my computer? Please don't give it away; there's very important data on it."

Although Ren Suo had a desktop PC and a laptop in Lianjiang City, he always took good care of the old computer at home. At the very least, it allowed him to play a few rounds of fighting games with his sister whenever he visited.

Not to mention, the old computer held many treasures: old-style RPG game saves, photos from middle and high school, and most importantly, an assortment of textual, pictorial, and audiovisual media Ren Suo had collected since puberty, including unlocalized foreign games.

Losing the computer wasn't a big deal, but what if his relatives discovered those treasures? Corrupting his cousins wouldn't be a major issue, but what if word got out?

Purely for the sake of his cousins, Ren Suo felt he had to persuade his mom not to dispose of his computer carelessly!

"It's not for giving away," Ren's mother said. "Listening to you, do you think I'm the kind of person who would sacrifice her son's property to please relatives?"

"That's good to know." Ren Suo breathed a sigh of relief. "So why are you asking then?"

"I was thinking of burning it. It looks worthless."

"Why on earth would you burn it when it's perfectly fine?" Ren Suo was stunned. "That's a graphics card, not a gas stove!"

"What gas stove?" Ren's mother retorted. "If you have no use for it, then I'll just burn your computer for your grandparents. Buying a new one would be too expensive, and you barely use that one more than a few times a year... When you come back, can't you just use a computer at an internet cafe?"

"Wait, wait, wait—" Ren Suo exclaimed. "You're burning my computer to give to my grandparents?"

Ren Suo's paternal grandparents had passed away before he was even born. His impression of them consisted mainly of their names on the Shinto Priest's spirit tablets and their aged black-and-white photos.

His family had never been superstitious; they would only go to burn incense and worship their ancestors during the Qingming Festival. Since starting college, Ren Suo had even shelved that activity—traveling back and forth between Lianjiang City and his hometown, Baiyun City, cost a fair bit of money and energy!

With that kind of time and vacation, wouldn't it be better to stay in the dorm and play games? When Ren Suo played games, he would genuinely, from the bottom of his heart, thank the Ren family ancestors, much like he'd thank Qu Yuan.

Besides, when Ren Suo usually visited home, he would also greet his grandparents and light an incense stick as a token of respect, which was considerate enough.

Why would Mom suddenly want to burn a computer for his grandparents? Even if they were to burn offerings, they should be paper replicas, not actual items, right?

Ren's mother said, "Oh, son, don't you go online? Do you know Ren Naiser? The one who posts Supernatural videos online—he released a new movie! Tsk, tsk, tsk, you can watch it online; no need to go to the cinema. Don't you think he's a bit touched in the head, not making money when he could?"

Ren Suo mumbled, "…I know Ren Naiser, and I've seen his movie. So, what does this have to do with my computer…"

"It's all the rage online now! His movie proves that this world has ghosts!

"Dead people, as long as we burn incense for them daily, might still be 'alive'!

"And the houses, money, and cars we burn for them—they can receive them too!"

Ren's mother continued, "Didn't you see at the end of the movie? Those people were also burning things to bless their living family members. If burning things is useful for the living, then it's useful for the dead too! Besides, burning stuff doesn't cost much, and we should let them enjoy a flavorful and spicy life down below."

"Our residential complex has been burning things from early morning until now; the smoke hasn't even cleared outside. Everyone's eager to burn things for their ancestors, hoping their ancestors will protect them in return. Remember Aunt Wang who lives upstairs from us?"

"I don't remember." Ren Suo spent barely a few months at home each year; how could he remember all those gossipy women.

"The one whose son scored fifty points higher than you in the college entrance exams."

That jogged Ren Suo's memory. She was the boastful auntie he had dreaded seeing the most after his college entrance exams. "Oh, that particularly arrogant one… What about her?"

"Her son just had a granddaughter, and she's been burning the most impressive things in the whole building! She doesn't burn paper models; they're all clay models—cars, amusement parks, cinemas, stadiums.

"I heard her father-in-law used to love listening to crosstalk. Her son even bought a life-size wax figure of a crosstalk performer to burn. Moreover, she said her father-in-law might feel lonely watching crosstalk by himself, and since he used to enjoy writing, her son also bought several dozen mannequins to burn, to serve as an audience and friends for him.

"We really had our eyes opened today; those mannequins looked so realistic."

Ren's mother clicked her tongue in amazement. "Her family is spending so much just hoping their ancestors will bless her granddaughter, son, and daughter-in-law to casually awaken some power. Of course, making a fortune on the side and ensuring the whole family is immune to all diseases wouldn't be bad either…"

"Wow, she's trying to strong-arm her ancestors in the underworld," Ren Suo commented. "So, you guys burning my computer… the purpose is…"

"Hey, your dad and I aren't like that," Ren's mother said. "It's just that everyone else was paying tribute to their ancestors. Normally, we'd worry about the smoke from burning offerings affecting the neighbors, but since everyone's doing it now, we don't have to worry. So, we just burned a few things casually."

"Then you should have bought paper ones to burn…"

"We have paper ones too, including the latest MacBook model. Your computer is just a backup, in case the elderly aren't used to foreign goods," Ren's mother explained.

Ren Suo couldn't be bothered to correct her that Microsoft's operating system was also a foreign product. "Well, you didn't have to go so overboard with the burning then. Didn't you say you didn't have any particular requests?"

"Although I said that, if our ancestors want to look after their descendants a bit—say, help your dad and me get a raise and better benefits, bless your sister with academic progress, slow down our aging process a little, and boost our immune systems—that would be absolutely wonderful…"

"You actually have quite a few demands," Ren Suo noted. "You think burning a few things will get blessings for the whole family?"

Ren's mother corrected him, "What whole family? You're clearly not included in that."

"..." Ren Suo was speechless. "Judging by my age, was I a 'prize' that came with a PHS phone or a pager?"

"What are you saying? Of course, you're my biological son," Ren's mother said. "I was just learning from Aunt Wang."

Ren Suo fumed, "Aunt Wang asks the ancestors to bless her son's *entire* family! Look at other people's mothers!"

"You said it yourself: Aunt Wang asks the ancestors to bless *her son's* whole family," Ren's mother said leisurely. "You're my son. So, where's *your* family?"

"..." Ren Suo felt a slight sense of unease.

"Where's my daughter-in-law? Where are my grandchildren?" Ren's mother said, her voice filled with anguish. "Right now, your sister is at the same university as you. You're at a suitable age. Why don't you ask your sister to help you find a girl among the students who is… blind… I mean, suitable for you?"

"I'm not worried about your sister. It's you who worries your father and me. The ancestors must be worried about you too. Why would they be willing to bless you…"

"My hair's dry. It's very late. I'm going to bed. We'll talk next time." Ren Suo decisively hung up the phone.

He hadn't spoken to her in a while, and he didn't expect his mom to have gotten smarter—this method of pushing for marriage could even leverage current hot topics!

And she was so sure he couldn't find someone on his own merits! Ren Suo refused to accept that. With his charm, wouldn't anyone throw themselves at him and confess?

Returning from the balcony to the living room, Zhao Huo, who was packing items, turned his head and looked at him. "So late, what's up? If there's anything, just tell your brother."

"It's nothing, just a nuisance call."

Zhao Huo put down the newly packaged fantasy items, walked over, and hugged Ren Suo tightly, as if trying to absorb him into his own body—

"Brother, I freaking love you!"

With a look of utter despair, Ren Suo pushed Zhao Huo away. "Dude, cut the melodrama. Just treat me to a meal… or better yet, give me some Spirit Stones."

Zhao Huo wasn't even his bonding partner, and Ren Suo had given him many things, so he didn't feel the need to be polite. Normally, Ren Suo would ask for a meal in return, but lately, he found the food outside unsatisfactory and preferred cash instead.

"There are several items here I couldn't bring myself to buy before!" Zhao Huo deftly dodged the topic of Spirit Stones, exclaiming excitedly, "And you didn't even damage the original boxes! After repackaging, they look brand new, as if they've never been opened. That's what gives them real collector's value!"

Ren Suo, not being an Anime Fan like Zhao Huo, didn't understand that 'original, unopened' was almost as important to them as 'virginity.' He waved his hand dismissively. "As long as you like them. Hurry up and take them away."

Ren Suo had, of course, unboxed many of the fantasy items he'd bought for "High Energy Ahead," but he hadn't thrown away the boxes.

He picked out some of the particularly space-consuming items to give to Zhao Huo, not expecting Zhao Huo to also help him deal with the boxes by bringing his own tools to repackage everything.

After Zhao Huo left, Ren Suo noticed it was still early, so he went online to check the news.

Previously, he had always used the internal network, where discussions had an entry barrier; at least nationally recognized researchers could speak, so the topics were naturally somewhat lofty, mostly centered on fundamental issues.

Now, looking at the public news, Ren Suo realized the world had truly started to go wild—

"Tycoon Spends Thirty Million to Buy Out Entire Model Museum"

"Lianjiang City Urban Management Bureau Notice: Open Flame Ancestral Worship Strictly Prohibited Within City Limits"

"Shocking! Wife Actually Burned Her Husband…"

Ren Suo, a man now admittedly detached from highbrow tastes, clicked on the most sensational-sounding headline. It turned out to be clickbait, of course. The wife had merely seized the opportunity presented by the ancestor worship craze to burn her husband's treasured Magic: The Gathering card collection and melt the Runes on his League of Legends account…

Hopefully, her father-in-law could find card-playing buddies and gaming pals in the afterlife.

Ren Suo had somewhat anticipated this kind of situation, just not the sheer madness of it.

This was just the domestic situation. Who knew how foreigners might misinterpret the Qingming custom of burning offerings? Big news was probably just a few days away.

But Ren Suo had no interest in this. While playing games, he'd always had a vague feeling that those villagers existed for some specific reason.

Not everyone could just kick the bucket and go off to enjoy life in Peach Blossom Village.

Therefore, he treated these news stories as mere jokes. As the clock ticked from 23:59 to 00:00, he immediately opened his Mini-World Game Console!

The monthly free game slot refreshed!

"You have used the White Dew seasonal promotion to perform a draw."

"A 3-star incomplete game has been added to your free games column."

"Incomplete games cannot have their star-levels increased."

"As compensation, incomplete games will grant a minimum Merit Points reward. (Naiser Company reserves all rights of final interpretation for all Minor World game promotional activities.)"

Ren Suo was slightly taken aback to see a 3-star game appear in the free games column:

"Battle Girl"

"This game is incomplete. Help the girl fight and defeat all the lecherous individuals with ulterior motives! This game includes in-app purchase options. Exclusive Reward: Unknown. Minimum Merit Points Reward: 100. Game Difficulty: 3-star."

After several months, Ren Suo had actually drawn another incomplete game!

But this time was different from the last. Back then, Ren Suo had played an incomplete game out of curiosity, wanting to try something new.

Now he knew what to expect from incomplete games, and with this one also being 3-star, he was naturally unenthusiastic.

Although it was a wasted draw, Ren Suo wasn't too dejected—he still had two more chances!

He used the Autumn Equinox promotion to draw again!

"Non-Human Loli"

"This game is incomplete. Help the loli complete her final transformation! This game includes in-app purchase options. Exclusive Reward: Unknown. Minimum Merit Points Reward: 120. Game Difficulty: 3-star."

"Next up will probably be 'Invincible Auntie,' right…" Ren Suo muttered, his voice filled with endless resentment.

Two incomplete games in a row? Has this month been cursed by an Astrologer, predicting a massive increase in the production of incomplete games?

Ren Suo had one last chance—the Mid-Autumn promotion.

But now he was in a bind. If he drew another incomplete game, it would be an absolute, blood-vomiting loss.

Generally, the Mid-Autumn promotion was definitely more potent than ordinary seasonal solar term promotions. While not comparable to a "free" draw, it was still within Ren Suo's acceptable range.

Just as Ren Suo hesitated, a system prompt appeared:

"Do you wish to consume the 'Mid-Autumn Festival Promotion' to draw this month's free game?"

"Note: The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional historical festival. Consuming its promotion will activate a special effect—Reunion."

"Reunion (Exclusive effect for the free games column): All candidate games will undergo a fusion (including game mechanics, missions, protagonists, and rewards). After fusion, the game's star-level will be at least 4-star.

"When multiple games fuse, the protagonist will be randomly assigned.

"The fused game's exclusive rewards and Merit Points are related to the games that were fused.

"Because fused games are not rigorously designed, there will be no character ratings or mission evaluations. Clearing the game will grant all rewards (though the total rewards will inevitably be lower).

"Because fused games are not rigorously designed, gameplay will include clear-through prompts. Following these prompts will guarantee game completion (though total rewards may be lower).

"Naiser Company reserves all rights of final interpretation for fused games."

After reading the description of the "Reunion" effect, Ren Suo smelled a strong whiff of conspiracy.

Although it listed several drawbacks of fused games, the advantages were undeniable—the system would continuously provide prompts, guaranteeing he could clear the game!

Could this really be a Mid-Autumn Festival super gift package?

Or would it require him to spend a lot of money?

Despite his hesitation, the system's guarantee that the fused game would be at least 4-star was the biggest draw—his Clearspring Resonant Ring was practically crying out for it.

Moreover, he wanted to quickly reach Level 5 Player status and summon the Collector to cook for him. At this point, clearing any high-star game was equivalent to saving time.

Maybe it's worth trusting the Mini-World Game Console to do something good for once?

After a moment of thought, Ren Suo decisively chose to use the Mid-Autumn Festival promotion. Promotions came around every month, but a fused game might be a once-a-year opportunity!

People who had shed their highbrow tastes were just that easily tempted.

The soul of an Ashes Level hardcore gamer was burning! He had to try this game that sounded so incredibly abstruse!

Even if it turned out to be utter crap, Ren Suo was ready to eat it!

"You have consumed the Mid-Autumn Festival promotion to draw a free game."

"A 4-star game has been added to your free games column."

Before Ren Suo could even see what game it was, another system prompt appeared:

"Reunion effect activated. All candidate games in the free games column are now fusing."

"Minor World merging…"

"Minor World merging…"

"Fusion complete."

"My Life is Not Your Game"

"Yo," Ren Suo remarked, "this game's title sounds pretty ticked off at me."