Chapter 41
It Seems That You’re Here To Cause Trouble…
“Damn, there’s even a phoenix? That Lu Xiaowei’s luck is quite good!” Brother Dog, who had been forced to go offline, went to browse through strategy guides with his phone. When he saw Old Master Lu’s popular strategy guideline, he felt jealous.
Having a hidden occupation, being a great master… Should he invite Old Master Lu out for a meal to build up their brotherly relationship? He felt that it had been very long since he had last contacted Old Master Lu.
“Aiyoh, my dear ancestor, why are you still holed up here?” It hadn’t been long since Brother Dog sat down when he saw his mother rushing downstairs without putting on her makeup.
“What’s the matter?” Brother Dog didn’t get what was going on.
“You didn’t get your dad’s call?”
Hearing that, Brother Dog looked at his phone. After thinking about it for two seconds, he was suddenly struck by realization and said, “Oh, I forgot to pay the bill.”
“You!!” The woman instantly slapped his head full of messy hair. “You’re shut in so much that you’re almost going to become an immortal!”
“Is something the matter?” Brother Dog asked curiously. He knew his mother’s character well. She would spend all her time shopping and playing mahjong with her friends. How could she possibly have the time to care about him? Otherwise, would he have ended up in the hospital?
“It’s all because of that old-fashioned grandfather of yours,” said the woman angrily. “He says that he doesn’t wish to see your premature aging appearance on his birthday and especially called an old soldier to come and train your body. He says that this will help to increase your masculinity!”
“Damn, Mom, why didn’t you say so earlier?” Brother Dog immediately jumped up. “I’ll have to go to aunt’s place to hide for a while.”
“Hide your head!” The woman grabbed onto him and said, “This time around, you can forget about running away. It’s not just your grandfather. Your dad has also given strict orders. He has spoken to my relatives, so none of them would dare to take you in now.”
“Dad?” Brother Dog was stunned for a moment. “It’s so rare. When has he gotten time to care about me?”
“Isn’t it all because of your Uncle Fang? When you were just born, our families had made a marriage agreement for you and their daughter. After so many years, your Uncle Fang is doing increasingly well, and his daughter is also quite capable. She went to Tsinghua and also studied abroad at the Federation Star Continent Academy. Since you are like this, your dad knew his place and didn’t mention this matter. Therefore, he hadn’t expected your Uncle Fang to bring this matter up himself, saying that when his daughter comes back to China next month, the two children should spend some time together… Your dad was struck by happiness by such a great thing. When he called me, he couldn’t even speak well. He specifically instructed you to do well this time around.”
“Do well my foot!” Brother Dog covered his face. “Mom, it’s not as if you haven’t met that Fang Xiaogui before! She’s so arrogant and lofty! Her mother clearly looks down on your background as well. How could she possibly let her daughter be married to me? This matter hadn’t been brought up for so many years, but it’s suddenly brought up now. Something must have happened!”
“What could have happened?” The woman rolled her eyes. “Your Uncle Fang’s career is doing very well. Their family business’s stocks are shooting up. Do you think it’s like your father’s struggling business? If it’s not for your uncles’ help, the business might have been gone long ago. What could they want from your dad?”
Brother Dog said, “Then it must be that she has gotten entangled in love matters, and I’m asked to pick things up!”
Hearing that, his mother didn’t give an immediate reply. A hint of evasion flashed in her eyes, making Brother Dog immediately jump up. “F*ck, it’s really that. Aren’t you guys too much? Am I your real son?”
“Tsk… What rubbish are you spouting!” The woman coughed and chided, “You’re the precious son that your mom has spent ten months carrying before giving birth. How can I possibly harm you? This is for your own good. Aren’t we just trying to plan your future by finding you a wife from a powerful family? So what if you’re made to pick things up? Other people might not get the chance even if they want to!”
Brother Dog: “…”
“Moreover, which girl these days hasn’t had a few boyfriends before they get married? Back then, your mother changed her boyfriend every month. Didn’t your dad accept me the same?”
“Haha…” Brother Dog shook his head and laughed coldly. “If it’s really that simple, would I be the one to pick things up? Mom, are you still trying to fool me? You still aren’t going to speak the truth?”
(Why had this little b*stard suddenly become so clever after playing games for a few months? Could it be that my intelligent genes have woken up?)
The woman clenched her teeth but continued to put on a calm expression. “Then what do you think the situation is like?”
“This…” Brother Dog couldn’t figure things out either and was a little stumped.
“You only let your mind wander around all the time. Quickly go and get your oily hair taken care of. This afternoon, I’ll bring you to meet the soldier that your grandfather has recommended. You better act properly when you meet him in the afternoon. That person is an old guard that had worked with your grandfather for several decades. Back then, he had taken a bullet for your grandfather. When you see him, remember to call him Uncle Liu! Even your dad has to call him Brother Liu when he sees him!”
“Oh…” Although Brother Dog agreed, he still felt that his mother was trying to divert the topic.
“Quickly go. Get yourself a smart haircut. Your dad will definitely complain if he were to see your unkempt appearance. You’ll get nagged by him again!”
Brother Dog: “…”
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Having been chased out of the house, Brother Dog roamed on the streets. He didn’t choose to let the butler drive him out, but had chosen to go out by himself instead. After all, it seemed to have been close to half a year since he had gone outside…
It was June, and he had gone out at noon. The glaring sun caused the streets to be very desolate, with only a few people walking around.
Brother Dog looked at his phone. The temperature was said to be at 43 degrees Celsius. It was normal for no one to be going out in this goddamn weather that could possibly cook an egg on the ground.
However, Brother Dog felt that it was tolerable for some reason. Although the vicious sun shone down on his body, it didn’t feel as bad as he had thought. Could it be that he was used to the glaring sun on Mars when he was playing the game?
Back when they didn’t have a hostel in the game, they just went to sleep after digging a hole to go offline. When they woke up from the scorching sand the next day, everything was totally fine. Compared to the temperature difference of day and night, the sun in this real world was far too gentle.
However, why would he compare things like this? That was a game. In the game, he had thick and rough skin. In the real world, he’d fall when the wind blew…
At the thought of this, Brother Dog shook his head. He yawned as he arrived at a hair salon that had quite a decent interior design.
He looked at the price. For a basic wash, cut, and blow, it’d cost 100 federal dollars. The cost for a high-grade hairdresser would be $300, and if the shop owner were to perform the hair service himself, it’d cost $500. Brother Gou’s lips twitched when he thought that this was really a scam for money!
Federal dollars’ purchasing power was low. The finance market was stable now, and the value of the currencies was well-maintained. A new Apple iPhone only cost $4,000 at most, and an ordinary student’s monthly living expense might not even cost $500. But to think that it cost so much to have one’s hair done here. He had to admit that this was a really good business!
A.I. was in the trend now, and many popular positions in the past had been affected. On the contrary artisan and workmanship-related work started to have greater demand. Hairstyling, food and beverage, woodwork and carpentry, as well as the photography and filming services started to flourish.
Things made sense. As the societal benefits got better and more people stayed at home, it made sense for the price of services to become higher.
“Hey bro, are you here for a haircut or a perm?” Seeing someone entering, the shop owner shook away his midday lethargy and welcomed Brother Dog enthusiastically.
“Are there any hairstylists you know here? Do you need me to recommend one to you?”
Brother Dog said, “Who is the shop owner?”
“I am!” The shop owner rubbed his hands together and said, smiling.
Brother Dog waved his hand, speaking in the tone of someone from a rich family. “Then you can do it… If you do a good job, it doesn’t matter how much you charge!”
Faced against such heroic words, the shop owner merely smiled, took two steps back, and narrowed his eyes as he leaned against the sofa, saying, “What kind of hairstyle would you like to get?”
Brother Dog gave it some thought before replying, “One that can get me a wife.”
The shop owner fell silent after hearing that. He took out a cigarette, lit it up, and took a deep puff. He then let out a long sigh and said slowly, “It seems that you’re here today to cause trouble!”
Brother Dog: “…”