6 Learning and Getting New 'Things'
Xia Yun only remembers being hurt so bad he fainted.
After opening his eyes, he felt a funny sensation on his hair and felt something's wrong.
Rushingly stood up and throwing the helmet far away from him, he took a short breath.
If you look at the helmet closely, you could see frequent short circuits on the inside.
This made him heaving a sigh of relief and at the same time, terrified at what could have happened if he was slower than that.
"... Is it broken?", He took a long thing he could found around him which is a broom, and poke the helmet a few times, "I wonder if it will electrify me", Well he definitely doesn't want to know.
"What should I do... ah!", He thought about what to do with the broken, possibly dangerous helmet and remembered something.
He rushed downstairs and to the kitchen, after fumbling around the things on the kitchen cabinet, he finally found it.
It's a thick cooking glove, this was what Grandma Xia use when cooking. After cleaning some dust on the glove he looked at the ceiling, "Grandma, I'm borrowing this", and then go back upstairs.
After using the glove, he first tried to poke the helmet which resulting in nothing. Since so, he lifts the helmet, holding it far away from himself, and brings it downstairs. It's dangerous putting it next to something flammable so he needs to find a hard surface. A table is good.
After putting the helmet on the table, he then looks for the customer service number on the internet. After finding the number, he immediately dials it which is immediately connected.
"Hello, this is "Hope" customer service, how may I help?", a female voice sounded from the other side of the call.
"Um, what should I do if my helmet is broken?", Xia Yun said to the phone.
"Broken? can you explain clearly?", The voice answered.
"There are flashes of electricity on the helmet, it was really dangerous", He wanted to make it as dangerous as possible.
"May I know what helmet are you using?", The voice asked him.
"Uh yes, it's the trial helmet from my school, well I paid it tho", Xia Yun immediately answered.
"I see, apologies but it's impossible to fix it anymore, that kind of device was usually a counterfeit, this means we don't hold responsible for any harm done to the buyer".
"I suggest... miss? to go buy the original helmet from the official store, that is all miss. Do you have any more questions?".
"Um, that... I'm a boy, why do you address me as miss?".
...
*Cough* The phone was silent for a second and then Xia Yun hears a cough from the phone.
"It's nothing, well then mi- ahem, sir is there anything else do you want to ask?".
"That... is there any good store you can recommend me?", Xia Yun thought for a second and asked.
"Ah, well... depends, which city are you in?".
"Um, I live in City D".
"I see, City D... ah yes, there's a really nice branch there, It's on the...", The female staff told him the place.
"Thank you very much... err, one more thing".
"Feel free to ask mi- sir!", Xia Yun didn't notice this, don't tell him.
"H-how much for an official helmet?".
"Oh, for a normal device, it should cost for 300p per device, as for an advanced device, it should cost about 1000p", the female staff answered with gusto.
"O-oh, I see, thank you very much".
"Well, since you are my first customer, I will give you a discount code, it should help you with the price a bit".
"A-ah? really?", He felt really happy, as he won't be paying as much with a discount, right?.
"Well, I'll email you the code. You just need to show it to the staff when you're going to buy the helmet and they'll give you a discount".
"Thank you very much!", Xia Yun thanked her over and over.
"Well, is there anything more?".
"N-nothing more".
"Well then, I hope you a good day!", the call then ended.
====================
Somewhere, In a tall building.
A girl was seen sitting on the couch, holding a phone.
"I never thought the first one I'm going to prank was a cute sounded boy".
"The prank was canceled... hmm... I'm really interested in how he looks".
"Hehe, Zero, come here", She beckoned someone to come and a shadow passed through and arrived in front of her.
"Yes, miss", The shadow said respectfully.
"I want you to go to city D and find a person for me".
"I already marked him so it should be easy".
"Remember, just observe, don't alert him".
"Now off you go", The girl shooed the shadow away.
"Yes, miss", the shadow then disappeared into the darkness.
The girl then makes a call, "Do me a favor...", She said a few things and then ended the call.
"Ahh..., that voice... so sweet, I want him".
=====================
Xia Yun looked at the time, "I think I have enough for one trip and return".
"I wonder if they would be mad", Well, he did go offline without alerting them, although he can't help it, he still has to tell them.
"Should I get one of their numbers... If something like this happened again... Well, I think I should", He decided to ask for their contract when he goes online.
.....
After dressing himself casually, with a t-shirt and jeans, he took off with a taxi to the place the female staff told him.
He arrived at the store 10 minutes later, because of the traffic jam, he took 3 minutes more time.
After paying for the ride, he turned to look at the big building in front of him and looked at his phone, he repeated this a few times.
"This is the place... right?", He tried entering and was greeted by two big bodyguards.
"What business do you have here?", One of the bodyguards asked.
Although a little scared Xia Yun still answered, "T-that, this is one of "hope" stores right?".
"That's right, but only an invited person can enter here", One of the bodyguard said.
"A-ah is that so...", Xia Yun thought that the female staff was playing with him.
"T-then excuse me", Xia Yun was just about to leave when a voice stopped him.
"Please wait a minute", once again, it was a female voice.
"Yes?", Xia Yun turned around and saw a blonde girl rushing to him from inside the store.
"Ha...ha..., why do you want to leave?", The girl asked while gasping for air.
"T-that, I don't have an invitation", Xia Yun asked, a little stunned by her beauty.
"Didn't 'she' give you a code?", the girl asked.
"She? oh, but she says it was a discount code".
"Hah... that idiot", the girl murmured.
"Yes?", Xia Yun thought she was talking to him.
"It's nothing, it can also work as an invitation so you can come in", The girl entered first.
Xia Yun felt confused for a second but still followed her.
Inside was a spacious room full of people dressed luxuriously.
Xia Yun felt uncomfortable, he's the only one here that dressed casually and some people keep looking at him, making him even more uncomfortable.
The girl noticed this and pulled his arm, she rushed somewhere while pulling him.
"W-where are we going?", Xia Yun asked.
"Quiet", the girl snaps at him.
After a while of walking, they arrived in front of the door of a room.
The girl opened the door and pulled him inside. It was a rather normal room with simple furniture.
"Change into this", She took a set of clothing from the closet and throw it at him.
"B-but".
"Just change your clothes", The girl didn't accept rejection.
With an unwilling heart, Xia Yun entered the bathroom to change.
After a while, "U-um, why is it so short?", Xia Yun asked from inside the bathroom.
"Just go out", The girl impatiently said.
"...", He didn't have any choice but to slowly got out of the bathroom.
The girl's eyes became shining bright when she looks at him.
The clothes Xia Yun use right now are rather... unique. The top was like a tuxedo top but... with some frills, well, he was fine with that.
The problem is the bottom, at first he thought that it was an underpants, after using it he found out there are no more extra pieces, which means it was the only pants.
After getting out, Xia Yun always rather consciously pulled the hem of the pants down, since it was so short it showed most of his thigh which whiter than most women.
"Use this too", The girl throw three things at him, at first he thought it was black trousers, but then he found out that it was a black skirt. Not only that, the other two were a pair of black and white long socks.
"W-why are you giving me this, I'm a boy! how can I use this!", Xia Yun can't hold it anymore and snaps at her.
"...", The girl looked stunned for a second. "Tsk, for once, she actually said the truth".
The girl then looked at him again, grinned, and said, "So? you can choose not to use it, there would be many that would like a nice scene here", she keeps looking at his bottom which made him uncomfortable.
"I'll just go using my clothes", He was just about to return to the bathroom to take his clothes when the girl rushed inside first and took his clothes.
"What are these bad quality things", She then proceeds to rip apart his clothes.
"What are you doing?!", Xia Yun was stunned when he saw her ripped his clothes and just realize it a second later.
"Ya ya, little boy, no need to whine like a girl. Unless... you 'are' a girl?", the girl taunted.
"N-no! I'm 100% boy!".
"Heh, then be a 'man' and use the clothes I gave you, well that's all, I'll wait for you outside~", The girl then left the room leaving Xia Yun by himself.
"W-wait-", He tried to stop her but she has already gone outside.
...
Xia Yun rummaged around the closet, but the only clothes he found were female clothes. Not only that, all of them are pretty... revealing.
Now he only left with the choice of the skirt...
Well, he already uses a skirt in the game, it won't be any different here right?.
He slowly but surely equips the over-knee socks and then proceeds to fight with his inner self on using the skirt or not.
"Argh, whatever it just once", He forced himself to use the skirt... tho, he immediately regretted it, since it felt like there's a string somewhere that broke.
..." What is this?", He looked at the socks, on the top of them is something that needs to be hooked to something...
"Wait is it this thing?", He lifted his skirt a little and found some little hooks.
"Let's see...", The thing on the socks can be stretched which he hooked on the skirt. There is 4 hook and 4 stretchy things on the socks... ah got it
After hooking all of it, he stood up and swing left to right. He found out that the Hookie thing was so that the skirt won't be lifted even if he excessively moves around.
He even tried jumping and spinning around but the skirt won't be lifted no matter what.
"Wait, why does it feel weird... gah, whatever", He bravely rushed outside which he was greeted by the blonde girl.
She grinned at him with an expression, "I saw everything", and said, "Have fun playing?".
This made Xia Yun blushed bright red, "L-let me just buy the helmet and go home!".
"Oh? but it could wait for later, there is an important event in this place right now. You wouldn't want to miss it".
"I don't care! I want to go home", He forced his last will to fight.
"Oh, but I insist, what can you do about it?. well, I never asked if you want to go or not", With that, she once again pulled him, this time tho Xia Yun didn't really fight anymore. His will has run out.
She even goes as far as putting on a headdress on him.
"Oh before we continue", She stopped suddenly. "That glasses of yours is ugly, tell me what's your glasses power?".
"W-what for?".
"We're getting you another glasses", She said.
"N-no need, I like this one".
"Do you want me to break it too?".
"Eek, n-no! don't! it's -1.14 okay! now stop harassing me".
"Heh, be obedient and I won't", She continued to pull him by hand again.
On the way, many people looked at them which made Him frequently pulled the skirt hem down. Wishing it could be longer.
"Caliope", She called a woman that looks to be in her 30s.
"Yes, ma'am".
"Find her a soft lens, the power is -1.14".
"Yes ma'am", The woman dashes off and returned a few seconds later. The woman gave the blonde girl a small box.
"Sit", The girl pointed at the chair next to them.
"You never use contact lens right? I'll help you use it", The girl opened the box revealing two crystal clear contact lens.
"I-", He was just going to refuse when the girl stops him.
"Be obedient".
"...", He has no choice but to follow her order.
The girl slowly put off his glasses and gently put the contact lenses one by one.
After using it He can't hold the urge to blink which the girl didn't say anything.
"Remember, don't rub your eyes".
"Now let's go", She continues to pull him by hand again.
...
After a while, they arrived at the underground store which was actually a place of an auction.
"Uuu... I want to go home....", Xia Yun whined pitifully while being pulled into a seat by the girl.
"Shush, it's starting", The girl told him to be quiet.
"...", Xia Yun has no choice but to obey, this girl is too fierce, he doesn't want to get on her bad side or he'll suffer more.
He focused his attention on the stage, where a man is wearing a mask standing on top of the stage with a microphone.
"Now ladies and gentleman! this is all the auction we're all waiting for!".
"Before I started, we wanted to thanks Khalmeir Corp, for funding this auction and giving most of the item on auction today".
"Now then, let the auction begin!".
"For the first item", A girl in a white dress brings up an item covered with black cloth to the stage.
"I present to you, the most advanced futuristic phone prototype just created by the "Hope" company", The girl opened the black cloth, which showed the content inside.
A phone, black and very slim, it didn't seem to have much on it other than it might be easy to carry.
"Don't let its appearance trick you, although it looks like a normal phone, it has myriad of features inside".
"For example, it can be connected to your game account, which means you can trade or sell your items with this phone easily".
"It can also be connected with your bank account making a transaction even easier".
"In some times, in this phone, you can be alerted on any new event on the game without having to look at the website".
"Not only that, you will get a clear description of what the event will be like, making it easy to gain information".
"Alright, that is all, for the price, of course, we're using the game currency".
"We're starting at 50 bronze coins".
"Bronze coin? so cheap?", Xia Yun felt surprised at how cheap was the phone prize was.
"Cheap? do you know that the 'Hope' company didn't create any platform to trade for coins, and made policies of coin trading to be illegal".
"Not only that, the game wanted to balance the coins such as decreasing the rate of coins earned by player".
"This made it so that the coins currency will become important even in the future".
"So, it's illegal to trade coins, right? but...", Right now they are trading with coins right?.
"This kind of auction is allowed by the company, let just say that it was a new way to promote some new stuff".
"But it is weird that they are using game currency to sell a new piece of technology like that but no one can explain why. even the company employee shut their mouth tight".
"Oh...", He understood everything now.
If he is not mistaken, he should have a few gold coins left after sharing it with Night Emperor right?.
"How do you make transactions here?", he asked.
"Why? do you want to buy something?".
"Err... probably", he didn't give a definite answer.
"Well, might as well... Wait a sec", The girl tapped the button on her armchair and a few seconds later, a male staff came to them.
"How may I help you?".
"Give her an identification card... silver one".
"Do you recommend her?".
"Yes".
"Alright, then this lady, please give me your hand, any hands will do", the waiter turned to Xia Yun and stretched his hand.
"O-oh yes", Xia Yun stretched his snow-white right hand. He wanted to say he's a boy but with his appearance right now, it might become a misunderstanding.
After holding Xia Yun's hand, the waiter flips his hand so his palm is facing up.
After that, he took a tool from his back and then scanned Xia Yun's veins. After scanning for a while, he took a silver card from his small bag and then swiped the card on the tools.
"Here you go, miss", The waiter handed the car to Xia Yun but the girl snatched it.
"This is fine, you can leave now".
"Yes, miss".
After the waiter left, the girl keenly scanned the card with her eyes and grinned.
"Looks like you, my dear, are a little liar".
"What are you talking about?", Xia Yun felt confused.
"You always said you're a boy, but it looks like your ID is more honest than you~", said the girl while showing him the Identification card.
"T-this is not true! I'm 100% boy!", said Xia Yun after snatching the card and seeing the content.
"Then you dare take off your clothes in front of me?".
"W-wha- of course not!".
"Yeah, whatever I don't really care. But still, how many coins you have any way that you think you can buy something".
"It's... 10 gold...".
*Cough* *Cough*, "W-what did you say?", this is the second time he sees her lose composure.
"Ten gold, see?", Xia Yun showed her the balance.
"... I changed my mind, let's leave now".
"What? why?", He hasn't bought anything.
"All the items they sell are all low-quality items, I can give you much better stuff if you give me all of your coins".
"Really?".
"Come with me", the girl pulled him again, this time they went to the higher floor... the top floor actually.
"There's only one room here?", Xia Yun looked around and only saw a door.
"Come here", The girl scanned her fingerprint which opened the door and took him inside.
"Sit", She pointed at a chair and went to the wardrobe?.
He thought it was a wardrobe, but after the girl opens it with yet another fingerprint, it turned out it was a huge safe.
She took two things inside. One is a card, the other is a phone. She then locked it again and came back to him.
"I see you interested on the phone right? this is the most latest one, even the company only has a limited amount. Not only that, this is a pod card. With this, you can have a gaming cabin for free. If you gave me all your coins".
"Why... do you want it so bad? It's just some gold coins", It's tempting, but he still needs an answer.
"For now, it's not a few. It's a whole lot of early game progress. I urgently need it, if not, I won't even care how much gold you have".
"I-I see".
"So? do you want it or not?".
"I do, I do", He would be stupid if he didn't get it while it was still hot.
"Give me your card".
"Here you go", He gave her the ID card.
After that, she took her own card and put it on top of his card.
"Give me your hand, press here", She told him to press the circle button that appeared on the card.
"Good, you can have it now. As for the gaming cabin, give me your address and I'll send it", She gave him a notebook and pen to write.
"Ah, oh... but why do you so focused on it?. It just a game, right?", He writes the address on the book and asked.
"... Indeed, it just a game. Let's just say, it's the rich enjoyment to focus on it".
"O-oh okay, ah... I-I didn't know your name yet".
The girl seems to have a look of realization and said, "That idiot!".
"What idiot?".
"Gah, it's nothing. Looks like she didn't tell you, hah... no wonder you look uncomfortable".
"My name is Xiao Yu, just call me Sister Yu". Well, she actually always want a cute little sister.
"A-ah, I'm Xia Yun".
"Oh, yeah, I know. By the way, didn't our name sound synchronized? how about you be my little sister- oops, I mean little brother?".
"N-no thanks, there's nothing more right? I'm leaving now", He absolutely doesn't want a fierce and weird sister like this. Also, how does she know his name already?
"Aww... oh well, don't forget your stuff. Also, you can take that clothes".
"After all... I already burn your clothes".
"...", Xia Yun hurriedly took all the things he needs, the phone and the card then rushed to leave.
...
...
"Am I that scary? hmm...", Xiao Yu looked outside the window. She looks at Xia Yun that just left using a taxi.
"It is a game...", She murmured.
...
...
"For now".
