Chapter 733: Mukaiji Nanako

Tonight, Zhang Heng had achieved two things in one—he solved Yogurt’s kidnapping and accepted the Shadow-set’s test.

The former went by reasonably smoothly. Although he received no game points from 1810, he did acquire a game item. At least he got something in return after spending all that effort to look for Yogurt. As for the grievances between Yogurt and 1810, and the love story between Yogurt and Shen Dongxing, these had nothing to do with him.

After completing the trial of the Shadow-set items, he received a huge amount of new information. He had actually been unable to fully understand what was going on; until now, that was.

According to his previous analysis, he should have entered the Shadow-set’s dungeon for the test after inhaling the white smoke. Due to personal reasons, however, he returned to the strange town that he had dreamed of. This time, though, he managed to find out why the town was slowly rotting away.

But then Zhang Heng noticed Fabericotte’s behavior. That was when he first started to doubt if he should continue investigating his life.

In the end, he decided not to go to the black reef and meet the creatures there. Fabericotte did refer to him as his most loyal servant and follower. However, based on Zhang Heng’s experience, when someone did not mind paying the massive price of forcing another to do something, it often meant that myriad unfavorable factors would plague the matter.

When Zhang Heng first arrived in that town, he instinctively felt a particular connection with him. The person standing on the black reef should be the leader of those half-man-half-fish and frog monsters.

If Fabericotte wasn’t lying, and that person was his servant and follower, then who was he?

What about the other items from the Shadow-set?

If it was as simple as returning to his dream, how were those Shadow items on him? And what about the choice he had to make at the end of his dream?

Did he pass the test? If tonight’s dream was related to his body and he hadn’t completed the Shadow set’s trial, how did he acquire the wings?

What did the bartender have to do with this incident? Did she know that the ritual would go wrong? Could she have been one of the people that knew about Zhang Heng’s life?

What was the relationship between her and the old man in the Tang suit? Did they know each other? If this was the case, it was no coincidence that the old man asked him to come to this checkpoint where the bartender was.

…

So many questions were left unanswered, yet Zhang Heng was in no rush to get their answers. After he came out of the bar, he found a hotel and rented a business suite, falling asleep from morning all the way to the afternoon. Although the mysterious and depressive atmosphere had little effect on him, the battle that began at Gilman Lodge all the way to the swamp had cost him a great deal of stamina.

After returning to the real world, Zhang Heng didn’t want to think about other matters, merely wanting to have a good rest. Fortunately for him, he had a sound sleep, where there were no interruptions and no strange dreams as well. When his eyes finally opened and he glanced at his watch, the time showed 4:20 in the afternoon.

After that, he headed to the bathroom for a shower. Once he came out, he turned on the computer on the desk and organized the information at hand.

Perhaps intentional or otherwise—Zhang Heng realized that Fabericotte had never told him the town’s name from the beginning. However, he did mention that he was traveling around New England.

New England was in no way related to the United Kingdom. Referring to six states in the Northeastern United States, they included Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Newburyport was a city located in northeastern Massachusetts. Zhang Heng had gone to the United States twice in two games, and he still clearly remembered some of the country’s facts.

But the name Arkham was unfamiliar to Zhang Heng. Those familiar with comics, however, knew that there was an Arkham Asylum in Gotham City. The place was filled with talented people, and they were friendly and polite. However, in reality, it seemed that such a place did not really exist. To verify his doubts, Zhang Heng clicked on an electronic map.

As expected, no such place existed.

So was Fabericotte lying about it?

Zhang Heng was in no rush to draw a conclusion. He continued searching for July 15, 1927, the day that Fabericotte and the townsfolk were very concerned about. However, the results obtained weren’t beneficial. The 1946 plague shared no clues about the place he was looking for, and in the end, Zhang Heng was left with a frown on his brow.

Suddenly, his mobile phone vibrated. Zhang Heng picked it up, took a look, and found that Chen Huadong had sent him a message. There were only two words—HELP ME!

He even sent his location.

Zhang Heng took a look and knew that it was near a commercial pedestrian street, not too far from where he currently was.

As of now, the last thing he wanted was to dwell on this matter. He had recently been dealing nonstop with supernatural incidents, and he needed to relax his nerves by doing things an ordinary person would do.

So, he turned off the computer, went downstairs to check out his room, took a taxi, and rushed to where Chen Huadong was. The latter was waiting for him in front of the street. Scratching his head, a girl was beside him.

At about only 1.5 meters, her stubby height made her look petite, not to mention her silver hair and the quirky outfit she had put on. Her bangs were slightly cocked, making her look like she had just woken up from sleep.

Zhang Heng remembered Hayase Asuka saying that she had a friend who loved anime and was here as an exchange student. And she wanted to find someone to practice her Chinese, so Zhang Heng had recommended Chen Huadong, who himself had been coming to terms with his lengthy period of bachelorship. Hence, that marked the beginning of their international friendship.

After Zhang Heng got the contact information Hayase Asuka sent him, he immediately forwarded it to Chen Huadong. He never asked if the friendship worked out or not.

So this was Zhang Heng’s first time seeing her in the flesh.

Chen Huadong was in luck this time. She was almost as gorgeous as Hayase Asuka. Although she fell slightly short of Hayase Asuka’s sharp facial features, she was cuter than most of her counterparts. As they were walking just now, many boys had their eyes on her. It was rare that she shared the same hobbies as Chen Huadong. It was no wonder Chen Huadong had been so passionate about learning Japanese recently.

“You are finally here!” Chen Huadong’s eyes lit up when he saw Zhang Heng.

“Well, how can I help?”

“We are going to visit the bookstore. Nanako… Oh, by the way, I haven’t introduced her to you yet.”

Chen Huadong started to speak in crappy Japanese. “Nanako… this… Zhang Heng, Zhang Heng, this Mukaiji Nanako.”

Nanako then stretched out her hand, wanting to shake Zhang Heng’s hand, “Asuka-senpai talks about Zhang-san almost three times a day. Recently, she had been complaining about you not contacting her. She admires you a lot!”

Chapter 734: 734

Chapter 734: Looking for Books

Zhang Heng and Nanako Mukaiji shook hands . After that, Chen Huadong explained the reason for seeking Zhang Heng’s help .

When the two of them were shopping, Nanako Mukaiji suddenly asked to stop at the bookstore, saying that she wanted to find a few Chinese books to practice reading . However, she could not remember the name of the book . All she could remember was its contents . Unfortunately, Chen Huadong’s Japanese was half-baked, and he could hardly figure out which book Nanako Mukaiji wanted to buy even after she described the book explicitly with hand gestures . That was why he called for Zhang Heng’s help since he could understand and speak Japanese well .

“Help a brother out . I will buy you a meal later . ”

“What are we eating?”

“How about… wonton?” Chen Huadong looked at Zhang Heng’s expression . The latter put on a noncommittal look . So Chen Huadong changed his mind, gritted his teeth, and said, “I will buy you the food court’s most famous barbecued seafood!”

“Sounds good to me . ” Zhang Heng nodded .

“My wallet is bleeding,” Chen Huadong lamented . “Please make sure that your service is thoughtful enough . Well, don’t be too thoughtful . I don’t want her to be attracted to you . Shit! I’m starting to feel that it’s unwise to ask for your help . You already have Shen Xixi, Hayase Asuka, and Han Lu, a filthy rich woman . I believe you won’t snatch Nanako from me, right?” he pleaded while looking at Zhang Heng with suspicion .

“Remember, I want six oysters,” replied Zhang Heng .

“No . ” Chen Huadong changed his expression when he heard Zhang Heng’s request, “One oyster costs eighteen yuan . If you order six, that will cost me more than one hundred yuan! And I don’t think it’ll be enough to fill you up . After that, you’ll ask for grilled fish, grilled shrimp, and grilled octopus . By the way, can’t you just eat grilled buns, grilled eggplant, or something cheaper? Those are economical and affordable . I would rather you order kebabs or some chicken wings . ”

“What am I supposed to eat from a barbeque seafood stall if I don’t eat seafood?” Zhang Heng casually returned the question, ignoring a shocked Chen Huadong .

“…”

“What are you talking about? Sounds delicious,” Nanako Mukaiji curiously chipped in . Although she was learning Chinese, her vocabulary was still severely limited . The only words that she could understand were fish, shrimp, and chicken wings . She was staring at Zhang Heng and Chen Huadong, whose nerves were already frayed . With her bangs swinging in front of her forehead, she looked even cuter than she already was .

When Chen Huadong saw her reaction, he suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction .

All those raw oysters, grilled shrimps, or octopuses did not matter to him anymore… He then started to speak in his half-baked Japanese, “Nanako, angel… Zhang Heng, demon . ”

“Huh?” Nanako Mukaiji instantly felt shy the moment Chen Huadong suddenly praised her .

Zhang Heng also spoke out, “Describe to me the book that you want to buy . ”

“Really? Sorry for troubling you, senpai . ”

The three of them walked into the bookstore, and Nanako Mukaiji started to describe the book’s contents to Zhang Heng . Upon consulting the staff, Zhang Heng found that most of the bookstore’s employees hadn’t read it before . Hence, he could only head toward the corresponding area to search for the book .

Zhang Heng would first look at the cover and introduction of the books . This was the fastest way to help Nanako . Sometimes, the summaries of a book had nothing to do with its contents . In fact, it was suspected that the person who wrote the summaries had most of the time never read the contents . Or they would write the summaries in a way that could attract prospective buyers . After the readers bought the book, they would find out later that its contents had nothing to do with the summary .

It was quite a common practice nowadays .

Even though Chen Huadong was also helping to search for the book, it took the three of them almost an hour to find the exact copy she wanted . Now there was only one book left, a collection of poetry, and the author was Spanish .

Mukaiji Nanako was a little embarrassed, “Why don’t we forget about the last book? We have wasted a lot of time here . ”

“It doesn’t matter . We’ve got nothing to do anyway, right?” Chen Huadong glared at Zhang Heng .

For the sake of barbequed seafood, Zhang Heng had to support Chen Huadong this time . Hearing this, he said, “Well, I need to get a few books for myself too . I don’t mind helping you to search for what you want . ”

“Chen-san, thank you so much . ” Nanako Mukaiji smiled at Chen Huadong . She was smart enough to know that Zhang Heng was only willing to help because of Chen Huadong .

“Ah, it’s nothing . Don’t worry about it . I am your Chinese teacher, after all . ” Chen Huadong scratched his head . He had to admit that Zhang Heng had also given his best this time . He first listened to what Nanako Mukaiji had to say and translated her words into Chinese . It was the most effective way for the three of them to search for the books she wanted to buy .

And Zhang Heng played the role of a wingman perfectly . He did not show that he was better than Chen Huadong . Any books that he found, he would give them to Chen Huadong and ask him to pass them to Nanako . Finally, Chen Huadong put down his guard and secretly gave Zhang Heng a thumbs-up while Nanako was not paying attention .

Zhang Heng responded with a six-finger gesture .

Immediately, Chen Huadong’s eyes filled up with tears of both pain and happiness .

For the last book, Zhang Heng pointed at a bookshelf that he walked past earlier . Chen Huadong immediately ran there and pretended to search for the book . After that, Zhang Heng took the book of poems from Chen Huadong and translated it to Nanako Mukaiji for confirmation .

However, the latter shook her head . So Zhang Heng put the book back on the shelf . Suddenly, he paused because he saw another book on the shelf .

A book that did not belong here .

It was normal that the bookstore’s customers randomly placed the books that they had flipped through . Earlier, Zhang Heng had roughly checked the books on the bookshelves and did not notice this book’s existence at the time . This was nothing unusual to the average person, but with Zhang Heng’s observational skills, he knew that the probability of this happening was not high .

In other words, someone placed the book here not too long ago .

Just when Zhang Heng wanted to grab it, someone took it first .

“Oh, so the book turns out to be here . ”

“It seems you’ve been quite free lately . ” Zhang Heng knew who the person was when he heard the voice . He turned his head and saw the old man in the Tang suit .

“I guess these are the perks of being your own boss . Although it’s pressurizing, at least you have more freedom in managing your time, and you can go wherever you want . ” The latter shrugged and looked at Nanako Mukaiji . “Are you dating? Did you change girlfriends?” he asked .

“No . I’m just helping a friend,” Zhang Heng replied .

“That’s good . Old people are always more nostalgic . I still prefer the little girl named Hayase Asuka . Fan Meinan is not bad as well . As for Shen Xixi… You know I don’t like the woman behind her, but I have to admit that you’re pretty good at picking girlfriends,” the old man in the Tang suit put the book under his arm calmly as he said .

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