Chapter 35
Chapter 35
Morning at Jiang Li's doorstep. Uncle Security knocked.
"Around nine last night, someone reported an explosion inside the complex. Did you hear anything?"
"No." Jiang Li shook his head. "We turned in early. What happened?"
"Someone deliberately damaged the public pavement. That's why I'm here."
Uncle Security's face was stern; the early shift hadn't done his complexion any favors.
"Wow, that's awful. Did the cameras catch it?"
"Too dark. All we saw was a figure running off with something tucked under one arm."
"Probably the tool." Jiang Li rubbed his chin. "How bad was the blast?"
"This morning our supervisor tripped over the hole. Watch your step."
"Got it."
Jiang Li gave a polite nod and shut the door.
"What's up?" Kakayan peered over the back of the couch.
"The security guy—our neighborhood guard—says someone blew a crater in the road last night." Jiang Li feigned indifference. "Any idea who?"
"Nope."
Kakayan answered instantly.
Jiang Li studied her clear, amethyst eyes. She sat at the computer, pupils reflecting the screen's glow.
After a long moment, convinced she truly remembered nothing, he exhaled and flopped back onto the sofa.
For some reason, whenever Kakayan got tipsy her mana recovered a little. Maybe it had to do with her terrible alcohol tolerance and the way she flailed about, or maybe she was secretly a drunken-fist prodigy. Jiang Li didn't know the mechanism.
Whatever it was, Kakayan forgot everything after she sobered up, so Jiang Li said nothing. If she ever found out and started sneaking drinks...
Just thinking about it made his head hurt.
"Ugh, I died again!"
On the monitor, the little green snake flashed and vanished in a burst of light. Kakayan thumped the couch in frustration.
"That's the game. Keep eating and you'll die eventually." Jiang Li chuckled, then added as an afterthought, "Hope you learned something."
"Mmm-hmm."
She was too engrossed to listen, neck craned, two index fingers dancing over the keyboard.
Twenty minutes later she slumped against the sofa, all light gone from her face.
"Finally full?"
Jiang Li glanced over. He had picked the endless mode on purpose—no victory, only inevitable defeat.
At first she had been thrilled, squealing every time she nabbed a glowing gem, her ponytail bouncing like it was part of the game. It looked as if those gems really belonged to her.
"Uu..." Her ponytail drooped. She hung her head in despair, every collected gem now spat back onto the screen. It hurt—almost as much as the day Jiang Li had stormed her castle and handed her hoarded treasure to a bunch of idiots.
"What's wrong?"
He asked even though he knew.
"I don't want to play anymore."
"Want to switch games?"
"Do other games have gems?"
"Plenty."
Jiang Li leaned over and closed Snake. He opened the browser and typed a few keys.
"This one's packed with gems—Fireboy and Watergirl."
"Really?"
Kakayan's eyes lit up. Packed with gems!
"Once we're in, you're the blue Watergirl on the right, I'm red Fireboy." He walked her through the basics. "We each grab our own gems and help each other hit switches to get them out."
"Uh-huh..." She hesitated, then nodded.
"Same controls as Snake—arrow keys for jump, duck, left, right." He paused. "Remember, it's co-op. We both have to reach the exit to win."
"Got it!"
A brilliant smile curved her lips. She rested her index fingers on the arrow keys, ready to go. Jiang Li clicked Start.
Kakayan turned out smarter than he'd thought; the first few stages were a breeze.
But as more buttons—and more gems—appeared, her circuits began to overload.
"Don't grab that gem yet. Open the door for me first; I'll help you get it later."
His little Fireboy hopped in place.
"I want it! Let me eat it!"
Kakayan elbowed him, eyes on the screen. "Open the door! I need that gem!"
"Don't! Don't!"
Too late—they died, level reset.
"Look here." Jiang Li pointed at the screen after restarting. "Skip this one for now and come open my door."
Kakayan leaned closer, lashes fluttering. "But then I won't get the gem."
"Sigh..." He pressed his temples. "We're teammates. Help me first, I'll help you later."
She tilted her head. "What if you ditch me?"
"I won't."
"Promise?"
"You're seriously insecure." He sighed, wondering what went on in that silly head.
"Because you've done awful things to me before." She looked away.
"Don't be so vague..." Jiang Li exhaled. He knew exactly what she meant. "You took the villagers' money and didn't do the job. I had to get it back for them."
"Hmph."
She gave a soft, noncommittal grunt.
"Still playing?"
"Yes."
"Good. We're teammates now—what's mine is yours. I guarantee it."
"What's yours is mine."
"Exactly. Let's go."
As Fireboy and Watergirl's theme started, they dove back in.
This time they synced perfectly. By late morning they had barreled through almost every stage without a hitch. The Emerald Tree's branches glowed except for the final gem glittering at the very top.
Jiang Li said with their coordination the last level would be easy.
Kakayan stared at that lone unlit gem, lost in thought.
Her arm dropped to her side.
"I'm done."
"We're down to the last level," Jiang Li said, puzzled. "We'll finish once we clear it."
But Kakayan rose from the couch without a word, her pink ponytail flicking toward Jiang Li.
"I don't want to play that level, Jiang Li. Don't you play it either."