Free Web NovelChapter 11: Chapter 6: The Forest Tribe’s Request
Luh Yao had been able to slip out early yesterday, but today, the entire company was forced to work overtime.
The boss must have gotten pissed off about something outside, because he came back and immediately called an emergency meeting. He furiously chewed out every single person, demanding they all write a summary of their recent work and submit it to him for review before the end of the day.
A tense, oppressive atmosphere hung over the entire office.
The boss stood alone by the window, hands clasped behind his back, his gaze dark. As long as he didn’t leave, no one dared to budge. Even the well-connected employees, who were usually lazy, were now pretending to be diligently working overtime.
"Have something to tide you over." His coworker, Sister Peng, slipped Luh Yao a wafer cookie.
"Thanks, Sister Peng." Luh Yao was getting a little hungry himself.
Sister Peng was one of only three people in the company who actually did any real work.
She was around thirty and single. While not conventionally beautiful, she was soft-spoken and amicable, making her easy to get along with.
Sister Peng admitted that she had initially suspected Luh Yao had powerful connections, so she’d wanted to get on his good side. She later discovered he didn’t have any backing, but he was reliable and someone you could count on in a pinch. Most importantly, Sister Peng felt Luh Yao’s personality was a lot like her younger cousin’s, so she tended to look out for him.
"Know why the boss is so mad?" Sister Peng whispered.
Luh Yao shook his head.
"Someone keyed his car."
Luh Yao remembered that the boss drove a white BMW X5. The woman in the passenger seat was always changing, their only commonality being their youth. Beyond that, Luh Yao was completely in the dark.
"It was a kid who keyed it. The son of one of the boss’s mistresses." Sister Peng’s face lit up as she launched into the gossip.
"On top of that, a huge contract fell through for him a couple of days ago. I heard he lost it to some young guy. Even veterans slip up sometimes... This time he really lost on all fronts."
Luh Yao nodded along, but his mind was completely preoccupied with the simulator.
After what felt like an eternity, the boss finally left. Sister Peng grabbed her handbag. "Want a ride? It’s on my way."
"No, it’s okay. I was actually planning on walking around a bit, maybe buy a few things."
"Alright, well, stay safe."
Sister Peng said, "Haven’t you heard about what’s been happening? There’s some psycho who likes to knock people unconscious, strip them naked, and hang them up with rope..."
Luh Yao had heard about it.
It takes all kinds to make a world, I guess. He couldn’t wrap his head around that kind of fetish.
"The two victims, a female college student and a male courier, are both in therapy now. I heard they’re like completely different people. The psycho doesn’t care if they’re a man or a woman."
Sister Peng suddenly had a thought. "Don’t you live in Jiuyuann Community?"
Luh Yao nodded.
"Both victims live in your complex. You need to be careful. The psycho hasn’t been caught by the police yet, so don’t go wandering around. Boys need to be careful when they’re out and about, too."
Luh Yao hesitated for a moment.
"Um... could I actually take you up on that ride?"
Sister Peng snorted with laughter. "Scared now, are you?"
"A little."
"Alright."
"Then I’ll have to trouble you, Sister Peng."
"It’s no trouble at all. I guarantee I’ll get you home safe and sound, in one piece. Get in."
She was driving a red Mazda, and they sped off into the city night.
Luh Yao sat in the passenger seat, gazing out the window.
In truth, he and Sister Peng had a sort of unspoken understanding. Her offer of a ride was a polite gesture, and his refusal and thanks were just part of the social script. This was the first time Luh Yao had ever actually taken her up on it.
Although they chatted freely at the office, the private environment of the car, with just the two of them—a man and a woman—made them both fall silent, maintaining a deliberate distance.
There was a faint scent of air freshener in the car. Thankfully, the car stereo was on, alleviating the awkward silence.
It wasn’t that Luh Yao was actually afraid of the psycho. He usually took the bus or subway back to his complex, which only involved a walk of one or two hundred meters. It was simply that getting a ride from Sister Peng was faster. He was dying to get home and check on the progress in the simulator.
The Mazda pulled up outside the community complex. Sister Peng seemed to let out a sigh of relief, her natural, office-friendly smile returning. "Go on, head in. See you tomorrow."
"Thanks, Sister Peng."
Luh Yao replied, "You too. Drive safe, take it easy."
"Will do."
After watching her car drive away, Luh Yao sprinted all the way back to his tiny apartment.
’Garlic Tribe, your God has returned!’
...
When he opened the door, a Cactus Ball Attendant was kneeling in salute on the computer desk in front of him.
Luh Yao discovered his studio apartment had been completely transformed.
The bedsheets, duvet cover, pillowcases, and curtains were all a shade brighter. The dust and stains, both surface-level and deep-set, had been sucked out by the Cactus Ball Attendant. The wardrobe and nightstand were wiped clean and gleaming, and the room had a faint, grassy scent.
The only things the Cactus Ball Attendant hadn’t touched were the computer and the desk it sat on.
In its eyes, these two items seemed to exist in a sacred, inviolable domain—a place only a God could touch, not to be transgressed.
The screen of the 24-inch LCD monitor glowed faintly.
Ever since he’d discovered that God Simulator ran on its own, Luh Yao had simply stopped shutting down his computer, leaving the simulator open at all times.
Approaching his computer, he saw that the Garlic Tribe had changed again.
The tribe’s population had reached 38. The 13 newcomers included little people from the Forest Tribe wearing leather vests, shirtless and barefoot native wanderers, and even one of the Wild People with thick hair, clad only in leaves.
His Faith Value, in turn, had risen to 44.
Luh Yao’s heart leaped. ’I can call down two more lightning strikes.’
The [Cactus Ball Attendants] and the [Energy Staff] combined to provide 2 Faith per hour; this was his fixed income. The tribe’s population growth was his variable income.
Next came the main event of the day.
Luh Yao opened his backpack and took out a cardboard shipping box. He tore it open in a few deft movements and pulled out a transparent plastic bag filled with light brown seeds.
This was the [Blessing] he had decided on after much thought.
Wheat seeds.
’First, I have to make sure the Garlic Tribe has enough to eat. Only then will they have the surplus energy to develop writing, pottery, Refining, or even weapons. If they can’t even fill their stomachs, what’s the point of learning anything? A fat lot of good that will do.’
’If I sent them a book, even a primer like the Three Character Classic, the Garlic Tribe’s current cultural level—where the average member seems to have dropped out of prenatal education—means they probably wouldn’t be able to understand it. They can’t even read.’
’It’s better to provide them with a material foundation. Once the little people have a sufficient food supply, they’ll naturally develop higher needs and the motivation to think.’
—Do you wish to bestow [Wheat] upon your Believers?
Luh Yao clicked [Yes].
A moment later, exclamation points popped up above the heads of the tribespeople outside the Divine Hall, and they raised their arms, cheering wildly.
"A divine Blessing!"
"Long live the Blessing! Long live the Miracle!"
"Great God, thank you for Your Blessing!"
"Wheat! This incredible wheat!"
"Food! Delicious food!"
"We can eat our fill! We can eat our fill!"
Just then, the Prophet spoke. "Our God has bestowed wheat upon us. We must make good use of it, so that our God’s Faith can spread throughout the world. Just like it did with the garlic."
Luh Yao was very satisfied.
’As expected of the tribe’s only intellectual. The Prophet really sees the big picture.’
The screen displayed a notification.
[Your Blessing has allowed your Believers to learn how to plant and use wheat. Your Faith has increased.]
His Faith Value jumped from 44 to 84.
Luh Yao remembered that the garlic had increased his Faith by 15 points; the wheat had brought in 40. ’It seems Blessings have different degrees of effectiveness,’ he thought. ’For now, it looks like food has the biggest impact on the Garlic Tribe.’
After a little while, the Prophet walked into the Divine Hall and knelt on the ground. A question mark appeared above his head.
Luh Yao clicked on the prompt.
"Great God, the Forest Tribe knows the location of a dying Old God’s Apostle and wishes to offer it to you as a sacrifice. However, they demand that we teach them how to cultivate wheat in return. Wheat is far too precious, and my humble Wisdom is insufficient to weigh this decision. I can only beseech you, omnipotent Yao God, to grant me a revelation."
—Do you wish to trade wheat with the Forest Tribe for the [Apostle]?
[Yes] [No]
