Chapter 9: Mysterious Phone
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
“Cellphone?” Zhou Lingfeng was somewhat puzzled. Only after quite some time did he suddenly say, “Is the phone you’re talking about one with a completely white metal case and a black screen without any b.u.t.tons. About five to six inches big?”
“That’s right. Is that phone yours?” Zhou Wen asked in surprise.
“No, it’s your grandfather’s. I’d have already forgotten about it if you hadn’t mentioned it,” Zhou Lingfeng said with a laugh. “That phone was your grandfather’s baby.”
“Grandfather’s baby? Where he did get it from?” Zhou Wen seemed to notice something amiss with Zhou Lingfeng’s tone as he pressed on.
Zhou Lingfeng recounted the phone’s origins, leaving Zhou Wen quite surprised.
Zhou Wen’s grandfather was a carpenter years ago; however, he wasn’t a carpenter who made tables or chairs. He could do those, but his focus was on building wooden buildings that mimicked ancient structures.
In the past, when Guide Ancient City was being rebuilt, they needed to preserve the ancient city’s former state, so the construction of many wooden buildings in the ancient style was needed. Zhou Wen’s father had taken the job and spent more than a year in the City.
During this period, an ancient dried well was excavated from the ancient city’s site. It was the graveyard s.h.i.+ft, so there weren’t any outsiders around. Only Zhou Wen’s grandfather and a few workers were present.
When the ancient well was dug out, there was a glow that emitted from below. Imagining that they had dug out treasure, the workers came to an agreement and headed down to dig for it, hoping to strike it rich.
After they went down the well, they discovered an ancient rotting wooden case. The case had almost disintegrated, and there were many holes in it. It was from these holes that the light shone out.
The few workers brought the case up, imagining that there was some treasure in it. With just a few of them, they could split it and end up living in the lap of luxury for the rest of their lives.
To their surprise, it was a cellphone. Although cellphones had just become widespread back then, it was no longer anything rare.
Furthermore, the phone was still lit in the beginning. After they took it out, the screen went black as though it had lost power. There weren’t any b.u.t.tons on the phone, nor was there any charging port.
Zhou Wen’s grandfather and company were greatly disappointed, imagining that it was a prank. Since it looked broken without any value, everyone lost interest in it. Eventually, Zhou Wen’s grandfather threw it into a tool bag.
Later, it was brought back home. Zhou Wen’s grandfather didn’t throw it away and kept it in the storeroom. When Zhou Lingfeng was young, Zhou Wen’s grandfather had even told him the story. However, it was recounted like a horror story; thus, leaving quite a deep impression on Zhou Lingfeng.
“That c.r.a.ppy phone can’t even be turned on. When I was young, I took it to a phone repair shop, hoping to sell it for a few packets of cigarettes, but the boss said it was worthless. So I just threw it into the biscuit tin. Don’t tell me you plan on selling it for money? Cellphones have such a short lifespan and they aren’t considered antiques. Old models aren’t worth anything,” Zhou Lingfeng said.
Zhou Wen thought to himself, Thankfully, you didn’t manage to swap the phone for cigarettes; otherwise, me crying would be an understatement.
“The phone has never lit up before?” Zhou Wen asked further.
“How could it? It’s been sitting there for years. Ignoring the fact that it’s broken, even if it isn’t, it would have long run out of charge.” Zhou Lingfeng cut off Zhou Wen and said, “Alright. I have many things to tend to over here. Since I’ve already informed you, it’s up to you to come to the wedding.”
With that said, Zhou Lingfeng hung up.
Something dug up from Guide Ancient City? Unfortunately, that place has already become a dimensional zone. Ordinary people have no way of going close. However, Guide City’s combat test is inside Guide Ancient City. I wonder where that ancient well is or if I have a chance of heading over to take a look. Zhou Wen thought about it but was without any clues.
Just as Zhou Lingfeng had said, phones were something that were made in the last few decades. It was impossible for them to be antiques. Even if they were antiques, they couldn’t possess any mystical power.
“d.a.m.n it. I forgot to ask dad if he had offended anyone.” Zhou Wen was planning on calling again, but after some thought, he decided against it.
Since An Jing was gone and hadn’t really done anything to him, there was no point in raising it now that the matter was already over.
Taking out the mysterious phone, he opened the Ant Nest app and once again started his grinding.
The ants were killed by the blood-colored avatar as his in-game character behaved like him. Zhou Wen received all the experiences and lessons learned from combat.
Now, Zhou Wen was getting more experienced at killing Vigor Ants. He lasted much longer and could now kill four to five hundred Vigor Ants with just one life. In the past, he would usually succ.u.mb after killing about a hundred.
Unfortunately, his luck today was nothing to speak of. Two Strength Crystals and a Const.i.tution Crystal dropped. Furthermore, they were low in value and could only be used for energy replenishment. He wasn’t able to upgrade himself directly with them.
As he was getting pumped from the killing, he suddenly saw a red Mutated Vigor Ant appear. Delighted, he controlled the blood-colored avatar to rush over.
Before he had mastered Vigor Divine Fist, killing Mutated Vigor Ants was somewhat difficult, but this time, he delivered one Vigor Divine Fist immediately, blasting its head apart. Following that, he threw out another punch to blast its body apart.
Ding!
A crisp sound was heard as a dimensional crystal dropped. Unfortunately, there was only one.
“Killed Mutated Vigor Ant. Discovered Const.i.tution Crystal.”
Zhou Wen took a careful look and saw that it had a value of 9, delighting him.
His Const.i.tution was at 8, and with this Const.i.tution Crystal, he could improve once again.
Const.i.tution involved a person’s resilience and endurance. Only with high Const.i.tution could someone fight prolonged battles without becoming exhausted. One would also be able to better withstand blows. The Ascetic Meditation he cultivated in mainly strengthened his Const.i.tution and Strength.
Picking up the Const.i.tution Crystal with the blood-colored avatar, a strange force was transmitted from the phone, instantly spreading across Zhou Wen’s body. It made every cell in him seem to come to life.
As he watched his in-game Const.i.tution change to 9, Zhou Wen felt his body become significantly tougher. When ordinary Vigor Ants bit at his blood-colored avatar, the amount of health he lost was much less.
Zhou Wen continued grinding and discovered that such Mutant Vigor Ants occasionally appeared in the nest, but its sp.a.w.ning spot was random. Furthermore, they didn’t always drop dimensional crystals.
Later, Zhou Wen encountered two Mutated Vigor Ants again, but nothing dropped.
Time quickly pa.s.sed amidst his grinding. Nothing changed. He slept through his cla.s.ses and gamed after cla.s.ses. Only during cultivation cla.s.ses did he hone his teamwork with Fang Ruoxi and company.
However, over the past few days, Zhou Wen often felt that Yu Qiubai looked at him strangely. The latter was often smiling at him with narrowed eyes, creeping him out.