This daily interaction had continued until two years ago.
Luke had only been a doctor for a few months when he chose to leave the research institute, only occasionally stopping by Estra Technology.
This was because he had figured out how to restart the terminal and unlock the sealed gates.
That was essentially the nature of their relationship.
Back to the present.
To confirm whether Bai He had actually drugged the coffee, Luke pulled a strange pen from his pocket and tapped it against the residue in the cup.
She really had drugged it!
But he wasn’t finished yet.
He moved toward the sofa step by step, scanning his surroundings warily.
With a swift motion, he poked the pen into Bai He’s mouth and retreated instantly!
The device on the pen reacted, showing the exact same reading as the coffee.
Luke breathed a small sigh of relief.
Another ten minutes passed…
Luke finally confirmed that Bai He was truly in a deep sleep.
However, he didn’t immediately move to carry her.
Instead, he searched various corners of her office and found a hidden rope.
He tied Bai He’s hands and feet before finally slinging her over his shoulder to carry her downstairs.
Along the way, most of the staff members they passed acted as if it were a common occurrence.
The veterans stifled laughs, those who had heard the legends whispered to each other, and only the newcomers stood frozen in shock.
Even the security guards downstairs only spared them a glance without saying a word.
Bai He was Luke’s former technical mentor and a Sage of a certain kingdom in the game, being one of the ten people who remained from the original version of the game.
As for her real age?
That had long since ceased to matter.
Many high-level players found their Blue Star bodies returning to their prime.
How long could a body on Blue Star live?
No one knew, as the game had only been in open beta for a little over ten years.
If the Blue Star body synced with the game and followed the one to ten time conversion ratio between reality and the game, then by the time a Sage died of old age in the game, their Blue Star body would have lived for hundreds of years.
Of course, most Sages didn’t live long enough to die of old age…
Returning to the matter at hand, the reason Luke was so cautious was that Bai He had developed “ulterior motives” toward him a long time ago.
In the early days, Bai He had fallen for Luke.
She went from being cautious and testing the waters to a passionate pursuit, eventually using every trick and method at her disposal.
It had reached the point of obsession.
However, Luke had always treated her like an older sister.
He managed to counter every trick she threw at him, leaving her defeated every time.
Eventually, Bai He decided that this dynamic was actually quite fun.
She set her “ulterior motives” aside and started engaging in various types of roleplay.
In short, she just wanted to play!
Their daily study and class sessions felt like a battle of wits—scheming and maneuvering against one another.
Even entering or leaving the “classroom” felt like an escape room challenge.
This was because Bai He had gradually brought back skills from the game, while Luke only possessed a strong physique and a sharp mind.
***
“Is something wrong?”
Luke asked the assistant, whose expression seemed a bit off.
The assistant scratched his head, looking troubled as he stammered, “Um… Dr. Luke, the Director passed out right after drinking her coffee… She said you shouldn’t break your word… She wants you to take her home.”
“…She really is something!”
Luke pressed a hand to his forehead, looking speechless, though a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Brother Li looked at Luke, then at the assistant, and pointed at himself.
“Should I head out then?”
“Oh—”
Luke suddenly snapped back to normal.
He turned around and waved a hand in resignation.
“Brother Li, you head out first.”
With that, he quickened his pace.
The assistant didn’t move, simply watching them.
The Director had instructed him that he could clock out as soon as the message was delivered and that he was strictly forbidden from following them.
“Alright, Brother Luke, I’m heading off.”
Brother Li stepped into the elevator alone and added, “I hope you have a wonderful evening.”
“It’s not even noon yet,” Luke’s helpless voice echoed from around the corner.
“Hahaha!”
Brother Li laughed as the elevator doors slowly closed.
***
The Director’s office smelled very fragrant.
Luke pushed the half-open door slowly, with extreme caution.
He carefully observed the area to ensure there were no traps behind the door before stepping inside.
An elegant woman in professional attire was lying on the sofa.
She looked like a young girl of eighteen or nineteen, sleeping soundly.
She was the Director the assistant had mentioned: Bai He.
***
“All changed?”
Luke, who had just arrived, leaned against the doorframe and asked lazily.
The engineer’s eyes lit up.
He grabbed a pen and paper and walked over.
“It’s all done. Dr. Luke, please sign here.”
‘Wow! Oh man!’
“Mm.”
Luke took the pen and signed.
“A new model?”
‘Whoa! It’s so flexible!’
“Yes, this one is a support model, primarily for repairs. The exterior has been modified. If it’s not deployed, it looks no different from a civilian model.”
The engineer looked toward Brother Li, who was currently testing the prosthetic limb.
“Brother Luke, this new arm is incredible! We’ll definitely be able to make even more powerful stuff in the future!”
Brother Li suddenly leaned over, showing off the high-tech mechanical arm module, his face flushed with excitement.
Luke chuckled.
“Then I’ll be waiting for you to benefit the public, Brother Li.”
He handed the pen and paper back to the engineer.
The engineer tucked them away, putting one hand on Brother Li’s shoulder and patting his chest with the other.
“Keep the news tight! If word gets out that Estra Technology is being used to manufacture adult dolls, things will get rowdy.”
He gave a meaningful smile.
“Hehe, definitely, definitely!”
Brother Li nodded repeatedly, smiling as he gave his word.
After chatting with the engineer for a while and letting Brother Li test it for a few more minutes to ensure there were no issues, Luke prepared to head home.
“I’m off. Time to go back.”
Luke walked away slowly with his hands behind his head.
“Home, home… hehe.”
Brother Li kept stroking his new “God’s Right Hand” as he followed behind, his old face wrinkled with a wide grin.
Just as they reached the corner leading to the stairs and elevators, they ran into the assistant again.
“Dr. Luke, this… this is your chip. Please take it!”
The young assistant seemed a bit nervous, bowing slightly as he handed over a piece of white metal.
With pursed lips, he looked at Luke with admiration and… a hint of youthful shyness?
“Thanks for the trouble.”
Luke’s expression remained unchanged, maintaining a gentle and kind smile as he took the chip.
Internally, he thought, ‘If this were a girl, this shyness would be an honor for me.’
“The Director said your new ideas are very useful. She wanted to know if you’d like to stop by her office.”
The assistant looked at Luke expectantly.
If this big shot agreed, maybe he’d have a chance to ask for his contact information?
“When she said that, was she making coffee?”
Luke rubbed his chin, a strange look in his eyes.
The assistant scratched his head and thought for a moment.
“Um… the Director was indeed making coffee at the time. She seemed quite excited.”
Hearing this, Luke spread his hands, his expression saying *I knew it*.
“Then I’m not going. I don’t want to get all woozy and be forced into some office roleplay.”
“Huh?”
The assistant froze, his brain failing to process the comment.
“Go tell her that if she dares to drink that cup of coffee herself, I’ll even go to her house!”
Luke gave a sinister laugh, waved, and turned to walk in the other direction.
He wanted to check on Brother Li’s situation.
**[Estra Technology] [Combat and Support Prosthetics Department]**
“OK! It’s fixed. This should last you four or five years. Try moving it around.”
“Great!”
***
After scarfing down his lunch in a few bites, Luke couldn’t wait to put on his game terminal.
*Estra*, launch!
Following a brief twitch of his body, things settled down, and Luke returned to the **[Login Space]**.
Seeing this, Ava, who had been watching television nearby, quickly shoved a plastic baby bottle filled with SAN-Leda into his mouth and squeezed hard.
***
‘I don’t believe it. I know everything about my sister; how could I be mistaken?’
‘I only believe in myself. I’m going to find you. I want to go back!’
‘Even if… I can’t see you.’
‘But if I can find traces of my sister’s existence, that will prove that she at least lived a good, happy life.’
Luke gently rested his forehead against the tombstone and gave a brilliant smile.
“Don’t you agree, Sister?”
He stood up and slowly walked out of the cemetery.
The young man from earlier hadn’t left.
Seeing Luke come out, he waved.
“Let’s go. I’ll give you a ride.”
“I still don’t know your name.”
“Everyone calls me Yellow Hair. My name is… Du Ziteng. Just call me Yellow Hair.”
“That must be… difficult for you.”
“Sigh, tell me about it.”
“Contact info?”
“Hehe, here, take it!”
After dropping Luke off at the building, Du Ziteng went for a ride while humming a tune.
Luke checked the time: 1:00 PM.
To get into the game as soon as possible, he bought two bowls of noodles at the beef shop downstairs and rushed home.
“Yo, isn’t this the handsome young man from this morning?”
“Got a new ride already? Planning to go for a match?”
“Matching during the day is boring. It’s better at night. Right now I’m just cruising,” the yellow-haired youth said with a grin.
“Where to? Want a lift?”
“I’m going to the flower shop on Route 75. Is it on your way?”
“Hahaha, of course it is. Come on, get in!”
A while later, the car stopped at the city cemetery.
Luke and the youth walked inside slowly in silence.
“Do you have family living in here too?”
Luke broke the silence first.
“Yeah, a good brother of mine. He won the championship in skiff racing and passed away satisfied.”
Yellow Hair shook his head and smiled.
“How about you?”
“An older sister I grew up with.”
“Oh…”
The two fell back into silence and parted ways at a crossroad.
Luke gently wiped the dust off the tombstone and placed the girl’s favorite daisies in front of it.
He sat on the grass beside the grave, looking up at the sky as he talked to himself.
“No matter what anyone says, I’ve always believed you’re still alive. You just went to Estra.”
“Don’t doubt me. I clearly saw your figure during that grand banquet.”
“Someone told me that wasn’t you, but just an NPC who looked like you.”
The editing of the chapter is a mess, the timeline is all mixed around