Fake Slackers

Chapter 8: You're damn good

The Pangu God Sword, the symbol of kingship which all men fought over, had been discarded just like that at the foot of Wild Boar Mountain.

Zhu Dalei felt that his heart had been pierced by a sword and completely run through. So this was 'heartbreak.'

The group of internet-addicted teens mired in their video game craze nearly rushed up to snatch Uncle Officer's mouse, but their remaining common sense held them back. Can't do that, it's not appropriate. You can't fight him. Don't seek death. You absolutely definitely have to restrain yourself.

The officer pointed to the screen again, where a wild boar was currently pacing back and forth beside the glowing Pangu God Sword. "It's just a virtual object. I'm not opposed to youth like yourselves playing games, but you have to do so in moderation and have the right values. Let's continue on the topic of a harmonious society. A harmonious society..."

After a half-hour civics lecture, their minds were full of the two big words, "harmonious society," which turned circles and flowed back and forth in their minds.

Xie Yu was tired of squatting. While no one was looking, he plopped down on the ground.

Zhou Dalei happened to glimpse this tiny movement: "Old Xie, you're slacking."

Xie Yu patted the ground beside him and said, "You sit, too."

"......" Zhou Dalei hesitated for two seconds and shrugged. "I don't dare. I'm worried he'll make me log into my account and toss all the other equipment I painstakingly gathered. My fragile soul can't take that kind of hit."

Xie Yu: "Progress."

When the officer was more or less finished with his educational attempt, he wished to test the results. He coughed twice to clear his throat and yelled, in the manner of an army officer, "I ask, you answer. What is a harmonious society?"

No one answered.

They had just listened to a whole spiel about a harmonious society, but no one had told them to jot down the main points and prepare for a pop quiz. How could they remember? It was already quite good for them to have managed to listen to it all while squatting.

"It's, it's.... it's...?"

The word, "it's," was said many times, tone rising and falling and brimming with emotion, but after a long time no one continued.

The officer's gaze swept the group several times and landed on someone for an answer. "The pacifist from just now. Do you know?"

He Zhao had started to get sleepy while listening. His eyes were half-lidded, and only when his name was called did he look up: "Me?"

The officer said, "Yes, you. Answer."

He Zhao didn't even know what the question was. He glanced left and right and no one looked like they were about to remind him. He scrambled for a while and then answered, "I pick C."

"......"

Because of He Zhao's answer, everyone's reflection essay length increased from 2000 words to 3000.

The environment in which they had to write their essays was really awful. Desks weren't even provided; they had to write against the floor. Xie Yu put the paper over his knee and his pen poked a hole in the paper when he used a little extra force.

Every few lines he wrote, he would poke a new hole in the paper. When Xie Yu got to the second page, he finally frowned in frustration. "Fuck."

"Don't get frustrated, friend. Relax." He Zhao was opposite Xie Yu, and his posture while writing the reflection was very relaxed. His writing was so frantic the words almost leaped off the page but he spoke lightly and calmly: "Life is like that. There will be many obstacles you'll never even expect, but we can overcome... fuck! Fuck that shit, this paper is so thin? I didn't even pull at it and it ripped."