Infinite Game Ch.68.2

Chapter 68.2 – It’s hard to be a stepfather (seriously)

Getting the visa was possible, but if they were to fly to the South Seas, they needed a guardian’s signature and accompaniment.

This was a special rule introduced for underage individuals emerging from the Game under special circumstances. When the staff informed them, they could only smile helplessly.

Among the three sets of parents, Xiao Pang and Zhang Xin’s parents were usually easy-going, but they were not easily fooled when it came to such matters. So both turned their gaze towards Chen Jing.

Among the three sets of parents, the adult in his family was the easiest to deceive.

Chen Jing: “…”

So, the three of them ended up downstairs in the office building. When they went upstairs, Zhang Xin and Xiao Pang tried to wear the most polite and obedient smiles.

When they entered the room, the people inside were unusually not watching TV, nor were they playing mobile games. They were on the phone, handling some calls.

Noticing the noise near the main door, Jiang Yujin turned his head, waved with a smile, and then shifted his gaze back, saying, “…just continue like this, it’s fine.”

“The payroll card?”

“My son and his friends are back. We’ll talk about the payroll card details next time.”

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Yujin saw the three high schooler walking toward him instead of entering Chen Jing’s room as usual.

He put down his phone and asked, “Is there something?”

“Uncle… no, big brother, you look really handsome today!”

Xiao Pang, lying on the sofa, was the first to speak insincerely, engaging in exaggerated flattery.

Zhang Xin nodded beside him, not sure what to say for a moment, so she complimented the neat buttons on his shirt.

The two of them complimented him again and again, and Chen Jing, standing on the side, eventually looked away.

As the two high schoolers continued their conversation, they took seats on the sofa, ending with Xiao Pang, who started the praise, saying, “Big brother, when we have a short break, we want to go to the South Seas for fun. Our investigation project also needs to be completed there.”

Rubbing his hands together, Xiao Pang continued, “We were thinking, if you have time, could you join us for a few days?”

The resolute adult man lost himself in the praise and nodded, “Sure.”

Chen Jing couldn’t bear to look.

The person on the sofa readily agreed, and the high school students had never felt this person’s figure was so imposing, especially today.

The imposing figure pushed the fruit platter on the table towards the high school students and said, “Have some fruit.”

Chen Jing’s eyes flickered. He hadn’t expected this person to be willing to go out personally to buy fruit.

As if guessing what he was thinking, Jiang Yujin said, “A friend passed by while working and brought them along.”

Although he didn’t quite understand what kind of work would lead someone through this old street, the high schooler still nodded in agreement.

The fruit was fresh, neatly arranged, and very sweet—all varieties this person liked.

Xiao Pang said, “Uncle, your friend is really nice.”

He reverted to calling him “uncle” again.

Jiang Yujin smiled, picked up a piece of fruit, and opened Xiaoxiaole.

…

In the evening, after having dinner together, the high school students left. Chen Jing escorted the two to the station, and Jiang Yujin followed them downstairs, strolling to the barber shop.

It was already closing time now, and the lights in the shop were off, except for the lights in the rest area. Skillfully slipping into the resting area, he very politely greeted the barber shop owner who was cooking.

The barber shop owner least wanted to see this person during mealtime, and he furrowed his brows, “Your son didn’t give you dinner tonight?”

Jiang Yujin smiled, “That’s impossible.”

He came here purely to have a post-dinner snack, chat to pass the time, and casually mentioned that he would be going to the South Seas soon.

The barber shop owner glanced at him, “A useless person like you who needs someone to bring him fruit is willing to accompany a few high school students to such a distant place?”

“Rude,” Jiang Yujin scolded him, then added, “It’s normal for kids to be a bit curious. As a parent, I should support them.”

It had to be him. The places the high school students were going to were becoming increasingly dangerous, and bringing them back safely required some effort.

The barber shop owner finally withdrew his gaze, and in passing, he added, “Shi Bu is on a business trip to the South Seas.”

The person who was initially smiling had a slight twitch at the corner of his eyes.

The barber shop owner chuckled.

…

The day before departing for the South Seas, the high school students had a mock exam at school. The quiet classroom was filled only with the sound of pens scratching on paper and the rustling of exam sheets. Sunlight streamed into the room, and the chirping of cicadas was isolated outside the window.

Jiang Yujin went to Huayang Road in the Huayang Community, the place he used to live. He had made an appointment with Xu Tonggui to come over today.

Xu Tonggui was already in the community, standing at the entrance, tall with long legs, easily visible at a glance.

He had the day off today and wasn’t wearing his usual uniform but rather a casual white shirt with a small dog head embroidered on the chest.

It was the shirt he had bought. Jiang Yujin looked him up and down, very satisfied. He patted him on the shoulder, praising, “Very good, very… handsome.”

The two entered the community together and arrived at the familiar floor.

“Ding—fingerprint recognition successful.”

The familiar voice sounded, and the door opened. After standing at the entrance for a while, Jiang Yujin said, “Next time, remember to bring your son and register his fingerprint too.”

Xu Tonggui nodded, “Hmm.”

As the door closed, the two entered the house together.

Inside, it looked just like it used to, with furniture covered in dust sheets and tightly closed doors and windows.

Xu Tonggui opened the doors and windows for ventilation, while Jiang Yujin sat on the sofa, taking out some blueprints.

He had come today to redesign the layout of the house.

After some consideration, he felt it was a pity to leave the house unused. So, he decided to tidy it up and treat it as a backup version of a home 2.0.

Feeling a bit awkward sitting upright, he tried to lean back. Xu Tonggui, who was on the side, glanced at him and sat behind him, acting as a human backrest.

Jiang Yujin comfortably nestled against him, rotated the pen in his hand, and pointed to the master bedroom, saying, “We’ll sleep here.”

Xu Tonggui had no objections.

Planner Jiang then pointed to the second bedroom, separated from the master bedroom by another room, saying, “Our son will sleep here.”

Xu Tonggui asked why there was a separate room.

Jiang Yujin glanced at him, expressing no objection, “If you can bear it, he can also sleep here.”

Xu Tonggui then suggested placing the big son’s room at the farthest end of the house from the master bedroom.

Dismissing his suggestion, Jiang Yujin arranged the big son’s room in the originally intended location.

The study was more of a decoration for both of them, but the high schooler would need it when he went to college in the future. Although they might not come back frequently, Jiang Yujin decided to allocate the study to the big son.

Xu Tonggui had no objections and once again suggested placing the big son in the farthest room.

His light gray pupils remained as calm and serious as usual. His expression was earnest, and the contours of his eyebrows and eyes were steady and sharp, as if he were discussing something serious.

Jiang Yujin patted his face, saying, “Rejected.”

Without retracting the hand that had patted his face, he pointed towards a vacant corner in the living room, saying, “We’ll set up a cabinet there for photos and our son’s certificates.”

At this point, Planner Jiang emphasized by patting Xu Tonggui’s hand, saying, “Comrade Xiao Xu, remember to build a good relationship with our big son.”

Xu Tonggui lowered his eyes, his hand with a slight callus tightened slightly. It easily caught Jiang Yujin’s hand, and their fingers intertwined.

With the other hand still holding a ballpoint pen, Jiang Yujin didn’t resist being held. Instead, he turned his hand and casually drew a crude little dog on the back of Xu Tonggui’s hand.

Xu Tonggui remained motionless, looking down at the drawing, allowing him to continue.

After finishing the drawing of the little dog, Master Jiang, who had been busy for over ten minutes, finally wrapped up his day’s work, put down the ballpoint pen, and let out a slow yawn.

Xu Tonggui, who hadn’t rested for half a day, was summoned for work again. There seemed to be some special ability on him that ensured trouble would find him on his days off, and it was always urgent matters.

Jiang Yujin expressed his utmost sympathy for this man who couldn’t have a complete day off and opened Xiaoxiaole, saying, “Remember to spare some time for energy replenishment during work hours.”

*

Xu Tonggui went to the SIU, changing into his combat uniform before getting into the car.

Xu Gao, who had quietly shifted from a combatant to a logistics personnel, was also in the car. He felt quite intimidated by this silent and reserved man. Since a few days ago, he seemed more terrifying than before, as if he could easily crush two of him with a single lift of his hand.

Xu Gao swore that he had intended to maintain silence all the way, but the mistake was that he accidentally caught sight of the hand that hadn’t yet put on the combat gloves.

On the broad back of the hand, the simple drawing of a small creature was quite conspicuous.

Xu Gao couldn’t help but laugh at it, “Hehe, Captain Xu, the cat on your hand looks so ugly.”

The gaze of everyone in the car collectively shifted downward.

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