When Zhang Heng heard Ameko's words, he did not look away immediately. He was still thinking about how to enter the main mission when the notification popped up right in front of him.
These biker gang members were obviously car modification enthusiasts. If he could get into their circle, he should be able to get in touch with all sorts of underground races. If he could get on good terms with one or two of them, he might even be able to get them to teach him how to race.
But there was a problem.
He could feel Ameko's rejection of these people, and without her as a translator, he could not communicate with them at all.
So, should he try to convince Ameko to help him, or drag her down with him?
Zhang Heng did not have much time to hesitate. The moment the bandana turned to look at him, he lowered his head to avoid eye contact. The other customers around him did the same. The biker gang members seemed to feel a sense of satisfaction that surpassed the average person, whistling and laughing as they made their way to the empty tables at the back.
Zhang Heng giving up at the last minute had nothing to do with Ameko. It was purely because these people were too stupid. To get in touch with them, one must first lower their IQ to their level.
Zhang Heng was not a masochist, so he gave up after some thought. He did not believe that this was the only way to get in touch with underground racing, nor did he think he could learn anything useful from these people.
For the next two weeks, Zhang Heng spent his time learning Japanese and working at the western restaurant. There was no progress in racing, but his relationship with Ameko was getting better. The two of them worked together. Zhang Heng would correct Ameko's Chinese pronunciation, and in return, Ameko would tutor him in Japanese. Other than that, Zhang Heng realized that Ameko liked texting him more and more.
After spending some time with her, Zhang Heng realized that Ameko was a super chatty girl. From peaches at home to stray dogs on the street to discounted lunchboxes at the supermarket, she would send him a text about everything she saw.
Zhang Heng would receive a text from Ameko during his Japanese class. "Ah, the Mandarin teacher is wearing a super cute floral dress that doesn't match her age at all! Everyone is so surprised! "
He would receive a text from Ameko while he was eating. "Big news!!! Did you know that the school's dog, Matsuko, is a male! "
Or before bed: "Zhang-san, do you think the world would be a terrible place without cats?"
And almost every day. "Oh no, do I like to send messages too much? You won't hate me, will you? Won't you?"
"No, I was just reviewing what I learned today." Zhang Heng put down the gel pen in his hand and rubbed his eyes. Although he hadn't found the underground tournament hidden in the dark, he hadn't been slacking off recently. It felt like he was in his third year of high school again. In order to master Japanese as soon as possible, he had to put his life on the line to understand simple everyday conversations.
He compressed his sleep time to five hours, practicing Japanese almost all the time. Even when he was playing the piano in the dining room, he placed a basic Japanese textbook next to him. He felt like he wasn't here to play games, but to attend a cram school.
"Zhang-san, you're too hardworking. Compared to you, I feel like I'm wasting my life away," Ameko said admiringly.
"I'm just doing what I have to do." Zhang Heng smiled bitterly. He wasn't very interested in learning languages, but on the second evening of his arrival, he received a notification from the mysterious voice.
After confirming that his return time had indeed been extended to 420 days, he could start planning ahead. He couldn't possibly rely on Ameko as a translator for such a long time. What's more, she was applying to be an exchange student in China and might not be here next year. So, Zhang Heng decided to do it himself.
It was not easy to come across a 14-month-long study environment. It would be a waste not to use this opportunity to practice the local language.
Zhang Heng had a bad feeling that if he continued playing the game, he might have to learn all the world's lingua franca first.
Although Ameko was still rambling about trivial things in her texts, Zhang Heng could read between the lines after being bombarded by her for a week. She seemed to be a little down today.
So, he typed, "What's wrong with you?" Just before he sent it, he deleted it and dialed a number. "Ameko, are you in trouble?"
Ameko was a little surprised to receive the call. Her throat was a little hoarse, as if she had been crying not too long ago. She was still sniffling. "Zhang-san, I'm sorry to have made you worry. It's nothing serious. It's just my family's problem. No, it's not really a family problem. That person left us six years ago."
"You'll feel better if you tell me. If you're willing, you can tell me. I can keep it a secret for you. After all, no one else here can understand what I'm talking about other than you."
Ameko, who was still grieving on the other end of the phone, laughed when she heard that. She then told Zhang Heng her story. It turned out that her biological father became addicted to horse racing when she was young and lost all the family's money. Her mother couldn't stand it anymore, so they divorced and severed all ties. After that, her mother remarried her stepfather and gave birth to a younger brother. Now, the family lived happily ever after.
However, when she went to university, her father somehow found her contact information again. The first time he contacted her was to borrow money. At first, he said that he had run into some difficulties in his business and needed to make ends meet. But after the first time, the second time came. After a few times, Ameko finally grew suspicious. She found out that not only was her father gambling, but he had also become an alcoholic.
The father and daughter quarreled and did not contact each other for a few months. Just an hour ago, Ameko received a call from her father, saying that he had been beaten up by debt collectors and had no money to go to the hospital. With that lesson in mind, Ameko did not transfer the money she earned from her job to him immediately. So, her biological father scolded her for being an ingrate. He even said that he did not have her as his daughter.
Ameko burst into tears and asked Zhang Heng on the other end of the line, "Zhang-san, am I very cold-blooded?"
"Ugh, I think your father is even worse. Although it looks like he's probably lying, if you're worried about him, I can go with you tomorrow."
"Really? But wouldn't it be too much to trouble you for my own family matter?" Ameko was a little embarrassed.
"No, it won't be. I'm almost at my limit these days. I'm either learning Japanese or playing Bandari in the restaurant. I can go out for some fresh air." This was what Zhang Heng was thinking. Now that he saw those kana syllables, he felt like throwing up.
"Tomorrow is Saturday. Let's go together after we finish work in the morning."
"Okay."
"Thank you, Zhang-san."
"You're welcome."
Ameko's incident was just a small interlude. Zhang Heng did not take it to heart. After he hung up, he started thinking about how to improve his driving skills. It had been fifteen days since the second round of the game started, and he had yet to start his main mission. If it were any other player, they would probably be dying of anxiety.
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