Day 5 in the VR Simulation
Night had fallen as Li Wei walked home. His breathing was heavy from the pain in his ribs, beaten over and over for days, and his steps were slow, unsteady.
The wound on his arm was still bleeding, and every time his clothes brushed against the torn skin, the sting grew sharper.
Vincent felt everything. He wanted to clench his jaw, to take control of the body and beat down whoever had caused this pain. But he could not. He was just an observer, trapped in someone else's body, feeling every strike, every wound, unable to fight back.
As Li Wei entered his home, the air smelled of bitter medicine and burning wood. He immediately saw Mei, lying weakly on a bamboo mat, her face even paler than the day before.
Her coughing had worsened.
Li Wei held his breath, as if not breathing would stop reality from catching up to him.
Vincent felt the weight crushing him, something he was all too familiar with.
His wife was sick.
He needed money.
Li Wei knelt beside Mei, picked up a bowl of warm water, and helped her drink.
Mei gave a weak smile. "You... are injured..." Her voice barely a whisper.
Li Wei stared at the wound on his arm for a moment, his expression empty, then shook his head. "It does not matter."
But Mei was not foolish. Her tired eyes were full of sadness and exhaustion, as if she knew her husband was carrying a burden far greater than he could bear alone.
Vincent could feel his heart sinking under emotions he could not control.
Mei coughed again, harder this time, her frail body trembling.
Li Wei gently held her hand, feeling how cold her skin had become.
He whispered, more to himself than to Mei, "I will fix this."
But inside, Vincent heard something else. Doubt.
Li Wei knew Mei did not have much time left.
And he knew that whatever he had to do, he had to do it now.
The next morning, Li Wei went to see Master Huang, the only man who could give him a chance to save Mei.
When he entered the merchant's trade hall, Huang's sharp, mocking gaze met him instantly.
"You came to borrow money," Huang said, his voice filled with satisfaction after hearing Li Wei's request.
Li Wei did not waste time with pleasantries. He got straight to the point. "I need to buy medicine for my wife."
Huang smirked, almost like a hunter who had trapped his prey.
"I have a job for you," he said, his tone calm yet cold. "Complete this task, and I will pay you enough to buy all the medicine you need."
Li Wei clenched his jaw, feeling hope in his chest. "What do I have to do?"
Huang glanced out the window of his trade house, dramatically giving sad expression. "There is a merchant causing problems for my silk business. Song Wen, from the north. I want his shop gone. I want you to make sure of it."
Li Wei held his breath, shocked by Huang's demand, and Vincent could feel this man's mind racing, the same feeling he had when he himself had to make a difficult choice.
Huang was not offering a simple business deal. He was asking Li Wei to destroy someone else.
***
Li Wei left Huang's trade house with his thoughts in chaos.
If he did this, Mei would live.
But if he did this, he would ruin an innocent man's business.
Vincent wanted to scream, to tell Li Wei that the world was never fair, that taking from others to survive was wrong—but he knew it would not change anything.
Li Wei walked toward Song Wen's shop, where the merchant stood, smiling, happily tending to customers.
He looked like an ordinary man, a father, a hardworking trader.
Vincent could feel Li Wei's heartbeat quicken, and he knew what was happening—Li Wei was trying to convince himself that this was the only option, trying to justify that this was the right path.
But before Li Wei could make his decision, a shout rang out through the street.
Li Wei turned sharply toward the noise.
From the end of the street, several men dressed in black stormed into Song Wen's shop. Within seconds, they were smashing shelves, beating the workers, and chasing customers away.
Li Wei's eyes widened as he frantically searched for the person behind this chaos.
Then he saw Zhao Kun standing across the street, grinning with satisfaction.
Vincent felt a wave of rage surge through him, something he knew Li Wei was feeling too.
If he did not act now, Song Wen's shop would be destroyed completely.
Li Wei clenched his fists, the pain in his wounded arm nothing compared to the fury burning inside him.
Vincent wanted to yell. 'Do not do this! This is not your fight!'
But Li Wei had already stepped forward.
He could not let this happen.
He could not stand by and watch.
And before he could think twice, his fist slammed into the face of one of the black-clad men, knocking him to the ground.
Then fight begun.
Li Wei dodged a punch, grabbed a wooden crate and used it as a shield, striking down one of his opponents.
Vincent felt everything, every kick, every new wound, every gasp for breath.
As the fight turned chaotic, Zhao Kun realized Li Wei was not backing down.
Without warning, Zhao Kun turned and ran, leaving his men behind, battered and defeated.
Song Wen, bruised but standing, looked at Li Wei with grateful eyes.
And Li Wei looked back, his mind filled with turmoil, saying nothing.
He knew that this fight was not over.
He knew that by saving Song Wen, he had made an even bigger enemy.
And his wife's life was the price.
He looked at Song Wen, a man who had nearly lost everything, and realized that he had just saved someone. For the first time in days, he was not just surviving as usual—he had fought back.
But the hope he had felt after leaving Huang's place was now mixed with fear. Zhao Kun would not stay quiet after this defeat. Huang had surely heard about what had happened.
And most importantly—Mei was still lying sick at home.
Li Wei took a deep breath, then turned around and walked away without a word. He could not stay here any longer.