Death Progress Bar

ary snowman, not some kind of a fancy snow sculpture so first, he rolled a big snowball for the snowman’s body and placed it in the middle of the yard.
After making a slightly smaller one for the head, he cradled it in his arms and ran to the club.

Lian Jun opened the French door for him, not caring about the frigid air blowing in.
He touched Shi Jin’s face, frowning.
“It’s too cold, don’t go out anymore.”

“It’s all right, I warmed up already.” Shi Jin pulled the door almost closed, leaving only a small crack, then took off his gloves and pulled out the carrot and two buttons.
Handing them to Lian Jun, he said, “Here, you’re going to do the nose and eyes.
This way, the snowman will be considered to be made by both of us.”

This took Lian Jun aback.
He looked at the carrot and buttons, motionless.

“Hurry up! It’s too warm here, the head will start melting soon,” Shi Jin urged.
He carefully checked the snowball in his arms, as if afraid it was melting already.

Lian Jun looked at him, his eyes glancing over the cheeks and nose red from cold.
He moistened his lips, took the carrot and buttons, and awkwardly stuck them in the snowball.
Because he wasn’t used to the hard sensation of snow packed together, his hand slipped once, accidentally poking a big hole in the snowman’s head.

“Don’t mind it, I’ll fill it with snow in a minute.” Shi Jin smoothed the head out, picked up the button and put it back in Lian Jun’s hand.

Their fingers touched; one palm was cool, the other icy.
Lian Jun reflectively grabbed Shi Jin’s hand but found he couldn’t warm it up and slowly released his grip.
He stuck the button in the proper place and said, “I’m done.”

“You’re good, Jun-shao, that’s a very noble-looking face.
Wait a moment, I’ll put it together,” Shi Jin flattered.
He ran out, holding the head carefully, and set it on the snowman’s body, then picked up some snow to fill the uneven places.
After making the snowman pleasingly round and smooth, he put the hat and scarf on it.

Sponsored Content

When he was done, he stepped back to admire it but thought it was still too bare, so he found two forked tree twigs and inserted them in the body.
Now, the snowman had hands.

The round body, twiggy arms, small hat on a big head, prominent nose under beady eyes… The snowman was so ugly cute Shi Jin was amused.
He turned towards the club.
Noticing Lian Jun was looking his way, he waved to him with a wide smile and pointed at the snowman’s bulging belly, silently implying Lian Jun should eat until he looked like this.

Lian Jun pulled the French door open and went out.

Startled, Shi Jin rushed to his side and stopped at a place where he would block the wind for him.
“Why did you come outside?” He asked anxiously.

“The window fogged up and I couldn’t see clearly,” Lian Jun replied.
He observed the snowman carefully for a moment, then grasped Shi Jin’s hand and turned around, moving the wheelchair with his other hand.
He pulled the teenager towards the club, saying, “Come inside, the wind is getting stronger.”

Shi Jin nodded.
He went behind the wheelchair to help push it, unwittingly pulling his hand out.

His fingers empty, Lian Jun looked at Shi Jin’s reflection in the glass doors and slowly retracted his hand, letting him push himself into the lounge.

The expression of Gua Two, who was peeping from the hallway, was complicated.
He let out a sigh.
“No wonder Shi Jin was able to turn his wishful thinking into reality.
Day after day, he comes up with this kind of devious schemes… The face of Jun-shao when he watched the snowman just now… Fuck, I thought I was going to cry.
After all, Jun-shao had become involved with the underworld when he was much younger than us.”

Neither Gua Three nor Gua Five spoke.
Their expressions were bitter—what kind of life had Jun-shao lived and what he had been through, they knew better than anyone else.

“Let’s go,” Gua One said, turning away.
“At least this year, we can have a good New Year’s Day.
I’ll tell the kitchen to prepare more sumptuous dishes for the reunion dinner this evening.”

After making the snowman, Lian Jun and Shi Jin simply stayed in the lounge next to the yard, with a table full of snack and a pot of hot drink.
They admired the snowman while playing mahjong.

Shi Jin was gratified Lian Jun proposed to play games with him to relax.
After two tablets were sent over, he installed the mahjong app he used.
He gave his own account, with all the virtual money he had won, to Lian Jun, and applied for a new one, then taught him how to play.

Lian Jun got the hang of it quickly.
After losing a few times in the beginning, he took the lead and started to slaughter his teacher.
Shi Jin happily slapped his thighs and kneaded a pillow.
His mahjong-fanatic side woke up; he was so excited he appeared to be ten years younger.

That evening, they should’ve enjoyed a heartwarming reunion dinner, but man proposes, heaven disposes.
Sometime after 4 p.m., Chen Qing called and, as Lian Jun’s old friend, he invited him out for dinner again.

This invitation would seem strange if it was addressed to someone else—after all, the reunion dinner was supposed to be spent home with family.
However, since Lian Jun had no relatives, his old friend asking him to eat together at this time seemed to be a kind and considerate thing.

Lian Jun pretended to refuse, saying that if Chen Qing was spending New Year alone too, he could come to the club to celebrate together.

Chen Qing declined, explaining he borrowed a friend’s house and personally cooked a lavish meal, and wanted to give Lian Jun a taste of his craft.
He also let him know, in a roundabout way, that he had something to tell him about a certain task they’d cooperated on a few years ago, which he didn’t disclose earlier.

As such, Lian Jun naturally accepted the invitation.
He asked for Chen Qing’s address, promising to arrive on time.

By the time the call ended, Shi Jin’s game had been taken over by the system and played automatically because he didn’t make a move in a long time.
Obviously, he was going to lose.

His eyebrows knitted in a frown.
“The address he gave you is in a residential area.
There are many people, the terrain is complex and it’s easy to get in and out.
I recommend you don’t keep that appointment.
What’s more, you’re supposed to meet at 6 o’clock and it’s almost five.
There’s too little time to prepare.”

After sending a message to Gua One, Lian Jun put down his phone and appeased, “Don’t worry about this, an hour is completely enough for our people to get into position.”

“What if it’s just a trap? Chen Qing may not be there at all.
If you go, you may not only fail to save him but put yourself in danger too.” Shi Jin wasn’t reassured.

Sponsored Content

“I’ll ask Chen Qing come downstairs to pick me up, I won’t thoughtlessly rush in.
I also made some arrangements for Black Rose’s base.
If it really is a trap and the things go downhill, we will fight back.
Don’t worry, we won’t lose,” Lian Jun continued to appease him, preparing to leave.

Shi Jin grabbed the wheelchair armrest, stopping him from moving.
“I’m going with you,” he announced sulkily.

Lian Jun turned to look at him.
The wrinkle between his eyebrows smoothed out, then he unexpectedly reached out and patted Shi Jin’s head.
“You will stay here.
I will come back soon and celebrate the New Year with you.”

Shi Jin still felt ill at ease.
He shook his head, insisting, “I am going with you, I don’t trust you to go alone.”

“I won’t be alone, Gua One and the others will accompany me,” Lian Jun refused again.
Seeing Shi Jin’s face full of worry, he actually leaned forward and gave him a shallow hug.
He patted him on the back and said, “Behave and stay in the club, okay?” Then he let him go.
Seeing Gua One appear in the doorway, he gently pulled away Shi Jin’s hand gripping the armrest and moved toward the door.

Gua One stepped forward and grabbed the wheelchair handles.
He looked into Shi Jin’s eyes and nodded to him, then pushed Lian Jun away.

The lounge that was originally full of laughter and excitement now felt desolate.
Shi Jin was unwilling to give up and tried to follow Lian Jun but Gua Nine, who popped out from who-knows-where stopped him, saying that if he persisted in disobeying orders, he would have to lock him up.

Shi Jin realized Gua Nine wasn’t kidding.
With a heavy heart, he returned to the sixth floor and watched everyone bustle around getting ready.
Finally, he saw Lian Jun, who changed clothes, being pushed into the elevator by Gua Two and going to the underground parking lot.

“Remember to have a good meal,” Lian Jun even told him before departing.

As if I could eat.
Shi Jin sat alone at the big table prepared for the reunion dinner and stared at Lian Jun’s progress bar, which was slowly increasing since he’d left the club.
He had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, and it was getting worse.

Xiao Si pacified.

“I know.” Shi Jin sighed and continued to watch Lian Jun’s progress bar.
When it finally rose to 800, he couldn’t bear it anymore and sat up, saying through the gritted teeth, “No, I can’t just stand by.
Lian Jun’s progress bar is different from mine; I have to be nearby when his bar is close to filling.”

Xiao Si asked,

“Lian Jun forbid me to follow him, so I won’t follow him.
They’ve been gone for a while, if I rush after him now, it may disrupt his plan instead.
But… I don’t have to be next to him.” Shi Jin strode back to his room and armed himself.
After a moment of hesitation, he put the chicken drumstick pendant Lian Jun had given him into his pocket.
Then he pulled out a plush animal costume and stuffed it into a large backpack.
It was something Xiao Si encouraged him to buy—he originally planned to change into it during New Year and give Lian Jun a surprise.

Now that he thought about it, he truly tried hard to give Lian Jun back a tiny piece of his lost childhood.

Xiao Si was dumbfounded seeing him pack it.

“I won’t interfere with the rescue plan, I’m just going to give out candies in the neighborhood.
It’s New Year’s Eve after all, can’t I have some fun?” Shi Jin made a high-sounding excuse for his disobedience and zipped the backpack.
Then he sent all of his brothers the traditional New Year’s wishes, though it was a little early, and left the club, saying indignantly, “Anyway, I refuse to eat the New Year’s Eve reunion dinner alone.
Since I can’t eat that, I’m going to eat ‘one hundred meals’!”

Xiao So:

 

Translator’s Notes:
“I’m not hungry; (…) I’m hungry” – in case you missed it, Gua Nine and Gua Two are talking about being fed dog food.
Which leads us to…
Dog food [狗糧, gǒu liáng] – the self-pity of single people (humorously dubbed “single dogs”), triggered by the public displays of affection by couples online or offline.
(Source)
“Reunion dinner” – held on New Year’s Eve of the Chinese New Year, during which family members get together to celebrate.
It is often considered the most important get-together meal of the entire year.
(Source)
“Eat one hundred meals” [吃百家饭] – a folk custom.
If a child was weak or sick for a long time, the family made a large red bag, then his parents or relatives would go around the neighbors and ask for a hundred foods to feed him (though it didn’t have to be a whole hundred).
This was believed to make the child healthy.
BUT, in some areas, “eating one hundred meals” is another term for begging.
Which one Shi Jin meant? Take your pick.